By SCOTT MATTHEWS
DavidsonNews.net
Beyond the madness that is a Friday night at any American College, Davidson College’s campus welcomed a joint performance of Rupert T. Barber Jr.’s adaptation of “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” by the Davidson College Theater Department and Davidson Community Players’ Connie Co.
The play, which opened for a three-day run Friday night, featured some of the theater department’s rising talent, including freshmen Willa Folmar (His Empress), Nick McGuire (The Emperor), and Tatum Pottenger (Lord Chamberlain) as well as veterans senior Julie Brylawski (Buckalow) and Sophomore Amelia Lumpkin (Roscoe).
The play, which opened to a packed Barber Theater, in the Cunningham Fine Arts Building, was well received by an audience of all ages from children to college students to adults. Director Melissa Ohlman-Roberge said that The Emperor’s New Clothes is a special play because “it is one of the last plays that Rupert T. Barber Jr. wrote.”
The production is being staged in the theater named after the late Mr. Barber, who taught theater for 40 years at Davidson College. Mr. Barber also founded the Connie Co., for which he wrote or adapted a variety of children’s plays.
Additional performances of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” are scheduled Saturday and Sunday. It’s a must-see family production. Run time is less than an hour.
WANT TO GO?
Theater: The Emperor’s New Clothes, Saturday, 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m., Barber Theater, Cunningham Theatre Center, Davidson College – The winter children’s production is The Emperor’s New Clothes. It is presented by the Davidson College theater department in collaboration with the Davidson Community Players and The Connie Company. The show runs from January 21-23. All tickets are $7. Order tickets by calling 704-892-7953 or online at www.davidsoncommunityplayers.org.



