Nationally acclaimed actress works with DeKalb Fine Arts students

Nationally acclaimed actress works with DeKalb Fine Arts students

PHOTO: Nationally acclaimed actress Sandra Lafferty with DeKalb County Fine Arts Teacher Sara Argiro and DeKalb County Drama students. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)

By Tyler Pruett, Managing Editor 

tyler@southerntorch.com 

RAINSVILLE, Ala. — On Tuesday, drama students from all over DeKalb County had a chance to work with and receive pointers from a nationally acclaimed actress! Sandra Lafferty held two classes for DeKalb County Fine Arts students in the Elementary Library at Plainview School. The classes are part of the Mentone Arts & Cultural Center’s (MACC) community outreach program, which got underway in November.

Lafferty, who has more than 60 television and films credits including, The Hunger Games (Greasy Sae) and Walk the Line (Maybelle Carter), is serving as the center’s Artist in Residence of Theatre and Film. She began her career in theatre before ultimately moving to Los Angeles.

"I let them ask a lot of questions. They had questions like the difference between film and theatre. Some of them would like to go in to that as a profession, so they wanted to know how to break in it and what schools to go. Of course, they had a lot of questions about Hunger Games," said Lafferty, with a laugh.

Sandra Lafferty and Teacher Sara Argiro discuss the fine points of drama and acting. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)

Lafferty did a performance for the students, and the students in turn did a performance for her.

"I did a piece called a, 'a triplets;' it's a scene from a comedy that I've done for years and years. I played Addy the Hairdresser, which is very much a southern woman in a little town. That's one of the pieces I've done, and you usually do contrasting pieces in theatre auditions, so I do that and I do a Shakespearean piece," she said.

The students were from schools throughout the DeKalb County System, and take the drama course through the Technology Center. They performed a scene from D.M. Larson's, "Make Me a Vampire." In the scene, a human that is living in a world of mostly vampires, begs to be bitten and transformed to be like everyone else. This is the first year for the DeKalb County Fine Arts program and the new Drama course.

Students perform a scene from D.M. Larson's, "Make Me a Vampire. (Tyler Pruett | Southern Torch)

"The concept is amazing. They are bussing kids in from Collinsville, Valley Head, from all over," said Lafferty.

Teacher Sara Argiro is the head of the program, and started the new program from the successful, "Plainview Bear Theatre;" to bring top notch drama instruction to all of DeKalb County.

"Last year, Dr. (Jason) Barnett said, 'I really like what you are doing out at Plainview, can we do something to make it county wide?' And I said, 'Let's do it!' So Bear Theatre has now grown into DeKalb County Fine Arts. So the kids can sign up just the same as they would any tech school class, and they are bussed up here to learn acting," said Argiro.

The students will have two major performances this spring.

The Spring Showcase will be held on March 22nd at the Plowshares Bistro in Mentone. The students will be performing two plays: "Us and Them," by David Campton and "The Insanity of Mary Girard," by Lanie Robertson.

On May 4th & 5th the students will be presenting their spring musical: "Disney's Aladdin Dual Language Edition." The event venue is to be determined.

The DeKalb County Fine Arts Academy (DCFAA) is also looking for help with their upcoming productions. Individuals and business can help sponsor the productions and be listed in the program for their Spring Musical Production of, "Aladdin."

Support levels:

  • Donor- $10
  • Sponsor - $25 (2 general admission tickets to Aladdin)
  • Partner - $50 (2 reserved seats for Aladdin)
  • Patron - $100 (4 reserved seats to Aladdin)
  • Celebrity Patron - $500 (4 reserved seats to Aladdin & to our fall 2018 play)
  • Royal Patron - $1000 (4 reserved seats to Aladdin & to our fall play PLUS listed in the director's live thank you speech before each performance)

If you or your business is interested in sponsoring DCFAA performances, contact Sara Argiro at saargiro@dekalbk12.org.