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A poster child for the Arts
That remark comes back to me as she and her friends put together the third "Live from Swainsboro...It's Saturday Night!" From an early age, Lauren attended Emanuel Arts events with me. Photos of her are scattered throughout Emanuel Arts scrapbooks covering the past twenty years. In fact, the article about her wedding was accidentally included which seems somehow appropriate, since she did stage manage and direct the performance in which she played a lead role. Gallery openings, live performances, and monthly children's art workshops were a large part of her young life. She would go with me to the Arts Center when I did volunteer work there. While I worked on doing something artistically glamorous like stuffing envelopes, she would run around the building and find ways to entertain herself. An EAC presentation of the North Carolina Dance Theater at Swainsboro/Emanuel County Auditorium fascinated her and inspired a super drawing when she was five years old. She has attended Summer Art Day Camps at the Center with the focus on acting. When the Missoula Children's Theater put on "Rumpelstiltskin" with the children she played Clara (the one who had to weave gold from straw) on the stage at Swainsboro Middle School. Later Lauren became active in Emanuel County Performing Arts Community Theatre where she learned much about the craft of theater. At that time ECPACT was housed in the Arts Center operating under the Emanuel Arts umbrella. These experiences were put to good use in high school where she became a member of the International Thespian Society and participated in several plays there. She acted in "Bye, Bye Birdie," "Steel Magnolias," One Act Competitions, and other performances. An assistant director for One Act Competition one year, she also directed SHS faculty members in "Faith County."
Jason was known for his amazing smile and for his love of music. (He had been the SHS drum major and was scheduled to audition for the Marine Corp Band at the time of his death.) The Friends of Jason Wicker determined that a performance combining comedy with music would be the perfect tribute. Thus "Live from Swainsboro...It's Saturday Night!" was created. With the knowledge and creative drive that she began obtaining at an early age, Lauren has been able to produce and direct this annual event. She also acts and does some of the writing. Oh, and she designed this year's poster as well. Confidence gained from this successful endeavor encouraged her to follow her dream. She got on an airplane, went to Los Angeles where she auditioned and was accepted into the Groundlings school. Many of NBC's Saturday Night Live cast members, past, present, and hopefully future, have attended this school. A child growing up in the arts, with creative influences around her may be able to experience marvelous things because her mind has been opened to so much more than the routine or ordinary. While this has been told from a proud Momma's point of view, I am compelled to make it clear that "Live from Swainsboro...It's Saturday Night!" could not be possible without the support, input and plain hard work of her truly amazing friends. It has been a joint effort from the beginning and each person who is involved is absolutely vital to the continuing success of this event. "Live from Swainsboro...It's Saturday Night!" will be presented May 5 at 8 p.m. in the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Auditorium. All proceeds go to the Jason Wicker Memorial Scholarship. Tickets are $10 at the door. Visit My- Space.com/Swainsboro SNL for more information. Joan Dunn is an artist, member of the Emanuel Arts Council Board of Directors and President of the Emanuel Artists Guild. She is interested in learning about creative arts efforts throughout the area. Contact her at jdunn@nctv.com.
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