Voice and theatre students will demonstrate their performance abilities during sophomore voice recitals on Friday, May 12, at 2 and 4 p.m. and a theatre showcase on Saturday, May 13, at 1 p.m.

The sophomore recitals will be held at Hesston College’s Black Box Theater in Keim Center with performances from a wide variety of musical styles including English and foreign language art song, musical theatre, pop, spirituals and oratorio.

“Sophomore recitals are opportunities for some Hesston College students who have taken private lessons for four semesters to showcase their technical and creative development,” explains music professor Holly Swartzendruber. “I work with the singers, and for me it’s wonderful to see their technical and musical growth.”

The 2 p.m. sophomore recital will feature Luke Huyard, tenor, and Sadie Oesch, mezzo-soprano, while the 4 p.m. recital will feature Jesse Kanagy, baritone, Ginny Miller, mezzo-soprano, and Abraham Cadillo Quispe, baritone.

The theatre showcase will also take place at Hesston College’s Black Box Theater in Keim Center with students from the Acting I and Acting II classes performing a series of monologues, scenes and additional assignments from the past semester, as well as a student-directed one act play.

“This group has been an absolute pleasure to work with this year and have developed as young actors,” says Rachel Jantzi, director of theatre. “You will see selections from plays and literature to film and even video game scripts!”

The showcase will wrap up with the short one act play, “The Wall: A Pilgrimage,” directed by graduating theatre scholar, Alexis Driscoll. This show is about a family visiting the Vietnam War Memorial and the feelings each member faces when recalling the soldier they lost.