In the News

Broadway star to make HBPA appearance

A hometown girl, whose home is now New York City, will take the stage at Bethel College for the third event in the Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts series for 2013-14.

Rachel Kasper Fitzsimons, whose professional name is Rachel de Benedet, will play Emma in Tell Me on a Sunday, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Don Black.

The HBPA performance is Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. in Krehbiel Auditorium in Bethel’s Fine Arts Center. A second show has been added, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in Krehbiel Auditorium.

The one-woman, one-act song cycle tells the story of an ordinary English girl who goes to the United States in search of love. Her romantic misadventures begin in New York City, lead her to Hollywood and eventually take her back to Manhattan.

When HBPA director Matthew Schloneger of Hesston College began brainstorming with de Benedet more than a year ago about having her perform as part of HBPA, they came up with Tell Me on a Sunday at almost the same time.

Schloneger had seen a production of it a number of years ago, and de Benedet was familiar with it. And she was excited about the prospect of bringing the show to a place she knows intimately – Bethel’s Fine Arts Center.

“I grew up on the Bethel College campus, literally – my mom [Kathryn Kasper] was resident director in Haury Hall when I was born,” de Benedet said.

“The Fine Arts Center was my playground. At about age 8, I remember thinking that since my dad [Arlo Kasper] and Walter Jost were ‘the kings of the Fine Arts Center,’ that made Lora Jost and me the princesses of the Fine Arts Center.

“It has been fun to sit in New York, staging myself, because I’m directing myself,” de Benedet continued, “and think of all the different parts of the Krehbiel Auditorium stage [and how I can use them]. It’s been an interesting and unique experience.”

She is also very much looking forward, she says, to working with her father on the lighting and set-building in the week of rehearsal ahead of the performances.

One reason for scheduling Tell Me on a Sunday so early in the year was so that it fell within the time that Arlo and Kathryn Kasper are in North Newton – they live in Asuncion, Paraguay, for most of the year.

De Benedet graduated from Bethel in 1988 with a Fine Arts Divisional major with emphases in drama and music, winning a Thresher Award for fine arts that year.

She spent two summers at Music Theatre of Wichita while at Bethel, moving to New York City soon after her second summer, which followed graduation.

“I spent a year on tour with Me and My Girl and Jesus Christ Superstar, then about eight years doing over 70 regional theater productions while based out of Boulder, Colo.,” she said. “In 1998, I returned to NYC and was incredibly fortunate to land my first Broadway show, The Sound of Music, within the first two weeks.

“After that closed, I took over the role of Elsa Schraeder (aka the Baroness) for the national tour of The Sound of Music, starring Richard Chamberlain.” The role earned her a St. Louis JUDY Award for Supporting Actress.

“After a few more regional plays came Nine on Broadway, starring Antonio Banderas, Chita Rivera and Jane Krakowski, and the mind-bending responsibility that is being a ‘dance captain.’

“After more regional work, I started Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, eventually taking over the role of Muriel when Joanna Gleason left, though as her understudy I had logged over 100 performances already. Two original off-Broadway shows came next, and then the national tour of Camelot landed in my lap out of nowhere.”

In Camelot, de Benedet played Guenevere, opposite Lou Diamond Phillips.

In addition to The Sound of Music, Nine and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, which starred John Lithgow, de Benedet’s other Broadway credits are Catch Me If You Can, for which she received an Astaire Award nomination, and The Addams Family, playing Morticia opposite Nathan Lane.

De Benedet has appeared off-Broadway in The Second Tosca and in Christopher Durang’s Adrift in Macao, for which she won the Barrymore Award for Best Actress for the original Philadelphia Theatre Company production.

She also has more than 75 regional productions to her credit, including Anna in The King And I, opposite Lorenzo Lamas, in Maine; Alexa in As Bees in Honey Drown, in Colorado, for which she won the Denver Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Actress in a Play; Kate/Lilli in Kiss Me, Kate, which earned de Benedet an IRNE Award nomination, in Massachusetts; and Turn of the Century at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, opposite Jeff Daniels.

“I’ve had an exciting fall,” de Benedet says, “shooting my first feature film, Creedmoria, in New York City. It’s currently in post-production, and will most likely start on the film festival circuit next year.

“Here are some other current projects – besides learning this one-woman show [Tell Me on a Sunday],” de Benedet added. “I am part of the developmental process of two new plays right now. One stars Jason Alexander and one is with Kate McKinnon from the current cast of Saturday Night Live.

“Being a part of new work is one reason I moved back to NYC 15 years ago. I have had the great fortune of working one-on-one with some of our best-known living playwrights, composers and directors, such as Terrence McNally, Christopher Durang, David Yazbek, Maury Yeston, Jack O’Brien and Tommy Tune.

“The last three Broadway shows I was in [Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Addams Family and Catch Me If You Can], I was part of from the first readings on.”

De Benedet is married to Tom Fitzsimons, also a New York theater professional, but on the technical side. They have a son, William, 19 months old, and live in New York City.

For more information about Rachel de Benedet’s HBPA appearance or to purchase season or single tickets, call 620-327-8158 (Hesston College) or 316-284-5205 (Bethel College) or visit the HBPA website at hesstonbethel.org.

HBPA is funded in part by the cities of Hesston and North Newton; Excel Industries and Hustler Turf Equipment (Hesston); area businesses and patrons; the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; and the NEA itself.

The Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts series started in 1982 as Hesston Performing Arts (HPA) with funding and planning provided by Hesston College and the Hesston community. In 1998, HPA planners launched a partnership with Bethel College, and the series name changed to Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts. Hesston College in Hesston and Bethel College in North Newton host performances each year.

by Melanie Zuercher, Bethel College

Hesston College to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with week of events

Hesston College’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week Jan. 20 to 24 will focus on the power of words with the theme “A Voice of Conscience: Echoing the Words of Martin Luther King Jr.”

The week’s events at Hesston College will focus on King’s words and explore the significance of the language for the time in which he lived and for the present.

The event schedule for the week includes:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” by John Sharp, Hesston College history instructor at 11 a.m., Monday, Jan. 20 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary on the Hesston College campus.

“How Dr. King’s Words and Actions Moved Us to Act” by Evies and Sharon Cranford (Wichita, Kan.), college educators and community leaders at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 22 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary.

A time for reflection on the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. at 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 24 in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary.

A coffee house with a performance by The Terrel Verner Trio and an open mic time at 9 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24 in the Hesston College Larks Nest.

All events are free and open to the public.

Hesston College announces fall 2013 academic honors

Hesston College announced the names of full-time students whose fall 2013 semester grades earned them a place on the Dean’s List (3.90 to 4.00) and Honor Roll (3.50 to 3.89).

Dean’s List Freshmen

Rachelle Adrian – Mountain Lake, Minn.
Kailey Aiello – Salem, Ore.
Megan Baumgartner – Hesston, Kan.
Victoria Becker – Halstead, Kan.
Oliver Denlinger – Denver, Pa.
Maria Diener – Meridian, Miss.
George Felix – Wichita, Kan.
Christina Hershey – Mechanicsburg, Pa.
Sarah Hostetler – Pleasant Dale, Neb.
Kaylah Kauffman – Hutchinson, Kan.
Allison King – Gordonville, Pa.
Matthew Lind – Harrisonburg, Va.
Karli Mast – Hubbard, Ore.
Alpha Mavungu Kivuvu – Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Spencer Miller – Milford, Neb.
Holly Peters – Hesston, Kan.
Laken Richer – New Paris, Ind.
Yuu Sakaguchi – Kanagawa-ken, Japan
Rachel Short-Miller – Bellingham, Wash.
Tessa Sorensen – Millville, Utah
Travis Splechter – Coffeyville, Kan.
Micah Wallace – Newton, Kan.
Courtney Wengerd – Goshen, Ind.
Steven Yoder – McVeytown, Pa.

Dean’s List Sophomores

Nadia Asprilla – Purwodadi, Central Java, Indonesia
Alyssa Becker – North Newton, Kan.
Denver Coblentz – Harville, Ohio
Mitchell Denlinger – Denver, Pa.
Rebecca Eichelberger – Geneva, Neb.
Kelvin Ferbianto – Jakarta Utara, Indonesia
Victoria Gunawan – Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
JD Hershberger – Hesston, Kan.
Marissa Hochstetler – Strang, Neb.
Savanah Hofstetter – Dalton, Ohio
Taylor Hutchinson – Newton, Kan.
Kaylee Knoll – Douglass, Kan.
Makayla Ladwig – Wichita, Kan.
Mitchell Martin – Milford, Neb.
Kendrik Mast – Harrisonburg, Va.
Elsa Miller – Millersburg, Ohio
Muna Mohammed – Ethiopia
Thang Nguyen – Hanoi, Vietnam
Emma Payne – Pulaski, Iowa
Nathan Peters – North Liberty, Ohio
Jared Regehr – Hesston, Kan.
Eyan Roth – Hesston, Kan.
Amy Seibel – Lawrence, Miss.
Krystle Smith – El Dorado, Kan.
Redfa Titihalawa – Papua, Indonesia
Tien Tran – HoChiMinh City, Vietnam
Wesley Wilder – Hesston, Kan.
William Wyatt – Rose Hill, Kan.
Carley Wyse – Archbold, Ohio
Monica Yosin – Kudus, Central Java, Indonesia

Honor Roll Freshmen

Mary Bender – Harrisonburg, Va.
Taylor Berkey – Keizer, Ore.
Sydni Carter – Muskogee, Okla.
Eric Cender – Valparaiso, Ind.
Davis Cook – Goessel, Kan.
Ryan Dungan – Kechi, Kan.
Octavio Perez – Lenexa, Kan.
Benjamin Rush – Quakertown, Pa.
Jeshurun Shuman – Middletown, Pa.
Jordan Tanner – Houston, Texas
Jordan Waidelich – Stryker, Ohio
Elisabeth Wilder – Hesston, Kan.
Carissa Worthington – Newton, Kan.
Ayaka Yamazaki – Tokyo, Japan
Nathan Yoder – Stryker, Ohio
Nicholas Yoder – Wellman, Iowa
Minori Yokoki – Tokyo, Japan

Honor Roll Sophomores

Samanthan Aeschliman – Lindsborg, Kan.
Joshua Booth – Newton, Kan.
Amanda Burton – North Newton, Kan.
Garrett Byler – Belleville, Kan.
Stephen Cabe – Niles, Mich.
Morgan Cockrum – Falcon, Colo.
Scott Cooper – Sand Springs, Okla.
Mason Davis – Mustang, Okla.
Ippei Fujimoto – Miyazaki-ken, Japan
Tsegamihret Gebru – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Rachelle Haarer – Goshen, Ind.
Ryota Kanamori – Chiba-ken, Japan
Cory Kerbs – Nevada, Mo.
Weihao Kong – Heifei, China
Nicholas Ladd – Hesston, Kan.
Joshua Landis – Sterling, Ill.
Maria Lopez Maldonado – Ecuador
Morgan Martin – New Holland, Pa.
Amy Nussbaum – Union, Mich.
Tyler Roth – Canby, Ore.
Kendal Slabach Brubaker – Harrisonburg, Va.
Yoshie Ueno – Tokyo, Japan
Lea Ulrich – Hesston, Kan.
Adam Unruh – Marion, S.D.
Hannah Weaver – Inola, Okla.
Jarret Wolf – Sand Springs, Okla.
Sierra Wyse – Mount Pleasant, Iowa

Relationships, faith key to basketball star’s success

When asked to describe her schedule at Hesston College, sophomore guard Makayla Ladwig, Wichita, Kan., describes a full plate, one teeming with relationships, challenges, opportunities and faith formation that intertwine with her commitments as a student athlete. Ask anyone who knows Ladwig and they will tell you that she goes about her day with a grace and maturity well beyond her years. Her well-roundedness, above all, has endeared her to the Hesston College community.

Ladwig is visible on the Hesston campus in many ways. As a resident assistant she mentors and engages other students in the dorm. As a member of Hesston’s Inclusion and Diversity Council she seeks ways to nurture relationships across campus. As a nursing student immersed in clinicals and labs she is moving rapidly toward her career goals, and as the top returning scorer and rebounder on the women’s basketball team she is being counted on to lead this year’s squad.

In all of these areas, relationships are the common denominator that turns a busy schedule into a rewarding and life-changing college experience, Ladwig says.

“Makayla is an incredible person,” said Rebecca Eichelberger ’14, Geneva, Neb., Ladwig’s freshman year roommate. “She’s dedicated to bettering herself in her coursework, basketball and her daily walk with God. Makayla is a good listener who cares about people and will do anything to help. She has been an inspiration to me.”

“Makayla’s desire to know and learn from people from all backgrounds is evident in every interaction she makes,” said Jill Schlabach, resident director. “She cares deeply for people and sees their potential.”

“It’s my job to make sure the students in my dorm are included and have opportunities to get involved with campus life,” Ladwig said. “I sought the RA position because I wanted to be in a leadership role – one that extends my circle of interaction and gets me more involved outside of nursing and basketball.”

So why start at Hesston?

Introduced to Hesston through the college’s summer basketball league, Ladwig was impressed by the nursing program’s credentials and head coach Dan Harrison’s ’79 recruiting pitch.

“Makayla is a special individual who happens to be a gifted athlete,” Harrison said. “She came to Hesston to pursue her call of service as a nurse and was attracted to our approach of making basketball part of a balanced life that encourages our players to pursue their dreams both on and off the court.”

An all-region honorable mention pick a year ago, Ladwig averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on last year’s 15-win season. She is part of a deep sophomore class that Harrison will lean on in the coming months.

Beyond the classroom, dorms and basketball court, Ladwig finds time for campus activities, campus worship and other peer interactions. At the mid-point in her Hesston Experience, she is still looking for opportunities to engage the campus community.

Having a full plate has been rewarding yet stressful at times. Each of Ladwig’s responsibilities carry a natural ebb and flow that, when all converge, make for a seemingly unmanageable schedule. Support from family, friends and college staff keep her grounded. Most of all, her faith keeps her afloat.

“Trusting in God is the only reason I’m able to juggle being an RA, basketball, nursing and the rest of my college life,” Ladwig said. “He has taught me what it means to take up my cross daily and follow him; to trust him with each moment and know that he is with me and within me. Through the struggles of my difficult days, my faith in God and motivation to do more has grown.”

Harrison recognizes how special Ladwig is to his team and the campus. “We’re blessed to have her representing Hesston College as a student athlete and a servant leader preparing to make a difference in the world as a follower of Christ.”

by Andrew Sharp

Wichita Chamber Chorale to present special HBPA Christmas concert

A local mainstay and the region’s premiere choral ensemble, Wichita (Kan.) Chamber Chorale, will perform its annual Christmas program as part of the Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts season lineup at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 5, on the Hesston College campus in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary.

The professionally trained adult vocal ensemble, now in its 36th season, will present the holiday performance, “Sounding Joy – Trumpets Sound and Angels Sing!” and will be joined by special guests the Wichita Brass Quintet, featuring Hesston Mennonite Church’s Andover tracker pipe organ.

Dr. Mark Bartel has led the choir as artistic director and conductor for more than three years. Bartel is director of choral music at Friends University (Wichita, Kan.) where he conducts the Singing Quakers, Madrigal Choir, Women’s Chorus and the Choral Union and teaches applied voice and conducting courses. He also serves as chair for the Kansas Choral Directors Association Repertoire and Standards for Community Choirs committee and the founder and director of Choral Connections, an annual choral festival that brings top choirs from across the state together to learn from one another.

The Wichita Chamber Chorale was founded in 1978, and is known as a highly competitive, individually auditioned ensemble. The group holds annual concerts and performs frequently at state and regional music conventions with a repertoire ranging from the Renaissance to avant-garde to popular.

For more information about Wichita Chamber Chorale’s HBPA appearance or to purchase season or single tickets, call 620-327-8158 (Hesston College) or 316-284-5205 (Bethel College), email hbpa@hesston.edu or visit the HBPA website at hesstonbethel.org.

The Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts Series, now in its 32nd year, is a collaborative effort of Hesston College and Bethel College, presenting five performances by world-renowned or regionally acclaimed artists each year. HBPA is funded in part by the cities of Hesston and North Newton, Excel Industries and Hustler Turf Equipment (Hesston), the Hesston Community Foundation, area patrons and the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Unique opportunities benefit student director

It may be the one thing every child hopes for – to have the tables turn and give direction to their parent. Hesston College sophomore JD Hershberger (Hesston, Kan.) is getting the opportunity with his first theatre directing gig in the one-act play “Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You,” in which his mother, Michele Hershberger, plays the lead.

The absurdist comedy takes a jab at ideologues who are more interested in being right rather than being polite and considerate of others opinions.

“When I was reading through the play, I could just see my mom as Sister Mary Ignatius,” said JD. “She’s really nothing like her character, but I knew she would fit the role just right and her experience with theatre enhances the humor of the play.”

Michele is no stranger to the stage. Though she serves Hesston College as chair of the Bible and Ministry department, a writer and national speaker, she has often moonlighted with theatre roles and even teaches a Drama in the Church course.

The switch of direction from mother to son does not carry the battle of wills that one might expect in any other situation.

“She’s been a joy to work with,” said JD. “She knows theatre and acting, and she understands the vision I want to take.”

While working with his mother has been the easy part for JD, who is planning to major in communication and minor in theatre, it’s learning the intricacies and details of directing that has presented the learning curve for the first-time director.

“As a director, I can’t just boss people around and force them to see the direction I want to take,” said JD. “Actors have to organically come up with the idea of how their character should be, and it’s my job to ask the right questions to have them understand the vision for the show.”

Hesston College’s directing course with theatre faculty member Laura Kraybill gives freshman and sophomore students the opportunity to direct a one-act show every year – a privilege often reserved for juniors and seniors at four-year institutions. With a cast and crew of nine people, JD has quickly learned that directing is a much more demanding job than he ever realized.

“I am learning all the thought that goes into the details of a show,” he said. “I hadn’t realized the careful planning and thought that goes into everything from set design to costuming – even the color of someone’s shirt can have an impact.”

Despite the waves of new information and ideas, JD is enjoying his first run at directing and grateful for the opportunity so early in his college career.

“I have had a lot of opportunities to be involved in theatre at Hesston College so far, and now directing has expanded my resume even more,” said JD.

“Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You” will be presented in two performances during the college’s Thanksgiving Weekend, at 4:30 and 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, in the Northlawn Studio Theatre on the Hesston College campus. The performances are free though a free-will donation will be collected to help offset production costs.

Seating is limited and will be granted on a first come first served basis.

The production’s run time is about an hour and is rated PG-13 for content.

Hesston College to offer intergenerational course to community

The Hesston College Bible Department is offering a two-weekend course to area pastors and community members on Psalms and Epistles during the spring 2014 semester. Church leaders, those with an interest in ministry and any other interested people are invited to participate.

The class, taught by Hesston College Bible and Ministry faculty member Michele Hershberger, focuses on the books of Psalms and I Corinthians, as well as the apostle Paul’s letters over the two weekends – Jan. 24 to 26 and March 20 to 23. Participants can earn three course hours.

Participants will explore biblical themes, psalm and epistle genre, learn the cultural and historical background of the books and take a micro view of I Corinthians, studying the major congregational conflicts that arise and learn how to identify literary cues for interpretation to glean preaching topics and enhance worship. Hershberger will use a variety of teaching styles to present and explain the course material, including lectures, small group discussions, drama and literary work. The intergenerational class will also be interactive through an academic website in between class meeting times.

Hershberger teaches a semester-long Psalms and Epistles class every other year for Hesston College students, and is excited to share that course material with the wider community and church. Hershberger is also a Hesston College alumna and has a master of arts in theological studies from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, Ind.). She is a national speaker and published author.

Hesston College offers a variety of degree and transfer options in Bible and Ministry, including two-year degrees in Bible and religion, Pastoral ministries and Youth ministry.

First concert of HBPA season to feature globally influenced jazz

An organization committed to fostering appreciation for America’s original art form, jazz, bring its acclaimed quintet to south-central Kansas for the kickoff of the 2013-14 Hesston Bethel Performing Arts Series.

Metta Quintet, the resident ensemble for JazzReach, performs in Bethel College’s Krehbiel Auditorium Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets range in price from $20 to $17, with discounts available for students and senior citizens. (Season tickets are still on sale, priced from $75 to $85, also with student and senior citizen discounts.)

A cohesive, tight-knit unit featuring some of today’s most esteemed creative artists, Metta Quintet runs on a collective musical curiosity. Its members are dedicated to exploring new artistic territory while maintaining a passionate commitment to arts education, fostering new audiences and nurturing young talent.

Commissioning all-new works and creating immersive, live, multimedia concert programs for the main stage, Metta Quintet is committed to challenging convention and expanding the boundaries of the live jazz experience.

The quintet released its critically acclaimed debut recording, Going to Meet The Man (Koch), in 2002, The album features eight commissioned works by the then-emerging, now-renowned composers Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Larry Goldings and George Colligan. All works were inspired by short stories of celebrated American author James Baldwin.

In July 2006, Sunnyside Records released the quintet’s second CD, Subway Songs, with eight more original, commissioned compositions inspired by the sociological dynamism of the New York City subway experience.

In early 2012, Metta Quintet partnered with digital music distributor The Orchard to release the globally themed Big Drum/Small World, a project that explores the globalization and ever-broadening definition and sound of jazz. The quintet will perform “Big Drum/Small World” for its HBPA appearance.

The album features a diverse array of all-new music by renowned composers from eight different countries, including Lionel Loueke (West Africa), Miguel Zenon (Puerto Rico), Rudresh Mahanthappa (India), Yosvanny Terry (Cuba), Omer Avital (Israel) and Metta Quintet’s own Marcus Strickland (United States).

The main-stage “Big Drum/Small World” program includes these works – each unique composition inspired by elements of both the American jazz tradition and the indigenous music of each composer’s respective country of origin.

Since its inception, jazz has always been an inclusive, unifying art form that has vividly reflected the collective national character and diverse culture. “Big Drum/Small World” merges a broad range of musical ideas and celebrates artistic collaboration and stylistic amalgamation.

Metta Quintet will also give two educational programs during its day on the Bethel campus.

There will be an educational performance of “Big Drum/Small World” for area elementary school children Nov. 21 in Krehbiel Auditorium. This event is already sold out, but the public is invited to a free jazz masterclass with the quintet and Bethel College jazz ensembles, later that same day from 4-5:30 p.m., also in Krehbiel Auditorium.

Established in 1994, JazzReach is a nationally recognized New York City-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting, performing, creating and teaching jazz music.

Through live multimedia educational programs for young audiences, main-stage concerts for general audiences and clinics and masterclasses for student musicians and ensembles, JazzReach hopes to foster a greater appreciation, awareness and understanding of this ever-evolving American art form.

JazzReach has positioned itself as one of the nation’s leading arts organizations dedicated to jazz, with its programs serving more than 255,000 young people nationwide in partnership with many of America’s most prominent performing arts presenters, garnering praise from students, teachers, parents, the media and arts professionals alike.

For more information about Metta Quintet’s HBPA appearance or to purchase season or single tickets, call 620-327-8158 (Hesston College) or 316-284-5205 (Bethel College) or visit the HBPA website at hesstonbethel.org.

HBPA is funded in part by the cities of Hesston and North Newton, Excel Industries and Hustler Turf Equipment (Hesston), area businesses and patrons and the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

The Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts series started in 1982 as Hesston Performing Arts (HPA) with funding and planning provided by Hesston College and the Hesston community. In 1998, HPA planners launched a partnership with Bethel College, and the series name changed to Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts. Hesston College in Hesston and Bethel College in North Newton host performances each year.

by Melanie Zuercher, Bethel College

Hesston College presents Christmas-themed opera

Hesston College will present the Christmas-themed one-act opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors” for two performances during the college’s Thanksgiving Weekend celebration. The opera will be in the Hesston Mennonite Church Sanctuary on the Hesston College campus at 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 28 and 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 30.

Students from the college’s music and theatre programs will be the featured performers along with music faculty member Matthew Schloneger and artist in residence, social work instructor Tony Brown and voice instructor Holly Swartzendruber. Rachel Jantzi, a member of the communications faculty, will direct the opera with music faculty member Bradley Kauffman as conductor and Schloneger as music director.

“Amahl and the Night Visitors,” by Gian Carlo Menotti and written in English, tells the story of the night of Christ’s birth from the perspective of a crippled boy, Amahl, and his poor mother when the three magi stop to rest at their home. Weary from their travels, the kings ask for hospitality and receive it, but are then tested by those in great need. Fortunately, the kings extend forgiveness as Christ, the one true King, would desire. Miracles occur as the kings, now joined by Amahl, continue on their journey to see the messiah.

Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased through the Hesston College Bookstore online at books.hesston.edu, by calling 620-327-8105 or at the door prior to performances.