October 2009

"The Narcotic Farm": Events at Transylvania showcase book and film about The Narcotic Farm, a former federal drug prison and treatment center in Lexington

Posted on October 30, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—From 1935-1975, Lexington was home to the United States Narcotic Farm, a federal narcotic prison and treatment center. Volunteers who checked themselves into the center for help with their drug addictions worked alongside convicted addicts who were housed as inmates. Now the center is the subject of a book, The Narcotic Farm: The Rise and Fall of America’s First Prison for Drug Addicts, and a documentary, The Narcotic Farm. Transylvania University will host a performance piece on November 9 and a screening of the film on November 10. Both events are free and open to the public. Monday, November 9, 8 p.m. Carrick Theater, Mitchell Fine Arts Center Book co-authors Nancy Campbell and Luke Walden and filmmaker J. P. Olsen will present a live multi-media performance that developed out of their collaborative work on The Narcotic Farm. Live jazz, book text and archival film come together in this engaging and provocative piece. Tuesday, November 10, 7 p.m. Cowgill Center, room 102The Narcotic Farm, a one-hour PBS feature, includes personal interviews with inmates and administrators, along with government 16mm film and still footage that focuses on the personalities and often contentious ground-breaking programs that characterized The Narcotic Farm. The Narcotic Farm events are part of the Drugged America Series at Transylvania, sponsored by the Bingham-Young Fellowship Program. For more information on the film and book, visit www.narcoticfarm.com. For more information on the events at Transylvania, contact the public relations office

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Shearer announces retirement as president of Transylvania University

Posted on October 24, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky., Oct. 24, 2009—President Charles L. Shearer today announced his retirement to the Transylvania University Board of Trustees at their annual fall meeting. Upon his retirement, effective June 30, 2010, after 27 years in office, he will be the longest-serving president in Transylvania’s 230-year history. Board chair William T. Young Jr. reluctantly accepted Shearer’s resignation and said that a committee will be appointed immediately to oversee a national search for his successor. He also spoke on behalf of the board in tribute to Shearer’s many years of dedicated service to the university. “During Charles Shearer’s tenure, Transylvania has been transformed,” Young said. “When he became president in 1983, the university had a enrollment of fewer than 700 students, a minimal endowment, and an aging physical plant. Today, Transylvania’s enrollment is at our comfortable capacity of about 1,100, the endowment stands at $115 million, the campus has been essentially rebuilt, and the university is ranked among the leading liberal arts colleges in the nation. This transformation has been driven by Charles’s leadership, attention to detail, dedication, and incredible enthusiasm.” Young noted that Shearer’s 27-year tenure is remarkable in comparison with other college and university presidents across the country, whose average tenure is 8.5 years in office, according to the American Council on Education. He also said that Shearer has graciously agreed to stay on as president beyond June 30, if necessary, until the right candidate is identified and appointed. He

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Transylvania University Theater opens season Nov. 5 with comedy "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead;" cast of men and women switch roles on alternating nights

Posted on October 9, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania University Theater opens its 2009-10 season of shows with Tom Stoppard’s brilliant comedy “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” on Thursday, November 5, in the Lucille C. Little Theater at Transylvania. The play puts Shakespeare’s two hapless losers from “Hamlet,” at the vortex of an unpredictable universe, in which reality becomes make-believe and theatrical death becomes reality. Adding to the uncertainty is a cast of men and women exchanging roles on alternating performances. One night, men will present Shakespeare’s lines while women read Stoppard’s. The following night, the two gendered casts will switch roles. “In rehearsal, it has really been revealing regarding way the two genders differentiate motivations, nuances in line readings and character qualities, each with equally stimulating results,” said director and drama professor Tim Soulis. “I find the whole process quite exciting and challenging for all of us.” The comedy runs Nov. 5, 6 and 11-14 at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 7 and 8 at 2 p.m. in the Lucille C. Little Theater. A post-performance colloquia on the play, the production and Stoppard’s theatricality will begin immediately following the matinees on Nov. 7 and 8. Tickets are $10 and may be reserved by calling the box office at (859) 281-3621. For more information, contact the fine arts office at (859) 233-8141.

Transylvania music professor composes score for film; screening at Kentucky Theater, November 12

Posted on October 9, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—In 2006, Transylvania music professor Larry Barnes spent his summer composing a score for “Euphoria,” a full-length film that had already won the Gold Medal at the Houston Film Festival. In July of this year, the soundtrack for “Euphoria” was released, featuring Barnes’ score. On November 12, at 7:30 p.m., “Euphoria” will be shown at the Kentucky Theater in Lexington. Tickets are $6 for general admission, $5 for students and seniors. DVDs and CDs will be available for purchase following the film screening. Barnes will give an introduction before the screening. The feature-length documentary is an out-of-the-box art and science film that asks: In a country built for the pursuit of happiness, is it working? Is living a meaningful life the secret to a natural high? Boot starts by defining the real American Dream as emotional survival and travels across the country searching for clues and human stories to shed some light. “Filmmaker Lee Boot had heard me perform my music in Baltimore years back and he called me and asked if I would review his film with the possibility of my adding a complete musical score,” said Barnes in 2007. “I was elated. I had wanted to compose for film for years and here was a work that had already won a Gold Medal in its original form.” Barnes’ music has been featured at festivals and concert series on three continents. His music has been described by The

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Morlan Gallery features recent works by Transylvania professor Jack Girard; "Retributions: Elections, Floods, and Wishing Wells" Nov. 2 – Dec. 9

Posted on October 7, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

Jack Girard, Rhinoceros, 2009. Collage, mixed media. 48″x72″ LEXINGTON, Ky.—Retributions: Elections, Floods, and Wishing Wells, a collection of new paintings, drawings and sculptures by Transylvania art professor Jack Girard, that pays homage to perseverance, opens at Transylvania’s Morlan Gallery November 2 and runs through December 9. The centerpiece for the exhibition is an eight-panel work that was inspired by a recent visit to Saint Brigid’s Well in Liscannor, County Clare, Ireland. These pieces attempt to make ordered sense of the worn and layered tributes, or votives, left by visitors over many years—rosaries, statuettes, framed pictures, jewelry, carpet fragments, flowers, toys, personal letters, photographs, pacifiers, baby bottles and business cards. Ironically, there is speculation that Saint Brigid may well be a fictional character who shared attributes with a pagan Celtic deity of the same name and was invented for purposes of converting the Celts to Christianity. A public lecture with Girard is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Morlan Gallery. This event is free and open to the public. The Morlan Gallery is open weekdays from noon-5 p.m. and by special appointment. The gallery will be closed for the Thanksgiving holidays November 26 and 27. The gallery will be open Friday, November 20, from 5-8 p.m. for the Lexington Gallery Hop. For more information, contact gallery director Andrea Fisher at (859) 233-8142 or visit www.transy.edu/morlan.