The Hillsboro Story and Eugene Ballet

Dmae Roberts features The Hillsboro Story written and directed by Susan Banyas with original music by David Ornette Cherry. Banyas has been on a personal, historical and socialogical journey acting as a detective on her childhood experiences during the Civil Rights era. And in the latter part of the show Dmae unveils a feature story on the Eugene Ballet, Oregon's longest-running ballet company formed in 1978.

 This is a speicial one-hour membership drive edition of Stage and Studio.

The Hillsboro Story, presented by Artists Repertory Theatre, focuses on real stories from 1954‐56 Hillsboro, Ohio. Banyas brings to life the not‐so‐distant history of school desegregation in the early years of the Civil Rights Movment.

The Hillsboro Story weaves spoken word, movement and jazz followed by school and community touring across the country.

Taking a personal approach, Banyas tells the story of how a segregated Black elementary school went up in flames in Hillsboro, Ohio in 1954. That fire led five African American mothers in a school fight that became the test case for the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision a few months earlier.

Also on Stage and Studio is a special feature story on the Eugene Ballet Company.

Dmae talks with founders Toni Pimble & Riley Grannon who started a ballet school in Eugene in 1978.

They had no idea at the time the school would grow into a $2 million dance company with original productions touring throughout the world. Eugene Ballet Company is on of the few ballet organizations with a woman leading as artistic director. She is also one of the few women in classical dance who choreographs. Listen to this  Oregon Treasures feature story on Eugene Ballet.

Oregon Treasures is a special series with funding by the Regional Arts and Culture Council.

This year long series produced by Dmae Roberts brings to light veteran arts organizations and artists who have made an impact for several decades on the artistic landscape of Oregon.

Throughout 2010, Stage and Studio will air these creative feature stories and  highly produced half-hour specials of lengthy portraits.

You can hear Stage & Studio at the KBOO website or on 90.7FM live at 11am Tuesdays.

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And don't forget to check out the Stage and Studio website.