Dawn Larsen, a One Woman Show, with So Much to Offer

A TENT SHOW ACTRESS HAS A FEW STORIES TO TELL

by Michael St. John

Aiken, SC (04/23/2021) — The University of South Carolina Aiken's Etherredge Center is proud to present DAWN LARSEN - CORN UNDER CANVAS: AN EVENING WITH A TENT SHOW ACTRESS on Friday April 30th, at 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased online at usca.edu/etherredge-center or over the phone by calling 803-641-3305.

The University of South Carolina Aiken, Etherredge Center will close their season with a look back, into theatre and storytelling history. Corn Under Canvas follows the successful and highly anticipated performance of Broadway's Next H!t Musical, last Tuesday April 20th.

"Corn Under Canvas is performance about some of the original American Story Tellers" - Michael St. John, Event Coordinator for the Etheredge Center.

Corn Under Canvas: An Evening with a Tent Show Actress, is a one woman show with storytelling and music, to be performed in the casual and comfortable Etherredge Center O'Connell Theatre. The O'Connell Theatre, also known as the experimental theatre, or Black Box Theatre, is an intimate space for audience to enjoy an up-close look at the performance.

"We chose the Etherredge Center's other stage, the O'Connell, because it represented the Tent Show feel and theme much better than the Mainstage." - Paul B. Crook, Executive Director of the Etherredge Center. "We think Audiences are going to enjoy the new, cozy, and welcoming performance space."

Dawn Larsen exhibits the best of the Americana music with an emphasis on the "Death and Dyin'" part of the storytelling genre. Storyteller/singer-songwriter, Dawn grew up in the Ozarks amid lots of mountain music, arts, storytelling, beautiful hills and rivers.

Tent shows had an impressive run of over 150 years, starting in 1851, and peaking around 1930. In 1927, the New York Times estimated that tent shows reached a massive 76 million audience members, compared to traditional theatre's smaller reach of 48 million.

One notable character in tent shows was the traditional "Toby." Toby was a recognizable character with red hair, freckles, and a blacked-out tooth, who would appear in a in different performances as always, a mischievous and silly boy. The Toby Architype would go on to inspire the well-known character Opie, in the Andy Griffith show.

Tent show companies toured with large casts to perform characters such as Toby, or Toby's notably witty girlfriend Susie. Corn Under Canvas is about one such tent show actress, named Maxine. Maxine is brought to life through the acting and music of Dawn Larsen.

On Friday, April 30th, Aikenites will have a chance to spend An Evening with A Tent Show Actress, on the cozy and inviting O'Connell stage at the Etherredge Center. Tickets can be purchased online at usca.edu/etherredge-center or over the phone by calling 803-641-3305.

The Etherredge Center was built in 1986 and since then has delivered 34 years of Cultural Series performances. Each performance seeks to engage, entertain, and educate its audience. The Etherredge Center is an all-inclusive arts center for an all-inclusive audience. For more information on the Etherredge Center and upcoming performances visit etherredge.usca.edu or call 803-641-3305.

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