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Three drama alums on Broadway

Three alumnae of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities Drama Department will perform simultaneously on New York’s Broadway this fall.

“These three students share a common work ethic and drive to excel that’s rare in any field” Drama Department chair Daniel Murray says. “That they’re succeeding at this level is spectacular but not surprising to those of us who taught and mentored them for two years. They’re special and significant young artists.”

Two of the three, Teyonah Parris of Columbia (Class of 2005) and Nichole Beharie of Orangeburg (Class of 2003) will appear in John Guare’s A Free Man of Color with Jeffrey Wright, Emmy and Golden Globe awardee, and Veanne Cox and Reg Rogers, who are both Tony nominees. The official opening will be November 18 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.

Liza Bennett of Charleston (Class of 2006) appears in  Daniel Sullivan’s production of The Merchant of Venice, which stars Al Pacino as Shylock. The play is scheduled to run through January 9 at the Broadhurst Theatre. Ms. Bennett attended Porter-Gaud School in Charleston prior to coming to the Governor’s School.

Ms. Parris attended Lower Richland High School in Columbia before coming to the Governor’s School. She is a recent graduate of the Juilliard School of Drama and appeared in the October 5 episode of the hit CBS Drama The Good Wife on CBS. She is also in How Do You Know? starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, and Jack Nicholson. The movie is scheduled for a Christmas 2010 release. “I just thank you all for your support and interest in watching me live my dream and shape a career,” says Ms. Parris.

Nicole Beharie (pictured at left in American Violet) is also a Juilliard School of Drama alumna whose 2008 screen debut was in The Express, the bittersweet bio of the abbreviated life of Ernie Davis, the first African-American recipient of the Heisman Trophy. Her first leading role was in American Violet, a drama based on a real-life case of racial profiling and malicious prosecution. The cast included Alfre Woodard, Charles S. Dutton, Will Patton, Xzibit, and Michael O’Keefe. Ms. Beharie also starred in Lifetime Movie Network’s Sins of the Mother, based on the book Orange Mint and Honey by Carleen Brice. Prior to becoming a Governor’s School student, she attended Orangeburg Wilkinson High School.

The South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities is a public residential high school located in Greenville, South Carolina, and open only to students residing in this state. Students apply and audition to attend. For more information about the school’s programs, applications, and admission requirements, check the website at www.scgsah.org or call 864.282.3713.

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