PlayMakers' award-winning Summer Youth Conservatory returns for 2016

Violet

Directed by Matthew Steffens (who also choreographed)

DISCOVERING WHO YOU ARE IS THE GREATEST JOURNEY OF ALL

A girl with a disfiguring scar sets out from her home in Spruce Pine, NC to seek healing and finds her true beauty along the way. Watch the best young talent from across the Triangle shine in this powerhouse piece of theatre showcasing musical styles from country, gospel, bluegrass and honky-tonk rock to Memphis blues. Violet is the moving story of a courageous heroine you’ll never forget.

AGE RECOMMENDATION

This inspiring contemporary musical is touching, funny and sometimes frank with moments including adult language and subject matter that might be inappropriate for younger audience members. We recommend Violet for patrons ages 13 and older.

summer youth conservatory

Violet is the culmination of PlayMakers’ Summer Youth Conservatory, a six-week practicum for high school students—both on stage and behind the scenes—combining top-notch teaching with unparalleled practical experience. Students work with professional directors, choreographers, musical directors, and theatre technicians to mount a professional quality production for all to enjoy.

CLICK HERE to learn more about our Summer Youth Programs.

“a work of great resonance and beauty and joy”

New York Magazine

“The Broadway musical we’ve been waiting for has arrived!”

Newsday

A Photo Story of how our production of Violet comes together, courtesy of Huth Photo.

Photos

Ainsley Seiger. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Wilson Plonk, Presyce Baez and Ainsley Seiger. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Presyce Baez, Wilson Plonk and Ainsley Seiger. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Presyce Baez. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
The Ensemble of Violet. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Connor Lewis and Lili Whittier. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Marcella Cox and the Ensemble. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Wilson Plonk and Presyce Baez. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Thomas Cassidy, Andrew Bonomolo, and Lili Whittier. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Presyce Baez and Ainsley Seiger. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Wilson Plonk and Ainsley Seiger. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Connor Lewis and Ainsley Seiger. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Wilson Plonk, Ainsley Seiger and Presyce Baez. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
Ainsley Seiger, Presyce Baez and Wilson Plonk. Photo by Jon Gardiner.
The Ensemble of Violet. Photo by Jon Gardiner.

Reviews

Local Theatres Prepare the Next Generation
By Taryn Oesch
BroadwayWorld.com
July 27, 2016

“Violet” actors shined in youth production
By Leah Moore
The Daily Tar Heel
July 24, 2016

PlayMakers’ Summer Youth Conservatory Presents Violet: A Musical
By Alan R. Hall
Classical Voice of North Carolina
July 23, 2016

NEWS

Youth Cast Presents ‘Violet:’ Exploring Inner Beauty And Race In The South
By Will Michaels and Frank Stasio
WUNC / The State of Things
July 21, 2016

Opening Tonight: A Youthful VIOLET
By Kate Dobbs Ariail
The Five Points Star
July 21, 2016

Student-acted musical appeals to North Carolinians, current political climate
By Leah Moore
The Daily Tar Heel
July 21, 2016

Teen Phenom Ainsley Seiger Tackles the Title Role in the PlayMakers SYC Production of Violet
By Robert W. McDowell
Triangle Arts & Entertainment
July 20, 2016

Violet
By Brian Howe
INDY Week
July 20, 2016

‘Violet’ Opens at PlayMakers Theater Featuring Local Students
CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO
By Erin Wygant
WCHL/Chapelboro.com
July 18, 2016

Who’s Talking (radio interview)
With D.G. Martin
WCHL/Chapelboro.com
July 16, 2016

PlayMakers Summer Youth Conservatory Goes “Violet”
With Aaron Keck
WCHL/Chapelboro.com
July 14, 2016

Artists

Matthew Steffens
Director
Mark Lewis
Creative Team
Charles K. Bayang
Creative Team
Robin Vest
Creative Team
Lili Whittier
Creative Team
Presyce Baez
Andrew Bonomolo
THEATRE INTENSIVE
Rosie Cassidy
THEATRE INTENSIVE
Thomas Cassidy
Cassandra Clare
Michael Combs
Hagan Connell
Marcella Cox
Anna Crosby
Tra Duncan
Cole Farmer
Marichi Gupta
Theo Holt
THEATRE INTENSIVE
Kaitlin Jennings
Bella Lambert
THEATRE INTENSIVE
Connor Lewis
Wilson Plonk
Ainsley Seiger
Camryn Sherer
Beth Siegling
THEATRE INTENSIVE
Avery Tyson
THEATRE INTENSIVE
Zachary Weiss
David Castleberry
Tal Chatterjee
Julian Fernandez
Aria Margulies
Alexis Ovenden
Ryan Sanders
Zach Thirolle
David Noah Thompson
Alie Webb
Eddie Woodhouse
Samantha Yi
Ben Alexander
THEATRE TECH

Related Posts

More Rhythms of the Road: In Transit with Violet
The vicarious trip we make alongside Violet is one that cuts to the core of the human condition. With the blossoming of her initially diminished self, she becomes a symbol of each of our journeys through the paths of the maturation process, moving from ignorance to knowledge, from fragmentation to wholeness, from isolation to community, and from fear to love.
A Day with Violet by an SYC Veteran
Thomas Cassidy appears in Violet as the fiery televangelist Preacher. Thomas was also in the acting companies for Guys & Dolls (SYC 2015) and Hairspray (SYC 2014), so he's well acquainted with all the work that goes into putting on our Summer Youth Conservatory shows. Here he shares a series of photos, with personal captions, he took during rehearsal capturing a behind-the-scenes look at a "day in the life" during SYC.
SYC: Creating Characters, Creating Friendships
Hi everyone! My name is Lili Whittier and I play Young Vi in PlayMakers Summer Youth Conservatory production of Violet. I’ve been involved in Summer Youth Conservatory productions for the past 3 summers, and I can say without hesitation that taking part has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.
Rooting Violet in North Carolina, a ‘Tree-venture’
PlayMakers' Summer Youth Conservatory allows high school students to get involved in all aspects of creating theatre, both onstage and backstage. This year, when set designer Robin Vest included the use of real trees on stage in her design, the Theatre Tech crew had a special project!
Four Weeks with an SYC First-Timer
We’ve asked some SYC students to share their experiences this summer. First up is Violet cast member Connor Lewis.
Rhythms of the Road: In Transit with Violet
The Road Trip. It’s an American institution, obsession, and rite of passage. Traveling on, hitting the highway, whether following well-worn paths or “lighting out for the territories” in Huck Finn’s famous phrase, the lure of the road occupies a hallowed place in our national consciousness, beckoning in mutual directions from the intersection of leisure and longing.
Violet Dances – on a Bus!
When I conceptualize choreography for a show it’s important that it is driven by the story … and this story is ON A BUS! So you can only do so much before things start to look like a bad 80s music video. But the challenge is something I’ve embraced over the past six months.
Violet: A Diverse Musical Journey
This year's Summer Youth Conservatory show Violet takes us on a journey across the American South in the 1960s. As we travel from Appalachian North Carolina toward Oklahoma, the music that moves us along is as varied as the locations and characters we visit on the way. From bluegrass to gospel, folk to Memphis blues, it's an experience that invites us to hop on the bus and join our heroine, Violet, for the ride.
Matthew Steffens on Why He’s Taking the Director’s Chair for VIOLET
“What made me want to direct this show? Its huge HEART and amazing MUSIC.”