Rock Opera – Virtual Lectures and Discussions

Glow Lyric Theatre, in partnership with Walt’s Waltz, has created a new series of free virtual lectures and facilitated discussions on the intersection of the arts, race, identity and the events of the pandemic on mental health. The lectures are part of their presentation of “Rock Opera” from August 19 – August 29th. This programming was supported with funding from a Growth Grant from South Carolina Humanities, www.schumanities.org. Funding for the Growth Grants has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Through a kaleidoscope of song, dance and poetry, Rock Opera confronts our recent collective experience having undergone a national pandemic, a re-emergence of racial reckoning and cultural chaos.

The Rock Opera lectures and panel discussions will be lead by local, national and international humanities scholars, artists and professors. Audiences can enjoy this video series on Glow Lyric Theatre’s social media as well as in the lobby and theatre pre-show this summer at the Festival Season. The schedule is below:

Released on August 20: In this video, Dr. Brian Barnes (Doctor of Philosophy with emphasis in Ethics, Culture, Criticism, and Contemporary Thought), De. Carlos Grant (Doctor of Education), Dr. Shannon O’Bryan (Professor of History), and Dr. Thomas Takayma (Doctor of Music History) discuss how the pandemic has affected mental health.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4_RQO3MIms

Released on August 23 at 8am: Conversations with humanitarian, Mr. Zawu Y. Duyann. Mr. Duyann gives a voice to the struggles his fellow Liberians face in the area of Mental Health and remarks about the role of music in his culture.

Released on August 25 at 8am:  Dr. Reginald Bruster (Doctor of English)  Dr. Carlos Grant (Doctor of Education) and Dr. Phillip Wilder (Doctor of Language and Literacy) discuss the relationship between mental health and toxic masculinity in diverse communities. 

Released on August 27 at 8am- Film Director Will Harper and Dr. Tracy Cooper (Professor of Ethics and Leadership) discuss their upcoming documentary Sensitive Men Rising providing insights into being a highly sensitive person. Additionally, they delve into the themes of Glow Lyric Theatre’s Rock Opera and reveal surprising news to the host, Susan Crooks. 

For more information about Glow Lyric Theatre, Rock Opera, or the Rock Opera video series, please visit the Glow Lyric Theatre website at: https://glowlyric.com/.

The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 21-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.