Meet the cast members from The Mid-State Trip below.
Teacher
Ursula Oriana Robinson is a lover of the arts and believes that drama has the ability to heal. She has founded an entertainment group, Oriana Rhema Productions, and writes and directs productions for various venues. She is the head of the Creative Spiritual Arts Department at Spiritual Foundation Ministries in Orangeburg, SC and she is a tenured professor of theatre at South Carolina State University. Ms. Robinson also teaches Humanities/Writing for Claflin University's Upward Bound program where she has started an improvisational troupe called Funnybones.
It is her love for the healing power of the arts and her love for God that has inspired her work. She has written The Life and Times of an African Queen…, and Church Fight. She has appeared in Guys and Dolls, Black Nativity, and several other theatrical venues. Ms. Robison enjoys reading, dancing, and talking! “My art is an expression of my He-art!”
Student - Amanda
Hi, my name is Amanda. I am a sophomore at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School. I’m involved in many extracurricular activities, such as tennis, Girl Scouts, piano and basketball. I volunteer with the Ronald McDonald House and with the Lutheran Church with the Bantu refugees from Africa. I have also been involved in a number of drama productions at my school. The classes I enjoy the most are English and History.
One of my biggest achievements is that I have remained on the Honor Roll since Middle School. I was the former Little Miss Cherokee of SC, and am presently Miss Teen Cherokee of SC. I’ve also published in the Anthology of Poetry, called “The People Speak – A Collection of South Carolina poets”, published in 2002. This upcoming year, I will be the Sophomore Representative for my class. I am very happy to have this chance to broaden my experience with the performing arts.
Student - Victoria
Hi, my name is Victoria. I'm 12 years old and I go to Hand Middle School. My favorite subjects are Drama and Science. I have 5 pets - 3 cats and 2 dogs. My hobbies are acting, reading, swimming, and biking. I feel that the civil rights movement was completely necessary. The constitution was written so all could be free, not a certain race or color. No matter what we should all be treated equally and live as we were meant to live. . . in peace.
Student - Zachary
Hi, my name is Zachary. I’m a ninth grade student at Irmo High School. I like to play basketball and football, go swimming, hangout with my friends. But I especially love acting. For the past two summers I have been developing my performing skills in a summer program at Georgetown Preparatory in Rockville, Maryland. In this program I performed in two plays called Once Upon a Mattress and One Bad Apple under the direction of Lynn Sharp Spears.
