KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For two long years, a group of Pellissippi State Community College students have patiently waited to perform abroad. They were scheduled to go to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2020 and 2021, but their plans were upended by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, they are getting ready to go to Scotland after the Tennessee Consortium for International Studies resumed its study abroad programs. And before taking a flight over the ocean, the students will preview their performance on Pellissippi State's Hardin Valley campus.
The performance is called "Three by Nigro." It features three short plays by Don Nigro, an acclaimed playwright, that had not been performed before. The performance will start at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, in the Goins Building Auditorium. Admission is free, but they will be taking donations to the Theater Arts program.
"Three by Nigro" will be performed as a world premiere in Edinburgh in August. The festival includes more than 1,000 acts giving 50,000 performances during a 3-and-a-half week period. The Pellissippi State group will be giving one performance a day from Aug. 8 through Aug. 15 at the Lime Theatre.
Students participating include Catherine Blevins, Breck Fulmer, Hannah Fournier, Madeleine Trout, Michael Spurgeon, Caden Elliot, Ethan Turbyfill, D.J. Washington, John Samuel McCrary and Nick Grady. Sound and set design is by Professor Claude Hardy.