Cancer blog infuses theater piece

The subject may be cancer, but there still should be plenty of laughs wafting through the Village Playhouse next weekend when veteran actress Gene Glave performs her one-woman play, "The Mammologues."

Glave, who cut her teeth in community theater in the early '90s with the now-defunct Pluff Mud Players at the Isle of Palms' Windjammer, has since performed in a melange of plays, including the controversial "Laramie Project" at the Footlight Players.

Interestingly, in 2005, she played a woman with cancer in the play "Collected Stories" at the Village Playhouse.

But it was her cancer blog that caused the producing director of the Village Playhouse to ask Glave to broaden her chronicle of breast cancer into a theater piece.

The result is a preseason show sponsored by Roper St. Francis Medical Center with proceeds going to the Dragon Boat Charleston, an organization for cancer survivors.

"Since I earned my nursing degree in the '60s, and have worked at Roper St. Francis for 20 years, I pretty much knew what was in store for me when I discovered a suspicious lump on New Year's Day in 2006," says Glave, manager of Roper's pediatric services.

"Since I have administered the same chemotherapy drugs to children with cancer, I was aware of the side effects, and, believe me, I had them all!" says Glave, who recently finished her chemo treatment.

The actress says that most of her play is taken from the blog that she started after being diagnosed "to get the fear and terror out of my head and heart and onto the written word, so I could control it."

"I received wonderful words of encouragement from people, many of whom I have never met," she says.

The nurse, who kept working during her treatment, says, "The staff at Roper totally defined the word 'friendship.' Also, I am a very competitive person, and I felt that to quit working would mean the cancer would be winning."

But those expecting a dreary evening with "Mammologues" can forget it.

The plucky nurse/actress makes it clear: "My play has no angst, as I was never angry about having cancer, just terrified. In this work, I want to offer people an evening of entertainment, laughter and the realization that we can face anything scary in our lives with grace and a sense of humor."

"Mammologues" will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 5 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Village Playhouse, 730 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant. Tickets are $20 Friday and Saturday, and $25 Sunday, which includes a reception. Tickets may be purchased by calling 856-1579 or at the door.

'Richard III' at C of C

One of Shakespeare's most memorable plays, "Richard III" will open Thursday at the College of Charleston as part of the theater department's annual Shakespeare Project.

Directed by theater faculty member Evan Parry, the play chronicles the rise and fall of King Richard who will stop at nothing to gain and retain power. Several modern day leaders have been compared to him as the king lies, murders, seduces and brainwashes those around him.

Part tyrant, part clown, he shares his plans and triumphs in a series of famous soliloquies. The leading role of the charismatic Richard of Gloucester has been portrayed by the likes of Laurence Olivier, Al Pacino and Ian McKellen.

Taking the demanding role of Richard is Jamie Smithson, a College of Charleston alumni who has earned an MFA in acting from Rutgers University.

Performances of "Richard III" will be staged at the Robinson Theatre, 54 St. Philip St., at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and Aug. 30-Sept. 4 except for 3 p.m.-only performances on Aug. 26 and Sept. 2. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for senior citizens and College of Charleston students, faculty and staff. Tickets may be purchased by calling 953-5604 or at the door.

English artist

English artist Philip Inwood's landscape paintings and works on textured paper have been shown in contemporary galleries in London, Oxfordshire and at the London Arts Fair. His self-titled exhibit, "Philip Inwood," will be on view at the John M. Dunnan Gallery on Thursday through Sept. 21.

At an early age, Inwood was encouraged to paint and was influenced by an aunt who painted idyllic rural scenes in the style of English watercolorists. After three years of study at the Bath Academy of Art in England, he began to explore the world of creative freedom in England.

He moved to Charleston in 1995, where his artwork was shown at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival and at the City Gallery.

An opening reception honoring the artist will be held 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday at the gallery, 131 King St. The event is free and open to the public.

Reach Dottie Ashley at 937-5704 or dashley@postandcourier.com.

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