Actor Darryl Van Leer Performing At SMC For Black History Month

01/31/11 — One-Man Production ‘Power on Earth’ Called “Emotionally Riveting”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SPARTANBURG, SC - Award-winning actor Darryl Van Leer will perform a one-man production at SMC on Feb. 8 in celebration of Black History Month and as part of the College's Centennial Celebration events series.

The production, entitled "Power On Earth," will be held at 7:30 pm, Feb. 8, in Camak Auditorium. It is free and open to the public.

Termed "emotionally riveting," by Daily Variety, the show features vivid portrayals of some of history's most important and influential African American figures.

Written, directed and performed by Van Leer, the show includes a startlingly accurate portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the dramatic courtroom eloquence of Thurgood Marshall, and the fiery conviction of Malcolm X, as well as Nat Turner, leader of the largest slave revolt in history, separatist Marcus Garvey, slave turned abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass and blues greats Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters. His performance then entitled "The Gallows to the Gavel" earned him a nomination for the 1996 NAACP Theatre Award.

Van Leer says of the show, "There are certain things in the production that help me become each one of these men. It's already laid out in my mind, and I become the men instantaneously. The characterizations have been developed over the years as I have traveled the college circuit, trying to bring my message of social upliftment to campuses across the country."

To date, he has performed Power on Earth for audiences totaling well over 100,000 people. His work was recognized by the National Association of Campus Activities in 1994 as "Best Performance" and he has been recognized as "Performer of the Year" by Campus Activities Today. He maintains an annual performance schedule of more than 60 colleges and universities.

As a full time actor, Van Leer has shared the screen with such actors as James Earl Jones, Samuel Jackson, Gregory Harrison, Rue McClanahan, and Beau Bridges. Most recently Van Leer starred in TLC's reality series The Messengers. Van Leer was one of the four finalists in the series that was devoted to finding America's next great inspirational speaker.

A versatile performer, Van Leer began his television acting career by working regularly on Black Entertainment Network's Bobby Jones Gospel Show as a background vocalist, writer and staff photographer.

Today, he enjoys a successful and varied career in film and television as a featured performer. Most recently, he appeared in First Time, a Nickelodeon Movie of the Week co-starring John Amos. His other recent film work includes roles in Steel Chariots, an acclaimed Fox Movie of the Week, and in an HBO original movie, The Second Civil War, co-starring James Earl Jones and Beau Bridges.

His other television and motion picture appearances include the NBC-TV movie, Witness to an Execution, and the HBO film Up Against the Wall. He also appeared in the major motion picture A League of Their Own, co-starring Geena Davis and Tom Hanks, and in nationally aired TV commercials. Van Leer has performed extensively in local stage productions, and his theatrical repertoire also includes stand-up comedy. He has traveled the comedy circuit, appearing in such hot spots as The Comic Strip and Catch a Rising Star in New York.

Born and raised in Madisonville, Kentucky, Van Leer received his B.S. degree in industrial technology from Western Kentucky University.

Van Leer has performed at over 300 Universities in America and has been honored with awards from NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) and Campus Activities Today and received a nomination for "Best Performance" fromHollywood's NAACP Image Awards.

Van Leer will conduct a same-day meet and greet on Feb. 8 with SMC students, faculty and staff - which is also open to the public.

For more information on the artist, you can visit http://darrylvanleer.com.

Spartanburg Methodist College is in its 100th academic year of providing quality education to students in a Christian environment.  More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.

For a complete listing of Centennial events throughout the year, visit www.smcsc.edu/centennial

For more information, contact Brian Fulkerson, director of public information, at (864) 587-4254 or publicinfo@smcsc.edu; or Briles Lever, professor of art and Centennial committee chairperson, at (864) 587-4279 or leverb@smcsc.edu