New faces in fine arts continue NIC’s public performances
By Gerry McCray, North Idaho College
For decades, North Idaho College (NIC) Fine Arts has put on performances ranging from jazz concerts to dramatic plays. These shows, consisting of students and community members, have seen new faces take the reins over the past year.
Joe Jacoby, NIC’s Director of Theatre for nearly 20 years, took the position of Division Chair of Communications in summer of 2022 and brought in Theatre Professor Erick Wolfe to replace him.
Wolfe is a certified teacher with the British Academy of Dramatic Combat and the Academy of Performance Combat. He published the book “The Art of Knife Fighting for Stage and Screen,” and his work has been featured in film and television.
Under Wolfe, the NIC Theatre Department has produced three productions including fall’s musical “Pride v. Prejudice.” NIC Theatre will perform its spring production, a series of student-directed shorts, at 7:30pm April 18, 19 and 20 and at 2:30pm April 21 at the Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center at NIC’s Coeur d’Alene campus.
NIC also hired four new directors for public music performances over the summer of 2023. Jacoby said working with these new directors will provide new and exciting challenges for NIC students. “New directors bring a fresh energy and perspective to their group,” Jacoby said. “They have different skills that create new opportunities for students.”
The college brought in Stan McDaniel to lead the Cardinal Chorale, Presley Dupuis for Cardinal Voices, Terry Jones for the NIC Wind Symphony and Jazz Ensemble, and Chris Waltrip for the Cardinal Pep Band.
McDaniel served as the artistic director for Chorale Coeur d’Alene before joining NIC’s staff and has decades of experience teaching and directing choirs. Presley is a former NIC student who studied music at Eastern Washington University and served as music director for numerous musical theatre productions. Jones returned to NIC after several years in retirement. He served as director for the Wind Symphony, Jazz Ensemble and Pep Band for more than 30 years. Waltrip was a member of the Pep Band as a student and brings that experience with him leading the Pep Band this year.
NIC Music is hosting its JazzNIC Festival concert at 7:30pm February 6, its Choral Kaleidoscope Concert at 7:30pm March 5, and more this spring through May.
All NIC Fine Arts performances are free and open to the public. For a full schedule of performances at NIC, visit NIC.edu/events.
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