May 19, 2015

Honors Alumna Stars in Upcoming Indie Film

By: Erika Dietrick, Undergraduate Director of Marketing and Communications

kiss me kate

The following is an excerpt from an article written by Kim Grizzard for The Daily Reflector on May 18, 2015.  The full article can be found here.  Photo from ECU’s production of Kiss Me Kate. 

The spring semester of her senior year, East Carolina University theater arts major Amanda Higgins was given a rare opportunity: a chance to play the lead in an independent film alongside an Oscar-nominated actor. Though she was due to graduate within months, the Fuquay-Varina native knew she had to give it a shot.

But accepting the role in February did not prevent Higgins from accepting her diploma in May. That’s because “Through a Class Darkly” was made on and around campus.

Written and directed by Michael Tierno, the musical features students and faculty members from ECU’s schools of theater and dance, art and design, and communications. In addition to its 12-member cast and 25-member crew, almost all 75 people involved in the production, including extras, have ties to ECU.

Tierno, an assistant professor in cinematic arts and media production, has had success on the festival circuit with films like “Auditions,” which premiered at Tribeca Film Center’s First Look Film series, and “Nocturne,” which premiered at the Breckenridge Film Festival. A writer with two screenplays to be named finalists in the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab, Tierno often spends summers working on film projects in his native New York. But this year, he decided to try filming closer to home.

Full story: Indie film made on ECU campus