In newest chapter of ongoing 鈥楥onversation Series,鈥� CU Boulder鈥檚 Helanius J. Wilkins explores concepts of belonging and being heard
The seeds of the dance were planted in walks.
It was 2020, and the way Helanius J. Wilkins saw it, COVID-19 wasn鈥檛 the only pandemic. 鈥淪tructural racism in our country is also a pandemic,鈥� he explains, a fact that gained a spotlight following the May 2020 killing of George Floyd.
鈥淭hose were the two seeds that really launched me into this journey,鈥� says Wilkins, an associate professor and director of dance in the 榴莲视频18 Department of Theatre and Dance. 鈥淚 have a saying that I meet adversity by actioning through the arts, which is me finding my footing again inside of all of those things.
Helanius J. Wilkins, a CU Boulder associate professor of theatre and dance, created 鈥淭he Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging鈥� as a path to unlearn fear and create opportunities for listening. (Photo: Paul Kieu. (c)2023)
鈥淚n 2020, I was noticing what was happening to me in that time, and what came to light was that I basically was in a place of a lot of fear. I was afraid to leave my own place, I was afraid to be in public in the body that I鈥檓 in.鈥�
So, he began walking鈥攅very day, by himself, same time, same path, sometimes up to 16 miles. It was his way of reorienting himself to and in his surroundings and creating space for his surroundings to reorient him.
鈥淭his work in so many way is me walking across the country and inviting others to walk with me to expand their sense of belonging,鈥� he explains of the newest chapter of his ongoing work 鈥� premiering this weekend in the Roe Green Theatre.
鈥淭he vision for this work was to create a path for me to unlearn fear, to create a path for others to unlearn fear, to create a greater sense of belonging and opportunities to listen to one another. We can鈥檛 have belonging unless we come together and listen.鈥�
鈥楥onversation is a passage鈥�
In broadest terms, 鈥淭he Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging鈥� is a 鈥渃ollaborative, immersive work, performed by two men with different racial and cultural backgrounds鈥� who perform an 鈥渙ngoing and always shifting dance-quilt, confronting and celebrating heritage, resilience, justice and hope.鈥� The work centers belonging as a way to 鈥渄isrupt the erasure of silenced stories and forge paths towards justice/equitable landscapes. 鈥楾he Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging鈥� is a dynamic intersection of contemporary dance, performance art, technology (video and interactive gaming), music, fashion and design.鈥�
Helanius J. Wilkins, left, and Brandon Welch, right, perform 鈥淭he Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging鈥� as an 鈥渙ngoing and always shifting dance-quilt, confronting and celebrating heritage, resilience, justice and hope.鈥� (Photo: Paul Kieu. (c)2023)
A key to all of it, Wilkins says, is conversation and listening. As he was conceptualizing it, he had conversations with people across Colorado鈥攊n rural and urban settings, on the Front Range and Western Slope, in mountain resorts and small towns.
What he heard is that 鈥渆veryone is interested in belonging, everyone is interested in their stories being heard and seen and everybody鈥檚 interested in their histories being protected in some way, shape or form,鈥� Wilkins says. 鈥淭he key is how we get to that and find those meeting points.鈥�
He found a nexus between the art of conversation and listening, the art of dance and social justice because 鈥渢here is no social justice without the body. We have to bring our bodies to the frontline to make the changes that we desire to see. What this work is for me is it鈥檚 a way of bringing forward two bodies in this current moment, bringing two bodies to the frontline, choosing to be at the frontline, to work together to figure out what it means to coexist.
鈥淲hat I鈥檓 not striving to do is tell someone else鈥檚 story, because it鈥檚 not mine to tell, but I can reveal my story and show how I鈥檓 grappling with someone else and how I can understand what we are in relationship to these other stories.鈥�
If you goWhat: 鈥溾€�
Where: Roe Green Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14
For Wilkins, performance feels, in many ways, like a continuing conversation and an invitation to lean in with curiosity and ask perhaps the biggest question: 鈥淲hat does it mean to create the world that we deserve, one that can work for everyone?鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat does it mean to sit with that for 90 minutes and to dream, to hear bits and pieces of how people are grappling with reflections on ancestry or the present while we鈥檙e also trying to work and construct a future that we don鈥檛 know?鈥�
The performance, Wilkins says, reflects his 鈥渁udacity to hope鈥� and his commitment to 鈥渒nowing or feeling that things can be different and that we can find a space where more people feel a sense of belonging and where more of us can come together.
鈥淚 hope that audience members walk away hopeful鈥攈opeful because conversations are happening and we鈥檙e invited to join them. Conversation is a passage, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be the end point, there are ways in which audiences will be able to continue the journey with me in some way, shape or form.鈥�
Top image: Brandon Welch, left, and Helanius J. Wilkins, right, and perform 鈥淭he Conversation Series: Stitching the Geopolitical Quilt to Re-Body Belonging." (Photo: Paul Kieu. (c)2023)
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In newest chapter of ongoing 鈥楥onversation Series,鈥� CU Boulder鈥檚 Helanius J. Wilkins explores concepts of belonging and being heard.
, an MFA candidate in dance at CU Boulder, didn鈥檛 get any formal training in her craft until adulthood. Before that, she learned everything she knew about dance from services on Sunday mornings.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where my training started: inside the church,鈥� Williams says. 鈥淚 saw my elders shouting and moving with the music in response to a spiritual message. That evolved to me watching MTV and BET videos and dancing along. I wasn鈥檛 actually 鈥榯rained鈥� until I hit 18.鈥�
Few dancers at CU have researched how faith influences movement, but for Williams, it鈥檚 a fascinating subject. Her choreographed piece鈥攖he 鈥渁ltar鈥� part of a 鈥攇ets its inspiration from liturgical dance, a name given to movement that serves as an expression of worship to a higher power. Its premiere runs March 3-5 in CU鈥檚 .
Spiritual expression takes many forms, from ballet to Hip-Hop to a gospel choir鈥檚 back-and-forth sway. Williams incorporates all of this and more鈥攕houting, West African dance, jazz, house鈥攊n a piece that she hopes exposes the creativity, intelligence and power of cultural practices with African roots.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping people take away an understanding that belongs to all humanity: We are here; We are important,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y hope is that we enact principles that speak to this truth by practicing awareness and action.鈥�
, an MFA student who shares the bill with Williams, also hopes she can 鈥渁lter鈥� audiences鈥� views on traditional hierarchy in dance with her work.
鈥淚 challenged myself to make a piece that was completely improvisational,鈥� she says.
That鈥檚 quite a feat, given that spontaneity is a tricky thing to choreograph. She was moved to try it out after years of dancing in companies where, as she puts it, 鈥淚 was an empty vessel for a choreographer to fill up.鈥� She wanted to give dancers more agency with improvisation, which essentially puts her, as the choreographer, on an equal footing with the dancers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting that, in our culture, we place so much value on authorship,鈥� Ritchie says. 鈥淚n dance, the choreographer is usually the one credited for creating the vision. With improvisation, the power dynamic can change with the shift of a foot. Who鈥檚 in charge? It鈥檚 difficult to figure out.鈥�
Ritchie says improvisational dance gets a bad rap in the industry. There鈥檚 a misconception that it鈥檚 so spontaneous that it all comes out looking incoherent and incohesive. But she says what the critics are missing is that good improvisational work is more intentional than they might think. It鈥檚 built on the practice of listening for cues, of responding kinetically to each evening鈥檚 unique performance environment. Ritchie says the audience itself will provide some of those cues鈥攕he鈥檚 that serious about the importance of collaboration in art.
鈥淲hen I teach, I鈥檓 coming from this perspective of, 鈥楲ook, I don鈥檛 have all the information, and I鈥檓 here to learn from you, too,鈥欌€� she says. 鈥淲hen we fall into prescribed roles in a power structure, there isn鈥檛 always this empathy or listening 鈥� and I want to try to change that.鈥�
Performances
Friday, March 3, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 4, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 5, 2 p.m.
All events take place in the Charlotte York Irey Theatre.
Tickets for Alter/Altar start at $16. To purchase tickets, visit the CU Presents box office in person (972 Broadway), call 303-492-8008 during business hours or anytime. Note: All online and phone orders are subject to a service fee. To schedule interviews or for other media information, contact Jill Kimball at jill.kimball@colorado.edu.
Arneshia Williams, an MFA candidate in dance at CU Boulder, didn鈥檛 get any formal training in her craft until adulthood. Before that, she learned everything she knew about dance from services on Sunday mornings.CSF nods to the past and looks toward the future June 11-Aug. 13, 2017
Next summer, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival celebrates its 60th season with performances of the plays that started it all.
In a nod to the past, CSF鈥檚 Summer 2017 lineup will remount the plays audiences saw in its original 1958 season: The Taming of the Shrew, a laugh-out-loud audience favorite; Julius Caesar, a classic political thriller; and Hamlet, Shakespeare鈥檚 undisputed masterpiece.
The season also includes Tom Stoppard鈥檚 fresh, funny Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which retells Hamlet from the perspective of two minor characters, and two exclusive Original Practices performances of the rarely seen Henry VI, Part 3. At the end of the summer, CSF will have completed the Shakespeare canon for a second time.
鈥淭his particular season has been three years in the making,鈥� says CSF Producing Artistic Director Timothy Orr. 鈥淩evisiting the original season of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival is not only a great way to look back across 60 incredible years of Shakespeare in Boulder, but it鈥檚 also a fantastic way to embark on the next 60 years.鈥�
The 2017 season opens Sunday, June 11 and runs through Aug. 13. Season tickets are available beginning Oct. 31, 2016 at 10 a.m. online at , over the phone at 303-492-8008 and in person at the CU Presents box office, 972 Broadway, Boulder. The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located in the University Club building on the CU Boulder campus.
The 2017 season will feature several notable milestones:
Colorado Shakespeare Festival 2017 Season
The Taming of the Shrew
Directed by Christopher DuVal
鈥淪it by my side, and let the world slip: we shall ne'er be younger.鈥�
CSF kicks off its 60th season with a zany comedy set in swinging 1940s New York City. Enter Kate, a plucky pilot who鈥檚 just returned from the fray of World War II, and her stubborn match, Petruchio. On the vibrant streets of Little Italy, the two duke it out in a battle of wits, dance the night away and discover, against all odds, a mutual respect that鈥檚 almost like being in love.
June 11-Aug. 13 | Tickets start at $20
Hamlet
Directed by Carolyn Howarth
鈥淭his above all: to thine own self be true.鈥�
Shakespeare鈥檚 masterpiece, often considered the greatest play in the English language, returns for CSF鈥檚 60th season. When Hamlet鈥檚 world is ripped apart by his father鈥檚 sudden death and his mother鈥檚 hasty remarriage, the young prince鈥檚 mind wrestles with his heart in a tormented quest to uncover the truth. Staged for the first time inside the intimate University Theatre, this is Hamlet as you鈥檝e never seen it before.
June 23-Aug. 13 | Tickets start at $20
Julius Caesar
Directed by Anthony Powell
鈥淭he fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings鈥︹€�
What makes a true leader? In the republic of ancient Rome, no one seems to know. As Rome鈥檚 leader basks in his victory and ignores a series of bad omens, jealous critics conspire to topple his regime鈥攐nly to find later that their efforts were for naught. Lies, scheming and scandal meet in a spellbinding political thriller that seems all too familiar in today鈥檚 polarized times.
July 7-Aug. 12 | Tickets start at $20
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
By Tom Stoppard
Directed by Timothy Orr
鈥淟ook on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.鈥�
In this hilarious and mind-bending comedy by the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Shakespeare in Love, Hamlet is brilliantly retold through the eyes of two minor characters. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two bewildered schoolmates sent to pull Prince Hamlet out of his descent into madness, grapple with fate, free will and the game of life. CSF鈥檚 production brings its full Hamlet cast on stage to inhabit Stoppard鈥檚 ingenious parallel universe of wit and wisdom.
July 21-Aug. 13 | Tickets start at $20
Henry VI, Part 3
鈥淔earless minds climb soonest unto crowns.鈥�
Summer 2017鈥檚 hottest ticket is Henry VI, Part 3, the latest of CSF鈥檚 widely hailed 鈥淥riginal Practices鈥� productions in the iconic Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre. With two performances of the final play in Shakespeare鈥檚 razor-sharp War of the Roses chronicle, which also inspired the hit series Game of Thrones, CSF is set to complete the Shakespeare canon for a second time. All previous 鈥淥P鈥� shows sold out months in advance鈥攄on鈥檛 miss it!
Aug. 6 and 8 | Tickets start at $20
In a nod to the past, CSF鈥檚 Summer 2017 lineup will remount the plays audiences saw in its original 1958 season: The Taming of the Shrew, a laugh-out-loud audience favorite; Julius Caesar, a classic political thriller; and Hamlet, Shakespeare鈥檚 undisputed masterpiece.
The classic romantic comedy gets a feminist makeover with director Lisa Wolpe
CU Boulder鈥檚 2016-17 theatre season continues with a highly anticipated all-female production of Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淭welfth Night.鈥� Directed by renowned Los Angeles actor, director, teacher and producer Lisa Wolpe, the production runs Nov. 4-13 in the University Theatre.
A story of mistaken identities and love at first sight, 鈥淭welfth Night鈥� is the original romantic comedy. In the kingdom of Illyria, a shipwrecked Viola dresses in men鈥檚 clothing to find work and turns the court of Duke Orsino upside down. Chock full of poetic soliloquies and hilarious farce, it鈥檚 William Shakespeare at his finest and funniest.
Lisa Wolpe directs a rehearsal for Twelfth Night
Wolpe says CU Boulder鈥檚 female-focused production will shine a new, feminist light on the Bard鈥檚 timeless words.鈥淭o run this exquisite writing through the minds and hearts of eighteen strong and curious young women will no doubt offer some rare and rich rewards,鈥� Wolpe says. 鈥淚 think the gender flip will provide an opportunity for another level of wit and wordplay. It can offer both a hilarious and intelligent examination of class and gender expectations and stereotypes.鈥�
For four centuries, Shakespeare鈥檚 world hasn鈥檛 welcomed women warmly. In the Bard鈥檚 time, women didn鈥檛 perform on stage; instead, men donned makeup and dresses to perform the few female roles in each play. But even as that changed, many women grew frustrated to find that few of Shakespeare鈥檚 female characters, including title roles, were as meaty and complex as the male counterparts.
鈥淚 think women have become rather strong in the theatre scene, and they鈥檙e looking for more of a story to play,鈥� says Wolpe. 鈥淧laying a larger Shakespearean role is certainly in the capacity of any woman I know.鈥�
And if anyone can say that for certain, it鈥檚 Wolpe. She founded the Los Angeles Women鈥檚 Shakespeare Company more than 20 years ago, and her passion for giving women the spotlight on stage has sparked trends in New York, in London and all over the world.
Wolpe says there鈥檚 never been a better time to experiment with gender bending or to explore the complexities of personhood and identity on stage.
鈥淧eople have become very passionate about individuality and about being vocal and strong as a woman, which society has shunned in the past,鈥� Wolpe says. 鈥淭hose are great themes to explore in a play where everything鈥檚 topsy-turvy, where the king is a fool and the fool is a king.鈥�
While 鈥淭welfth Night鈥� is chock full of complex themes, it鈥檚 as comedic as it is cerebral. At its heart, the play is a hilarious romp bursting at the seams with both swordplay and wordplay.
鈥溾€楾welfth Night鈥� is a brilliant comedy with imaginative, exaggerated characters鈥攃lowns, pirates, drunkards, lovers and fools,鈥� Wolpe says. 鈥淲e have a terrific cast of fascinating actresses and a really talented design team. I have no doubt that we will come up with something surprising and new.鈥�
Performances
Friday, Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 6, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m.
All events take place in the University Theatre.
Tickets for 鈥淭welfth Night鈥� start at $20. To purchase tickets, visit the CU Presents box office in person (972 Broadway), call 303-492-8008 during business hours or visit us online anytime. Note: All online and phone orders are subject to a service fee. To schedule interviews or for other media information, contact Jill Kimball at jill.kimball@colorado.edu.
Coming up later this season is the Second Annual New Play Festival, featuring readings of brand new works; the premiere of 鈥淯nspoken,鈥� which follows a group of young friends living in New York City; and 鈥淭he Rocky Horror Show,鈥� a classic, outrageous musical full of campy fun, characters from grade B horror flicks, 1960s beach party jams and vintage rock 鈥榥鈥� roll.
CU Boulder鈥檚 2016-17 theatre season continues with a highly anticipated all-female production of Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淭welfth Night.鈥� Directed by renowned Los Angeles actor, director, teacher and producer Lisa Wolpe, the production runs Nov. 4-13 in the University Theatre.
Innovative movement with headlamps and skateboarding on display in MFA showcase
Continuing the exciting 2016-17 dance season at CU Boulder is 鈥�,鈥� a showcase of two works by MFA students intent on uncovering who we really are underneath our society鈥檚 thick layers of commercialism and social standards. These two works, incorporating contemporary dance, animal instinct and skateboarding, come to CU鈥檚 Oct. 21-23.
Both works in 鈥淏oneless鈥� use richly physical movement to peer beneath the surface of human existence to discover who we are without social expectations and commercialization.
Rachel Dodson
鈥淚鈥檝e always been troubled by social constructs鈥攖hings that tell us how we should look or feel or behave in order to be in alignment with what鈥檚 expected,鈥� says , an MFA candidate in dance who choreographed a piece in 鈥淏oneless.鈥� 鈥淚 got curious about what happens if we strip ourselves of those expectations and give voice to what鈥檚 been silenced.鈥�
A sensorial journey investigating the relationship between mind, body and spirit, Dodson鈥檚 piece twists and writhes, turning the self inside out to explore one鈥檚 inner landscape. In the work, performers play with light and darkness by moving with head lamps and strategically hiding and revealing parts of themselves. Movement alternates between the classical and the primal to represent the animal lurking beneath each of our carefully-curated fa莽ades.
During rehearsals, Dodson and her cast of seven dancers used their own personal experiences with times when their families, careers and looks didn鈥檛 fit traditional social norms to create their own original movements in the piece.鈥淭he feelings they generated were the same even though their experiences were different,鈥� Dodson says. 鈥淭he common threads were the feelings they had about their own personal inadequacies and the way that affected their perceptions of themselves.鈥�
, another MFA student whose work is showcased in 鈥淏oneless,鈥� is also interested in who we really are when we leave the noise of the outside world behind. In his piece, he uses contemporary dance and skateboarding to investigate whether brands and advertising have taken away our individuality.
鈥淚f you were a skateboarder back in the day, you鈥檇 go into a skate shop and buy a board, and that was it,鈥� he says. Now it鈥檚, 鈥榃hat shoes and signature clothing line are you wearing, and what does your custom deck look like?鈥� Now people can make millions of dollars doing something that was invented in the 1970s in Southern California as a way to get to the beach.鈥�
Irvin, an avid skateboarder himself, worries what happens when art forms, including skateboarding, food-making and digital media, aren鈥檛 given enough space to thrive in non-commercial ways.
Boneless
鈥淲hen business practices take over, you lose the artistic nature of some of these things,鈥� Irvin says.
Irvin鈥檚 piece, which features only Irvin himself and his friend and collaborator Aaron Allen, uses skateboards and Skittles to ruminate on the way money sometimes dilutes authenticity.
In the world of dance, it鈥檚 unique to see modern dance and skateboarding intertwine鈥攂ut Irvin is surprised it doesn鈥檛 happen more often. He believes they鈥檙e more alike than different.
鈥淚 think they鈥檙e both fueled by what鈥檚 happening in the world politically, and they both use the full body in surprising ways,鈥� he says. 鈥淪ometimes a trick can be so intricate and detailed, and it takes a lot of discipline to land it. It鈥檚 the same thing in dance.鈥�
Performances
Friday, Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m.
All events take place in the Charlotte York Irey Theatre.
Tickets for 鈥淏oneless鈥� start at $16. To purchase tickets, visit the CU Presents box office in person (972 Broadway), call 303-492-8008 during business hours or anytime. Note: All online and phone orders are subject to a service fee.
Coming up later this fall is 鈥�,鈥� a student-produced and CU Dance Connection-created showcase, and 鈥�,鈥� a sampler of graduate and undergraduate student works.
Continuing the exciting 2016-17 dance season at CU Boulder is 鈥淏oneless,鈥� a showcase of two works by MFA students intent on uncovering who we really are underneath our society鈥檚 thick layers of commercialism and social standards.
The heartwarming masked comedy boasts classic humor for all ages
CU Boulder鈥檚 2016-17 theatre season continues with a heartwarming, hilarious production of 鈥�,鈥� a classic Italian commedia dell鈥檃rte by 18th-century playwright Carlo Goldoni. Performances of the play, directed by CU Associate Professor , take place Oct. 19-23 in CU鈥檚 Loft Theatre.
Through physical comedy, masks and period-appropriate music, 鈥淭he Servant of Two Masters鈥� tells the story of the servant Truffaldino, who wreaks havoc when he attends to two different masters at the same time. With the electric energy and extreme farce that only commedia can supply, Truffaldino pushes the limits to appease his masters and his growling stomach, falling in love all the while.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really just a classic, fun comedy,鈥� Meneghini says. 鈥淭he students and I leave rehearsal every night laughing and smiling.鈥�
Meneghini describes the play鈥檚 humor as the kind of good, clean fun people of all ages can enjoy.
鈥淓veryone in the audience will be able to identify with the characters on stage largely because Goldoni did such a good job of creating such believable characters dealing with rather unbelievable situations,鈥� Meneghini says. 鈥淗e gives us all permission to laugh at ourselves.鈥�
If the good-hearted humor doesn鈥檛 hook you, Meneghini is certain the centuries-old, rarely seen performance technique will. In true commedia dell鈥檃rte style, four of the characters wear colorful masks and have to rely on body movements to express emotions and tell the story. The result, Meneghini says, is captivating.
鈥淭his style is one of the hardest things an actor can possibly do,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t is difficult for even the best actors to pull off. I think it鈥檚 incredibly valuable for these acting students to learn how their body serves them in creating a character.鈥�
Meneghini says she鈥檚 perhaps most excited about the role music plays in this production. The comedy called for two distinctive types of live performance: In one scene, characters with more status enjoy a baroque minuet, while in another, two servants join together to sing a rollicking folk song from Italy鈥檚 Bergamo region. The play also features 18th-century Italian arias, a Venetian folk dance (called the furlana) and a guest appearance from guitarist , known all over the West for his exceptional musicianship.
鈥淏etween the music, the movement and the masks, I think it鈥檚 going to be a ton of fun,鈥� Meneghini says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not enough joy in the world, and I want to change that.鈥�
Performances
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 22, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m.
All events take place in the Loft Theatre.
Tickets for 鈥淭he Servant of Two Masters鈥� start at $16. To purchase tickets, visit the CU Presents box office in person (972 Broadway), call 303-492-8008 during business hours or anytime. Note: All online and phone orders are subject to a service fee.
Coming up later this season is the , featuring readings of brand new works; the premiere of 鈥�,鈥� which follows a group of young friends living in New York City; and 鈥�,鈥� an outrageous musical full of campy fun, characters from grade B horror flicks, 1960s beach party jams and vintage rock 鈥榥鈥� roll.
CU Boulder鈥檚 2016-17 theatre season continues with a heartwarming, hilarious production of 鈥淭he Servant of Two Masters,鈥� a classic Italian commedia dell鈥檃rte by 18th-century playwright Carlo Goldoni. Performances of the play, directed by CU Associate Professor Tamara Meneghini, take place Oct. 19-23 in CU鈥檚 Loft Theatre.Unique production time travels through American history in a series of mini-plays
Just in time for the United States presidential election, CU Boulder鈥檚 gears up for a production of 鈥�,鈥� a funny and poignant whirlwind trip through American history. The production, presented in collaboration with Boulder鈥檚 own , runs Sept. 23 through Oct. 2 in the University Theatre.
"44 Plays for 44 Presidents," written by the , tells the story of the United States through a series of two-minute scenes dedicated to each American president. The actors on stage travel through our country鈥檚 dramatic ups and downs, from its idealistic beginnings under George Washington to the grim onset of the Civil War to the increasingly polarized politics of our time. Between scenes, short musical interludes set the historical tone.
鈥淲e Americans are really interesting in that we鈥檙e very future-oriented people,鈥� says , a CU Boulder lecturer and the founder of square product theatre. 鈥淎 play like this affords you an opportunity to learn about how a government is shaped, and it also lets you see inside the presidents鈥� personal lives.鈥�
Perhaps the most exciting element of the show is what comes last: an opportunity for audiences to vote for the presidential candidate they鈥檇 like to see portrayed as the 45th president in the final two-minute scene.
鈥淭he 18-to-24-year-old demographic is one that historically doesn鈥檛 turn out for the vote,鈥� Harrison says. 鈥淭his will be a fun practice round for young students who have never been able to vote before.鈥�
Harrison, who mounted 鈥�44 Plays鈥� at square product , says she learned so much more about history from this play than she鈥檇 ever learned in childhood classrooms.
鈥淚 had no idea Theodore Roosevelt accomplished so much鈥攊t鈥檚 pretty remarkable,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd I never knew much about William Henry Harrison, but in his play we see the roots of racism and genocide, which a lot of people in this country don鈥檛 like to think about. History is not always pretty.鈥�
The play may be packed with historical facts, Harrison says, but it鈥檚 far from preachy.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e learning in a way that doesn鈥檛 feel like you鈥檙e in a classroom,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his play is for anyone who wants to look more deeply at history; it鈥檚 for anyone who just wants a mental break for a couple of hours; and it鈥檚 for everyone else looking for a little bit of both.鈥�
Showtimes for 鈥�44 Plays for 44 Presidents鈥�
Friday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 24 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 2, 2 p.m.
Tickets for 鈥�44 Plays for 44 Presidents鈥� start at $20 with student, senior and youth discounts available. To purchase tickets, visit the CU Presents box office in person (972 Broadway) between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, call 303-492-8008 during box office hours, or. Note: All online and phone orders are subject to a service fee. For press tickets, interviews or more information, contact Jill Kimball at jill.kimball@colorado.edu.
Coming up later in CU-Boulder鈥檚 2016-17 Theatre & Dance season is the classic commedia dell鈥檃rte tale 鈥淭he Servant of Two Masters,鈥� an all-female production of 鈥淭welfth Night鈥� directed by Lisa Wolpe, the world premiere of 鈥淯nspoken鈥� by Kevin Crowe, and two popular musicals, 鈥淭he Rocky Horror Show鈥� and 鈥淧eter and the Starcatcher.鈥� .
Just in time for the United States presidential election, CU Boulder鈥檚 Department of Theatre & Dance gears up for a production of 鈥�44 Plays for 44 Presidents,鈥� a funny and poignant whirlwind trip through American history.
Weekend of performances and talks features Teena Marie Custer, Asia One
This fall, CU Boulder brings street culture to the stage with , a weekend-long performance event bringing together renowned female Hip-Hop scholars, artists and enthusiasts for a critical and creative exchange. From breaking to waacking to DJing, no facet of Hip-Hop will go unexplored at the event, which takes place Sept. 23-25 at CU Boulder鈥檚 .
Hip-Hop has only recently been a research focus inside higher education, says dance division director Erika Randall. It鈥檚 rarer still to focus specifically on females within Hip-Hop culture. She鈥檚 more than happy to help start the conversation.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just really committed to causing trouble in the Theatre & Dance department, in the best possible way,鈥� Randall says. 鈥淲hen students and teachers start to explore a culture that started on the streets, they question everything they know about institutionalized learning, fusion, women...and so many other things. I get really excited about that.鈥�
If talking about Hip-Hop culture doesn鈥檛 prompt audiences to rethink the status quo, watching the [UN] W.R.A.P. performances certainly will. Some of the featured performers, known as b-girls, learned their epic moves on the street rather than at the barre.
Teena Marie Custer
B-girl , a featured performer and Randall鈥檚 longtime best friend, is one of those artists who didn鈥檛 go to school to hone her Hip-Hop skills. Randall says 鈥渢he two of us are like 鈥樷€� come to life: I鈥檓 classically trained and she comes from really deep street training, but we鈥檝e found we鈥檙e more similar than different.鈥�
As a child in Pittsburgh, Custer desperately wanted to take ballet lessons, but her family didn鈥檛 have the money for them. Her only dance outlet, she says, was 鈥渢o go to Hip-Hop clubs, dance with my friends or put a hat out and copy moves from MTV. That was my early dance training.鈥� Later, she received formal training in modern dance and used elements of that to create her own unique style of urban dance theater. In the [UN] W.R.A.P. performance, Custer will unveil 鈥淢y Good Side,鈥� an exploration of our social media culture through street dance.
Hip-Hop, a subculture encompassing music performance, emceeing, DJing, graffiti art and breaking, was born on the streets of the Bronx in the 1970s and soon spread to other major urban areas. Among the early female street icons was , who has danced with the Black Eyed Peas, Rock Steady Crew and Zulu Nation. As a biracial child in Denver鈥檚 diverse Park Hill neighborhood, she never felt she belonged anywhere until she found refuge in the local Hip-Hop community. In her teen years, Asia established herself as a b-girl and graffiti artist and set up an after school dance studio for kids.
鈥淚n my area, you didn鈥檛 go on the side of town you weren鈥檛 from鈥攜ou couldn鈥檛,鈥� she says. 鈥淪o I opened up a Hip-Hop shop in an area that was neutral to gangs. Anybody could go without feeling like they would get jumped or like they were a traitor, and they met people they never would have met otherwise.鈥�
In her ever-expanding quest to unite people from different worlds, Asia will bring together the local collective , the music group Analog Girls and other Colorado street artists for her [UN] W.R.A.P. piece, which delves into Hip-Hop鈥檚 historical roots.
Asia, the subject of a selected for the Hollywood Film Festival in 2013, says she鈥檚 faced plenty of gender discrimination in her career and can鈥檛 wait for the female-focused weekend on campus.
鈥淚鈥檒l be waiting to go on stage and someone will think I鈥檓 a groupie,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he idea of a woman breaking kind of mystifies some people. When I鈥檓 breaking, out of the corner of my ear, I鈥檝e heard, 鈥楢 girl? Really?鈥欌€�
But by and large, she says, the Hip-Hop community is diverse and inclusive, a far cry from the homophobic, misogynist world many people believe it is. She hopes the weekend summit in Boulder helps a broader audience understand that.
鈥淲hether or not you鈥檙e down with Hip-Hop,鈥� she says, 鈥渢he values that it embraces...if we could put [those] in society on a mass level, we鈥檇 have a beautiful world.鈥�
Free Panel Discussion with Dr. Imani Kai Johnson, Naomi Braggins and Dr. Reiland Rabaka
Friday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m.
Performances
Friday, Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 24, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m.
All events take place in the Charlotte York Irey Theatre.
Tickets for [UN] W.R.A.P.: Women of the Cypher start at $16. To purchase tickets, visit the CU Presents box office in person (972 Broadway), call 303-492-8008 during business hours or anytime. Note: All online and phone orders are subject to a service fee. To schedule interviews or for other media information, contact Jill Kimball at jill.kimball@colorado.edu.
This fall, CU Boulder brings street culture to the stage with [UN] W.R.A.P.: Women of the Cypher, a weekend-long performance event bringing together renowned female Hip-Hop scholars, artists and enthusiasts for a critical and creative exchange.
