onStage at Connecticut College announces 2014-15 season
onStage at Connecticut College once again brings to campus a diverse mix of musicians, dancers and actors for a season of outstanding performances that will exhilarate and inspire audiences.
“onStage at Connecticut College maintains its tradition of presenting unique, eclectic and innovative programming,” said the College’s Director of Arts Programming Robert Richter ’82. “The artists gracing our stages come from a wide array of cultural and artistic backgrounds and perspectives, and the works they’ll perform range from classical to contemporary.”
And in many cases, their onStage performances are the only opportunities to see these artists in New England. This season’s lineup includes:
“The Queue” — Lucky Plush Productions
Saturday, Sept. 20 | 7:30 p.m. | Palmer Auditorium
Chicago-based dance theater company Lucky Plush Productions offers a “Queue” audiences won’t mind waiting in. While in line at an airport, the characters in “The Queue” take melancholy and morbid ideas about life and death and present them in a transported world of comedic brilliance. The Chicago Tribune praised the “exquisite freedom and expression” of the dancers as well as the clever choreography, which “flows out of everyday movement and early 20th-century forms.” The work has been compared to the physical humor of Charlie Chaplain and the rhythm and timing of Jacques Tati. Smart, energetic and effortlessly dynamic, audiences will line up for “The Queue.” Tickets: $24; Seniors: $21; Students: $12.
Khumariyaan
Saturday, Oct. 11 | 8 p.m. | Palmer Auditorium
Khumariyaan took its name from the Urdu word “khumaar,” or intoxication, and that’s the effect this Pakistani quartet strives to produce through their music, a furiously propulsive sound played on instruments like the rubab, zerbaghali (goblet drum), Pushtoon sitar and acoustic guitars. They have reinvigorated the live music scene in Peshawar, Pakistan, which had suffered — like many cultural pursuits — under the Taliban and other societal tensions. Their performances are an addictive and accessible pleasure that’s ushering in a new era for eclipsed music. Tickets: $22; Seniors: $20; Students: $11.
“The Complete & Condensed Stage Directions of Eugene O’Neill, Vol. 2” — New York Neo-Futurists
Friday, Oct. 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Palmer Auditorium
The New York Neo-Futurists take the audience on an adventure into the subconscious of America’s greatest playwright by removing his dialogue and condensing his plays into pure action. That’s the central performance motif of Neo-Futurism: stripping the work of theatrical conventions like plot, setting and character, as well as the separation of audience and performer. The troupe instead allows the commands of Eugene O’Neill’s stage directions to define their roles, actions and relationships. “Complete & Condensed” includes plays written while O’Neill struggled to find his voice, a collection of works representing some of his deepest fears and his fixation with death and darkness between souls. Presented in collaboration with Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s Eugene O’Neill Celebration. Tickets: $22; Seniors: $20; Students: $11.
“Tea for Three: Lady Bird, Pat & Betty” — Elaine Bromka
Saturday, Nov. 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Evans Hall
Elaine Bromka starred as eight First Ladies opposite Rich Little in the PBS show “The Presidents” and was so intrigued by their stories that she worked with playwright Eric H. Weinberger to create this behind-the-scenes look at Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford. The New York Times described the piece as “biography theater,” with Bromka’s skilled performance weaving the narrative recollections of three great ladies together to provide a “look at the changing roles of women during dynamic times.” “Tea for Three” humanizes the political scene with a story both whimsical and deeply moving, and it’s particularly relevant in this era of heightened politics. Tickets: $18; Seniors: $16; Students: $9.
David Dorfman Dance
Friday, Feb 6., 2015 | 7:30 p.m. | Palmer Auditorium
David Dorfman Dance, company-in-residence at Connecticut College, will revive two older works this season. “Lightbulb Theory” and “Impending Joy” premiered to great acclaim in 2004. “Lightbulb Theory” explores the idea of whether it is better for a lightbulb, or life, to flicker before it goes out or to go out instantly. “Impending Joy,” originally created in reaction to “Lightbulb Theory,” has harder lines and a harsher, more direct feel. The New York Times said “‘Lightbulb Theory,’ set to a haunting piano score by Michael Wall, took on nothing less than life and death.” Referring to “Impending Joy,” The Village Voice said “Dorfman's very individual choreography is full of entrancing contrasts, and, lord, what dancing!” Tickets: $28; Seniors: $25; Students: $14.
David Finckel, cello, and Wu Han, piano
Friday, Feb. 20, 2015 | 7:30 p.m. | Evans Hall
The husband-and-wife team of David Finckel and Wu Han rank among the most esteemed and influential artists in classical music today. So much so that they are also the artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and have been called “America’s power couple of chamber music” by The Wall Street Journal. Together, they perform with a thrilling virtuosity and artistic versatility that have brought them universal acclaim from audiences at the world’s most prestigious venues and concert series. Audiences in southeastern Connecticut will be similarly delighted by their performance. Tickets: $22; Seniors: $20; Students: $11.
“Southern Comfort” — Regina Carter, jazz violinist
Friday, March 27, 2015 | 7:30 p.m. | Palmer Auditorium
With her latest album, “Southern Comfort,” Regina Carter wanted to explore the type of music her coalmining grandfather would have heard in Alabama. So the foremost jazz violinist of her generation and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient took a scholarly approach, visiting the Library of Congress and listened to the Appalachian field recordings of folklorists like Alan Lomax and John Work III. She also sought out distant relatives and books in order to produce her modern take on Cajun fiddle music, early gospel and coalminer work songs. Her curiosity, passion and quest for beauty are more apparent than ever. Tickets: $22; Seniors: $20; Students: $11.
For information on onStage subscriptions, which provide discounted tickets, call 860-439-ARTS (2787) or email onstage@conncoll.edu. Visit http://onstage.conncoll.edu for additional information about performances and tickets.
August 22, 2014