Art & Education

Mixing the two helps Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center close gap on other, better established, universities

Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo rosalie o’connor⁄University of Maryland Members of the Limón Dance Company are scheduled to celebrate the group’s 60th year by staging three works choreographed by its founder when it arrives at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park on Sept. 15. Click here to enlarge this photo

That status was recently validated by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, which awarded the Center one of only three $1.125 million grants. The other two awards went to performance venues in Illinois and Michigan that are a combined 159 years older than the Center.

Susan Farr, the Center’s executive director, said the grant will be used to support the development of online resources, as well as artistic programming and endowment.

During its half-decade of operation, the Center has prided itself on being the complete arts and learning facility. It has continually offered not only high-quality entertainment in every conceivable format but unparalleled access to the performers.

It is this dedication to education that has made the Center so unique in such a short time and made the grant possible, Farr said.

‘‘We believe that what happens off stage is as important as what happens on stage,” Farr said. ‘‘We’re one of the few venues that emphasizes this.”

Examples of the Center’s devotion to education and collaboration are abound. Since opening its doors, the Center has commissioned 20 new works. Students and community members regularly interact with visiting performers, who participate in panel discussions, workshops and master classes. And the Center has expanded the University’s artist-in-residence program, which brings performing artists to campus for entire semesters to work with students.

‘‘We program performers who will engage with the students and community and not just spend two hours on a stage and leave,” said Laura Mertens, the Center’s communications coordinator. ‘‘It’s about building long-term relationships with artists.”

Farr also cited the Center’s continuing efforts to make each season’s events more diverse than those of the previous year. That’s something the Duke Foundation noted in its analysis.

‘‘We have a lot of interest in going deeper and not getting bigger,” Farr said. ‘‘We want to broaden the content of what we offer so that it serves a wider audience.”

That ethos certainly rings true for the Center’s upcoming season, which is its most diverse yet, offering a full menu of unusual and delectable treats. Avant-garde dance. Clown theatre. Creative jazz. Puppets.

Puppets? Yeah, they’ve even got those this year. This season’s events have particular emphasis on women artists, comedy and vocal music.

As for the rest of the season, here’s a rundown of some of the most hotly anticipated events:

Limón Dance Company

Sept. 15 – Limón Dance Company

This year marks the 60th anniversary for the New York-based Limón Dance Company, which is known for its technically challenging modern repertoire. It was also one of the first American modern dance companies to tour Europe.

In honor of the company’s birthday, this performance contains three works choreographed by its founder, José Limón, who was said to have created at least one new work each year during his professional career, which ended with his death in 1972.

As part of the Center’s emphasis on collaboration, the University of Maryland Chamber Singers will accompany the Limón dancers.

‘‘This event is a great example of the collaborations we have between professionals and the students,” Mertens said.

Prior to the performance, there will be a free panel discussion on the history of live music in dance with company members and faculty.

Here come the Muppets

Sept. 22 – Jim Henson: Creativity and Other Inspirational Stuff

Before he created Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the other Muppets, Jim Henson grew up in Hyattsville and attended Northwestern High School and the University of Maryland. To honor one of its most famous former students, the University is presenting a day-long Henson celebration at the Center.

At 3 p.m., learn about Henson’s local experience and view a new video compilation of his early professional career in Jane and Friends: The College Park Legacy — A Casual Conversation with Jane Henson. Henson’s widow, Jane Henson, also a Maryland alumna, will be on hand to field questions and discuss her late husband’s impact.

Blair Thomas is an award-winning puppeteer, writer, visual artist and director, who has toured the world to encourage the development of puppet theatre. Thomas is also the first person to hold the Jim Henson artist-in-residence position at the University. He will be teaching puppetry at the University this fall.

At 8 p.m., Thomas is scheduled to debut The Ox-herder’s Tale, a contemporary rendering of a 15th century Buddhist parable. The eight-person show uses masked actors, stilt-walkers, clowns and life-sized puppets to tell the story of a spiritual journey through the consumer-driven world.

Even with such a farfetched plot, Thomas said his work — and that of all modern puppeteers — is heavily influenced by Henson.

The day-long Henson celebration will culminate in the opening of a new gallery exhibition, which explores Henson’s career and innovations. It includes behind-the-scenes photographs of Henson, rare artifacts from the Henson Legacy Project and 71 of Henson’s performances in newly digitized format. Six Muppets will also be on display, including Scred, one of the earliest Muppets Henson created.

The exhibit is free and will run through June 2007 in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library.

Piano Lesson

Oct. 12-15, 17-20, 22 – The Piano Lesson

August Wilson, a biracial man who grew up in predominantly white neighborhoods, was one of the most acclaimed American playwrights. His work, in which he chronicled the African American experience during each decade of the 20th century, earned him two Pulitzer Prizes. Wilson died last October at the age of 60.

The University of Maryland Department of Theatre, along with the African Continuum Theatre, is scheduled to present The Piano Lesson, one of Wilson’s best-known works.

The play takes place in the 1930s and tells the story of a brother and sister’s feud over a family piano. Willie wants to sell the piano to buy land. His sister Bernice wants to keep the heirloom, which contains carvings of their ancestors and dates back to their family’s enslavement.

‘‘It’s a tale about the conflict between embracing the past and moving into the future,” said Jennifer L. Nelson, the play’s director. ‘‘That’s something still relevant today.”

This particular production is unique because it uses both students and professional actors, something the Center prides itself on.

‘‘It’s really great to see these professionals working with the students and making them stretch their abilities,” Nelson said.

All that jazz

Oct. 29 – McCoy Tyner Septet: The Story of Impulse! Records

Since his groundbreaking work in the 1960s with John Coltrane’s famous quartet, pianist McCoy Tyner has been pushing the boundaries of traditional jazz. His touring septet includes some phenomenal young musicians, including tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and bassist Charnett Moffett.

The theme of the evening is The Story of Impulse! Records, which echoes the title of music journalist Ashley Kahn’s new book about the famous jazz record label. Tyner will likely be showcasing tunes from his own Impulse! catalog.

Prior to the performance, Kahn, who has also penned books about the making of recordings by Miles Davis and John Coltrane, is scheduled to discuss Impulse!’s impact on the jazz world.

Squonk Opera

Nov. 9-10 – Squonk Opera’s College Park: The Opera

Squonk Opera is described as a wild, interdisciplinary stew of entertainment. It’s got some dramatic theatre, a little rock n’ roll, a pinch of performance art, chunks of improvisational comedy, a few puppets and a lot of outrageous humor.

Squonk Opera debuted in 1994 in a Pittsburgh junkyard and has since been performed around the world. The troupe brought its BigSmorgasbord production to campus in 2003. The performance impressed Center staff so much that they decided to commission Squonk Opera to create a show based on the city of College Park.

‘‘It’s going to be funny and loud and celebrate the town,” said Steve O’Hearn, Squonk’s artistic director. ‘‘We’ll even be using 15-20 local people in the performance.”

O’Hearn said Squonk will be spending two weeks in College Park to learn about the area prior to the performance. Troupe members will conduct video interviews, visit area schools and meet with local officials.

The production will consist of short vignettes starring the seven Squonk performers. They will be joined by 15 to 20 local people.

‘‘The themes are about loving your hometown and that people are the same everywhere,” O’Hearn said.

The Squonk Web site promises the show will be ‘‘a heartfelt toast and a punk-vaudevillian roast” to the town.

Women and music

March 29-31 – This Is Her Story...This Is Her Song

This Is Her Story...This Is Her Song is a three-day festival, featuring lectures, performances and workshops exploring black women and song.

The theme of the first day is Songs By Black Women. It will include lectures and workshops discussing the work of influential black female composers like Undine Smith Moore and Lena McLin. There will also be performances by area choral groups and gospel singers and a special concert by Eska Mtungwangi, England’s queen of soul.

‘‘We’ll be dealing with a myriad of genres — from R&B and gospel to classical and hip-hop,” said Diane White, creator of the festival and an accomplished performer and composer.

Songs About Black Women is the theme for the second day. It focuses on music inspired by the lives of black women. There will be particular emphasis on songs based on the experiences of black mothers, White said.

The third day will be focused on Songs Through Black Women, in which various musicians and singers will play songs made famous by black female vocalists, including Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Whitney Houston and Beyoncé.

‘‘The wealth of music that black women have brought to America is tremendous,” White said. ‘‘American music would not exist without the contributions of black women composers, musicians and performers.”