Production Archive: 2012-2013

Etty
A One-woman play by Susan Stein
Co-Sponsored by Jewish Studies
September 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Strider Theater
“In what sort of fatal mechanism have we become enmeshed? The answer cannot simply be that we are all cowards?” In 1943, a young Jewish woman named Etty Hillesum learns that she is about to be deported out of Holland. As she prepares for the three-day journey eastward, she digs deep into her soul to understand this piece of history and to root out any hatred or bitterness, believing that humanity is the best and only solution for survival. Playwright/actress Susan Stein’s adaptation of Etty’s diary, directed by Austin Pendleton, is a testament to human grace and dignity. In her gentle yet forthright way, Etty asks us not to leave her at Auschwitz but to let her have a bit of say in what she hopes will be a new world.

“Susan Stein’s performance, under the direction of noted actor, director, and teacher Austin Pendleton, is impeccable.”
~Diana Barth, The Epoch Times

For more information on the show see: www.ettyplay.org

Colby on Stage
October 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Strider Theater
Colby’s student performance clubs take over Strider Theater for a special Family Homecoming Weekend event. Now in its fourth year (it’s a tradition!), this high-energy variety show features performances from a variety of student clubs, a preview of coming attractions from the Theater and Dance Department’s mainstage season and the popular First Year Dance featuring the talents of the class of ‘16.

The Passion Project / Reid Farrington
Open Lecture on October 10 at 4:00 p.m.
Shows on:
October 10 at 8:00 p.m.
October 11 at 8:00 and 9:30 p.m.
October 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Strider Theater
Reid Farrington’s (Colby ’99) The Passion Project is a forty-minute performance installation that explodes Carl Dreyer’s immortal film classic, The Passion of Joan of Arc, into an immersive projection environment placing the audience inside the film, sitting next to Joan, and subjecting them to the relentless questioning of her judges. The images from Dreyer’s masterpiece float through the air on screens made of simple wood and parchment, wielded by a solo female performer who makes Joan’s emotional journey palpable. This innovative blend of dramatic storytelling, archival film footage and cutting-edge technology creates a series of powerful and moving portraits.

“What Beauty there is in Mr. Farrington’s work. Like Dreyer’s film it is both luminous and cruel.”
~Claudia La Rocco, New York Times

“The Passion Project is a breathtaking tour de force for both creator and director Reid Farrington and performer Laura K. Nicoll.
~Mark Rifkin, This Week in New York

For more information on the show see: http://reidfarrington.com

*The Passion Project is a featured event of the Theater and Dance Department Bicentennial Alumni Professional Series

Lysistrata
by Aristophanes*
Adapted by Lynne Conner from the translation by Alan Sommerstein
Directed by Lynne Conner
Sound design and original music by Peter de Klerk
November 8-10 at 7:30 p.m.
November 10 at 2:00 p.m.
Strider Theater
Lysistrata has a great idea. She’ll get the women of Greece to withhold sexual privileges until their men stop fighting with each other and come home. First presented in 411 B.C.E. at the height (and nadir) of the Peloponnesian War, Aristophanes’ play is the mother of comedy in the Western tradition—filled with sex jokes, topical political barbs, sex jokes, gender analysis, cultural criticism, sex jokes and giant phalluses. Colby’s production keeps the sex jokes and phalluses intact (wouldn’t you?), but this adaptation by Theater and Dance professor Lynne Conner is also a meditation on the habit of war and a celebration of women-led social action in their time and ours.

*Lysistrata is a featured event of “Comedy, Seriously,” the 2012-13 Annual Humanities Theme Programming series.

Fall Dance Concert
November 30 and December 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Strider Theater
Featuring original work by student choreographers and lighting designers, the Fall Dance Concert showcases the role of creative research in a Colby education. As a professional adjudicator at a recent national conference said about one of our student choreographers, “We come to dance because it is a powerful way to understand how we can experience something with others, and this choreographer is onto that. In this piece, there is a sense of trying to channel something larger than ourselves.” Meet our talented student artists and experience for yourself the ways in which these choreographers and lighting designers are indeed channeling something larger.

Light of the Mind
A Special Bicentennial Performance for the Colby Community
Text, Lyrics and Projection Score by Lynne Conner
Music and Interactive Multimedia by Jon Hallstrom
February 27 at 4 and 5 p.m.
Strider Theater
(all seats reserved for Colby students, faculty, staff, and alumni)
This specially commissioned performance work by Colby faculty members Lynne Conner (Theater and Dance) and Jon Hallstrom (Music) is a celebration of Colby’s 200th birthday and of the value of a liberal arts education.

elephant JANE dance / Heidi Henderson
featuring performances by
Colby students and elephant Jane dance company
March 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Strider Theater
“In my dances the neatness of minimalist art meets the messiness of life. Simple structures, when filled with human bodies moving, create meaning. My dances are meant to be seen close, the performers touch and sweat and see into each other’s eyes. These dances are real: messy, emotional, highly structured, single minded, fluid, quiet, and virtuosic.” Heidi Henderson (Colby ’83) has danced in the companies of Bebe Miller, Nina Wiener, Peter Schmitz, Sondra Loring, and Paula Josa-Jones. Don’t miss this opportunity to see her company, elephant JANE dance, in motion on Strider Stage.

*elephant JANE dance is a featured event of the Theater and Dance Department Bicentennial Alumni Professional Series

Truth Values:
One Girl’s Romp Through M.I.T.’s Male Math Maze
A solo show written and performed by Gioia De Cari
Directed by Miriam Eusebio
April 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Strider Theater

New York International Fringe Festival Excellence Award Winner (2009)

“[FOUR STARS] . . . De Cari . . . inhabits no fewer than 30 roles with gusto”
~TimeOut New York

“Funny and insightful . . . replete with hilarious characters . . . The story is riveting . . . go see this show!”
~CurtainUp

New Works Festival
April 19-20 at 7:30 p.m.
Strider Theater
What does the future of live performance look like? Catch a glimpse at the 2013 New Works Festival, where emerging playwrights, choreographers, actors, dancers and designers all strut their stuff over the course of four performances on Strider. This year’s showcase also features a world premiere by Theater and Dance faculty member Annie Kloppenberg.

Performance Lab Series
May 2-4 at 7:30 p.m.
Cellar Theater
After a smashing inaugural performance last year, Theater and Dance is pleased to present round two of this innovative creative research laboratory. The PLS is a highly selective production slot designed especially for our Theater and Dance majors to create and produce their own work with guided feedback from a team of faculty mentors.