e-mail this page
Printer Friendly Version

Fall arts renew culture on campus

The cast of Sacramento State’s first theatre production 1956,"The Crucible", is pictured above. The play will make its appearance again on stage this fall to kick off the Department of Theatre and Dance’s 50th anniversary.

The fall arts season at Sacramento State runs the gamut with a variety of performances, exhibits, and lectures, many of them free. Events include a visit by Oliver Stone, director of World Trade Center and other renowned films, an exhibit of contemporary artist Robert Therrien’s fascinating work, the 50th anniversary of the University’s Theatre and Dance Department, musicians from across the globe, and comedy offerings to lighten the mood.

The University Library Gallery kicks off the fall semester with the Broad Foundation’s exhibit of the works of Robert Therrien from Sept. 5 through Nov. 11, with a reception on Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. Therrien is primarily a sculptor but works in many mediums. The two- and three-dimensional pieces he will display in the Gallery are inspired by ordinary objects found in everyday life and transformed into compelling works of art, such as a pile of plates, precariously stacked, that stands more than six feet tall. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

“Images of Macedonia: From Antiquity to the Present,” will be presented in the University Library Gallery Annex, running from Sept. 5 to Oct. 6. The exhibit, hosted by the Hellenic Studies Program at Sacramento State, will showcase Macedonian folk costumes and how they highlight the diversity of the Macedonia region of Greece in both historical and cultural contexts.

Other University galleries offer a number of exhibits as well. “C’est la vie!,” paintings by Kari Breese and Amber Dias, will be shown at the Raymond Witt Gallery in Kadema Hall on Oct. 2 to 6, with a reception on Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. The Robert Else Gallery, also in Kadema Hall, will host “Circumlocutio,” a showing of graphite and pinpricks works on paper by artists Eileen Macdonald and Barb Bondy, from Oct. 2 to 27.

The Crucible, Arthur Miller’s notable play about the societal effects of intolerance and hysteria, will kick off the Department of Theatre and Dance’s 50th anniversary. Directed by Gina Kaufmann, the play is a revival of the first play ever performed at the University Theatre. The performance will run from Oct. 13 to 29 in the Theatre. Sacramento Black Art of Dance, Sacramento State’s modern dance company carrying on the tradition of Black concert dance, will open its show under the direction of Linda Goodrich on Oct. 19 and run through Oct. 29.

Theatre Department offerings continue with Joe Turner’s Come & Gone, written by August Wilson and directed by Melinda Wilson. The play examines African Americans’ search for their cultural identity following the repression of American slavery.

The production runs from Nov. 3 to 19. The Faculty Dance Concert will conclude the Theatre and Dance’s fall offerings. Directed by Lorelei Bayne, the performance runs from Dec. 7 to 17 in the University Theatre.

The University continues in its tradition of hosting world music performances this fall, beginning with Japanese dance and music with Sakura Minyo Douko Kai and Davis Wakamatsu Taiko Dan on Oct. 6. North Indian sounds include vocalist Shruti Sadolikar, who will perform on Oct. 14, and guitarist Debashish Bhattachraya on Oct. 29.

South Indian classical music ensemble Vadhya Vrinda will perform on Oct. 22. The ensemble Chirgilchin will showcase the unique art of Tuvan throat singing on Nov. 19. Also featured is Danish Folk Music ensemble Instikt, performing on Nov. 28.

The Festival of New American Music, one of the most enduring contemporary American music festivals in the country, will return to the University for its 29th year beginning Nov. 2 with an opening gala performance with Frederic Rzewski, composer, Elian Lust, piano, Melody of China, and percussionist Michael Lipsey. The Festival continues until Nov. 12 with performances including the Liberace Woodwind Quintet, Empyream Ensemble, Free Planet Radio, Melody of China and the Del Sol String Quartet. Other featured performers include Chamber Music Alive! with guest pianist Lino Rivera, Todd Reynolds violin with electronics, as well as Sacramento State’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Percussion Group, Festival and Jazz Ensembles.

Fall will also bring a variety of distinguished guests and topical issues to the campus. Dr. Helen Caldicott, a Nobel Peace Prize-nominated environmental and anti-nuclear activist, will give a free lecture and book signing on Oct. 12 in Serna Plaza. The campus will also welcome film director Oliver Stone on Nov. 8 in the University Union. Multiple free screenings of An Inconvenient Truth, the Al Gore documentary about global warming, will be held in the University Union Ballroom on Sept. 21. Panel discussions will follow two of the screenings.

On a lighter note, Bobby Lee of Mad TV will provide a free outdoor comedy show on Sept. 14 in the Serna Plaza. The laughs continue with the San Francisco International Standup Comedy Competition on Sept. 28, featuring 10 competing professional comedians and a comedy emcee. Tickets are $10 general, $7 Sacramento State students.

A complete schedule of events is available at www.csus.edu/news. Tickets are available from the Sacramento State Ticket Office at 278-4323 or from Tickets.com.