Tag Archives: University of Maryland

Henson Awards Showcase at Clarice Smith, Apr 23, Online

Henson Awards Showcase at Clarice Smith, Apr 23, Online

Henson Awards Showcase
Friday, April 23, 2021 . 7:30PM EDT

Venue: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Online

The talented student recipients of the Jim Henson Fund for Puppetry will perform/present their funded projects.

The School of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies hosts an annual competition and recipients are awarded funds to create a puppet project or performance. The Jim Henson Fund for Puppetry was established by Jane Henson ’55 to honor the memory of Jim Henson ’60, creator of the world famous Muppets.

Aqua and water walk into a bar by Christina Robson
Aqua and water walk into a bar, a collaboration between Christina Robson and Shane Rutkowski, uses found objects to animate an unforgettable journey made by a group of chemicals. Washers, nuts and bolts transform into charismatic representations of chemical structures, and thimbles become a gaggle of bachelorette party attendees. This short film blends choreography, comedy, puppetry and chemistry to bring everyday objects to life.

Exousia by Bill Kassay
Exousia is Greek for “authority” or “power.” In the piece, the protagonist is a rich and powerful creature with overstuffed pockets and a greedy nature. He uses his resources to inflict pain and suffering on innocents with the hope of gaining “prizes.” This is indicative of a civilian-operated military complex whose sole purpose is the accumulation of more wealth. There are far too many conflicts in the world that are being fought under this context. To soften the story, this piece uses a “whack-a-mole” machine to narrate—but the metaphor is the same.

Untitled by Tristan Koepke
In response to isolation and lack of face-to-face collaborators during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tristan Koepke sets out to create a new dance partner: a robot named Armando. What arises is a sly and humorous investigation of the possibilities and limits of puppetry and robotic technologies to replace missing human connection.

Channing Tucker (description coming soon)

Tickets: Free; Tickets Required. Click here.

Preview: Far From the Norm at Clarice Smith, Apr 20, Online

Preview: Far From the Norm at Clarice Smith, Apr 20, Online

Artist Talk & 2021-22 Season Preview:
Far From The Norm
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 . 5:30PM

Venue: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Online

Award winning choreographer and Far From The Norm artistic director Botis Seva discusses the relevance and importance of his Olivier award-winning production BLKDOG. This hip-hop dance theatre work will be presented at The Clarice in the 2021-22 season and delves into cultural coping mechanisms that marginalized young Black British people adopt when responding to social injustice. Guided with intimate insights from the cast and creative team that nurtured BLKDOG from its inception, this preview will also feature excerpts from the work and from the digital series it inspired–Let Sleeping Dogs Lie.

Tickets: Free; No Tickets Required. Click here.

Preview: Living Earth Show at Clarice Smith, Apr 13, Online

Preview: Living Earth Show at Clarice Smith, Apr 13, Online

Artist Talk & 2021-22 Season Preview:
Living Earth Show,
Sarah Hennies & Terry Berlier

Tuesday, April 13, 2021 . 5:30PM

Venue: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Online

Throughout the Spring 2021 semester, visiting artists Andy Meyerson and Travis Andrews of Living Earth Show, composer Sarah Hennies and sculptor Terry Berlier will work with University of Maryland students to create sound and sculptural elements to be integrated into The Clarice’s commission for 2021-22 A Kind of Ache. Preview this open-source artmaking collaboration and learn more about their special creative process that weaves music, sculpture and LGBTQ+ issues into one artistic experience.

Tickets: Free; No Tickets Required. Click here.

Revelations by Black Women in the Arts–Theater at Clarice Smith, Mar 29, Online

Revelations by Black Women in the Arts–Theater at Clarice Smith, Mar 29, Online

Arts Citizenship Talk (ACTnow):
Revelations by Black Women in the Arts–Theater

Monday, March 29, 2021 . 5:30PM to 06:30PM

Venue: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Online

Ronya-Lee Anderson M.F.A. dance ‘20 • Regional Dancer, Choreographer & Scholar
Ageyiwaa Asante ’18 • Playwright
Caroline Clay M.F.A. performance ’13 • Professional Actor, Dialect Coach & Teacher
Paige Hernandez ’02 • Multidisciplinary Artist, Director & Playwright

From themes of racial violence and cultural appropriation to multiculturalism and gender equality, the work of The Clarice’s 2020-21 artists is complex, provocative and deeply sensitive. Arts Citizenship Talks (ACTnow) are opportunities to hear from these artists about the issues reflected in their works. These conversations are an invitation to act now!

Revelations by Black Women in the Arts is a series of powerful conversations by Black woman scholars, performers, educators and leaders delves into the essence of being a Black female artist in a society ill-equipped to receive and make room for them. Whether they move along the margins or at the center of their fields, these extraordinary women will share their artistry, scholarship, vision and creativity throughout Spring 2021. These conversations will be centered around their highs and lows, victories and losses, and will be moderated by dancer, choreographer and scholar Ronya-Lee Anderson M.F.A. dance ‘20 and current Ph.D. candidate in the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies.

Tickets: Free; No Tickets Required. Click here.

Joe’s Movement Emporium presents The Gift, Mar 19, Online

Joe’s Movement Emporium and Clarice Smith presents The Gift, Mar 19, Online

NextLOOK featuring:
Rachel Grossman & Tosin Olufolabi:
The Gift

March 19, 2021 . 7PM

By: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Click here.

The Gift is an immersive, interactive performance that invites the audience to transition from self-reflection to action and advocacy over the course of the event. Sometime in the U.S.’s future, when most illnesses have been cured, two doctors host the first clinical trial for the societally destructive infectious agent Preston-Weche-Rhys – the source of white supremacy culture – with the audience cast as the subjects.

This event is part of NextLOOK. In partnership with Joe’s Movement Emporium, NextLOOK supports the development of new music, plays, dance and other experiences by regionally-based performing artists. These artists are mentored by seasoned arts administrators from The Clarice and Joe’s Movement Emporium to construct innovative methods of deepening the audience’s involvement in their creative process. By removing logistical barriers of cost and space and providing a sounding board for artists creating new work, NextLOOK invests in the regional arts ecology and creates an accessible, exploratory environment that connects intriguing artists with adventurous audiences.

Pay What You Wish, Online here.