Author Archives: twebb1

MARIE ANTOINETTE by David Adjmi (11/9 -11/12)

Poster by Doug Goudy

Poster by Doug Goudy

Please join us for David Adjmi’s Marie Antoinette

November 9th at 8 pm,
November 10th at 2 pm and 8 pm,
and November 11th at 2 pm
Pearson-Hall Theater,
Lang Performing Arts Center,
Swarthmore College
Marie Antoinette is a revolt!!!
In this “contemporary take on the young queen of France, Marie is a confection created by a society that values extravagance and artifice. But France’s love affair with the royals sours as revolution brews, and for Marie, the political suddenly becomes very personal.” (Samuel French). An ever-timely exposure of passion, privilege, and pathos upon a platform of French commedia-inspired pastiche, David Adjmi’s Marie Antoinette is equal parts revolt and rebirth. Playwright David Adjmi was called “virtuosic” by the New York Times and was listed as one of the Top Ten in Culture for 2011 by The New Yorker magazine. His play Marie Antoinette received a critically acclaimed world premiere co-production with A.R.T. and Yale Rep. The play won 3 Connecticut Critics Circle Awards including Best Play.
Director Jill Harrison, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theater, is a freelance director, producer, and founder and Executive Director of Directors Gathering, a start-up non-profit that develops and elevates Philadelphia theater directors. Jill was recently visiting faculty at Villanova University, where she taught graduate directing and undergraduate acting, and directed Anne Washburn’s Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play.
Production Team: Laila Swanson (Costume Design), Matt Saunders (Scenic Design), James Murphy (Lighting Design), Damien Figueras (Sound Design), Randi Hickey (Stage Manager), Brett Cassidy (Fight Choreographer), Scott Cassidy (Production Manager/Technical Director), Michael Lambui (Production Intern).
This event is free and open to the public without advance reservations. For further information, contact Jean Tierno at jtierno1@swarthmore.edu or (610) 328-8149.

Feeling in the dark? Take Lighting Design!

If you look around, lighting adds impact to our visual world in movies, television architecture, interior design, special events, and so much more! This class is intended to demystify light as a powerful medium in design and familiarize students with design fundamentals. The course objective introduces lighting concepts with a focus on lighting for theater and dance, but the skills are applicable to many areas and other majors. This hands-on class guides you artistically through the design process from start to finish. The course is designed to serve all students regardless of prior experience in theater production.
Fulfills a general requirement for all theater majors and minors.
Humanities. Register for THEA 004B.

Class meets Mondays 1PM – 3:45PM LPAC 310 Discussion followed by hands-on lab from 4:15PM -6:15PM with James Murphy, Managing Director of the LPAC.
1 credit.
Catalog chapter: Theater
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/department-theater

Contact Jean Tierno (jtierno1@swarthmore.edu) or Jim Murphy (jmurphy2@swarthmore.edu) for more info!

Fashion! Costume! Sewing!

Interested in taking a hands-on class to get your creativity flowing? Did you know Swarthmore has a costume design class offered by the Department of Theater???! This course focuses on introducing methods that apply to designing costumes for stage, but the skills will serve you in many other areas. Past students have combined this class with other majors in engineering, sociology, art, architecture and more to create unique learning projects for themselves! You will learn basic sketching for costume and learn how to sew! The course serves all students regardless of prior experience in theater production. No prerequisites!
Fulfills a general requirement for all theater majors and minors.

Class meets Tuesdays/Thursdays at 1:15PM. Thursday classes are hands on labs that will walk you through several steps of working on costume projects from start to finish. Class meets in LPAC 310 and the Costume shop.

Humanities. THEA 004C.
1 credit.
Catalog chapter: Theater
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/department-theater
Contact Jean Tierno (jtierno1@swarthmore.edu) or Laila Swanson (lswanso1@swarthmore.edu) for more information!

PERCEPTICON, a collaboration (10/26-10/28/18)

This fall, look out for Theater’s Laila Swanson and Film & Media Studies’ Sunka Simons for ‘PERCEPTICON’.
PERCEPTICON will be a three room installation featuring audio-visual installations that engage the participants in habits of perception relating to the human senses and how information is received. Each room will focus on flipping the script on stereotypical sensory reception in an attempt to raise awareness about unconscious, biased viewing and listening.
You can weigh in on this exhibit, participate for class credit, or just help out by staffing the exhibit ($9.25/hr in 4 hour shifts)!An info and brainstorming session will take place as follows:

PERCEPTICON BRAINSTORMING SESSION
Thursday September 6
4:30PM
KOHLBERG 318

Please join us for light refreshments if you ware interested or have questions about involvement!
Email Laila at lswanso1@swarthmore.edu for further information about this exciting collaboration.

Ty Defoe: Hoops of Life (4/24 @ 4:30PM)

Ty_DefoeHOOP OF LIFE with Ty Defoe/ Gi izhig (Oneida/Ojibwe Nations)

This event will include interactive tribal songs and flute, hoop, and eagle dances. This unique program explores stories within a framework of traditional and contemporary culture, history, and values. Ty draws on his vast repertoire gifted to him weaves urban anecdotes and teachings that can be applied to ideas of shape-shifting and how this relates to identity. Walking in multiple worlds on earth is what Ty carries as he  weaves stories and humanity together. Storytelling is often discovered with a presenting a message. For example the Sacred Hoop Dance is a metaphor that gives a message of people creating unity. The four colors of the hoops are symbols of interdependence and unity – the four human races, the four seasons, the four directions of the compass. As the Hoops move they speak of renewed creation of all of the universe.

https://swatcentral.swarthmore.edu/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D288012818 

THE END, A Queer Reckoning (Acting Capstone 4/27 + 4/28)


the end posterTHE APOCALYPSE IS NIGH.  

And by “the apocalypse,” we’re actually referring to the metaphorical end of the world as we know it: graduation.  Join the complex and multi-dmensional non-binary Korean-American with remarkable charm and theatrical ability, Wesley Han, (and a straight white guy) on a queer cabaret extravaganza as they wallow in their existential dread and ponder what it means to be spat out by a cheerfully hypocritical institution – like Swat – into a world that is cold, brutal, harsh, unforgiving, merciless, hostile, uncaring, volatile, inhospitable, untamable, and wow – really just couldn’t give less of a sh*t about you.  Expect food and drink, fabulous outfits, and the most f*cking eclectic mixtape of songs you’ve ever heard.

Friday, April 27th and Saturday, April 28th at 8PM and 10:30PM
PACES Cafe in Tarble in Clothier

The End: A Queer Reckoning

a cabaret by Wesley Han and Oliver Lipton
Directed by John Jarboe
Music directed by Pax Ressler

​Lights by Yoshi Nomifura ’18
Costumes by Max Brown
Set by Michael Lambui
presented by the Department of Theater

Seating is limited. First come, first served. More info: lpacevents@swarthmore.edu or 610-328 8260

Drama Board brings consent workshop to the Matchbox Studio

Cristen Kennedy (http://www.cristenkennedy.com/about-cristen.html) comes to Swarthmore to lead a workshop about consent, boundaries, and intimacy in Theater and performing arts. Drama Board and the Department of Theater are thrilled to host this workshop about this very important and relevant topic. Come and learn how to be a better theater artist by cultivating a respectful and safe collaborative artistic environment. All are welcome.

The workshop will take place Sunday, February 11, 2018 from 1:00 – 3:00. in the Matchbox Kuharski Studio room (lower level on the other side of the weight room, entrance is next to the pool).

Follow the facebook event to stay up to date: https://www.facebook.com/events/953765268122404/

Upcoming Events Spring 2018

The Tempest (by Drama Board): Join our Theaters majors in an amazing student-led production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest!

3/30 @ 8:00 PM, LPAC Frear Ensemble Theater

3/31 @ 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM, LPAC Frear Ensemble Theater

4/1 @ 2:00 PM, LPAC Frear Ensemble Theater

Theater: John Jarboe’s Cabaret: Come join us in watching an Acting Capstone production of John Jarboe’s Cabaret!

4/27 @ 8:00 PM, LPAC Frear Ensemble Theater

4/28 @ 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM, LPAC Frear Ensemble Theater

4/29 @ 2:00 PM, LPAC Frear Ensemble Theater

 

ALSO: The Spring 2018 Dance Concert

5/4 @ 4:30PM, LPAC Pearson-Hall Theater

5/5 @ 8:00 PM, LPAC Pearson-Hall Theater