Theater & Dance
December 8, 9, 10, 2011, 8 p.m.
Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone?
by Terrence McNally
Presented as a series of skits, Terrence McNally’s biting, hilarious, touching, and totally original play captures the essence of the ’60s “now-generation” through the life and attitude of one Tommy Flowers. This irrepressible cut-up, determined freeloader, and disenchanted rebel-against-society has a bright red shopping bag at the ready for pilfering and an agile wit poised to hoodwink everyone in sight.
February 9, 10, 11, 2012, 8 p.m.
why i had to dance: a Choreopoem Premiere
written by Ntozake Shange
choreographed and directed by Dianne McIntyre
Poet, novelist, and playwright Ntozake Shange’s “why i had to dance” propels the audience into the world of dance through the poet’s experiences. Shange describes it as “The story of black dance herself… the connectedness of black dance from one generation to another generation and from one region to another region, moving all around the dance world from my childhood on.” Experience the world premiere of this animated journey of dance through time, over generations and across geography brought to life on stage. “why i had to dance” is written by Shange and choreographed and directed by Dianne McIntyre.
April 19, 20, 21, 2012, 8 p.m.
The Compromise: 1895
by Gabriel M. Emeka
During the decades following the Civil War, teachers and administrators of black schools in the South faced one of the most profound educational challenges in the history of the United States. The Compromise: 1895, a new play by Gabriel Emeka, explores the emergence of a prominent black college and its dynamic founder whose words and works come to capture the attention of the entire nation. What begins as an ordinary school term in 1895 Alabama proves to be a year of extraordinary opportunities—but for whom? To what end? And at what cost?
May 11 & 12, 2012, 8 p.m.
Two revivals and a premiere
Oberlin Dance Company & The Contemporary Music Ensemble
The Oberlin Dance Company and the Contemporary Music Ensemble (CME) unite for two performances of revivals and a premiere showcasing six of Oberlin’s faculty composers. Reich’s Eight Lines requires the orchestra to break with tradition and move about the stage as they perform on their instruments. Honey on My Lips, featuring Cleveland Arts Prize winner and Visiting Professor of Percussion Jamey Haddad, is choreographed for 12 dancers and is set to music by four African composers. The premiere consists of six captivating scores—each by an Oberlin faculty composer—on a 1959 home recording of Carter McAdams’s father playing popular songs on stride piano. This special collaboration between two of Oberlin’s highly regarded departments will be a treat not to be missed!
The inaugural Rubin Institute for Music Criticism takes place at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, January 18-22, 2012. It will bring together leading music critics, renowned musicians, and aspiring young writers for an intensive week of performances, criticism, and discussion. Steven Rubin, president and publisher of Henry Holt & Co., has generously supported this new institute.