Student Spotlight Events Part of UGA Arts Festival Nov. 7-15

In addition to more than 60 previously scheduled events from Nov. 7-15, the 2013 Spotlight on the Arts festival at the University of Georgia will include a series of “Student Spotlight” events organized by students involved in the arts.

Student Spotlight events, which are free and open to the public, will take place across campus and include theatrical, dance, choral and folk performances, as well as poetry readings, flash mobs and a campus-wide, interactive game of Clue.

Kristyl Dawne, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in theater and film performance in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, coordinated the schedule of nearly 20 Student Spotlight events. Eva Berlin, who is pursuing undergraduate degrees in art history and Romance languages, is coordinating additional performances at Snelling Dining Commons by DJs from student radio station WUOG.

“The arts play a vital role in the personal and professional development of our students, and Kristyl and Eva have once again curated a remarkable series of student events that showcase the talent and creativity that exist on our campus,” said interim Provost Libby V. Morris.

Tift noted more than 1,700 people attended the student-organized events at last year’s festival, many of whom just happened upon them as they walked to or from class.

“I think that Student Spotlight is an excellent way to learn about what our students are doing,” Tift said. “Hopefully, the events will encourage people to patronize student productions and projects that occur at other times of the year, too.”

The Student Spotlight events complement the more than 60 events of the 2013 Spotlight on the Arts festival. Highlights include performances of “Pride and Prejudice,” a concert version of the opera “Carmen,” veteran actor Hal Holbrook presenting his one-man show “Mark Twain Tonight,” the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a reading by author Andrew Hudgins, a Lamar Dodd School of Art open house, special events at the Georgia Museum of Art, a film festival focused on the work of director Jim McKay, a book sale, and a Young Choreographers Series dance concert. Many events of the festival are free or discounted for students.

More information is available at www.arts.uga.edu, www.facebook.com/UGA_Arts and www.twitter.com/UGA_Arts. The schedule of Student Spotlight events is below.

Ongoing:
Interactive Clue Game
The game was developed by Caity Johnson, a graduate student studying dramatic media. Find the clues and solve the crime. This interactive version inspired by the popular board game Clue will have players traipsing across campus in search of the truth. This game requires an iPhone and an ARIS application. For more information, email Johnson at caity.b.johnson@gmail.com.

Thursday, November 7
Lady Parts
4 p.m., Tate Plaza
Lady Parts is UGA’s first all-female improv troupe. It is a non-audition, open rehearsal based troupe that focuses on growing through and learning about improv. The group focuses on positivity, supporting one another and working as a team to create a safe space in which to sharpen comedic skills. Students of all levels of experience are welcome to join rehearsals. Leaders include Clara Nibbelink, Spencer Tootle, Elizabeth Capers, Caroline Schmitt, Bridgette Duffield, Molly Pease, Cherith Fuller and Abby Holland. For information, contact Holland at Anh0821@uga.edu.

Friday, November 8
Black Theatrical Ensemble: “Evolution of African American Theatre”
11:30 a.m., Georgia Quad (between Miller Learning Center and Tate Student Center)
A performance headed by Jayln Fleming, an undergraduate student majoring in theater, in which performers will engage in scenes derived from African-American playwrights throughout history. The Black Theatrical Ensemble is headed by Melanie Wiggins, a middle grades education major. For more information on BTE, including their other performances, contact uga.bte@gmail.com.

Sunday, November 10
Crescendo Performance Ensemble
6 p.m., Balcony Theatre, Fine Arts Building
Crescendo is a new theatrical-choral group on campus whose purpose is to create a sense of self-expression, belonging and character, specifically through the performing arts. The ensemble’s goal is to provide a fun and challenging choir setting that goes beyond the vocal performance level by combining it with elements of dance and theatrt. For more information, contact Jennifer Latimore and Cantrell Stevens at crescendo.exec@yahoo.com.

Monday, November 11
Poetry Reading: Raven Gibson
1:30-2 p.m., Tate Breezeway
Gibson is a third-year cognitive science major and theater minor from Scottdale, Ga. She has been in performing arts schools throughout her entire educational career and has been a spoken word artist for a number of years—performing throughout the Atlanta area as well as at a national competition and convention. For more information, contact Gibson at ravenbgibson@gmail.com.

Skipperdees
3 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art courtyard
Twin sisters Emily and Catherine Backus hail from Oak Ridge, Tenn., and developed a robust musical career in their hometown before traveling south to Athens. Drawing influences from a variety of folk acts, the sisters have begun integrating themselves into the local music scene. Classical musicians by day, Emily (music education/percussion) and Catherine (music therapy/trumpet) bring energetic chemistry and a sense of humor to their live performance. For more information, see theskipperdees.com or email skipperdeemusic@gmail.com.

Crescendo Performance Ensemble
6 p.m., Location TBA
See Nov. 10 entry for details.

Athens Playwrights’ Workshop Short Play Readings
7 p.m., Room 201, Fine Arts Building
APW will present 10-minute play readings for the festival. APW meets twice a month in room 201 of the fine arts building and is based on the writer-centered model in which playwrights bring in a section of a current project, which is then read and discussed with other members. For more information, contact John Bray at JohnPatrickBray@yahoo.com.

The Graduate Acting Ensemble will provide their talents as readers for the 10-minute play readings. The GAE is an organization comprised of the graduate students in the MFA Performance program. The ensemble produces a show each semester that showcases the directing and acting talents of its members and, in some cases, other graduate theater students. This fall the ensemble will present “Gruesome Playground Injuries” by Rajiv Joseph. For information about GAE, contact jlreed84@uga.edu.

Tuesday, November 12
Student Impromptu Dance Performance
1-2 p.m. beginning in the Georgia Museum of Art courtyard and moving north through campus before concluding at Tate Plaza.

Crescendo Performance Ensemble
6 p.m., Location TBA
See Nov. 10 entry for details.

Wednesday, November 13
Poetry Reading: Raven Gibson
1:30-2 p.m., Tate Breezeway
See Nov. 11 entry for details.

Site-specific Dance
3 p.m., Georgia Museum of Art
Dance students from professor Rebecca Gose Enghauser’s contemporary dance II class will create a work using the unique spaces at the Georgia Museum of Art.

Skipperdees
3:30 p.m., Georgia Museum of Art courtyard
See Nov. 11 entry for details.

Thursday, November 14
Dance “Flash Performance”
3 and 3:15 p.m., Tate Plaza
Two flash performances by department of dance students.

Friday, November 15
Next Act
Time and location TBA
Next Act is UGA’s very own student-run musical theater group. Next Act is dedicated to giving UGA students of all ages and majors an opportunity to grow and perform. The group puts on cabarets, musicals and original student works with the goal of creating quality productions while maintaining a fun, supportive environment. Leaders include Abby Holland, a theater major and women’s studies minor, and Taylor Brooks, a theater and journalism major. For more information, contact Holland at anh0821@uga.edu and Brooks at taybro@uga.edu.

Saxophone Studio Flash Mob
1:25-2:15 p.m., East Campus
There will be live music in unexpected places and performers emerging from behind walls and staircases. For more information on the UGA Saxophone Studio from the Hodgson School of Music, contact professor Connie Frigo at conniefrigo@gmail.com.

Creole Storytelling Event
1:30-2 p.m., Miller Learning Center Rotunda
This event includes performances by students from assistant professor Emily Sahakian’s Latin American and Caribbean theater class. Storytelling, usually held in the evening, is how enslaved people could imagine freedom and resistance after long days of backbreaking work. These stories range from light and fun tales to dark morality stories. The audience is invited to participate as listeners to stories told by graduate theater students Stephanie Murphy, Aaron Klein and Kristyl Tift. For more information about storytelling, its history or the course, contact Sahakian at sahakian@uga.edu.

###

Note to editors: Images are available online. 

http://multimedia.uga.edu/media/images/Kristyl_Tift29484-007.jpg
Cutline: Kristyl Dawn Tift, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in theater and film performance in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, coordinated the schedule of nearly 20 Student Spotlight events. (Credit: Kent Hannon/UGA) 

http://multimedia.uga.edu/media/images/Skipperdees.jpg
Cutline: Skipperdees, twin sisters Emily and Catherine Backus, draw on influences from a variety of folk acts and will perform several Student Spotlight sets. (Credit: Kent Hannon/UGA) 

http://multimedia.uga.edu/media/images/Black_Theatrical_Ensemble.jpg
Cutline: The Black Theatrical Ensemble will perform “Evolution of African American Theatre,” in which they engage in scenes derived from African-American playwrights throughout history. (Credit: Kent Hannon/UGA) 

http://multimedia.uga.edu/media/images/UGASpotlight-on-the-Arts_2013.jpg
The 2013 Spotlight on the Arts festival at UGA will be held Nov. 7-15 and includes more than 60 events in the visual, performing and literary arts. For more information, see arts.uga.edu.