Northwestern University Announces Theatre and Dance Calendar for February

A drama about an American bomber pilot stranded in a war-torn country and a rock musical based on The Who's iconic concept album "Tommy" (1969) will be presented in February by the Theatre and Interpretation Center (TIC) at Northwestern University. Both stage productions are part of the inaugural Masters-in-the-Making series, which showcases the talents of third-year master of fine arts (MFA) students.

Northwestern MFA student Brant Russell will direct David Greig's play "American Pilot" (Jan. 29 to Feb. 7) and MFA student Geoff Button will direct "The Who's Tommy" (Feb. 18 to March 7). A third production in the series, "The Handmaid's Tale," adapted and directed by MFA student Catherine Miller Hardy, will be staged March 5 to 14.

February also will feature a department of performance studies presentation of the autobiographical one-woman show "Womb-Words, Thirsting," conceived and performed by Haitian-American artist and activist Lenelle Moise (Feb. 19 and 20).

In a special event (Feb. 18), sponsored by the Dance Program, Wendy Perron, editor-in-chief of Dance Magazine, will discuss dance journalism and topics pertaining to dance and writing.

All events are open to the public and will take place on Northwestern's Evanston campus. Ticket information for each event follows each performance listing.

Tickets for 2009-10 season productions are currently on sale at the TIC Box Office at (847) 491-7282 or online at www.tic.northwestern.edu.

FEBRUARY 2010 THEATRE EVENTS

Masters-in-the-Making series, "The American Pilot" by David Greig, 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29; 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30; 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31; 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4; 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5; 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, Ethel M. Barber Theater, 30 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston campus. After crashing in the foreign hills of a war-torn country, an injured American bomber pilot finds shelter in a farmer's barn. Unable to speak the local language, he is left with only the music on his iPod to communicate. His fate -- ransom, death or freedom -- will be determined by the conflicting agendas of The Farmer, his family and the local militia. Directed by Brant Russell, a third-year directing program master of fine arts (MFA) student, Greig's fable illuminates how a simple connection between two people could be the key to survival and how these connections often are lost by an inability to rise above circumstances. Tickets are $15 for the general public; $12 for seniors 65 and older, Northwestern faculty and staff and area educators and administrators; and $10 for full-time students. Single tickets may be purchased through the TIC Box Office at (847) 491-7282 or online at www.tic.northwestern.edu.

Masters-in-the-Making series, "The Who's Tommy," 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18; 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19; 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20; 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21; 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25; 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26; 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27; 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28; 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 3; 8 p.m. Thursday, March 4; 2 p.m. Saturday, March 6; and 8 p.m. Sunday, March 7, Josephine Louis Theater, 20 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston campus. Based on "Tommy," the iconic 1969 record album by The Who that is considered the first rock opera and was composed by legendary guitarist Pete Townshend, "The Who's Tommy" chronicles the story of a young man whose life is forever altered by an act of violence. With a rock-concert staging, third-year directing program master of fine arts (MFA) student Geoff Button brings the story of "Tommy" to light in a new, electrifying way. Ticket prices are $15 for the general public; $12 for seniors 65 and older, Northwestern faculty and staff and area educators and administrators; and $10 for full-time students. Single tickets may be purchased through the TIC Box Office at (847) 491-7282 or online at www.tic.northwestern.edu.

Performance Studies, "Womb-Words, Thirsting" by Lenelle Moise, 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, Annie May Swift Hall, Alvina Krause Studio, 1920 Campus Drive, Evanston campus. Mixing a brew full of voodoo jazz, queer theory hip-hop, spoken word, song and movement, "Womb-Words, Thirsting" is an interactive performance of storytelling delivered, slam-style, from the gut. Conceived and performed by Lenelle Moise, a Haitian-American artist and activist, the 90-minute autobiographical one-woman show will be performed without intermission. Moise re-conceives memory, dances revolution, reclaims F-words and boldly speaks out about growing up as immigrant, working-class, politicized and "queered." It is an empowering and entertaining evening of theatre for social change. Free of charge, it is presented with support from a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

FEBRUARY 2010 DANCE EVENT

Lecture, "What Is Dance Journalism?" noon, Thursday, Feb. 18, Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center Ballroom, 10 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston campus. Wendy Perron, editor-in-chief of Dance Magazine, has had a 30-year career as a dancer, choreographer, teacher and writer. She directed her own company for nearly 15 years and taught modern dance technique, composition, improvisation, criticism and dance history at Princeton University, New York University and other schools. She has written for The New York Times, Village Voice and Editors Only, and has developed a course in dance writing at Dance Theater Workshop in New York. Perron currently is artistic adviser to the Fall for Dance Festival in New York. Sponsored by the Dance Program, Perron's lecture will address topics of interest in dance and journalism. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the University's Dance Program at (847) 491-3147, visit www.dance.northwestern.edu or e-mail nu-dance@northwestern.edu.

 

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