Today@Sam Article

A New Season Of Performances Debut At SHSU

Sept. 8, 2021
SHSU Media Contact: Emily Binetti

SHSU theatre students in "Jump"

Sam Houston State University College of Arts & Media offers a lineup of exceptional on-stage talent as students prepare for debut performances of the fall semester. Tickets for upcoming events are available on the Box Office website for $12 in advance and $15 on the day of the event. SHSU students, faculty, and staff receive one free ticket with a current SHSU ID.

The Directors’ Debut Series, featuring two different plays from the Department of Theatre and Musical Theatre, is a barebones approach to performance. Students hone their directing skills by telling the story, as described by the playwright, through analysis and character creation with actors. Though minimally supported in technical theatre and design, the productions are imaginative and powerful.

“This series allows our students the opportunity to synthesize the classroom with their personal aesthetic and artistry—tackling plays about the complications of life and love with mature and emotional honesty,” said Aaron Brown, student director, faculty advisor and associate professor.

SHSU theatre students in "All in the Timing"Jump   Sept. 21, 23, 25

Directed by senior musical theatre major, Dinah Ndu, Jump shares a poetic work about a young woman whose life and family are in transition while the waters beneath the surface of their lives are turbulent. Relationships shift as family members express their private and often intense thoughts.

All in the Timing   Sept. 22, 24, 25

Directed by senior theatre major, Michael J. Bowman, All in the Timing is a collection of comedic one-act plays created and conceived throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. Each of the works suggests that communication is largely a comedy of errors, and language is a chief tool.

SHSU dance students performingWE_TOGETHER   Sept. 23, 24

Envisioned and brought to life by the Department of Dance’s student organization Masters of Dance (MOD), WE_TOGETHER showcases a variety of works and styles. With performances on two consecutive nights, audiences can attend both performances to experience the full range of what WE_TOGETHER has to offer, as each production is completely unique, highlighting different choreographers and their work.

With a focus on “messiness,” a prompt given by Princess Grace Award winner and MOD’s faculty choreographer Joshua Manculich, WE_TOGETHER peeks into working with a mess. Sixteen diverse choreographers interpret messiness with approaches to solving it – or not solving it.

President of MOD, Maddie Klumb, focuses on creating through the dancers’ perspectives and how that might pave a pathway to exploring in their own personal and professional journeys.

Fancy a good joke? One piece, “Two Novices Walk into a Single’s Bar,” choreographed by returning professional Lauren Serrano, grapples with the primal instincts of attraction through gestures.

Choreographer Jacob Regan’s work investigates the generation of raw material, its composition, and a final product that is not limited to a concept.

Finally, Jam Martinez, in collaboration with lighting designer Neal Petz, presents a work that explores masculine energy via the sacred element of water, with co-choreographer Evan Warner.

“We have a special surprise in store,” Martinez said.

Choreographers for Thursday, Sept. 23 include Sarah Vickery, Maddie Klumb, Erin Ellis, Evan Warner, Tyler Orcutt, Jacob Regan, Krysta Lee Quiambao, Nicole Sublet and Jeremy Zihao Yuan. Choreographers for Friday, Sept. 24 include Jam Martinez, Lauren C. Smith, Lilly Thurman, Natasha Wakim, Stephanie Valle Cruz, Travis Lake, Lauren Serrano and Jacob Regan.

The above lists are subject to change.

The School of Music also has performances lined up in coming weeks, including the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble Concert on Sept. 23, the Festival of Strings: Celebrating the Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 8 and the SHSU Chorale Fall Concert on Oct. 11. Events take place at 7:30 pm in the Payne Concert Hall in the Gaertner Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available on the Box Office website. 

The Department of Art offers events throughout the year that are free and require no ticket reservation, including several current exhibits on view or coming soon.

Digital Sculpture Exhibition
Sept. 2 -18, Satellite Gallery (reception Sept. 16)

Places: Maria Cristina Jadick, Phillip Pyle II, Giovanni Valderas
Sept. 7 - Oct. 9, University Gallery (reception Sept. 9)

Senior Preview Exhibition
Sept. 23 - Oct. 2, Satellite Gallery (reception Sept. 23)

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