Hello and Happy November! Check out what we’ve got coming up this month.
First up, don’t miss out on Lawrence Ballet Company’s Madeline running for one weekend only, November 3rd and 4th. This classical ballet, inspired by the beloved children’s books by Ludwig Bemelmans, tells the story of young Madeline, her boarding school classmates, and their many adventures. With beautiful choreography by Cynthia Crews and Lawrence Ballet Theatre dancers, this performance is for children of all ages.
We are continuing our Story Slam series on Friday, November 9th with the theme: Journey. Live music begins at 7 pm and the slam starts at 7:30 pm. Never the same story, or evening, twice.
Be sure to get your tickets soon for the Rethink: I Am a Veteran running November 9th – 11th. This performance and storytelling project centers on the lives of women veterans, their families, and friends. This project, which is designed and led by women artists, focuses on veterans who are women, sharing their first-person experiences and delving into topics such as the challenges of toxic masculinity, abuse, military glass ceilings, family life, sexuality, camaraderie, and empowerment while serving their country with honor.
Also, project-based artist in residence Danielle Wyckoff will be working in the John Talleur Printmaking Studio. Join her to learn about responsive methods of screenprinting and to help produce the scenic design of Rethink: I Am A Veteran, an original theatrical production, along with a corresponding installation for the main lobby. All are invited to enroll in her workshop, Free-form Screenprinting Workshop on November 3rd.
Finally, we wrap up November with *dwb* (driving while black) on November 17th at 7:30 pm. This is a world premiere production of a one-act operatic work for soprano, cello, and percussion performed by KU faculty members Roberta Gumbel, Hannah Collins, and Michael Compitello. Librettist/Soprano Roberta Gumbel writes, “Singers are storytellers, but rarely do we get the chance to help create the story we are telling.”In 2016, her African-American son turned 16. Her little boy would be *dwb* in a country where this has become a potentially lethal condition. In a collaboration that grew out of conversations with composer Susan Kander, Gumbel’s experience, like that of millions of women (and men), is the subject of this short, gripping one-woman opera.