University of Rochester students, faculty, and staff will come together on Friday, Feb. 15, and Saturday, Feb 16, to celebrate the Day of the Arts. The two-day series of events combines dance, music, theatre, art, and culture to bring awareness to the many artistic disciplines housed across the University.
"People don't always realize how much is going on here," said Nigel Maister, artistic director for the University's International Theatre Program and one of the event's organizers. "Our goal with this event is to provide a 24-hour window that highlights the various offerings that take place here on a regular basis and bring people together from different campuses as well as the Rochester community."
l-r: Shaquill McCullers and W. Spencer Klubben in 'The Rochester Plays.' Photo by J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester.
Events for Day of the Arts include dance workshops during the inspireDance festival, which range from salsa to hip-hop, a drawing event and closing party featuring music by WRUR, the University's radio station, and a variety of concerts and musical recitals. Also taking place during the weekend is the premiere of The Rochester Plays, written by local playwright Spencer Christiano and performed by the University's International Theatre Program. Student performances include a reading of a new original play by Sarah Young '13, "guerilla theatre" by undergraduate theatre company The Opposite of People (TOOP), and a performance by improv comedy troop In Between the Lines.
Photo courtesy of Sound ExChange Orchestra.
The celebration is a collaboration among the Eastman School of Music, the Division of Medical Humanities and Bioethics at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Open Letter Books, the Memorial Art Gallery, and several College of Arts and Sciences humanities departments. All events are open to the Rochester community and include a mix of free and ticketed performances. For a complete schedule of events, visit: http://www.rochester.edu/arts/.