Nick Foti ’19 offers his selection of events and activities to do this weekend. Log in and check out the University Events Calendar for more things to do. The calendar features a variety of events at all campuses, including the River Campus, Eastman School, Memorial Art Gallery, and Medical Center.
#1: See the energy of student actors in rarely staged play
Octavia, presented by the International Theatre Program, runs Thursday through Saturday, December 7—9. The rarely staged play is attributed to the Roman philosopher, Seneca, and chronicles the dissolution of the marriage between Nero, the last emperor of Rome, and Octavia, his popular wife. “When they [attendees] hear it’s a Roman tragedy, they might yawn and decide to go to a movie, but this production is far from that. The [set] design is not fusty or old. The characters are of the age of the student actors, so we tap into this youthful energy,” says guest director Ken Rus Schmoll. All performances begin at 7 p.m. and take place in Todd Theater on the University’s River Campus. Tickets are $8 for University of Rochester students; $12 for alumni, faculty, staff, and for seniors (65+); and $15 for the general public. Tickets may be purchased online at www.rochester.edu/theater or by calling the box office at (585) 275-4088. Tickets may also be purchased up to an hour before each performance at the box office.
#2: Make Friday night a movie night
Join the University’s Cinema Group on Friday, December 8, for a night of cold war-style action with the film Atomic Blonde, reviewed by the website Rotten Tomatoes, as “a high-stakes, global action-thriller.” The story takes moviegoers back to the eve of the Berlin Wall collapse and features Academy Award–winning actress Charlize Theron as a spy sent out to take down an espionage ring. The film has received critical acclaim and is described as “top shelf” by the Atlantic and that “the way it detonates off the screen makes the film live up to its name. It’s atomic, and it’s a blast” writes Detroit News. The film screening is free and open to the public. Show times are at 7, 9:30, and midnight at Hoyt Hall Auditorium.
#3: Catch Rochester hoops contests
Rochester will host the women’s portion of the Mark’s Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout between basketball teams from St. John Fisher, Nazareth, RIT, and Rochester. Games will be played at the Louis Alexander Palestra at the Goergen Athletic Center on Thursday and Saturday evenings. The women’s team will play at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 7, against St. John Fisher, and again at 8 p.m. Saturday, December 9, against Nazareth. The inaugural Mark’s Pizzeria Crosstown Shootout was held last year at St. John Fisher College (women’s portion) and Nazareth College (men’s portion). Rochester won the team title in both tournaments. This year RIT is hosting the men’s portion with the same schedule (Thursday and Saturday at 6 and 8). Tickets are $5 for adults and $1 for students/seniors/veterans and on a cash-only basis with all ticket proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. Bring a new toy to the door for donation and admission will be free. Toys will be collected and donated to Mary’s Place, a refugee outreach center. Light refreshments will be available in the Palestra lobby for sale throughout the tournament.
#4: Take the kids to College Town for some holiday fun, shopping
Celebrate the holidays and get some shopping out of the way at “Deck the Town” at College Town on Saturday, December 9, from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be plenty of entertainment for families and kids. Visit with Santa at Barnes & Noble bookstore, and hear carolers sing. Enjoy the hot cocoa bar and a hot pretzel. Get on-board a horse-drawn wagon ride, play winter games, participate in a candy cane hunt, or keep warm by the fire pit. Various shops at the shopping center will also offer vendor specials. The event is free and open to the public.
#5: Hear music from Holst’s The Planets and Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem
The Eastman Philharmonia and the Eastman-Rochester Chorus will present a joint concert on Friday, December 8. Listen to the powerful 150-voice symphonic chorus coupled with the majestic sounds of Eastman’s orchestral repertoire. Led by conductors William Weinert, Ben Johns, and tenor Kameron Ghanavati, the program includes Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” from The Planets and the Vaughan Williams cantata Dona Nobis Pacem. The performance begins 8 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public.
