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Shakespeare, Spectacle, and Symphonic Music Kick Off Season at the Redfern

A scene from Romeo and Juliet
A scene from Romeo and Juliet

Keene State College’s Redfern Arts Center opens a spectacular 2015–16 season of wide-ranging performances such as Symphony NH celebrating the works of Gershwin, Copland and Bernstein; a multi-media spectacle in three acts, created by choreographer Yanira Castro and influenced by imperial ballets in the courts of Louis XIV; and Aquila Theatre Company’s production of Shakespeare’s renowned tragic love story Romeo and Juliet.

Tickets for the new season go on sale Monday, August 3, at the Redfern Box Office, and can be purchased by phone, 603-358-2168, or online. If you have not received a season brochure in the mail, it is available to download off the Redfern website. Take a look at the Redfern’s brand new website, which went live this spring!

The Redfern’s new season, which runs from September 2015 to March 2016, brings a variety of dynamic events that are at turns appealing, provocative, and sometimes downright hilarious. Highlights include comic book adventures brought to life on the big screen with live actors in The Intergalactic Nemesis; Obie Award-winning stage and film star Roger Guenveur Smith (American Gangster, Malcolm X, Do the Right Thing) offers a powerful and riveting portrait of an icon of American history in his rhythm-driven performance of Rodney King; and award-winning American Modern Ensemble makes their Keene debut celebrating New Hampshire composers.

“This season reflects the increasingly collaborative, interdisciplinary nature of our times, with many projects bringing together theatrical, visual, music and media artists,” said Redfern Director Shannon Mayers. “Our mission is to invite a variety of multifaceted artists to the Redfern stages to encourage points of intersection and connection with our audiences. The joy of the arts is that they can flourish across diverse styles, disciplines and spaces. Live performance today is vibrant, funny, cutting edge, filled with discovery and meaning. We are thrilled to introduce these remarkable artists in our season to our patrons and to share the excitement of live performing arts with new audiences.”

Active engagement with the arts often begins before and extends beyond a performance. Throughout the season with numerous collaborations, the Redfern develops creative exchanges with our visiting artists that deepen the connection between the arts and audiences. These programs include residencies, workshops and class visits with the artists, pre- and post-show discussions, lobby receptions, and art exhibits.

The Redfern’s 2015–16 season comprises 11 performances and begins with a Season Kick-off Party.

Redfern Season Kick-Off Party (Wednesday, September 16, Redfern Arts Center. Join us as we celebrate the start of the Redfern’s 34th season! Enjoy free food, check out our lobby exhibit, and learn more about all the spectacular events happening at the Redfern. Live performances and a celebration of the season ahead await you! Admission is free. All are welcome!

Symphony NH: American Masters conducted by Jonathan McPhee (Friday, September 25, Main Theatre). Celebrate an evening of Gershwin, Rodgers, Copland and Bernstein with New Hampshire’s oldest professional orchestra. Enjoy some of the greatest music created by some of the greatest American composers including On the Town, Rodeo and Gershwin’s famed Concerto in F with special guest artist Randall Hodgkinson from the Boston Chamber Music Society.

Kate Weare Company: Unstruck (Wednesday, October 7, Main Theatre). The Redfern welcomes back the electrifying Kate Weare Company as it celebrates their 10th anniversary with performances of works spanning its decade-long repertory and the New England premiere of Unstruck, featuring an original score by Curtis Macdonald. In her collaboration with Macdonald, Weare embarks on a physical exploration of the Vedic concept of Anahata Nad, or unstruck sound. “In quiet, luxuriant moments of stillness, Ms. Weare gives the dancers — and us — a little more room to breathe,” says The New York Times about the preview of Unstruck at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music).

Candice Salyers: A History of Levitation II (Wednesday, October 29, Main Theatre). Choreographer and performer Candice Salyers returns to the Redfern with another unique concert as part of 100 solos commissioned for and created by Salyers. A History of Levitation II explores different physical and conceptual perspectives on female sainthood. Taking inspiration from historical figures and their lives, Salyers and her collaborators investigate what it means to purify the soul and elevate consciousness through the body’s actions.

Sam Green and Brent Green: Live Cinema (Wednesday, November 4, Alumni Recital Hall). Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sam Green and filmmaker-artist Brent Green, while not related, are both known for their singular performances combining cinema, musical accompaniment, and live narration. This rare collaborative appearance also features drummer Brendan Canty (of Fugazi fame), cellist Paul Rucker, and Kaye Ryan for a program of short live cinematic gems.

The Quiet Volume (Monday to Friday, November 2 to 13, by reservation, Keene State College Mason Library). The Quiet Volume, created by British artists Ant Hampton and Tim Etchells, exposes the strange magic at the heart of the reading experience. A self-generated, whispered performance for two, The Quiet Volume explores the particular tension common to any library worldwide; a combination of silence and concentration within which different peoples’ experiences of reading unfold. “The Quiet Volume will leave you desperate to fall into a good book,” wrote Matt Trueman in Culture Wars.

THE INTERGALACTIC NEMESIS Target Earth: A Live-Action Graphic Novel (Saturday, February 6, Main Theatre). Radio play meets comic book in a one-of-a-kind live show! The Intergalactic Nemesis mashes up comic-book and radio-play formats into an unforgettable theatrical experience. Three actors voice dozens of characters, a Foley artist creates all the sound effects, while more than 1,250 individual full-color comic book panels tell a hilarious sci-fi adventure story visually from an enormous movie screen. If you’ve got an inner twelve-year-old (or an actual one living in your home) The Intergalactic Nemesis is “Without a doubt one of the best and most exciting evenings you will find in theater.” – examiner.com (Cleveland)

Rodney King performed by Roger Guenveur Smith (Wednesday, February 17, Main Theatre). History, poetry, and tragedy collide when stage and film actor Roger Guenveur Smith tackles the thorny odyssey of Rodney King, a man caught in the glare of the national spotlight as the victim of police brutality that ignited the 1992 L.A. riots. In this riveting performance, Smith captures the story of a flawed, good-hearted everyman, and by extension reveals America’s endlessly complicated relationship with its racial past and present.

Mister G: Family Music Show (Saturday, February 27, Alumni Recital Hall). A 2014 Latin GRAMMY nominee, Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) is a leading figure in the children’s music world. This kid-friendly, bilingual rock star has released five albums of original music for children, which have been selected as top children’s albums by People magazine, Parents magazine, The Washington Post and Education.com. “With captivating Latin rhythms and melodies, the songs appeal to parents as much as their children,” says The Los Angeles Times.

American Modern Ensemble: Made in New Hampshire (Wednesday, March 9, Alumni Recital Hall). Founded in New York City in 2005 by Robert Paterson and Victoria Paterson, American Modern Ensemble (AME) is a dynamic, creative force in the modern music scene. With a world-class ensemble made up of NYC’s finest musicians, AME is “simply first-rate” (The New York Times). AME makes their Keene debut with a special program including works by Keene State College Faculty composers Heather Gilligan, Christopher Swist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Joseph Schwantner.

Aquila Theatre: Romeo and Juliet (Tuesday, March 22, and a Wednesday, March 23 school performance, Main Theatre). Aquila Theatre returns to Keene in a new production of William Shakespeare’s legendary tragedy Romeo and Juliet. Recognized world-wide as one of theater’s most iconic couples, Romeo and Juliet are the very archetype of tragic young lovers. The Aquila Theatre will bring its innovative style and dynamic physical approach to Shakespeare’s most famous and heart-breaking play. The New Yorker says Aquila Theatre productions are “beautifully spoken, dramatically revealing and crystalline in effect.”

a canary torsi: Court/Garden, created by Yanira Castro (Wednesday, March 30, Main Theatre). A spectacle in three acts, Court/Garden is a new dance and live music performance by a canary torsi. This stunning piece takes as its inspiration the imperial ballets of Louis XIV’s French Court, the spectatorship of the proscenium stage, and the presentation of live video feeds as cultural, social and political frames of contemporary experience, from the fashion runway to the creation of cultural icons. “Castro’s smart, kooky shenanigans captivate…” says The Village Voice.

About Redfern Arts Center at Keene State College

The Arts Center is named in honor of Dr. Leo F. Redfern, Keene State College President from 1969 to 1979 for his vision, commitment, and eloquence on behalf of the arts that made funding and construction of the facility a reality. In 1981, KSC inaugurated this new performing arts center, with the goal of providing unforgettable artistic encounters for the campus and community. Now in its 34rd year, the Redfern Arts Center presents and fosters dynamic, multifaceted arts experiences through performances, residencies, and related programs that deepen the connection between the arts and audiences, both from the campus and the greater Monadnock region.

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