Redfern Tickets Make Great Holiday Gifts
Sci Fi, Shakespeare and Spectacle opens Winter/Spring 2016 season at Keene State’s Redfern Arts Center
Tickets in a Membership Mug Make Great Holiday Gifts!
Are you ready for the adventure? Keene State College’s Redfern Arts Center blasts off with a spectacular Winter/Spring 2016 Season which includes a thrilling live action graphic novel, Shakespeare’s renowned tragic love story Romeo and Juliet and a multi-media spectacle influenced by the imperial ballets performed at Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles.
Tickets for the 2016 Winter/Spring season make great holiday gifts especially with a fantastic new Redfern mug, which is given to every patron purchasing a membership. There are many levels of membership, all of which offer ticket discounts. Tickets and memberships can be purchased by phone, 603-358-2168, or in person at the box office, open Monday to Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online and more information about the season is at keene.edu/arts/redfern/.
The Redfern’s 2016 season brings a variety of dynamic events that are 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 offers a powerful and riveting portrait of an icon of the darker side of American history in his rhythm-driven performance of Rodney King; and toe-tapping family music by Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer), who recently won a Grammy for Best Latin Children’s Album, plus the dynamic new music of American Modern Ensemble making their Keene debut celebrating New Hampshire composers.
“This winter and spring the Redfern continues its commitment to bring diverse arts experiences that bring together theatrical, visual, music and media artists,” said Redfern Director Shannon Mayers. “Live performance today is vibrant, funny, cutting edge, filled with discovery and meaning. We are thrilled 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 free programs, entitled Creative Connections, include residencies, workshops and class visits with the artists, pre- and post-show discussions, lobby receptions, and art exhibits.
The Redfern’s 2016 Winter/Spring Season comprises six performances most of which start at 7 p.m. to encourage people of all ages to enjoy a show any day of the week. Keene State student tickets are only $5 for any performance and KSC alumni receive a discounted ticket.
THE INTERGALACTIC NEMESIS Target Earth: A Live-Action Graphic Novel (Saturday, February 6, 7 p.m., Main Theatre, tickets $40-$25). Radio play meets comic book in a one-of-a-kind live show - The Intergalactic Nemesis is an awesome mix of comic-book and radio-play formats creating 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. The Intergalactic Nemesis is one show you don’t want to miss! “Something you simply must experience if you are a fan of awesome,” according to collider.com.
Rodney King written and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith (Wednesday, February 17, 7 p.m., Main Theatre, tickets $25-$15). History, poetry, and tragedy collide when stage and film actor Roger Guenveur Smith (American Gangster, Malcom X) tackles the thorny odyssey of Rodney King, caught in the glare of the national spotlight as the victim of police brutality that ignited the 1992 L.A. riots. In this riveting and timely piece, Smith offers a meditation of a flawed, good-hearted everyman, and reveals America’s endlessly complicated relationship with its racial past and present. “Roger Guenveur Smith gets it all and gets it brilliantly,” said The New York Times.
Mister G: Family Music Show (Saturday, February 27, 11 a.m., Alumni Recital Hall, all tickets $5). A 2015 Latin GRAMMY winner Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) is a leading figure in the children’s music world - winning the Grammy for Best Latin Children’s Album for his Los Animales on November 19. This kid-friendly, bilingual rock star has released five albums of original music for children, which have been also been selected as top children’s albums by People magazine, Parents magazine, The Washington Post and Education.com. “Mister G rocks kids’ worlds,” said the Chicago Sun-Times.
American Modern Ensemble: Made in New Hampshire (Wednesday, March 2, 7 p.m., Alumni Recital Hall, tickets $25-$20). 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 celebrating New Hampshire composers including new works by Keene State College Faculty Heather Gilligan and Christopher Swist, Dartmouth-based composer Spencer Topel, and AME’s Artistic Director Robert Patterson.
Aquila Theatre: Romeo and Juliet (Tuesday, March 22, 7 p.m., tickets $25-$15, 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, the Aquila Theatre will bring its innovative style and dynamic physical approach to Shakespeare’s most famous and heart-breaking play. Romeo and Juliet is being presented as part of a campus-wide celebration of Shakespeare’s anniversary which will include poetry readings, lectures, art exhibits and a film screening of the 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.
Court/Garden, created by Yanira Castro and a canary torsi: (Wednesday, March 30, 7 p.m., Main Theatre, tickets $20-$18). A spectacle in three acts, Court/Garden is a new dance and multi-media performance created by New York choreographer Yanira Castro and her company a canary torsi. This stunning piece takes as its inspiration the imperial ballets of Louis XIV’s French Court. Throughout the performance, the audience’s relationship to the event is in constant flux, investigating the structures behind the act of watching and being seen. “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.
