Redfern Announces 2017-18 Season

From Jackie Hooper, Redfern Arts Center:

Redfern Arts Center announces a sensational 2017-18 season of dynamic global and New England performances that includes a 1980s dance party, the North American premiere of a new Irish drama, magical and musical family shows, a silent film accompanied by a live orchestra, African jazz music, an all-female a cappella music ensemble, two spectacular dance troupes from North Africa and New York City, and two community based projects ‑ a special theatre presentation about addiction, and a unique map-making project of Keene.

The Redfern’s new season, which runs from September 2017 to April 2018, brings a variety of dynamic events that are entertaining, thought-provoking, funny, and suitable for all ages. Highlights include: New Hampshire-based Neoteric Dance Collaborative’s Let Dance! 80s Edition which invites everyone to get up and dance, East African singer and songwriter Somi makes her Keene debut with jazz and R&B hits, Algerian dance company La Companie Hervé Koubi delivers a jaw-dropping acrobatic-style dance, Alloy Orchestra returns to play an original soundtrack to the swashbuckling silent film The Black Pirate, and two Saturday morning family shows – the magic of Keene illusionist Jason Purdy and the eco-music of Johnny Fireseed and the Junkyard Dogs.

Throughout the season, the Redfern invites the KSC campus, local community members, and partners to participate and collaborate in a range of exciting exchanges and immersive experiences with artists. The Creative Connections program provides free engagement activities and points of entry into our performance season and encourages creative discoveries on and off our stages. From free pre- and post-performance talks, lively community workshops, masterclasses, and intimate discussions with visiting artists, to exhibits and performance installations in public spaces, the Redfern generates opportunities for audiences to dig deeper into art, artists, and the creative process.

Tickets for the new season go on sale Monday, August 7 to members only, and to the general public a week later on Monday, August 14. Memberships can be purchased by phone 603-358-2168 and in person when the Redfern Box Office is open, Monday to Friday, from 12 to 6 p.m. After August 14, tickets can also be purchased online at keene.edu/arts/redfern/.

The Redfern’s 2017-18 season comprises 12 performances and begins with a Season Kick-off Party.

• REDFERN SEASON KICK-OFF PARTY (Thursday, September 14, 4:30 p.m., Lobby and Alumni Recital Hall). If you like a party then join us as we celebrate the start of the Redfern’s 2017-18 Season. Mingle with your friends, enjoy delicious food and get a taste of our exciting shows this season. Admission is free. All are welcome!
• NEOTERIC DANCE COLLABORATIVE Let’s Dance! 80s Edition (Friday, September 22, 7 p.m., Mabel Brown Room, KSC Student Center). Get ready to party! Neoteric Dance Collaborative hosts their signature dance party/performance with lots of food, music and fun! A guest DJ spins well-known tunes from 80s stars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and many more. Grab your acid washed jeans and shoulder pads and head to the dance floor with Neoteric Dance!
• MOONFISH THEATRE: Star of the Sea (Thursday, September 28, 7:30 p.m., Main Theatre). This powerful Irish drama traces the echoes of the Irish Famine through to the present day. Performed in both Irish and English, Moonfish Theatre uses music, movement and sound effects to tell an incredible story of mystery, romance and the struggle to survive.
• THE MAGIC OF JASON PURDY (Saturday, October 7, 11 a.m., Main Theatre). Magician and illusionist Jason Purdy incorporates classic magic, comedy and grand-scale illusions to create a fun-filled magical entertainment experience for the entire family!
• SOMI (Thursday, October 12, 7:30 p.m., Alumni Recital Hall). East African singer and songwriter Somi makes her Keene debut with her blend of jazz and R&B. Somi has been praised for her “serious and seductive vocals” (The New York Times), and her 2014 album The Lagos Music Salon reached number one on Billboard’s jazz chart.
• LA COMPAGNIE HERVÉ KOUBI: What the Day Owes to the Night (Saturday, October 21, 7:30 p.m., Main Theatre). This company of 17 outstanding men from Algeria and Burkina Faso deliver a jaw-dropping dance packed with backflips, head spins, and emotional intensity. French-Algerian choreographer Hervé Koubi created this dance using the music of Hamza El Din, Kronos Quartet and Sufi sounds.
• ALLOY ORCHESTRA: The Black Pirate (Friday, October 27, 7:30 p.m., Main Theatre). The Black Pirate is a swashbuckling romp, featuring silent-film favorite Douglas Fairbanks. The beloved Alloy Orchestra returns to Keene to present brilliant live musical accompaniment for this exceptional silent film. Perfect for both kids and adults, so come as your favorite pirate and enjoy an evening of adventure and live music!
• STEINBERG DUO (Sunday, February 18, 3 p.m., Alumni Recital Hall). The Steinberg Duo - Louisa Stonehill, violin, and Nicholas Burns, piano - have been telling musical stories on stage since 2007 through imaginative programming, emotive interpretations and captivating performances. Having recently completed their inaugural recital series at the Redfern, the Steinberg Duo will perform an exceptional classical evening featuring Beethoven, Bloch and Stravinsky.
• JOHNNY FIRESEED AND THE JUNKYARD DOGS (Saturday, February 24, 11 a.m., Alumni Recital Hall). This family show uses great music to create a fun learning experience about being green! Rock out with Johnny Fireseed and the Junkyard Dogs as they use instruments made entirely from trash, recycled, and re-purposed items to perform original music with an upbeat eco-message. When Johnny Fireseed plays, the audience becomes Johnny Fireseed – ready to plant seeds of sustainability and connect to the environment through music and art!
• ADDICTION PERFORMANCE PROJECT (Thursday, March 8, 7:30 p.m., Main Theatre). A dramatic reading of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night is a catalyst for town hall discussions about the disease of addiction as it touches patients, families, and health professionals. Performed by well-known actors from the stage and screen, this unique participatory event is intended to break down the stigma associated with addiction and promote healthy dialogue among diverse communities affected by the disease of addiction.
• THE BANG GROUP: A Mouthful of Shoes (Friday, March 23, 7:30 p.m., Main Theatre). The Bang Group is a New York-based, theatrical dance troupe founded to honor the power of rhythm in the human urge to dance. Choreographer David Parker creates works that are brimming with comic enthusiasm, bringing a blend of tap, body percussion, vaudeville, ballet and contemporary dance that demands to be heard as well as seen. Expect toe shoes, tap shoes, Velcro suits and an evening filled with rhythm and fun.
• LORELEI ENSEMBLE (Thursday, April 12, 7:30 p.m., Alumni Recital Hall). Boston’s Lorelei Ensemble is quickly becoming known for working with established and emerging composers from the United States and abroad to create new works that reveal the extraordinary flexibility and strength of the female voice.
• BRAD HOUK: Mapping Keene (date to be determined). Redfern’s Artist in Residence Brad Houk will lead KSC students and Keene community members in a special map-making project that captures important memories, local treasures, valuable places and spaces worth preserving in graphic form about Keene.