October 5, Friday
Vermont Symphony Orchestra
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
This autumn the VSO’s “Made in Vermont Music Festival” concert includes a quartet of serenades: two exuberant works for winds and strings by Dvořák and Tchaikovsky; Vermont composer Sara Doncaster’s newest creation; and a special arrangement by conductor Anthony Princiotti of Hugo Wolf’s lighthearted Italian Serenade. Tickets: $22 regular; $18 senior citizens; $12 children; $12 College faculty and staff; $5 Middlebury College students (special rate made possible by the Center for the Arts.)
October 6, Saturday
Landmine/Map of the World
Leyya Tawil
1:30 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
Artist in Residence Leyya Tawil, an Arab-American artist of Syrian-Palestinian descent, performs her solo Landmine/Map of the World, delineating her outlook on stance, cultural being, and political landscaping. Then she and violinist Mike Khoury, also Palestinian-American, collaborate on an improvised work. In a follow-up discussion, Tawil addresses the role of contemporary dance in creating and breaking illusions about Middle Eastern women and culture; Khoury discusses the Arab avant-garde in music. Cosponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, the Dance Program, and the Department of Music as part of the Clifford Symposium “Islam and Politics in a Globalizing World.” Free
October 6, Saturday
Osama
3:00 and 8:00 P.M., Dana Auditorium
The first Afghan film shot since the fall of the Taliban, Osama won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film of 2003. With no men left alive to support the family, and harsh rules restricting women, a 12 year-old girl disguises herself as a boy named Osama in order to earn a living. Directed by Siddiq Barmak. “Raw and wretchedly current, it is a story that packs a cruel emotional wallop.”—Manohla Dargis, Los Angeles Times. In Pashtu and Dari with English subtitles. Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series as part of the Clifford Symposium, “Islam and Politics in a Globalizing World.” (Afghanistan, 2003, 83 minutes) Free
October 8, Monday
Behind-the-Scenes Lunch and Discussion: Horizon
12:15 P.M., Wright Memorial Theatre
Creator/Writer/Composer Rinde Eckert introduces Horizon and leads a discussion about the evening production, along with members of the cast (including Middlebury alumnus David Barlow ’95) who share insights on their work. Lunch is provided. Free
October 8, Monday
Horizon
8:00 P.M., Wright Memorial Theatre
Obie award winner and 2007 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama Rinde Eckert returns to campus in Horizon, a tale of one theologian’s crisis of faith. Loosely based on the teachings of scholar Reinhold Niebuhr, Eckert’s character is Reinhart Poole, an unconventional teacher of ethics at a seminary. Pressured to resign by dogmatic powers within his church, he works all night on his last lecture. He talks with his wife, argues with the ghost of his brother, remembers conversations, and indulges his hobby: writing a comic allegory about two ageless masons who’ve been building the same church foundation for over a thousand years. This work for three actors (Eckert, Howard Swain, and Middlebury alumnus David Barlow ’95) creates a visually brilliant landscape in story, song, and movement. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series and the Department of Theatre and Dance. Tickets: $15/12/5
For more information, click here.
October 11, Thursday
Mixed Messages: Text, Image, and Identity in the Work of Contemporary African Artists
4:30 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 221
Slide lecture by Elizabeth Harney, Assistant Professor, Department of Art, University of Toronto, and independent curator. Harney was the first curator of contemporary arts at the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution, and her first book, from Duke University Press, was a study of modernism in Senegal. The subtext of modernist encounters with Africa was the power of language to delineate and circumscribe cultures. Here she examines how a number of contemporary African artists interrogate, subvert, and reclaim the power of language through the overlapping of word and image. Cosponsored by the Middlebury College Museum of Art, the Department of History of Art and Architecture, and the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs. Free
October 11, Thursday
Music with Words and Words without Music: Some Thoughts on Gertrude Stein
4:30 P.M., McCardell Bicentennial Hall 220
The Faculty Lecture Series presents this special lecture by Music Department Chair Greg Vitercik. Refreshments are available before the lecture. Free
October 12, Friday
François Clemmons, tenor
Cynthia Huard, piano
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Dr. François S. Clemmons, Alexander Twilight Artist in Residence, celebrates the 35th anniversary of his Carnegie Hall debut with a concert of solo works and choral pieces including students, faculty, staff, and community singers. The diverse program includes traditional American negro spirituals alongside Italian, Spanish, French, and German songs that add an international sound. Free
October 13, Saturday
Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story
3:00 and 8:00 P.M., Dana Auditorium
Director Michael Winterbottom (Welcome to Sarajevo, 24-Hour Party People) takes up the challenge of adapting a classic English comic novel that defies adaptation. Shandy’s humorous biography becomes enmeshed in the creation of a movie that is constantly sidetracked by the complications of the film’s production. Laurence Sterne’s A Cock and Bull Story nonetheless finds its way onto the screen without losing its deft whimsy or self-conscious sense of play. “Beneath the fun lurks a dry and weary sigh at life’s refusal to match the tidiness of art.”—Ty Burr, Boston Globe. Nominated for five British Independent Film Awards. Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series. (UK, 2005, 94 minutes) Free
October 13, Saturday
Christian Gerhaher, baritone
Gerold Huber, piano
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Internationally-renowned baritone Christian Gerhaher has performed with some of classical music’s greatest orchestras: Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, Mstislav Rostropovich and the Vienna Philharmonic, Andras Schiff and the Philharmonia, Franz Welzer-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. Gerhaher sang the role of Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in the Salzburg Festival’s celebration of Mozart’s 250th birthday. But he is equally heralded as a recitalist, having sung repeatedly at London’s Wigmore Hall, as well as at the Konzerthaus and Musikverein in Vienna, and Carnegie Hall in New York. He has made extraordinary recordings of all of Schubert’s great song cycles, and of many of Robert Schumann’s songs. At Middlebury he sings a program devoted to Robert Schumann. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series. Tickets: $15/12/5
For more information, click here.
October 15, Monday
Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Steven Klimowski, clarinet; Rachael Elliott, bassoon; Berta Frank, flute; and Annemieke Spoelstra, piano. The Ensemble performs pieces by David Lang, David Gunn, Allen Shawn, Elliott Carter, and the premiere of a new work for woodwind trio and accordion by Middlebury's own Peter Hamlin '73.
NOTE: 7:15 P.M., Pre-concert lecture by the artists.
Sponsored by the Department of Music. Free
October 18, Thursday
Holding The Mirror Up To Nature: The Dialectic Of A Divided Consciousness In The Performance Of Shakespeare And Chekhov
4:30 P.M., Twilight Auditorium
Lecture by Douglas Sprigg, Isabel Riexinger Mettler ‘39 Professor of Theatre. The very nature of theatre encourages a divided consciousness in both actor and spectator, which, in turn, helps communicate multiple--and often conflicting--facets of a character’s personality. Himali Soin ’08 and Justine Katzenbach ’08 perform a scene from Chekhov to illustrate some of the issues involved in an audience’s perception of character. Refreshments are available prior to the lecture. Free
October 18, Thursday
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature: An Introduction to the Concepts, Tools, and Power of Biomimicry
7:30 P.M., Dana Auditorium
Lecture by environmental-design engineer Denise DeLuca, P.E., LEED AP. Biomimicry is a method for studying and then emulating nature’s best materials, forms, processes, and strategies. Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an example of this “innovation inspired by nature.” The core idea is that animals, plants, and microbes have already solved many of the design problems that engineers are grappling with today. DeLuca holds an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MSCE from Montana State University; she is currently the outreach director for the Biomimicry Institute in Bozeman, Montana. Cosponsored by the Department of the History of Art & Architecture, Environmental Studies, Atwater Commons, Bread Loaf Corporation, and AIA Vermont. Part of the Architecture & … Series, a collaborative lecture series between Middlebury College and Bread Loaf Corporation. Free
October 25, Thursday
Artist Talk: Deborah Fisher
4:30 P.M., Hillcrest Environmental Center
Deborah Fisher discusses “Solid State Change,” her sculpture commissioned for the Hillcrest Environmental Center by Middlebury’s Committee on Art in Public Places. Cosponsored by the Committee on Art in Public Places, College Advancement, the Office of Environmental Affairs, the Program in Environmental Studies, and the Middlebury College Museum of Art. Free
October 25, Thursday
Zedashe
8:00 P.M., Mead Chapel
Folk musicians and dancers from the Georgian Caucasus, the Zedashe Ensemble performs the ballads, work songs, church chants, love songs and war and ritual circle dances of traditional Caucasian life. The group has appeared in numerous folk festivals throughout Georgia, toured in England and the United States, and recorded four albums. Learn more about the artists at http://www.villageharmony.org/Zedashe2007/
Sponsored by the Departments of Russian and Music, and the Foreign Languages fund. Free
October 25-27, Thursday-Saturday
Severed Headshots: Sinister Scenes and Monologues
8:00 P.M. each evening, with an 11:00* P.M. performance on Friday only; Hepburn Zoo
The 12th annual First Years' Production, directed by Andy Mitton ’01. An ensemble of newcomers to the Middlebury stage star in this evening of new works by the 2007 advanced playwriting class. Tickets: $1; on sale Tuesday, October 9.
*originally scheduled for 10:00 P.M.
October 26, Friday
Off the Grid performance Series: Rebecca Marcus ’08
4:30 P.M., Roof of McCardell Bicentennial Hall.
Marcus investigates the ways in which a change in location affects a developing dance. Rain date: Saturday October 27
October 26, Friday
Polina Leschenko, piano
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
A native of St. Petersburg, pianist Polina Leschenko began a successful career in Europe when her playing drew the attention and admiration of Martha Argerich, herself one of the finest pianists of the modern age, and known for spotting young artists on the rise. Argerich isn’t alone in recognizing this talent: Leschenko’s debut disc was praised by Gramophone magazine. Her Middlebury program includes works by Bach, Bach-Busoni, Chopin, and Liszt. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series. Reserved Seating. Tickets: $15/12/5
Pre-performance dinner: Rehearsals Cafe, 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $15
For more information, click here.
October 27, Saturday
Homecoming: Dancing Together
10:00 A.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
Alumni join current students and faculty for an improvisation session with Dance Program musicians. Free
October 27, Saturday
Dancing Together, Informal Showing
1:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
Open, informal showing, featuring tiny story, a new duet by Kate Elias '06 and Ellen Smith ’05 featuring music composed and performed by Abe Streep ’04. This is an opportunity for returning alumni to share their latest work. Alumni: contact the dance program if you will be in town and would like to show a piece: dance@middlebury.edu or 802-443-5245. Free
October 27, Saturday
The Court (Bamako)
3:00 and 8:00 P.M., Dana Auditorium
Melé (Aïssa Maïga) is a singer in a local bar and her down-and-out husband Chaka (Tiécoura Traoré) is straining their relationship. As a mock trial unfolds nearby in which the World Bank is accused of exploiting Africa, Mele becomes disheartened with Chaka’s apathy. Director Abderrahmane Sissako (Waiting for Happiness) creates a tale of relationships, both international and intimate, addressing the intersection of the personal and the political with compassion, believability, and artistry. Screened in conjunction with the current exhibition, Resonance from the Past: African Sculpture from the New Orleans Museum of Art. In French and Bambara with English subtitles. Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series. (Mali, 2006, 115 minutes) Free
October 27, Saturday
Opening Reception: Center Gallery
4:00 P.M., McCullough Student Center, Center gallery (2nd floor)
Celebrating the inauguration of the Center Gallery at the McCullough Student Center, the College’s new venue dedicated to the display of student art. Guests welcome. Currently on view: Aperture. For more information please contact shurt@middlebury.edu or 443-5796. Free
October 29, Monday
Surrealism, Modernism, and Postwar Japanese Film Radicals
12:15 P.M., Robert A. Jones ’59 House
The Hirschfield International Film Series presents a lecture by Jonathan Hall, Professor of Comparative Literature, University of California at Irvine. Cosponsored by the Film and Media Culture Program, the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs, Women’s and Gender Studies, Japanese Studies, Middlebury Asian Students’ Organization, and International Studies. Free
October 29, Monday
Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble: Swing Dance
8:00 P.M., McCullough Student Center, Social Space
The Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble plays for a Swing Dance sponsored by the Lindy Hop Club. Dance lessons are offered at 7:00 P.M. Free
October 30, Tuesday (through November 6)*
Sculptures in the Form of a Chair
Johnson Memorial Building, Pit Space
These sculptures represent students’ response to the idea of a chair as an object of design for human use for support or comfort, as a socializing or civilizing device, as a tool used in ceremony or ritual, or as a historical artifact. Discover how students personalize the concept of a chair while emphasizing its sculptural potential in both utilitarian and non-utilitarian forms. Free
*new dates
October 31, Wednesday
Lecture/Demonstration: African Percussion and Dance by Alpha Yaya Diallo and the Bafing Riders
12:30 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
In preparation for the following day’s performance, this percussion and dance demonstration includes Alpha Yaya Diallo’s discussion of African history, rhythm, and multicultural musical influences. Attendees are encouraged to visit the Museum exhibition, Resonance from the Past: African Sculpture from the New Orleans Museum of Art following the demonstration. Lunch is provided. Free