test events

Description

Join the Department of Performing and Media Arts for Professional Directions: Setting Your Own Stage: The Choreography of Organizing a Life in the Arts with Antuan Byers, Founder/Director of Black Dance Change Makers and Vice President of Dancers at the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 5:30 PM in Room 220, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. The guest will join virtually on Zoom. This event is moderated by PMA Assistant Professor of the Practice Danielle Russo and is free and open to the public. 

Antuan Byers has never stayed in one lane. He learned to choreograph a life, through improvisation, rehearsal, and performance. Dance teaches him purpose and stamina; Entrepreneurship teaches him to resource the vision, prototype paths, and build structures that sustain the work; Organizing teaches him to turn care into power and people into a plan. 

This conversation braids those lessons into a workable future, where rooms become communities that set the terms and protect our time, bodies, and voices. We’ll move from solo hustle to shared strategy, turning questions into demands, relationships into leverage, and vision into action. Come ready to imagine your next move, and leave ready to make it with your people. 

Antuan Byers (he/him) is a dancer and organizer using movement to build power and possibility for Black communities. He is the Founder and Director of Black Dance Change Makers and serves as Vice President of Dancers at the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), where he co-founded the AGMA Black Caucus. He is Operations Director at Darkness RISING Project and a Thought Partner with the National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron (NCCAkron), and he serves on The Metropolitan Opera’s Artistic Advisory Committee and Art Bath’s Advisory Board. In recognition of his leadership, he was invited to Washington, D.C. to speak on equity in the arts alongside U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su and has been named to Urban Arts Magazine’s “40 Under 40” and as an Artist Advocate with New Yorkers for Culture & Arts (NY4CA). An Ailey/Fordham BFA graduate, he performs primarily with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and konverjdans; he has also danced with Ailey II, Washington National Opera, and Mark Morris Dance Group. Learn more about his work. 

The Professional Directions series brings industry experts to campus to speak about their career journeys as screenwriters, playwrights, editors, producers, directors, theatre critics, dramaturgs, and more.

Photo credit: Nick Suarez

Description

Join PMA for a production of I Want a Country, a play by Andreas Flourakis, translated by Eleni Drivas, and directed by Samuel Buggeln, Artistic and Executive Director of The Cherry Arts. The show will take place in the Flex Theatre, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, on Friday, October 24, at 7:30 pm; Saturday, October 25, at 7:30 pm; Friday, October 31, at 7:30 pm; and Saturday, November 1, at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Get your free tickets here.

What do you do when the country you considered yourself at home in suddenly seems to be falling apart? What even makes it the same country that it was in the past? What is the status of the migrant who no longer has a country? In general: are we all doomed, or is there hope?  

In the decade since it was written, I Want a Country has been produced over 25 times around the world. Since its debut in London, the play has had productions in New York, Greece, Mexico, Germany, India, Colombia, Peru, Switzerland, and beyond. This playful, passionate, unlikely script has rapidly become one of the most important pieces of international theater writing in the last decade.  

This event is co-sponsored by the Einaudi Center for International Studies.

Sam Buggeln is the founding Artistic and Executive Director of The Cherry Arts, as well as an award-winning theater translator and one of the US’s preeminent directors of new international plays. Learn more about his work.

Andreas Flourakis is a playwright. He has written more than thirty works for theater, which have been translated into many languages. Learn more about his work.

Description

Join PMA for a production of I Want a Country, a play by Andreas Flourakis, translated by Eleni Drivas, and directed by Samuel Buggeln, Artistic and Executive Director of The Cherry Arts. The show will take place in the Flex Theatre, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, on Friday, October 24, at 7:30 pm; Saturday, October 25, at 7:30 pm; Friday, October 31, at 7:30 pm; and Saturday, November 1, at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Get your free tickets here.

What do you do when the country you considered yourself at home in suddenly seems to be falling apart? What even makes it the same country that it was in the past? What is the status of the migrant who no longer has a country? In general: are we all doomed, or is there hope?  

In the decade since it was written, I Want a Country has been produced over 25 times around the world. Since its debut in London, the play has had productions in New York, Greece, Mexico, Germany, India, Colombia, Peru, Switzerland, and beyond. This playful, passionate, unlikely script has rapidly become one of the most important pieces of international theater writing in the last decade.  

This event is co-sponsored by the Einaudi Center for International Studies.

Sam Buggeln is the founding Artistic and Executive Director of The Cherry Arts, as well as an award-winning theater translator and one of the US’s preeminent directors of new international plays. Learn more about his work.

Andreas Flourakis is a playwright. He has written more than thirty works for theater, which have been translated into many languages. Learn more about his work.

Description

Join PMA for a production of I Want a Country, a play by Andreas Flourakis, translated by Eleni Drivas, and directed by Samuel Buggeln, Artistic and Executive Director of The Cherry Arts. The show will take place in the Flex Theatre, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, on Friday, October 24, at 7:30 pm; Saturday, October 25, at 7:30 pm; Friday, October 31, at 7:30 pm; and Saturday, November 1, at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Get your free tickets here.

What do you do when the country you considered yourself at home in suddenly seems to be falling apart? What even makes it the same country that it was in the past? What is the status of the migrant who no longer has a country? In general: are we all doomed, or is there hope?  

In the decade since it was written, I Want a Country has been produced over 25 times around the world. Since its debut in London, the play has had productions in New York, Greece, Mexico, Germany, India, Colombia, Peru, Switzerland, and beyond. This playful, passionate, unlikely script has rapidly become one of the most important pieces of international theater writing in the last decade.  

This event is co-sponsored by the Einaudi Center for International Studies.

Sam Buggeln is the founding Artistic and Executive Director of The Cherry Arts, as well as an award-winning theater translator and one of the US’s preeminent directors of new international plays. Learn more about his work.

Andreas Flourakis is a playwright. He has written more than thirty works for theater, which have been translated into many languages. Learn more about his work.

Description

To be a PMA Major/Minor in 2025 is to enter a creative world where you receive training and opportunities that equip you to become responsible, ethical creative professionals. But one of the many problems with entering in the media industries of film, television, and theater lies with the lack of clear pathways to careers and gainful employment.  

In this series we call “What’s Next?!”, PMA faculty Dr. Kristen Warner will lead workshop sessions that begin to help answer that question. The focus of each session will address a range of topics from internships and graduate programs (MFAs, critical studies MA/PhD) to the dreaded art of writing cover letters/personal statements.  

• October 23: 5:00-6:40 pm, Schwartz Center 220: Internships—How to Get them and Why You Want One 

• October 28: 5:00-6:30 pm, Schwartz Center 124: Applying for MFAs (Narrative Film Production/Screenwriting) 

• November 3: 5:00-6:15 pm, Schwartz Center 220: Writing Cover Letters and Statements of Purpose for Creative Industry (Academia/Internships)

• November 11: 5:00-6:15 pm: Applying for MA/PhD/MFA 
  Schwartz Center 220: Media studies/Design/Production by Prof. Kristen Warner
  Schwartz Center 124: Acting/Dance/Performance by Prof. Danielle Russo

In the sessions, we will have professional guests Zoom in to offer specialized guidance about their industries, experiences, and advice.  

So if you find yourself needing clarity about how the skills you’re developing in class can help you build a career? Join us.  

All who are interested in PMA are welcome to attend. Contact Dr. Warner (kjw247@cornell.edu) for more information!  

Description

Join the Department of Performing and Media Arts for PMA 1183 Guest Speaker: Scholar/Musician Aaron Joseph on Wednesday November 5, 8:40am-9:55am, Hybrid: Eisner Pavillion Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts and on Zoom. This event is presented by PMA 1183 FWS: Hip-Hop’s Global Vibrations (NYC, LA, Southeast Asia), and is free and open to the public.

This session will include a talk on Aaron Joseph's research and artistry on Toronto, Black Studies, and Music at-large.

Join on Zoom: https://bit.ly/pma1183

Aaron Joseph is a graduate student in the Department of Environmental Planning & Urban Change at the University of Toronto. He is also a writer, researcher, and musician. His intellectual work revolves around the city of Toronto and its greater Afro-Diaspora—its hodgepodge urban design, sports and music histories, politics, and the expressive cultures of its Black communities. His writing functions as a form of philosophical anthropology, excavating the deeper meanings and ingrained patterns behind the seemingly mundane aspects of city life. This means that as a cultural critic, he analyzes discarded popular figures, products, and events that live outside of commodity cycles—remnants of the city’s zeitgeist that still hold profound significance. His approach, which could be called the universalizing of particulars, seeks to illuminate the shared narratives that connect us beyond our petits récits.

Description

Join the Department of Performing and Media Arts for Professional Directions: Journeyman of Storytelling with Lee Sternthal, Writer/Director of TRON: Legacy (2010) and The Words (2012) on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 5:00 PM in Room 220, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. 

In this session, Sternthal will offer wisdom, insights, and lessons from his time as a working creative in Hollywood. The guest will join virtually on Zoom. This event is moderated by PMA Associate Professor Kristen Warner and is free and open to the public. 

Lee Sternthal is a screenwriter, director and photographer who co-wrote and co-directed, The Words with Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana, which closed the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Lee has written screenplays for every major studio, including Tron: Legacy for Disney. Lee has also worked as a photo journalist for Vice.

The Professional Directions series brings industry experts to campus to speak about their career journeys as screenwriters, playwrights, editors, producers, directors, theatre critics, dramaturgs, and more.

Description

"Chats with the Chair" invites PMA majors, minors, and those interested in the department to join the chair for food and fellowship.

Come learn more about the department, give feedback, and talk about everything performing and media arts at Cornell and beyond! Lunch provided!

Thursday, November 6, Noon - 1 pm(Please RSVP by November 4th to pma@cornell.edu)

Location: Room 220, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts 

Description

"Chats with the Chair" invites PMA majors, minors, and those interested in the department to join the chair for food and fellowship. 

Come learn more about the department, give feedback, and talk about everything performing and media arts at Cornell and beyond! Lunch provided! 

Mark your calendar for: 

• Thursday, September 18, Noon - 1 pm (Please RSVP by September 16th to pma@cornell.edu)
• Thursday, November 6, Noon - 1 pm (Please RSVP by November 4th to pma@cornell.edu)

Location: Room 220, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts  

Description

Join the Department of Performing and Media Arts for Professional Directions: The Business of the Performing Arts with Talent Manager Lakey Wolff on Thursday, November 6, from 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, in Schwartz 220. The guest will join virtually on Zoom. The event will be moderated by PMA Assistant Professor of the Practice Danielle Russo and is free and open to the public. 

Lakey Wollf represents award-winning creatives from theatre, film, television and dance. She has clients in Hamilton, Moulin Rouge, Hell’s Kitchen, The Outsiders, Wicked, Only Murders in the Building, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Grown-ish, and New York Fashion Week, among many others. This event is designed to educate and share information not often discussed when performers study their craft. Wolff will discuss Dance, Broadway, and Off-Broadway Theatre, TV, Film, Commercials, Print and more. 

Lakey Wolff founded Lakey Wolff & Company after 14 years at CESD Talent Agency, New York, where she was a top agent and respected leader in her field. She focuses on the development of artists, tailoring a team to fit each client individually using her deep resources, relationships and contacts in every area of the entertainment industry. Lakey is the Founder of her own full-service company concentrating solely on artists that are ready to focus on their career in any stage. Her strong interests and experience in theatre, film, TV and dance gives Lakey a unique ability to position her elite roster of clients for success. Learn more about her work.

The Professional Directions series brings industry experts to campus to speak about their career journeys as screenwriters, playwrights, editors, producers, directors, theatre critics, dramaturgs, and more.

Description

Join the Department of Performing and Media Arts for PMAPS Colloquium: The Black Nowhere: Sonic Architectures of Dispossession by Dr. Ola Mohammed, Assistant Professor at York University, on Friday, November 7, from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm, in the Film Forum, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. This event is free and open to the public.

In Dr. Mohammed’s lecture, she will present her current book project titled The Black Nowhere: The Social and Cultural Politics of Listening to Black Canada(s), which examines the sonic dimension of anti-Blackness in Canada. The lecture will showcase Dr. Mohammed’s interdisciplinary research exploring Black cultural production, Black social life and Black being as sites of possibility. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Department of Africana Studies, Literatures of English, and Music and Sound Studies. 

Dr. Ola Mohammed is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Black Canadian Studies Certificate in the Department of Humanities at York University, where she teaches Black Studies, Popular Culture, and Sound Studies courses.  She was recently awarded the York Research Chair Tier II in Black Sonic Cultures that generates a series of projects that advance innovative interdisciplinary analysis of Black Cultural practices, the impacts of urban change, and what produces a livable city to highlight both the constraints of anti-Black racism and the ways Black people disrupt dominant spatial forms. Her research interests include Black Studies, Popular Music and Sound Studies, Performance Theory and Diaspora Studies. Her forthcoming publications include “Cringy Sounds, Pleasurable Acts: The Difficulty of Articulating Antiblackness in Canada” in the Power of Listening collection celebrating the 15th anniversary of Sounding Out! Sound Studies blog by NYU Press as well as an entry on “Sound” in the Thinking from Black: A Lexicon by Alchemy by Knopf Canada. Her manuscript, The Black Nowhere: Sonic Architectures of Dispossession, examines the often- overlooked auditory dimension of anti-Blackness in Canada. The work examines how sound is shaped by political ontologies of race and the epistemological stakes of critical listening practices in the face of quotidian and spectacular anti-Black violence. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Performance and Media Arts Presentation (PMAPS) colloquium series. Inaugurated in Fall 2021, PMAPS is the latest iteration of a colloquium series within the Department of Performing and Media Arts. Its greatest vision lies in offering graduate students a space to present their work to students, faculty, and professionals of similar fields and interests. The content of its presentation’s ranges from media studies to dance, and such diverse nature has earned the attention of related communities both within and outside Ithaca, NY.

Description

To be a PMA Major/Minor in 2025 is to enter a creative world where you receive training and opportunities that equip you to become responsible, ethical creative professionals. But one of the many problems with entering in the media industries of film, television, and theater lies with the lack of clear pathways to careers and gainful employment.  

In this series we call “What’s Next?!”, PMA faculty Dr. Kristen Warner will lead workshop sessions that begin to help answer that question. The focus of each session will address a range of topics from internships and graduate programs (MFAs, critical studies MA/PhD) to the dreaded art of writing cover letters/personal statements.  

• October 23: 5:00-6:40 pm, Schwartz Center 220: Internships—How to Get them and Why You Want One 

• October 28: 5:00-6:30 pm, Schwartz Center 124: Applying for MFAs (Narrative Film Production/Screenwriting) 

• November 3: 5:00-6:15 pm, Schwartz Center 220: Writing Cover Letters and Statements of Purpose for Creative Industry (Academia/Internships)

• November 11: 5:00-6:15 pm: Applying for MA/PhD/MFA 
  Schwartz Center 220: Media studies/Design/Production by Prof. Kristen Warner
  Schwartz Center 124: Acting/Dance/Performance by Prof. Danielle Russo

In the sessions, we will have professional guests Zoom in to offer specialized guidance about their industries, experiences, and advice.  

So if you find yourself needing clarity about how the skills you’re developing in class can help you build a career? Join us.  

All who are interested in PMA are welcome to attend. Contact Dr. Warner (kjw247@cornell.edu) for more information!  

Description

This fall, The Melodramatics Theatre Company is proud to present Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a thrilling, fully student-produced musical at Cornell University.

Students from Cornell University and Ithaca College, as well as members of the greater Ithaca Community, have come together to collaborate on every aspect of this production, from music direction to design to production. Everything is solely led by students working together to explore how the arts can bring people together.

Directed by Avery Wrobel
Music Directed by Isaac Dorio
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
From an Adaptation by Christopher Bond
Originally Directed on Broadway by Harold Prince
Orchestrations by Johnathan Tunick

Sweeney Todd is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supported by MTI www.mtishows.com. This production is funded by SAFC. This production is also presented by Isaac Dorio in partial fulfillment for honors in music at Cornell University. 

Sweeney Todd contains intense violence and gore, sexual violence and mature themes, cannibalism, disturbing imagery, and intense lighting effects.