Assistant Professor Jason Simms:
Hello, I'm Jason Simms, Assistant Professor of Design here at PMA, to tell you about exciting projects and presentations led by faculty and students.
As is tradition, we will kick off the academic year with "Festival 24," which features an array of work written, directed, rehearsed, and performed by students in just 24 hours.
Next, we have a few senior thesis projects. Angel Katthi will present a thesis production of "Peerless," written by playwright Jiehae Park; Associate Professor Beth Milles will present Toni Morrison's play, "Desdemona."
Associate Professor Beth Milles:
This fall, I'm teaching two classes, PMA 3609, Making Theatre Rehearsal and Production Techniques, and PMA 1611, Rehearsal and Performance.
The students of these two classes will be staging a public performance of Nobel Prize-winning author and Cornell alum Toni Morrison's play "Desdemona" right here in the Schwartz Center.
"Desdemona" is a poetic collaborative investigation in response to the work of William Shakespeare's Othello. Morrison's play interrogates femininity, issues of gender and race, displacement, domestic abuse, and the afterlife.
"Desdemona" is a complexly interwoven text presenting myriad opportunities for research and artistic discovery around iteration generation, the source material, and the haunting musical score by Malian singer-songwriter Rokia Traoré. We hope you enjoy the show and look forward to seeing you in the theatre.
Assistant Professor Jason Simms:
Senior Lecturer Carolyn Goelzer will present Caryl Churchill's play, "Love and Information."
Senior Lecturer Carolyn Goelzer:
"Love and Information" explores our interaction with information and the effect on our capacity to love.
Churchill's play offers a kaleidoscopic array of 49 plus scenes and 100 plus characters and has a flexible format that can be customized to fit the ensemble's needs.
This fall, PMA 3801 will be focused on staging "Love and Information" for a public studio presentation at the Schwartz Center.
Assistant Professor Jason Simms:
And in our Black Box Theatre, Fannie Massarsky will present a thesis production of "Stupid Fucking Bird" written by playwright Aaron Posner.
PMA's annual dance event will be presented in the spring.
And our always popular end-of-the-year film screenings of students' films and thesis films will take place in the Kiplinger Theatre.
We look forward to seeing you at the Schwartz Center.