CONTACT: Gita Brown, 401-456-8465, gbrown@ric.edu
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The arts continue to thrive at Rhode Island College. This fall the calendar is filled with an impressive array of art exhibits and inspired performances by both professional and student artists.
VISUAL ART
First, a panorama of 2-D works by RIC full-time and adjunct faculty from Aug. 31 to Sept. 22. Titled the “2-D Faculty Exhibition,” this show will feature works by Juan Barboza-Gubo, Yizhak Elyashiv, Stephen Fisher, Liliya Krys, Siobhan McBride, John Paul McCaughey, Amy Montali, Holly Popielarz, John Rapczak, Melissa Randall, Lisa Russell, Rebecca Shipe, Jason Travers, Frank Wang and Richard Whitten.
From Oct. 5-28 another group show reflects on today’s hyper-technology – “a dream caught between Utopia and nightmare” – and what it portends for our future. Titled “Forever Fornever,” works on display will be by artists Morehshin Allahyari, Jacob Ciocci, Kenta Cobayashi, Terrell Davis, exonemo, Miao Ying, Akihiko Taniguchi and Lu Yang. An opening reception will take place on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 5 p.m.
“The Soul of All Color,” an exhibit by abstract artist Toby Sisson, will run from Nov. 9 to Dec. 15. In her recent work, Sisson said she reflects on the current social chaos in the United States and “explores those existential questions that we’re perhaps all asking.” An opening reception will be held on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m.
Exhibitions, opening receptions and lectures are free and open to the public. For more information on Bannister exhibits, contact Bannister Gallery at (401) 456-9765 or visit
http://www.ric.edu/bannister.
PERFORMING ARTS SERIES
Suzanne Davis and the Tapestry Band will transport you back to the sounds of the 1970s in “Tapestry: The Carole King Songbook” on Saturday, Sept. 23. The concert will kick off at 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (General admission $35).
The “Festival of South African Dance,” direct from Johannesburg, brings together two dynamic dance companies – the Gumboots and Pantsula Dance Companies – for a pulsating, rhythm-filled evening of entertainment on Friday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in Roberts Hall Auditorium. This performance showcases two South African dance forms: gumboot dance, which began as a form of resistance by black miners; and the pantsula dance style, which was born of street culture in the black townships and influenced by Sotho dances, American jazz and hip-hop. Both dance forms were created in response to cultural and political issues in their communities. (General admission $35.)
On Thursday, Nov. 2, “The Other Mozart,” a one-woman play written and performed by Sylvia Milo, will explore the true and untold story of the sister of Amadeus Mozart – Maria Anna (Nannerl) Mozart – a prodigy, virtuoso and composer in her own right, who performed with her brother to equal acclaim. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (General admission $35.)
An immensely entertaining rendition of “The Nutcracker,” titled “NUT/CRACKED,” will be held on Dec. 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. Performed by The Bang Group and the RIC Dance Company, this production intermixes Tchaikovsky’s original score with music by Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and other jazz greats, while dancers combine ballet with tap, disco and contemporary dance. (General admission $35.)
THEATER
Award-winning essayist Kelly Grey Carlisle will give a reading of her memoir “We Are All Shipwrecks,” in which she attempts to understand her mother’s murder and the loving but difficult grandfather who raised her. Her reading will begin at 12:30 p.m. in Adams Library, the Reinhardt Room, on Wednesday, Sept. 27. A brief Q&A session will follow.
RIC Mainstage Theatre will stage performances of Will Eno’s “Middletown” from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 and Oct. 6-8 in the Helen Forman Theatre. “Middletown” explores the intersecting lives of residents in a small American town. There will be evening (7:30 p.m.) and matinee (2 p.m.) performances. (General admission $15.)
From Nov. 9-12 and from Nov. 17-19 RIC Mainstage Theatre will present the hilarious comedy “Leading Ladies,” about two Shakespearian actors who find themselves so down on their luck that they’re performing scenes from Shakespeare on the Moose Lodge circuit. When they hear that an elderly woman in York, Pennsylvania, is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long-lost English nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her relatives and cash in. This comedy will be performed in the Helen Forman Theatre and will include evening (7:30 p.m.) and matinee (2 p.m.) performances. (General admission $15.)
George Reinblatt’s “Evil Dead: The Musical” will be mounted by the RIC Growing Stage Theatre from Dec. 1-3. The storyline follows five college students who go to an abandoned cabin in the woods and accidently unleash an evil force that turns them all into demons. Blood flies, limbs are dismembered, demons tell bad jokes ... and all to music. Both evening (7:30 p.m.) and matinee (2 p.m.) performances will be held in the Helen Forman Theatre. (General admission $5.)
DANCE
Bridgman/Packer Dance, acclaimed for their innovative integration of choreography and video technology, will appear at RIC on Friday, Oct. 6, hosted by the RIC Dance Company. Concert time is at 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (Admission $15.)
RIC Dance Company’s annual “K-12 Mini Dance Concert Series” will run from Oct. 25-27 at 10 a.m. in Sapinsley Hall. This 45-minute concert is offered free to K-12 students in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
To end the dance season, the RIC Dance Company will stage a show titled “An Evening of Hip Hop with Teena Marie” on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. Marie was a well-established Motown R&B artist who became one of the first artists to blend soul and hip hop. She died in 2010 at age 56. This dance concert embodies her music. (General admission $15.)
MUSIC
Eclectic musical styles and performances by RIC faculty and student ensembles will also be offered this fall:
- The RIC Chamber Orchestra and Small Ensembles, Oct. 1 and Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (Admission free.)
- The RIC Wind Ensemble, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium in Roberts Hall. (General admission $10.)
- The RIC Concert Chorus, Chamber Singers and Women’s Chorus, Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. at the All Saints’ Memorial Church, 674 Westminster St., Providence. (Admission free; offerings accepted.) Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (General admission $10.)
- The RIC Symphony Orchestra, Oct. 17 and Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium in Roberts Hall. (General admission $10.)
- The RIC Student Chapter of the National Association of Music Education, Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m. in the Auditiorium in Roberts Hall. (General admission $10.)
- Judith Lynn Stillman and Friends, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (Suggested donation $10.) Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. at the Carter Center for Music Education & Performance, Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School, 667 Waterman Ave., East Providence. (General admission $25.) Dec. 6 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (Suggested donation $10.)
- The RIC Wind Ensemble and RIC Chamber Winds, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium in Roberts Hall.
- The RIC Jazz Combos Concert, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Forman Theatre. (Admission free.)
- The RIC Concert Jazz Band, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (General admission $10.)
For a chronological list of all events, browse the calendar below. For ticket information, visit
www.ric.edu/pfa or call the Box Office at (401) 456-8144.
ARTS CALENDAR
FALL 2017
AUGUST
Aug. 31-Sept. 22
Art: “2-D Faculty Exhibition”
Opening reception, Thursday, Aug. 31, 5 p.m.
James (Ari) Montford, curator
Bannister Gallery, Roberts Hall
Admission free
SEPTEMBER
Saturday, Sept. 23
Music: “Tapestry: The Carole King Songbook”
Suzanne Davis and the Tapestry Band
Performing Arts Series
7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
General admission $35
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $30
RIC alumni, faculty and staff (limit 2 per ID) $20
Non-RIC students/children (limit 1 per ID) $15
RIC students (limit 2 per ID) free
Wednesday, September 27
Reading: “We Are All Shipwrecks,” by Kelly Grey Carlisle
12:30 p.m.
Adams Library, Reinhardt Room
Admission free
Sept. 28-Oct.1 and Oct. 6-8
Theatre: “Middletown,” by Will Eno
RIC Mainstage Theatre
Casey Seymour-Kim, director
Sept. 28-30, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 1, 2 p.m.
Helen Forman Theatre
General admission $15
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $12
Non-RIC students (limit 1 per ID) $10
RIC faculty, staff and alumni (limit 2 per ID) $5
RIC students (limit 2 per ID) $5
OCTOBER
Sunday, Oct. 1
Music: RIC Chamber Orchestra and Small Ensembles
John Sumerlin, conductor
7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
Admission Free
Oct. 5-28
Art: “Forever Fornever”
Morehshin Allahyari, Jacob Ciocci, Kenta Cobayashi, Terrell Davis, exonemo, Miao Ying, Akihiko Taniguchi and Lu Yang
Opening reception, Thursday, Oct. 5, 5 p.m.
Chris Romero, curator
Bannister Gallery, Roberts Hall
Admission free
Friday, Oct. 6
Dance: Bridgman/Packer Dance
With the RIC Dance Company
7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
General admission $15
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $12
Non-RIC students (limit 1 per ID) $10
RIC faculty, staff and alumni (limit 2 per ID) $5
RIC students (limit 2 per ID) $5
Oct. 6-8
Theatre: “Middletown,” by Will Eno
RIC Mainstage Theatre
Casey Seymour-Kim, director
Oct. 6-7, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 8, 2 p.m.
Helen Forman Theatre
General admission $15
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $12
Non-RIC students (limit 1 per ID) $10
RIC faculty, staff and alumni (limit 2 per ID) $5
RIC students (limit 2 per ID) $5
Friday, Oct. 13
Music: “Standards +”
RIC Wind Ensemble
Robert Franzblau, conductor
7:30 p.m.
Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General admission $10
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $5
Non-RIC students (limit 1 per ID) $5
RIC students, faculty and staff (limit 2 per ID) free
Sunday, Oct. 15
Music: “RIC Autumn Choral Concert”
RIC Concert Chorus, Chamber Singers and Women’s Chorus
Teresa Coffman, conductor
Philip Martorella, pianist and assistant conductor
3 p.m.
All Saints’ Memorial Church, 674 Westminster St., Providence, RI 02903
Admission free (offerings accepted)
Tuesday, Oct. 17
Music: “Vienna’s Musical Heritage”
RIC Symphony Orchestra
Alexey Shabalin, conductor
7:30 p.m.
Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General admission $10
RIC students, faculty, and staff (limit 2 per ID) free
Friday, Oct. 20
Dance: “Festival of South African Dance,” featuring the
Gumboots and Pantsula Dance Companies
Performing Arts Series
7:30 p.m.
Auditorium in Roberts HallGeneral admission $35
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $30
RIC alumni, faculty and staff (limit 2 per ID) $20
Non-RIC students/children (limit 1 per ID) $15
RIC students (limit 2 per ID) free
Oct. 25-27
Dance: Annual “K-12 Mini Dance Concert Series”
RIC Dance Company
10 a.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
Admission free
This 45-minute informational dance concert is offered free to K-12 students from Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Friday, Oct. 27
Music: “Halloween Collage Concert”
RIC Student Chapter of the National Association of Music Education
7:30 p.m.
Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General admission $10
RIC students, faculty, staff and all who come in costume free
Friday, Oct. 27
Dance: “An Evening of Hip Hop with Teena Marie”
RIC Dance Company
7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
General admission $15
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $12
Non-RIC students (limit 1 per ID) $10
RIC faculty, staff and alumni (limit 2 per ID) $5
RIC students (limit 2 per ID) $5
NOVEMBER
Wednesday, Nov. 1 and 5
Music: “The Russians are Coming”
Judith Lynn Stillman and Friends from the Rhode Island Philharmonic
1 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
Suggested donation $10
RIC Artist-in-Residence Judith Lynn Stillman and Rhode Island Philharmonic principals Charles Dimmick, Ian Greitzer and Aristides Rivas perform works by Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and Khachaturian.
Thursday, Nov. 2
Theatre: “The Other Mozart,” written and performed by Sylvia Milo
Performing Arts Series
7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
General admission $35
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $30
RIC alumni, faculty and staff (limit 2 per ID) $20
Non-RIC students/children (limit 1 per ID) $15
RIC students (limit 2 per ID) free
Sunday, Nov. 5
Music: “The Russians are Coming”
Judith Lynn Stillman and Friends from the Rhode Island Philharmonic
3 p.m.
Carter Center for Music Education & Performance,
Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School
667 Waterman Avenue, East Providence, RI
General admission $25
Students (18 and under or with college ID) $15
Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School students and family $10
Nov. 9-Dec. 15
Art: Toby Sisson: “The Soul of All Color”
Opening reception, Thursday, Nov. 9, 5 p.m.
Bannister Gallery, Roberts Hall
Admission free
Nov. 9-12 and 17-19
Theatre: “Leading Ladies,” by Ken Ludwig
RIC Mainstage Theatre
Patricia Hawkridge, director
Nov. 9-11 and 17-18, 7:30 p.m.
Nov 12 and 19, 2 p.m.
Helen Forman Theatre
General admission $15
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $12
Non-RIC students (limit 1 per ID) $10
RIC faculty, staff and alumni (limit 2 per ID) $5
RIC students (limit 2 per ID) $5
Sunday, Nov. 19
Music: RIC Chamber Orchestra and Small Ensembles
John Sumerlin, Conductor
7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
Admission free
DECEMBER
Friday, Dec. 1
Music: “Collaborations”
RIC Wind Ensemble and RIC Chamber Winds
Robert Franzblau, conductor
7:30 p.m.
Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General admission $10
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $5
Non-RIC students (limit 1 per ID) $5
RIC students, faculty and staff (limit 2 per ID) free
Dec. 1-2
Dance: “NUT/CRACKED”
The Bang Group with the RIC Dance Company
Performing Arts Series in collaboration with RIC Dance Company
7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
General admission $35
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $30
RIC alumni, faculty and staff (limit 2 per ID) $20
Non-RIC students/children (limit 1 per ID) $15
RIC students (limit 2 per ID) free
Dec. 1-3
Theatre: “Evil Dead: The Musical,” by George Reinblatt
RIC Growing Stage Theatre
Nick D’Amico, director
Andrew Holowienka, musical director
Dec. 1-2, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 3, 2 p.m.
Helen Forman Theatre
General admission $5
Tuesday, Dec. 5
Music: “Leipzig’s Musical Heritage”
RIC Symphony Orchestra
Alexey Shabalin, conductor
7:30 p.m.
Auditorium in Roberts Hall
General admission $10
RIC students, faculty and staff (limit 2 per ID) free
Wednesday, Dec. 6
Music: Judith Lynn Stillman and Friends
Third Annual “Joyful Collaboration”
Judith Lynn Stillman, artistic director
1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
Suggested donation $10
Wednesday, Dec. 6
Music: RIC Jazz Combos Concert
Greg Abate, director
7:30 p.m.
Forman Theatre
Admission free
Friday, Dec. 8
Music: RIC Concert Chorus, Chamber Singers and Women’s Chorus
“RIC Winter Choral Concert”
Teresa Coffman, conductor
Philip Martorella, pianist and assistant conductor
7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
General admission $10
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $5
RIC students, faculty and staff (limit 2 per ID) free
Monday, Dec. 11
Music: RIC Concert Jazz Band
Joseph Foley, director
7:30 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
General admission $10
Seniors (62+, limit 1 per ID) $5
RIC students, faculty and staff (limit 2 per ID) free
