Courtesy of Sean Elliot
Connecticut College’s fall semester was full to the brim with arts across campus. Each event, concert, and performance was put together by talented and skillful artists, regardless of whether they were a professor, student, or visiting artist. While there were some events that were a bit underwhelming, there were far more events this semester that were an absolute delight. From productions that provided a mirror to our nation’s current political state, or pieces that were mesmerizing to take in, there was so much to enjoy this fall semester.
We’ll begin by looking at the Theater Department’s mainstage plays for the fall, the first of which was a rendition of George Orwell’s iconic novel, 1984. Directed by visiting director and Conn alum Malik Work ‘98, this production was a modern retelling of the classic story with some notable directing choices made by Work to make certain details stand out. The cast was led by Sophia Bianchi ‘26 and Ariel Mayer ‘26, who both gave fantastic performances. Both of the leads were strong, and their scenes together were filled with tension and love, as they attempted to escape from and fight against the ever-present “Big Brother.” Bianchi was particularly impressive in the latter half of the show, while her character, Winsome, was being tortured. Bianchi gave it her all, and her portrayal of this difficult character garnered a lot of admiration from peers and audience members. As an audience member, watching Winsome’s worst moments in the play was disturbing and terrifying. In fact, the production as a whole could be described as disturbing and terrifying, amongst other descriptors. The authoritarian regime portrayed in 1984 is very reminiscent of our nation at this time, focusing on the control of media and language. During both Theater Department productions, the connections from these shows to the issues of our nation today were not lost on the audience.
Several weeks after 1984, the company of Antigonick performed in Tansill Theater. Antigonick, written by Anne Carson, is a poetic and grounded translation of Sophokles’ Antigone. At the helm of the company was Professor David Jaffe, who directed the show, and Shelley Kozdra ‘28, who stage-managed the show. One of the most notable aspects of Antigonick was its set, a life-size version of a zen sand clock. The sand added a new depth to the theater, with walls lining the edge of the massive clock made to appear like the famed border wall down south. Similar to 1984, Antigonick also brought focus to authoritarianism’s cruelty and lack of humanity. The show was a great success, led by Nell Hamilton ‘26, who played Antigone. Hamilton’s masterful performance brought an incredible dynamism to Antigone, injecting the world around her with a sense of dread that would hang over the entire show until the very end. Alongside Hamilton were Ava Mary Aloia ‘26 and Elora Maxwell ‘26, playing Ismene and Kreon respectively. The three seniors had a powerful and striking scene in an early part of the show, allowing all three actors to shine. Both of the department dramas were well-received, and provided opportunities to see new students join the Theater Department. Altogether, there were over ten first years involved between both shows, five performing and the rest members of the stage crew.
One of the visiting shows that visited Conn was Lost Lear. Lost Lear was a show brought to the United States across the Atlantic Ocean by Irish playwright Dan Colley and his company. Lost Lear is a devastating and impactful show, portraying family turmoil and the struggles of caring for a family member with dementia. On Colley’s website, Lost Lear is described as, “A moving and darkly comic remix of Shakespeare’s play told from the point of view of Joy, a person with dementia, who is living in an old memory of rehearsing ‘King Lear’.” Joy’s carefully maintained reality is put at risk by the arrival of her estranged son, whom she casts as Cordelia. Throughout the story, he tries to find a way to make peace with her from the limited role he has. This summary only gives a glimpse into the emotional journey of this story. That night, after the show had concluded and the curtain had closed, there were many audience members audibly sobbing, revealing the depth of connection the company found with the audience. After its excellent showing at Conn, Lost Lear continued on its tour across the United States.
On the spookiest night of the year, Wig and Candle’s production of Rocky Horror claimed the time of many Conn students from 10 pm to midnight. Having moved to Evans Hall from the Olin basement, this new environment had both positives and negatives. Evans is a very warm lighting environment, contrary to what one might expect from a production of Rocky. However, it didn’t take much away from the show, and the production was a massive success. Rocky taking place in Evans allowed more people to attend the show than in previous years, where some people would be turned away at the door. Evans Hall was almost entirely filled, reflecting the great popularity of the production annually. Several students indicated that they preferred the direction and overall style of this production over previous years, which can be credited to Ava Mary Aloia ‘26, the director of this year’s production, alongside the rest of the production team, cast, and crew.
On the same spooky weekend as Rocky Horror, the Dance Club performance “Soul Unfiltered” took the campus by storm. The show was a staggering success, with all but one show sold out before the curtains opened. Several rounds of standing ovation were given after the spectacular showcase. Throughout the night, there were a variety of choreographic styles and dance genres on display, reflecting the great diversity, creativity, and ability of the students within the club.
In early December, the Dance Department concert wrapped up the arts of the fall semester. The department concert consisted of ten pieces, six choreographed by dance faculty, and four choreographed by students. The four student pieces were choreographed by Dani Crosta ‘27, Andrew Solomon ‘27, Ariel Mayer ‘26, and Elyse D’Amato ‘26. Solomon and Mayer created and performed the only two solos in the concert. Crosta’s piece was a more developed version of her Dance Club piece, with a few adjustments to further enhance an otherwise spectacular piece. Lastly, D’Amato choreographed her senior capstone to be performed in this concert because she is graduating at the end of the fall semester. Her piece was marvelous too, with themes of comfort and caring amongst her dancers. The five regular dance faculty pieces were all top-notch, and were joined this semester by Claudia-Lynn Rightmire, a fantastic choreographer and member of David Dorfman Dance, the professional dance company-in-residence at Connecticut College. Overall, the Dance Department concert was a success, and drew praise from many across campus.
At Conn, there is a lot of culture and community that centers around the arts. Whether it be through the Theater, Music, or Dance Departments, or the various student organizations that are dedicated to an art medium, there is a clear dedication to a diverse array of arts at Conn. Many students show support for some of the notable clubs, like the a capella groups, MOBROC, Dance Club, and Wig and Candle. Even if you are not involved with the arts, there is a high chance that you know or are friends with someone else who is. I certainly think that music is the most common thread between the major arts outlets at Conn. How music is prevalent in the music department is perhaps the most obvious. Looking further, student bands and acapella groups always perform songs and there are always two musicals that run during the spring, one through the Theater Department, and one through the Wig and Candle club. Even within “straight plays,” there are connections to music. Look no further than Anne Carsons’ Antigonick, where the show opened with an edited version of “Life During Wartime” by David Byrne and the Talking Heads. This was a departure from Carson’s script, but something Professor Jaffe felt was only appropriate to explore during the making of the production, given the themes of the show.
Many of the concerts and events this semester happened during fall weekend. This year, while parents and alumni visited Conn, there were concerts for the a capella groups, a “preview” concert from the music department (PRISM), and a visiting artist who performed a one-man show about Stephen Sondheim. There was particularly high attendance at the a capella and Prism concerts, reflecting the high valuation of quality music performance within Conn’s community.
One struggle of the arts at Conn is communication. There needs to be a more efficient and consistent way to reach all of the community to notify students about art events, because sometimes notice is only spread by word of mouth. Despite this struggle, Conn’s community consistently comes out to support the arts, whether it’s a sold-out dance club show, or mass gathering of students in Humphreys for an open mic. At the open mic events, there are student artists who begin to make a name for themselves on campus. One standout performer who has become somewhat of a campus celebrity is Danny “Banjo” Baruchin ‘29, a first year who is a very talented Banjo player. There will always be struggles, but the arts continue to prevail as a uniting force amongst the community at Conn.
Courtesy of Sean Elliot
Looking towards next semester, there are many opportunities for audiences to take note of. Hopefully, you were able to stop by the Ammerman House to check out the immersive dance theater experience Make Grannies Great Again (MGGA), where dance students performed work by guest artist Stefanie Batten Bland alongside members of her company. Anyone interested in watching more pure dance will have plenty of opportunities to do so, including the: Student Works Dance Concert performing February 13th and 14th, Senior Thesis Concert performing March 27th and 28th, and Senior Capstone Concert performing April 17th and 18th. The Student Works Dance Concert features dance pieces choreographed and performed by students of all years, whereas the latter two will have been choreographed by seniors only. If you were looking to see another show from the Theater Department, then make sure to make your way over to Palmer Auditorium between Friday, February 27th to Sunday, March 1st to see Promenade, the mainstage musical this year. Be warned, it is a wacky one, but definitely bound to be a funny and enjoyable experience. If you’re looking for more student based theatrical projects make sure to attend any of the shows at the Theater Senior Capstone Festival, held in late April. Lastly, Wig and Candle will be putting on popular musical Little Shop of Horrors performing Friday April 10th through Sunday April 12th, which is sure to be a fantastic show. Wig’s musical production quality has seen an increase recently, notably with last year’s You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Make sure to check out the arts brochure linked at the end of this review in order to check out all the events, including particularly exciting performances from the Music Department, and a few Film Department screenings, both of which are not mentioned above.
Overall, there are many art events to be excited for if you’re interested. The arts at Conn fosters incredible development of student artists at all levels and a great community, whether you are an artist or a member of the audience. Whether it’s through a Department or a student club, there have been many thrilling and intriguing events this past semester, and many more to look forward to in the future.
Arts Brochure: https://mcusercontent.com/aeb5fedf7dd5e441e3f61ef46/files/e3de1960-2ca7-0583-18a3-4bbd3f2d32ec/25_26_Arts_Brochure_LR.pdf
