School of Performing Arts Season Showcases Artistic Talent

The 2018–19 season of the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts will showcase music, theatre, and cinema performances by students, faculty members, and guest artists. The season will run from September to May with performances for university and community members. Many events are free.

Music

The Music on Mondays series of guest and faculty artist recitals will open the season on Sept. 10 with flutist Don Bailey and pianist Dianne Frazer. Recitals will continue throughout the season on selected Mondays, with the Squires Recital Salon providing an intimate space for listening.

Igor Stravinsky’s “Histoire du Soldat” will be performed Sept. 21-22 as part of “ReSounding the Archives: The Music of World War I,” a festival honoring the 100th anniversary of the end of the war.

Ensemble concerts throughout the year will showcase student talent. Ensembles include the New River Valley Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Virginia Tech Choirs, Symphony Band, Jazz Ensembles, Percussion Ensemble, New Music Ensemble, brass, woodwind, and string ensembles.

Exposition VI: Nature of Space will bring student and faculty artists together on March 31 for the annual spectacular musical showcase at the Moss Arts Center. The benefit concert will support music scholarships at Virginia Tech.

Theatre

The Mainstage Theatre series brings new and classic works to the Virginia Tech stage. This season includes:

• Sept. 25-Oct. 2: “Decision Height,” by Meredith Dayna Levy
• Nov. 7-14: “Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches,” by Tony Kushner
• Feb. 26-Mar. 5: “The Foreigner,” by Larry Shue
• April 23-30: “As You Like It,” by William Shakespeare

“Poe’s Shadows: An Immersive Theatrical Installation” will guide audience members through an immersive theatrical experience based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe in the Cube in the Moss Art Center from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4.

A new free series, “T101 Workshops,” will highlight the talents of student performers in the Theatre 101 venue space on College Avenue. Performances include:

• Sept. 12-14: “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind,” by Greg Allen
• Oct. 24-26: “not your doll,” by Nicole Dietze
• Feb. 13-15: “[title of show],” with music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen and book by Hunter Bell

Cinema

The annual, student-led Progeny Short Film Festival will showcase local and regional talent at the Lyric Theatre on Sept. 22. Film categories include narrative, documentary, experimental, animated, super short, and high school.

For a list of all events, visit the School of Performing Arts website.

Advance tickets are available online and by phone beginning Aug. 20. For Squires and Burruss events, visit www.tickets.vt.edu or call 540-231-5615. For events in the Moss Arts Center, visit artscenter.vt.edu or call 540-231-5300.

Written by Susan Sanders