Aug 28 - Nov 13
School of Filmmaking Symposium
School of Filmmaking: Symposium

The School of Filmmaking's "Symposium" series opens a door into the world behind the screen, offering audiences a chance to engage with filmmakers, artists and creative thinkers from myriad disciplines who are shaping contemporary storytelling. Through screenings, conversations and engaging dialogue, each event becomes a unique space to come together and explore how art is made, why it matters and what it reveals about the world we live in.

Oct 29 - Nov 7
Angels in America
"Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches" by Tony Kushner

In a world of surreal encounters and shifting realities, lives collide in 1980s America as friends, lovers and strangers navigate beautiful and challenging transformations in Tony Kushner's "Angels in America," the Pulitzer Prize-winning play that was also adapted into an acclaimed HBO miniseries.

Oct 29-31
“Macbeth” by William Shakespeare
"Macbeth" by William Shakespeare

Chilling premonitions drive this story of ambition, power and fate. Each scene is charged with suspense and despair in one of Shakespeare's most celebrated tragedies. "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" when blood, betrayal, and dark magic collide in this daring, all-female production. Alumna Acadia Barrengos (B.F.A. Drama '22) directs, bringing a bold, contemporary perspective to the Scottish tragedy. The cast challenges traditional gender roles while playing amongst the dangerous allure of power and collision with destiny. Step into a visually striking world where nothing is as it seems -- promising a gripping experience of theatrical thrills. Just don't say the name of the play out loud! Barrengos returns to UNCSA as an alumni director with support from the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts.

31
Oct
UNCSA Symphony Orchestra
UNCSA Symphony Orchestra

Expansive sound, bold soloists and high-stakes musical energy unite in a Symphony Orchestra program built to thrill. Hailed by Fanfare as a "rising young conductor," Ian Passmore returns to lead a dynamic evening of contrast and power.

1
Nov
Wind Ensemble
UNCSA Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds: Classics!

From rhythmic vitality to neoclassical precision, the UNCSA Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Winds trace a wide musical range across contrasting tones. Dmitri Shostakovich's "Folk Dances" opens the program with driving energy and spirited motion, drawing themes from the Russian ballet tradition. Richard Strauss' Serenade, Op. 7 follows with youthful grace, revealing the composer's early command of elegance and line. Igor Stravinsky's Octet introduces a shift in texture and form, offering crisp neoclassical writing defined by wit, clarity and inventive structure. Vincent Persichetti's Symphony No. 6 closes the program with sweeping contrast and rich detail in transformation -- inviting audiences to listen for musical form in addition to melody. Under the direction of Mark Norman, the ensembles move between energy, refinement and growing musical architecture within a single program.

1
Nov
Going for Baroque
Going for Baroque: Vocal Treasures of the 17th-18th Centuries and Beyond

The UNCSA Voice Department will present an afternoon of solos and ensembles reaching back to the Renaissance and Baroque periods, while also sampling more contemporary composers who emulate Early Music styles. Of course there will be Bach and Handel, but keep an ear out for surprises from Lully, Strozzi, Purcell, Caccini, and Betinis as well. Featuring high school and undergraduate students from the studios of Marilyn Taylor, Glenn Siebert, Phyllis Pancella, and Jodi Burns.

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La MaMa Umbria Symposium opportunity is now available for alumni

The Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts has announced an opportunity for UNCSA alumni to attend the 2024 La MaMa Umbria Symposium in Italy for Directors and Playwrights – applications due May 10, 2024.

For over 30 years, the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at UNCSA has partnered with cultural organizations, fostering new programs in arts and cultural research, the development of new work, arts education, and career development for artists and cultural leaders.

This summer, the Kenan Institute for the Arts is collaborating again with La MaMa Umbria International(opens in new tab) by sponsoring up to four UNCSA Alumni from the classes of 2014 to 2024 for one of three creative symposiums in Italy designed for artists to work with internationally renowned theatre professionals whose work is impacting the contemporary landscape of performative arts.

“For nearly 25 years,” says Kenan Institute Executive Director Kevin Bitterman, “La MaMa Umbria has served as a hub where artists from diverse corners of the globe convene to collaborate, generate new work and exchange creative concepts — it is a fertile crossroads for artists at all stages of development, and a perfect environment for members of the UNCSA community to advance their creative practice.”

For nearly 25 years, La MaMa Umbria has served as a hub where artists from diverse corners of the globe convene to collaborate, generate new work and exchange creative concepts.

Kenan Institute Executive Director Kevin Bitterman

Founded in 1990 by legendary theatre pioneer, Ellen Stewart(opens in new tab), La MaMa Umbria International is dedicated to artistic experimentation, research, and learning. Housed in a former monastery just outside Spoleto, Italy, the center is less than two hours from Rome. Hundreds of artists have found Umbria to be a space that is beautiful, spiritually enriching, welcoming, and open to bold artistic experiments.

The 2024 La MaMa Umbria International workshop leaders include American theatre director Anne Bogart(opens in new tab); Franco-Uruguayan playwright and director Sergio Blanco(opens in new tab); Doris Duke Artist Award-winning director Stacy Klein(opens in new tab); Contemporary Rwandan director and playwright Hope Azeda(opens in new tab); Co-Founding Artistic and Executive Director of The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics Derek Goldman(opens in new tab); Co-founder of DAH Theater Dijana Milošević(opens in new tab); and Polish-born American playwright Martyna Majok(opens in new tab) who received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play "Cost of Living," among other workshop leaders.

Learn more about how to apply for a chance to attend the La MaMa Umbria Symposium here. 

April 26, 2024