For quality entertainment, look no further than the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences Division of Performing and Visual Arts. This school year, they have a variety of shows planned for NSU and the South Florida community.
Bill Adams, associate professor and coordinator for PVA, said “We are trying to do things which the university community would be interested in hopefully participating in.”
These include the following productions: “Sylvia,” performed Oct. 4-13, a contemporary play about a couple who move back to Manhattan and encounter a dog, Sylvia, who tests their marriage; “Once on This Island,” performed Nov. 22-24, a musical about protecting the environment; and “Everyman,” performed Feb. 14-23, a 15th century play about the seven deadly sins written by an anonymous playwright.
“Everyman” will be directed by Michael Yawney, who teaches at Florida International University and previously directed PVA’s production of “The Laramie Project.” Since “Everyman” is an ancient play, Adams said Yawney will have the freedom to create his own interpretation of it.
These productions were chosen over a year ago by PVA faculty, who collaborated with music directors, directors, choreographers and designers to obtain the rights from the shows’ creators.
Farquhar’s 2013-2014 academic theme, “Good and Evil,” also played a role in what shows were selected. For example, “Everyman” focuses on morals.
PVA will also present several dance shows.
Elana Lanczi, associate professor of dance, says Dance Works, performed on Nov. 8 and 9, will showcase faculty choreographers and other dancers. The show will feature many dance styles, highlighting contemporary and Afro-fusion styles.
NovaPool: Dancing on the Internet, held on Nov. 22, will be a live dance collaboration with dancers from John Moores University in Liverpool, England. The show is directed by adjunct professor Luke Kahlich, who began working on NovaPool while teaching at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa. Over the past seven years, Kahlich and artists from the University of Liverpool have worked on the technology to create this virtual dance show.
Adam said, “It’s really amazing to watch and realize that those people are thousands of miles away and performing together at the same time. It becomes a performance studies piece.”
Auditions for “Sylvia” and “Once on This Island” will be held Aug. 29 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre. Auditions for Dance Works will held on Sept. 7 in the Performance Theatre at 3 p.m.
Senior dance and psychology major Stephanie Ponce has participated in many PVA dance shows — including previous Dance Works, Dance Concert and Festival of Student Works — and is looking forward to auditioning for this year’s Dance Works.
Ponce said auditioning is “one huge master class” and a chance for choreographers to show students what they’re looking for and a chance for students to get a lot of professional exposure.
All students can audition, with or without experience.
“There are so many things — whether it’s a musical or play or a dance concert or all the art things that we do as well — [that] all students can be involved in,”
he said.
