2013-14
visual &
performing arts season schedule
BSC Fine Arts Society enters its 33rd year with exciting productions of plays, musical performances, and art
BSC
Birmingham-Southern College
Join the bsc Fine Arts Society today! At Birmingham-Southern College, young artists are empowered to develop their skills and nurture their talents behind the scenes and at center stage. Students get hands-on training in the classroom and plenty of opportunities to display their abilities in performance and exhibition venues on campus, in Birmingham, and around the world. They’re taught by top-notch faculty who don’t just teach what they do. They do what they teach. It’s a distinctive educational journey that prepares students to meet tomorrow’s challenges and to make a profound difference in the world. To join the Fine Arts Society, please fill out the online form at www.bsc.edu/academics/fas/join.cfm. If you have questions regarding the form, please call (205) 226-4650 or e-mail fineartssociety@bsc.edu.
On the cover: Scenes from the 2012-13 fine and performing arts season and (background image) detail of Natalie Dunham’s artwork.
2013-14 Fine Arts Society Membership No matter what level you choose, your membership supports students. See also how membership benefits you! Season Sponsorships • $1,000 and above • Special recognition in the donor report for sponsorships of $10,000 or more • Program and website recognition for all performances and exhibitions (at donor’s discretion) • Signage recognition at all exhibitions, performances, and special events (at donor’s discretion) • All membership benefits at the Benefactor level
Member • $100 • Two pre-paid tickets to each ticketed performance • Opportunity to reserve additional tickets before general public and at discounted price • Recognition in performance programs • Invitations to pre-theatre and other special events • Periodic updates on campus arts events
Benefactor • $350 • Tax deductible portion: $150 • Four pre-paid tickets to each ticketed performance • Opportunity to reserve additional tickets before general public and at discounted price • Recognition in performance programs • Invitations to pre-theatre and other special events • Periodic updates on campus arts events
Patron • $250 • Tax deductible portion: $150 • Two pre-paid tickets to each ticketed performance • Opportunity to reserve additional tickets before general public and at discounted price • Recognition in performance programs • Invitations to pre-theatre and other special events • Periodic updates on campus arts events
Friend • Suggested donation: $75 • Tax-deductible portion: full donation amount • Opportunity to reserve tickets before general public at discounted price • Recognition in performance programs • Invitations to pre-theater and other special events • Periodic updates on campus arts events
The tax deductible portion of your Fine Arts Society membership and/or Season Sponsorship is included in your overall giving to Birmingham-Southern College.
visual art
The Hate Project: installation by Prof. Steve Cole September 6-26, 2013 Opening reception is Friday, September 6, 6-8 p.m. Artist lecture is on Thursday, September 26, 11a.m.-12 p.m. in the Norton Theatre. Panel lecture with Lecia Brooks, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Prof. Randall Law, is Thursday, September 12, time/location TBD.
The Hate Project is an art installation that depicts the growing prevalence of intolerance by graphically illustrating the 1,007 hate groups currently active in the United States as identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, White Nationalists, Christian Identity, NeoNazis, Neo-Confederates, Black Separatists, Anti-Gay, Border Vigilantes, Racist Skinheads, and others are represented by 10-inch cast figurines geographically mapped state-by-state on a 42-foot gallery floor, configured in the shape of the United States. — Steve Cole "The Hate Project" by Steve Cole.
Chroma: works by Natalie Dunham and Jamey Grimes, BSC alumni November 1-26, 2013 Opening reception is Friday, November 1, 2013, 6-8 p.m. My latest series, entitled paint the roses [RED], is an exploration of artifice or “ways of covering.” Drawing inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, this minimal installation asks the question: What happens when we rely on surface interaction and alteration? For these works, I strip materials down to a raw, natural state to reveal what is honest and uncomplicated about them. I then cover the forms all over with red paint, creating a visual and psychological tension between surface and depth. The purpose of this series is to illustrate that “painting the (roses) red” is a temporary solution and that the true “color” of things will always reveal itself. "Between Strangers" (detail) by David Meyer.
— Natalie Dunham
More Questions than Answers: installation by David Meyer in conjunction with the Annual Art Students League, Sloss Furnace Iron Pour October 4-24, 2013 Artist lecture is on Thursday, October 3, 2013, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. in the Kennedy Lecture Hall Opening reception is Friday, October 4, 2013, 5-8 p.m. The artwork in this exhibition stems from my thoughts and ideas concerning the distortion of seeing in relationship to our personal experiences. All the work originates from a photographic image and, through various processes, is altered to create a new truth. Because of the undefined nature of the imagery within the work, the subject matter can shift from one thought to another and only becomes real when we believe it, like a ghost. — David Meyer
Detail of Jamey Grimes' artwork.
Sloss Furnace Iron Pour October 4, 2013 5-8 p.m. Outside Durbin Gallery Watch as Sloss Furnaces’ metal arts sculptors set up a small furnace and melt hundreds of pounds of scrap iron. Purchase and decorate your own 4”x 4” sand molds, then watch as the Sloss crew fills them with molten iron. The Herb Trotman Band will entertain during the event.
My sculptures are fragments of a conversation with nature. The dialogue can be hostile, soothing, or both. Storms, trees, and the sea personify heightened emotion, wisdom, and awareness. Reflecting on my own vivid experiences with nature, I realize that imagination plays a powerful role, transforming observations into unique, dream-like forms. This process guides experimentation with synthetic materials. As I find unlikely relationships between memories and materials, metaphors open and expand this dialogue. — Jamey Grimes
"Simulacrumedia 3" by Kevin Shook.
Biennial Southern Art Competition
Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition I
January 5-22, 2014 Opening reception is Sunday, January 5, 2014, 2:30-5 p.m.
March 7-27, 2014 Opening reception is Friday, March 7, 2014, 6-8 p.m.
Simulacrumedia: works by Prof. Kevin Shook February 7-27, 2014 Artist lecture is on Tuesday, February 18, 2014, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. in the Norton Theatre. Opening reception is Friday, February 7, 2014, 6-8 p.m. Simulacrumedia is an installation on the subject of media and its effects on social communication and how we perceive reality. The work explores the process of interpreting the world within a visual framework. This specific process stems from the ritual interaction society has with media: smartphone, laptop, newspaper, or billboard. This interaction creates a hyperreality that connects, yet distances, individuals from one another. —Kevin Shook
Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition II April 4-17, 2014 Opening reception is Friday, April 4, 2014, 6-8 p.m.
Student Juried Exhibition May 1-7, 2014
All gallery exhibitions are displayed in the Durbin Gallery of the Doris Wainwright Kennedy Art Center/Azar Art Studios. Gallery exhibitions are free and open to the public during exhibition hours: Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. For more information, please call (205) 226-4928.
theatre
A scene from the 2012-13 season’s The Who's Tommy PHOTO CREDIT: Joseph Marler Bailey
October 3, 4 & 5, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. October 6, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. / College Theatre / Theatre One
ReEntry
By Emily Ackerman and K.J. Sanchez Since its debut, ReEntry has moved audiences and critics alike as “provocative and powerful,” “high wattage theatre, scalding, moving, and highly entertaining.” This innovative, illuminating work is based on extensive interviews with Marines and their families as they recount the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan. Prepare for a memorable and intimate evening of honesty, humor, and thoughtful complexity. Fine Arts Society reservations begin Thursday, September 12 General public reservations begin Thursday, September 19
November 21, 22 & 23, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. November 24, 2013, at 2:30 p.m. / College Theatre / Mainstage
Company
Book by George Furth Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
A scene from 2012-13’s Next to Normal PHOTO CREDIT: Joseph Marler Bailey
Company boasts numerous Tony and Drama Desk awards. The first and only time in the history of the Tony Awards that music and lyrics were judged in separate categories, Stephen Sondheim took home both awards for this then-innovative, now-classic musical. Company’s colorful characters reflect adult struggles, relationships, and timely questions. As Sondheim muses, “Broadway theatre has been for many years supported by upper-middleclass people with upper-middle-class problems. These people really want to escape that world when they go to the theatre, and then here we are with Company talking about how we’re going to bring it right back in their faces.” Nominated for an astonishing 14 Tony Awards, and winner of six, Company is a delicious cocktail of humor and pathos you won’t want to miss! Fine Arts Society reservations begin Thursday, October 31, 2013 General public reservations begin Thursday, November 7, 2013 January 23, 24 & 25, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. January 26, 2014, at 2:30 p.m. / College Theatre / Theatre One
The Liar
By David Ives, adapted from the comedy by Pierre Corneille What if charming Dorante—a young swain who cannot tell the truth—falls in love with charming Clarice? And what if our ardent hero is blissfully unaware that his love is secretly engaged to his best friend? But what if his father is trying to get him married to Clarice … yet he thinks Clarice is Lucrece… who is in fact in love with him? The Liar is a zesty roller coaster of a ride, zooming its way to one loopy surprise of inconvenience after another. As one critic writes, “If there’s anything half as entertaining as The Liar onstage hereabouts, I’d be obliged if someone would let me know about it.” The Liar swirls with romance, outrageous humor, and just plain fun. Fine Arts Society reservations begin Thursday, January 2, 2014 General public reservations begin Thursday, January 9, 2014
A scene from 2012-13’s Richard III Joseph Marler Bailey
PHOTO CREDIT:
April 10, 11 & 12, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. April 13, 2014, at 2:30 p.m. / College Theatre / Mainstage
Jesus Christ Superstar
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber / Lyrics by Tim Rice Experience this remarkable work that launched the careers of Webber and Rice. Jesus Christ Superstar began as a humble melody written on a napkin in a restaurant and has become one of the most popular and beloved musicals of the stage. Inspired by the Gospel accounts of the last week of the life of Jesus, the beloved rock musical is aptly described as “infectious,” “moving,” and “explosive.” Jesus Christ Superstar, performed worldwide since its 1971 debut,
takes the stage on the Hilltop for a most memorable evening of such songs as “Superstar” and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.” Jesus Christ Superstar celebrates the resilience and power of the human spirit. Fine Arts Society reservations begin Thursday, March 20, 2014 General public reservations begin Thursday, March 27, 2014
A scene from 2012-13’s The Who's TOMMY PHOTO CREDIT: Joseph Marler Bailey
General ticket prices are $20 for Company and Jesus Christ Superstar and $15 for ReEntry and The Liar. Student tickets for BSC and all other schools are $10. Children ages six and under will not be admitted. To reserve tickets online, go to www.bsc.edu/ academics/theatre or call the College Theatre Box Office at (205) 226-4780. Reserved tickets will be held at Will Call until 15 minutes prior to opening the production.
music The Birmingham Music Club presents Daniel Seigel, baritone Prof. Lester Seigel, piano Thursday, September 19, 2013, 7:30 p.m. Hill Recital Hall Daniel Seigel, a 2002 graduate of BSC, made his New York recital debut in 2010 at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in a critically acclaimed performance. He was the 2009 winner of the National Federation of Music Clubs’ Young Artists Competition. His program includes Samuel Barber’s “Dover Beach” with members of the Alabama Symphony accompanying, and songs and arias by Vaughan Williams, Herbert Howells, Charles-Francois Gounod, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Jason Robert Brown, and more. The event is free to BSC students, faculty, and staff with a college ID. For general admission tickets, please call (205) 975-2787.
Daniel Seigel
Prof. Leon Couch III Faculty Organ Recital
The Annual BSC Halloween Organ Spooktacular
Sunday, October 6, 2013 7:30 p.m. Hill Recital Hall
Thursday, October 31, 2013, 9 p.m. Hill Recital Hall The annual Halloween tradition of sing-a-long pumpkin carols and “organists behaving badly” continues. Come in costume and join the fun!
Leon Couch is the newest member of BSC’s full-time music faculty in the area of music theory, piano, and organ. Prof. Couch performs internationally, with many recordings to his credit, and will present a program that includes works by Dieterich Buxtehude, J.S. Bach, Alexandre Guilmant, and others, on the college’s beautiful Cooper Memorial organ by Casavant Frères. Please join us for his debut recital in Birmngham!
Symphonic Band Prism Concert Monday, November 25, 2013, 7:30 p.m. Hill Recital Hall
BSC Opera Scenes Tuesday, December 3, 2013, 7:30 p.m. Hill Recital Hall Students present excerpts from the operatic repertoire under the direction of Prof. Jeff Kensmoe.
Leon Couch III
BSC Carol Service featuring the choirs of BirminghamSouthern College
Symphonic Band Spring Concert Tuesday, April 22, 2014, 7 p.m. Hill Amphitheatre
Friday, December 6, 2013, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, December 8, 2013, 4:30 p.m. Canterbury United Methodist Church, 350 Overbrook Road, Mountain Brook
The Symphonic Band presents its annual spring concert on the BSC campus, conducted by Prof. Ben Posey.
The BSC Concert Choir, Southern Chorale, and Alumni Choir present the 77th annual Service of Lessons and Carols, featuring glorious and inspiring choral music for the holiday season.
Monday, April 28, 2014, 4 p.m. Norton Campus Center Fountain (Alumni Plaza)
Jazz Band Spring Concert
Dorsey and Frances Whittington Competition Winners Sunday, February 16, 2014, 3 p.m. Hill Recital Hall Student winners of the annual competition will be featured as soloists with the Red Mountain Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble-in-residence at BSC.
BSC Opera Scenes Tuesday, April 29, 2014, 7:30 p.m. Hill Recital Hall Students present excerpts from the operatic repertoire under the direction of Prof. Jeff Kensmoe.
Prof. Jeff Kensmoe Faculty Voice Recital
Southern Chorale Spring Concert
Sunday, March 9, 2014, 2:30 p.m. Hill Recital Hall Baritone Jeff Kensmoe, now in his fourth year on the BSC faculty, has appeared onstage internationally in opera, oratorio, and musical theatre roles, as well as such diverse performances as PBS' "Sondheim Gala" at Carnegie Hall and CBS's The Guiding Light.
Thursday, May 1, 2014, 7:30 p.m. Hill Recital Hall
Concert Choir Homecoming Performance Sunday, March 30, 2014, 4 p.m. Bluff Park United Methodist Church, 733 Valley St., Hoover Jeff Kensmoe
The ensemble will perform marches, patriotic music, and lighter musical selections. Bring a blanket and snacks and enjoy some family-friendly music!
The BSC Concert Choir returns from its tour of the mid-Atlantic states with a varied program led by Prof. Lester Seigel.
BSC’s Southern Chorale presents a varied choral program, led by Prof. Jeff Kensmoe.
Hilltop Singers Season Finale Monday, May 5, 2014, 7:30 p.m. Hill Recital Hall The annual end-of-season show by the 16-member vocal ensemble is a much-anticipated event. Ranging from vocal jazz to John Legend to Lyle Lovett, this year’s show is not to be missed!
Hilltop Singers
The Hugh and Barbara Thomas Master Class Series sponsored by the Waters Family and State Farm Insurance Lawrence Quinnett in piano recital Sunday, November 17, 2013, 7:30 p.m. Hill Recital Hall
visual & 2013-14
Lawrence Quinnett
Quinnett is an active concert pianist who has performed in America, England, and the Caribbean. Born in Plymouth, Montserrat, he was raised in the United States. Quinnett has garnered several prizes and honors, including first place in the Florida State University College of Music Doctoral Concerto Competition (2013), FSU Chapman Piano Competition (2011), the South Carolina Music Teachers’ Association Young Artist Piano Competition (2008), and the Southeastern College Piano Competition (2006). He was a judge for the 2010 Fayetteville Piano Competition in North Carolina and has performed and given master classes for various other festivals in North Carolina. Not one to shy away from a challenge, Quinnett’s repertoire is formidable and eclectic, ranging from Jean-Philippe Rameau to Gyorgi Ligeti.
performing arts season schedule
BSC
Birmingham-Southern College
Admission to concerts and recitals at BSC is free of charge and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Many events include a reception hosted by the BSC Fine Arts Society to which all guests are invited. For more information, please contact the Music Department at (205) 226-4950.