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5 LENFEST FALL 2020 PERFORMANCES WILL BE STREAMED AT https://livestream.com/wlu unless noted.
Contents
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Lenfest Events
5-7
Theater, Dance, and Film Studies
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Season Calendar
9-12
Fall Music Events
13-14
Staniar Gallery
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Ticket Information/ Box Office Information
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1 Bentley Musical 2020, Considering Matthew Shepard 2&4 University Orchestra Ensemble 3 Department of Art and Art History 5 A Midsummer Night’s Dream 6 W&L Repertory Dance Company 7 University Jazz Ensemble 8 EVERYBODY 9 W&L Dance
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my.wlu.edu/lenfest-center
Brochure front cover: Debashish Bhattacharya Brochure back cover: Departments of Music, Art and Theater, Dance, and Film Studies’ photos. Brochure graphic design by Susan Wager. W&L University photographs by Kevin Remington, Shelby Mack, Patrick Hinely ’73 and Emma Coleman ’21.
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enfest
LAURA BENANTI
Thursday October 22, 2020
8 p.m.
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Performance will be streamed. https://my.wlu.edu/lenfest-center/ laura-benanti
Laura Benanti scored big time as the Baroness Elsa von Schraeder, Maria’s rival for the captain’s affection. The baroness is usually set up almost as a villain but Benanti was stylish, witty and sneakily funny—her duet with Christian Borle’s Max, “How Can Love Survive?,” was a sly delight.” ~NEW YORK POST (The Sound of Music Live!)
Tony Award winner and five-time Tony Award nominee Laura Benanti is a highly celebrated stage and screen actress who recently debuted to rapturous reviews in the film Worth at the Sundance Film Festival opposite Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci. She will soon be seen in the film, Here Today, alongside Billy Crystal. Television credits include roles in Younger, The Detour, Go On, Starved Supergirl, Nashville, The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, and The Sound of Music Live! where she received rave reviews for her role as Elsa von Schrader. Benanti made a triumphant return to Broadway last fall as Eliza Doolittle in Lincoln Center’s acclaimed production of My Fair Lady. She received a Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and a Tony Award nomination for her starring role in the Broadway production of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown for Lincoln Center, where she also starred in the Broadway production of Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room or (The Vibrator Play). Benanti earned the 2008 Tony Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, a Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award for her revelatory portrayal of Gypsy Rose Lee in Gypsy opposite Patti LuPone and directed by Arthur Laurents. Additional Broadway roles include The Wedding Singer, Nine, starring Antonio Banderas, her Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle
Award-nominated performance of Cinderella in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods and her sultry Tony-nominated turn in Swing! Benanti made her Broadway debut at 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music opposite Richard Chamberlain. She
recently released a comedic book on motherhood, M is for Mama (also Merlot), as well as new music through Sony Music Masterworks. For more information please visit www.laurabenanti.com and @ laurabenanti on social.
Sponsored in part by Theater, Dance and Film Studies, Lenfest and Andrew F. Mellon Foundation. Please visit the website for date changes and updates at http://my.wlu.edu/lenfest-center. Box Office 540.458.8000
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enfest
DEBASHISH BHATTACHARYA
Saturday November 14, 2020
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7:30 p.m.
Performance will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
Using the centuries-old raga tradition, Bhattacharya takes the listener to a place of deep emotional expression beyond the boundaries of time.” ~ACOUSTIC GUITAR MAGAZINE
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A tranquil and then exhilarating musical meditation.” ~THE GUARDIAN
Indian guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya brings universal appeal to his pioneering fusion of classical Indian ragas and bluesy Western music. His uncanny sense of musical understanding and brilliance has established him as a recording artist whose perfect musicality matches all categories of music—Indian, classical, jazz, blues, folk or Nue music. Embracing Hawaiian slide guitar from his childhood in the 1960s, Bhattacharya invented a unique style of Hindustani slide guitar. He has received global
recognition of the patented guitars Chaturangui, Gandharvi and Anandi, which not only excel in sound variety and quality, but have also become popular instruments and created a niche in the guitar world. He has received two Grammy nominations and earned distinguished awards including Songlines, BBC Planet, Asiatic Society and Present of India awards. He has been featured in Song Lines Magazine Top 10, Central Asia and Asia Pacific World Music Top 10, Amazon Top 100 Albums and National Geographic.
Sponsored in part by the Pauline B. and Paul D. Pickens Fund for the Performing Arts and the Class of ’64 Performing Arts Fund.
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Please visit the website for date changes and updates at http://my.wlu.edu/lenfest-center. Box Office 540.458.8000
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heater, Dance, and Film Studies
AMERICAN SHAKESPEARE CENTER
OTHELLO Written by William Shakespeare Directed by Ethan McSweeny
Saturday, September 12, 2020
2 p.m.
For access to the Live Stream link and password, please email boxoffice@wlu.edu— using Othello Link in subject line. Deadline to receive link is Saturday, September 12 at 1 p.m.
Link for Othello Playbill https://extras.americanshakespearecenter.com/othello/
“I am not what I am.”
Photo by Lauren Parker
If truth has lost its meaning, how long can love survive? Evil is everywhere in Shakespeare’s great tragedy of racism and jealousy, as the love of Othello and Desdemona is destroyed by envy and fact is twisted by innuendo. You’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat as the deadly machinations unfold.
ASC favorite Jessika Williams (Doctor Who) takes on the title role with veteran actor-manager John Harrell as the scheming Iago. Contains adult themes.
my.wlu.edu/theater-dance-and-film
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TARTUFFE
heater, Dance, and Film Studies
Thursday, October 15, 2020 Friday, October 16, 2020 Saturday, October 17, 2020 Sunday, October 18, 2020
Written by Molière Adapted by Ranjit Bolt Directed by Stephanie Sandberg
7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 2 p.m.
Performances will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
Art work by Kenann Quander Tartuffe in this translation was first performed at The Royal National Theatre in 2002, Trevor Nunn, Artistic Director, directed by Lindsay Posner.
Tartuffe (also titled The Impostor or The Hypocrite) is Molière’s masterpiece of dark political comedy. Banned from the French stage when it was written, the play explores religious hypocrisy, power, and one comedic villain’s masterful manipulation. Indeed the title character is himself a creation of genius, one that has 6
played successfully in every year since the ban on the play was lifted in 1669. Molière did for comedy what the Greeks did for tragedy—uplifted it to an art form of the highest caliber. W&L’s production celebrates the comedy, recreating the genius of Molière’s brilliant satire of French society in full period style!
my.wlu.edu/theater-dance-and-film
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heater, Dance, and Film Studies
Thursday, November 5, 2020 Friday, November 6, 2020 Saturday, November 7, 2020
W&L DANCERS CREATE... Jenefer Davies, Artistic Director
7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 2 p.m.
Under the artistic direction of Jenefer Davies, W&L Dancers Create... is a concert of works created, designed and performed by the W&L Repertory Dance Company—a performance that reflects, in theme and
Performances will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
style, current undergraduate work in dance. This dance concert showcases the intellectual and creative curiosity within the dance program.
Please visit the website for date changes and updates at http://my.wlu.edu/lenfest-center. Box Office 540.458.8000
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S C eason
alendar
Fall 2020
EVENT
DATE 8/24-10/15 9/12 9/20 10/7 10/15-17 10/18 10/20-11/13 10/22 10/24 11/1 11/4 11/5-6 11/7 11/7 11/14 11/30 12/1 12/7-8
TIME
Art Exhibit: Guerrilla Girls The Art of Behaving Badly Othello 2 p.m. Faculty Recital: Sounds of the Seasons 3 p.m. Gregory Parker, baritone; Anna Billias, piano Art Lecture: Guerrilla Girls 5:30 p.m. Tartuffe 7:30 p.m. Tartuffe 2 p.m. Art Exhibit: Lisa Elmaleh American Folk Laura Benanti 8 p.m. Student Voice Recital 8 p.m. Liederkrieg: Austria vs. Germany Marlbrook Chamber Players: 3 p.m. Power and Passion of the Classical Three B’s Art Lecture: Lisa Elmaleh 5:30 p.m. W&L Dancers Create… 7:30 p.m. Faculty Recital: Distant Immortal Eternal 8 p.m. Feminine Beloved: Beethoven in 2020 Scott Williamson, tenor; William McCorkle, piano W&L Dancers Create… 2 p.m. Debashish Bhattacharya 7:30 p.m. Choral Ensemble Showcase 8 p.m. Instrumental Ensemble Showcase 8 p.m. Holiday Pops Concert 7 p.m.
PRESENTER Art
LOCATION Staniar Gallery
••ASC Streamed Music Streamed Art •T/D/FS •T/D/FS Art
Streamed Streamed Streamed Staniar Gallery
*L/T/D/FS/MG Streamed Music Streamed Music
Streamed
Art •T/D/FS Music
Streamed Streamed Streamed
•T/D/FS **L/PWM Music Music Music
Streamed Streamed Streamed Streamed Streamed
* Lenfest/Theater, Dance, and Film Studies/Mellon Grant **Lenfest/Pickens World Music •Theater, Dance, and Film Studies ••American Shakespeare Center
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Please visit the website for date changes and updates at http://my.wlu.edu/lenfest-center. Box Office 540.458.8000
FM all
STUDENT VOICE RECITAL: LIEDERKRIEG
usic
AUSTRIA VS. GERMANY
FACULTY RECITAL:
Saturday, October 24, 2020 8 p.m.
GREGORY PARKER, BARITONE ANNA BILLIAS, PIANO
Performance will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
SOUNDS OF THE SEASONS
Enjoy a friendly rivalry in song as singers from W&L voice studios perform Lieder by Austrians, such as Franz Schubert, Joseph Marx and Hugo Wolf, along with that of Germans, such as Robert Franz, Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms.
Sunday, September 20, 2020 3 p.m. Performance will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu The scent-laden air of spring, the warm summer sun, the colors of autumn and the chill of a winter night will be evoked in this recital of music of the seasons. Billias will play works by Edvard Grieg, William Grant Still, Myroslav Skoryk, Lü Wencheng and Claude Debussy and will be joined by Parker for songs by Bizet, Schumann, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Argento and Rorem. mywlu.edu/music
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Sunday, November 1, 2020 3 p.m.
MARLBROOK CHAMBER PLAYERS
POWER AND PASSION OF THE CLASSICAL THREE B’s
Performance will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
Megan Mason, viola Anna Billias, piano Julia Goudimova, cello Jaime McArdle, violin
The well-known Marlbrook Chamber Players welcomes two new members to create a quartet setting, Megan Mason on viola, and Anna Billias on piano, while retaining Jaime McArdle on violin and Julia Goudimova on cello. The now
FACULTY RECITAL: SCOTT WILLIAMSON, TENOR WILLIAM MCCORKLE, PIANO
all-women ensemble will delight its audience with the Three B’s repertoire, presenting the music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms.
DISTANT IMMORTAL ETERNAL FEMININE BELOVED: BEETHOVEN IN 2020 Saturday, November 7, 2020 8 p.m. Performance will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu Tenor Scott Williamson will be joined by William McCorkle, piano, performing a varied program including Beethoven’s only song cycle, An die ferne Geliebte, songs by Schubert and Wolf, and a new song cycle by Abbie Betinis, The Clan of the Lichens, in which the worlds of mythology and nature are given new voice.
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mywlu.edu/music
DEBASHISH BHATTACHARYA
CHORAL ENSEMBLE SHOWCASE
Saturday, November 14, 2020 7:30 p.m.
Monday, November 30, 2020 8 p.m.
Performance will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
Performance will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
Bhattacharya’s uncanny sense of musical understanding and brilliance has established him as a recording artist whose perfect musicality matches all categories of music—Indian, classical, jazz, blues, folk or Nue music. In addition to being an enchanting musician and innovator of genre, Bhattacharya is an architect of new instruments. He has engineered and patented three new guitars, Chaturangui, Gandharvi and Anandi, which are world renowned for their unparalleled sound quality. Sponsored in part by the Pauline B. and Paul D. Pickens Fund for the Performing Arts and the Class of ’64 Performing Arts Fund. Please visit the website for date changes and updates at http://my.wlu.edu/lenfest-center. Box Office 540.458.8000
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HOLIDAY POPS CONCERT
INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE SHOWCASE Tuesday, December 1, 2020 8 p.m.
Monday, December 7, 2020 Tuesday, December 8, 2020 7 p.m.
Performance will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
Performance will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
The Holiday Pops Concert will feature various ensembles from the Department of Music performing numerous pieces of music which are representative of the holiday season. Included on the program will be individual group performances, massed ensemble pieces, and a variety of student conductors. Join us for a wonderful evening of music to help kick off the holiday season!
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mywlu.edu/music
S G taniar
allery Exhibition: August 24–October 15, 2020 Lecture: Wednesday, October 7 5:30 p.m.
GUERRILLA GIRLS: THE ART OF BEHAVING BADLY
Lecture will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
Guerrilla Girls at the Abrons Art Center, Photo Š2015 Andrew Hinderaker
Guerrilla Girls is an anonymous group of feminist, female artists devoted to fighting sexism and racism within the art world. The group formed in New York City in 1985 with the mission of drawing attention to gender and racial inequality in museums, galleries and cultural institutions. In order to preserve their anonymity and keep the focus on the issues, members wear gorilla masks in public and
take the names of deceased female artists. Their posters, stickers and street projects use facts and statistics infused with humor to call attention to corruption and gender and ethnic bias in the arts community. The group has brought their message promoting human rights for all people and genders all over the world.
Please visit the gallery website for date changes and updates http://go.wlu.edu/staniar.
mywlu.edu/staniar
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S G taniar
allery
Exhibition: October 20–November 13, 2020 Lecture: November 4 5:30 p.m.
LISA ELMALEH: AMERICAN FOLK
Lecture will be streamed. https://livestream.com/wlu
Hannah Johnson, Keezletown, Virginia; 2012; tintype; 10 x 8 inches
For the past 10 years photographer Lisa Elmaleh has been traveling around the Appalachians chronicling musicians who play in the old-time folk style of the region. Inspired by the history of the area and its musical culture, Elmaleh visits her subjects at their homes where she sets up the portable darkroom in the back of her truck. She creates tintype portraits using an antique photographic process that connects the history of photography to the history of traditional old-time music. This exhibition will feature selections from her ongoing series, as well as 16mm films of the musicians playing their instruments.
Elmaleh holds her BFA in photography from The School of Visual Arts (New York, New York). She is based in Hampshire County, West Virginia, but travels nationwide teaching workshops and making photographs. The exhibition event will feature a special performance by New Plank Road, an oldtime string band based in Rockbridge County. Andy Williams (fiddle), Toni Williams (bass), David Winston (banjo), Mary Winston (guitar), and Chris McGrath (fiddle) play hard-driving string band tunes in the folk tradition that put Rockbridge County on the music map.
Please visit the gallery website for date changes and updates http://go.wlu.edu/staniar.
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T I
icket nformation
No tickets are required for Fall 2020 streamed performances. All Lenfest streamed performances can be found at https://livestream.com/wlu.
We appreciate our patrons’ patience and understanding during this uncertain time, and as a gift to the W&L and surrounding communities all performances will be
streamed at no cost. Streaming access information will be provided in a timely manner prior to each event. For up-to-date information for upcoming attractions, please refer to the W&L Lenfest website at mywlu.edu/ lenfest-center or contact the Lenfest Center Box Office at 540.458.8000 or boxoffice@wlu.edu.
BO I ox
ffice nformation
Box Office opens Tuesday, September 1. Fall term Box Office hours are Tuesday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
hesitate to contact us at 540.458.8000 or boxoffice@wlu. edu and we will be happy to assist.
Currently, we are only able to assist W&L faculty, staff, and students in person at the Lenfest Center Box Office. If you are not part of the WLU community, please don’t
The Box Office is CLOSED during undergraduate breaks; however, website sales will still be available.
Please visit the website for date changes and updates at http://my.wlu.edu/lenfest-center. Box Office 540.458.8000
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WASHINGTON AND LEE
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