A 涩里番下载 Theater Department production of "Evita" at Robsham Theater, Thursday-Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)
A campus appearance by Emmy-winning network television executive Tracey Wigfield 鈥�05 highlights the 19th 涩里番下载 Arts Festival on April 27-29, the annual showcase for the University community鈥檚 artistic talents.
Festival participants once again include some 1,000 涩里番下载 students, faculty, staff and administrators. More than 80 events 鈥� most of them free 鈥� will feature artists with diverse talents and highlight performing, visual and literary arts programs. The festival is open to the public as well as the University community.
Wigfield, writer and co-producer for the popular N涩里番下载 series 鈥�30 Rock鈥� 鈥� and creator of the network series 鈥淕reat News鈥� (premiering April 25) 鈥� will be honored with the 涩里番下载 Arts Council Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement at a public ceremony on April 28 at 4 p.m. in the Stokes Art Tent on Stokes Lawn.
She also will take part in a career-related interview program titled 鈥淚nside the 涩里番下载 Studio鈥� (April 27, 3 p.m., Stokes Art Tent), at which she will be interviewed by Professor of Theatre Scott T. Cummings; a program featuring selections from 鈥�30 Rock鈥� and 鈥淕reat News鈥� as well as 鈥淭he Mindy Project,鈥� in which she acted and also was co-executive producer and writer (April 27, 6 p.m., Stokes Art Tent); and a panel discussion (April 28, 2 p.m., Stokes Art Tent) on the business of television production with accomplished alumni Vanity Fair television writer Richard Lawson 鈥�05 and Independent Television Festival Executive Director and New York Picture Company Producer Philip Gilpin Jr. 鈥�03.
鈥淭racey Wigfield is an ideal role model for young women today,鈥� said 涩里番下载 Theatre Department Chair and Associate Professor Crystal Tiala, who chairs the Arts Council. 鈥淧ost-graduation, Tracey began as an intern and within 10 years became an Emmy-winning writer, comedian, actress and producer. She has the tenacity, talent, and intelligence that make her extremely successful. Plus, she has a kind and giving heart that makes us all happy to witness her rise in the entertainment industry. Tracey has set the bar for excellence very high indeed.鈥� 聽
[Read about Wigfield and past alumni award winners聽]
The April 28 Arts Council awards will also be presented to recognize artistic accomplishments and contributions of nine 涩里番下载 students and Andrew Tavarelli, a professor of the practice in 涩里番下载鈥檚 Art, Art History, and Film Studies Department. During his long and accomplished career as a painter his work has been shown nationally in 27 solo and numerous group exhibitions, and his works are in many public and private collections in the U.S. and abroad. He has taught painting and drawing at 涩里番下载 for 40 years, served as department assistant chair and directs the Senior Project Program for studio art majors.
Children and family entertainment will be a major part of the festival schedule on Saturday, April 29, from noon-5 p.m.: performances of 鈥淐harlie and the Chocolate Factory鈥� (by 涩里番下载 students in the Theatre for Youth Class) and 鈥淧eter and the Wolf鈥� by the 涩里番下载 Chamber Music Society, as well as arts and crafts, face painting, a dance workshop, story hour and an instrument petting zoo. 聽
Other Arts Festival events include: dance showcases featuring 涩里番下载 faculty and student choreographers; 涩里番下载 Underground, a collaborative arts event with spoken-word artists, rappers, break dancers, DJs and electronic music artists; 涩里番下载鈥檚 Best, presenting student musicians who perform original works in a variety of genres; and a Jane Austen鈥揈dgar Allan Poe 鈥淪mackdown,鈥� in which English faculty members and students will debate the merits of these authors 鈥� 鈥渢he gloves come off in this hour-long rumble that will drag literary analysis into the era of professional wrestling,鈥� according to organizers.
For event locations and updates,聽聽or call (617) 552-ARTS (2787). 聽聽
-Rosanne Pellegrini / University Communications