Events & Calendars "Performance Project"

The Amherst College Department of Theater and Dance is proud to present "Performance Project," an evening of original dance and theater works created by Five College students as part of their work in the course "Performance Studio," taught by Professor Wendy Woodson.

Costume designs are by students in the course "Costume Design and Fashion History," taught by Professor Suzanne Dougan. The evening also features a new work by Paul Matteson, Five College assistant professor of dance, in collaboration with students in Dance 305 Repertory at Mount Holyoke College. Join us on Dec. 7 and 8 at 8 p.m. in Holden Theater. Tickets are free. Reservations are recommended. Call the box office at 413-542-2277.

The evening features "Fall," a semiautobiographical one-woman piece by Crystal Williams '13 that examines themes of love, disappointment, determination and depression in an improvisational performance of multiple characters that Williams has encountered throughout her life.

In "Lessons in Being Okay," by Leslie Roth '13, Leslie has been left alone for many weeks and has confronted those pesky influences that won’t let her be. (That’s right! I will write this press release in third person! I’m legitimizing the event, all right?) Messes have been made and stitches undone. So let yourself go and join her as she plays teacher and student and we all attend to some ongoing... “Lessons in Being Okay.”

Through movement and texts, Cheryl Herrmann '13 has created a piece, "Les rêves endormis," for 10 movers that examines why and how people give up and bury their passion and dreams.

"Dust," a duet by Olana Flynn (Hampshire College), seeks to express mourning and evoke a sense of loneliness, vitality and defeat. "Dust" takes place in the moment when dust isn't settled in a neglected room. The dancers simultaneously attempt to keep the dust stagnant and fight it into movement, to make it live.

"Two Winds," by Jeffrey Moro '13 in collaboration with Morgan Brown '15 and Skye Landgraf (HC), deals with two women reaching for each other across the expanses of space and time, death and life. When the forces of change and erosion tear them apart, how can they each keep moving forward?

"What a Life?...," by Paul Matteson in collaboration with students in the MHC Dance 305 class, has 11 bodies documented in a sweep of movement and words. Duets collapse into trios. "I" becomes "it," and you bring me to my knees. It will ask before touching, but you can handle it. (I can handle you.) This time it will end well, because you are so different from the last time around. The original sound score is by Peter Jones, and wardrobe and hair are by Charlotte Sullivan.