Stuart Pimsler advance program notes_reduced

Advance Program Notes Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater Matinee Saturday, April 22, 2017, 7:30 PM These Advance Program Notes are provided online for our patrons who like to read about performances ahead of time Printed programs will be provided to patrons at the performances Programs are subject to change Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater Matinee a dance-theatre work by Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater adapted from a story by Robert Coover ARTISTIC CO-DIRECTORS Stuart Pimsler and Suzanne Costello COMPANY PERFORMERS Suzanne Costello Brian Evans Katherine Griffis Heather Klopchin Kari Mosel Jesse Neumann-Peterson Stuart Pimsler Scott Stafford DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Robin Brooks COMPANY MANAGER Kathleen Pender COMPANY ADMINISTRATOR Brenda Nepsund PHOTOGRAPHER V Paul Virtucio BOARD OF DIRECTORS Howard K Bell Mike Brooks Judi Johnson Courtney McClimon Jen Olson Zoe Sealy Carin Skowronsky V Paul Virtucio Welcome to Matinee My grandmother brought me to my first movie matinee, a musical titled There’s No Business Like Show Business It featured Ethel Merman with a voice that could jettison you from your seat, Donald O’Connor’s rubbery face and lyrical grace, and Marilyn Monroe, who my dad and I, and probably every other man alive, had a crush on I was disappointed to see daylight when we left the cinema The two hours spent in the virtual cocoon teeming with these majestic and sensuous characters ended too soon I longed for the afternoon dream to continue Reading Robert Coover’s short story Matinee called me back to the reverie of my early movie experiences as well as the endless hours of pleasure that the cinema has provided me over the years With every read, I was struck by another layer of wonderment and complexity, as characters, locations, and themes continued to vanish and then reappear in different configurations—sometimes landing in the commonplace and other times featured in a new movie With extreme grace and generosity, Robert Coover (celebrating his 85th birthday while completing a new book) granted me permission to adapt his story Escaping to worlds familiar and unknown through the magic of movies has long been a source of inspiration for my own creative life Woman 1, 2, and 3—the co-protagonists in Matinee—also long to escape from the weariness of their everyday lives Although Matinee is set in a time when films were “scratched and grainy,” all of the characters are in search of the existential human connection Everyone in Matinee dreams of the romantic worlds offered up on the screen, hoping to find someone who will provide them with a “pure enrichment of the soul and delight of the body.” As Matinee journeys back and forth from stage to screen, we invite you to wonder about your own immersion in the virtual universe While Matinee recalls a time past, there is much to consider these days about our own fascination with other realities Are we spending too much time gazing at screens, videos, and films, or we need the cinema, theatre, and every other art form more than ever to escape, inspire, hope, laugh, and dream? My heartfelt thanks to the incredible team of collaborators that I have been so fortunate to work with on this project I am grateful for their generous contributions of time, talent, and skills See you at the movies! Stuart Pimsler Matinee Commissioned by the Wharton Center for Performing Arts and the William Wright Endowment Fund for New Works, Michigan State University Additional research and development supported by James Madison University and St Olaf College Dance Departments CONCEIVED, DIRECTED, AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY ADAPTED FROM THE SHORT STORY BY* ADDITIONAL CHOREOGRAPHY FILMMAKING AND VIDEO EDITING Stuart Pimsler Robert Coover Suzanne Costello Andrew Welken LIGHTING DESIGN Karin Olson COSTUME DESIGN Marybeth Gagner VIDEO PROJECTION DESIGN SOUND DESIGN MUSIC DRAMATURGY SOUND AND VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER REHEARSAL STAGE MANAGER Jared Leclaire Brian Evans Howard Shore and Ornette Coleman, Benny Goodman, Henry Torgue, Serge Houppin, Zach Miskin, René Aubry, Jun Miyake, Max Steiner, Hurts to Purr, The Woodsmen, The Flamingoes, Brian J Evans, Louis Prima, Timo Andres, Keely Smith, and Anne Müller Liz Engelman Jenny Moeller Ben Swenson-Klatt *Adaptation of Robert Coover’s story by Stuart Pimsler Matinee Copyright © 2012 by Robert Coover The story originally appeared in The New Yorker Used by arrangement with Georges Borchardt, Inc., on behalf of the author All rights reserved Cast NARRATOR Jesse Neumann-Peterson WOMAN Suzanne Costello MAN Scott Stafford MOVIE ACTRESS, FLOWER GIRL, MASTER Kari Mosel MOVIE ACTOR Andrew Lester WOMAN Katherine Griffis WINSOME GOVERNESS, WOMAN 3, AND PLATFORM WOMAN MAN 2, PLATFORM MAN, SINGER USHER GUEST PERFORMERS TRAIN FILM GUEST ARTISTS Heather Klopchin Brian Evans Stuart Pimsler Radford University students Robert Borman, Michelle Dimeo, Betsy Gaasedelen Nelson, Christina Harstad, Beth Lewis, Jim Lieberthal, Bobby Maher, Alicia Olson, Kathleen Pender, Sophia Pimsler, and Anna Resele Biographies STUART PIMSLER DANCE & THEATER Since its founding in New York City in 1979, Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater (SPDT) has continued to engage populations worldwide through its performance works and community-inclusive programs SPDT’s interdisciplinary vision weaves movement, spoken text, song, and visual imagery that provokes and comments on the personal and political Artistic Co-directors Suzanne Costello and Stuart Pimsler and their company of compelling artists continue to garner critical acclaim for their “theatre for the heart and mind.” SPDT’s current and past company artists have been distinguished for their artistic excellence, garnering seven McKnight Fellowships and five Minnesota SAGE Awards for dance Based in Minneapolis since 2000 SPDT has toured to Europe, Israel, Taiwan, Russia, Canada, Bermuda, China, and Mexico, including presentations at the Beijing Modern Dance Festival; International Tanzmesse, Dusseldorf; the Bermuda Ministry of Culture; and the National Center for the Arts, UNAM, and American Embassy in Mexico City In the U.S SPDT has appeared in more than 35 states at such venues as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Civil Rights Museum, Jacob’s Pillow, the American Dance Festival, and New York Arts Live In Minneapolis SPDT has been commissioned and presented twice by the Guthrie Theater for the premieres of The Ends of Love (2007) and Tales from the Book of Longing (2009) In 2008 Ways to Be Hold received a Minnesota SAGE Award for outstanding choreography The company has enjoyed extensive touring throughout Minnesota with major support from the Minnesota State Arts Board through the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund SPDT has been a leader in arts and education programs and at the forefront of the arts and healthcare field since introducing its signature program, Caring for the Caregiver, in 1992 Additional SPDT programs include Meaning in Movement for stroke survivors and their care partners and Transforming the Doctor/Patient Relationship for physicians and medical students SPDT’s Community Connections programs are significant components of the company’s mission and have been cited as a national model by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and recognized for best practices by the National Endowment for the Arts STUART PIMSLER Stuart Pimsler, selected by CityPages as Twin Cities Artist of the Year in 2004, is celebrating 38 years as artistic codirector of Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater His work has been honored with choreography fellowships from the McKnight Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as a major fellowship and six individual fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council Pimsler has received new work commissions from the Guthrie Theater, the Lila Wallace Arts Partners Fund, National Performance Network Creation Fund, the Jerome Foundation, the Wexner Center, the University of Minnesota, and the Walker Art Center, as well as numerous universities and colleges throughout the U.S and abroad In 2012 Pimsler was a guest artist at the Beijing Modern Dance Festival and in 2014 was one of the three U.S choreographers who traveled to Australia under the auspices of American Dance Abroad Most recently he has been commissioned by the Festival de Pitic, Hermosillo in 2014 and in 2016 with Sophia Pimsler to create new works for Mexican performing artists Pimsler holds a bachelor of arts in English from Franklin & Marshall College and a juris doctor degree from Catholic University School of Law He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1975 and the following year was accepted as a master of fine arts fellow in dance at Connecticut College His mentors have included Martha Meyers and Daniel Nagrin, whose solos, Spanish Dance (1948) and Word Game (1968), he continues to perform As cultural activist, Pimsler has served on the board of directors of Dance/USA (1990-1997) and the steering committe of the National Performance Network (1992-1995) In 2005 Pimsler founded the SAGE Awards for Dance, which was an annual celebration of outstanding dance achievements throughout Minnesota He co-coordinated the yearly event with Dana Kassel through 2016 SUZANNE COSTELLO Suzanne Costello joined Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater in New York City in 1979 and became its artistic codirector in 1984 During her career with the company, she has been highlighted as a performer, choreographer, teacher, and rehearsal director As director of arts and education and arts and healthcare programs for the Biographies, continued company, she coordinates and facilitates the many community-inclusive projects SPDT has come to be known for, both nationally and internationally Most recently she was commissioned by Gilda’s Club Twin Cities to create and direct LISTEN/Stories of Cancer Told Through Movement, Music, and Voice This performance work, which featured 23 participants from Gilda’s Club and the SPDT company, was presented to sold-out audiences at the Lab Theater in Minneapolis and will be the focus of a new television documentary produced by Twin Cities Public Television Costello’s choreographic work has been honored with three individual fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council and has been commissioned by national dance companies and individual artists She directed and choreographed Cats for Broadway at Iroquois, Louisville; Go, Dog, Go! for Metro Theater Company, St Louis and Stage One, Louisville; and choreographed Grimm Tales for Children’s Theater Company, Minneapolis She has twice been a Cowles Guest Artist, as well as affiliate faculty for six years at the University of Minnesota In New York City Costello performed with several companies, including David Gordon Pick Up Performance Co and Billy Siegenfeld & Dancers She has also worked with colleague Joe Goode in San Francisco, who created a new solo for her, Movie Star Life Costello began her study of dance under Annelise Mertz at Washington University in St Louis, where she graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts in dance BRIAN J EVANS Brian J Evans, in his ninth season, has had the privilege and pleasure of working with Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater as performer, teaching artist, and the company’s musical director As an artist striving for social justice, Evans places high value on process and product He has received most of his training in the arts field of the Twin Cities, working with over 50 artistic directors on more than 200 projects, from solo endeavors to collaborations Since graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College with a bachelor of arts in liberal arts, Evans has continued to investigate the idea that connections exist between us all and it is the responsibility of the arts to rediscover those connections, highlight them, and allow us to feel holistically human He is the recipient of a 2015 McKnight Artist Fellowship in dance and a 2010 SAGE Award for outstanding performer KATHERINE GRIFFIS Katherine Griffis, in her second season with Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, has been dancing since the age of three after proving her inability to sit still during violin lessons Her natural drive to move was nurtured as a studio dancer in Woodbury, Minnesota, where she trained for 15 years in the styles of tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical dance Griffis’ passion for dance led her to St Olaf College, where she graduated magna cum laude with departmental distinction in dance in May 2015 She is honored to be a part of SPDT, working with incredibly talented and thoughtful artists In addition to performing with SPDT, Griffis is an instructor of dance, finding no greater joy than sharing the love and power of movement with others HEATHER KLOPCHIN Heather Klopchin, originally from Goshen, New York, is an associate professor of dance and currently Dance Department chair at St Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where she teaches ballet technique, modern dance technique, and dance history, as well as choreographing for the St Olaf Dance Department’s student company, Companydance Klopchin is passionate about performing, choreographing, researching, and teaching dance and has had the opportunity over the years to work with many outstanding choreographers and companies in the Twin Cities and nationally She holds a bachelor of science from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Genesco and a master of fine arts in dance choreography and performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Klopchin is currently in her seventh season with SPDT and is extremely grateful for the support from her family, friends, and fellow SPDT members Biographies, continued KARI MOSEL Kari Mosel hails from Eau Clarie, Wisconsin, where she grew up riding horses, climbing tress, and tripping over her own feet She received a bachelor of fine arts in dance from the University of Minnesota in 2004 She is currently on her 10th season with the company She was SPDT’s company manager from 2009-2011 and currently serves as their video editor and archivist Mosel is the recipient of a 2013 McKnight Artist Fellowship for dancers and was nominated for a SAGE Award for outstanding performer in 2012 She has also been a performer and administrative assistant with Shapiro & Smith Dance since 2002 In addition to performing, she choreographs her own work and is currently working as a freelance photographer and videographer throughout the Twin Cities JESSE NEUMANN-PETERSON Jesse Neumann-Peterson, in his fifth season with SPDT, is a choreographer, performer, and visual artist He started his dance training as a teenager with the Duluth Ballet under Artistic Director Nancy Gibson and has studied dance at the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota-Duluth Neumann-Peterson has recently performed with the Flying Foot Forum, Vanessa Voskuil, Sharon Picasso, and Rosy Simas He is a recipient of the 2014 SAGE Award for outstanding performer SCOTT STAFFORD Scott Stafford is a proud native of Detroit, Michigan and earned a bachelor of arts from Michigan State University He is in his third season with SPDT In addition to his work with SPDT, Stafford collaborates intimately with Twin Cities performer Dolo McComb and Kimberly Lesik as part of //CATHEDRAL\\, a performance collective interested in the ability of movement to simulate physical, psychic, and spiritual growth, merging the contemporary, antique, and indigenous facets of the self When not performing, he can be found on the banks of the Mississippi, enjoying a Madonna album, or searching for the perfect cappuccino MARYBETH GAGNER Marybeth Gagner, costume designer, has been an adjunct professor in the Theatre Department and supervisor of the Costume Shop at Hamline University since 2005 She has an extensive background as a local costume designer, and her work has been seen at the Ordway, Park Square Theater, Illusion Theater, James Sewell Ballet, and Skylark Opera, among others She has a bachelor of arts from Gustavus Adolphus College and a master of fine arts in costume design from the University of Washington in Seattle JARED LECLAIRE Jared LeClaire, video projection designer, is thrilled to make his debut with Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater LeClaire has worked for Cirque du Soleil (Las Vegas), Austin Opera (Austin, Texas), and the Alliance Theatre (Atlanta, Georgia) He received a bachelor of arts in theatre from the University of West Georgia and a master of fine arts from the Universiy of Texas at Austin with a focus in integrated media for the performing arts As a lifelong maker and technology enthusiast, LeClaire’s work combines passions for art and technology to create unique experiences in theatre, dance, opera, and beyond He is also a faculty member at the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas, where he instructs classes on media technology and digital content creation for the entertainment industry to a diverse body of students from all corners of the globe He is currently based in Los Angeles Biographies, continued JENNY MOELLER Jenny Moeller, sound and video production manager, is artistic director of Raw Sugar, co-founder of Babes Into Telling Stories, and a freelance theatre artist She has worked in almost all aspects of theatre and has a huge passion for helping others see their vision to reality Moeller believes that all people have a story to tell and we can learn from sharing together KARIN OLSON Karin Olson, lighting designer, has been Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater’s principal lighting designer since 2006 and also works with other local dance companies, including Threads Dance Project, Twin Cities Ballet, Alternative Motion Project, and TU Dance She has also designed at the Guthrie, the Ordway, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Syracuse Stage, and with loads of great local theatre companies, including Frank Theatre, Mixed Blood, Theater Mu and Mu Daiko, Tigerlion Arts, Stages, SteppingStone, and Walking Shadow Olson was the lighting designer for SPDT’s Ways to Be Hold, which received a SAGE Award in 2008 and was honored with Broadway World’s Best Lighting Design 2016 for Stages Theater Company’s Disney’s Little Mermaid Jr ANDREW WELKEN Andrew Welken, filmmaker and video editor, is a cinematographer and editor with more than 20 years of experience He has freelanced on indies and documentaries, taught film and video courses, and shot commerical photography for national clients Welken’s work has been televised and screened in numerous film festivals Recent efforts involve video design for award-winning theatre artists Kira Obolensky (FORCE/MATTER), Bob Rosen (Couch), and Shawn McConneloug (subVert) Welken is thrilled to be involved with with Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater’s most recent work, Matinee The multi-layered narrative draws upon video, dance, theatre, and audience to create a captivating journey into the very essence of memory and story These are elements near and dear to Welken’s heart as a lifelong cineaste with dual degrees in film and English from the University of Iowa ROBIN BROOKS Robin Brooks, director of development, holds a bachelor of arts from Smith College and has been with Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater since 1993 She is responsible for development writing, foundation research, and company bookkeeping KATHLEEN PENDER Kathleen Pender, company manager, graduated from St Olaf College with a bachelor of arts in dance and has been with Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater since the fall of 2013 She performs for Minneapolis-based choreographer Taja Will and teaches dance at the Northfield Arts Guild in Northfield, Minnesota and Young Dance in Minneapolis BRENDA NEPSUND Brenda Nepsund, company administrator, graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato, with a bachelor of science in dance and a bachelor of science in mass media In addition to working with Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, she teaches dance at Raddatz Dance Studio in West St Paul, Minnesota, and Touch of Grace in Hutchinson, Minnesota Credits Matinee is underwritten in part by the Wharton Center for Performing Arts and the William Wright Endowment Fund for New Works, Michigan State University This activity is funded, in part, by an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s general fund and is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund Special thanks to Virginia Tech, Jon Catherwood-Ginn, Sara Bailey, Ruth Waalkes, and Radford University, and a very special thanks to Robert Coover STUART PIMSLER DANCE & THEATER 528 HENNEPIN AVE S, SUITE 707 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55403 stuartpimsler.com | spdanthcontact@gmail.com | 763-521-7738 Join us for our 8th Annual Summer Intensive June 12-16, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Engagement Events Tuesday, April 18, 2017 CLASS VISIT: THE ARTS AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION Company members of Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater conducted a workshop with Virginia Tech students in the Arts and Social Transformation course, co-taught by Erika Meitner, associate professor and director, Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing, Department of English, and Ali Neff, visiting assistant professor, Department of Sociology Wednesday, April 19, 2017 WORKSHOP: HEALING COLLABORATORS—CAREGIVERS AND ARTISTS WORKING TOGETHER For artists and healthcare workers, this hands-on workshop explored the application of the arts to caregiving Co-hosted by the Dr Robert L.A Keeley Healing Arts Program at Carilion Clinic Wednesday, April 19, 2017 TALK: ARTS AND HEALTHCARE This talk by members of Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theatre featured an introduction to the field of arts and healthcare, its relationship to community-engagement, and discussion of how community-inclusive endeavors have different goals than traditional arts projects An examination of the history of Western medicine and its consideration of body-mind relationships preceded an exploration of Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater’s work in arts and healthcare Co-hosted by the Dr Robert L.A Keeley Healing Arts Program at Carilion Clinic Thursday, April 20, 2017 WORKSHOP: CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER The visiting dance company provided a workshop for students of osteopathic medicine from their renowned Caring for the Caregiver program, which seeks to foster stronger relationships and understanding among caregivers and their patients Thursday, April 20, 2017 WORKSHOP WITH CURIE AND DA VINCI LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITIES Students in the Curie and Da Vinci Living Learning Communities at Virginia Tech, communities “for science students run by science students,” participated in a hands-on workshop with members of Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater Special thanks to danah bella, Marie Webb, Kay Strickland, Dr Robert L.A Keeley Healing Arts Program at Carilion Clinic, Radford University Department of Dance, Erika Meitner, Ali Neff, Mark Rogers, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Virginia Campus, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Lori Blanc, Astrid Meenan, Daniel Blankinship, Da Vinci Living Learning Community, Curie Living Learning Community, and Dave Trinkle In the Galleries ICAT: OPEN (AT THE) SOURCE Sensing Place April 27-May 20, 2017 Francis T Eck Exhibition Corridor Spaces are all around us, but a place is something more Spaces become places when people imbue them with meaning—they inhabit them, revere them, adorn them with memory and legend, abandon them, and leave them to decay With this Sensing Place, the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) is exploring how place is created, maintained, lost, and understood though an exhibition of art and research produced by three unique projects These projects, The Long View; Placing Sensors, Sensing Place; and The Disappeared Village of Vauquois, explore human interactions with physical space as well as our relationship to place through motion, memory, and time Using cutting edge technologies and innovative approaches these artists and researchers, in partnership with ICAT, continue to illuminate and document our powerful and complex connection to our environment and how we define, and are defined by, place RELATED EVENT ICAT Creativity and Innovation Day Monday, May 1, 2017 Moss Arts Center For more information, please visit icat.vt.edu GALLERY HOURS Tuesday-Friday, 10 AM-5:30 PM Saturday, 10 AM-4 PM Always free; to arrange a group tour or class visit, please contact Meggin Hicklin, exhibitions program manager, at megh79@vt.edu  ... Endowment for the Arts STUART PIMSLER Stuart Pimsler, selected by CityPages as Twin Cities Artist of the Year in 2004, is celebrating 38 years as artistic codirector of Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater... Alicia Olson, Kathleen Pender, Sophia Pimsler, and Anna Resele Biographies STUART PIMSLER DANCE & THEATER Since its founding in New York City in 1979, Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater (SPDT) has continued... University, and a very special thanks to Robert Coover STUART PIMSLER DANCE & THEATER 528 HENNEPIN AVE S, SUITE 707 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55403 stuartpimsler.com | spdanthcontact@gmail.com | 763-521-7738