Professor Finnie Coleman to lead post-performance discussion Sunday, February 15th, at The Vortex Theatre

http://vortexabq.org/

The Whipping Man

Written by Matthew Lopez

Directed by Barbara Geary

February 6^th- March 1st

Publicity Liaison: Leslee Richards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                           December 7, 2014

The Civil War has just ended and Confederate soldier Caleb DeLeon returns from the war to find his family missing and two former slaves, Simon and John, living in the ruins of their once fine home. It is Passover - a time to celebrate the freeing of slaves in ancient Egypt. As the 3 wait for the family’s return, they struggle with their shared Jewish faith and roles as Master and Slave, confronting new and long buried secrets.

At its core, The Whipping Man is a tragedy of love, privilege and crushed expectations. The role of Judaism in the culture of American slave ownership has rarely been examined and the play’s resonance for the audience comes from its examination of a time and circumstance in history that, while on the surface is deeply familiar to us, is told through the lives of 3 men whose faith colors their actions and relationships in unforeseen ways. As the revelations of the play accumulate, the expectations each man has for his future are peeled away to reveal the truths of his true nature and current circumstance.

Show & Ticket Info: Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets are $22 for general admission and $15 for students with ID. Pay-What-You-Will is on Sunday, February 8.  Thursday, Feb 5 is an open Final Dress Rehearsal. Discussion of the play with the cast and audience, led by Rabbi Paul Citrin is on Feb 8^th after the performance. Discussion with the cast and audience led by Professor Finnie Coleman, UNM Departments of English and Africana Studies is on Feb 15^th after the performance. Reservations and ticket purchases can be made online at www.vortexabq.org or by calling 505-247-8600. For further information, contact Publicity Liaison Kathleen Welker at kathleenwelker@gmail.com or director Barbara Geary at blumonky@gmail.com.

About the Director: Barbara Geary has appeared in NM as Miss Stephanie in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, Anna in CLOSER, Darcy Snelgrave in ONE FLEA SPARE, Tiresias in ANTIGONE, Sunny Jacobs in THE EXONERATED and as Stage Director of the opera THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS for Santa Fe New Music. Most recently, she directed the epic rock opera MURDERCASTLE for The Baltimore Rock Opera Society also known as the B.R.O.S. A graduate of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Barbara has been performing, directing, and teaching in movement, mask, film, and ensemble theatre nationwide and beyond since 1981.

About the Vortex Theatre:

The Vortex is Albuquerque’s oldest continuously-running Black Box Theatre, a pioneering venue for classic, contemporary, and cutting-edge theatre since 1976. This 501(c)3 non-profit community playhouse entertains audiences year-round with some of the city’s finest productions, including our annual Summer Shakespeare Festival. The Vortex is located at 2900 Carlisle Blvd NE. 

Hildegard of Bingen Celebration (March 25, 6:30, SUB Ballroom B)

The Medieval Studies Student Association in partnership with the Feminist Research Institute invites you to attend a night of celebration for the medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179).

This remarkable woman produced numerous theological and visionary works, as well as medical treatises and musical compositions. Hildegard's life and works have seen an increase in both academic and popular attention as indicated by recent published biographies, recordings of her music, and the 2011 film Vision. All events during this program are free and open to the public. The program is as follows:

Monday, March 25th (SUB Ballroom B)

6:30 PM
Wardene Crowley, "The Theology of St. Hildegard of Bingen: Cosmic Tree, Cosmic Healing, and Cosmic Symphony"
Anita Obermeier, "Hildegard of Bingen's Gemstone Medicine"

7:30 PM
Reception

8:00 PM
Cantores Festivi, Music of Hildegard and Contemporaries



Tuesday, March 26th (Humanities 108)

7:00 PM
Movie Presentation - Vision: From the Life of Hildegard of Bingen (2011)
Limited Seating, Please RSVP to mssa@unm.edu
Please join us for an evening of discussion, music, and reflection.

Randal Bays Plays, Tuesday, March 5, in C&J 144

The English department is sponsoring a concert featuring Randal Bays, Irish style fiddler and guitarist on Tuesday, March 5th 9:30-10:30 am and 2-3:15 pm in the Communication and Journalism building room 144.

Diane Thiel list of recent accomplishments, publications, awards and readings

Diane Thiel published her book, Three Genres, with Pearson/Longman, 2011. She won the PEN Translation Award, 2010, for translation project of Eugenia Fakinou's poetic novel, The Great Green. She also was awarded a summer residency grant from the International Writers' House in Rhodes Greece. She also wrote and recorded a Longman lecture (print and audio) on Louisie Erdirch, 2011.
Her poem, "The First Sea," was published in The Burden of the Beholder: Dave Armstrong and the Art Collage, a fine art book, Colorado College press, 2010. Her non-fiction, "Memento Mori and Terza Rima," was published in Mentor and Muse, 2010. Her interview with Sherman Alexie was published in Conversations with Sherman Alexie, 2009. She has had work selected for several new anthologies from 2010-2012, including Backpack Literature from Longman, The Ablemuse Anthology, Poets of the American West, and Collecting Life: Poets on Objects Known and Imagined, among others.
Several of her poems, including "Kinder und Hausmarchen" and "Editorial Suggestive" have been set to music by composers Lori Laitman, Dale Trumbore, and David Conte and were performed in CA, NJ, FL, and others, particularly on an extensive tour in 2011. One venue in particular was Carnegie hall. Her poem, "The Minefeld," chosen for national NEA initiative, Poetry Out Loud, and was performed by high school students across the country in national competitions, particularly in 2010-11.
She visited several Albuquerque schools as a writer-in-the-schools in 2011-12. Diane Thiel was recorded on NEA nationally distributed cd about Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me Ultima. She was interviewed by NPR in 2009. Some of the readings she has given include for the Florida College English Association, 2010, Virginia Tech Creative Writing program's Reading Series, 2010, plenary speaker, Sewanee: University of the South School of Letters, 2011, Albuquerque's Local Poet's Guild, 2012.
She also designed and taught 6 new UNM online courses, and chaired or served on 7 dissertation committees.

Lover's Vows - See the Photos

Check out the photos from the recent performance of Lover's Vows by Carolyn Woodward's Jane Austen class. Congratulations to the cast on a spirited and thoroughly entertaining performance!