Taft Arts News

Author, Author

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Author Jhumpa Lahiri spoke in Morning Meeting today, and also attended classes. Her novel, The Namesake, was chosen as Taft's all-school read last summer.

Lahiri was born in London and raised in Rhode Island. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and author of two previous books. Her debut collection of stories, Interpreter of Maladies, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the PEN/Hemingway Award and The New Yorker Debut of the Year. The Namesake was a New York Times Notable Book, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist and was selected as one of the best books of the year by USA Today and Entertainment Weekly, among other publications. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her latest book is Unaccustomed Earth.

You can read more about her here.

Dance Ensemble to Jamaica

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Philip Sherlock Center for the Creative Arts International Festival concludes with Jamaica Dance Umbrella on March 5-6 at the Center. The event features several dance companies such as: NDTC, Movements Dance Company and Stella Maris.

On Sunday, March 7, the Junior Dance Umbrella is "a mini-cultural exchange through movement" and presents performers from several local junior dance groups as well as dancers from Taft's Dance Ensemble. This show is free and open to the public.

For more information and tickets please contact the Philip Sherlock Center for the Creative Arts at 876-927-1047.

While in Kingston, the Taft Dance Ensemble will also be doing dance outreach at local orphanages and homes for abused or neglected children. The Dance Ensemble Outreach program promotes the arts and brings arts education directly to underserved children in local and surrounding communities. This provides an educational program for youth to learn new skills and improve their quality of life through dance. This outreach will combine dance performance and community service.

Under the direction of Director Meredith Lyons, the Taft Dance Ensemble will develop a program consisting of a lecture-demonstration, or "lec/dems," and a performance piece with original music and costuming. The homes the students will be doing their outreach is the Children’s Orphanage on Dillsbury and the Worthy Home for Girls Orphanage in Kingston, Jamaica. Both of these orphanages have never had the opportunity or chance to see live dance performance and engage in a lecture/demonstration. These two orphanages are working under extreme budget restraints, and do not have funds available for arts in education.

"The Taft Dance Ensemble Outreach serves a dual purpose," says Lyons, "it serves audiences that rarely see dance or any live arts programming and it provides many varied performance opportunities to the Taft dance students. Our ultimate goal is to make dance accessible to people everywhere."

Flaming Idiots

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Flaming Idiots is fast paced, involves physical comedy, depends on precise timing and is helmed by the venerable Mrs. Fifer, who has directed more than a few hit productions at Taft.

Cast member Nick Auer '11 attempted to sum it up in a single word: "excellent."

Even Mrs. Fifer, whose previous comedic venture, "Scapino," premiered last winter, believes that this show's ample dose of humor makes the prior production "look like a tragedy."

As a farce, "Flaming Idiots" involves an abundance of physical comedy. The play consists of frantic and fast-paced action that is complemented by what Nick can only describe as "ridiculous twists and turns," and during rehearsals, says Jake Cohen '11, emphasis is "placed on getting timing down."

The farcical nature of the play also stipulates that its performers frequently interact verbally; therefore, clever dialogue is essential in a successful production. "Idiots" succeeds here as well, and according to Mrs. Fifer, the dialogue becomes "funnier every time you hear it." Combining witty banter and slapstick humor, "Flaming Idiots" covers all of the comedic bases.

In a sharp contrast with many plays, "Flaming Idiots" is a relatively small production and involves only eight cast members. All of the actors have had previous theatrical experience here at Taft, and new Technical Director, Mr. David Kievet, actually worked on the original "Flaming Idiots" set when it first premiered. The experience of both cast and crew, coupled with the intimate scale of the production, prove to be "Flaming Idiots'" paramount qualities.

Mrs. Fifer's winter productions consistently guarantee an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. "Flaming Idiots" is no different. A talented cast and an experienced crew have combined to bring a humorous and witty script to life onstage, and the results will be unpredictable, memorable, and downright hilarious.

-Tom Sasani '11, Taft Papyrus

The Cast of Flaming Idiots

Phil………………………………….Jake Cohen ‘11

Carl…………………………………Sam Fifer ‘11

Officer Task……………………..Jeremy McKenzie ‘10

Eugene……………………………Nick Auer ‘11

Ernesto……………………………Chris Browner ‘12

Bernadette……………………….Ebony Easley ‘11

Jane Fryman…………………….Charlotte Jacob ‘10

Louie……………………………….Sam Isaac ‘10

Idiot Crew

Set & Light Design                 David Kievit
Costume Design                Susan Aziz (Lucy ’11)
Sound Design                    Blake Joblin ’13

Stage Manager/Light Board Operator    Tom Foley ‘11
Sound Board Operator            Blake Joblin ‘13
Assistant Stage Manager             Julie Nam ‘11
Assistant Stage Manager            Lara Watling ’12

The students listed above also         Battle Kenney ‘13
completed the set construction,
scenic painting, lighting, & props.

Special Thanks:                Dot Harrop
                        Jerry Reveron
                        Cindy Latham
                        Bruce Connelly
                        Yee-Fun Yin

San Fran

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

You are cordially invited to
two performances featuring
Taft Collegium Musicum
Bruce Fifer, conductor
Paul Halley, guest organist and composer

Grace Cathedral
1100 California Street, San Francisco
Sunday, March 7, 2010

11:00 a.m. Episcopal Service
3:00 p.m. Concert

Please join Callie & Hank Brauer '74, P'08,'09,'10
for a reception honoring Collegium
immediately following the concert at
InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel
One Nob Hill, San Francisco

RSVP for the reception to
Ledlie Mosch or 800-959-8238

Click here to download the invitation.

Dance Concert

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

TAFT ANNUAL DANCE CONCERT
choreographed & directed by Meredith Lyons
Guest Choreographer Annie Kloppenberg, Professor of Dance Colby College

February 26 & 27 at 7:30pm
The Taft School
Bingham Auditorium

More than 20 dancers/crew members are part of the show, which runs about one hour.
Please come and show your support!

Manhattan String Quartet

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12

7:00 p.m. in WALKER HALL

The MUSIC FOR A WHILE series PRESENTS

The MANHATTAN STRING QUARTET

Critically acclaimed as one of America's leading ensembles,
The Manhattan String Quartet is celebrating its 39th season. Hailed by Michael
Steinberg of the Boston Globe as a national treasure, The Manhattan Quartet has
appeared throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Mexico and South
America. Their one hour program will feature Mozart's String Quartet in d
minor, K421, and Mendelssohn's String Quartet in a minor, Op. 13. During a performance of the Mozart
string quartet, Joseph Haydn commented to Wolfgang's father Leopold, "I
tell you before God, as an honest man, that your son is the greatest composer
whom I have know personally or by name!"

This promises to be a extraordinary concert - don't miss it!

NO TICKETS REQUIRED

THIS CONCERT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

For more information, visit ManhattanStringQuartet.com

Nancy Friese in the Gallery

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

January 29 to March 5
Tremendous Trees, Bending Skies and Greenswards

Nancy Friese's landscapes reflect nature's forms using colors, lights,
textures and spaces from a chosen view and a specific place. Since
earning an MFA from Yale in 1980, Ms. Friese's paintings and prints
have been exhibited in more than twenty-five solo shows and 170 group
shows, nationally and internationally. The recipient of several
prestigious competitions and awards, Ms. Friese has received three
National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, (including a residency in
Japan). She was granted a Lila Acheson Wallace Giverny Fellowship, a
Blanche E. Colman Award, Pollock-Krasner Foundation funding and a
George Sugarman Foundation Grant for painting. She is represented in
over 20 public and museum collections and has been lauded in leading
newspapers and arts magazines for the painterly precision and
everyday-to-exotic transformational quality of her work. Her work –
whether a foot square or six-by-nine feet – is equally grand and
gestural, blending a mutual respect for both the European landscape
traditions of form and color, and the stylistic freedom of Abstract
Expressionism. Ms. Friese resides in Rhode Island and North Dakota and
teaches at Rhode Island School of Design.

For more information on the Mark W. Potter Gallery at Taft, pleast visit
www.taftschool.org/pottergallery

For more information, please visit:
www.nancyfriese.com

On Exhibit

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Photographs by five Taft students have been juried into the 30th Annual Photography Exhibition 2010, sponsored by the New Canaan Society of Art.

"I am thrilled that of the five students, three are prize winners," says photography teacher Yee-Fun Yin. This year's exhibition is juried by Kristen Lubben, Associate Curator of the International Center of Photography, New York.

The five Taft students are:
Marieta Kenkovova, "Remington Detail, 2009" -- 2nd Prize Winner (above)
Everett Brownsstein, "Still Life, 2009" -- Honorable Mention
Jessica Jiang, "MoMA Exhibit, 2009" -- Honorable Mention
Tyler, Miller, "Pond, 2009"
James Calello, "History 101, 2009"

The exhibition opens on Sunday, February 7, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the Betty Barker Gallery, Waveny Park, New Canaan.

The school recently learned that the very modest Mr. Yin also entered the exhibition and was awarded First Place in Color Photography
The show was juried (works chosen and prizes awarded) by the Associate Curator of the International Center of Photography in NY, Kristen Lubben.

30th Annual Juried
PHOTOGRAPHY
Exhibition
February 7 - March 7
Receiving Jan. 25, 2010
Opening Reception:
Sunday Feb. 7 from 4-6pm

Darmon Meader Quartet

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22
7:00 p.m. in WALKER HALL

MUSIC FOR A WHILE series PRESENTS
DARMON MEADER QUARTET

Recognized in both the jazz and instrumental worlds, Darmon Meader is a highly respected vocalist, arranger and saxophonist. He has achieved international recognition as the founder, musical director, chief arranger, composer, producer, saxophonist and vocalist with New York Voices.

Join Darmon and his quartet in what promises to be an evening of soulful and electric jazz!

NO TICKETS REQUIRED
THIS CONCERT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Please visit the Walker Hall page for more information on the Music For a While series.

On and Off the Wall

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Acts and Memory: Paintings by Langdon Quin '66
A 20-year restrospective
University of New Hampshire Museum of Art
January 30 – April 8, 2010
(Closed March 12-21 and April 3-4)
Reception: Friday, Jan. 29, 5-7 p.m.
He has a concurrent show of selected small works at the George Marshall Store Gallery in nearby York, Maine.

Celia Gerard '91
"Open Your Arms to the Sun"
A group show
Sears-Peyton Gallery
210 11th Avenue, Suite 802
New York, NY 10001
Through August 14, 2009

Kendall Ayoub '92
2009 Vaughan Juried Art Exhibition
City Playhouse Theatre
Thornhill, Ontario
April 30 to May 24, 2009
Opening reception Thursday, April 30, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
kendallayoub.com

Bil Hudders '82
"The Third Mind"
Collaborative works on paper with Lehigh Professor Berrisford Boothe
March 6 to 29, 2009
Home and Planet Gallery
williamhudders.com

Jenny Glenn Wuerker '83
"Next Generation"
January 23 - April 8, 2009
Nicolaysen Art Museu
400 E. Collins Drive
Casper, WY 82601
307-235-5247
www.thenic.org

Megan Craig '93
"Lines of Flight"
December 11, 2008 - January 10, 2009
2nd Floor Gallery Space
Sundaram Tagore Gallery
547 West 27th Street
New York, NY 10001
212-677-4520
gallery@sundaramtagore.com
sundaramtagore.com

Sam Whitaker '75
"Poetics of Light, Form and Space
Confluent Visions, Divergent Voices"
November 3 to December 13, 2008
Ferguson Art Gallery, Concordia University
7400 Augusta Street
River Forest, IL 60305
708-209-3013
Concordia University

If you are an alumni artist and would like to include information about upcoming exhibits of your work,
please contact Julie Reiff, Director of Communications