Caltech Performing and Visual Arts

Theater Arts at Caltech presents a virtual showcase of four storytellers sharing their passion for science with our Caltech community. Emily Choe, undergraduate (class of 2024) Stephanie Cortez, undergraduate (class of 2022)... Tanmay Gupta, undergraduate (class of 2024) Kate Radford, graduate student in biochemistry & molecular biophysics The presenters have been working with Brian Brophy, the Director of Theater Arts at Caltech, for the past ten weeks. Brophy's emphasis has been on crafting their stories with a focus on content as well as proper vocal techniques (tone, pitch, delivery, articulation, tempo, rhythm) and non-verbal communication, with relaxation exercises and peer-to-peer critiques. The theme this term has been communicating complex social and scientific narratives, and how scientists deal with citizen science and democracy in open forums. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please visit tacit.caltech.edu or contact Brian Brophy by email at [email protected].

Opening night for the premiere of "Socially Unacceptable" is tonight! Click here for more info and get your tickets now.

Directed by Caltech Theater’s Brian Brophy, Socially Unacceptable follows three Facebook content moderators who are hired to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeling lucky to have a job, these new employees spend their days in a virtual world, Zoom conferencing with teammates for full workdays. As they screen the site's most violent and offensive posts, these content moderators begin to deal with the dangerous psychological effects of the job, and their lives becom...e increasingly interconnected both on screen and off. The internet reflects all of humanity. It’s a place of joy and connection, charity and progress. However, like the real world, it has those dark sides too. Sometimes we stumble onto them and stumble back out in horror. Yet, it’s okay. We click Report. We sweep the horror under the rug. We return to our bubble; to safety. But who handles those reports? Whose job is it to keep the revolting at bay? With Congress and the United Nations pushing back on fully automated moderation, Facebook has turned to human moderators. In Socially Unacceptable playwright Steinberg shows us five characters: the idealistic dreamer, the ambitious recruit, the easy-going confidant, the frustrated expert, and the manager just trying to hold it all together. Together they face the worst the internet has to offerthat which is completely socially unacceptable. Socially Unacceptable explores the growing conflicts between big tech and health, and the cost at which our digital world looks the way it does. The cast includes Caltech undergrads Winter Pearson ’23, Tanmay Gupta ’24, Joy Liu ’24, Emily Choe ’24 and Betty Wang ’21. Socially Unacceptable will run for 3 performances Thursday January 21, Friday January 22 and Saturday January 23 2021 at 5pm PST. Admission is $5 for students, $10 for JPL/Caltech employees and $20 for everyone else. Let’s hope the moderators survive. For more information please visit tacit.caltech.edu.

Greetings to the Friends of Caltech Instrumental Music! I hope that this finds you well and safe, during what have been very challenging times. As Director of Performing and Visual Arts, I want to thank you for your past support, which has made the achievements of our students and community possible. Due to the unusual circumstances this year, our annual donor appeal letter will only be sent via e-mail. We also recognize that this may not be a good time for you to conside...Continue reading

Dear Friends, What a challenging year for all of us. As Director of Theater Arts Caltech, it is my intention to keep making new art; to raise our spirits; to engage our community and not back down during this transitional moment; to relight our days with mutual care, communal joy and the generosity of spirit shown by scientists, technologists, researchers, engineers and so many more when we take creative chances outside the laboratories inside these Zoom boxes. Towards that ...end we are presenting Socially Unacceptable written by Matthew Steinberg January 21-23 followed by The New Galileos by Amy Berryman with a workshop production of a new musical based on Jules Verne’s From the Earth to to the Moon by Grant Remmen and his brother Cole Remmen, the authors of our wildly successful Boldly Go! From 2016. We continue to upgrade our Storytelling for Scientists class in this unique Zoom format every term. Grads, undergrads, postdocs along with our Caltech staff, faculty and JPL friends and colleagues are welcome to explore their comfort levels, build their storytelling and writing skills, while they sharpen their presentation presence with confidence. The lasting impact of theater at Caltech was evidenced in a note given to me recently written by Stan Cohn, class of ’79. This note brought me good cheer and I would like to share it with you: I can honestly say that those experiences in the musicals had as much of an impact on me as my classes. I learned how to focus on the moment, learn from those around me, communicate my thoughts, and assimilate information coming in from multiple places at the same time, as well as how to give of myself emotionally to others. Learning how to effectively communicate my thoughts and feelings in a larger setting has been indispensable to me in my current lectures to students as a professor of cell biology. When I think of the things that helped me to develop at Caltech, I think of my peers, my classes, my professors . . . and the musicals. We could not carry out these student-focused projects without your generous financial assistance. I would like to thank you for your past support and hope you will continue to make our work possible in the coming years, as we strive to examine the deeper meanings of life, and enhance the student experience at Caltech. Thank you all. Please stay safe, healthy and curious, Brian Brophy HOW TO DONATE By check- Please mail your donation to: Caltech Theater 1200 E. California Blvd., M/C 2-70 Pasadena, CA 91125 Online- Please click here

Caltech Theater presents a virtual presentation of 6 storytellers sharing their science stories and personal stories around synergy. Presenters, including postdoctoral scholars, a graduate student, and an alumnus, have been working with Caltech Theater Director Brian Brophy for the past ten weeks. Brophy's emphasis has been on crafting their stories with a focus on content as well as proper vocal techniques (tone, pitch, delivery, articulation, tempo, rhythm), non-verbal comm...unication, with relaxation exercises, and peer-to-peer critiques. Join us to hear stories of Richard Feynman's biggest challenge; the joy of rapid, dead stars; new cancer techniques; the disease of volunteerism, and more. This event is free and open to the public. Register online to receive the Zoom link

Bill Bing and Delores Bing may be retired, but lucky for us they ARE still very connected and involved with Caltech Performing and Visual Arts, among many other activities within the community. Thank you Coloradoboulevard.net for sharing this great video of them!

Happy Friday! Please enjoy this video featuring Martin Chalifour, LA Phil Concertmaster AND Caltech Chamber Music Instructor!

LACI 2020 - The Los Angeles Conducting Institute at Caltech is a specially-designed program for advanced and developing conductors, providing access to a unique faculty panel of eminent conductors, performers and composers drawn from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Chamber Orchestra, Hollywood studio orchestras, and leading conservatories. Participants receive full ensemble, chamber, and small group conducting opportunities, supported by classroom sessions and special prese...ntations, plus the option for a private lesson. Topics - Baton Technique, Score Study and Interpretation, Rehearsal Technique, Conducting Pedagogy, Leadership Skills, Career Development Faculty - H. Robert Reynolds, Glenn D. Price, Frank Ticheli, Gary Hill, Wayne Bergeron Dates - June 22-26, 2020 Registration - Acceptance to the Conducting Institute is by application only. For more information on the 2020 LACI at Caltech, click on this link: pva.caltech.edu/laci Or write to: [email protected]

The Caltech Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Glenn D. Price, presents Masterworks. Concerts will take place on Saturday, March 7 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, March 8 at 3:00 pm in Ramo Auditorium, and will feature the same program. Music will include Debussy Fêtes (from Trois Nocturnes), Bach Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, and Shostakovich Symphony No. 5. Featured soloists will be New York-based concert violinists, Laura and Jennifer Frautschi.... Admission is free and no tickets are required. For more information, visit pva.caltech.edu or call 626-395-3295.

The Caltech-Occidental Wind Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Glenn D. Price, presents International Excursions. This event will take place on Sunday, February 23 at 3pm in Thorne Hall on the Occidental College Campus. Music will include Adam Schoenberg Rise - Part 1 Beginnings (Premiere), Pavel Tschesnokoff Salvation is Created, Jules Strens Danse Funambulesque, and Johan de Meij T-Bone Concerto. Featured on this program is trombone soloist David Rejano Cantero, Principal Tromb...one of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra since 2016. Also featured are the Caltech Chamber Ensembles. Admission is free and no tickets are required. For more information, visitpva.caltech.edu or call (626) 395-3295.

Caltech celebrates the prolific science fiction writer Ray Bradbury over two weekends with five of his plays from February 21-March 1 2020. Performances: Fridays/Saturdays February 21/22 & 28/29 at 7:30 p.m. Sundays February 23 & March 1 at 2:30 p.m.... Location: Ramo Auditorium on the Caltech Campus The creative team of Bradbury 100 is drawn from Caltech undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, Caltech community and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), to celebrate the legacy of Bradbury and his connection with Caltech that began over fifty years ago. The production involves five different directors: JPL’s Barbie Insua (Marionettes, Inc.) and Brian White (The Martian Chronicles); Caltech’s former science magazine editor Doug Smith (The Sound of Thunder); Miranda Stewart (The Flying Machine, in Mandarin with English subtitles), a Caltech alumna who went on to a theater directing career; and current Caltech freshman Aditi Seetharaman (All Summer in a Day). Jocelyn Holland, Professor of Comparative Literature, and Brian White adapted The Martian Chronicles; Caltech PhD Mark Kozlowski and Doug Smith adapted The Sound of Thunder; and Caltech postdoc Jin Yan Yeo with graduate students Xiao Tong and Yuhui Jin, and undergraduate Betty Wong translated Bradbury’s text of The Flying Machine into Mandarin. On Friday the 28th, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Chip Sebens will discuss Bradbury’s science fiction and the paradoxes of time travel. On Saturday the 29th, one of the author’s daughters, Ramona Bradbury, and her daughters Claire and Julia Handleman will make appearances on stage to share personal stories of their father and grandfather. FIRST WEEKEND Friday & Saturday, February 21 & 22 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, February 23 at 2:30 p.m. All Summer in a Day. directed by Aditi Seetharaman Marionettes, Inc., directed by Barbie Insua The Martian Chronicles, directed by Brian White SECOND WEEKEND Friday & Saturday, February 28 & 29 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1 at 2:30 p.m. The Flying Machine (in Mandarin w/English subtitles), directed by Miranda Stewart A Sound of Thunder, directed by Doug Smith The Martian Chronicles, directed by Brian White Bradbury 100 is part of a national celebration of Ray Bradbury and his extensive oeuvre. Tickets are available at 626-395-4652 or online at https://tacit.caltech.edu/.

Caltech Mourns Passing of TACIT Founder Shirley Marneus January 24, 2020 Shirley Marneus, who founded Theater Arts at the California Institute of Technology (TACIT) and directed stage productions at Caltech for more than 20 years, died on January 15. She was 84....Continue reading

The Caltech Jazz Band, under the direction of Barb Catlin, presents the New Music & Emerging Artist Jazz Guest Artist Concert. This event will take place on Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 8:00 pm in Beckman Auditorium, featuring the Caltech Jazz Band. Featured guest artists will be Joey Sellers, Alex Hahn, Richard Giddens, Teryn Re, Adam Hersh, Iban Lee and Caltech’s visual artist, Jim Barry. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for general admission, and can be purchased ...by calling the Caltech Ticket Office at (626) 395-4652. This year’s annual Caltech Jazz Guest Artist concert will feature the Caltech Jazz Band with a unique consortium of emerging artists and composers. Composer/trombonist/educator Joey Sellers has received the Gil Evans Fellowship In Jazz Composition, the Sammy Nestico Award, and the Julius Hemphill Award. His creative work has led to commissions for Doc Severinsen, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and many others. The New York Times says,"Sellers is one of few composers whose ideas actually press into new shapes; it's not just a half dozen soloists coloring a big band core." Ben Ratliff Emerging artists featured will include Los Angeles alto saxophonist & 6-timeDownbeat Magazine Award Winner, Alex Hahn; bassist and Director of Jazz at Fresno State University, Richard Lloyd Giddens Jr.; Los Angeles vocalist/composer Teryn Ré; L.A. pianist extraordinaire, Adam Hersh; and the young L.A. tenor saxophonist, Iban Lee. The program will include compositions by Sellers and Hahn, as well as music by John Daversa, John Hollenbeck, Jim McNeeley, and Mike Conrad. A multi-media presentation will include poetry by Kenneth Patchen with live virtual reality artwork by Caltech’s own Visual Arts Director, Jim Barry.

Caltech Chamber Music, directed by Maia Jasper White, presents its annual Winter concerts. Admission is free and no tickets are required. For more information, visit pva.caltech.edu or call (626) 395-3295. Program information will be online a week before each concert. Enjoy music by Elgar, Brahms, Bach, Beethoven, Boccherini, Borodin, Barber, Haydn, Shostakovich, and many more. LA Phil Principal Concertmaster Martin Chalifour joins students for two works.... All concerts will be held on the Caltech campus in Dabney Lounge, except for January 18, which will be in the Hameetman Center 2nd floor, in Frautschi Hall. On January 18, Maia Jasper White, Caltech’s Director of Chamber Music, performs the complete Four Seasons of Vivaldi. Along the way, she will also explain how Vivaldi set specific poetry about each season from chirping birds to sweltering heat to chattering teeth to drunken harvest parties to music. On piano will be Valeria Morgovskaya. Concert dates and locations are as follows: Friday, 1/17/20, 8:00 pm - Dabney Lounge Saturday, 1/18/20, 8:00 pm - Frautschi Hall, Hameetman Center 2nd floor Sunday, 1/19/20, 3:00 pm - Dabney Lounge Friday, 1/24/20, 8:00 pm - Dabney Lounge Sunday, 1/26/20, 3:00 pm - Dabney Lounge

Caltech Performing and Visual Arts presents a guitar recital featuring Matthew Elgart with special guest artist Nicholas Barrett, featuring music by Bach, Satie, J.M. Hauer, Scarlatti, and others. This event will take place on Sunday, January 12 at 3:00pm in Dabney Lounge Dr. Elgart is currently Lecturer in Music at Caltech. Elgart received his Masters of Fine Arts in Guitar Performance from UCLA and his Doctorate in Composition from Claremont Graduate School. His work with ...the Elgart-Yates Guitar Duo, formed in 1975, includes recordings, duo-compositions, and frequent solo and duo performances in the U.S. and Europe. He has received numerous awards and grants including the NEA, California Arts Council and the Swiss Helvetica Fund. His publications and recordings are available on Bridge Records, TR Records, and California Guitar Archives No tickets or reservations required. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $10 to Caltech Performing and Visual Arts for guitar ensembles. For further information about this concert and/or the upcoming Mother’s Day Caltech Chamber Guitar performance, please call the Caltech Office for Performing and Visual Arts at (626) 395-3295.

Come out and join Caltech Jazz Band Director Barb Catlin and have some fun with the Improv Class Jam Session at the Red Door! It's happening this Thursday, December 12th at 7:30 pm in the Hameetman Center!

Join us for an evening of stories and the multiple dimensions of our scientists and their research. The stories explore their science passions from the cosmos to the earth's core, and from computer breakdowns to rogue rodents. Come celebrate what makes Caltech most compelling through an evening of spoken word stories and improvised scenes from audience suggestions. Friday, December 6 - 7:30 pm, Hameetman Center Frautschi Room For more information, visit tacit.caltech.edu or contact Theater Director, Brian Brophy at [email protected].

The Caltech Glee Club and Chamber Singers presents Thanksgiving: Celebration of Bounty, Beauty and Good Life. Nancy Sulahian, accompanied by William Schmidt will conduct music from the English Renaissance, Italian Baroque, and an array of American folks songs and a hint of winter holidays. This event will take place on Saturday, November 23 at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, November 24 at 3:00 p.m. in Ramo Auditorium on the Caltech Campus. Admission and parking is free and no tickets are required. For more information, visit pva.caltech.edu or call (626) 395-3295.

On November 16 and 17, the Caltech Orchestra will present its Student Soloist Showcase in Ramo Auditorium. The concerts will feature five Caltech students performing solo works with the orchestra. In designing this program, says Glenn Price, band director and director of performing and visual arts, we were able to choose from some of the finest, and also most technically challenging, repertoire. All five soloists display remarkable abilities, allowing us the opportunity to... select masterworks from the orchestral literature. Wesley Yu, a graduate student in aerospace, will perform the Saint-Saëns’ Havanaise for violin. Yu, who has been playing the violin since the age of 4, says that while the Havanaise is a staple of violin solo repertoire, this will be his first time performing the work. The piece in itself, the technicality of it, is challenging, he says. It has the full array of virtuoso violin techniques including double stopping, super-fast spiccatos, very bouncy passages, a lot of string crossings and a lot of flourishes. After the intro, it goes super fast, super crazy. Chemistry graduate student Sean Byrne will play the Romanze for Viola and Orchestra by Max Bruch, making his solo debut with the orchestra. It’s a very lush viola solo that is probably one of the more famous works in the viola repertoire, says Byrne. While it’s not as technically demanding as some, it’s still a very meaty piece. After the intermission, three piano soloists: Karlming Chen, Forte Shinko, and Youngjoon Choi, will each play a movement of the iconic and much-loved Piano Concerto in G major by Maurice Ravel. Shinko, a mathematics graduate student, will perform the second movement. The first and third movement, he says, are quite jazzy. Ravel, he notes, spent time in the U.S. and met American composer George Gershwin. Then he went back to France and composed this concerto, so it’s very jazz influenced, and if you didn’t know it was Ravel, in some parts of it you might think you were listening to Gershwin. Our five student soloists exemplify a hallmark feature of Caltech students, which is that of possessing strong talents in more than one field, says Price. While our students are driven by their interest in science, they are also artistically inclined and have cultivated their musical abilities to an extraordinarily high level. In a similar fashion, he adds, the students who populate all sections of the orchestra, alongside of our Caltech community members, demonstrate these same musical attributes. It is a tremendous pleasure to work with all of our Caltech orchestral musicians. They share their talents and create the special experience for each other, of performing in a symphony orchestra while fulfilling their own inclination to artistic expression. This concert is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required. Article written by Judith Hill.