Campus Connections, a new lecture and production series at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, aims to bring together the community while also introducing students to the stage community.
Norman Easterbrook, director of the Ford Center, hopes these programs will engage and connect with what is being taught in the classroom and on the stage, according to a news release from University Communications.
“With our Campus Connections, we seek to extend the classroom experience to what happens on our stage, and we hope the entire community will take advantage of what we have to offer,” Easterbrook said.
Students have already begun taking advantage of the activities the Ford Center has to offer.
“I have never really been to anything at the Ford Center, but I went to a show recently for class and thought it was really entertaining,” said Charlie Maynard, a sophomore business major from Houston, Texas.
Kate Meacham, who handles marketing for the Ford Center, has been actively promoting these events.
“Campus Connections shows are marketed to the campus and community through advertisements and social media,” Meacham said. “We are also working directly with various academic departments to promote specific shows. In addition, we have met with different student organizations to present upcoming events directly to them. We have also had marketing events at the Student Union with small preview performances in the plaza to promote shows.”
The first show, “Fahrenheit 451,” was performed Nov. 4, showcasing Ray Bradbury’s novel about an oppressive society in which firemen burn books. Aquila Theatre, a nonprofit company that tours many cities in the United States and has gained much acclaim over the years, performed the piece and participated in a discussion group.
The next performance, “Letters Home,” is set for Nov. 13, showcasing real letters written by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. A New York Times article entitled “The Things They Wrote” was the inspiration behind this piece. The company performing this will be Griffin Theatre Company, which does many literary adaptations.
The last Campus Connections performance will be “Requiem,” by Giuseppe Verdi, set for Nov. 17. The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra will be pairing up with The University of Mississippi Chorus to produce this collaborative work.
Easterbrook encouraged not only students to attend, but faculty, staff and Oxford residents as well.
“The emphasis is on engaging students, faculty and staff in observing and considering these events in the context of their coursework,” she said. “It’s an exciting environment, and we hope that others in the community outside of the campus will join in these explorations.”
-Libby Gerstner
eagerstn@go.olemiss.edu
