Press Calendar For Immediate Release: August 15, 2017 OCTOBER 2017 AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY S CENTER FOR THE ARTS featuring: Aquila Theatre s Sense and Sensibility Virginia Opera s Samson and Delilah Pilobolus Tango Bueno Aires and many more! (FAIRFAX) George Mason University s Center for the Arts released today its schedule of events for October 2017 as part of the Great Performances at Mason series. The calendar features theater and opera productions of well-known tales, an international dance hit, and a dance and music performance celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. The schedule also includes theater productions and classical music concerts by Mason students and faculty. The month s offerings begin on October 1 with a touring production of Jane Austen s beloved novel Sense & Sensibility presented by New York City s Aquila Theatre. This staging of Austen s classic story coincides with the bicentenary of the author s death. On October 7 and 8, Virginia Opera returns for its 26th season at the Center with a new production of Camille SaintSaëns French opera, Samson and Delilah. This popular opera, which premiered in 1877, is regularly performed around the globe and it features the famous Bacchanale scene that has crossed over into popular culture. The celebrated modern dance company Pilobolus also makes a return to the venue on October 13 with their highly imaginative evening-length work, Shadowland, a video clip of which went viral in early 2013. Additionally, the Center honors Hispanic Heritage Month with the October 14 performance by Tango Buenos Aires titled The Spirit of Argentina, which features classical compositions by Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla as well as authentic choreography and steps by one of the best touring tango ensembles today. A full schedule of performances for October 2017 is below. Unless otherwise noted, performances will take place in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall located at 4373 Mason
Pond Drive, Fairfax, Virginia. Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Center for the Arts Ticket Office (open Tuesday Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), by calling 888-945-2468, or through the Center for the Arts website at cfa.gmu.edu. Aquila Theatre Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen Sunday, October 1 at 4 p.m. Images: Aquila Theatre Great Performances at Mason Jane Austen s beloved novel about the two Dashwood sisters is brought to life by one of the foremost producers of classical theater. Set in the English countryside at the close of the 18th century, Sense & Sensibility revolves around the lives of the levelheaded Elinor and the hopelessly romantic Marianne. Following the unexpected death of their father, the sisters and their widowed mother must leave their comfortable family estate, which has been left to their half-brother, and move into a modest cottage. In a time when options for women are limited, the only hope for these two sisters is a profitable marriage. Austin s classic tale in which seduction, courtship, love, and heartbreak abound is brought to life by the signature boldness and spirit of this esteemed company. Pre-Performance Discussion with a Member of the Company begins 45 minutes before the Tickets: $44, $37, $26 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on October 1, 2017 Virginia Opera Samson and Delilah Saturday, October 7 at 8 p.m. Sunday, October 8 at 2 p.m. Images: Virginia Opera Virginia Opera opens its 26th season with the epic French opera Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns, dramatizing the well-known Biblical story of a legendary Israelite warrior (Samson) who is seduced and then betrayed by a Philistine woman (Delilah). The final act features the famous Bacchanale, a showpiece where the pleasure-seeking Delilah leads a feverish dance to tempt Samson. Paul Curran masterfully stages this passionate opera featuring acclaimed tenor Derek Taylor (Samson) and talented mezzo-soprano Katharine Goeldner (Delilah). Though
it was not performed for 15 years after it was composed due to its sensual subject matter, Samson and Delilah is one of the most frequently performed French operas today. Sung in French with English supertitles. Pre-Performance Discussions with Dr. Opera Glenn Winters begin 45 minutes before each Tickets: $110, $90, $54 1 Free Student Ticket Available with Mason ID beginning on September 26, 2017 Pilobolus Shadowland Friday, October 13 at 8 p.m. Images: Pilobolus Pilobolus returns with an exhilarating new evening-length work a narrative that depicts the surreal dream world of a young girl on the verge of self-discovery. Combining an ingenious use of multimedia, projected shadow play, and acrobatic dance, this theatrical event follows a teenage girl who longs for independence as she falls asleep and journeys into the land of shadows. Shadowland was conceived in collaboration with Steven Banks, lead writer for the popular animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, and it is set to rhythmic original music by musician/composer David Poe. This award-winning company continues to break down barriers between different creative disciplines through its collaborations as it explores ways of using the body as a graphic and expressive medium. The company has toured the world extensively and has appeared on countless television shows including Oprah, Late Night with Conan O Brien, the Academy Awards, and 60 Minutes. Grace meets physical agility to create movement that is as lyrical as it is astonishing, says the Sunday Oregonian. Pre-Performance Discussion with a Member of the Company begins 45 minutes before the Tickets: $48, $41, $29 1 Free Student Ticket Available with Mason ID beginning on October 3, 2017 Tango Buenos Aires The Spirit of Argentina Saturday, October 14 at 8 p.m. Images: Tango Buenos Aires Take a journey to this South American country through the passion-filled dance and music that embody The Spirit of Argentina. One of Argentina s greatest cultural exports, Tango Buenos
Aires is considered the most authentic tango ensemble performing today. The dancers dazzle with sensual moves and playful drama, while the musicians entice with melodies of romance and nostalgia. This program traces the evolution of tango through the classic music compositions of Carlos Gardel, a central figure in the history of tango, and his collaborations with composer Astor Piazzolla. The Spirit of Argentina showcases the breadth of styles and gamut of emotions that have made tango the cultural phenomenon that it is. Crafted swirling, fast-paced tapestries of movement, laced with proud postures and sensual couplings (The Washington Post). Pre-Performance Discussion with a Member of the Company begins 45 minutes before the Tickets: $50, $43, $30 1 Free Student Ticket Available with Mason ID beginning on October 3, 2017 Mason Student and Faculty Performances A Mason Fringe Production Dead Man's Cell Phone By Sarah Ruhl; Directed by Mary Burgess Wednesday, October 4 and Friday, October 6 at 8 p.m. Saturday, October 7 at 2 p.m. TheatreSpace An incessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet café leads a stranger at the next table to get involved with a dead man and a lot of loose ends. This wildly imaginative comedy by MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Sarah Ruhl is the odyssey of a woman forced to confront her own assumptions about morality, redemption, and the need to connect in a technologically obsessed world. Tickets: $20 general admission; $10 students, staff, seniors and groups 1 Free Student Ticket Available with Mason ID beginning on September 26, 2017 FRINGE SPECIAL! Buy a ticket to both Fringe plays, receive half off your second purchase! Mason Symphonic Band & Mason Percussion Concert Wednesday, October 4 at 8 p.m. Harris Theatre Mason University Symphonic Band and Percussion Ensemble perform under the direction of Professor John Kilkenny and Professor Denton Stokes. Tickets: $12, $8, $5 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on September 26, 2017
A Mason Fringe Production 1984 Adapted by Robert Owen, Wilton E. Hall, Jr., and William A. Miles, Jr. Based on the novel by George Orwell. Directed by Brooke Gorsica Friday, October 5 and Saturday, October 7 at 8 p.m. Sunday, October 8 at 2 p.m. TheatreSpace Lies are called truths, political enemies are demonized, scapegoating divides the populace, rational critique is harshly denounced and Big Brother is watching. Orwell s prescient take on a futuristic dystopian society. Tickets: $20 general admission; $10 students, staff, seniors and groups 1 Free Student Ticket Available with Mason ID beginning on September 26, 2017 FRINGE SPECIAL! Buy a ticket to both Fringe plays, receive half off your second purchase! Mason Wind Symphony with Fairfax Wind Symphony Monday, October 16 at 8 p.m. Concert Hall Mason Wind Symphony under the direction of Professor Mark Camphouse and Fairfax Wind Symphony under the direction of Stan Schoonover. Tickets: $12 adults; $8 seniors, $5 youth through grade 12 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on October 3, 2017 The Gondoliers Thursday, October 26 Saturday, October 28 at 8 p.m. Saturday, October 28, 2017 at 2 p.m. Sunday, October 29, 2017 at 4 p.m. Gilbert and Sullivan s last great success hilariously satirizes class distinctions. Due to an error of identity when they were young, a gaggle of charming Venetian gondoliers are informed that one of them is the heir to the throne of Barataria. The tribulations of governing and romance are lampooned in this delightful musical theater piece by the masters of comic opera. Tickets: $30 adult; $15 students, staff, seniors and groups 2 Free Student Tickets Available with Mason ID beginning on October 17, 2017
About Great Performances at Mason Great Performances at Mason is a program of George Mason University s Center for the Arts, the professional presentation and production arm of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA). CVPA provides an academic environment in which the arts are explored as individual disciplines and interdisciplinary forms that strengthen one another. The college prepares students for careers as creators, performers, teachers, scholars, arts leaders and arts entrepreneurs. Understanding that an education in the arts is deepened by regular contact with the work of distinguished visiting artists, the Center for the Arts, the professional presentation and production arm of the college, welcomes a variety of professional and world-renowned artists, musicians and actors to its stage. Students have the opportunity to perform, create and exhibit their work in a wide variety of public venues including a 2,000-seat Concert Hall. CVPA is home to the Schools of Music, Dance, Art and Theater, as well as the Computer Game Design, Arts Management, and Film and Video Studies programs. About George Mason University George Mason University is Virginia s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls 35,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. For more information, please visit: George Mason University s Center for the Arts #MasonArts # # # PRESS CONTACTS Camille Cintrón Devlin, Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications 703-993-8794 cdevlin6@gmu.edu Hyla S. Helsel London, Interim Director of Marketing 703-993-9808 hhelsel@gmu.edu