Zena Assi, al kouwa fi yad al mar2a (The Force is in the Hands of the Woman), 2016. Mixed media on canvas. From the exhibition I AM: An East-West Arts initiative organized by CARAVAN at the AU Museum.

Welcome to the 2017 fall arts season at American University! Our calendar below is filled with classical and contemporary concerts, dance performances and workshops, theatrical adaptations of classic literature, exciting art exhibitions showcasing local and global art, and talks by nationally known artists.

Early Fall Exhibitions

September 5-October 22
Members' Preview: Friday, September 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 9, 6-9 p.m.
Friday Gallery Tours: September 15-October 22, 11:30 a.m. No tour on Friday, November 24. Visit american.edu/cas/museum for a complete listing of museum events.

• I AM: An East-West Arts initiative organized by CARAVAN
• TWIST-LAYER-POUR: Installations by Mary Early, Joan Belmar, and Sondra Arkin
• MAKING A SCENE: Art from Jefferson Place Gallery (1957-1970s). Presented by the Alper Initiative for Washington Art
• THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS: Paintings by William Woodward
• TETHERED TO THE CRADLE: Kinetic Work by Christopher Carter
  
• BETWEEN TWO ROUNDS OF FIRE, THE EXILE OF THE SEA: Arab modern and contemporary works from the Barjeel Art Foundation

Music in the Museum

Thursday, September 14, 7:30 pm
AU Museum at the Katzen Arts Center
INTERFERENCE new music collective, the museum's ensemble-in-residence, returns this season for its first program of 2017­-18 featuring Russian and American music. Performers include Steve Antosca (computer), Nancy Jo Snider (cello), William Brent (computer), and Noah Getz (saxophone).

Overture

Friday-Saturday, September 22-23, 8 p.m.
Greenberg Theatre
Directed by Sybil Williams
This performance showcases works by AU's incoming class of 2021. Through monologues, scenes, and song, the students reveal their passions, insecurities, and ambitions. Tickets: $5

Critical Response Process Workshop

Wednesday, October 4, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Katzen Dance Studio
Facilitated by The Dance Exchange, a DC artist collective
Join members from the Dance Exchange to learn how to engage with feedback using the Critical Response Process. Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process (CRP) is a widely-recognized method that nurtures the development of artistic works-in-progress through a four-step, facilitated dialogue between artists, peers, and audiences. Free and open to the AU community.

Contemporary Dance Master Class With Christopher Morgan

Saturday, October 7, 12-2 p.m.
Katzen Dance Studio
This advanced level contemporary dance class led by Christopher Morgan begins with a warm up that integrates release technique, yoga, and modern dance. The class continues with a thoughtful build up to full-bodied movement. Free and open to the AU community.

The Gorenman Bach Project

Saturday, October 7, 7:30 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Yuliya Gorenman, internationally acclaimed concert pianist and AU's musician-in-residence, presents Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Technically challenging and emotionally expansive, this famous set of exercises in every key is at once majestic and intimate. Tickets: $10-25

Little Women

Thursday-Friday, October 19-20, 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 21, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Friday, October 27, 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 28, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Greenberg Theatre
Directed by Karl Kippola
Book by Allan Knee, Music by Jason Howland, Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein
Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott
This musical version of Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel follows the exploits of the March sisters as they struggle to find balance between domesticity, work, and true love. As only musical theatre can, it glorifies the magical moment when a great love story and a noble quest for personal fulfillment are one and the same. Tickets: $10-15

Urban Dance Master Class with B-Boy "Toyz Are Us"

Saturday, October 28, 12-3 p.m.
Katzen Dance Studio
One of the most respected B-boys on the US scene today, Toyz Are Us infuses old school techniques with a new school twist in this breaking master class. Bring clean, non-marking tennis shoes. All levels welcome, some experience recommended. Free and open to the AU community.

Arts Management Colloquium

Friday, November 3, 2-6 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Leading practitioners and theorists address significant issues affecting today's arts community. Free and open to the public.

Bach, Luther, and the Reformation: A Study in Theology and Sound

Saturday, November 4, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 5, 3 p.m.
Kay Spiritual Life Center
Daniel Abraham, director
Let your spirit soar with the choral music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Learn about the relationship between Bach's music and Lutheran theology as the AU Chamber Singers present three distinct styles of sacred music. Tickets: $5-10

Choreolab 2017 Performance

Wednesday, November 8, 8 p.m.
Greenberg Theatre
Directed by Erin Foreman-Murray
AU's student choreographers present an exciting evening of concert dance. You will see an array of works in progress by emerging choreographers. Following the performance, you will have an opportunity to hear the choreographers discuss their artistic choices. Tickets: $10-15

What Goes Around...

Thursday-Friday, November 9-10, 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 11, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Katzen Arts Center, Studio Theatre
Adapted and Directed by Carl Menninger
A modern adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's nineteenth-century play La Ronde. The performance chronicles a series of ten affairs, focusing on the power struggles between the characters and the lies they tell themselves as they move from one encounter to another. Tickets: $10-15

Fall for Jazz

Friday, November 10, 7:30 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Joshua Bayer, director
The AU Jazz Orchestra brings the swing. The university's very own big band jazzes up the fall with an evening of classic swing, bebop, funk, and blues. Tickets: $5-10

Late Fall Exhibitions

November 11-December 17
Members' Preview: Friday, November 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 11, 6-9 p.m.
Friday Gallery Tours: November 17-December 15, 11:30 a.m. No tour on Friday, November 24.
Three new exhibitions arrive in the late fall: a fifteenth-anniversary celebration of the Trawick Prize; inventive new work by Erik Sandberg; and Radix, an exhibition of paintings by Anne Marchand, Pat Goslee, and Cianne Fragione. Visit american.edu/cas/museum for a complete listing of museum events.

The Winds of Time

Sunday, November 12, 3 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Ben Sonderman, conductor
Join the AU Symphonic Band for a sweeping program of new classics and old favorites. This performance will musically transport audiences through the ages with a bit of variety for everyone. Tickets: $5-10

Movement Speaks: Conversations about Dance

Friday, November 17, 8 p.m.
Katzen Dance Studio
Featuring Dance Program faculty Erin Foreman-Murray
Movement Speaks is a biannual discussion series featuring dance artists discussing their work as choreographers, researchers, scholars, and performers. Kicking off the 2017-18 season is Dance Program faculty Erin Foreman-Murray. As the culmination of a week-long residency with AU Dance Company, Foreman-Murray opens the dance lab to discuss her choreographic process and give visitors a sneak peek of her new work with the company. Free of charge.

Dark the Night

Friday-Saturday, November 17-18, 7:30 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Casey Cook, conductor
The AU Chorus explores themes of darkness, sleep, and dreams with music from rising stars in the world of choral composition. Enjoy serene compositions by choral innovator Eric Whitacre, transcendent pieces by Norwegian songwriter Ola Gjeilo, and other musical celebrations of the night. Tickets: $5-10

Mid-Century Modern

Friday, December 1, 7:30 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Noah Getz, director
The AU Workshop contemporary music ensemble presents a concert exploring music from the mid-twentieth century by composers from around the world. Tickets: $5-10

Totally Tchaikovsky

Saturday, December 2, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 3, 3 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Matthew Brown, conductor
The AU Symphony Orchestra's season-opening concert will be devoted exclusively to the Russian master of masters, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Jessica Bauer, student winner of AU's 2017 Concerto and Aria Competition, will play Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D, and the orchestra will tackle his epic Fifth Symphony. Tickets: $5-10

Visiting Artist Talks

Katzen Arts Center
The AU Studio Art Program will host two visiting artists, Jennifer Nuss and Tomas Vu. Visit american.edu/cas/auarts for event updates. Free of charge.

More Information

For more information and event updates, visit AU Arts. To reserve seats, call 202-885-2787 or visit the Katzen Arts Center or Greenberg Theatre Box Offices.