Theatre & Dance students explore NYC
Nine Cornell College students are off exploring the arts in New York City. It’s not just for fun, it’s their Block 4 class, THE 348: Theatre and the Arts in NYC.
They’re studying American art and culture, focusing on theatrical performance, opera, and dance.
“Artistically, our students will broaden their perspectives through attending performances, visiting museums, taking part in workshops with professionals, and getting hands-on experiences with the technology of the business,” said Professor of Theatre and Dance Janeve West. “Experiences like this give our students the opportunity to live the questions they’ve been asking about in the classroom.”
Among many meetings, students connected with John Gebbie and Bill Stonehouse, the managers of Barbizon Lighting Company.
“After our meeting, no student left thinking there aren’t jobs in lighting and installation,” said Bobby Nowak ’19. “Every word out of John’s mouth carried the message that there are tons of jobs, foreign and domestic, waiting to be filled by the right people.”
Benjamin Kit Wong ’18, Anna Genrich ’18, Gabby Ferro ’18, Katie Glenn ’19, Bryce Connelly ’18, Daniel Solomon Holland ’20, Lia Hennessy ’20, Mackenzie Crow ’18 are also on the trip with Professor of Theatre Scott Olinger.
This is a new experience for many of the students, including their first subway ride, first Broadway show, and first encounter with the thrills and challenges of working in a big city.
“As a department, we’re constantly aware of the two components of our mission. First, to develop active citizens who are culturally competent and globally aware, through high-impact experiences,” West said. “Secondly, we always work to prepare these emerging artists for a full and rich life in this creative industry. There is no better way to do both than through taking advantage of the block plan, immersing students in these culturally-rich experiences, and turning metropolitan areas into our classroom.”
The students will see a variety of shows, including, “Meteor Shower,” “The Magic Flute,” “The Book of Mormon,” “M. Butterfly,” “The Band’s Visit,” “Describe the Night,” “Home,” “Suddenly,” “Then She Fell,” “The Briefly Dead,” “Tesseract,” “Latin History for Morons,” and “Peter Pan.”
