Academies Joint Seminar: RENT

[Academy Events]

Students from all three sections of the Academies seminars came together for the second joint Academies sessions on Wednesday, October 28th. This meeting was designed to enrich the introduction to the Academies while highlighting an interesting and thought-provoking topic. The October 28th joint session encouraged students to consider how theater is used as a vehicle to build awareness and explore societal issues – specifically highlighting the production of Rent. The director/ choreographer of UB’s upcoming production and UB’s Director of Music Theater as well as cast and crew members engaged the students in active dialogue.

The class broke out into groups of nine that was facilitated by a member of the Academies faculty or staff as well as a cast/crew member from RENT. Academy students worked in groups to discuss one of the following topics to share discuss how these societal issues can be portrayed on stage. Members of the cast or crew shared how they express these issues through costume, charater, emotions, etc.:

Race relations
Gender
Poverty
Urbanism
Housing
AIDS and Disease
Prejudice
Substance Abuse
Materialism

Joint Seminar Special Guests...
Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj will direct and choreograph RENT at UB. Maharaj is an Artistic Director of the Rebel Theatre. His professional credits include being a former Associate Artistic Director of Syracuse Stage and work at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Prince Musical Theatre, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Atlanta’s Theatre of the Stars, and Amas Musical Theatre in NYC.

Nathan R. Matthews, UB Director of Music Theatre, will music direct RENT. As Riverside Opera Ensemble’s founding Producing Artistic Director in NYC, he has helped events that included the participation of Leonard Bernstein, Rosemary Harris, and Harolyn Blackwell. On Broadway he was Music Associate for Children and Art, the Stephen Sondheim 75th Birthday gala, and he served as Mark Hamill’s keyboard coach for Amadeus, directed by Sir Peter Hall. He has served on the music staff of the Santa Fe Opera.

Rajendra reminded the freshman Academies students to remember that through their participation in the Academies and at UB they are active citizens of the world.

Following the joint session students, faculty, staff, and out special guests gathered together in 17 Norton Hall for pizza to continue the class conversation on RENT!