A flurry of Worcester State students’ music, theatre, and visual art presentations are happening daily through May 2.
The Visual and Performing Arts Department is announcing a variety of opportunities to view music, theatre, and visual artwork by Worcester State students through its annual “Extreme Artery” initiative, an end-of-school-year blast of presentations, slated to run from Monday, April 24 through Tuesday, May 2.
The spring 2023 schedule features a dynamic variety of experiential learning—from live and in-person theatre and music performances at multiple venues on campus to visual art presentations in the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery and online.
“The end of April through early May marks an exciting and meaningful time for our department as Worcester State students make the transition from skill acquisition to applied practice in developing and implementing their artistic voices—through work that is oftentimes very personal—by performing on stage, exhibiting art in the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery, or sharing work online to friends, family, and our community members near and far,” said Visual and Performing Arts Chair Sam O’Connell, professor of theatre and interdisciplinary arts. “With more than 500 Worcester State University students taking visual and performing arts courses today, we’re motivated by how the arts are playing such an intrinsic role in our community, and we’re thrilled to share as much of the students’ work as possible in the coming days.”
See highlights of the spring 2023 Extreme Artery initiative on the Worcester State website and on the Visual and Performing Arts Department’s social media pages: @wsuvpa on Instagram and @VPAatWorcesterState on Facebook.
The schedule of events is as follows:
Monday, April 24
The Visual and Performing Arts Department will present an online presentation of masks created by students of Professor Susan Fisher’s Creating Cultural Forms course.
Tuesday, April 25
Musica!, the Latin American Music ensemble of Worcester State, welcomes students to decompress before finals with an hour of Brazilian jazz lounge music. Join them from noon to 1 p.m. in the Exhibition Area of the Student Center.
Wednesday, April 26
Stop in at the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery in the Ghosh Science and Tech Center to catch two shows at once. Enjoy inspiring capstone work of graduating art majors Caroline Ford and Judith Doherty as part of their student thesis art exhibition, and, at the same time, catch the Visual and Performing Arts Department’s student art show, an exhibit that showcases an extensive variety of work by visual arts students of a range of majors. The shows are open through April 13 on Wednesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m., or by appointment by emailing gallery@worcester.edu.
Thursday, April 27
Worcester State Theatre opens The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a Tony award-winning musical with book by Rachel Sheinkin and music and lyrics by William Finn (falsettos). The charming comedy will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 27; Friday, April 28; and Saturday, April 29, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 30, in Fuller Theater, located on the second floor of the Administration Building. Tickets are on sale at the Student Center Information Desk, online, at the door, or by contacting the box office at 508-929-8843 or VPABoxOffice@worcester.edu to make a reservation. Don’t miss this delightfully funny show—complete with audience participation—about an eclectic group of middle school spellers searching to find themselves.
Also on Thursday, community members have an opportunity to enjoy a spring 2023 Worcester State jazz concert. Join director Jeremy Cohen and this talented group of musicians as they showcase the versatility of jazz with their semi annual show. The group will perform at 2:30 p.m. in the Student Center’s Blue Lounge. The concert is free and open to the community.
Friday, April 28
The Visual and Performing Arts Department will present the first of two showcases of work by Worcester State students in Professor Amaryllis Siniossoglou’s studio courses. This online presentation will feature vibrant art by Drawing and Painting Studio students.
Saturday, April 29
The Visual and Performing Arts Department rounds out the presentation of wonderful work by Worcester State students in Professor Amaryllis Siniossoglou’s studio courses with a second showcase. This online presentation will feature a variety of work by students of Watercolor, Drawing Fundamentals, and Drawing and Painting Studio courses.
Sunday, April 30
The community can catch the final show of Worcester State Theatre’s presentation of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at 2 p.m. in Fuller Theater. In addition, enjoy a look at highlights of the musical through dress rehearsal photography by Worcester State alum Mathew Wright on the website and @wsuvpa on Instagram and @VPAatWorcesterState on Facebook.
Monday, May 1
The Visual and Performing Arts Department is delighted to showcase a senior spotlight on visual and performing arts major and music minor Evan Couture ’23, featuring guitar improvisations on “Summertime” by George Gershwin, “Stormy Monday” by T-Bone Walker, and “Riviera Paradise” by Stevie Ray Vaughn performed as part of his capstone project during the Worcester State jazz concert on April 27. The spotlight will be made available on the website and @wsuvpa on Instagram and @VPAatWorcesterState on Facebook. Couture also performs on guitar in the orchestra pit of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Tuesday, May 2
Mosaic of Music marks the finale of the Extreme Artery initiative. Join us at 7 p.m. in Fuller Theater for a fabulous live event as Worcester State music students perform an eclectic variety of instrumental and vocal work. The show is free and open to the community. Contact VPAMusic@worcester.edu for details regarding student lessons and ensembles.
For more information about the upcoming Extreme Artery presentations and other music, theatre, and visual arts offerings, contact the Visual and Performing Arts Department at 508-929-8145 or VPA@worcester.edu.
Top image: Caroline Ford ’23, one of the first two Worcester State students to graduate with Worcester State’s new art major. Her capstone work is on display through April 13 as part of the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery’s Spring 2023 Thesis Exhibition. Judith Doherty ’23, who is also one of the first two art major graduates, has work on display in the Thesis Exhibition as well. Photo by Andrea Binnick.
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