First-Rate Theatre and Dance Offered for 2014 Lougheed Festival of the Arts

SUNY Potsdam Welcomes Guest Actor Paul Ricciardi for Lineup including Dance Troupe FuturPointe and Many Student Performances

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Students will be in the spotlight for theatre and dance events during the Lougheed Festival of the Arts at SUNY Potsdam.

POTSDAM, NY (04/23/2014)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam's Department of Theatre and Dance will host guest artists and present student productions from now through May 4, as part of the third annual Lougheed Festival of the Arts.

In the annual presentation of One Act Plays, students direct, act and produce short dramatic works. This year, there are three programs. Program A, which includes "Heroes," "Chance Meeting" and "Becoming Through the Eyes of Others," will be offered on Thursday, April 24 and Saturday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. Program B, which includes "Opening," "The Game" and "No Exit," will be presented on Friday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 27 at 2 p.m. Program C, which includes "Dead to Me, "Rain" and "July 7, 1994," will be offered on Saturday, April 26 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. All One Act Plays will be held in the Performing Arts Center's Black Box Theater.

The guest artists of FuturPointe Dance will bring energy and enthusiasm to the festival, with the ensemble's innovative, modern style. The genre-bending dance troupe is based in Rochester, N.Y., and led by founding artistic producers and choreographers N'Jelle Gage and Guy Thorne. FuturPointe's signature reggae ballet style is a sophisticated fusion of traditional and modern Caribbean dance forms, ballet and Latin vocabulary. The company's repertoire incorporates elements of media, fashion and provocative performance art to produce an unusual and emotionally transporting dance experience. FuturPointe Dance will perform on Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m., in the Performing Arts Center's Dance Theater. This event is free, but tickets are required, as seating is limited. To reserve a ticket, contact the Community Performance Series Box Office at (315) 267-2277.

There will be a Student Dance Club Showcase on Sunday, April 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Dunn Theater, featuring performances by student groups, including the Dance Ensemble, the Swing Dance Club, the Bear Witness Step Team and the Tap Dance Club.

Two innovative SUNY Potsdam theatre students will be featured during the festival. Senior theatre major Susan Rosello '14 will host an interactive demonstration about creating zombie and horror special effects makeup on Saturday, April 26 at 3 p.m. in the Crane School of Music costume shop. ChaRon Brabham '14, the senior theatre major who presented Oscars at last year's Academy Awards after winning a national contest, will screen her short film on Tuesday, April 29 at 5:30 p.m. in the Barrington Student Union Fireside Lounge.

Actor, playwright and teacher Paul Ricciardi will visit campus during the festival. Ricciardi currently teaches at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. As an actor and award-winning solo performer, he has worked extensively throughout New York City and regionally. Recent credits include a revival of his solo show, "Moving Vehicles," as well as performances in "Hamlet," "Love Song" and "Take Me Out." Ricciardi is the co-vice chair for Region I of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival; he is also a recipient of the 2009 Kennedy Center National Teaching Artist Award. Ricciardi will stage his latest solo show, "Angry and Other Stories," on May 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m., in the Performing Arts Center's Proscenium Theater. In addition, he will present a workshop about devising LGBTQ theatre on Wednesday, April 30 at 1 p.m. in the Sara M. Snell Music Theater at The Crane School of Music. Ricciardi will also offer a masterclass about the Linklater vocal technique on Friday, May 2 at 1 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center's Black Box Theater.

On Friday, April 2, the Creative Arts Afterschool Program will offer a performance featuring local elementary students who will perform an original work at 4:30 p.m. in the PAC Black Box Theater.

The annual Senior Choreography Concert will feature original works of six graduating dance majors, produced and performed by their peers. The student choreographers include Katie Binder, Sam DiPietro, Krystal Quero, Barre Cross, Marie Lipscomb and LaNeise Goggans. The concert will be offered on Friday, May 2 at 7:30 p.m., on Saturday, May 3 at 5 p.m., and on Sunday, May 4 at 2 p.m. All performances will be presented in the PAC Dance Theater.

Senior theatre major Aaron Moore '14 will present his original play, "Color in Motion," to close out the Lougheed Festival of the Arts on Sunday, May 4 at 7 p.m. in Dunn Theater. In addition to his work as a playwright and actor, Moore has also served as the president of the Black Student Alliance as an undergraduate. He will be the academic honoree for the Bachelor's Commencement Ceremony next month.

From directing, choreographing, acting and dancing, to designing and technical work, theatre and dance are highly collaborative art forms at SUNY Potsdam. To learn more about the College's Department of Theatre and Dance, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/AAS/Theatre.

For the full Lougheed Festival of the Arts schedule of events, visit www.potsdam.edu/artsfestival.

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of only three arts campuses in the entire SUNY system. SUNY Potsdam's arts curriculum offers the full palette: music, theatre, dance, fine arts and creative writing. No matter the discipline, people from all backgrounds can find their creative compass at Potsdam, with myriad arts immersion experiences available for both campus and community.

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