Jeanette Colby, the University’s calendar editor, offers a selection of events and activities to do this weekend. Find daily information on upcoming events on the University Events Calendar at www.rochester.edu/calendar.
#1: Experience Dark Victorian-Era Chamber Opera
The Eastman Opera Theatre presents Benjamin Britton’s dark chamber opera The Turn of the Screw, from November 3 through November 6, at Kilbourn Hall. Based on the famous Henry James 19th-century novella, the operatic masterpiece follows the story of a young parson’s daughter—hired to serve as governess to two young children—who’s convinced of influential supernatural forces at work. “The piece walks a fine line between a traditional ghost story and a tale of mental instability, says Stephen Carr, associate artistic director of the Eastman Opera Theatre. The Victorian-era style production is two and a half hours long and will be sung in English with supertitles. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Check out the free pre-performance lectures given one hour earlier in the School’s Ray Wright Room 120. Tickets are $20 for the general public. $17 for University faculty and staff with a University ID.
#2: Shop One-of-a-Kind Gifts Made by Craft Artists
Where can you shop for that art lover on your list? Find unique gifts and one-of-a-kind works by master craft artists at the 16th annual Fine Craft Show at the Memorial Art Gallery, on Saturday, November 4, and Sunday, November 5. Sponsored by the Gallery Council, the show features 40 juried master craft artists and works in ceramics, glass, jewelry, metal, leather, wood, and wearable art. The weekend sale will also highlight the work of the up and coming master craft students from the Rochester Institute of Technology. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, November 5, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, November 6. $10 at the door and includes museum admission. The show will offer an exclusive opening party on Friday, November 4. Read more.
#3: ‘Embrace’ the Documentary about Body Image
The School of Nursing and the western New York Comprehensive Care Center for Eating Disorders are sponsoring a free screening of the documentary Embrace on Sunday, November 6. The film is directed by body image activist Taryn Brumfitt and told from her point of view as she travels around the globe talking to experts and well-known personalities about body image issues that are seen in people of all body types. The film, initially funded as a Kickstarter campaign, became Australia’s most successful crowd-funded documentary campaign in Kickstarter’s history. The screening starts at 1 p.m., at the Helen Wood Hall auditorium (1W304 at the School of Nursing, and will be followed by a panel discussion. Light refreshments will be provided. Free parking will be available at the Saunders Research Building Lott at 265 Crittenden Boulevard.
#4: Be Entertained by Student-led A Capella Performances
Vocal Point, the all female a cappella group, will present its fall show, “1969,” on Friday, November 4. The performance marks a milestone performance for the ensemble who will premier their new album, 1969—named for the group’s founding year. The album has 10 brand new tracks and will be available for purchase with physical copies as well as on iTunes and Spotify. Listen to live covers of Sia and Adele, and watch for special guest performers, the University Yellowjackets. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the Strong Auditorium. Another a capella performance will happen on Saturday, November 5, as After Hours presents its annual show, “After Dark,” at 8 p.m., in the Douglass Ballroom. The ensemble will perform songs by Ariana Grande, Morningsiders, Fifth Harmony, Twenty One Pilots, Misterwives, and also feature a guest performance by the University’s RICE Crew and RIT’s Eight Beat Measures. Both River Campus shows are $10 for the general public and tickets will be available at the door.
#5: Watch Historical Drama, Polish Cinema
The Polish Film Festival returns for part two with several screenings scheduled this weekend, from November 3 through November 6, at the Little Theatre. The Innocents, a World War II drama starring Oscar-winner Agata Kulesza and directed by Anne Fontaine, will be begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 3. The film, Eccentrics, The Sunny Side of the Street, a story about a group of eccentrics and amateur musicians, shows at 7 p.m. Friday, November 4. Catch the afternoon screening of Generations at 3 p.m. Saturday, November 5, or the war drama Siberian Exile at 7 p.m., which will be followed by a Q&A session with director Janusz Zaorski. On Sunday, November 6: the film 303, the recounting of unsung heroes from the No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, will show at 3 p.m. preceded by the short film, History in Moving Pictures: The Introduction of Christianity A.D. 965. The documentary, Karski & the Lords of Humanity, will begin at 7 p.m., followed by a talk with director Slawomir Grünberg. The festival is supported and organized by the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies. The films will be in Polish with English subtitles. Tickets are $9 for general admission ($7 for students and seniors) and are available at the Little’s box office.
