A Campaign for Artistic Activism

More than a year ago, Ruth Waalkes, the director of artistic initiatives for the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, saw a 10-minute snippet of a work in progress from choreographer David Dorfman.

The piece focused on the Weathermen, a 1960s radical left group, and because it fit the theme of the center's 2008-09 season -- political activism and how artists respond to war -- Waalkes added the finished piece to the lineup. "It is dance with text. It's about the enthusiasm of youth and the questioning of youth," Waalkes said yesterday. The now full-length work will be presented Nov. 6-7.

Susie Farr, the center's executive director, cut against the grain when she decided to emphasize artistic activism. "The conventional wisdom is that arts attendance goes down during a political year. Our colleagues tell us that the political campaigns buy up the media time and people stay home. Our season will confront that instead of running away," Farr said.

Under the heading "Art Responds to War," the Kronos Quartet on Oct. 30 will perform George Crumb's "Black Angels," a piece about the Vietnam War.

The center also hosts Grammy Award-winning country singer Kathy Mattea, who will sing songs inspired by her native West Virginia on April 23.

Mattea, an environmental activist, performs April 23 as part of the "Living in Our Landscape" programs, which include a preview on April 4 of David Gonzalez's multimedia work in progress "Wounded Splendor," based on his visits to Mount Kilimanjaro, Costa Rica and the Hudson River.

The Smith Center, now in its seventh season, sets itself apart from other presenters through a collaborative process that involves many emerging artists and students from the arts departments at the University of Maryland at College Park. Local dancers will be involved in the Dorfman piece, for example.

Not all of the works will explore politics. The season starts on Sept. 12 with acclaimed soprano Jessye Norman devoting her program to composer Duke Ellington.

There's also a new collaboration between puppeteer Basil Twist and choreographer Joe Goode's Performance Group on May 1-2. Other new works will be presented by 500 Clown, a Chicago-based four-man theater group exploring themes of war Dec. 11-14. Jazz saxophonist Steve Wilson will premiere a work co-commissioned by the Smith Center on March 12. David Roussève/Reality presents a world premiere dance, "Saudade," a mix of Portuguese fado and southern African American traditions, on Feb. 5-6.

Returning to the venue is the Squonk Opera from Pittsburgh, presenting "AstroRama" Sept. 24-26. Waalkes described it as a "rock opera with a twist" that involves building a 30-foot tower and communicating with alien life. The show will be presented outside.

During residencies on campus, the quintet Imani Winds will collaborate with jazz composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter on Sept. 28, and Rha Goddess, a hip-hop performance artist, will present a piece on mental illness Oct. 15-17.

Other programs include "Channeling Glenn Gould," a new tribute from Maryland's School of Music about the acclaimed pianist, on Oct. 26; the Atos Trio, the prize-winning German piano group, on April 3; and Sones de México Ensemble, the folk band, on May 8, 2009. The theater season includes a new play about Buddhism by Baltimore's Juanita Rockwell. It runs Nov. 13-23.

Farr said 77 percent of the programs are free. Tickets for the other events are on sale now.