Fall 2021 Schedule / Visual and Performing Arts
These courses are offered by the Quest Lifelong Learning Community. For more information on Quest, see the links at the bottom of this page.
ACTING WORKSHOP
Coordinators: Marilyn Rosen, Panny King, Roy Clary, John Spiegel
The class will continue with new and interesting exercises and improvisations that further the understanding of acting. There will also be an emphasis on the importance of building a character through scene study. Members will also gain a better understanding of stage movement and direction.
ARTISTS & THEIR WORK
Coordinators: Linda Downs, Lynnel Garabedian, Bob Reiss, Ellen Shapiro
Presentations will focus on international multicultural artists throughout the centuries with a particular emphasis on sculptors for the fall semester.
CLASSIC ROCK ALBUMS
Coordinators: Steve Koenig, Wayne Cotter
Each session will focus on one album by a band or solo artist and be enriched by related tracks from the band’s career or works by others which shed light on the album. Our definition of “rock” will be inclusive, containing branches of reggae, soul, folk, and country. This term might include Melanie, Joe Jackson, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Isaac Hayes, The Smiths, Tracy Chapman, and Devo.
CONTEMPORARY OPERA
Coordinators: Steve Koenig, Victor Brener, Frieda Lipp
At each session, we view a different opera and engage in a lively discussion of its text, staging, medium, and historical and cultural background. This semester might include Douglas Cuomo’s Doubt, Samuel Barber’s Vanessa, Harry Somers’ Louis Riel, Carlisle Floyd’s Susanna, Britten’s Billy Budd, and Brexit: The Opera.
GREAT PLAYS
Coordinators: Roy Clary, Wayne Cotter, Frieda Lipp
Leading American and European plays are presented. Each session begins with a brief biography of the playwright followed by a “stage reading” of the play. The audience is encouraged to share their insights.
MOZART’S WOMEN
Coordinators: Larry Shapiro, Linda Downs
We think of Mozart’s father as the dominant influence in his life, but there’s more to the story. Inspired by Jane Glover’s book of the same title, Mozart’s Women will look beyond the stereotype of a child genius dominated by his father to show how Mozart’s life and music were shaped by his relationships with women, from the first efforts of a child composer to the great “dark comedy” operas, The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi Fan Tutte. The course will blend biography, history and music.