National Arts and Humanities Month (October)
Black Dance: Housing the Past and the Present
Posted: September 11, 2023 at 4:35 pm
Colonialism brought an end to authentic African dance. Lawrence M. Jackson, Associate Professor of Dance at George Mason University, who in 2011 co-authored and edited a special edition on Black dance in the Journal of Pan African Studies, explains how Black dance keeps those African cultural traditions alive and is an affirmation of identity and […]
A/V requirements: Internet Access, Laptop, LCD Projector, Screen
Japanese Art (Remote Speaking Engagements Preferred)
Posted: June 29, 2021 at 5:35 pm, Last Updated: November 17, 2022 at 9:00 pm
I have taught courses on Japanese art for several years and I would be glad to present on any topic relating to Japanese art history. I have a particular interest in presenting on the art and traditions of Zen Buddhism, but I am open to any topic.
A/V requirements: LCD Projector, Screen
Celtic Drawing (Remote Speaking Engagements Preferred)
Posted: June 29, 2021 at 5:33 pm, Last Updated: November 17, 2022 at 9:00 pm
Drawing workshops that feature a background lecture on Celtic art traditions, with time for instruction on how to create Celtic-inspired drawings based on Pictish, Northumbrian, and medieval Irish stone carving, metalwork, and manuscripts. (Attendees would need to have their own preferred drawing instruments, paper, a compass, and a protractor.)
A/V requirements: LCD Projector, Screen
The American Theater at a Crossroads: Which Way to Turn?
Posted: April 9, 2021 at 6:56 pm, Last Updated: September 13, 2021 at 8:03 pm
A look at the American professional theater in its various expressions, from Broadway to the nonprofit regional theater, as it copes with unprecedented challenges from the pandemic to Black Lives Matter to economic uncertainty. A glance at history (how we got here) will be followed by an exploration of the changing environment for theater and […]
A/V requirements: None
Economics of the Arts
Posted: March 22, 2017 at 3:47 pm, Last Updated: September 13, 2021 at 8:02 pm
A study on whether commercialization is good or bad for the arts, and how fame is produced in modern societies.
A/V requirements: None
Scaling Scalia (not available August – October, 2024)
Posted: April 6, 2015 at 5:39 pm, Last Updated: April 19, 2024 at 2:38 pm
An in depth discussion of the preparation and performance of Justice Antonin Scalia in John Strand’s world premiere political drama The Originalist. An inside look at creating the character of one the most polarizing and influential Supreme Court Justice’s in the history of the Court.
A/V requirements: LCD, Screen
The Art of Choreography
Posted: September 29, 2014 at 5:18 pm, Last Updated: September 13, 2021 at 8:04 pm
Uses lecture, video, and/or live performance to look at dance.
A/V requirements: TV/VCR
Myths, Archetypes, Campbell and Jung: An Actor’s Tools in Creating Arc of Character (not available August – October, 2024)
Posted: September 26, 2014 at 9:16 pm, Last Updated: April 19, 2024 at 2:38 pm
The processes and approaches to “becoming a character” for performance are myriad and can be even mysterious. Actor and professor, Edward Gero, explores an approach to interpreting and creating character inspired by Jungian archetypes and mythical storytelling patterns identified by Joseph Campbell in his seminal work “The Hero with a Thousand Faces.” Tracing his process […]
A/V requirements: LCD, Screen
My Year with Rothko (not available August – October, 2024)
Posted: September 26, 2014 at 9:15 pm, Last Updated: April 19, 2024 at 2:39 pm
An in depth look at the research, rehearsals and production of playing Mark Rothko in the first American production of John Logan’s Tony Award winning play RED, directed by Tony Award winning director Robert Falls which opened in Chicago and transferred to Washington’s Arena Stage. An inside look at the creating of character and the […]
A/V requirements: LCD, Screen
Irish History, Art, and Literature (Remote Speaking Engagements Preferred)
Posted: September 26, 2014 at 7:46 pm, Last Updated: November 17, 2022 at 9:01 pm
Ms. McCoskey would be delighted to present on any topic of Irish history from the medieval period to the present. Her primary focus is in art history and its connections to the society and overall culture of Ireland and its people. Her specialty is medieval manuscript illumination (e.g. The Book of Kells) with a secondary […]
A/V requirements: LCD Projector, Screen
Ibsen and the Birth of Modern Drama
Posted: September 26, 2014 at 7:27 pm, Last Updated: September 13, 2021 at 8:05 pm
A look at the revolution in drama launched by Henrik Ibsen, one of the giant figures of European letters in the late 19th century.
A/V requirements: None
How Do You Choreograph a Dance?
Posted: September 26, 2014 at 7:17 pm, Last Updated: September 13, 2021 at 8:04 pm
Discussion of the craft and artistry and happy coincidence in making a dance.
A/V requirements: TV/VCR
Acting Shakespeare (not available August – October, 2024)
Posted: September 8, 2014 at 4:41 pm, Last Updated: April 19, 2024 at 2:39 pm
A freewheeling discussion of the actor’s life working on the great plays of Shakespeare, based on 25 years of experience.
A/V requirements: None