Performing Arts in Review

Members of Cushing’s Performing Arts Department became masters of improvisation in a year like no other. Faculty rose to the challenge and found ways to continue to guide students and help them develop new skills even amid unusual barriers.

THEATRE

Cushing Theatre presented two full main-stage productions, in many ways embracing the challenges of pandemic restrictions rather than fi ghting against them. COVID protocols, of course, had to be of primary concern. A few years ago, Performing Arts Department Chair Julia Ohm saw a play in Boston, a new work that intrigued her. Small Mouth Sounds, by Beth Wohl, requires a small cast of diverse actors without any specifi c family themes or requirements. The setting was a retreat—specifi cally structured around silence. “What could be better?” Ohm thought. “We could stage it outside the library, a space we’d used before and in fact a beautiful arc-like shape, reminiscent of theaters of ancient Greece. We could build a small platform, use masks, and work in a medium we’d never explored. Very little to no talking.”

It was certainly a challenge for the young performers, but ideal given the restrictions of a pandemic. Working outside presented its own impediments—the weather, electrical connections that choose to work better on some days than others. Still, the faculty and performers persevered and produced three successful shows that were livestreamed. “We were probably the only educational institution in the Northeast to stage any theatrical presentation during the fall semester,” Ohm said. By May, things had improved somewhat, and the program staged The Fantasticks via video streaming. The longest-running Off Broadway musical is a classic, with a small cast and timeless story. Music Director Desh Hindle hired musicians to record the score to avoid bringing anyone to campus. This gave the performers the ability to enjoy a live performance milieu without taking any risks or breaking campus protocol. The rehearsal schedule was understandably complicated due to spring break, the inability to rehearse due to quarantine until two weeks after their return, and singing being prohibited for all but a few weeks during the spring term. However, the fi nal show (done with masks) was fi lmed in the Chapel with a minimal live audience of close relatives of the cast

In many ways, the program embraced the challenges of pandemic restrictions rather than fighting against them.

and crew. “It was important for our treasured seniors to have this closure to their performing arts career at Cushing,” Ohm said. “It was equally necessary for us to give them the send-off theatrically that they deserved.”

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MUSIC

Cushing’s music program was bustling throughout the year, working mostly remotely. Students learned about the multi-track digital recording and audio editing process and even explored composition. Performers worked individually, listening to each other’s recorded excerpts while adding their own synchronized recordings. Audio and video recordings of all of their work are available by visiting Cushing's Soundcloud account and the Performing Arts playlist on Cushing’s YouTube channel.

Additional musical highlights: • The Cushing Jazz Ensemble created virtual performances of Joe Avery's

Blues, Born Under a Bad Sign, and On the Sunny Side of the Street. • The Cushing Chorus created a virtual video performance of Sam

Cooke’s civil rights anthem, A Change Is Gonna Come, and also composed and recorded an original choral piece, We No Longer, which utilized lyrics derived from poems that the singers wrote in reaction to the events and protests of the previous summer. • The Cushing Chamber Players carried on despite many pandemicrelated restrictions, creating audio recordings of five challenging pieces and a virtual video performance of four additional works. • Two of the chamber musicians, senior violinist Jeffrey Cheung and freshman pianist Sarah Li, also performed in a virtual recital in

May.

DANCE

Dance students and faculty began the year by embracing virtual options. In the fall, the Cushing Dance Department presented its show, RENEW, as an informal video exhibit. A mix of studentchoreographed pieces along with Director of Dance Rebecca Rice’s original pieces, dance styles included modern, tap, ballet, and more. It is available on YouTube.

In the spring, students in the dance program worked on Denishawn scarf dances created by dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis, as well as original modern contemporary and ballet pieces. Advanced Dance students incorporated scarves in “DeLachau” (1920), and the Intermediate Dance class worked on a creative contemporary modern piece. It was a beautiful way to end this unusual year.