2025-2026 Season - Michael D. Eisner Center for the Performing Arts

MICHAEL D. EISNER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

2 5-26 S E ASO N

MUSIC THEATRE DANCE

FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS The Eisner Center for the Performing Arts is a hub of artistic activity on the Denison campus. Home to the Departments of Dance, Music, and Theatre, the Eisner Center produces a diverse array of performances by students, faculty, and visiting artists each year. This year we are excited to share works both contemporary and classic. From a fresh look at Macbeth, to the TUTTI Festival of new works, to a visit with Mozart, Brahms, and Vivaldi, to the creation of a dance of Rare Birds, the Eisner Center will be filled with the energy of collaboration and exploration.

Whether you’re a dedicated arts enthusiast or simply curious, the Eisner Center welcomes you to experience performances that can spark a lifelong love of the arts.

The events and performances listed here are just the start. Throughout the year, we’ll add senior recitals, student-led projects, and special events to the lineup. Be sure to check Denison.edu/Eisnerevents for the full list of events, descriptions, and ticketing information. With over 100 performances each year, we know you’ll find something to be excited about.

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Artsatdenison.ludus.com is your one-stop shop for all ticketed events.

TICKETS OR QUESTIONS? Eisnercenter@denison.edu | 740-587-6220 Use the QR code to access tickets via the online box office.

Visit denison.edu/eisnerevents for full listing.

The Department of Theatre engages students across campus in collaborative and generative theatre-making. Our courses and productions integrate the challenges, tactics, and artistry of theatre-making through experiences in acting, design, directing, playwriting, and other areas, preparing students for careers in the contemporary arts as well as forming the basis of a dynamic liberal arts education. Participation is open to any student from any discipline.

The music theatre program provides students from any major the opportunity to integrate music and theatre in new and exciting ways.

With a flexible curriculum, students will gain both fundamental skills in music theatre performance/production while taking part in opportunities designed to meet their unique interests. Our goal is to provide students with engaging creative experiences and prepare them for postgraduate pursuits in music theatre as well as for lives as active supporters of the arts.

DANCE MUSEUM

MUSIC THEATRE MUSIC THEATRE

At Denison, students from all majors engage with professional visiting artists in the classroom and have opportunities to take part in rehearsals, performances, and workshops.

Groups and ensembles formed of talented students, faculty, and guest artists explore a multitude of collaborative opportunities and genres, including jazz, bluegrass and American roots, musical theatre, classical, contemporary, and digital music technology.

The Department of Dance’s mission supports the development of student artists who are interested in dance performance, arts leadership, and scholarship. We believe dance training is life training. Students get experiential knowledge into the worlds of choreographers, performers, and researchers that help them become informed citizens of positive change in the world and confident future professionals. Exposing students to a wide breadth of cutting-edge dance practices and global perspectives is embedded in our curriculum. All students are welcomed, regardless of previous experience in dance.

As a teaching museum, the Denison Museum engages in and supports learning and inquiry in the liberal arts through its collection and exhibitions. The museum serves all divisions of the college by integrating object-based learning into the curriculum, internships, and world-class exhibitions.

HOURS: M–F: 9 a.m.—3 p.m. and by appointment.

Free and open to the public.

Closed university holidays and breaks. denisonmuseum.org

OPENING

M(OTHERHOOD)S AUGUST 28-DECEMBER 5 | DENISON MUSEUM This exhibition explores the many forms and meanings of motherhood and caregiving. Featuring historical and contemporary works from local and international artists, the show invites viewers to consider who mothers, how, and why. From intimate family moments to broader cultural narratives, M(otherhood)s expands traditional ideas to include chosen families, community care, and otherhood. It’s a reflection on love, labor, identity, and connection across time.

BROADWAY AT DENISON PRESENTS: AN EVENING WITH ANDREW LIPPA

08 7 PM | SHARON MARTIN HALL

The Broadway at Denison series welcomes Andrew Lippa - awardwinning composer /lyricist of musicals including Big Fish, The Addams Family, and The Wild Party — for an unforgettable evening of music and conversation.

22

PETE MILLS B3 4TET 7 PM | HYLBERT FAMILY STUDIO THEATRE Pete Mills B3 4tet performs music from their new recording, For The Record, featuring Zach Compston, drums, Tom Davis, guitar, and Jon Eshelman on the Hammond B3 organ.

26 OPENING

THE GROWN-UP

29

By Jordan Harrison

SEPTEMBER 26, 27, OCTOBER 3, 4 • 7 PM SEPTEMBER 28, OCTOBER 5 • 2 PM | SHARON MARTIN HALL Directed by Eleni Papaleonardos

The Grown-Up is a funny, bittersweet, and fantastical adventure about growing up. Ten-year-old Kai uses a magic crystal doorknob to travel through space and time to see his future. But something is wrong; it’s all going too fast. A play NPR called “charming and painfully universal,” The Grown-Up plays with imagination and the power of storytelling to remind us to savour every bit of our fast-moving lives.

GUEST ARTISTS: TOWER DUO 7 PM | BURKE RECITAL HALL Tower Duo is a modern flute and saxophone duo based in Columbus, Ohio, that specializes in performing works by living composers.

Curated and produced by Department of Dance fellows, this event celebrates emergent student choreographers and provides a platform for diverse dance voices.

11

DENISON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: PASSIONS OF YOUTH 7 PM | SHARON MARTIN HALL Directed by Philip Rudd Encompassing love, heartbreak, tragedy, triumph, and joyful exuberance, the Denison Orchestra explores the full range of youthful experiences and emotions, featuring music by Leonard Bernstein, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and Brahms.

VAIL SERIES: GABRIEL KAHANE

23 7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL

A singer, songwriter, and storyteller whose work increasingly exists at the intersection of art and social practice.

24 OPENING

FALL DANCE FESTIVAL

08 7 PM | THORSEN DANCE STUDIO

22

DENSION PRISM CONCERT 7 PM | SHARON MARTIN HALL Join us for a special evening as the Denison Department of Music ensembles come together for one spectacular concert, featuring performances by the Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Choirs, Jazz Ensemble, and American Roots Ensemble.

OCTOBER 24, 25, 30, 31, NOVEMBER 1 • 7 PM OCTOBER 26, NOVEMBER 2 • 2 PM HYLBERT FAMILY STUDIO THEATRE Directed by Braxton Rae

Everyone creates their own coping strategies or rules for living. But what happens when an extended family gathers in the kitchen for a traditional Christmas and they each follow those rules, rigidly?

In Sam Holcroft’s theatrically playful, dark comedy the family does just that.

Long-held rivalries and resentments play out, accusations fly, relationships deconstruct, the rules take over.

SCALES FOURCHESTRA 13 JONATHAN 7 PM | SHARON MARTIN HALL

GUEST ARTIST RECITAL:

27 MICHAEL NOBLE, PIANO

7 PM | BURKE RECITAL HALL

31 OPENING

Jonathan Scales Fourchestra is a power trio of electric bass (E’Lon JD), drums (Maison Guidry), and steel pans (Jonathan Scales) that combines elements of jazz, classical, and progressive rock, peppered with Latin rhythms and soulful outbursts of funk.

RULES FOR LIVING

By Sam Holcroft

JAZZ GUITAR FESTIVAL OCTOBER 31 • 7:30 PM NOVEMBER 1 • 7:30 PM SHARON MARTIN HALL The 29th annual Denison University Jazz Guitar Festival presents afternoon clinics and evening concerts with top artists from across the country. Friday features Bruce Forman, acclaimed West Coast guitarist and educator at USC. Saturday highlights Sheryl Bailey, celebrated New York guitarist and Berklee faculty member.

INDICATES TICKETED EVENT

WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT:

08 MID-CENTURY MODERN

CONCERT CHOIR AND

15 CHAMBER SINGERS CONCERT

7 PM | SHARON MARTIN HALL

7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL Directed by Harris Ipock

As mid-century design achieves renewed popularity, the DU Wind Ensemble takes you back in time to explore the music of mid-century modern design. Dr. John Cipolla joins the ensemble as a guest soloist in works by Stravinsky and Mingus. The program also features classics by Barber, Persichetti, and Schumann.

STUDENT RECITAL

13 11:45 AM | BURKE RECITAL HALL JAZZ ENSEMBLE AND

13 JAZZ COMBO CONCERT 7 PM | BURKE RECITAL HALL Directed by Pete Mills

15 OPENING

Directed by Chris Westover-Muñoz

FALL DANCE CONCERT: RARE BIRDS NOVEMBER 15 • 7 PM, NOVEMBER 16 • 2 PM SHARON MARTIN HALL In this Denison Dance Company performance, dancers find their wings and take flight.

19 VAIL SERIES: LES ARTS FLORISSANTS

WITH THÉOTIME LANGLOIS DE SWARTE, VIOLIN 7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.

OPERA ENSEMBLE:

20 SCENES FROM MOZART

7 PM | BURKE RECITAL HALL

03 OPENING

LUCKY STIFF

Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens Music by Stephen Flaherty

DECEMBER 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 • 7 PM, DECEMBER 7 • 2 PM HYLBERT FAMILY STUDIO THEATRE Directed by Brad Frenette

Lucky Stiff is an offbeat, hilarious murder mystery farce, complete with mistaken identities, six million bucks in diamonds, and a corpse in a wheelchair. The story revolves around an unassuming English shoe salesman who is forced to take the embalmed body of his recently murdered uncle on a vacation to Monte Carlo.

RECITAL 04 STUDENT 11:45 AM | BURKE RECITAL HALL

04

STUDENT COMPOSERS CONCERT 7 PM | BURKE RECITAL HALL

CHOIR CONCERT 05 GOSPEL 7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL

Directed by Rev. Timothy Carpenter

POPS ORCHESTRA CONCERT 06 HOLIDAY 7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL Directed by Philip Rudd

The Denison Symphony Orchestra presents its beloved holiday pops concert, celebrating the joyful sounds of the season!

CHAMBER ENSEMBLE CONCERT

08 7 PM | BURKE RECITAL HALL 12

AMERICAN ROOTS ENSEMBLE CONCERT 7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL Directed by Adam Schlenker

INDICATES TICKETED EVENT

19 OPENING

CURIOSITY JANUARY 19 – APRIL 3 | DENISON MUSEUM Step inside a modern-day Wunderkammer—a cabinet of curiosity—built from the Denison Museum’s permanent collection. What happens when a philosopher, neuroscientist, or musician selects an object not for its historical significance, but simply because it intrigued them?

This exhibition invites you to see how curiosity shapes meaning. Each object was chosen by Denison faculty and staff, guided only by their impulse to wonder. Curious? Come discover the surprising stories and hidden gems tucked within this thought-provoking collection.

GUEST ARTIST RECITAL: MELODY QUAH, PIANO

23 7 PM | BURKE RECITAL HALL

SOUNDS 04 CONTEMPORARY 7 PM | SHARON MARTIN HALL

20 OPENING

11 OPENING

Featuring Timothy Hagen, flute and electronics, Denison’s annual Contemporary Sounds concert series explores the art of storytelling through musical works.

VAIL SERIES: THE OTHER MOZART FEBRUARY 11, 12 • 7 PM | SHARON MARTIN HALL An award-winning play telling the forgotten story of Mozart’s genius sister, Nannerl Mozart.

BLUEGRASS AND AMERICAN ROOTS FESTIVAL FEBRUARY 20, 21 • 7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL

05 OPENING

MACBETH

By William Shakespeare

MARCH 5, 6, 7 • 7 PM MARCH 8 • 2 PM SHARON MARTIN HALL Directed by Aviva Neff

25 OPENING

06 OPENING

“False face must hide what the false heart doth know.”

Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy draws from real historical events, politics, and religious upheaval of 17th-century England, set against the backdrop of ancient Scotland. Journey through the Scottish highlands and experience the ambition, subterfuge, magic, and cycles of violence and vengeance that comprise the world of Macbeth.

SENIOR RESEARCH DANCE CONCERT MARCH 6, 7 • 7:30 PM THORSEN DANCE STUDIO This performance event illuminates dance research carried out by seniors. The projects feature artistic investigations and interdisciplinary projects.

TUTTI NEW ARTS FESTIVAL MARCH 25-28 EISNER CENTER AND SWASEY CHAPEL Celebrate original works in music, dance, and more with featured string ensemble, the Attacca Quartet and featured guest composer and artist David Lang.

VAIL SERIES: ATTACCA QUARTET

28 7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL

The Grammy® award-winning Attacca Quartet is recognized as one of the most versatile and outstanding ensembles of the moment.

INDICATES TICKETED EVENT

STUDENT RECITAL

7 PM | BURKE RECITAL HALL

PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE

By Steve Martin

APRIL 10, 11, 16, 17, 18 • 7 PM APRIL 12, 19 • 2 PM HYLBERT FAMILY STUDIO THEATRE Directed by Cheryl McFarren

Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile imagines a 1904 Parisian bar where young Picasso and Einstein--on the brink of changing art and science forever--spar, flirt, and philosophize with a host of eccentrics. Their witty debates about creativity, fame, and the future are as hilarious as they are profound. The play cleverly explores how genius is shaped by its time and, in turn, shapes the world.

11

FACULTY RECITAL:

13 SAN SUNG AUM, PIANO

JAZZ ENSEMBLE AND JAZZ COMBO CONCERT 7 PM | SHARON MARTIN HALL Directed by Pete Mills

16 OPENING

10 OPENING

09 11:45 AM | BURKE RECITAL HALL

SPRING DANCE CONCERT: IRIDESCENCE APRIL 16, 17 • 7 PM THORSEN DANCE STUDIO This spring, Denison Dance Company’s performance will elicit a rainbow-like play of color that reflects light waves that flow through space.

COMBINED ORCHESTRA

18 AND CHOIR CONCERT

7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL Directed by Philip Rudd and Harris Ipock

STUDENT RECITAL

23 11:45 AM | BURKE RECITAL HALL AMERICAN ROOTS ENSEMBLE CONCERT

24 7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL 24 OPENING

Directed by Adam Schlenker

02

SENIOR VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITION 2026 APRIL 24-MAY 15 DENISON MUSEUM Denison celebrates the annual exhibition of senior visual arts majors at the museum.

CHAMBER ENSEMBLE CONCERT

29 7 PM | BURKE RECITAL HALL 30 OPENING

STUDENT COMPOSERS CONCERT

22 7PM | BURKE RECITAL HALL

SPRING AWAKENING

Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater Music by Duncan Sheik

APRIL 30, MAY 1, 2 • 7 PM MAY 3 • 2 PM SHARON MARTIN HALL

Directed by Alison Morooney

Winner of eight Tony Awards, Spring Awakening is a powerful, rock-driven coming-of-age musical that explores the restless yearning and suffocating alienation of adolescence. Set in 1891 Germany, the story follows a group of young classmates as they navigate desire and self-discovery in a rigid, unforgiving society.

GOSPEL CHOIR CONCERT 7 PM | SWASEY CHAPEL Directed by Rev. Timothy Carpenter

INDICATES TICKETED EVENT

MICHAEL D. EISNER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 240 W. Broadway Granville, OH 43023

WANT MORE ART? Check denison.edu/events/arts for the full listing of arts events on Denison’s campus

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(740) 587-6220