THE POWER of PENN PERFORMING ARTS 2019–20 IMPACT REPORT Cover: Ephrat Asherie Dance in Odeon
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THE POWER OF PENN PERFORMING ARTS 2019–20 IMPACT REPORT Cover: Ephrat Asherie Dance in Odeon. Photo by Matthew Murphy “This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak; we write; we do language. That is how civilizations heal.” TONI MORRISON Dear friend, What a remarkable, transformative year it has been, here at Penn and in Philadelphia, across the OUR MISSION globe, and for the performing arts. As the University of Pennsylvania’s home for the performing arts, the Annenberg The Annenberg Center’s 19/20 season continued to advance the Power of Penn Performing Arts Center connects diverse audiences campaign priorities of creation, integration, inclusion, and transformation, and it was those last with visionary artists and innovative two priorities that became pivotal in the final few months of the season. When the COVID-19 ideas, engaging both the University and pandemic emerged and our season was curtailed, we completely transformed our approach to the greater Philadelphia community in sharing the performing arts with our community, migrating to a digital space that we continue transformative artistic experiences. to explore. And as our country grapples with its deep history of systemic racism, we have recommitted to what has long been a pillar of our mission—inclusive arts programming that promotes the telling of diverse stories and cross-cultural understanding through performance. OUR VISION The Annenberg Center is the University The following pages are a proud reflection on our season and all we accomplished, much of Pennsylvania’s home for the performing of which was done while navigating great uncertainty and turmoil. Simultaneously, these arts, serving the campus through curricular stories set a foundation for us to look forward with optimism and hope. The near future of and extra-curricular support, linking great the Annenberg Center is filled with excitement, from the upcoming launch of our new brand artists, performances, and facilities to and further integration with Penn, to the reveal of a new Master Plan for our building, to the enhance and support the Penn experience. celebration of our 50th anniversary in 2021. The Annenberg Center is Philadelphia’s premier curator of innovative and Beyond these important milestones, we will continue finding creative ways to advance our groundbreaking programs, a presenter mission of connecting our community with visionary artists and innovative ideas that result in of sought-after artists, and a champion transformative artistic experiences. In the 19/20 season, and in all seasons moving forward, of arts education, partnerships and our role is to support the artists who work to bring our stories to life, to build a forum for the collaborations at Penn, in Philadelphia, Penn and Philadelphia community to explore and unpack the important issues of our time, and the mid-Atlantic region. and to provide a space where empathy is core to the experience of the performing arts. About the creating and sharing of art, we could not say it better than Toni Morrison—it is “how civilizations heal.” With deep gratitude for your continued support of our work and the performing arts at Penn, Christopher A. Gruits DEBUT OF A NEW VISION THE POWER OF PENN PERFORMING ARTS impact.annenbergcenter.org HIGHLIGHTING DIVERSE ARTISTS from across the globe, bringing international performances to Philadelphia that might otherwise not be seen in our city. Our dance series opened in September with Les Ballets SEPTEMBER 2020 Jazz de Montréal’s Dance Me, a gorgeous tribute to Leonard Cohen and his music. Close to 200 friends and supporters 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 attended our accompanying reception, including Philadelphia’s Mayor, Jim Kenney, the Deputy Consul General of Canada, and the Québec 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Delegation. Scotland’s Gramophone Award-winning baroque ensemble Dunedin Consort joined us for its Philadelphia 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 debut, under the direction of Bach scholar John Butt. Four-time Grammy® Award-winner Angelique Kidjo 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 rounded out a global season, creating a dance party in our sold-out Zellerbach Theatre with traditional sounds of her West African childhood blended with 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 R&B, funk, and jazz. THE POWER OF PENN PERFORMING ARTS impact.annenbergcenter.org Activating unconventional spaces with the performing arts to REACH NEW AUDIENCES beyond our theatres. We kicked off the season and academic year by bringing dance/theatre company Pilobolus OCTOBER 2020 to Penn for pop-up events across campus and to Love Park in Center City Philadelphia. SUN MON TUE WED THURS FRI SAT Dancing up and down Locust Walk among crowds of students, the 27 28 29 30 1 2 3 whimsical and quirky ensemble brought performance outside the Annenberg Center and exposed new audiences to creative and engaging arts programming. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 In conjunction with Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal’s season opening performance, we animated the outdoor plaza with a video installation entitled REBO(U)ND. Choreographed by Canadian artist Caroline 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Laurin-Beaucage, the ethereal video montage magnified dancers’ bodies on the verge of escaping gravity, illuminating the night and drawing curious passersby from both Locust Walk and Walnut 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Street. Over 1,000 patrons experienced our music presentations in distinctive spaces including Jenny Lin in the Penn Museum’s Egypt 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Upper Gallery, Vox Luminis and Dunedin Consort at St. Mary’s Church, and The Crossing @ Christmas in Rittenhouse Square’s Church of the Holy Trinity. THE POWER OF PENN PERFORMING ARTS impact.annenbergcenter.org SUPPORTING PENN STUDENT PRODUCTIONS with priority access to a professional venue and all that comes with it. “Working at Annenberg— with a union crew, abiding by a specific budget, production schedule— NOVEMBER 2020 that’s all tangible knowledge that I can take from Penn and apply to a job down the road.” SUN MON TUE WED THURS FRI SAT – Priscilla Felten, W’20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 We are thrilled that over 200 students performed in 36 student shows on our three stages between September 2019 and March 2020. At least 23 additional student 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 performances were anticipated prior to the University’s closure in mid-March. The Mask and Wig Club, the oldest 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 all-male musical comedy troupe in the U.S., brought its production Frights of the Round Table to the Prince Theatre in November. Eight performances—twice what student groups typically present—saw an 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 enthusiastic audience of 1,550. Other student groups performing at the Annenberg Center in the 2019-20 season include: African 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 Rhythms, iNtuitons, Quaker Notes, The Pennchants, Penn Dhamaka, Penn Glee Club, Penn Players, Penn Singers, Penny Loafers, Simply Chaos, Sparks Dance Company, and Soundworks Tap Factory. THE POWER OF PENN PERFORMING ARTS impact.annenbergcenter.org Helping to sustain a thriving performing arts community in Philadelphia by SHOWCASING WORLD CLASS TALENT FROM WITHIN OUR REGION. We celebrated the holidays with the return of PHILADANCO’s DECEMBER 2020 joyful, family-friendly Xmas Philes, first commissioned and premiered by the Annenberg Center in 2000. SUN MON TUE WED THURS FRI SAT Celebrating PHILADANCO’s 50th 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 anniversary, legendary company founder and Executive Director Joan Myers Brown was honored on stage and at an opening night reception. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Traditional West African dance and drumming ensemble Kulu Mele made its Annenberg Center debut in the world premiere, commissioned work, Ogun & 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 the People. The performance celebrated Kulu Mele’s 50th anniversary, and was so popular that a second show was added to the weekend’s festivities. 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 In its first-ever Philadelphia residency, multiple Grammy® Award-winning new music choir The Crossing joined us 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 for performances throughout the season, including its annual holiday concert, The Crossing @ Christmas, and sold-out shows as part of our #GLASSFEST. THE POWER OF PENN PERFORMING ARTS impact.annenbergcenter.org Graduate composition students from the Penn Sound Collective collaborate on new works with Sō Percussion at the ensemble’s Brooklyn studio. Photo Claudia Hansen CHAMPIONING THE PERFORMING ARTS AT PENN we create connections and collaborations across professional performances, academic units, and University programs. We hosted four Powell-Vandever Dance Masterclasses in the Annenberg Center Dance Studio JANUARY 2021 this past season prior to our unanticipated closure in March. Led by Ephrat Asherie Dance, Paul SUN MON TUE WED THURS FRI SAT Taylor Dance Company, Stars of 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 American Ballet’s Daniel Ulbricht, and Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal, two-thirds of the participants were University of Pennsylvania students. In conjunction with the Dunedin 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Consort’s Philadelphia debut performance, and together with Penn’s Music Department, we offered a Penn Music Colloquium and a masterclass for students of Penn Collegium Musicum with 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Dunedin Consort’s Musical Director and preeminent Bach scholar, John Butt. Five graduate composition students from the Penn Sound Collective workshopped new 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 pieces with Sō Percussion at the ensemble’s Brooklyn studio in October and February. These pieces were to receive a world premiere when Sō Percussion made its Annenberg Center debut 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 in April 2020 but unfortunately the performance was cancelled.