Art: Luxury Or Necessity?” You Decide

NEWS & COMMUNITY // UWO HAPPENINGS “Art: Luxury or Necessity?” You Decide As a Tony, Obie, and Drama Desk Award Guest artist Stew will present “Art: Luxury or winner, Stew has been a guest of theater and Necessity?” on Thursday, October 17, in Reeve Union music departments near and far, but our 227BC at 7:00 p.m. Free parking is available in Lot campus provided him with his first opportu- 15, across from Reeve Union on Algoma Blvd nity to speak to a college wide audience. In fact, Stew credits Oshkosh with reinforcing theater productions. Dingledine tells us that his commitment to connecting those from “How to Get to Broadway by Accident” diverse disciplines, sensibilities, and career continues to guide his approach to Culture paths with the arts. “Anything I can do to Connection, for it presented to the audience help young people see that art is not created an inviting challenge: Stew summons all of by magicians, but by people just like them, us to find our calling as artists in our own is worth any amount of time and energy,” he right. replied when Dingledine asked him about While in Oshkosh, Stew will also visit the possibility of returning this fall. an African American Literature class and The “Stew Effect” on individuals from all two Culture Connection classes, one taught backgrounds, disciplines, and fields of ex- by Dingledine and the other taught by Dr. perience is significant, as evidenced by the Alan Lareau of the Department of Foreign response to his 2011 appearance as well as Languages and Literatures. by students’ insightful reactions when they In anticipation of Stew’s return, study Passing Strange and songs such as Dingledine and Lareau will host a screening Stew performing in Oshkosh November 2011. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Browning/UW Oshkosh) “Black Men Ski.” Stew’s work enriches UW of Passing Strange on Thursday, October 10, Oshkosh syllabuses ranging from African in Sage Hall 1232 at 7:00 p.m. American Literature, a general educa- Both events are free and open to the pub- tion and ethnic studies course, to Culture BY JULIE RUSSO “Art: Luxury or Necessity?” will be Stew’s lic. Connection, a UHP requirement in which second engagement here, for UW Oshkosh students attend, engage in, and write about hosted him once before in 2011. His visit Julie Russo is Assistant Director of the University local art exhibits, music performances, and Honors Program at UW Oshkosh. he University Honors materialized by total chance and a dose of Program (UHP) at the good timing when Dingledine attended a University of Wisconsin 2010 Negro Problem concert in Chicago. Oshkosh is pleased to During a post-show CD signing, Dingledine We offer announce that guest art- introduced himself as a longtime fan visiting ist Stew will present “Art: from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. “Oshkosh?” Stew 10 flavors Luxury or Necessity?” on wondered. “How far is that from Madison? Thursday, October 17, in I’ll be an artist in residence there next fall.” of frozen yogurt Reeve Union 227BC at Dingledine immediately recalled the well- & over 7:00 p.m. attended screening of Passing Strange he had The UHP is coordinating the talk/per- cohosted with Dr. Roberta Maguire as part 40 toppings! formance with Dr. Don Dingledine of the of the African American Studies Program’s TDepartment of English, who has invited film series the previous February, and real- Stew to address “the importance of art in our ized the incredible opportunity that Stew’s 2271 Westowne Ave. society and the importance of taking an art- news posed. Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54904 ful approach to one’s life.” Might he consider visiting Oshkosh while Coming Soon! Stew, an exceptional singer, songwriter, in Madison? Stew was “enthusiastic and un- Serving Soups & and playwright, is probably best known for believably nice,” but it would depend on his his award-winning Broadway musical Passing find us on Facebook Gourmet Sandwiches schedule. The two exchanged business cards. facebook.com/BerryFreshFrozenYogurt13 Strange, the final performances of which Back in Oshkosh, Dingledine and Maguire, were captured by director Spike Lee in the who had seen Passing Strange off and on acclaimed film of the same name. Passing Broadway, respectively, crossed their fingers. Strange is a complex, electrifying work that They knew the considerable punch this art- explores issues of race, identity, artistic ex- ist’s live performances could deliver. When pression, family, and community. Among Dingledine extended an invitation a few his many other accomplishments, Stew has months later, Stew did not hesitate to accept. composed scores for musical adaptations of That fall, Stew gave an especially entertaining A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado and well-received presentation, “How to Get about Nothing, Othello, and Romeo and to Broadway by Accident: Stew Talks about Juliet; released more than ten albums of orig- Passing Strange, Rock and Roll vs. Musical inal music under his own name and with his Theater, and the Pleasures of Personal band, The Negro Problem; and will premiere Chronology,” in a venue that was filled to ca- two new musicals in 2014, The Total Bent pacity despite the arrival of the season’s first at New York’s Public Theater and Family major snowfall. Album at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. October 2013 | oshkosh.scenenewspaper.com | 15.

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