BLACK MARIA FILM FESTIVAL
Pollak TheatreThe Black Maria Film Festival was founded in 1981 as a tribute to Thomas Edison’s development of the motion picture at his laboratory, dubbed the “Black Maria” film studio, the first in the world, in West Orange, NJ. Now in its 37th year, the festival attracts and showcases the work of independent filmmakers internationally. The festival is a project of the Thomas A. Edison Media Arts Consortium, an independent non-profit organization in residence at New Jersey City University’s Department of Media Arts. Unlike other major film festivals, the Black Maria Festival is not presented in only one location. Instead, the winning films are presented at universities, museums, libraries and cultural centers across the country all year.
Così Fan Tutte
Pollak TheatrePhelim McDermott returns to the Met staging Mozart’s comedy Così fan tutte, led by David Robertson. Set in the 1950s on Coney Island, the cast features Amanda Majeski as the conflicted Fiordiligi; Serena Malfi as her sister, Dorabella; Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara as their feisty maid, Despina; Ben Bliss and Adam Plachetka as the sisters’ fiancés, Ferrando and Guglielmo; and Christopher Maltman as the cynical Don Alfonso. Così fan tutte is a co-production with the English National Opera.
Artivism
Pollak GalleryAs a universal language, the arts have always been an effective tool for addressing social issues. Artivism or “activist art” is a form of social protest that explores cultural and political concerns. However, it is much more than just an innovative tactic, Artivism involves an entire practice that attempts to inspire positive change in society. This juried exhibition will feature works of art that employ spectacle, symbolism and collective participation to fight for issues of social justice including racial discrimination, gender equality, fair labor practices, human rights and more.
Saving Our Own: Approaches to Suicide Prevention and PTSD for Law Enforcement Executives
Anacon Hall, 2nd Floor, Student CenterBlood Drive
Anacon Hall, 2nd Floor, Student CenterArtist Talk with Chris Clavio
The Great Hall AuditoriumChris Clavio is an Electronic Artist and Entrepreneur living and working in Santa Fe, NM. His work explores the sublime and perception using light, sound, and interactive environments. Currently he is the Director of IT and Electrical Infrastructure Systems for the artist collective Meow Wolf. Clavio has shown work across the United States, most recently in Pittsburgh, PA, with Energy Flow, a project in collaboration with Andrea Polli that highlights the Rachel Carson bridge with wind-turbine powered LEDs. His current projects integrate several software platforms and various hardware configurations to create immersive and interactive environments that stimulate the senses in order to evoke the imagination and push the limits of our perceived reality.
Straight Talk on #FakeNews
The Great Hall AuditoriumWhat is the difference between #FakeNews and fake news? Attempts to undermine the credibility of news reports can weaken an essential pillar of a healthy democracy. A panel of professionals will discuss the current environment and future of the Fourth Estate from the perspectives of print media, broadcasting, and data reporting. The forum will include an opportunity for audience Q&A.
Julius Caesar
Pollak TheatreBen Whishaw (The Danish Girl, Skyfall, Hamlet) and Michelle Fairley (Fortitude, Game of Thrones) play Brutus and Cassius, David Calder (The Lost City of Z, The Hatton Garden Job) plays Caesar and David Morrissey (The Missing, Hangmen, The Walking Dead) is Mark Antony. Broadcast live from The Bridge Theatre, London.
Caesar returns in triumph to Rome and the people pour out of their homes to celebrate. Alarmed by the autocrat’s popularity, the educated élite conspire to bring him down. After his assassination, civil war erupts on the streets of the capital.
Nicholas Hytner’s production will thrust the audience into the street party that greets Caesar’s return, the congress that witnesses his murder, the rally that assembles for his funeral and the chaos that explodes in its wake.
Second Senior Show: Graphic Design
Joan and Robert Rechnitz HallFeaturing the work of Monmouth University graduating seniors who will receive their degrees in Graphic Design.