HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts presents the song cycle EDGES by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul as the first installment of the 2020-21 Theatre + Dance academic season. The scheduled performances of Edges will be available to view online through ShowTix4U on Nov. 5-8.
Event Details:
- What: EDGES by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
- When: Nov. 5 – 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 8 at 2 p.m.
- Where: Streaming/On-Demand at ShowTix4U
- Admission: Pay What You Can; $3 for On-Demand 48 hour rental
Chloe Hedrick on film monitor
“I felt Edges would be a perfect show to attempt during a time in history where we are asking so many questions,” said Jamey Strawn, director. Edges is not a traditional musical; it is a song cycle that highlights burgeoning adults asking classic coming-of-age questions. The songs cover universal issues as love, commitment, identity, and meaning. Characters deal with confronting emotions, escaping expectations, and deciphering complicated relationships.
Creating theatre at a university under COVID restrictions revealed many challenges and required a production team willing to think outside the box and develop creative solutions in a completely fluid environment. This production’s primary goal was to create theatre safely while incorporating new experiences. Actors met for rehearsals one-on-one with the director, rotating rooms every 45 minutes to ensure air circulation, and everyone remained masked at all times. The show was recorded with one actor at a time, in a completely isolated and distanced environment. The entire process was in compliance with the Norse Nine guidelines.
Jamey Strawn preparing music.
“We embraced the challenge of coming up with creative ways to film the show to reflect the isolated situations of the characters,” said Strawn. “I’m proud of the dedication of the students, faculty, and staff that worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this production. We all yearn for that moment in the future when we return to live theatre, for now we view obstacles as opportunities and celebrate the learning opportunities in this new environment.”
The NKU cast features Megan Carlson, Chloe Hedrick, Makenna Henehan, Caroline Rakestraw, Randolph Geers, Kanai Nakata, Alex Simpson and Tre Taylor. Special thanks to Norse Media and Chris Strobel for providing filming and editing support during the production process. Edges is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
About NKU School of the Arts: SOTA is the Creative Engine of NKU. The School of the Arts combines Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts to bring unparalleled artistic opportunities to current and future students. In a changing world, SOTA prepares students to be creative trailblazers in the Arts and their careers. Whether we are creating motion graphics, producing on the stage, or utilizing our dance classes to collaborate with therapeutic exercise in health sciences, we are on the cutting edge of transdisciplinary studies. SOTA offers 11 degrees with 30 specializations in addition to 7 minors to develop graduates that are personally engaged, innovative, and curious with advanced skillsets in collaboration and creative risk-taking. For more information, visit nku.edu/sota or follow on social media @NKUSOTA.
About NKU: Founded in 1968, we are a growing metropolitan university of more than 15,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus near Cincinnati. Located in the quiet suburb of Highland Heights, Kentucky—just seven miles southeast of Cincinnati—we have become a leader in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky by providing a private school education for a fraction of the cost. While we are one of the fastest growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students’ names. For more information, visit nku.edu.
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With challenges to produce live, in-person theatrical productions during this unprecedented time, NKU SOTA pivoted its programming to theatre and dance projects on film.
Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts will be offering two online art studio workshops for adults age 18+ this summer. Each workshop is taught by Randel Plowman and will offer an optional 10-hour Professional Development certificate for teachers. Tuition for each workshop is $70.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 