On Friday, Oct. 29 at 4:30 p.m., Union’s Habitat for Humanity chapter will host a fall 5K run to raise money for the Schenectady County chapter. Students and other participants will begin the run around campus in front of Reamer Campus Center, weave in and out of the campus, and end at Green House with a free barbecue.
“This is an amazing opportunity to support the community without ever having to leave the campus,” said Cybil Tribie ‘’11, one of the organizers. For more information, e-mail unionhabitat@gmail.com.
Hilary Zelson, Siamese Trees, 2010,
Hilary Zelson, Docked, 2010, watercolor on paper, 16 ¼” x 12 ¼”
Hilary Zelson ’11 recently spent seven weeks as an artist in residence at the Chautauqua School of Art at the historic Chautauqua Institution in western New York, one of 35 select students given a small studio space and the freedom to pursue her creative passion.
“Immediately drawn to the beautiful landscape, I found myself spending countless hours painting outside,” she said. “I have never been so happily immersed in my work. For me, it resulted in unimaginable exploration.”
The results of her summer of exploration are on display in the Wikoff Student Gallery on the third floor of the Nott Memorial through Nov. 14. On Friday,Nov. 5, 5-6 p.m. she will host an artist’s reception at the gallery.
Hilary Zelson, Siamese Trees, 2010, watercolor on paper, 22″ x 30″Hilary Zelson, Siamese Trees, 2010, watercolor on paper, 22” x 30”
The work on view reflects her focus on landscapes and abstractions.
“In Chautauqua, like most places, the day was filled with light and the night meant darkness. For this reason, I created my landscape paintings during the day, and my abstract paintings during the night. Working on both styles filled my mind with all kinds of ideas to bounce off of one another,” Zelson said.
“Although both styles are unique, I hope my flow of ideas and personality runs through all the work.”
The Department of Theater and Dance will present “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” a farce by awarding-winning playwright Sarah Ruhl, Wednesday, Nov. 3 through Saturday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. in the Yulman Theater. Department Chair William Finlay is directing.
The play focuses on the technology-obsessed Jean, who answers, as the title suggests, the cell phone of a dead man named Gordon. This awkward encounter forces her to face many of her life’s realities. The play eventually turns into an intimate love story.
“I would describe it as very abstract, animated and funny,” said Jackie Toop ’12, who is cast in the role of Mrs. Gottlieb, Gordon’s distressed mother. “The audience members are going to have to use their minds to get a sense of the scenery.”
Ryan Semerad ’13, who plays Gordon’s brother, Dwight, says the play is “nothing like mainstream theater. It’s more symbolic, like watching different paintings and motions tell a story. You have to really interpret them for what they are.”
In the lead roles are Shannon Vanderwalker ’11 as Jean and Benjamin Romer ’11 as Gordon. Jillian DeBono ’13 is The Other Woman and Robyn Belt ’14, Hermia.
Charles Steckler is the set designer, with Anne Woodward as stage designer and Steven Michalek, production manager and tech director. Brittany Belz, visiting assistant professor and Union’s new costumer, is in charge of the costumes.
Tickets are available at the Yulman Theater Box office Monday through Friday, 12:30-1:30 p.m. The cost is $7 with a Union ID and $10 for general admission. For reservations and information, call 388-6545.
Chabris and Daniel J. Simons, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois, recently published their new book, “The Invisible Gorilla, And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us.”
Published by Crown, the book tackles “six everyday illusions that profoundly influence our lives,” the authors write: “the illusions of attention, memory, confidence, knowledge, cause, and potential.”
