The National Undergraduate Literature Conference (NULC) is coming to Weber State University April 5-7. The event gives undergraduates an opportunity to present their works of literature to an audience of peers from campuses across the country and to hear some of the most influential writers in contemporary literature.

The 2012 conference will feature three authors: W.S. Merwin, the 2010-11 poet laureate for the United States, Alexandra Fuller and Robert Hodgson Van Wagoner. NULC is held annually in the spring at WSU.

The three-day conference is the only literature conference in the country that focuses exclusively on undergraduates. Students across the country submit pieces in one of seven categories. Those who have a submission accepted present at one of the conference sessions. Events on Friday and Saturday are free and open to the public. For more information, visit weber.edu/nulc.

By Nancy Van Valkenburg

Gallery to host NCUR project show

OGDEN — Weber State University’s Mary Elizabeth Shaw Gallery will host the project exhibit of the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, which comes to WSU this week.

The exhibit of student projects will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, at the gallery. For information, call 801-626-7689 or visit www.weber.edu/dova.

Weber State is at 3848 Harrison Blvd.

The original article can be found here.

By J. Michael Call

The show must go on -- even if you don't have a set, costumes or any actors onstage.

That's the story behind the political satire "The Cradle Will Rock," opening March 23 at Weber State University.

The play is directed by Trent Cox, a senior at Weber State University studying theater education. Cox recently appeared as Geoffrey in "The Lion in Winter," Paris in "Romeo and Juliet," and the Stage Manager in "Our Town," all WSU productions.

He has also directed productions at local schools, as well as one-act plays at WSU.

"The Cradle Will Rock" is a co-production of the department of performing arts and the Associated Actors and Technicians at the university.

"It's a show that rarely gets done and is a great piece of theater history," Cox said.

AAT selected "The Cradle Will Rock," Cox said, because of its importance in history. The play -- an allegory of corruption and corporate greed -- was originally directed in 1937 by a young Orson Welles. It was written by Marc Blitzstein and produced by John Houseman as part of the Federal Theatre Project.

"It was causing some controversy and the government was really concerned that it has some leftist ideas and issues," Cox said. "Members of the WPA (Works Progress Administration) came in three days before the opening of the show and closed the theater down. They just pretty much locked the theater with everyone's sets and costumes and props."

The producers were forbidden to use the costumes or sets, and the actors were threatened with arrest if they appeared onstage.

But that didn't stop Welles, Houseman and Blitzstein from cleverly getting around the government's attempted shutdown. They rented another theater and planned for Blitzstein to sing, play and read the entire musical. Without prior planning, cast members joined in the show without violating government dictates.

"They did the entire show from the audience, not on the stage," Cox said.

The show's success led Welles and Houseman to form the Mercury Theatre in New York City. Welles would go on to fame in theater, radio and film, most notably for his movie "Citizen Kane" -- widely considered one of the best films of all time.

Brechtian style

However, "The Cradle Will Rock" was not what the wily director had originally envisioned.

"One of the things that they were concerned about when Orson was originally directing the show was that he was kind of going too over the top with it," Cox said. "The original set was huge and there was a lot of spectacle elements. There were pyrotechnics, and there was actually a part where the stage rocked back and forth. So they went from this huge, elaborate production to kind of like this bare-bones theater."

Cox is taking WSU's production in that direction, using the "Brechtian" style in his directing. Bertolt Brecht was a playwright who was a major influence on Blitzstein as he created the show.

"I'm going for the alienation of the theater, but the audience will be aware that they are watching a show at all times," Cox said. The production includes music, a minimal set, projections, live sound, labeling and 29 different characters portrayed by 16 actors.

Cox noted that 90 percent of the show is either sung or has musical underscoring. The score has a definite '30s vibe and includes a wide variety of styles, he said, including rumba, Hawaiian and big ballads.

"It's tons of different styles of music," Cox said. "But don't come expecting what we know today as a piece of musical theater. It's not even billed as a musical, it's billed as a play with music, but it's definitely kind of an operetta style."

Mister meanie

"The Cradle Will Rock" is set in Steeltown, USA, where Larry Foreman is trying to unionize the town's workers and combat greedy businessman Mr. Mister, who controls the town's factory, press, church and social organizations.

"He cannot stand the thought of a union happening," said WSU student Trevor Dean, who is playing Mr. Mister, "Any way he can try to snuff it out, he's going to do it because that shows there's someone else getting control over what they want in their lives."

Mr. Mister is a character somewhere between Mr. Potter in "It's a Wonderful Life" and Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series.

"He's all about being the big bad bully on the playground," said Dean, whom audiences will remember as the stuffy Sir Evelyn Oakleigh in WSU's recent production of "Anything Goes."

"He's trying to manipulate everyone in the town to get on to his side," Dean said. "And although everyone in the town is terrified of him, they're more terrified of what he will do to them if they don't join his 'Liberty committee.' He just wants to monopolize everything and get everyone under his grasp."

The greatest challenge playing such a villain for the fun-loving Dean has been to command the stage and get in touch with his inner meanie. He was apprehensive about the role when he first landed the part, but is now enjoying the show and thinks audiences will as well.

Although it was first produced 75 years ago, both Dean and Cox said the show will resonate with modern audiences -- particularly in light of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

"It has a lot to do with the 99 percent trying to rise up to that 1 percent and actually have a say that matters," Dean said.

"One of the main themes in the show is prostitution ... prostitution of one's self, the government, the church, the press ..." Cox added. "Mr. Mister owns Steeltown's press, church and all of the town's factories. He is the 1 percent."

‘WAITING FOR LEFTY’

In conjunction with Weber State University’s production of “The Cradle Will Rock,” the department of performing arts presents a lecture by John Sillito on the New Deal at 1:30 p.m. March 28 in Room 305 of the WSU Shepherd Union Building on campus at 3848 Harrison Blvd., Ogden.

The “Waiting for Lefty” lecture is free and open to the public.

Sillito teaches history at WSU and has done extensive research on radicalism and Utah labor. He co-authored “A History of Utah Radicalism: Startling, Socialistic and Decidely Revolutionary” (USU Press, 2011) with John S. McCormick.

“This lecture will serve as ‘collateral support’ for our audience to have a better understanding of this time period,” said performing arts marketing director Caril Jennings in a press release. “The interesting part, to me, is that we appear to be having the same discussions today as we did almost 75 years ago.”

the original story can be found here.

OGDEN — Utah Opera’s upcoming “The Elixir of Love” puts a Western spin on Gaetano Donizetti’s Italian classic opera, and the Ogden Opera Guild will present a sneak peek of the show this week at Weber State University.

The preview presentation begins at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the Browning Center’s Garrison Choral Room (Room 134) on campus, 3848 Harrison Blvd. Admission is free.

The reimagined rendition tells the tale of a timid ranch hand named Nemorino, who can’t get up the nerve to declare his love for a sassy cowgirl who goes by the name of Adina. When a rival appears on the scene, Nemorino uses a magic elixir to give him the courage to find romance.

The guild will present a shortened version of the show, with several resident Utah Opera artists participating. The artists include baritone John Buffett, soprano Jennie Litster, mezzo-soprano Sishel Claverie, tenor Andrew Penning and pianist Daveth Clark. The presentation is made possible through a RAMP grant.

Utah Opera presents “The Elixir of Love” March 10-18 at Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City. Tickets are $16 to $85, available through ArtTix or by calling 888-451-ARTS (2787).

The original article can be found here.

By David Burger

Utah Public Radio’s newest program will be taped in front of a live audience in Utah on March 8.

In January UPR began airing the classical music program, "From the Top," twice a week. The show is a NPR-produced radio program.

Weber State University in Ogden is hosting a taping of the show on March 8, to be broadcast nationally in April 2012.

Host Christopher O’Riley will present performances by talented young musicians on the stage at Weber State University’s Browning Center for the Performing Arts.

"From the Top" is an hour-long program showcasing five high-caliber performances along with interviews, sketches and games. Taped before live audiences in concert halls from Boston to Honolulu, the show is now in its 12th broadcast year.

Utah Public Radio recently added "From the Top" to its list of classical music offerings, airing the program Friday afternoons at 2 p.m. with a repeat Sundays at 9 p.m.

A complete list of programs and station frequencies is posted online at www.upr.org, where visitors can also listen to a live stream of "From the Top" and other NPR programs.

In Ogden, listeners can hear UPR on 89.5 FM.

The event is open to the public and tickets are available at www.weberstatetickets.com or by calling 801-626-8500.

Utah Public Radio, a service of Utah State University, is Utah’s oldest public radio service and a member station of National Public Radio.

The original story can be found here.

OGDEN — Usually, kids stay home on a snow day. But Weber State University is inviting families to school for a Snow Day.

Familiarte/Snow Days at the Shaw starts at 10 a.m. Saturday in the university’s Shaw Gallery. During the two-hour program, families are invited to tour the current art exhibit and then create their own arts and crafts.

Familiarte/Snow Days at the Shaw is free, and hosted in both English and Spanish. The Shaw Gallery is in the Kimball Visual Arts Center on campus, 3848 Harrison Blvd.

For more information, call 801-626-7689.

Kimball Visual Arts Center, WSU
3848 Harrison Blvd.
Ogden

When: 10 a.m.-noon the first Saturday of the month, through March.

Admission: Free. 

The original article can be found here.

OGDEN — The annual WSU Piano Festival Honors program begins at 3:30 p.m. Monday in the Browning Center’s Garrison Choral Room (Room 136) at Weber State University, 3848 Harrison Blvd.

The festival, presented by WSU’s department of performing arts, is directed mainly at pre-college students and younger, providing them with motivation to perform. Students will have an opportunity to receive feedback for improving their performances. Participants will be selected to participate in the honors recital at the end of the festival.

Parents, teachers, and interested community members may attend the honors recital free of charge. For information, call 801-626-6800.

Browning Center Choral Room
BC 136, WSU
Ogden

When: 3:30 p.m. March 5.

Admission: Free.

Info: 801-626-6800.

Mon, Mar 5 - 3:30 pm 

The original article can be found here.

By Amy K. Stewart,
Standard Examiner Correspondent

Taking a break from her book tour, author Pam Houston will be popping into Ogden this week to coach writing students at Weber State University and also to visit with the public regarding her new book, "Contents May Have Shifted."

Houston, who lives on a ranch in Colorado, is the author of two collections of linked short stories, "Cowboys Are My Weakness" and "Waltzing the Cat." She also wrote the novel "Sight Hound" and a collection of essays called "A Little More About Me." All were published by W.W. Norton.

Houston is an author who gathers her inspiration from her surroundings.

"She's a writer of narratives that feature very strong female protagonists. Besides being a writer, she is an outdoors specialist. She has run river rafts and hunted," said Victoria Ramirez, WSU English professor and director of creative writing for the university's English department. "We're delighted to have her come here."

Houston will be a Hurst artist-in-residence. The residency program, funded by WSU alumni Dean W. and Carol W. Hurst, brings a renowned artist to the College of Arts and Humanities to work with the students in small groups for an extended period of time.

Houston also will be doing a public reading from her new book, "Contents May Have Shifted," at 7 p.m. Monday at the Pleasant Valley Library in Washington Terrace, and a signing from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Queen Bee Bookstore in Ogden.

Both events are free to the public.

Houston's life

Houston lives on a ranch at 9,000 feet in Colorado near the headwaters of the Rio Grande River.

The author says her inspiration comes from mountains, rivers and oceans, but also the urban landscape.

"I get my inspiration directly from the hard, physical facts of the world -- things that are out there, that I am seeing," she said. "A lot of writers get their inspiration from history, stories they hear or from ideas they have. But that's not how it is for me. I am really about bearing witness to the physical world that I get to be in touch with."

In dishing out writing advice, Houston quotes Henry James, "A writer ought to strive to be a person on whom nothing is lost."

Her first line of advice is to pay close attention to the world around you. "Writable things are happening all the time -- everywhere we look, everywhere we go," she said.

"I don't really think of myself as having a really good imagination," she said. "I think of myself as being a keen observer, and if I have a talent, it's translating those observations into language."

Houston's stories have been selected for volumes of "Best American Short Stories" and "Best American Short Stories of the Century." She is the winner of such honors as the 1993 Western States Book Award (for "Cowboys Are My Weakness") and the Willa award for contemporary fiction (for "Waltzing the Cat").

Houston earned her master's degree at the University of Utah. She is the director of creative writing at the University of California, Davis, and teaches at writing conferences around the country and the world.

Strong women

"Cowboys Are My Weakness" was published in 1992.

"At the time the book came out, it was pretty unusual for a woman to be a hunting guide and a river guide," she said. "It was women in traditionally male landscapes. Now, of course, there are more women wilderness guides."

" 'Cowboys' addresses being a really smart woman but having terrible taste in men," Houston said. "I think there are a lot of women in that boat. I think there are a lot of smart women who are really successful at many things but, for whatever reason, get into problematic waters with their relationships."

Houston says she gets letters from women who confess that accountants are their weakness, or firefighters are their weakness. "It struck a chord with a lot of women," she said.

Houston says her favorite book is "Waltzing the Cat," even though it was difficult to get it published and it didn't sell as well as her other works. "It was my problem child," she said. "But the new book is my new favorite."

"Contents May Have Shifted" is a novel, structured in very short chapters, about a woman named Pam, about traveling and relationships.

Ramirez said she likes the way Houston writes from a woman's point of view, and in first person.

"Often, the woman telling the story has outdoor experience and that is unusual. The women are free and independent. They take themselves and their romances wherever it leads them," she said. "The writing is breathtakingly beautiful and brings the reader into these issues we all face in our lives, dealing romantically with the other gender."

Teacher and coach

A WSU committee selected Houston from the group of applicants.

"The faculty was very enthused about having this particular author come," said Diane Stern, director of the Cultural Affairs program at WSU.

"I am excited to meet her. It's always interesting to meet the visiting artists," Stern said. "They are very creative and usually very involved and passionate in what they are doing -- and they have lots of ideas."

Houston will be working with a core group of students every day from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday of this week. She will also be attending several classes, from general education to the master's level, where she will talk about the writing process and her strategies. She will also be meeting with the staff of the university's literary journal, Aelurus, as well as doing a reading for the English faculty.

Ashley Allen, 26, of Roy, a junior majoring in art, is taking an introductory class to short fiction at WSU and is reading "Cowboys" in preparation for Houston's visit.

"We're learning about what makes good short-story writing. We've been discussing the strengths and weaknesses we find within the book," Allen said. "I'm excited to meet the author. You get inspiration from them, and it's interesting to see what works for them with their writing. It's good to get pointers from people who have been successful."

For more information on Houston's visit, call 801-626-6570.

The original article can be found here.

Art and Death in Ogden
By: Michael Vaughan
Standard Examiner, March 14, 2011

Last month, the web site Livability.com ranked Ogden as one of the top 10 "Death Defying Cities." According to the web site, the cities that made the list are the best adventure cities for things like skiing, rock climbing, and other adventure sports.

Although I wouldn't necessarily use the phrase "death defying" to describe Ogden, there is no doubt that Ogden offers a myriad of opportunities for outdoor recreation. Ogden has promoted itself as a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and received recognition in the national publications Runners World, Ski Magazine, and Forbes.

In recent years, the quantity and variety of cultural experiences available in Ogden have also expanded. Consider the numerous activities that took place on the first weekend in March. Under the direction of Tracy Callahan, Weber State University's Department of Performing Arts presented the play "Lion in Winter." Victor Uzer's Bonneville Chamber Music Festival brought artists from Brazil, Russia, Montenegro, and Italy to Ogden to perform with a talented group of local musicians. Diane Stern and the WSU Office of Cultural Affairs brought the Punch Brothers band to perform at the Perry Egyptian Theater where they played traditional bluegrass as well as music spanning from the Beatles to Bach.

In smaller venues, the guitarist Carlos Emjay performed at the Borrowed Earth Emporium. The singer and guitarist Amy Lamarr performed at Rovali's Ristorante Italiano. Other live entertainment options could be found at many eating and drinking establishments on 25th Street and beyond.

The first weekend in March wasn't atypical. You can find similar events on most weekends. Later this month, the National Undergraduate Literature Conference will bring the nationally renowned authors Russell Banks, Sharon Olds and Terry Gifford to Ogden for public readings.

Several interesting factors contribute to the cultural and artistic scene found in Ogden. The Brownings, the Dees, the Eccles, the Goddards, the Lindquists, the Stewarts and other prominent Ogden families have long recognized the importance of the arts and shown their support by building state of the art venues and providing permanent endowments to support the arts. The gifts of these large donors are supplemented by the generosity of hundreds of other donors and the work of countless volunteers who serve on boards and committees. The community members who give their time and money to the arts are key to bringing the Utah Symphony and Ballet West to Ogden.

In recent years, the RAMP funds have provided funding to support arts and culture. RAMP funds provide a critical subsidy to the arts which makes world-class performances available to the Ogden community at astonishingly affordable prices.

Undisputably, Weber State University is a linchpin for both the visual, performing, and literary arts. WSU sponsors many cultural events, and WSU faculty and students provide an appreciative audience for arts events sponsored by others in the area.

Finally, dozens of entrepreneurs have enlivened the arts scene in Ogden. This is evident from the numerous independently-owned galleries and the small music venues in downtown Ogden.

Across the country, communities are competing to attract creative and talented people because doing so is important to economic development. The communities that are attracting creative people are culturally rich, offering an eclectic menu of contemporary music, theater, symphony, galleries, and museums.

Ogden is deservedly proud of the reputation it has earned for outdoor sports. The city would be well served to also promote itself as a regional center for arts and culture. Doing so would foster both the arts and economic development.

http://www.standard.net/topics/top-utah-voices/2011/03/14/art-and-death-ogden