(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University has several events remaining in March and early April including exhibitions by seniors Lauren Olson, Luke Shannon and Petr Karpov; a Performing the Peace, film screening and performance; reading by Khaled Mattawa and Hiroko Oyamada with translator David Boyd; choreopoem by Carrington Johnson; a dance concert; and performances of an updated version of the She Loves Me musical.
I Hear Machines Underwater, an exhibition by senior Lauren Olson, presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Visual Arts will be on view in the Hagan Gallery (185 Nassau Street) from March 18-29 with an opening reception March 21 at 6:00pm. Admission is free and open to the public. Gallery open Monday-Friday 9:00am-6:00pm. Practice of Art major Lauren Olson ’24 presents an exhibition of new work: I Hear Machines Underwater explores the literal and metaphorical implications of hearing construction underwater during a morning swim. The Hurley Gallery is an accessible venue with wheelchair access via elevator to the Mezzanine level. Guests in need of access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at least one week in advance at lewiscenter@princeton.edu
Performing the Peace, film screening and performance, will be presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater & Music Theater in partnership with Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship (ProCES). The screening is set for March 22 at 5:00pm and performance March 23 at 2:00pm. Both take place in the Drapkin Studio at Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton University campus. Admission is free and open to the public; no tickets required. Lecturer in Theater & Music Theater Chesney Snow in partnership with the Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship (ProCES) presents two events that highlight the power of theater to bring together police officers and members of communities that have historically been impacted negatively by policing practices in the United States.
On March 22 he will screen the film by acclaimed Emmy-nominated filmmaker Melissa Anderson Sweazy, Performing the Peace, which documents the collaboration among Memphis-based theater company Playback Memphis, the Memphis Police Department, and Lifeline to Success, a non-profit that helps people reestablish their lives after release from incarceration. A Q&A will follow the screening with the filmmaker and representatives of the police department, theater company, and others.
On March 23 Playback Memphis will present an example of their live performance work, which trains and employs professional artists and facilitators in a listening and story sharing practice with people in a variety of settings to co-create and catalyze community well-being, social healing, and flourishing culture. Drapkin Studio is an accessible venue. The film will be closed captioned. Guests in need of other access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at least one week in advance at LewisCenter@princeton.edu
An exhibition by seniors Luke Shannon and Petr Karpov, presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Visual Arts will be on view from March 25-April 5 in the Hagan Gallery (185 Nassau Street). Admission is free and open to the public. Gallery open Monday-Friday 9:00am-6:00pm. This is an exhibition of recent works by the two Princeton seniors. The Hurley Gallery is an accessible venue with wheelchair access via elevator to the Mezzanine level. Guests in need of access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at least one week in advance at lewiscenter@princeton.edu
Reading by Khaled Mattawa and Hiroko Oyamada with translator David Boyd, presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Creative Writing on March 26 in the Drapkin Studio at Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton University campus. The reading begins at 7:30pm. Admission is free and open to the public; get tickets through University Ticketing at tickets.princeton.edu. Translator, poet and past MacArthur Fellow Khaled Mattawa (Fugitive Atlas) and award-winning writer Hiroko Oyamada (The Hole) with translator David Boyd read from their work as part of the 2023-24 Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series. Drapkin Studio is an accessible venue. Guests in need of access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at least one week in advance at LewisCenter@princeton.edu
El ritmo que nos libre: Das almas assassinadas aos espíritos vivos by Carrington Johnson ‘24, presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater & Music Theater in the CoLab at Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton University campus. Performances take place March 29 at 7:00pm and March 30 at 3:00pm & 7:00pm; exhibition dates are March 25-29 space open 10:00am-6:00pm daily. El ritmo que nos libre: Das almas assassinadas aos espíritos vivos (The Rhythm that Frees Us: From Murdered Souls to Living Spirits) is an immersive experience where rhythm becomes a tangible force for liberation, identity, and unity for all participants. This choreopoem draws inspiration from vibrant cultural traditions of Cuba, Brazil, Panama and Puerto Rico, where music and dance become expressions of political resistance, identity navigation, and connection for afro-descendant peoples.
Follow as a lost community rediscovers their collective identity through a collection of artifacts, each piece an active memory and a living testament to the enduring spirit of communities uprooted and reborn. Audiences can explore the interactive installation of artifacts, stories, and rhythms and experiment with traditional sounds, learn from practitioners, contribute their own creative reimagination to the space, and connect with the past, celebrate the present, and envision a future where the Black body is no longer alone. This call to action is a reminder that in the face of displacement, rhythm remains a constant force in the struggle for liberation. The CoLab is an accessible venue.Guests in need of access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at least one week in advance at lewiscenter@princeton.edu
Resonance, a dance concert, presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Dance on March 29 at 7:30pm and March 30 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm in the Hearst Dance Theater at Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton University campus. Admission is free and open to the public; get tickets through University Ticketing at tickets.princeton.edu. The 2024 Spring Dance Festival, Resonance, features new choreographic works by seniors Isabel Kingston and Chris Park; a new ballet work choreographed by Gabrielle Lamb performed by seniors Laura Haubold and Vivian Li; a new solo work by Benjamin Akio Kimitch performed by senior Julia Zhou; a new solo work by Brian Brooks performed by Haley Baird; and a new solo work by Benjamin Kenichi Kasamatsu performed by Zi Liu. The Festival includes works in contemporary Chinese dance, ballet, hip-hop, and contemporary dance. The Hearst Dance Theater is an accessible venue with an assistive listening system. The March 29 performance will be open captioned. Guests in need of other access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at least one week in advance at lewiscenter@princeton.edu
She Loves Me, presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater & Music Theater on March 29 & 30, April 5 & 6 at 8:00pm in the Wallace Theater at Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton University campus. Performances are open to the public; tickets are $12 in advance of show dates, $17 purchased the day of performances at the box office, and $10 for students available through advance tickets required available through University Ticketing at tickets.princeton.edu. She Loves Me, book by Joe Masteroff, music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and based on a play by Miklos Laszlo, is a classic Broadway rom-com that tells the story of two co-workers who, unbeknownst to them, are secretly writing to each other through A Lonely Heart’s Club.
This updated portrayal of the musical will not only speak to the unique “virtual” realities of Princeton’s Class of 2024 experience (impacted by the Covid pandemic), but will also transform this golden-age Broadway musical into a modern commentary on an increasingly online world. Through updated staging, settings, and pre-show interactions, the production’s team hopes to bring new life to this classic romantic comedy about connection, hard work, and vanilla ice cream. Featuring Princeton seniors Madeleine LeBeau, Casey Beidel, Charlotte Kunesh, and Jay White and co-directed by Princeton juniors Faith Wangermann and Alison Silldorff. The cast also features Adam Bathurst ’27, Charlie Roth ’25, Radon Belarmino ’26, Kavya Bhat ’27, Lucia Colwell ’27, Kimberlynn Bjurstrom ’26, and George Tidmore ’26.
The Wallace Theater is an accessible venue with an assistive listening system. The April 5 performance will be open captioned. Guests in need of other access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at least one week in advance at lewiscenter@princeton.edu
Visit the Lewis Center website to learn more about the Lewis Center for the Arts and the more than 100 public performances, exhibitions, readings, screenings, concerts, and lectures presented each year by the Lewis Center, most of them free.
