The Redfern Arts Center at Keene State College invites everyone to a Kick Off Party on Thursday, Sept. 14, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., to celebrate the start of its 2017-18 season of dynamic performing arts from around the world and the New England region.
The Kick Off Party is an opportunity to learn about everything that's going on at the Redfern, according to a news release. Guests will be able to “mingle with your fellow arts fans, enjoy delicious food, check out art exhibits, and have a chance to win tickets to one of the shows coming to the Redfern this season. Best of all, it's free and open to all ages.”
The festivities begin with a reception in the Redfern lobby coupled with an art exhibit, followed by a preview performance in the Alumni Recital Hall by Neoteric Dance Collaborative, which will open the season with a “Let's Dance! 80s Edition” party on Friday, Sept. 22, at Keene State's Student Center.
Kick Off activities include special performances by KSC Music Department faculty and students plus the Theatre and Dance Department staging a scene from a recent play.
Everyone who becomes a Redfern Circle member during the Kick Off Party will receive a Redfern mug in addition to a canvas bag. There are many levels of membership, all of which offer ticket discounts to Redfern events, preferred seating, and invitations to special events. The Redfern also offers a student membership option.
New this year is a Member Referral program in which a 2017-18 member receives one free ticket to a performance when they refer a friend to buy a membership. The friends simply have to provide the name of the member who referred them when purchasing a membership.
The Redfern's new season, which runs from September 2017 to April 2018, brings a variety of dynamic events that are entertaining, thought-provoking, funny, and suitable for all ages.
Highlights include East African singer and songwriter Somi making her Keene debut with jazz and R&B hits, an Algerian dance company, La Companie Hervé Koubi, delivering a jaw-dropping acrobatic-style dance, and Alloy Orchestra returning to play an original soundtrack to the swashbuckling silent film The Black Pirate.
This year the Redfern has added a second show to its popular Saturday morning family offerings: the magic of Keene illusionist Jason Purdy and the eco-music of Johnny Fireseed and the Junkyard Dogs. Also in the lineup are the phenomenal music of the Steinberg Duo on violin and piano, and Boston's all-female Lorelei Ensemble singing new choral music that has mesmerized audiences at Tanglewood.
The season is rounded out by the rhythmic dance and playfulness of The Bang Group, and two community-based projects - a special theatre presentation about addiction (The Addiction Performance Project), and a unique map-making project focused on Keene (Mapping Keene).