News Release

[Editor’s Note: High-resolution photos of Orchesis 2008 and “The Photographer” are available for download at http://news.owu.edu/images.html or by request to ammarcum@owu.edu.]

Ohio Wesleyan University to Present Theatre and Dance Duet

March 13, 2008

Top: Students performing in Orchesis 2008, Ohio Wesleyan University’s annual dance concert. The production this year includes six works set to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bottom: Ohio Wesleyan student actors – Andrew Houlihan ’09, Gus Steiner ’11, and Katelyn Schroeder ’11 – rehearse a scene from “The Photographer.” The production’s music is by Philip Glass and text by Robert Malasch.

An annual contemporary dance concert at Ohio Wesleyan, this year’s Orchesis production will celebrate the driving spirit and music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Choreographed entirely by Ohio Wesleyan student dancers, the production includes six works set to Bach’s compositions. Twenty-five students and one alumna are performing in or choreographing for Orchesis 2008.

“The students choreographing for this year’s production have created fascinating, abstract dances that mirror the complex and often playful structures found in Bach’s music,” said Tim Veach, artistic director of Orchesis and a part-time dance professor at the university. “That [Orchesis 2008] is partnered with another visually intriguing work, ‘The Photographer,’ is an added bonus for our audience.”

“The Photographer”—with music by Philip Glass and text by Robert Malasch—features three movements that tell the story of pioneering photographer, Eadweard Muybridge. Through a combination of theatre, music, dance, and multimedia, a cast of 23 student actors and dancers will bring “The Photographer” to life. The role of Muybridge is portrayed by two performers throughout the production—actor Andrew Houlihan ’09 and dancer Jon Betts ’08. Gus Steiner ’11 portrays Major Larkyns and Katelyn Schroeder ’11 plays Flora Muybridge in the production, which is directed by D. Glen Vanderbilt Jr., professor of theatre, and choreographed by Katie Teuchtler, part-time dance professor.

Ohio Wesleyan University is an undergraduate liberal arts college that transforms the lives of its students through a combination of rigorous academics, mentoring relationships, and real-world experiences. Featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” the private university’s 1,850 students come from 40 states and 45 countries. Visit www.owu.edu for more information.