University Advancement

Public Relations and Strategic Communications

NEWS RELEASE

Master Classes at Cal State Northridge Enrich Arts Experience

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Dec. 13, 2006) -- Lily Tomlin obviously was enjoying herself, relaxed, assured and pleased to be in the company of the Cal State Northridge creative writing, theater, cinema and television arts students.

The comedian/actor/writer was at CSUN for a recent sellout two-night engagement at Plaza del Sol Performance Hall, and to participate in the university’s master class program, a series of artist/student/community encounters designed to enrich the performing arts experience offered at CSUN.

Tomlin had a performance at 8 p.m., recalls graduate student Heather Ramey, but she was in no hurry. "They kept calling her, and she kept saying ‘Just a minute!’ "

What kept Tomlin in the room, regaling the group with "insider" stories of her rich show business history, was an opportunity to interact at close range with serious students of their crafts.

"For me, Ms. Tomlin lit the fire of inspiration," added Ramey. "The theater is one of the last places that we have where we can gather as a community. She talked about how important it is to keep producing, keep working, keep the theater alive. I came away with my passion reignited, to perform, create and produce theater."

Ramey’s experience is exactly what the university’s master class program is after, said Kathy Anthony, managing director of the Plaza del Sol Performance Hall. The classes are organized under the aegis of ArtsNorthridge, the "branding name" for guest artist programming at CSUN, she said. Whenever a master class can be arranged in connection with a performance at Plaza del Sol, ArtsNorthridge makes it happen.

"Since 2000, we’ve had something in the neighborhood of 100 master classes at Cal State Northridge," said Anthony. During the first few years, the classes for the most part featured musicians, but more recently, a diversity of world renowned performing artists have participated.

Dancers from Santa Barbara’s State Street Ballet, acclaimed jazz vocalist Diane Schuur, members of the celebrated Martha Graham and Parsons Dance Companies, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and actress Laurie Metcalf of "Desperate Housewives" all have led master classes at CSUN, sharing of themselves and their artistry.

"We try to include a variety of performing artists in the classes, some of which are open to the community," said Anthony. Others, like an upcoming class to be led by swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, are reserved for students from specialty areas--in this case, jazz. Some of the group’s members began as members of CSUN’s own Jazz "A" Band, Anthony said.

ArtsNorthridge and the Music Guild will co-host master classes with two world class chamber music groups in spring 2007: the Lafayette String Quartet in February, and the Vilnius String Quartet in March.

The program reaches abroad as well, said Theatre Department chair Peter Grego, who on December 1 accompanied CSUN students to London to observe the work of Oh T’ae-Sok. The playwright conducted a master class when his theater company performed at CSUN.

In addition to viewing Oh T’ae-Sok’s Korean production of "Romeo and Juliet" at the Barbican Centre, CSUN students interacted in classes with both British and Korean theater companies.

"We can say [things] to our students a million times," said Grego, "but when a professional comes in and reiterates what we say, with a fresh perspective, it’s like it’s the first time the students heard it."

Anthony said the ArtsNorthridge master class outreach effort will include field trip performances at San Fernando Valley schools during the next academic year. Public and private school students come to the CSUN campus as well; for this year’s performances of "A Christmas Carol," thousands of young schoolchildren will fill the Plaza del Sol audience.

In January 2007, Anthony noted, local schools will send youngsters to CSUN for two performances of LA Opera’s "The Prospector." "Many of the teachers in the area know of these field trip programs," she said, "so they are eager to take advantage of them."

For more information, visit the ArtsNorthridge Web page at www.artsnorthridge.csun.com.