We’ve made it easy for you to connect the academic courses you teach with events offered through NC State’s art programs, including performances, art exhibitions, music concerts, art making workshops, and theatre productions. Browse the arts programs and corresponding thematic and course connections below, and contact Amy Sawyers-Williams with any engagement ideas or questions: acsawyer@ncsu.edu.
Jekyll & Hyde
Feb. 15-18
Stewart Theatre
Directed by Danica Jackson
Based on the 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. Jekyll and Hyde, the musical, follows the journey of Dr. Henry Jekyll as he attempts to find a scientific solution to separate the good from the evil inside humans by experimenting on himself. In doing so, Jekyll unwittingly releases his alter ego, Edward Hyde, on Victorian London.
Themes include:
- English Literature
- History
- Victorian England
- Psychology:
- Duality of Human Nature
- Superego
- Temptation of Curiosity
Read more about the play here.
Class Connections:
- ADN 112: Intro to Three-Dimensional Design
- ANT 252: Cultural Anthropology
- ANT 261 Technology in Society and Culture
- ANT 495: Special Topics in Anthropology
- CLA 115: Medical Terminology
- COM 110: Public Speaking
- COM 112: Interpersonal Communication
- COM 201: Intro to Persuasion Theory
- COM 202: Small Group Communication
- COM 257: Media History and Theory
- COM 289: Science Communication and Public Engagement
- COM 332: Relational
- ENG 208: Studies In Fiction
- ENG 220: Studies in Great Works of Western Literature
- ENG 222: Literature of the Western World II
- ENG 232: Literature and Medicine
- Communication
- FTD 105: Fashion and Textile Design First Year Studio II
- FTD 200: Design Skills Workshop
- GEO 220: Cultural Geography
- HI 210: Modern Europe 1815-Present
- HI 233: The World Since 1750
- HON 202: Inquiry, Discovery, and Literature
- MUS 105: Introduction to Music in Western Society
- MUS 180: Introduction to Musical Experiences
- PHI 205: Introduction to Philosophy
- PHI 325: Bio-Medical Ethics
- PHI 340: Philosophy of Science
- PHI 375: Ethics
- PS 310: Public Policy
- PS 314: Science, Technology and Public Policy
- PSY 311: Social Psychology
- PSY 370: Personality
- PSY 431: Health Psychology
- PSY 491: Special Topics in Psychology
- SOC 202: Principles of Sociology
- SOC 301: Human Behavior
- SOC 306: Criminiology
- SOC 400: Theories of Social Structure
- SOC 401: Theories of Social Interaction
- SOC 414: Social Class
- SOC 430: Community and Crime
- STS 214: Introduction to Science, Technology, and Society
- THE 103: Intro to Theatre
- THE 203: Theory and Practice of Acting
- THE 433: Period Styles in Acting
Ada and the Engine
Apr. 4-14
Titmus Theatre
Directed by Mia Self
Mathematician Ada Byron Lovelace, daughter of the infamous Lord Byron, believes in the boundless potential of the “analytical engines” invented by her friend Charles Babbage. Constrained by the social rules of her day, Ada is determined to make her mark. Through love, friendship, and poetic dreams of the future, Ada creates a vision of the world where art and information converge to transform everything at the beginning of the British Industrial Revolution.
Themes include:
- Women in STEM
- Gender Studies
- Computer Science
- Mathmatics
- History
Read more about the play here.
Departmental Connections:
- Computer Science
- History
- Honors Interdisciplinary Courses
- Mathmatics
- Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Fall 2023
Peter and the Starcatcher
Oct. 19-22, 25-29
Titmus Theatre
Directed by Mia Self
Peter and the Starcatcher” is a play based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. The play, which serves as a prequel to J.M. Barrie’s “Peter and Wendy” (commonly known as “Peter Pan”), explores several themes throughout its narrative.
Some of the prominent themes in “Peter and the Starcatcher” include: Growing up and identity, friendship and loyalty, good vs. evil, legacy and inheritance, coming of age, leadership and heroism, and the power of storytelling.
Read more about the play here.
Class Connections:
- ADN 414: Color and Light
- AEHS 525: Family Relationships Over the Life Course
- ARS 257: Technology in the Arts
- COM 110: Public Speaking
- COM 112: Interpersonal Communication
- COM 457: Media and the Family
- ECD 310: Caldwell Fellows Honors Seminar: Foundations in Self-Development
- ECI 521: Teaching Literature For Young Adults
- ED 100: Intro to Education
- ED 150: Students Advocating for Youth I
- EDP 370 Applied Child Development
- ELM – elementary education department
- ELM 340 : Children Design, Create and Invent
- ELP 344: School and Society
- EMA 110: Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship
- ENG 320: Anatomy and Physiology of Speech
- HON 398 Honors Special Topics
- STS 257: Technology in the Arts
What We Grew Up With
Nov. 2-5
Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre
By KIRAN SOMA
Directed by Usha Bajpai
Winner of the 2023 Creative Artist Award in Theatre. Set in the United States post 9/11, What We Grew Up With follows an immigrant family and their experiences navigating racism, xenophobia, and estrangement.
Read more about the play here.
Class Connections:
- COM 200: Communication Media In A Changing World
- COM 250: Communication and Technology
- COM 395: Studies in Rhetoric and Digital Media
- COM 417: Communication & Race
- COM 441: Ethical Issues in Communication
- COM 457: Media and the Family
- ED 508 Exploring Diversity in Classroom and Community
- EMA 110: Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship
- EMA 365: Foundations in Arts Entrepreneurship
- ENG 208: Studies In Fiction
- ENG 287: Explorations in Creatvie Writing
- ENG 288: Fiction Writing
- ENG 323: Writing in the Rhetorical Tradition
- ENG 330: Screenwriting
- ENG 388: Intermediate Fiction Writing Workshop
- ENG 488: Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop
- ENG 588: Fiction Writing Workshop
- ENG 590: Studies In Creative Writing
- HI 254: Modern American History
- PS 303: Race in U.S. Politics
- PS 432: Violence, Terrorism, and Public Policy
- PSY 311: Social Psychology
- PSY 411: The Psychology of Interdependence and Race
- SOC 203 Current Social Problems
- SOC 212 Race in America
- SOC 305 Racial and Ethnic Relations
- SOC 445 Inequality, Ideology, and Social Justice
- THE 103: Intro to Theatre
- THE 203: Theory and Practice of Acting
- THE 223: Stagecraft
- THE 303: Stage Directing
- WRT 111: Expository Writing
- WRT 114: Professional Writing, Research, and Reporting
Thank you to student intern John Craven, senior, for researching course connections!
Banned Books
Oct 3
Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre
Directed by Danica Jackson
University Libraries and University Theatre present an evening of staged-readings of Banned Books.
Read more about the play here.
Titles Include
- Bruised Love by Nanette M Buchanan
- All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M Johnson
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
- A Poem for Matthew Shepard by Margot Kelley Rodriguez (excerpt from October Mourning)
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Beyond Magenta by Susan KuklinI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Class Connections:
- AEHS 525: Family Relationships Over the Life Course
- AFS 342: Introduction to the African Diaspora
- AFS 344: Leadership in African American Communities
- AFS 346: Black Popular Culture
- AFS 442: Issues in the African Diaspora
- AFS 444: African American and African Women Leaders
- ANT 252: Cultural Anthropology
- ANT 254: Language and Culture
- CLA 320: Masterpieces of Classical Literature
- COM 110: Public Speaking
- COM 112: Interpersonal Communication
- COM 211: Argumentation and Advocacy
- COM 332: Relational Communication
- COM 362: Communication and Gender
- COM 392: International and Crosscultural Communication
- COM 395: Studies in Rhetoric and Digital Media
- COM 417: Communication & Race
- COM 441: Ethical Issues in Communication
- COM 442: Communication and Conflict Management
- ECD 310: Caldwell Fellows Honors Seminar: Foundations in Self-Development
- ECD 535: Introduction to College Counseling and Student Development
- ECD 536: Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- ECI 305: Equity and Education
- ECI 405: Literature for Adolescents
- ECI 445: New Literacies, Emerging Technologies, and Electronic Portfolios
- ECI 521: Teaching Literature For Young Adults
- ED 100: Intro to Education
- ED 150: Students Advocating for Youth I
- ED 508 Exploring Diversity in Classroom and Community
- EDP 304: Educational Psychology
- EDP 370 Applied Child Development
- ELM – elementary education department
- ELP 344: School and Society
- ELP 515: Education and Social Diversity
- ENG 208: Studies In Fiction
- ENG 287: Explorations in Creative Writing
- ENG 288: Fiction Writing
- ENG 323: Writing in the Rhetorical Tradition
- ENG 388: Intermediate Fiction Writing Workshop
- ENG 488: Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop
- ENG 588: Fiction Writing Workshop
- ENG 590: Studies In Creative Writing
- HI 254: Modern American History
- HI 373: African-American History Since 1865
- HON 202: Inquiry, Discovery, and Literature (Transgression and Transformation in Women’s Literature)
- HON 295: Honors Special Topics-Social Science
- HON 297: Honors Special Topics – Interdisciplinary Perspectives/US Diversity
- HON 300: Race, Membership, and Eugenics
- HON 314: Society’s Mirror: Literature in 20th-Century America
- HON 398 Honors Special Topics: Practicing Happiness
- HON 398 Honors Special Topics:
- HSS departmentNew Fiction: Contemporary Issues in Literature
- PHI 221: Contemporary Moral Issues
- PHI 319: Black Political Philosophy
- PS 303: Race in U.S. Politics
- PS 309: Equality and Justice in United States Law
- PS 418: Gender Law and Policies
- PS 432: Violence, Terrorism, and Public Policy
- PSY 311: Social Psychology
- PSY 313: Positive Psychology
- PSY 411: The Psychology of Interdependence and Race
- PSY 431: Health Psychology
- PSY 432: Human Sexuality and Intimate Relationships
- SOC 203 Current Social Problems
- SOC 206 Social Deviance
- SOC 211 Community and Health
- SOC 212 Race in America
- SOC 301: Human Behavior
- SOC 304 Gender and Society
- SOC 305 Racial and Ethnic Relations
- SOC 306: Criminology
- SOC 400 Theories of Social Structure
- SOC 430: Community and Crime
- SOC 445 Inequality, Ideology, and Social Justice
- SSGK 295: Social Sciences and Global Knowledge Special Topics
- THE 103: Intro to Theatre
- WGS 200: Intro to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Thank you to undergraduate Maya McCall, arts outreach & engagement intern, who researched these connections.
Contact Amy Sawyers-Williams, arts outreach & engagement, to set up a connection (e.g. offer extra credit for your students who attend an event)! ; acsawyer@ncsu.edu
PAST SHOWS
Urintown
Feb. 23-26
Stewart Theatre
In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity’s most basic needs. Amid the people, a hero decides that he’s had enough and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom!
This Meta-Theatre piece pokes fun at capitalism, populism, bureaucracy and musical theatre itself! This show boasts plenty of opportunities for physical comedy, dance, and dark comedy.
Read more about the play here.
Class Connections:
- ARS 351 / ARS 494 Arts, Ideas And Values / Special Topics
- FLE 401 Advanced Oral Communication in English for International Students
- HI 345 American Popular Culture
- HON 347 Freedom and the Self
- MUS 103 Theory and Musicianship I
- MUS 120 Introduction to Music Theory
- MUS 150 Vocal Techniques
- PHI 221 Contemporary Moral Issues
- PRT 200 Health, Wellness and the Pursuit of Happiness
- PRT 238 Diversity and Inclusion in Recreation and Sport
- PSY 311 Social Psychology
- PSY 416 Psychology of Emotion
- THE 103 Introduction to the Theater
- THE 203 Theory and Practice of Acting
Muse
Mar. 30-Apr. 2
Kennedy-McIlwee Studio Theatre
Written by GAVEN BELL
Directed by Mia Self
Winner of the 2022 Arts NC State Creative Artist Award
This 2022 Creative Artist Award-winning one-act play is a contemporary rendition of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth exploring the relationship between art and science as Finn, a microbiologist, grieves the loss of Eurydice, the artist no longer by his side.
Read more about the play here.
Class Connections:
- ARS 351 / ARS 494 Arts, Ideas And Values / Special Topics
- FLE 401 Advanced Oral Communication in English for International Students
- HI 345 American Popular Culture
- HON 347 Freedom and the Self
- MUS 103 Theory and Musicianship I
- MUS 120 Introduction to Music Theory
- MUS 150 Vocal Techniques
- PHI 221 Contemporary Moral Issues
- PRT 200 Health, Wellness and the Pursuit of Happiness
- PRT 238 Diversity and Inclusion in Recreation and Sport
- PSY 416 Psychology of Emotion
- THE 103 Introduction to the Theater
- THE 203 Theory and Practice of Acting