Courtesy photos.
CAMARILLO —An Italian-born astrophysicist/musician known for taking radio waves from faraway galaxies and turning them into music will play a central role in CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)’s 8th annual “Arts Under the Stars.”
The public is invited to the show, which will be May 3 and 4 at El Dorado Park on the CSUCI campus. Seating begins at 6 p.m. and the opening act at 7 p.m.
Fiorella Terenzi’s performance will be part of the annual campus showcase, which marries performing arts with nursing, music with physics and dance with mathematics, to name just a few performances that bring together different academic disciplines on stage.
“Arts Under the Stars (AUTS) is an opportunity for students across the whole campus to work together to present their world-changing research and community outreach in an unconventional, but engaging fashion,” said Assistant Professor of Performing Arts/Dance Heather Castillo, founder of AUTS. “This year’s theme is ‘metamorphosis.’”
Each year, students from different departments throughout the campus work with Castillo to express some aspect of their research or other academic highlight with the use of music, dance, video, theater or the fine arts. The students create the pieces and Castillo helps them shape their performance.
Because this year’s theme is metamorphosis, every act on stage carries some interpretation of change — a change that is happening, has happened or should happen.
“Metamorphosis at its heart is about change,” Castillo said. “I really feel that this year, more than any other year, I see so many changes our planet is going through. I see changes our campus and community is going through. The one constant in our lives is change.”
For example, students from Performing Arts/Dance paired with Environmental Science & Resource Management students for a piece on the issue of disappearing sand on our planet. Dance students will perform on a bed of sand onstage and there will be interactive sand tables where younger audience members can create their own “moon sand.”
Terenzi will perform “Let’s get Astrophysical” on her key-tar (a guitar-style keyboard) with a performance designed to highlight the Physics program.
Performing Arts will do an interpretive dance to present a series of steps developed by Nursing students to assess a woman’s risk for postpartum mood and anxiety disorder.
Because nursing is changing with the use of virtual reality to help nurses empathize with a patient’s experience, the virtual reality helmets will be available for guests to use.
“This year is more interactive than ever,” Castillo said.
Sociology students will premiere a video they did for their “Humanizing the Homeless” project, in which they interviewed homeless individuals in Oxnard. And dancers worked with Mathematics students on a dream ballet sequence that will interpret the concept of limits, done to the music of American composer Leonard Bernstein.
The program will be available for mobile devices on www.2019.artsunderthestars.cikeys.
Audience members should dress warmly and bring their own blanket or lawn chair to El Dorado Park. Seating begins at 6 with the performance starting at 7 p.m. with the CI Contemporary Music Ensemble. The main performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Food trucks will be parked nearby.
Complimentary event parking is limited and only available in lots A4 or A11. Once on campus, follow the directional signage to event parking then follow the walking signage to the event location.
For more information, contact Heather Castillo at heather.castillo@csuci.edu 805-437-2052.
About California State University Channel Islands: CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) is reimagining higher education for a new generation and era. We are an innovative higher education institution that enables students to succeed and thrive – serving as an engine for social and economic vitality that provides the intellectual resources necessary for a thriving democracy. With more than 7,000 students, 1,200 employees and 14,000 alumni, CSUCI is poised to grow in size and distinction, while maintaining one of the most student-focused learning environments in public higher education. Connect with and learn more by visiting www.csuci.edu or CSUCI’s Social Media.