Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

October 25, 2002

Dance replaces dialogue in collaborative event

Stained Glass combines dance, theater, visual art and music. Submitted photo.

An original dance theater piece, Stained Glass, will premiere on the Fisher Theater stage Nov. 1-3.

A collaborative project among ISU Theatre, ISU Dance and the Grinnell College music department, Stained Glass explores the boundaries among dance, theater, visual art and music.

Written, choreographed and directed by Jeff Kaplan, a Grinnell College graduate, Stained Glass is a psychological exploration of one man's journey to find inner peace and purpose. It's told through the metaphor of stained glass.

Along his journey, the man is helped and hindered by those surrounding him -- a Greek chorus consisting of a Fire Angel, a Timekeeper and a Gatekeeper.

Without dialogue, the piece is told through modern dance. The set design is of large, abstracted forms of stained glass windows, which enter and exit the stage throughout the piece. The performers interact with the giant stained glass to form multi-dimensional works of art.

The piece is set to Rachmaninoff's "Vespers," an unaccompanied choral work performed live by the Grinnell College Singers.

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. Tickets are $11 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and $5.50 for students, and are available through the Iowa State Center Ticket Office, all TicketMaster locations or by calling 515-233-1888.