NIU Today

The NIU School of Theatre and Dance’s Third Onion project will present the world premiere of the play, “Penny” – “a love story that no words could tell,” says its author, Nico Fernandez. Fernandez, a BFA in acting candidate at NIU, is enthusiastic about performing his play. “This is a project that has been with me...

Opening Thursday, April 23, the NIU School of Theatre and Dance Spring 2015 Dance Concert will feature an iconic work by the world-renowned Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, “Spent Days Out Yonder,” set on and performed by dancers from the school. This performance of “Spent Days Out Yonder” was made possible by a grant...

Students looking for fun, hands-on ways to explore new careers this summer can register for Northern Illinois University’s summer camps. NIU’s day and residential camps run throughout June, July and August and cover a variety of topics to keep students in elementary school through high school engaged in learning and growing. They also offer students...

NIU’s Historia Artis Art History Student Symposium begins at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, in Room 103 of the Visual Arts Building. Schedule 2 p.m. Food and greetings 2:10 p.m. Melissa Csoke: “Economic Incentive for Government Support of the Arts” 2:30 p.m. Chryssa Gardiakos: “Claude Cahun’s Art Practice in Response to the Medical Models of...

NIU’s Division of Academic Affairs is hosting a farewell reception in honor of Rich Holly, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The event to honor Holly’s 32 years of service to NIU is scheduled from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, inside the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center. All are welcome...

The NIU Percussion Ensemble will perform an energetic program of both new and classic works for percussion, at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, featuring several student chamber ensembles and guest artist Jeremy Muller. Known for showcasing compositions and musical genres from around the world, the NIU Percussion Ensemble will do just that with this program...

Claudia Brittenham, a specialist on Mayan art, will speak Tuesday, April 7, at NIU. Brittenham will talk at 5 p.m. in Room 100 of the Visual Arts Building as part of the NIU Art History Division‘s 2014-2015 Elizabeth Allen Visiting Scholars in Art History Series. The associate professor in the Department of Art History at...

The NIU Steelband often conjures up fast-paced rhythmic songs that make the audience want to dance. “While what we do is extremely demanding and requires a great deal of discipline, dedication and practice, we also encourage an atmosphere of fun,” said Liam Teague, co-director of the ban with Cliff Alexis. “So it is quite common...

“At the time, it must have been the best situation comedy ever written,” director David Frank says about the Northern Illinois University School of Theatre and Dance upcoming Studio Series play, “The Comedy of Errors,” by William Shakespeare. Opening Thursday, March 19, “The Comedy of Errors” is a timeless story of two sets of identical...

It took a British playwright and satirist named Peter Barnes to find humor in one of the darkest events in all of human history. Opening Thursday, March 26, the NIU School of Theatre and Dance presents Barnes’ “Red Noses,” a darkly comedic take on the five-year period when the Bubonic Plague, or Black Death, decimated...

Admit it: You’ve always wanted to be in a parade. You’ve wanted to be silly, dress up and decorate your dog. Or your bike. Or your best friend. Or yourself. Those opportunities, complete with the chance to show off your creative alter ego, will come Saturday, May 2, at the first Artigras celebration. Sponsored by...

Lenard Simpson, a sophomore from Milwaukee, was recognized as a 2015 Luminarts Fellow in Jazz during the Luminarts Cultural Foundation annual competition held Feb. 18 at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago. “The thing I enjoy most about playing is just the feeling of being free and putting everything else that’s going on behind me,” said Simpson,...