Erik Ehn to speak
By Michael Bates
As Dean of the School of Theatre at the California Institute and host of the Arts in the One World conference, Erik Ehn is no stranger to art and social justice.
This month, Santa Clara students will have two opportunities to see Ehn speak as part of the Guest Artist Series sponsored by the Justice and the Arts Initiative.
Ehn is perhaps best known for his role in founding the Regional Alternative Theatre Movement, an international network of theaters dedicated to engaging an audience by pushing the boundaries of theater art.
His published works include "The Saint Plays," an ongoing series of plays based upon biblical stories and the lives of the saints and "Maria Kizito," a play based on the 1994 genocide in Rwanda that stemmed from Ehn's research in that country.
From this research came the Arts in the One World Conference, which was hosted at the California Institute for the Arts.
The conference explores the various ways in which art, politics and historical purposes intersect, and how these things lead to reconciliation, the recovery of historical memory and advocacy for justice. The conference is in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Genocide Studies Center in Rwanda.
Ehn has also been a prominent artistic presence in the Bay Area, co-founding the Tenderloin Opera Company with Lisa Bielawa. The company stages opera productions concerning the Tenderloin District in San Francisco. Ehn's relationship with the city also extends to his work with the Theatre of Yugen, which has strived to incorporate Japanese performing arts traditions into the American theater since its founding 29 years ago.
Ehn's visit to Santa Clara will begin at 3:45 p.m., when he will host a lecture in the Fess Parker Studio Theatre concerning his creative process and artistry. He will also discuss the role of artist-citizens and the responsibility they have to issues of social justice.
Then, at 6 p.m., Ehn will join Evri Kwong, whose exhibit, "Just Pretend Everything is OK," is on display at the de Saisset museum, and Juan Velasco, a poet and Santa Clara professor, for a panel discussion titled "Meditation into Action: Three Perspectives on Art, Social Justice and Spirituality." Kristin Kusanovich, co-director of the JAI, and Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., senior associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, will moderate.
"It is our hope that Erik Ehn's visit to SCU will stimulate the imagination of our students, staff and faculty and generate further dialogue and reflection on the place of the artist in the world," Kusanovich said.
Contact Michael Bates at mbates@scu.edu.