Campus & Community Engagement • Fall 2024 Highlights

Clarice Presents offers engagement programs that make a lasting, positive impact on our community and ensure that the arts are accessible to all. Read more below about our Fall 2024 highlights!

K-12 Matinee: Emma

Presented by the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies

Over 300 hundred students from several Prince George’s County Public Schools came together for a matinee performance of Emma, based on the novel by Jane Austen. This event was part of Clarice Presents’ K-12 Student Matinee Series, which provides tickets, transportation and study guides to five performances each season for K-12 students, featuring both UMD student productions and performances by visiting artists. As part of their learning experience, students reflected on how the set, costumes and lighting helped tell the story of Emma. One student wrote, “The set has a huge impact on helping set the scene of the story. It definitely helps let you know what kind of background these characters have.”

Storytelling Workshop for Veterans

On Wed, Oct 16, Clarice Presents partnered with TerpVets and Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP) to host “Storytelling Crash Course,” a three-hour introductory workshop delving into the craft of storytelling for performance. ASAP’s storytelling workshops help veterans build confidence, purpose and community as they transition to civilian life after service. More than a dozen military and military-adjacent folks attended this lively event, including several from the UMD veterans community. Some of these storytellers will participate in the Veterans Day Memorial Service at UMD’s Memorial Chapel on Mon, Nov 11 at 12:30PM.

Jazz Jams at Busboys and Poets

This season, Clarice Presents’ Jazz Jams will take place at Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville. We’re thrilled to be in such a terrific venue for these events! Our first Jazz Jam on Wed, Sep 25 included an opening set by Elijah Jamal Balbed and several DMV jazz musicians, and offered the opportunity for nearly 50 community members, including several students in the School of Music’s Jazz Studies program, to jam with the pros. Our next Jazz Jams will be on Wed, Oct 30 and Wed, Nov 20. Join us for great tunes, excellent food and fun times with friends! These events, which begin at 7:30PM, are free and open to the public!

Julian Lage Conversation

Renowned jazz guitarist Julian Lage hosted a jazz clinic with students from the University of Maryland School of Music on Fri, Oct 18. Julian played several tunes and answered questions from the students who are part of the Jazz Studies program, directed by trombonist Mark Williams.

A ChitChat with Monét X Change and King Molasses

In partnership with the University of Maryland LGBTQ+ Equity Office, The Clarice co-presented a ChitChat with Monét X Change and Washington D.C.-based drag star King Molasses before Monét’s performance on Sun, Oct 20. Moderated by Equity Office Director Kristopher Oliveira, the conversation dug into issues such as the role of drag in advocating for social justice and how drag performances can challenge stereotypes and create space for more diverse narratives within the LGBTQ+ community. A lively group of 60+ UMD students, faculty and staff attended, and then joined later for Monét’s performance that evening.