We are now entering into the month of November. The brilliant autumn colors that we saw last month are now fading into the flurry of preparation for the bleakness of winter. With the holidays approaching, plus the stress of final papers and exams looming closer and closer, you might want to take a minute off of campus and do some exploring around the area. Well, dear reader, I might have somewhere you can start.
Located in Benton Harbor (only a fifteen minute drive away from campus), the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center is an engagement space that hosts different events throughout the year, such as concerts, touring Broadway productions, comedy, plays, dance, and speakers. Their 2023-24 season has plenty of programs to ponder seeing. When I looked at some of the events on the schedule, a play entitled “John Proctor is the Villian” immediately caught my eye. Written by Kimberly Belflower, this play centers around a group of high school students who deconstruct Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” in light of the #MeToo movement and other important societal issues. This particular event runs from November 10 - 11 & 17 - 19 at both 3pm and 7pm. Tickets are low-priced at $18 per person.
Another holiday-themed event you may want to look into is “ Baltimore Consort presents Wassail, Wassail! Music for the Yuletide Season.” This highly recognized musical group offers Renaissance music from the British Isles, Germany, France, and Spain not only through song, but also through different musical instruments. These include the lyre, cittern, viols, crumhorns, recorders, rebec, and percussion. They were founded in 1980 and began to perform music from Shakespeare’s time and since then they’ve focused on the “relationship between folk and art, song and dance. The concert is on December 1 at 7pm and tickets are $45 for general admission.
If you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, on November 12 at 4pm the group Step Afrika! will be performing. Founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams, Step Afrika! is the first professional group dedicated to the tradition of stepping “ . . . a polyrhythmic, percussive dance form that uses the body as an instrument. ” This is not only a dance performance, it also includes storytelling, audience participation, and humor. Step Afrika! is one of the top 5 African American dance companies in the United States and has toured all over the world in 50 countries, including Jordan, Ghana, Croatia, Ukraine, Zambia, Angola, and South Africa. Personally, I wouldn’t mind taking a peek at this one. The cheapest tickets are $35.
After a long day of classes, work, and just life in general, it might be nice to sit back and take in a show. For a full list of programs, you can go to Lake Michigan Entertainment - Lake Michigan College Mendel Center to view the 2023-24 calendar season.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.