Performance Artist Meredith Monk Planning UW Residency

MacArthur Fellow Meredith Monk, a choreographer, composer and musician, will be in town March 12-15 to start to plan a strategy for a longer residency at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1998-99.

Monk was last in residency at UW–Madison November 1995. The new project is a partnership between the university, the UW Arts Consortium, Wisconsin Union Theater, Wisconsin Union Directorate, the Madison Art Center, the Madison Repertory Theater and Monk’s own House Foundation. Plans may include the creation of a new work, according to planning group facilitator Michael Goldberg, director of the Wisconsin Union Theater.

“Students from the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee and undergraduates in various performing arts departments will play an important part in the planning process,” he says. “The main project in 1998-99 will have a major student focus, which could include students as primary performers and cast members in a work to be created over the course of Monk’s residency. In addition, another group of students will participate as observers of the creative process, attending rehearsals, performances of the work-in-progress and feedback sessions with Meredith Monk and the cast.”

During her planning week, Monk will present a vocal recital March 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Vilas Hall’s Mitchell Theatre. Guest pianist Tom Linker will appear with Monk; they will perform her “Gotham Lullaby,” “Madwoman’s Vision,” “New York Requiem” and more.

Tickets, $10 general/$8 students, are available through the Wisconsin Union Theater box office, (608) 262-2201 or the Vilas box office, (608) 262-1500.

CONTACT: Michael Goldberg, (608) 262-2202