What's happening at Penn State? Here's a look at some of the cultural events — both in-person and virtual — taking place across the University:
Performances
"Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind" — 8 p.m., Oct. 26-28, 111 Forum Building, University Park campus. A performance by No Refund Theatre. Free.
Rhapsody Series: "Tricks and Treats" — 4 p.m., Oct. 29, School of Music Recital Hall, Music Building, University Park campus and Zoom. Violin professor James Lyon will perform selections such as "Danse Macabre" by Saint-Saëns and "Sonata Representativa" by Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber. Attendees are encouraged to come in costume. Free.
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" — Through Oct. 29, Playhouse Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage will produce Dave Malloy's Tony Award-winning musical "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812," an immersive electro-pop opera based on Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace." The show is directed by Christine O'Grady, assistant professor of musical theater and graduate directing.
"Brainstorm" — 8 p.m., Nov. 1-4, Perkins Student Center Auditorium, Berks campus. The Penn State Berks theater program will present “Brainstorm” by Ned Glasier, Emily Lim, and Company Three. “Brainstorm” is a play about how teenagers' brains work, and why they're designed by evolution to be the way they are, with input from neuroscientists.
Bach's Lunch: Acting for Singers — 12:10 p.m., Nov. 2, Eisenhower Chapel, Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, University Park campus. "Bach's Lunch" is a weekly concert series during the school year. Concerts are brief in order to make it possible for the University community to attend during the lunch hour. Free.
Guest Artist Recital: Jonathan Bass — 7:30-9 p.m., Nov. 2, 130 Recital Hall, Music Building, University Park campus. Garcia Festival guest artist Jonathan Bass, professor of piano at the Boston Conservatory, performs a recital featuring music by Beethoven, Barber, Debussy, Chopin and Liszt.
"The Alibis" — 8 p.m., Nov. 2-4, 111 Forum Building, University Park campus. A performance by No Refund Theatre. Free.
Events
Café Laura Theme Dinner: From Chicago to LA: Take a Trip Down Route 66 — Oct. 26, Café Laura, Mateer Building, University Park campus. Students in HM 430 Advanced Food Production and Service Management prepare a series of themed dinners throughout the semester to be served in the student-run Café Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
"Fall for Blue and White Society" — Noon to 3 p.m., Oct. 26, Old Main patio, University Park campus. The Blue and White society, the student arm of the Penn State Alumni Association, invites all students to join them for refreshments, snacks and an array of fun activities.
Centre Film Festival — Oct. 30-Nov. 5, State Theatre, University Park campus, and Rowland Theatre, Philipsburg. The Centre Film Festival returns for seven days with "something for everyone." Films in the festival were selected from more than 600 submissions from across the world. The festival includes 30 Pennsylvania premieres, two U.S. premieres and a variety of theme nights.
Planetarium Shows — 7:30-8:30 p.m., Nov. 2-3, Room 115, Allied Health Building White Box, Mont Alto campus. Kim Herrmann, associate professor of physics and astronomy, will offer two evening planetarium shows. Registration is required. Free.
Café Laura Theme Dinner: Jazz'n The Night: A Taste of the Bayou — Nov. 2, Café Laura, Mateer Building, University Park campus. Students in HM 430 Advanced Food Production and Service Management prepare a series of themed dinners throughout the semester to be served in the student-run Café Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
Lectures
"A Time Capsule from the Anthropocene: A Conversation with James Balog" — 7 p.m., Oct. 26, The State Theatre, State College. James Balog, an internationally renowned photographer, Emmy Award-winning documentarian, explorer, environmentalist, and founder and president of Earth Vision Institute, will speak at a public event about his career documenting human modification of nature and his most recent film, "The Human Element."
"Women Working in the Court System: Challenges and Triumphs" — 12:15-1:15 p.m., Oct. 26, Room 101, Science Building, Wilkes-Barre campus and Zoom. Penn State Wilkes-Barre will host a panel discussion featuring three women who work in the court system. Speakers will discuss their profession and personal experiences. Following the presentations, members of the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions. Free.
Football Fridays: Kirk French — 4 p.m., Oct. 27, Carnegie Cinema, University Park campus. Kirk French, Penn State anthropology professor and Emmy-winning filmmaker, will join Penn State for First Fridays, an on-campus question-and-answer series. French will speak on "The Tailgate Archeology Project." Free.
"Understanding and Embracing Neurodiversity" — 7-8:30 p.m., Nov. 1, Zoom. Penn State alumna and executive coach Julia Mullins will discuss neurodiversity and how it makes workplaces and communities stronger at the next Penn State Alumni Expert Series webinar. This information will be relevant both to those identifying as neurodivergent and those looking to be more inclusive leaders by understanding how to recognize and support neurodivergent team members.
Mary E. Rolling Reading Series: Chika Unigwe — 6 p.m., Nov. 2, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Nigerian-born writer Chika Unigwe will offer a reading. Unigwe has published four novels, including “On Black Sisters’ Street," “De Zwarte Messias,” and a short story collection, “Better Never than Late." Her latest novel, “The Middle Daughter,” was published in April. Free.
In-person exhibits
"Petroglyphics: Stories from the Earth" — Through Oct. 31, Penn State New Kensington Art Gallery. The exhibition by Carolyn Haas invites visitors to embark on a unique artistic journey that uncovers captivating stories and intricate patterns hidden within rocks. Free.
"Evan Pugh: Student to Scientist" — Through October, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum and Art Gallery, Deike Building, University Park campus. The exhibit explores two distinct stages in the life of Evan Pugh, Penn State's first president. Free.
Gall wasps exhibit — Through October, Frost Entomological Museum, University Park campus. This exhibit is aimed at cultivating awareness about gall wasps and showcasing their beauty and diversity. Free.
"Black Feminist Embodiments of Self-Love and Self-Recovery" — Through Nov. 20, Outside of Paterno Reading Room, Pattee Library, University Park campus. Inspired by a scene in Toni Morrison's novel "Beloved," set in Ohio prior to Emancipation, the exhibition displays sources of self-love and self-recovery found in a variety of literature by and about Black women. Free.
“Andrea Doria: Dive to An Era” — Through Nov. 30, Friedman Art Gallery, Wilkes-Barre campus. The Friedman Art Gallery will feature a collection of items recovered on more than 200 dives to the shipwreck of the Andrea Doria. Diver and author Gary Gentile has recovered dishes, cups, glasses, plates, jewelry and ceramic panels created by the internationally known artist Romano Rui and more.
"Eudaimonia" — Through Dec. 5, Ronald K. DeLong Gallery, Lehigh Valley campus. Featuring works from artists Sasha Meret and Michelle Neifert, "Eudaimonia" explores themes related to mindfulness, acceptance, purpose, skill mastery and positive relationships.
"Unplucked Gems" — Through Dec. 9, McLanahan Gallery of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. The exhibit by Juried Art Exhibition winner Taylor Pilote reveals ties to notable aspects of car culture, both personal and industrial, using physically distorted recognizable vehicle features. Free.
"I Sang You A Song Though I Didn't Know the Words" — Through Dec. 9, Sheetz Gallery of the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts, Penn State Altoona. Juried Art Exhibition winner Boryana Rusenova-Ina utilizes experiences of learning English in post-communist Bulgaria to influence this exhibition. Free.
"High Strung" — Through December, Woksob Family Gallery, University Park campus. Sculptures by local artist and educator Melissa Forkner Lesher transform commonplace materials into delicate works of art. Lesher weaves her creations with precision and efficiency by carefully assembling small hand-built pieces into larger, meticulously crafted configurations.
"Sad Purple and Mauve: A History of Dye-Making" — Through Jan. 15, Special Collections exhibition space, 104 Paterno Library, University Park campus. The science, art and history and textile and paper dyes and their uses in books and manuscripts will be the focus of this exhibit.
“Invisible Bodies” — Through Feb. 8, 2024, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Galleries, University Park campus. The HUB-Robeson Galleries present "Invisible Bodies," an exploration of migrant labor through an artistic lens, curated by the Border Gallery and Emireth Herrera Valdés.
“Magnificare” — Through Feb. 22, 2024, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. The HUB-Robeson Galleries present "Magnificare," an exhibition of ceramic sculptures by Marguerita Hagan.
"I Am a Penn Stater: Nittany Lions in World War II" — Through June 2025, Penn State All-Sports Museum, Beaver Stadium, University Park campus. Timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the conflict, "I Am a Penn Stater" chronicles the contributions of Nittany Lion varsity lettermen and Women’s Recreation Association athletes during the conflict and follows their service from training in the United States, to fighting on battlefields around the globe, to their postwar occupations. Free.
Virtual exhibits
In addition to in-person events, a number of virtual exhibits are available through University departments. The Palmer Museum of Art and University Libraries offer a rotating selection of historical and artistic collections to view online.
Current exhibitions include an examination of women’s athletics at Penn State and Title IX, editorial cartoons from The Jerry Doyle Papers, and an exploration of the impact of the 1918 influenza pandemic.