Campus life is a lot like a marriage. The honeymoon phase, or first week of school is the best; activities, new friends, minimal class work and maximum socializing abound. It is easy to ramble on about those glorious first days of new classes. Then comes the ‘real’ marriage. In university terms, this means assignments, missed deadlines, late lectures and a whole pile of commitments too long to list, but that is not the point. There are things that can spice up the mundane parts of university life, such as entertainment.
The Staller Center for the Arts has done a comprehensive search to compile a diverse selection of performances and shows, and it asks that students do all the viewing. A semester’s worth of fun activities has already been lined up, from the rib tickling humor of Colin Quinn to the smooth notes of saxophonist David Sanborn and the whimsical alternate reality of DONKA- A Letter to Chekhov.
“Don’t be scared off from the general prices of the tickets,” said Alan Inkles, the director of the Staller Center. And here is why: students get the first preference for tickets and the best seats in the house.
“All it takes is being punctual. If there’s a show you want tickets for, sales of discounted tickets start in the beginning of the month,” Inkles said. So for instance, tickets for Asylum Theatre’s Sept. 20 opening night could come at half the cost of the original listed price in the event that a student were to order tickets ahead of time.
The eclectic lineup of events brings an even greater advantage for freshmen students because each freshman gets a free ticket to any show. If that is not enough, students get a special discount for the Friday night movies all through October. Keeping with the spirit of the Staller Center’s idea of “try something new,” the movies are diverse, engaging and worth a watch on the big screen, Inkles said.
Pulitzer Prize drama finalist “The Clean House” will be one of the first theater pieces to kick start the semester’s lineup. In case you missed getting your tickets already, the box office, which is located on the ground floor of the Staller Center, will have tickets available on the day of the show for as little as $7.00.
From the loud, boisterous theatrics on stage to the perfect harmony in the Emerson String Quartet, the Staller Center has ensured that it gives students something to remember.
“We want our students to make use of this opportunity to see the world of art and theater… we could bring in pop acts, but that’s not economically viable. We want students to try something different,” Inkles said.
There is more than just theater and music being offered. As an act similar to the 90s sitcom “Seinfeld,” students are equally bound to enjoy Colin Quinn, a standup comedian. Former SBU student Quinn’s Broadway show is directed by Jerry Seinfeld himself, and it is reviewed as “hilarious” by “The New York Times.”
Inkles is confident about the variety of events that students will get to watch. Details of the events are listed on the Staller Center website. Also, students can drop by the box office on any weekday to reserve tickets to a show. Remember to keep the SBU student ID card at hand to get the discounts Staller has to offer.
