UCSB Introduces I.V. LIVE

UC Santa Barbara has announced a new weekly performance series called "I.V. LIVE."

The series will begin Friday, January 23, at 9 p.m. and continue every Friday night at the same time until the end of the academic year. All programs will be in Embarcadero Hall in Isla Vista, 935 Embarcadero Del Norte. Featuring student and faculty performance acts from the UCSB community, I.V. LIVE will offer late-night entertainment for residents of Isla Vista (who refer to their community as "I.V."). Tickets will be $4. Convenient pay parking is available at nearby UCSB lots 39 (Embarcadero Hall) and 40 (Isla Vista Theater).

"This is an opportunity for artists at UCSB to present their work in an intimate, multi-disciplinary environment right in the heart of Isla Vista," says Catherine Cole, an associate professor of dramatic art and vice chair of UCSB's Academic Senate. "Embarcadero Hall is an ideal venue for small performances, and we're excited to have the chance to bring the artistic energy of the university into the community."

Embarcadero Hall is a university-owned building that was completely renovated last year to serve a variety of campus and community purposes. It now includes a 247-seat multipurpose theater with state-of-the-art technology that allows the space to be used as a performance venue.

I.V. LIVE will feature students and faculty members from all of the university's arts and performance-related departments, including dramatic art and dance, music, film studies, art studio and the College of Creative Studies.

"Any student or group of students with an act, we want it," says Jason Davids Scott, a graduate student in dramatic art who will serve as executive producer of the series for the Winter Quarter.

"If there are faculty members who want to share work-in-progress, a great class projects, or some unique talent, we want them."

The new series is being produced and presented by "In the House," a campus organization sponsored by the Office of Student Life that has been presenting performances at UCSB for the past two years. "We are a group created to present the work of students, as well as faculty and guest artists," says Judy Bauerlein, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Dramatic Art who is one of the student producers of the new series.

"We want I.V. LIVE to be a showcase for all kinds of talent that might not have the resources or support to mount a production of their own."

Bauerlein has just been awarded a prestigious "Humanities at Work" grant by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation to support a solo performance festival to be presented through I.V. LIVE this spring. The fellowship program encourages talented Ph.D. students in the humanities to take their knowledge of human history, society, and cultureóalong with their skills in languages, communication, project management and critical thinkingóand put them to use in serving the larger community.

I.V. LIVE is also being supported by grants from several UCSB departments and offices, including the College of Letters and Science, the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts, and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor. Campus co-sponsors include the Academic Senate, the Department of Dramatic Art, and the Division of Student Affairs.

"We will feature a different lineup of at least three or four acts every week," Scott explains.

"The bill will vary, but I'm sure a number of acts will prove popular enough to appear regularly."

Each week will also likely feature student films to run between acts.

The January 23 opening night program is currently scheduled to feature three student acts, including Naked Voices, UCSB's popular student a cappella group; Whole Cloth, a new improvisational troupe; and a talentedóand as yet unnamedótrio of undergraduate musicians who have developed a loyal following by performing in the campus residence halls.

Scott and Bauerlein will also be teaching a small class associated with I.V. LIVE, providing students with hands-on experience as they produce the weekly series.

Advance tickets for I.V. LIVE can be purchased on campus beginning January 19 at the

Associated Students Program Board Ticket Office.

Tickets will also be available at the door on performance nights. The public is invited and can reserve tickets by calling Jason Scott at 452-5423. To be added to the I.V. LIVE mailing list, send an e-mail to ivlive@email.com