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NextNOW Fest 2015 - September 9-12 at The Clarice

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NextNOW Fest 2015 is a multi-day, multi-arts festival of fun and discovery that brings artists and audiences together in surprising and intriguing ways! This year, Reggie Watts—the larger-than-life musician/comedian who creates his hilarious, profound performances utilizing bold beats, a looping machine and improv— headlines The Fest. NextNOW Fest 2015 runs September 9-12 at The Clarice. Most events are free. All events are freeing.

Other surprising, artful experiences include:
• Flashband: Based on the premise that music is made when musicians connect. 30 musicians from the community come together for a meet-and-greet jam session, and form bands. After rehearsing for a month, they perform a high-energy showcase that will get you up out of your seat and dancing.
• Dumpster Monster: Designed by artist/puppeteer Robin Frohardt, a large-scale, inflatable monster growing from a dumpster complete with rat, fly and cockroach puppets.
• Shared_Studios: Portals: Step inside this gold shipping container, equipped with immersive audio and video technology, and connect with someone in another container in Afghanistan, Iran, Honduras or Mexico.
• Christylez Bacon’s Washington Sound Museum: Hip hop meets Brazil in this cross-cultural, collaborative performance with Grammy-nominated artist Christylez Bacon and Brazilian vocalist, Cissa Paz, celebrating diverse musical genres.
• Mixologist and UMD Alum Gina Chersevani brings her creative cocktails, mocktails and DC-born Rickeys to The Clarice served in a limited edition souvenir reusable cup. Hungry? Try her signature knishes from Buffalo and Bergen DC.
• Alumni Play Commissioning Project: Shh! Library After Hours: The premiere of three short plays by TDPS alumni playwrights, written and performed as site-specific work in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library.
- The Librarian’s Story: A Campus Tale by Riley Bartlebaugh
- Unbound by Natalie Piegari
- The Relationship Classification System by Mariel Berlin-Fischler (Dramaturg: Felicity Brown)
• Maryland Opera Studio: A Dinner of Operatic Proportions: You can just eat dinner, or you can take dining to operatic heights. At NextNOW Fest, the choice is yours. Imagine a meal suffused with the most beautiful music ever written performed by singers of the Maryland Opera Studio.
• Imagine Art House: We think art house is what’s next in hip dining and performing arts in College Park but we want to know what YOU think. With arts, food and fun as catalysts, can art house bridge the campus and College Park?
• Make Art, Not War: This exhibit features work by artists from our creative radius in response to issues caused by the divisiveness of racism.