April 27, 2017 — Lizard people, adaptive dance, African drumming, theatrical monologues and musical ensembles are only some of the 14 different performances at CSU Channel Islands’ (CSUCI) “Arts Under the Stars” scheduled for Friday, May 5 on the lawn outside of El Dorado Hall.
Associate Professor of Performing Arts Heather Castillo expects more than 650 people for the free show, which begins at 7:30 p.m., when the stars come out.
The theme of the sixth annual “Arts Under the Stars” is “Borders,” a vision for the show developed by CSUCI’s Center for Integrative Studies.
“The students really challenged themselves with different subject matter, from mental health to political borders to refugees,” said the show’s producer, Associate Professor of Performing Arts Heather Castillo. “There’s a piece on mythology and the piece on the ‘Lizard People’ is a lot of fun.”
“Arts Under the Stars” is an effort that involves 250 students from all of the campus disciplines. What sets the show apart is that each performance is meant to illustrate a research project.
“We have everything from African drumming to guitars to improvisational movement to very structured and choreographed pieces. We’ll have people reciting monologues and more theatrical pieces,” Castillo said. “We have more than we’ve ever had.”
The creative force behind the “Lizard People” segment is English major/Performing Arts minor Christina Brown, 21, who hatched the idea after reading an assigned set of books by Salman Rushdie. She hated them.
So, she decided to do her research project on a small subplot on one of Rushdie’s books, “Shalimar the Clown.”
“One of the characters was obsessed with the Lizard People in LA,” Brown said. “I grew up in L.A. I danced in Hollywood a lot. So I decided to research the Lizard People.”
Brown discovered that the Lizard People mythology is about Lizard People living in a network of underground tunnels in Los Angeles. She researched this urban legend and learned it began with the Hopi tribe in Arizona and migrated out to California.
With the help of a student costume designer, Brown choreographed a Lizard People segment/political commentary piece using live performers in lizard suits augmented with audio visual background.
“In the audio visual, the Lizard People become the celebrities and politicians ruling the nation,” she said. “It’s just a materialized narrative of the disconnect we are all feeling in this nation between those in power and those not in power.”
The show is open to the public. There will be food trucks available and audience members are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs.
Parking is available on campus with the purchase of a $6 daily permit; follow signs to the parking permit dispensers. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CSUCI Vista Bus to the campus; the cash-only fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.