There’s an empty bathtub. A chalkboard. Dissonant chords whir and dancers sway like seaweed drowning in the ocean. The music picks up and up. Dancers shout to each other with ever-increasing desperation. “Carved.” “Cooled.” “Denied.” The words ripple and explode over each other like bubbles...

Their beauty and countenance commands respect. The ladies of the church, these hat queens adorn themselves as their ancestors did, their headpieces so ornate they may even catch God’s eye.  On select dates between Feb. 22 and March 3, UC Santa Cruz’s African American Theater...

Drums pound like heartbeats throughout the powwow. Dancers echo the movements of their ancestors, twirling to ensure the constant flutter of their tribal regalia. The tinkle of sequins and the rustling of dyed fabrics mix with the hum of happy conversation.  On Feb. 2 Bay...

In 1958, Shawnee guitarist Link Wray released “Rumble,” a rock ’n’ roll single that was so jarring to mid-century America that it was intermittently banned on the  radio.  Wordless, its power-guitar bars ooze cool and angst. The song speaks volumes. This Friday at the Media...

A new version of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” transports the 400-year-old comedy to the contemporary, bringing empathy to center stage and giving migrant voices an Elizabethan meter. Director Jessica Bauman will discuss her recent adaptation of the Shakespearean classic at Kresge Town Hall on...

Chris Johnson, artist of “Question Bridge: Black Males,” felt inspired to explore the Black community’s social divisions at a young age.  Johnson grew up in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn before fair housing laws passed. He explained how Black people of all classes lived in the “Black ghetto”...

Feet with radishes growing out of them. Naked female figures with mushroom and lamp heads. And color — lots of color. In “Morphed: A Senior Show About Bodily Transformation,” Amber Mateer merged diverse influences to explore identity and  combination. The exhibit was hosted in the...