Students from all four fine arts departments are presenting an AIDS benefit concert to convey one message: it’s here in the United States.Alpha Psi Omega, the theater honor society on campus, has teamed with Chi Tau Epsilon, the dance honor society, to present the TCU Arts Collaboration Benefit Concert benefiting the Tarrant County AIDS Outreach Center.
AIDS can affect anyone, said Marisa Doerfler, a senior theatre major and chairwoman of Alpha Psi Omega.
The concert will be a showcase of dances, musical performances, poetry readings and art, said Krista Jennings, a junior ballet/modern dance and English major.
The cost is free, but a donation of $5 is suggested, said Jennings, public relations and community outreach officer for Chi Tau Epsilon.
“We also have sponsors that have given money to the concert,” Jennings said. “Any money from outside sources and from the concert will go to the AIDS Outreach Center.”
Members of Alpha Psi Omega will be doing readings of poetry by Tory Dent to raise awareness about AIDS, Doerfler said.
Dent was an American poet who died from AIDS in 2005. Her poems are about what she experienced while living with the disease, Doerfler said.
“She was not the stereotypical case of AIDS like we had in the ’80s,” Doerfler said. “She had a family and was married.”
There will be four dance performances, one of which was choreographed by Susan Douglas Roberts, associate professor of modern dance.
“I feel this is a wonderful opportunity for all of us as artists to make a community connection and see the direct impact of that,” Roberts said. “It gives the students. who are artists, a chance to do what they do best to make a difference in the world.”
Aside from the dances and poetry readings, a quintet of music majors will perform a classical music piece, students will display artwork and junior criminal justice major Elaina Graham and senior communication studies major Yendor Reese will play music, Jennings said.
“It will be a great way to become aware of the disease and a great way to see what all the arts departments can produce,” Doerfler said.
