CSUEB to Highlight Diversity with Live Human Sculpture Performance

The Cal State East Bay Department of Theatre and Dance is looking for individuals to participate in the second half of an installment of an international collaboration.

The project, “On Display,” is a sculpture garden populated by live human sculptures and organized by the Heidi Latsky Dance Company in New York City. Its goal is to help people experience and embody diversity, according to Eric Kupers, an associate professor of theater and dance.

“The piece is about embracing and celebrating diversity, particularly body diversity,” said Kupers, adding he hopes students, faculty and staff consider joining. “The more people that participate, the stronger the piece becomes.”

Similar projects are being done around the world with participants being filmed at each location. Those films will be edited together and shown at the United Nations on Dec. 3 for International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

A group of students from Kupers’ All Bodies and Abilities class participated in one of two performances on Nov. 9, the day after the presidential election. While there wasn’t a plan to tie the event to the election results, Kupers said that the experience was cathartic for many.

“Even though we’ve been planning this for awhile and it wasn’t a direct response to the election, for many of us it felt like a good way to show solidarity and commitment to diversity,” Kupers said.

Participants at the CSUEB event should dress in white and meet at PE 140 at 2 p.m. on Nov. 16. Instructions will be given at that time followed by a performance in front of the Recreation and Wellness Center. An additional performance of the installation is scheduled for Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. as part of the department’s ICE-X showcase for experimental performance.