FLOODESIGN

In January 2016, Peak Performances executive director Jedediah Wheeler was honored by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters at its annual conference in New York. He received the William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming during his 40-year career as a presenter and producer. Choreographer Elizabeth Streb introduced Wheeler at the ceremony, saying he "invented a new multilingual dictionary for the eye ... [he] rejiggered and reengineered how our hearts ought to respond." Dear Friend, Peak Performances has a mandate to offer work by exceptional artists who break the mold, so to speak. Taking our cue from the artists we present, this season we've departed from the traditional sales brochure in favor of something more like a magazine. In tandem with the standard pitch for each show, you will read engaging articles by very smart writers like Wendy Perron, Ronni Reich, and Manny Igrejas. What is the back story, you might ask? I believe that the more you know about Peak performers the better your experience will be at the Kasser. Without putting too fine a point on the dilemma, arts coverage in the media is dwindling, and if you are a Peak patron, content is in short supply. With that in mind, this 16/17 Peak brochure is a hybrid: a sales tool and a magazine of ideas. I urge you to dig in and learn more about the remarkable work of the extraordinary artists represented this season. And then, by all means, go to the Peak Performances website to purchase your tickets for another season of "daring" and "visionary" performances at the Alexander Kasser Theater. Sincerely, Jedediah Wheeler Executive Director Arts and Cultural Programming Montclair State University 2 01 6 / 1 7 S E A S O N www.peakperfs.org 3 973-655-5112 | www.peakperfs.org Dr. Susan A. Cole, P r e s i d e n t W H E E L S U P ! Photo: Adam Kissick

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