<p>To address your daughter’s interest in exploring cultural events, I’d like to mention that USC sponsors an amazing arts and humanities initiative called Visions & Voices that provides a broad variety of programming several times per WEEK absolutely free to students. Many of the events involve visiting artists who perform on campus, but several involve trips to various cultural sites around Los Angeles to see top entertainment/art. All these trips include free round trip private bus transportation from campus and even free boxed meals. They do, however, require RSVP to sign up for tickets. Some recent examples include trips to see: “Book of Mormon,” A tour of Art Deco theatres in downtown L.A., and an evening visit to the L.A. Art Walk (all local art galleries open).</p>
<p>Upcoming in the next few weeks:</p>
<p>*Naked Island
Benicio Del Toro Presents the Work of Legendary Japanese Filmmaker Kaneto Shindo
Saturday, January 26, 2013 </p>
<p>Kaneto Shindo has been a pioneer of independent filmmaking in Japan for over 80 years. Join us in a unique opportunity to celebrate Kaneto Shindo with a rare 35mm screening of Naked Island, followed by a Q&A with Benicio Del Toro and Jiro Shindo, the director’s son.</p>
<p>*USC Thornton Symphony at Disney Hall
Sunday, January 27, 2013 </p>
<p>The talented young players of the excellent USC Thornton Symphony are led by their conductor, Carl St. Clair, who is also music director of the Pacific Symphony.</p>
<p>*South Coast Repertory: Chinglish
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 </p>
<p>David Henry Hwang’s Broadway hit comes to Southern California. When an American businessman arrives in China, the deals involve much more than wining and dining. The repartee is fast and funny in this East-West comedy that embraces both sides of the cultural divide.</p>
<p>*Scrapbooks, Army Surplus, Comics and Other Stuff
A Conversation with Graphic Storyteller C. Tyler
Thursday, January 31, 2013 </p>
<p>C. Tyler is the author of You’ll Never Know: A Graphic Memoir. In an illustrated conversation with USC Annenberg’s Henry Jenkins, C. Tyler will talk about comics, family memories, material culture, gender, generations and the stuff that gets exchanged between members of a family. </p>
<p>*The Joffrey Ballet
Friday, February 1, 2013 </p>
<p>The Joffrey Ballet celebrates the 100th anniversary of dance’s most influential work, The Rite of Spring, with their groundbreaking recreation of the original Ballets Russes production.</p>
<p>*An Evening with Patti Smith
A Visions and Voices Signature Event
Tuesday, February 5, 2013 </p>
<p>An unforgettable evening of music, poetry and conversation will feature the seminal American artist Patti Smith—a poet, singer, songwriter, photographer and fine artist whose influence branches out through generations, across disciplines and around the world.</p>
<p>So, for any current USC students reading this–don’t forget to mark your calendars.</p>
<p>P.S. nottelling–best of luck to your D in the outcome of all her applications.</p>