6-12-2025 4:48am

Films, Dance & More

Towson University Launches Summer at the Center 2025, Showcasing Alumni Artists and New Works

Running throughout June and July, this year’s lineup features theatrical premieres, concerts, exhibitions, dance, and film screenings.

Towson University has announced Summer at the Center 2025, a vibrant multidisciplinary festival spotlighting new and original works by TU alumni, faculty, students, and friends. Running throughout June and July, this year’s lineup features theatrical premieres, concerts, exhibitions, dance, and film screenings, all designed to celebrate creativity, inclusion, and Towson’s enduring artistic legacy.

A key feature of this year’s festival is the presentation of two new one-person plays by recent alumni: Midnight Cowboy Radio by Ally Ibach (June 14) and The Fantastical Of Now by Siobhán O'Loughlin (June 21), both performed in Studio Theatre CA 3060 with post-show artist talkbacks.

On the musical front, audiences can enjoy Summer Serenade from Maryland Opera (June 22) and Richard Rodgers & His Sounds of Music (June 28), a multimedia concert tribute led by TU faculty member Carolyn Black-Sotir. Outdoor theatre returns with a free performance of The Comedy of Errors, Hon (June 26) by Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, reimagined with a Maryland twist for the whole family.

The festival closes Pride Month with Small Acts of Pride (June 29), a staged reading series featuring LGBTQ+ TU alumni playwrights and performers, affirming Towson's ongoing commitment to equity and representation in the arts.

Visual art exhibitions:

1930s Hollywood: Money, Food, and Fashion in the Great Depression (June 13–July 12), exploring cinema’s influence on domestic life during economic hardship.
Joan Cox: Side by Side (June 13–July 17), a solo exhibition by the acclaimed queer figurative painter and TU alumna.

Additional highlights:

Dance Celebrate! (June 14): A free community dance day with classes and family-friendly performances.
Film Screenings: The End of Summer by Yasujiro Ozu (June 21), and Halloween in June (June 27), a night of TU alumni horror films culminating in the world premiere of Trick or Treat with Reed Richmond by Chris LaMartina, hosted by Baltimore's own Aurora Gorealis.

Most events take place at Towson’s Center for the Arts, and several are free or offer discounted admission for students, seniors, faculty, and alumni. General admission tickets for featured performances range from $5 to $40.

Summer at the Center isn’t just a celebration of, but a tribute to, Baltimore's vibrant artistic tapestry and the College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC)'s long history as a part of it. Set against the backdrop of the Center for the Arts’ theaters, concert halls, classrooms and dance studios, the festival showcases performances from both Towson University alumni, departments, and student groups, as well as the wider Baltimore professional arts community.

Summer at the Center 2025

Summer at the Center 2025 features dazzling and delightful performances, exhibitions, and creative undertakings from a celebrated lineup of returning Towson University alumni, as well as faculty, students, and friends! Running June 13–29, 2025, the Center for the Arts’ doors will be open for a variety of free and ticketed arts and entertainment events. Tickets available now.

1930s Hollywood: Money, Food, and Fashion in the Great Depression

June 13 – July 12 | Asian arts gallery, ca 2037

“1930s Hollywood: Money, Food, and Fashion in the Great Depression" is a multimedia interdisciplinary exhibition exploring the relationship between an entertainment medium and media consumers. Visitors will hear 1930s popular music in the gallery as they see the ways in which the film industry influenced the creativity of women movie fans to adapt their daily practices to 'live' the movies at home during the tough economic times of the Great Depression, particularly in the aspire vs. survive modes of food and fashion. Highlights include life-sized models of movie-inspired elegant evening wear, simple daily attire, and a unique recreation of the famous “Letty Lynton” dress from the 1932 film by the same name, as well as cocktail, baked good, and casserole recipes promoted by Hollywood actresses. FREE. Opening reception with artist talk from Joan Cox June 13, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Joan Cox: Side by Side

June 13 – July 12 | Center for the arts gallery, ca 3040

This exhibition presents recent works highlighting Joan Cox’s significant contributions to the genres of figurative painting and queer portraiture. Cox’s work captures the quiet, often fleeting moments of intimacy between women. A Baltimore native and an alumna of Towson University, where she received a BFA in Painting, Joan Cox was recently awarded the 2024 Alumni Dean’s Recognition Award for the College of Fine Arts and Communication at Towson. Cox is represented by the Bureau of Queer Art/Art Gallery Studios in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and Catalyst Contemporary in Baltimore, Maryland. Sponsored in part by the COFAC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. FREE. Opening reception with artist talk from Joan Cox June 13, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

DANCE! Celebrate

Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. | dance department

Community Dance will be hosting a free day of dance and performances on Saturday, June 14th to the Baltimore community called DANCE! Celebrate. DANCE! Celebrate will offer a variety of sample classes for children, adults, and families to participate in throughout the day, and will be presenting a special dance performance of its spring production, Carnival of Animals. FREE. See full schedule of classes.

Midnight Cowboy Radio by Ally Ibach, directed by Patricia Runcie-Rice

Saturday, June 14, at 7 p.m. | studio theatre, ca 3060

It's Labor Day in Kentucky! Time for your favorite late-night-radio-talk-show host to give you life advice on the air of Midnight Cowboy Radio, entertaining y’all for those long drives home! This show is written and performed by TU alum Ally Ibach and directed by Patricia Runcie-Rice. Most recently seen at Edinburgh Fringe (Highly Recommended by FringeReview, SleecReview, and BTS Creative Academy) and The Pen Theatre (London). Midnight Cowboy Radio has been performed off-Broadway at Theatre Row (NYC) and has been awarded as a finalist at The Secret Theatre's One-Act Festival (NYC). Get tickets now.

That's Baloney!

June 17 – July 25 | Holtzman MFA Gallery, CA 2040

Food nourishes our bodies, elevates our lives and in many ways encapsulates our individual cultures and embodied experiences. The food we eat is far removed from its original context, taken across vast distances by machinery and changed irrevocably. That’s Baloney! highlights local artists and contemplates consumption, interrogating our culture's relationship to food, overconsumption, excess waste, and the ensuing rot. FREE.

The End of Summer, directed by Yasujiro Ozu

Saturday, June 21, at 1 p.m. | art lecture hall, ca 2032

Laugh and cry with us while viewing this 1961 meditation on the passage of time through the lens of intergenerational family dynamics. A senior sake brewer and his adult daughters negotiate their desires and obligations in response to concerns over finances, health, and love. (color) Directed by Yasujiro Ozu. 103 minutes. FREE. Registration required.

The Fantastical of Now, written and performed by Siobhán O’Loughlin

Saturday, June 21, at 7 p.m. | studio theatre, ca 3060

This experience features a lonely, video game playing, Dungeons & Dragons loving e-girl and TikTok star embarking on her true dream: becoming a fantasy novelist. The audience meets Bambi (played by TU alum Siobhán O’Loughlin) at her first official book talk: a pre-release party for her most invigorated fans. As Bambi stumbles through her talk, we start to see the cracks in her sparkly foundation, and wonder if she wrote a book at all, or if her imposter syndrome and people-pleasing tendencies have left her literally and figuratively wordless. With high levels of audience interaction, Bambi seeks validation and community from the audience in this heartfelt exploration of human vulnerability and the love of a novel. Get tickets now.

Maryland Opera presents: Summer Serenade

Sunday, June 22, at 3 p.m. | recital hall, ca 3066

Maryland Opera presents “Summer Serenade,” featuring hits from the operatic and Broadway stage performed by three acclaimed singers. Artistic Director James Harp, long known for excellence in operatic performance and musical outreach throughout the region, will be at the piano and will share his passion for this repertoire as he gives synopses for the selections from the stage. You’ll hear some of your old favorites and you’ll find some new favorites all sung by world-class artists. Get tickets now.

It’s The Comedy of Errors, Hon by Ian Gallanar, presented by Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s Shakespeare Beyond

Thursday, June 26, at 7 p.m. | BU Towsontown Field

Mistaken identities, outrageous antics, and double the hilarity — It’s The Comedy of Errors, Hon! is coming your way! Packed with iconic moments and characters that could only come from Charm City! Not one, but two sets of twins separated at birth find themselves in Baltimore at the same time, leaving a whirlwind of mix-ups, comic chases, and chaos in their wake. Bring a blanket or a chair and your favorite picnic snack, and prepare to laugh the evening away with a new adaptation of The Comedy of Errors with a distinctly local twist! All are welcome! FREE. Ledo Pizza will be available to buy through 8 p.m.

Halloween in June

Friday, June 27, at 7 p.m. | recital hall, ca 3066

Summer not spooky enough for you? EMF is bringing you Halloween in June! We are serving up a curated selection of spooky short films, creepy comedies, and shocking sci-fi by EMF students and alumni. Then, EMF is proud to present the world premiere of Trick or Treat with Reed Richmond, the latest spin-off of the retro-VHS cult classic WNUF Halloween Special cinematic universe by EMF alum Chris LaMartina. This eerie-sistable event is hosted by Baltimore's horror hostess with the mostest, Aurora Gorealis, and will include a petrifying panel of horror filmmakers including Ed Sanchez (writer, producer, director, The Blair Witch Project, Exists), Debbie Dorsey (director of Baltimore Film Office, MFIC President), David Warfield (writer, director, producer, Rows, Ocean Park, associate professor, Morgan State University), Sig Libowitz (writer, producer, director, entertainment lawyer, MFIC member, program director, MA Film and Media at Johns Hopkins University), and Melissa La Martine (writer, director, producer). Get tickets now.

Richard Rodgers & His Sounds of Music

Saturday, June 28, at 7 p.m. | recital hall, ca 3066

Writer, director, and star of this musical extravaganza, Carolyn Black-Sotir and guest artists, tenor Min Jin, baritones Phillip Collister and Jason Widney, sopranos Lori Hultgren and Leah Inger, along with pianist Tim McReynolds, bassist Tom Baldwin, and drummer Frank Russo, pay tribute to the life and works of genius Broadway composer/producer Richard Rodgers. This extraordinary theatrical concert presents Rodgers’s musical classics as well as reimagined interpretations of his theatre songs. While celebrating the sheer beauty and genius of his music, this muti-media performance reveals the stories behind the music and delves into Rodgers’s collaborations with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein. Get tickets now.

Small Acts of Pride

Sunday, June 29, at 3 p.m. | studio theatre, ca 3060

An evening of short plays and performances in celebration of Pride written by a diverse group of LGBTQ+ identified TU Theatre alums. Get tickets now.

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