Grace Tang ‘21
Lifestyle Editor
As the last Sunset Series draws to an end and October rolls into Charlottesville, you may be wondering what to do with all that free time at your disposal other than chilling at wineries all weekend. As law students, we have limited cash flow at our disposal.[1] Therefore, attending cool events around the city should not break the bank. After months[2] of dedicated research, I have found a variety of art performances throughout the fall and spring with huge discounts available to law students. By attending the events below, not only do you get to indulge in fantastic performances, but you also get an amazing opportunity to support arts and music in Charlottesville.[3]
Virginia Film Festival (October 23-27)
Now in its 32nd year, the Virginia Film Festival is among the nation’s most acclaimed regional film festivals and one of the most highly anticipated cultural events in the region. With over 150 films and special guests spread out across five days, viewers can watch everything from Just Mercy, adapted from Brian Stevenson’s book about the country’s system of incarceration, to foreign films from around the world, LGBTQIA+, dramas of all kinds. Attending the festival is also a great opportunity to experience the different theatres Charlottesville has to offer. Many locations are at the Downtown Mall or on campus.
UVA Drama Performances (Fall and Spring)
The UVA Drama program has produced some fantastic actors such as Sarah Drew ’02 and Tina Fey ’92. Maybe you’ll see the next Tina Fey when you attend a UVA Drama performance on campus and watch the drama students perform. The fall and spring seasons of the UVA Drama program include performances of plays, musicals, and dance recitals. With intriguing titles like “Lung,” “She kills monsters,”[4] and “Once Upon a Mattress,”[5] the drama program has some great shows in the works. Free parking provided.
UVA Concert Series (Fall and Spring)
The UVA music program has a fantastic array of musical performances. These are definitely worth attending, especially because so many extremely talented specialist groups and artists come through Charlottesville. Unlike the drama program, concert performances only have one show or two shows at a specific day for a specific time. Some of the remaining shows in Charlottesville for the upcoming fall season include a jazz ensemble, Romantic Titans— Mendelsohn and Strauss, The Magid Chronicles performed by the Zlezmer ensemble, and UVA Chamber Singers. This is a great chance to see some beautiful performance halls and build up your tastes in different styles of music.
THE BEST PART $$$ (Drumroll) GETTING IN FOR FREE
At first, I thought it was a steal to purchase discounted student tickets for performances, as student tickets generally cost $10-12 compared to much higher prices the public pays (e.g. most musical performances cost $50 for the public).
However, I soon discovered the open secret that students can actually get into all of the events mentioned above for FREE through the ART$ program on campus. As law students, we are eligible to attend every event for free (if shows are not sold out).[6] Each student is limited to one ticket per event, however, you can get free tickets for multiple events in the same category. If you wanted to see six films at the Virginia Film festival or three plays this semester, you are welcome to do so.
To obtain free tickets, access artsandsciences.virginia.edu/boxoffice/ and on the webpage, click on the top right blue box that says “Free UVA Student Tickets” for access to the events calendar and reservation of free tickets. I hope to see more UVA Law students at arts performances this year!
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gt5ay@virginia.edu
[1] My short course on finance and public equity is clearly paying off. Also, jealous if you are not part of the “we” mentioned above and you can jet off to Ibiza on the weekends (if so please take me in your suitcase).
[2] In dog years.
[3] What I call a win-win situation.
[4] The play is about dungeons and dragons (Professor Setear should check this one out) .
[5] A reimagined retelling of the classic fairy tale Princess and the Pea.
[6] Generally, 90% of shows will have availability for free tickets, especially if booked in advance.