AACC’s performing arts schedule includes a dystopian fantasy play, a Christmas opera, and a multicultural music and dance performance.

Chris Ballengee, who coordinates the world music program, said in an email to Campus Current he is “particularly excited” about World Music and Dance Night on Dec. 2.

“I’ll have lots of students performing on stage, many who have never performed before,” Ballengee said. “The theme for the evening will be commonalities between African and African-American music and dance.”

Also this month, the theater program will perform a production of “Neverwhere,” an adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s dystopian TV-series-turned-novel, on the weekends of Nov. 3 and Nov. 10.

Theater program coordinator Sean Urbantke highlighted the STEM and Theater Talkback on Nov. 11 after the “Neverwhere” show.

“Neverwhere” cast and crew will talk with the audience about science, technology, engineering and math applications in theater, such as atmospheric effects and high-wattage lighting.

Cast and crew consisit of AACC students and community members.

“Neverwhere” director Dr. AnnMarie Saunders added: “My husband is working on the lights for the show, and as the lighting person, he goes, ‘If I don’t use math and science, I set fire to the building.’”

“We’ve got STEM in theater all the time, but nobody really thinks of it that way,” Urbantke  said.

As part of its Christmas Extravaganza on Dec. 1, the opera program will perform “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” a Christmas opera for children that NBC first aired in 1951.

“It’s one of my favorite shows to put on,” said Douglas Byerly, program coordinator for Opera AACC. “The message is about humbleness and also just being kind to one another, which is especially important … in today’s age.”