BATON ROUGE – The HopKins Black Box theatre at LSU invites patrons to experience “Sacred Waste,” an interactive eco-performance that takes a playful look at people’s complicated relationship with plastic trash.

Taking the form of a parodic ritual, the show features a talented cast of dancers, actors and musicians.

“This show is seriously ridiculous,” said director Bonny McDonald. “It speaks through movement and materials. The audience is encouraged to touch and wear items, but won’t be forced to join in. It will be just as fun to sit back and watch as to play with the cast.” 

The show features live music, dance numbers and elaborate costumes featuring “up-cycled” plastic materials. 

“I’ve been working with local artists and high school students to design the set and props out of single-use plastic items. The whole effect is pretty wild,” McDonald said, “especially the dragon.”

Despite the fact that plastics are not biodegradable, pollute watersheds and contain chemicals highly toxic to humans and animals, Americans throw away 1,500 plastic water bottles alone every second. 

BATON ROUGE – LSU alumnus Mose Allison is one of four musicians selected by the National Endowment for the Arts, or NEA, for the 2013 NEA Jazz Masters. The four 2013 Jazz Masters join 124 jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Herbie Hancock who have received this honor.

The four 2013 NEA Jazz Masters include

·         Allison, pianist, vocalist, composer
Born in Tippo, Miss., currently lives in Long Island, N.Y.

·         Lou Donaldson, saxophonist 
Born in Badin, N.C., currently lives in New York, N.Y.

·         Lorraine Gordon, jazz club owner, is the recipient of the 2013 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy
Born in Newark, N.J., currently lives in New York, N.Y.

·         Eddie Palmieri, pianist, bandleader, arranger, composer
Born in New York, N.Y., currently lives in Las Vegas, Nev.