Arts & Culture

Soul singer Donny Hathaway was a musical genius. He was also a man battling the ravages of schizophrenia. In “Twisted Melodies,” actor, playwright and St. Louis native Kelvin Roston Jr. explores Hathaway’s life and legacy while shattering taboos about the depiction of mental illness.

“Does it say what I want it to say?” The question is fundamental for any artist. On April 15, 16 and 17, five young choreographers will discover the answer when the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis presents its biennial “Young Choreographers Showcase” in the Annelise Mertz Dance Theatre.

Citing their wish to expand arts and education opportunities, leading local arts patrons Kenneth and Nancy Kranzberg have expressed their intention to make a $2 million gift to Washington University in St. Louis.

The Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts will present its 87th annual Fashion Design Show April 24 at the Missouri History Museum. The show will feature dozens of models wearing scores of outfits by more than 20 sophomore, junior and senior fashion design students.

The African Film Festival, which begins Friday, April 1, offers a lineup of award-winning films that provide a nuanced look at Africa’s cultures and concerns. The festival, which is free and open to the public, runs through Sunday, April 3.

With more than 50 scenes and 100 characters, “Love and Information” (2012) is arguably the most audacious work to date by acclaimed English playwright Caryl Churchill. From April 1-10, Washington University’s Performing Arts Department will present Churchill’s kaleidoscopic tour de force in the A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre.

Washington University will pay homage to former student Tennessee Williams with a “Tennessee Williams Birthday Bash” at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 26. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature a screening, in 35mm, of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

Resident dance company The Slaughter Project will present “Caravan,” its 2016 showcase concert, March 25 and 26 in Edison Theatre.

Jazz legends Gary Peacock and Marc Copland, along with drummer Mark Ferber, will return to Washington University Thursday, March 3, as part of the Jazz at Holmes Series.

In a unique material investigation, architecture students from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts have constructed a prototype watercraft that incorporates expanding polyurethane spray foam — a commercial product typically used for home insulation.