Connecticut College’s onstage series begins Saturday, and with it comes another season of eclectic and thought-provoking programming. We talked with Robert A. Richter, Conn’s director of arts programming, about the 2018-2019 season.

Dance Theater of Harlem, 8 p.m. Saturday, Palmer Auditorium; $28, $25 seniors, $14 students; Conn College box office is at (860) 439-ARTS

Dance Theatre of Harlem, the first all-African American dance group of its kind, will be making its second visit to Connecticut College after having last performed there in 1973 as part of the American Dance Festival. Founded in 1969 by New York City Ballet’s first African-American principal dancer, Arthur Mitchell, who died just last week, the Dance Theater of Harlem’s visit also comes in combination with its 50th anniversary — an all-around significant moment for both the group and the college.

“I’ve just been intrigued about that aspect of the company and their place in American dance history. They are significant,” says Richter. “One of the things that had me so interested in this company was really their reasons for their founding.”

Besides being remembered as a ground-breaking dancer, Mitchell is remembered for his role as Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, in renowned choreographer George Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (a role Balanchine choreographed specifically for him), as well as co-founding the Dance Theatre of Harlem. That founding was largely fueled by the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

“(The Dance Theatre of Harlem) was rare, and there were very few African American principal ballet dancers, let alone an African American company,” says Richter. “The training of the dancers, in particular, and the skill of the dancers in terms of ballet and the strong choreography — it’s really the skill of this company that stands out. … The quality of work is stunning, so it’s exciting to bring them back.”

For Saturday’s performance, the group is set to perform a forward-thinking repertoire that includes Ballanchine’s “Valse Fantasie” and a series of contemporary works which include: “This Bitter Earth” choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon; “Change” choreographed by Dianne McIntyre; and the world premiere of “Harlem On My Mind” by Darrell Grand Moultrie.

“The Nature of Forgetting” by Theatre Re, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23, Palmer Auditorium; $24, $21 seniors, $14 students

“If someone wants to see a great piece of theater, this is a great piece that comes with a message,” Richter says.

Dealing primarily with issues of dementia, Richter says, "’The Nature of Forgetting’ is about memory, an individual’s memory and his life — an informed piece of work that deals with a difficult subject but deals with it in an uplifting way.”

Staged by the English theater group Theatre Re, the show opens with Tom, a 55-year-old man getting dressed for his party. As threads of disappearing memories spark him into life, a tale of friendship, love and guilt is unraveled.

Besides working as an avenue to open a dialogue about Alzheimer’s and dementia, "Forgetting" will touch both directly and indirectly affected by such diseases.

“What’s particularly exciting is that this company is trained in theatrical movement styles,” Richter says. “The physicality of the show, it’s fast-paced, fast-moving, and the storyline that is being told makes for an exceptional piece.”

"Crafting a New Normal for Women in Music" by the Lorelei Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at Evans Hall; $22, $20 seniors, $11 students

As an all-professional vocal ensemble comprising nine women, Boston's Lorelei Ensemble is quickly becoming recognized for its innovative programming. But more than that, Richter says he is excited to bring in an all-female vocal ensemble — a rarity, he says, in the classical chamber music tradition.

“I realized that over the years I’ve had a number of all-male vocal ensembles here, but there are very few all-female ensembles, except in the more folk tradition," Richter says.

“They are great performers and their program is going to be a combination of some early music in terms of 12th and 13th century song and also some more contemporary pieces from living composers.”

Besides all that, Richter says he can’t overlook the timeliness of bringing in an all-female ensemble.

“I don’t want to say I did this for the #MeToo movement, because I booked the group before that all broke, but now I feel there is more relevance with them coming," Richter says.

The group is set to perform 16 pieces, which include Pavel Chesnokov’s “Salvation is Created” and “The Hour of the Doves” from Canticles of the Holy Wind by John Luther Adams.

A discussion with Lorelei Ensemble will also take place at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 at the 1941 Room, College Center at Crozier-Williams. The discussion will be free.

"Radicals in Miniature" by Pickup Performance Co(s)., 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 and Feb. 16 at Tansill Theater; $20, $18 seniors, $10 students

Obie Award-winning playwright and performer Ain Gordon and percussionist Josh Quillen have teamed up to recount and acknowledge the lives of people living on the fringe of society in their newest work, “Radicals in Miniature” — a story honoring individuals who made their mark on contemporary culture in the 1980s and ’90s but who have disappeared from the historical record today.

“What stood out to me about this show is how deeply it resonated not only with me but with (one of) my student(s), who is 20 and grew up in California. So that was part of my deciding factor to bring it in," Richter says.

“For two different people, from very different generations and very different upbringings, it struck us both, even if in very different ways.”

"Star-Spangled Banner Fractured" by Donal Fox and Quincy Troupe, 7:30 p.m. March 29 at Evans Hall; $22, $20 seniors, $11 students

Pianist, composer and improviser Donal Fox and renowned poet Quincy Troupere united for a new collaboration, "Star Spangled Banner Fractured." The performance, a combination of spoken word and live piano, features Fox — one of the most talented jazz pianists of our day.

“This is also a very relevant piece, looking at the African-American experience and the racial issues that are still very present in modern-day America,” Richter says.