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(12/02/04 5:22am)
The stage: It is a vast open space of hardwood floor until a set is erected. Then the possibilities are endless. \nIn the past year, IU's Wells-Metz Theatre has been a Chicago back porch in "Proof," the surreal tree-lined landscape of "The Cherry Orchard" and the dark dreary cave of "Bat Boy." The set creates the world that a play's characters inhabit, and its creation is the culmination of work by a behind-the-scenes team. \nFred Duer, assistant professor of scenic design, said there are six steps to scenic design -- commitment, analysis and research incubation, selection, implementation and, finally, evaluation.\n"The biggest part of design is communication," Duer said. "Scenic design is a collaborative art form, and you have to enjoy that collaboration." \nDuer holds a Master in Fine Arts in production design and technology from Ohio University. Before coming to teach at IU, he worked in television for many years. He spent five years working on the set of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and also designed for "Saved By the Bell." \nDuer said that when working on a set design, one of the major challenges is getting other members of the production crew to understand your vision for the play. However, there are tools, ranging in technology from old-fashioned etchings to computer animated illustrations, available to help communicate ideas to the staff.\nDathan Powell, an MFA student in set design, echoed what Duer explained as the steps in scenic design. \n"You have to be flexible, able to adapt," Powell said. "It is a collaboration process of the entire design team -- costume, light, actors and the set designer."\nPowell said he tries to share his inspirations rather than dictate his ideas to others. He is aware that the set can impose on the production due to the movement limitations of the physical set. Powell uses some computer-based tools to help share his design ideas with the rest of the production crew. Programs such as AutoCAD, VectorWorks and SketchUP work together to provide a 3-D walk through the set design. Using computers also allows for changes to be made easily. \n"Computers do not replace other parts of the process, but add to my repertoire," Powell said.\nGordon Strain, another MFA student in set design, put an emphasis on the commitment needed to tackle set design. Strain also said it is important to spend some time away from the design during the process and then return to see if it still works. Time away from the set helps him to see it in a new light when he returns.\nSet design takes long hours with many obstacles to overcome in the construction process, Strain said.\n"I ask the question of, ultimately, why am I doing this? Is this a script that I always wanted to do? Or is it paying the bills?" Strain said.\nStrain said he spends long hours designing sets because he wants whatever production he is working on to be the best it can be. \n"It is an art, but you work with so many people. There are so many ideas that go into the final product," Strain said.\nFor Strain, this process has become a craft on how to translate his ideas to the group. He likes to work with models, ground plans and rendering -- the set as it would be in one particular scene. \n"The best, most effective way to communicate to the larger group is the model since it is what (the set will be), just smaller," Strain said.\nAfter the set is designed, building and construction can begin. Later, furniture is added.\n"That's what attracted me to scene design. I get to be a jack-of-all-trades. Part of it is building and construction, but the more artistic end," Powell said.\nAs a kid, Powell wanted to be an architect until his sophomore year in high school, when he got a lead part in a play. Suddenly he wanted to act. In 1999, Powell got his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the theater department of Illinois-Wesley in Bloomington, Ill. In the small program he acted, built props and took classes in other parts of theater production.\n"I don't have to have the math for true architecture. In scenic design, I just have to know how it needs to look," Powell said.\nPowell chose to come to IU because the program has students produce sets for two shows a year throughout the three-year program. The hands-on experience in set design and construction helps to build up a resume.\nSo far, Powell has worked on sets for fall 2003's "Alien from Cincinnati," spring 2004's "The Laramie Project," fall 2004's "Bat Boy -- A Musical" and the upcoming production of "Pal Joey -- A Musical" in spring 2005.\nStrain said he has always wanted to do scene design and had little interest in acting. He did his undergraduate work at a small school in Ithaca, N.Y., getting his BFA in theatrical production arts. Afterward Strain moved to Cincinnati, where he taught middle school and high school theater and drama. \n"I like regional theater because it has the most interesting productions. It is changing and not as commercial as Broadway," Strain said.\nStrain came to the IU program because the MFA gives him the skills needed to do professional theater.\nSo far Strain has helped in the creation of sets for fall 2003's "Jacques Brel: A Musical Review," spring 2004's "Proof" and fall 2004's "Dracula." He is currently working on the design for the spring 2005 production of "The Bacchae."\n"The plays done last year were not necessarily my style. They were more realistic than my style of expression," Strain said. "I am looking forward to doing 'The Bacchae' because even though the story is over 2,000 years old, it is still strong. There is the freedom to go in any direction."\nDuer was still working in professional theater when 9/11 occurred. After the event, he experienced a change in himself. He began to feel that his work and money were not enough. Duer said he wanted to do something with more meaning -- teach. Coming to IU this fall was coming to his dream job. Duer said he feels he is making an impact, and a difference in the lives of his students and audiences.\n"When theater can be there for a reason, it is more satisfying. Academia is also satisfying in the same way," Duer said.\n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.
(11/01/04 6:08am)
After four hours of competition, numerous costume changes, technical difficulties and some audience confusion, Samantha Lynn was crowned Miss Gay Bloomington 2004 Friday night at Bullwinkle's Nightclub. The audience was confused because Sugar Blackmon, the first alternate, won more individual categories than Lynn. Blackmon won the categories of evening gown, slow talent, on-stage question and interview. Lynn just won the categories of glamour and fast talent. \nJason Ervin, the owner of Storm Productions, the promotion company of Miss Gay Bloomington, offered some clarification regarding the judging.\n"Each category is worth a different amount of points," Ervin said. "It all just comes down to the numbers." \nErvin said he and an accountant crunched the numbers to determine the winner. Before calculating the glamour and talent categories, Blackmon was in the lead. After consideration of the other two categories, Lynn took the title.\nIn addition to the crown and title of Miss Gay Bloomington, Lynn received $300 and will perform Wednesday at Bullwinkle's. Blackmon, a frequent performer and show director at Bullwinkle's, won $150.\nMiss Gay Bloomington is a self-standing pageant, which means the winner can go on to compete in other pageants such as Miss Indiana U.S. of A. In addition to donning evening gowns and lip-synching and dancing to fast music, contestants had to do interviews as their male counterparts before the start of the pageant. They also answered on-stage questions in their evening gowns and later performed a slow talent, which for most contestants involved lip-synching. \nAs a promoter for the competition, Ervin brought back 10 of the former 20 winners of Miss Gay Bloomington. \n"It is exciting to have them here tonight, especially Pauline St. James," Ervin said.\nPauline St. James won the first Miss Gay Bloomington title in 1984. At that time the pageant was a small event with minimal funds, so she was not given a crown. On Friday, 20 years after she won her title, among tears and applause, she was finally crowned.\nDanny McNeely, whose on-stage personality is Annastacia DeMoore, gave up his title as Miss Gay Bloomington 2003. McNeely had been doing female impersonations for four years before winning the title, but 2003 was his "power year," he said. Hitting the circuit and doing every pageant possible lead to a title-rich year for McNeely. In one year, he won five titles -- Miss Gay Indianapolis U.S. of A, Miss Gay Indiana U.S. of A, Miss Gay Elegance Continental, Miss Gay Zimmara America and Miss Gay Bloomington.\n"I love doing this, the illusion, going from one extreme to another," McNeely said. "I have always enjoyed entertaining."\nDeMoore said it's difficult to start female impersonation in Indiana. \n"Other states ... seem to appreciate their queens more," McNeely said.\nSam Waites, whose stage name is Samantha Lynn, said doing female impersonation was just something he always wanted to do. He holds the titles of first runner-up for Miss Gay Indiana America 2003 and Miss Gay Three Rivers 2004.\nWaites described the art of female impersonation as a great opportunity and outlet.\n"I get to express my feminine side and entertain," Waites said. "I am more outspoken and vocal when I am Samantha, she is very different from me. Samantha is a very classy woman." \nBlackmon, the state name for Nicholas Simpson, said entering the realm of female impersonation was not a certainty for him, as it was for some of the other contestants. While a student at IU, Simpson was struggling to discover himself as gay and black. Simpson first saw the Miss Gay IU contest in 1998 and began to wonder if doing such a thing was possible. \n"I wondered, can I do that? Should I do that?" he said.\nSimpson said he does not see female impersonation as a hobby, but rather as a venue for education and diversity. Blackmon used her title as Miss Gay IU to speak to classes and participate in discussions and debates about diversity. Simpson said he feels very strongly about education in diversity.\n"Now that I do impersonation, I love it," Simpson said. "It is very exciting because it is such a great outreach opportunity." \n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.
(10/15/04 5:14am)
The Indiana Memorial Union Gallery is a quiet place to study, meet with classmates and enjoy various works of art. This month, two Mongolian artists are displaying their work there. Utilizing bold lines and vibrant colors, this husband-and-wife team portrays different aspects of Mongolian culture in their works.\nMunkhtsetseg-Anar "Mugi" Jakhaajav was born and lives in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. Her works are portraits of Mongolian women in traditional dress with elaborate hair-dos. The colors are bold and her works have strong focal point lines. \n"When I paint the hair of women, I feel the lines and movement of the Gobi sands," Jakhaajav said.\nJakhaajav's husband, Erdenebayar "Bayar" Monkhor, also hails from Ulaanbaatar. His work focuses on the horse, which he said is the most important animal to traditional Mongolian life. \n"I paint portraits of horses. The energy of the horse is expressed in the red color I use. I frame my painting through the door of a ger (traditional Mongolian home)," Monkhor said.\nGetting their artwork to America from Ulaanbaatar was not an easy task.\n"Mugi and Bayar hand-carried their art here from Mongolia," said Susie Drost, treasurer of the Mongolia Society at IU. \nDrost said it is fortunate that Jakhaajav and Monkhor did this instead of shipping their work. When Drost planned the Mongolian Festival in September, she arranged for the arrival of the artists and their work. Much of the artwork was shipped to America. Unfortunately, due to complications and miscommunications, the shipped items were held up by American customs at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport for eight days.\nSince the laws dealing with customs are complicated, Drost had to hire a customs broker. Fortunately, all items for sale, along with many pieces of art, arrived in Bloomington just in time for their various uses.\nThrough hard work and fund-raising by Drost, the Mongolia Society sponsored Jakhaajav and Monkhor's visit to America.\nIn addition to the exhibit at the IMUG, the oil paintings of Mongolian artist Chinzorig Sumiya are on display at the Mathers Museum. Unlike Jakhaajav and Monkhor, Sumiya was not allowed to leave Mongolia to be a part of this exhibit. There will be a reception for Sumiya's work at 6 p.m. Friday at the Mathers Museum, located at 416 N. Indiana Ave.\nJakhaajav and Monkhor will answer questions and talk at a reception for their artwork from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the IMUG. Food and beverages will be served. \n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.
(10/01/04 5:46am)
Written by Neil Simon, "The Odd Couple" was first performed in 1966. In nearly 40 years, the play has been performed many times and has been adapted into a screenplay. The inspiration for the play came from Simon's life. In 1962, his recently divorced brother moved into an apartment with another divorced man.\nThe strength of the story lies in the characters. With this story, Simon created characters who are flawed and believable -- characters whom one cannot help but root for. The characters and the challenges they face are just as applicable today as they were nearly 40 years ago. The story is familiar to most people who have ever had a roommate whom they cared for but would also like to strangle at the same time.\nIn 1968 "The Odd Couple" was a comedic hit film staring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. This movie is one of my all time favorites. The acting team of Lemon and Matthau is difficult to beat, so I had my doubts as to how much I would enjoy the play. \nThe acting team at the Brown County Play House does the movie and story justice. Charles Goad plays the role of Felix Ungar, the soon-to-be divorced neat freak. Felix was Lemon's character in the film. Goad has extensive acting credits to his name, including a part in the film "Catch Me if You Can." \nMany times during the play, it seems Goad channels Lemmon's spirit. His mannerisms and body language echo those of Lemmon. Goad is able to realistically express the Felix's feelings and the internal struggle.\nRob Johansen plays the role of Oscar Madison, the recently divorced slob. Matthau played Oscar in the movie. Johansen also has considerable experience from many acting roles in plays.\nWhile Johansen's portrayal of Oscar did not resemble Matthau's portrayal of Oscar, his depiction was also believable. \nThe play was a great joy to watch. The acting was superb and I never felt it was forced, or otherwise contrived. And while I am still a big fan of the movie and no one can replace the joy of watching Lemmon and Matthau, this production of the play is fantastic and quite delightful.\nFor those who have not been to the Brown County Playhouse, it is well worth the drive. The 600-seat theater provides a comfortable venue with great views of the semi-round stage. There is free parking available a block south of the playhouse. There are also numerous restaurants and shops in the direct vicinity.
(09/20/04 6:28am)
Dressed in a flowing blue dress, classically trained Mongolian electric violinist Degi took the stage Saturday at the International Mongolian Festival. As she gracefully combined traditional Mongolian themes and sounds, her music evoked images of wild horses and vast lands until a techno beat came into the piece. The music changed, but continued to spur images of Mongolia's vast mountains and plains. As Degi's performance ended, the crowd erupted in applause, demanding an encore.\nThe International Mongolian Festival offered Bloomington the unique opportunity to experience the performances and arts of Mongolia and Tibet Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Tibetan Cultural Center.\n"It is such a treat for us," said Bloomington resident Laura Jesseph "Only in Bloomington would you have the Lotus Fest and a Mongolian Festival on the same weekend."\nAs a friend of the Norbus, the local Tibetan family that includes the Dalai Lama's older brother Thubten Jigme Norbu, Jesseph played host to a lot of the festival's talent in her own home. She said she enjoyed the opportunity to meet all the performers and watching them meet each other and enjoy Lotus Festival.\nVendors, including the Mongolian Society and the International Tibet Independence Movement, sold items hand-crafted jewelry, traditional silk and wool hats and miniature gers -- representations of ancient Asian nomadic structures.\nVendor Charles Roach sold prayer beads, T-shirts, pins and pictures of the current Dalai Lama for International Tibet Independence Movement at the festival. Roach designs the routes for the organization's peace walks and rides. In 2003, the group held a walk from the Tibetan Cultural Center to Indianapolis.\n"It is surprisingly difficult to design these walks," Roach explained. "You can't walk on a superhighway, you need a good shoulder and you need visibility to the press. Then there is the need to access food, bathrooms and resting places."\nJames Burnham and David Gilroy came to the festival from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Both students have worked with Mongolian culture before. Gilroy conducts environmental research involving Northern Mongolian gold mining. Both had learned about the festival when it was being planned, Gilroy said.\nBurnham learned archery while working in Mongolia with the Peace Corps and participated in Sunday's archery demonstration.\nThree Mongolian artists displayed crafts for sale in a white yurt, a movable structure that serves as shelter for nomads in Mongolia. They shared huushuur, a traditional Mongolian food of meat and bread, with passersby and attempted to teach them how to play a game with small bones. In the game, each of the four sides of the bone represents one of the domesticated animals in Mongolia -- horse, sheep, camel and goat. Different combinations, one of each or all the same, are good luck.\nDamba Tsolmon, who was trained in Mongolia but now lives in the Washington, D.C., area, displayed his original artwork in ink, water color, acrylic and oil mediums. \n"They come from my imagination, my memories of Mongolia," Tsolmon said when asked about the basis for his paintings.\nAlong the side of the pieces was the title in traditional Mongolian script, which is a form of calligraphy, and Tsolmon's signature. He said he has sold paintings to the Smithsonian Institution.\nMunkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, a native of Ulaanbaatar, displayed her portraits of Mongolian women in traditional dress and elaborate hair styles. The colors were bold with a strong focal point line. \n"When I paint the hair of women, I feel the lines and movement of the Gobi sands" Mugi said.\nJalkhaajav's husband, Erdenebayar Monkhor also displayed his artwork, which focused on horses, the most important animal to traditional Mongolian life. \n"The energy of the horse is expressed in the red color I use. I frame my painting through the door of a ger," Monkhor said.\nThrough organization and fundraising by Susie Drost, of The Mongolia Society, both Jakhaajav and Monkhor's works will be displayed at the Indiana Memorial Union Gallery throughout September and October.\n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.
(09/17/04 4:46am)
Traditional and contemporary Mongolian music, traditional wrestling, contortionists, religious talks, food and various arts and crafts will be part of the Mongolian Festival Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Hosted by the Tibetan Culture Center, the festival will take place during the same weekend as the Lotus Festival, which TCC Director Jigme Norbu hopes will increase Mongolian Festival attendance.\n"The events here are during the day, and Lotus is at night," Norbu said. "We hope to share some of the same crowd."\nThis event is the second in the Annual World Harmony Series that was initiated last year when His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama dedicated the Chamtse Ling Interfaith Temple in Bloomington.\n"Mongolia and Tibet have a shared history," said Norbu, who is the nephew of the Dalai Lama. "It was the Mongolians who bestowed the name Dalai Lama. So it is a natural thing to hold this event."\nJigme Norbu's father, Thubten J. Norbu, the president and founder of TCC, is fluent in Mongolian, and the majority of Mongolians are Tibetan Buddhists who recognize the Dalai Lama as their religious leader.\nThubten explained the idea for this festival arose last September during the Dalai Lama's visit to Bloomington. Since then, the biggest challenge has been organizing visas and other necessities for 11 foreign artists. \n"We wanted to bring the Mongolian culture to the west. What better place than Bloomington?" said Thubten Norbu, the Dalai Lama's brother.\nEvents on both Saturday and Sunday will highlight Mongolian culture. Musical performers from Mongolia and Tibet will be entertaining the crowd and contortionists will also perform Saturday. \n"These singers coming are the most popular in Mongolia," said Susie Drost of the Mongolia Society. "The throat singer is award-winning and very popular in Mongolia. It is very exciting that we have these people here."\nThroat singing is indigenous to the Taiga forests of Tuva and the Mongolian plains, according to Scientific American magazine's Web site. It is a singing technique in which a single vocalist can produce two tones: one low and sustained and the second a series of flutelike harmonics that resonate high above the drone and may be musically stylized to represent various sounds like the chirping of birds, water falls or the cantering of a horse.\nThe highlight of Sunday will be the Mongolian wrestling match. Grand Champion Mongolian wrestler Sukhbat Garid "Phoenix" Gantogtokh will be competing against other wrestlers from 10:15 a.m. to 2 p.m.\nDrost has helped with organizing the event and worked with the Mongolian Artists Union to bring arts and crafts items. The items of museum quality will be displayed at two exhibits in the Indiana Memorial Union Gallery and the Mathers Museum. Some of the imported items also will be for sale at the festival. \n"There are a number of items coming in that are of Kavak design, which are always unique." Drost said.\nAt noon Friday, Mayor Mark Kruzan will be bestowing an encomium to Thubten Norbu. Lisa Morrison, the publicity representative for the Mongolian Festival, said this is the highest award a mayor can bestow upon a civilian. The award is recognition for his life's commitment to peace, developing the TCC and the building of Chamtse Ling. \nJohn Mellencamp and wife Elaine are expected to be in attendance for the ceremony.\n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.
(09/16/04 4:17am)
WFHB, Bloomington's community radio station, is celebrating the one year anniversary of "BloomingOUT," Indiana's first and only locally produced Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender-themed radio program Oct. 7. The hour-long program airs 6 p.m. Thursdays on 91.3 and 98.1 FM.\nWhen executive producer and "BloomingOUT" creator Chad Carrothers joined the WFHB staff as news director, most of its shows were music-based and very little news was covered. Carrothers formed committees to come up with show ideas targeting local diversity and public affairs. Carrothers utilized the demographics of listeners to determine what sections of Bloomington's community were being ignored. He discovered the GLBT community had possessed no voice since The Bloomington Beacon, a gay-themed newspaper, folded a number of years before. Carrothers said the idea of a GLBT radio show was warmly received by the board and the community.\n"We wanted the show to be not just for the GLBT (community), but for Bloomington at large. Our goal is to promote communication between the gay and straight," Carrothers said.\n"BloomingOUT" is loosely modeled after "Outright Radio," an award-winning syndicated GLBT-themed radio show out of San Francisco. WFHB airs "Outright Radio" at noon on Fridays.\nMark Brostoff, associate director of undergraduate career services at the Kelley School of Business, was on the board that founded the show and is now one of the hosts. \n"This show is important because it shows that Bloomington is a gay-friendly community," Brostoff said. "It also provides a window of perspective that they might not otherwise have."\nDuring an informational meeting, Helen Harrell, account manager for the African Studies Program, was recruited as the show's other host.\n"I see our two goals as being to provide the community a service and information, also to represent all aspects of the Bloomington Community. I think this show really achieves both of those," Harrell said. \nWhen the show first aired, producers expected some negative backlash, but most of the responses were positive.\n"We did get some calls that were a little negative, but they were mostly people who offered to pray for us," Carrothers said. "A week after going on the air, I got a call from a bishop in Chicago, and I was expecting to get chewed out. But it was not like that at all. In fact he told me what a great idea this show was."\nHarrell said a show like "BloomingOUT" helps provide support to individuals in the GLBT community. She said that even in a gay-friendly place like Bloomington, there is a cost to being "out." Many people still live in oppressive situations and must remain in the closet.\n"We want people to know that they are not alone," Harrell said. "So we cover topics about the gay community that is not in mainstream news."\nCarol Fischer, a producer of the show and the assistant coordinator of IU's GLBT Student Support Services, said she hopes the show reaches beyond the gay community as well.\n"We want to reach out to and educate the straight community. I want to let them know that we are normal people, too," Fischer said.\n"BloomingOUT" features specific segments focusing on entertainment, local groups, profiles, headlines and activism.\nBrostoff said the show offers a local spin on national events affecting the GLBT community and that a major goal of the show is to localize national GLBT issues.\n"We try to show to the audience what these big topics mean, how it affects them," Brostoff said.\nIn the future, producers of the show said they hope to explore the issues of domestic violence and addiction, which can result from the oppression members of the GLBT community feel.\nThe biggest challenge nonprofit "BloomingOUT" and WFHB face in the future is the need for volunteers, including board engineers, public relations coordinators, reporters and music reviewers.\n"It takes about one hour of work for each minute we are on the air," Carrothers said. "So that means for our weekly show, various people have put in about 58 hours."\n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.
(09/08/04 5:26am)
Bloomington's nonprofit, all-age music venue, Rhino's, offers more than music to local teenagers and IU students. With afternoon programming, Rhino's, located at 325 ½ S. Walnut St., is a place where teens can hang out with their friends and role models. The club puts out a weekly radio show and organizes weekly live music events.\n"We welcome everyone," said Alison Holen, the radio supervisor. \nHolen was a Rhino's kid herself. She started coming to Rhino's when she was 17 years old, and now at 26, she works there. Holen said she feels her work at Rhino's is important. \n"(I) believe in the cheesy 'it takes a village to raise a child' thing," Holen said. "Traditional educational forms do not cover the gamut of what teens need to know for life. So many are latchkey kids. They need this place."\nRhino's has expanded into a mini-empire since Steve "Roc" Boncheck, founder of Harmony School, started it 12 years ago as a rock club run by Harmony School teens. Boncheck taught teenagers how to book bands, collect ticket money and conduct general business operation skills. A few years later, Rhino's added its afternoon programs. Two of the programs created regularly broadcast radio and TV programs. "Youth Radio," which meets Thursdays to produce the show, is broadcast by WFHB-FM (91.3/98.1) from 5 to 10 p.m. each Saturday and "Youth Video" airs once a month on CATS (Channel 3).\nLocal youths also can produce their own journalism in a monthly publication. Rhino's arts program also creates the murals displayed in People's Park.\nAll these programs are implemented with professional staffing and support from the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department and are free of chargeto youths aged 13 to 18.\nLast year's working budget for Rhino's was $96,460. With this money, Rhino's served 1,200 young people, half of whom were at-risk according to federal guidelines. \n"Kids come to us through the parks department, school system, referrals, but most importantly, word of mouth. 'At-risk' could apply to nearly all youth," said Manager Brad Wilhelm.\nThe concert production programs at Rhino's have continued. \n"Rhino's is a great place to hear live music" said Bob Nugent, assistant director and booking agent for Rhino's. "Our capacity is 200 people, so concerts are intimate experiences. The band is right in your face -- one of the best things about it." \nNugent started going to Rhino's as a teen in 1993. He started volunteer work there in 1994 and a paid job in 2001.\nNugent said he expects several upcoming concerts to sell out. September's highlights include Dog Fashion Disco and Tub Ring Sept. 10 and MU330 Sept. 14.\nNugent said Dog Fashion Disco and Tub Ring are among his favorite acts.\n"You will never see a more energetic and intense group than these guys. They're incredible." Nugent said.\nMurder by Death, a successful gothic rock band , will be playing Rhino's with Chin up Sept. 18.\n"I see (Murder by Death) as wild west horror movie, cowboys and zombies," Nugent said. "But if you are a fan of punk, hard core rock ... anything not mainstream, then this is the place for you." \nAdditional information about the afternoon programs and concerts, including contact information for volunteering at Rhino's is available at its Web site: www.bloomington.in.us/~rhinos.\n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.
(09/08/04 5:21am)
As I arrived at the John Waldron Arts Center Saturday, I was unsure what to expect because I was unfamiliar with local playwright Thomas Kristopher. But Kristopher's two one-act plays turned out to be polar opposites in the emotions they expressed. \nThe first play, "On How to Accommodate Marlo's Frying Pan," was an absurdist comedy delightful in its free form. I felt more like I was peering through a window observing a group's interactions than seeing what was planned and rehearsed. \nSeeda, a slender woman in a snug-fitting black catsuit and a purple boa, is the leader of the group that tries to decide each day who they are trying to be and what game they will play.\n"First we pretend and then we play," said Seeda, played by graduate student Amanda Renee Baker. "We have always done it that way."\nThe play was interesting because it never explained the context under which the characters were acting. It was unclear whether they were children or insane or even toys. \nThe emotions of the second play, "Loose Hog in the House of God," were at times uncomfortable. The edge of violence combined with hints of sexuality was a combination that I found disturbing. Yet this uneasiness did not distract me from enjoying an excellent play not bound by gender, race, location or time. \nKristopher wrote "Loose Hog" for a competition connected with the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival. He ended up winning the $1,000 cash prize along with a reading and production of the piece during the 19th annual festival in late March and early April. Kristopher said he wrote the play in response to Williams' "This Property is Condemned."\nThe play opens through a doorway where you see flickering lights and hear a car failing to start. The car door is slammed and the voice of a man cursing carries through the audience. This is contrasted by a young female voice whistling. \nSixteen-year-old Yinnie, played by continuing studies student Nicole Bruce, represents youth full of sexuality and innocence. She desperately longs to leave her hometown which is located in fictional Mira County, Miss., -- virtually in the middle of nowhere. She will use any means to do this -- even through Macon, a frustrated and angry man, played by Mike Price. \nThe Rose Firebay Theater provides an intimate setting and is well-suited for this caliber of performance. Sitting in a crowd of about 25 people situated around the stage, I felt I was among comrades rather than in a large crowd of strangers. This intimacy was comforting. \nEach character was fully developed by the actors. The sense of timing and dialogue was superb throughout both shows. The only commonality of the two plays was the set, but this did not divert me from taking pleasure in both performances. The range of emotions and the overall experience was enjoyable and well worth the cost of slightly more than a movie ticket.
(08/31/04 5:08am)
Despite the ominous dark clouds over Bloomington, Karst Farm Park was crowded during Latino Fest Saturday. More than 30 tables were staffed by various local organizations such as Ivy Tech State College, Mujeres en Conexion, Culture Week and League of Women Voters, among others. \nThe Bloomington community, with its different needs and interests, served as a background for various fairs, including exhibits on oil painting and jewelry, and a health fair that featured blood pressure testing, information on prostate and breast cancer, information on HIV and a puppet show on behavioral health. Near the performance stage, Kilroy's and El Norteño Mexican Restaurant sold food and beverages.\nChildren enjoyed nine types of activities, including participating in an IU soccer clinic and face painting. A popular activity was Explore the Rainforest, created by the Monroe County Parks & Recreation Department. This booth exhibit transported visitors to a tropical rainforest, reproducing the soft ground, dark green leaves and a large fallen trees. Also in the children's area was an informational booth for Girls, Inc. of Monroe County. Staffed by Teresa Saksa, the outreach coordinator and an IU graduate, along with Kindra Thomas, 12, of Broadview Elementary School, the booth introduced the after school program. Thomas is a member of Girls, Inc. and related her experiences to interested students. \n"The Latino Fest had a bunch of different local organizations that came and gave information about their organization," Saksa said. "When we found out, we jumped at the chance."\nSaksa said she felt being available at Latino Fest was a contribution to the community.\n"We thought it would be a great opportunity to reach out to the community we don't have a big population in and promote diversity," she said.\nSaksa was also promoting the open house Girls, Inc. will be holding from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 14.\nThough expectations were high for the fest, the event was canceled at 4 p.m., only two hours after it had started because of damp weather. Tyler Ferguson, of the Monroe County Parks & Recreation Department, said canceling the event was disheartening. \n"It was a tough, stressful call to cancel because of how much planning went into the event," Ferguson said.\nThe difficult decision was made primarily because of safety concerns, Ferguson said. Many information booth participants leaving and the stage equipment getting water damage contributed to the decision. \n"Given the weather predictions and the radar, we didn't think we could continue," Ferguson said.\nFerguson explained that it seemed people were staying mainly to hear the music, but many spectators left when the stage closed. \nSaksa said that before the stage closed, the pavilion near the stage was packed with people trying to gain some shelter from the lightning and rain.\n"I liked seeing all the people, and I am sad because I wanted to have more Spanish speaking people at Girls, Inc." Saksa said.\nBefore the cancelation, the crowd was able to enjoy diverse entertainment. Sophia Travis performed Argentinean Tango. Then Ballet Folklorico Internacional did the "Dance Jarabe Tapatio," or Mexican hat dance. Isaac Salazar played Nicaraguan folk music. Carmen Ruiz & Gonzalo De La Casa staged the Sevillanas dance. And finally, Angelique Zuluaga presented Columbian folk music.\n"It is so sad," said Maria File-Muriel, program assistant of special projects for the City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department. "We had only three music and two dance acts make it on to the stage, so we had a lot more to come."\nSince the cooking demonstrations were indoors, they continued despite the cancellation of the rest of the festival. The cooking demonstrations included Ecuadorian rice with shrimp, Mexican tamales, Colombian meat fritters and Uruguayan dessert-pasta frola.\n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.
(08/26/04 4:57am)
Ethnic music, dance and food will flood Karst Farm Park from 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday when it becomes home to Bloomington's second Latino Summer Festival.\nThe festival was born when two women, Tyler Ferguson, recreation programmer of the Monroe County Parks and Recreation Department, and Maria File-Muriel, program assistant of the Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department, put their heads together after meeting while playing soccer.\nFerguson said the county wanted to start a program to reach the community's Latinos. Her contact with File-Muriel gave her the resources to help plan the concerts. As a member of the Latino community, File-Muriel became a liaison between the government and local groups. She had the contacts to bring together various local Latino entertainment groups and create a festival. \n"It (was) our intention for this festival to become an annual event," Ferguson said.\nFerguson said one of the goals of the event is to promote cultural awareness. The festival will serve as an opportunity for residents to learn about the Latino cultures represented in Bloomington.\n"People that live here, that call Monroe County home, will be performing at the festival," File-Muriel said. "That is exciting," \nThe festival provides a venue for local artists to showcase their talents. \n"All of our performers, except the mariachi band, are residents of Bloomington," Ferguson said.\nEarlier this year, Ferguson and File-Muriel held a call-out for local artists to attract performers to the event.\n"The response was great," File-Muriel said. "We have two painters, a jewelry artist and a photographer. We hope to have more artists in the future."\nErnesto Castañeda, a photographer, will be showing his work focusing on daily life in Veracruz, Mexico, at the festival. He held an exhibit this spring at IU's Latino Cultural Center, La Casa.\nLillian Casillas, director of La Casa, described Castañeda's work as highlighting the various aspects of the Veracruz area. She said he uses color and computers to stylize his photos.\nThroughout the festival, local groups will perform music and dance. Ballet Folklorico Internacional will perform traditional dances. There will also be folk music from Guatemala and Mexico and Bossa Nova and Argentine Tango dance lessons.\nOne goal of the festival is to introduce the Latino community to various resources that are available to them in Bloomington. La Casa is among 36 participating local organizations that will have a booth at the Festival. Casillas said the La Casa booth will include information about the services they provide as well as a calendar of upcoming activities. \nCasillas said she enjoyed participating in last year's festival because it provided an opportunity to come together with the community, and share other cultures.\nDue to the great response to the cooking demonstrations last year, this year there will be four rather than just two. The dishes prepared on site will include Mexican tamales, an Uruguayan dessert, Colombian meat fried fritters and Ecuadorian seafood cocktail.\nThe festival also offers activities geared toward children, including a re-created rainforest designed for crawling and exploring.\n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.
(07/15/04 1:25am)
The IU Art Museum is home to the vibrant, soulful sounds of jazz in its Jazz in July series every Friday this month. Most of the events are scheduled to take place in the Sculpture Terrace, adding a visual edge to the musicians' work. When it rains, the concerts are moved inside the museum.\nLast Friday Rachel and Sara Caswell of The Caswell Sisters performed. They both grew up in a musical family with both their parents having doctoral degrees in musicology. Their father taught at IU and retired in 1996. Both sisters are alumni of the IU School of Music with Sara graduating in 2000 and Rachel in 1995. They have been performing jazz together for over five years, but their music history is much longer. Sara began playing the violin at age five and Rachel learned cello at age 10.\n"We have been playing together ever since," Rachel said. \nSara still performs the violin, but Rachel now sings during their performances. The women said their jazz concerts are a reflection of their close relationship. Rachel's voice often reflects the sounds of Sara's violin. They design their concerts with some arrangement but also include improvisation.\n"We want to take the audience on a journey with the music," Sara said.\nRachel will perform at a fund-raiser for Bloomington High School North Bands Aug. 21 at Burnham Woods. Tickets can be purchased at the Bloomington cooking school, Books, Crooks & Spaceman, Burnham Woods Nursery, Brown County Winery, Goods for Cooks, ProWinds and Tutto Bene.\nJazz in July continues with a concert each Friday until the end of the month with three concerts remaining.\nThe Bill Lancton Quartet will perform Friday. Lancton, a guitarist, is part of the world renowned group Dog Talk and pulls influences from funk, jazz, rock and country music. The performance will highlight jazz versions of Joni Mitchell and other artists from the 1960s and '70s. Lancton also performed at Jazz in July last year.\n"It was fantastic," said Joanna Davis, coordinator of Jazz in July and marketing and events manager for the IU Art Museum. "He plays with a lot of energy. His band comes to have a good time, and he really feeds off of the crowd, and he plays into the grooves." \nSaxophone Cartel, a sextet composed of IU students, pushes the boundaries of the saxophone and performs July 23. Their concert will draw from rock, classical, ragtime and free jazz. \nThe final show of the season will be July 30 with The Riverboat Ramblers with Marty Hodapp. Hodapp is a jazz historian and professor at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis and Marian College. Davis said when Hodapp performed at Jazz in July a couple of years ago, he used his historical knowledge to teach the audience about his music.\n"He spends quite a bit of time with the crowd giving them stories about the songs and jazz artists who wrote them," Davis said. "He mixes the music with the history of Dixieland jazz. The audience really appreciates it. You see a lot of them laughing at some of the stories that he tells."\nThe performance will include many Dixieland jazz favorites. \nBloomington Brewing Company, Oliver Winery and Pizza Express will sell refreshments at the events. There is also a special exhibit titled "Improvisation and Rhythm in African Textiles," which is only open during Jazz in July events. The curator will give a brief tour of the exhibit before Hodapp's performance July 30.\nDavis said the performances are very popular and fill up very quickly.\n"It is a good idea to show up early. It's certainly hard to find a seat and sometimes difficult to find a place to stand," Davis said. "We're in our 14th year, and it seems that each year our attendance numbers get even larger. It's a really fun way to enjoy the art museum in a different way."\nThe Jazz in July concerts are free and open to the public, but donations are accepted and appreciated. Each concert begins at 6:30 p.m. and features a free raffle with prizes ranging from T-shirts to CDs. \n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu
(06/17/04 1:19am)
With summer in Bloomington heating up, it is the perfect time of year to enjoy ice cream or, for the lactose intolerant, some cool dessert. Bloomington is full of ice cream parlors and their chilled delights. Each place has its own story and its own uniqueness that pulls people to them. \nA free standing brown stand, The Chocolate Moose, 401 S. Walnut St., has been open and operated by the same family for more than 70 years. Two of its employees have been there for more than 50 years. \nJunior Leanne Kelker, an employee of The Chocolate Moose, said Bloomington high school students used to walk over for ice cream during lunch and after class when the high school was located in closer proximity to the downtown area. \n"People still come here that remember when they stopped by on their lunch break when they were 16 and now they are in their 40's," Kelker said.\nIn addition to ice cream, The Chocolate Moose offers BBQ, Spanish burgers, hot dogs and old-fashioned flavored sodas in cherry, vanilla and chocolate.\nAmanda Peterson, employee, said before 5 p.m., they sell more flavored cokes than ice cream. \n"Some folks come here and get 4 diet vanilla cokes and take them back to work," Peterson said.\nFor those searching for a lactose-free treat, The Chocolate Moose has a fruit-flavored Dole whip and frozen yogurt. Its flavor offerings change approximately every four days.\nWith walk-up windows and outdoor seating, Bruster's, open since 1998, sits at the corner of State Road 446 and Third Street. \nBruster's makes its own ice cream on site and offers low-carb and sugar-free ice cream, ices, sherbets, yogurt and Blasts, which are ice cream blended with various candies. The ice cream flavors change, but the basics of chocolate and vanilla are always available.\nFreshman Dustin Carter, a Bruster's employee, said they get business from people from Brown County, but a lot of their business comes from sports teams. Travelling teams often stop by to get different treats on their way in or out of town. \nWith locations throughout Bloomington, Jiffy Treat's most popular spot is near the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street. The ice creamery offers 24 flavors of soft serve. They also serve carbo-light, a 99 percent dairy-free frozen treat with no sugar or fat. In the laid-back atmosphere, many patrons order cyclones, ice cream mixed with candy, cereal or fruit.\nJunior Emily Krecke, a Jiffy Treat employee, said the Kirkwood location is a great place to stop in for a treat when walking around the downtown area.\nJiffy Treat makes its own hard scoop ice cream and offers snow cones and slush puppies for those seeking a dairy-free delight. They also serve sodas, milk shakes, malts and sundaes to tempt the sweet tooth.\nAround the corner at 107 N. Dunn, White Mountain Ice Creamery opened in 1982 and introduced Bloomington to the idea of mixing candy into ice cream. White Mountain makes its own ice cream using an old-fashioned crank freezer.\nThe parlor offers a wide variety of flavors -- about 20 at a time -- and a service which allows patrons to request notification of flavor availability. White Mountain calls these patrons when their favorite flavor becomes available.\nThe ice creamery also offers many novelty items -- bon bons, bars on sticks, ice cream sandwiches with homemade cookies, ice cream pizza and ice cream pies. \nWhite Mountain offers a French-style waffle cone that comes in chocolate and in the form of a bowl. \nDowntown recently obtained a new parlor with the grand opening of a local franchise of the national chain Cold Stone Creamery at 530 E. Kirkwood Ave. on June 12. The chain features custom created ice creams made to order by blending mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. \n"We want to provide every customer with the ultimate ice cream experience," said local owner Barry Keaton. "The taste of our ice cream is absolutely out of this world."\nCold Stone Creamery makes all of its ice cream on site and offers waffle cones and bowls, cakes, smoothies and shakes.\nLocated near Borders Bookstore, Maggie Moo's, 2636 E. Third St., has been in town for about two and a half years. Its hand-dipped premium ice cream had four of its flavors -- chocolate, dark chocolate, strawberry and vanilla -- voted No. 1 by the National Ice Cream and Yogurt Retailers' Association. \nThe small store offers a few tables inside, but many take their treats outdoors. A unique feature at Maggie Moo's is its frozen counter. The employees scoop the ice cream onto the frozen slab in order to hand blend the mix-ins of choice.\nIn addition to the cakes and ice cream, Maggie Moo's offers nondairy sorbets in mango and raspberry. Occasionally other flavors of sorbet are also available.\nNeannie's Café, at the corner of Sixth and Madison Streets, is a family-run Italian cafe offering covered outdoor seating, Eight tables are placed around the cafe, which has clean yellow walls sparsely decorated with grape vines. \nThe gelato, made on site, has a texture similar to sorbet. It is less firmly frozen than ice cream but more intensely flavored. Gelato's cream-based flavors have only 4 to 8 percent fat and the fruit flavors have less than 1 percent fat. The fruit flavors are water based and vegan-friendly. \nBesides the fresh fruit, all of the ingredients for the gelato are imported from Italy, including the dishes. Other cold treats at Neannie's include frozen granite, which is similar to an orange and lemonade-based slushy with flavors that include pina colada. \nIn addition to gelato, Neannie's Café offers sandwiches, soups and other desserts. \nTeri Ryan, owner, named the cafe after her grandmother. All of the employees are members of Ryan's family.\nThe cafe will be closed June 12 through June 23 because the family is taking a vacation together, just as they have done every summer for the past 10 years.\n"It is great working with family," Ryan said. " We don't even fight."\n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.
(06/07/04 1:10am)
Just before 8 a.m. Saturday, the Bloomington Farmer's Market was already busy. There were families with small children in strollers, gray-haired couples, single college girls and middle-aged couples. The market had opened at 7 a.m., and the early birds were leaving as the next batch of people arrived. The wares for sale varied from hardy rose bushes to organic meat, painted tin chimes to oriental lilies, honey, potatoes, lettuce and cheese. \nThe farmer's market, which first opened in July 1975 at the Third Street Park, was relocated to the Showers Plaza at Eighth and Morton Street in 1998 after two previous moves. The market is not only a place to sell and buy produce. Groups set up tables to provide information while friends, families and strangers meet and visit.\nBloomington resident Sophia Hauserman said she has been coming to the market since the early 1980s. In the past she was a vendor, but now she visits as a patron. Saturday she shopped with her friend Gene Epstein, who was visiting from Cleveland, Ohio. It was Epstein's first visit to the market. \n"These are the most beautiful bouquets I've ever seen," she said when while examining the offerings of a flower vendor.\nEpstein said she was impressed with the general smiles, spirited feeling and the great intergenerational crowd. Some families at the market span three generations, with parents, grandparents and children shopping in its aisles. \nThe growing popularity of the market poses a challenge for new vendors who have trouble obtaining stalls, which are allocated on a seniority-based points system by Bloomington Parks and Recreation.\nSome of the stalls are unreserved, but they are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. This competition means vendors will come as early as 4:30 a.m. to set up. Some even park at the Showers Common the night before just to ensure themselves a spot.\nSean Breeden-Ost has been vending salad mix at the market on and off since 1990. His stall was originally his brother's, and he took it over full time last year.\nBreeden-Ost said he enjoys meeting new people every week. \n"It's exciting and visually stimulating," he said. "It's palatable, the energy of this place. I wish it was seven days a week. It could happen in Bloomington."\nBreeden-Ost expressed how hard it is to compete with California growers who supply the local supermarket chains. He charges more per pound than the California bagged salads found in the store because of the labor intensity involved in running a smaller operation. California growers are working at a larger scale and can charge less.\nBreeden-Ost said he questions the sustainability of trucking salad 2,000 miles versus two. \n"The produce sold at the Farmer's Market is better for the environment (most growers are certified organic), provide fresher products and it's is more sustainable," he said.\nArea 10, Agency on Aging, a nonprofit local chapter of a national organization for the elderly, has a Women, Infants, Children, or WIC, voucher program that can be used to buy food at the market. Area residents over the age of 60 may qualify for the vouchers if they currently need assistance or have in the past. Each senior citizen may receive $18 in vouchers they can use at various vendors who accept them. The vouchers cannot be used to buy art or flowers and must be used on edible products. \n"This program allows our area seniors to come and socialize, as well as get fresh vegetables," said Sharon Therkildsen of Area 10. \nJessie Cook and Steve Dillon, residents of Unionville, said they try to come to the market every week. Cook has been coming for more than 20 years and her husband, Dillon, has been enjoying the market for more than seven years. After enjoying a breakfast of coffee and pastries sold at the market, they visited their friend who sells maple syrup, and also visited friends from their local church. \nDillon was a Libertarian candidate for judge a few years back. He said setting up a table at the market helped spread public knowledge about his party. \n"It's great community," Dillon said. "Not only is there great food and friends to visit, but there is also the opportunity of activism."\n-- Contact staff writer Maurina Paradise at paradise@indiana.edu.