112 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(05/03/10 1:12am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Audience members cheered Friday night as they followed nerdy Seymour Krelborn and his mysterious man-eating plant, both of whom conspired and killed to make their dreams reality.Add in a love story, some doo-wop ditties and a sadistic dentist well-equipped with innuendos and you’ll find the essence of Cardinal Stage Company’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” Adults and their little ones crowded into the John Waldron Arts Center to watch the musical comedy. Taeeun Kim, a fifth-grader from University Elementary School in Bloomington, saw the show with her family. She said she was glad she came and enjoyed every part of the show.“I like it all,” said Taeeun. “And I like when the dentist is dying.”The performances accompanying band played in the alley of Skid Row, in front of the florist shop where the story takes place. The stage transformed from the streets to the flower shop to a dentist’s office to meet the needs of the story.The puppets portraying the violent vegetable Audrey II also changed throughout the show, starting at the size of your average houseplant and growing until it could swallow people whole.IU graduate student Dan Baer said he enjoyed the presentation of the show and found the symbolism in the play intriguing.“I thought the show was very well done and very professional,” said Baer. “I enjoyed the flower as a phallic symbol that made men do bad things and got bigger when there were scenes with blood.”The performance was fun not just for audience members but for the actors as well. Actor Scot Greenwell, who portrayed Seymour, said working on the show has been a rewarding experience.“The cast is awesome, and I’ve had a lot of fun getting to know them and working with them,” Greenwell said. “The fact that I’m in it with people like Naomi (Weiss) and Brett Gloden just makes it very enjoyable, makes it worth it.”
(04/30/10 3:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Flowers have long been a symbol of love and romance, and they’re a sure way to win a girl over. Just make sure when your bouquet takes your girl’s heart away, it doesn’t do it literally. The famous talking, singing, man-eating flower from Cardinal Stage Company’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors” will premiere Friday for an evening of music, manslaughter and general merry-making.Performances will begin Friday with a 7:30 p.m. performance and additional shows will be at 7:30 p.m. May 6-9 and May 13-16 at the John Waldron Arts Center Auditorium. Tickets are available at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Box Office and range from $12 to $24.50.Shy Seymour’s bland and boring life as a florist turns around completely when he discovers the predatory plant Audrey II, named after the woman of his dreams. The flytrap brings excitement and even wealth and fame to Seymour, but when Audrey II’s taste for blood gets out of control, Seymour discovers he’s bit off more than he can chew.“‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is about what risk you would take to make your wildest dreams come true, what you’ve always hoped would come true,” said sophomore Charnette Batey, who plays singing narrator Ronnette. “Seymour gets tempted by this talking plant to kill and he ends up doing it because he’s so in love with Audrey.”Penned by IU alumnus Howard Ashman, the show had its amateur premiere on campus in 1987 and includes every ingredient necessary for wacky, fun theater.“The musical came along after the movie back in the ’60s, and that was sort of a B-movie horror film, so the movie kind of spoofs that. So it is horror, but it’s romantic and completely funny,” said actor Scot Greenwell, who portrays Seymour. “It sort of incorporates comedy, romance, horror, science fiction and spoofing.”One distinctive feature of the show is the puppeteering required to bring life to the man-eating plant Audrey II. Junior James Moffat, who is the plant’s puppeteer, said making the creature appear alive even before it starts speaking is a challenge.“To make a puppet seem real, you have to breathe life into it. You have to give it eyes, so to speak, so it seems like a living creature,” Moffat said. “All I’ve got is the sound and the extreme heat that’s inside this puppet, and there are just three little slits that I can look out of every now and then.”Batey said she is excited for opening night and hopes the audience will leave a bit disturbed, but very entertained.“They should expect a lot of fun,” Batey said. “They should not expect to just sit in their seats and chill. They’re going to be bouncing in their seats.”
(04/26/10 3:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When the forces of nature collide in fashion, the results are sure to be fiery and fun.This happened at the Epiphany Modeling Troupe’s “Signs of Fashion” show Friday.Thirty-two models strutted down the walkway in six different scenes sporting clothes from 14 stores around Bloomington, including Pitaya, Haley’s Boutique, Cha Cha and The Limited. The show covered everything from business attire to swim wear.The models acted out confrontations, interactions and flirtations on the stage, catwalk and even toward the audience. They also performed choreographed dances between their poses and pirouettes on the walkway.Freshman Jumanah el Shabazz said she came to the show to support her friend but also to get a taste of something new on campus.“I wanted to support my friend Matthew Kumalo, as well as get something different in the last few weeks of school,” el Shabazz said.Besides fashion, the show also featured performances from artists including YE Ali as well as raffles and a competition on the catwalk between audience members. Nancy Stockton, director of Counseling and Psychological Services, also came to speak about CAPS and share a moment of silence for Gregory Willoughby.All the events, from the music to the catwalk competition, came together to create the atmosphere of a professional fashion show. Freshman Victoire Iradukunda said she appreciated the hard work Epiphany put into the show.“You can see they put a lot of effort into it,” Iradukunda said. “It’s like a real fashion show. It’s very classy. And you can tell (the models are) all comfortable with each other.”Perhaps the most important thing Signs of Fashion brought to stage was a sense of community and togetherness for the troupe members and the audience.“That’s one of the greatest things I found when I joined the Epiphany Modeling Troupe: the unity, how we all come together as a family,” freshman and model Ebony Holmes said. “Since I’m away from home I don’t have that family bond that I used to have, but in my troupe I can find it.”
(04/22/10 3:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Epiphany Modeling Troupe wants to bring some class and fashion to IU’s Little 500 weekend with ‘A Black & White Affair,” “mocktail” dinner paty. Epiphany’s dinner party is a chance for the troupe to say thank you to their supporters with live performances, food and a good time. But it also provides IU students with an experience different from their typical college parties. Senior LaTroy Hampton, founder of Epiphany, said attendees should dress in their cocktail party best and the dress code will be strictly enforced.“For the females, a nice elegant dress would be appropriate,” said freshman and model Ebony Holmes. “We don’t want to go prom-style, a nice evening gown along with light make-up, nothing too heavy.”For the guys: dress slacks, dark colors, nice dress shoes, a shirt and a tie are appropriate, Hampton said. Guys don’t need a suit jacket. The annual fashion show will feature clothes from 14 different stores around Bloomington, and the theme of the show centers around zodiac signs.“Basically we took the normal zodiac signs ... and four different natural elements,” Hampton said. “We combined the naturalistic values like fire and air or earth and water, and we made scenes out of that. So it’s sort of a twist on zodiac signs.”After the show, a short memorial service will take place for junior Gregory Willoughby.Hampton said he hopes these events will give students a chance to meet Epiphany’s models and see what the organization is all about. “Our organization’s purpose is to raise self-esteem, self-awareness and body image. It’s being comfortable in your own skin,” said Brittany Kraus, junior and president of Epiphany. “I just hope ... that you can see the growth of individuals throughout the semester.”
(04/19/10 1:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The summer night smiles for everyone, young and old, foolish and wise. It even smiles on the infidelity, jealousy and hilarity that follows the three couples in the IU Department of Theatre and Drama’s last production of the year, “A Little Night Music,” which opened Friday.The show tells the story of Desiree Armfeldt and her many love affairs, the latest of which includes Count Malcom and a long-lost lover, the lawyer Fredrik. Both men are married, but that doesn’t stop Armfeldt from pursuing the one that got away.Sarissa Michaud, a stage manager of the ballet department and a member of the audience, said the elaborate costuming and scenery caught her eye.All the dresses had distinct designs, and the scenery took the audience from home to theater to a summer forest seamlessly.“I liked the scenic design and I enjoyed the costumes,” Michaud said. “I also know the director George Pinney and thought he did a really nice job.”The songs, distinct in their three-beat waltz time, blended with the action of the play. The songs “Now” and “Later” came together in “Soon.” Desiree and Fredrik exchange quips and adorations on Fredrik’s wife in “You Must Meet My Wife,” and the whole show ends with a finale featuring “Send in the Clowns.”Megan McKinney, a freshman at Ivy Tech, said the musical performances were her favorite part of the show.“I really like the vocal side of it. I thought it was pronounced really well, and the ensemble in general was really good,” McKinney said.Between the singing and flirting, gossip and threats, the characters’ feuds and follies in love made the audience giggle throughout the show. Audience member and sister of one of the actresses, Melissa Peterson, said all aspects of the show came together for a fun evening.“Very entertaining, it’s comedic, the music was beautiful,” Peterson said. “It’s not too serious, but it still sends a particular message.”Senior Andrew Brewer, who portrayed Fredrik, said he looks forward to the rest of the show’s run.“Opening night is always super nervous, and it’s always really energetic,” Brewer said. “It’s been great audiences so far. Make sure everybody comes — it’ll be great. It’s always fun.”
(04/16/10 2:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Desiree Armfeldt said she loves loving men but does not mind losing lovers, either. Such affairs are common for the lead character in the Department of Theatre and Drama’s final production of the season, “A Little Night Music.”The show, written by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. Regular tickets are $20 and student tickets are $15.Desiree is an actress mostly interested in pursuing the glamorous life, with no time for family and much less for deep and meaningful relationships. But when an old flame from years before attends one of her shows, she has to reconsider exactly what role love plays in her charmed life.“Night Music” is a show of threes. There are three couples, many songs are grouped into threes and all of the songs are in waltz time — three beats in a measure.“A lot of times you don’t realize you’re in waltz time,” said George Pinney, professor of theater and drama and director of the show. “And it’s really the brilliance of Sondheim that he can write a complete score doing that. And you never, ever tire of it. His creativity, mixing things up, is true genius.”In addition to the distinctive sheet music, the show also stands apart in how the songs are presented, Pinney said. There is very little dancing, but sophomore actress Jamie Anderson said the music itself is more organic.“It’s more like a play that has music that heightens the dialogue,” Anderson said. “It just kind of transitions within the plot of the show as opposed to a big song and dance number. Everything is very natural, and most of the songs are much like dialogue.”Pinney said rehearsals have been going well and that he thinks audience members will enjoy what he called his favorite musical.“They’re going to take away a delightful evening that they’re going to find themselves chuckling over probably throughout the night, and the visual impact will be ingrained in many a brain,” Pinney said. “I think it’s an absolutely terrific evening of theatre.”
(04/12/10 3:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Project P: The Property Line Punch-Out” began in an old-time theater and ended in a modern backyard, with bodies dropping dead throughout the show. Last weekend at the John Waldron Arts Center in the Rose Firebay, Theatre of the People’s productions of “Aria da Capo” and “A Sandcastle in the Sky” told different stories of different times, but of similar problems with the same results.For the show, TOP combined the satiric stories of two shepherds who lose sight of their friendship and two neighbors who lose any chance for a peaceful suburban life.In “Aria da Capo,” shepherds get carried away with their roles when a game goes awry. The actors face tragic consequences, but not before getting a few laughs from the audience first. Next, “A Sandcastle in the Sky” displayed the antics of Jane and Joe as they fought for backyard space. The antics quickly turned to attacks, however, as the conflict spun out of control.Sarah Leaffer, a freshman at Bloomington High School South, said the plays were appropriately matched with each other.“I think it was really cool to put in a classic play and a new play together,” Leaffer said. “I think they all blended well together. ‘Aria da Capo’ was definitely funny. And for ‘Sandcastle in the Sky,’ David Nosko is a great director. I was pretty excited to watch the show, and I wasn’t disappointed.”Bloomington resident Barb Black said her favorite aspect of the show was the artistry behind it.“It was very imaginative and creative and funny,” Black said.As with all TOP shows, audience members could leave a feedback card after the performance so shows can improve over time. However, that feedback meant something more to the cast of “Sandcastle.” The play was written by Bloomington playwright Albert Powell, and TOP premiered it last weekend. In addition, the cast will perform the play again in August in an effort to get the play published.“In order to get a play published, you need to have three showings, so each of those three times we’ll improve it more and more,” co-director and sophomore Suzie Zimmermansaid.Fellow sophomoreand co-director Molly Rose said performances have been going well so far.“Opening night was good,” she said. “We had a good crowd, lots of friends and family, so there was very supportive energy, and it just made us feel really good about the material we were doing. A crowd always brings something different, so that’s always interesting to see what they find funny and things like that.”
(04/09/10 3:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Double features are long gone from the world of movie theaters, but this weekend Theatre of the People will bring the double feature back with something old and something new.TOP’s “Project P: The Property Line Punch-Out” features two satires — 15th-century-inspired “Aria da Capo” and “A Sandcastle in the Sky” by Bloomington playwright Albert Powell. Shows start at 8 p.m. Friday and continue April 10 and 15 to 17, with additional shows at 2 p.m. on April 10 and 17. Performances are at the John Waldon Arts Center Rose Firebay and tickets are $10. “Aria da Capo” follows four people, two “haves” and two “have nots” who clash when class issues and the fickleness of human nature turn them against each other. Co-Director Adam Bradley said he appreciates how the play deals with the human condition. “Given almost no prompting whatsoever, best friends will literally stab each other in the back, families would kill each other,” Bradley said. “Human beings are capable of the most animalistic tendencies and are also capable of the most beautiful love. Both are there all the time.” “A Sandcastle in the Sky” will premiere after “Aria da Capo.”In the play, Ms. Jane and Mr. Joe fight over the border between their two homes. They drag in more and more officials and bureaucrats to try to win until the fight is totally in the hands of the bureaucrats and they are totally helpless. Director, actor and senior Jared Miller said he wanted “Sandcastle” to have many meanings so it would be accessible to all audience members. “In my mind, I know what I’m thinking of when I approach this piece, and I know how it connects with me,” Miller said. “And I’m pretty sure it would be different from others though it’s the same thing. I think some people might read that message differently than others.” Patty Blanchfield, junior and co-director of “Aria da Capo,” said she is excited to see how audiences react to the double feature. “In ‘Aria da Capo’ and ‘Sandcastle in the Sky,’ there is a boundary that separates the characters. It’s not a real wall, but it creates disagreements and arguments and strife,” Blanchfield said. “I saw that parallel and I really liked it. So I’m really excited to see how these two plays complement each-- other.
(04/02/10 3:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Leg warmers, parachute pants and cut-off sweatshirts are back in style at the Bloomington Playwrights Project.The BPP is celebrating the good times of the 1980s with its “’80’s Shorts” show, which features six 10-minute plays about, or set in, the ’80s. The show opens at 8 p.m. Friday, with performances also at 8 p.m. April 3 and 8 through 10. There will also be a matinee at 2 p.m. April 4.Tickets are $18 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors.The six plays are chock-full of pop culture and political references. They feature everything from movie parodies to new-wave music and a nun who falls in love with an ice cream man, all in celebration of the BPP’s 30-year anniversary.“The reason why the theater has chosen to do something about the ’80s is because this is the 30th year the BPP has been in existence,” said Director Holly Holbrook. “It’s the 30th anniversary of the theater, and the ’80s was the first decade that the BPP was here.”Junior and actress Emily Mohler said she enjoys performing in “’80s Shorts,” although she didn’t experience the period firsthand.“I just kind of like the collaboration of fun, funky things, because I like the ’80s,” Mohler said. “I’m pretty sure there’s some references that I’m missing, but there’s a lot of stuff that I can catch, like especially the pop culture stuff. The politics I’m not so up on, but I think a lot of other college students will catch the pop culture stuff too.”Derrick Krober, actor and sound director, said he is excited to share the ’80s with Bloomington audiences.“There’s just a lot of interesting energy and interesting characters,” Krober said. “I’m definitely a child of the ’80s. If you grew up in the ’80s, join the nostalgia, if you didn’t, come see what all the nostalgia was about.
(03/29/10 2:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Baseball is more than a game to some people — it’s a job or career. For fans, baseball can be their entire reality, or maybe just America’s pastime.In the Department of Theatre and Drama’s newest production “Take Me Out,” baseball plays different roles for the people in the play, even though it’s the only constant as the characters’ world changes around them.Kippy Sunderstrom, played by graduate student Henry McDaniel, narrated the story of what he called “the whole mess.” McDaniel knows all the trouble began with the coming out of biracial superstar Darren Lemming, played by graduate student Jaysen Wright. The mess spirals out of control with tragic consequences once a fellow teammate makes racist and homophobic comments.Junior Russell Stout said he enjoyed how the show grappled with issues of identity in the world of baseball.“I just thought it was great to incorporate all the aspects of the game both on the field and off,” Stout said. “There was a lot of different diversity as far as racially, sexually — everything was all together. It covered a lot of areas, and I thought it was amazing.”The players drew a steady stream of laughter from the audience, even during some of the play’s darker moments, when the ball players interacted on the field and in the locker room.The all-male cast made the show unique, sophomore Charnette Batey said. The masculine nature of the play, Batey said, did not make her feel distanced from the show, nor did the shower scenes.“I wasn’t distracted by the nudity. The play was so serious and so raw,” Batey said.“Usually there’s a lot of different distractions in the show, but with this one I was really drawn into the story and not just the nudity that everyone’s talking about.”Junior Gina Ricci said she really liked the play, especially the combined realms of baseball and theater.“I liked that it was a sports-related play,” Ricci said. “It broadened the horizons of the viewers and brought a lot more people in.”
(03/26/10 3:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Baseball fans have sung “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” many times, but when a beloved player announces he’s gay, will the fans still fill the stands? The IU Department of Theatre and Drama’s latest production, “Take Me Out,” explores what such a revelation can do to the game of baseball, the team players and the individual himself.The play opens 7:30 p.m. Friday, with shows Saturday and April 1-3, with an additional show 2 p.m. April 3. All shows are in the Wells-Metz Theater. Tickets are $20, while student and senior citizen tickets are $15. The show contains mature content, including full male nudity.“It’s nudity done really well,” said sophomore Jeremy Frankenthal, who portrays William R. Danziger. “It’s not like people are just going up there and standing there for no reason. It does serve a purpose.”During the show, the world of the New York Empires changes forever after star Darren Lemming, portrayed by graduate student Jaysen Wright, lets the world know that he is gay.“Really, it’s about racial identity, sexual identity and really finding out who an individual is, how an individual should feel about themselves and how society deals with superstardom and things that go against the norm,” said Frankenthal.Featuring an all-male cast, the show follows the players on the field and in the locker room. The team dynamic shifts in a new direction after they learn Lemming’s secret, but the team manager discovers a love for the game because of the secret.“Take Me Out” is not just a man’s play, however, nor is it just about being gay.“It’s basically what happens to a person when a person reveals an inner truth and is not accepted,” said Henry McDaniel, the graduate student playing Kippy Sunderstrom. “When we reveal things that are very personal to us, it has consequences and for better or worse, those consequences affect us. I think men and women deal with that issue equally.”Director and graduate student Jonathan Courtemanch said he is proud of his cast for their fearlessness and talent and hopes the audience is ready for a good time.“Keep an open mind and get ready to have some fun,” Courtemanch said. “That’s the most important thing. It’s going to be a great opportunity for this community to see what is really a great new American play.”
(03/08/10 2:08am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fourteen performers with disabilities shared their stories onstage through songs and dramatic monologues in the show “I Am You.”The performers were clients of Stone Belt, a service provider for individuals with disabilities. They worked on their pieces with the help of Theatre of the People, The Bloomington Playwrights Project and other volunteers.Each performer brought something different to the stage. Mike Collins shared the story of meeting his fiance Gina Barger and sang “Good Morning Beautiful” for her. Misty Lawyer, Melissa Abbitt and Krista Heard brought laughter to the audience as they talked about what they liked to do. And many others shared their life stories in the spotlight. The night ended with Dixie Chaney singing “You Are My Sunshine,” and the audience joined in as all of the artists took the stage.Junior Sara Rebmann volunteered as one of the directors for the show and worked with the performers backstage.“Everyone was really nervous,” Rebmann said. “They were just chatting about different things, trying to take deep breaths... it was pretty calm overall.”One of the artists, IU employee Rebecca Zimmerman, said she was pleased with her performance that night, even if she was a bit nervous.“I was happy, glad, a little nervous, and overall I did pretty well,” Zimmerman said. Bloomington resident Annie Corrigan said she enjoyed the show and its message.“I didn’t know what to expect, but it was a great evening,” Corrigan said. “It was very touching, one of the more touching bits of theater that I’ve been to in a while, actually.”
(03/05/10 1:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Individuals with disabilities will take the stage this weekend to share their stories at the Bloomington Playwrights Project. The show, called “I Am You,” is a series of monologues written and performed by people with different handicaps.The project is a collaborative effort between Stone Belt, an agency that helps individuals with disabilities, the Bloomington Playwrights Project, Theatre of the People and Trinity Episcopal Church.The show, now in its second year, was started in 2008 by alumna Michelle Davenport. Amy Jackson, community engagement director of Stone Belt, said it began “very organically” with Davenport’s individual efforts and vision that grew into the monologue show it is today.“They are monologues that share stories of their lives, and they really cover the whole gamut of the human experience,” Jackson said. “From friendship and love and family to loss and issues of independence and work and identity. Really, a very wonderful variety of the human experience is covered.”Davenport said “I Am You” benefits not only the individual performers, but the community as well.“The program was started to give voice to individuals with disabilities and to also grow in self-esteem and self-confidence,” Davenport said. “But the second part of my mission was for advocacy and awareness in the community because there are people who do not understand individuals with disabilities.”Since its sold-out performances last year, the “I Am You” series has grown to include more performers from other Indiana counties. Directors from Theatre of the People and some IU students have helped the performers for the last six months to prepare for the weekend.Junior Jamie Patton, one of the directors for the show, said she wants to pursue a career working with people with disabilities.“Working with people with disabilities is really not that much different from working with anybody else. You just have to go about it in a different way,” Patton said. “You have to be creative and think of different ways that will help them get what they want to say out. Because they have amazing things to say.”Davenport said she is excited to see how the show has evolved in the last year and said audiences should be aware the goal has always been to create understanding and a sense of community.“We’re not trying to create sympathy,” Davenport said. “The event is for empathy. It’s to create understanding and awareness.”
(03/01/10 1:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One might think a donation for the poor is always a good thing. But not if you ask Major Barbara, who quits her post at the Salvation Army as soon as it accepts donations from breweries and arms dealers. Questions of morality and religion rise up in the IU Department of Theater and Drama’s production of “Major Barbara,” which opened Friday.Salvation Army Major Barbara Undershaft and her weapons-manufacturing father Andrew Undershaft are both determined to convert the other to the “true” religion. For Barbara, that means Christian salvation; for her father, it means money and gunpowder.Then there’s Barbara’s fiancé, Adolphus Cusins, a Greek scholar and a collector of religions, who’s keeping a few secrets of his own. Add in a family conflict about the Undershaft inheritance, and here is a play about money and morality, but also much more.The ’60s setting of the show gives new direction to the George Bernard Shaw play. Barbara’s sister Sarah and her dimwitted fiancé Charles Lomax are now a hip, mod couple, and the “vulgar, silly dress” Barbara dons in place of her Salvation Army Uniform is bright yellow, complete with miniskirt and go-go boots. Music from the ’60s fills the air during scene transitions, and Andrew’s newly produced weapons look suspiciously nuclear.Sophomore Arthur Marsh said he enjoyed philosophic discussion in the play, especially in the last scene.“I thought it was pretty brilliant,” Marsh said. “I really enjoyed the dialogue.”The actors impressed sophomore Will Dickinson, who said he did not expect to enjoy the play so much.“Clever, witty, it’s hilarious,” Dickinson said. “It’s extremely well-acted, especially the actor who plays Andrew Undershaft, the father, Justin Harner. He’s magnificent.”The director and grad student Sabrina Lloyd said she was proud of her cast and crew and the work they did opening night.“I thought they did a great job, the pace was lovely and they were really listening to the audience,” Lloyd said. “I’m just proud and impressed with all the amazing people that helped it happened. I’m really grateful.”
(02/26/10 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Morality or money — which can better help the poor? And what about their souls? These are the questions Major Barbara faces when her mission to save souls is thrown off course by her armaments-dealing father.The IU Department of Theater and Drama’s production of “Major Barbara” opens 7:30 p.m. Friday, with shows Feb. 27 and March 2 through 6, with an additional show at 2 p.m. March 6.Barbara Undershaft, played by sophomore Hannah Kennedy, is an officer in the Salvation Army. She reunites with her wealthy father Andrew Undershaft for the first time in years, and the two start a competition of conversion. Barbara is determined to show her father the power of Christian salvation, and Andrew wants his daughter to get over her moral disgust of his profession.When the Salvation Army accepts a huge donation from the Undershaft arms company, Barbara is horrified, resigns from her position and is left to find another way to continue her Christian mission.“Barbara initially takes a very absolute view on what is right, and then she realizes that she can adapt and still be true to herself while still making a difference,” Kennedy said. “It’s also a love story and a story about family. It’s definitely not an old, English-living drama. It has big ideas and important things to say, but it’s also really funny and really fun.”The George Bernard Shaw comedy was first published in 1907, but graduate student and director Sabrina Lloyd has set the play in the 1960s. “By looping it forward in time we get to see the cyclical nature of human beings,” Lloyd said. “They were the same in 1907 as they were in 1964 and as they are now. You have your poser couple, you have your educated snob, you have your militant extremist.”Even without the update, Lloyd said many college students can relate to the story.“It centers on young people, their decisions and their place in life,” she said. “Barbara is a young woman just breaking out of her family life and trying to become her own person.”Sean Magill, a sophomore portraying Barbara’s brother, said he thinks the play is about the power to do good and what it means to use that power.“Power for its own sake isn’t really a good thing if you’re going to abuse it,” Magill said. “If the good people take the power to affect change, even if that be through dangerous and destructive technology, then it’s much better than people who are out for power and money for their own gain.”
(02/22/10 2:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Six actors, 31 plays and 71 minutes.It began with announcements instructing the audience on what to do in case of a natural disaster or nuclear holocaust, followed by harassment and demands from the actors.Six actors then took the stage for their performances, and the stream of laughter from the audience was all but continuous for the rest of the show.“Blizzard Rewind,” a short play showcase presented by the Bloomington Playwrights Project, opened Thursday with 31 plays celebrating the BPP’s 30th anniversary.The plays were presented in a random order determined by audience members, who shouted out years between the plays. The show was also timed; the BPP’s goal was 31 plays in 71 minutes. The actors met the goal each night but with only seconds to spare.Senior David Lim said he found this format of the show enjoyable.“It was something I had definitely never seen before done with a play,” Lim said. “It was just really interesting to see different genres and different motifs all together. You could still see what the playwright intended for very short plays.”The show was also very interactive. Audience members shouted out not only years but also encouragement — or insults.“The louder the people are, the more fun it is,” Director Chad Rabinovitz said. “This is the kind of crowd that if you were in a movie theater, you would hate to be sitting next to, but it’s perfect for us. It’s just been nonstop fun. They’re loud, they’re vocal — it’s designed to be interactive.”Bloomington High School North student Neena Armitage said one of her favorite plays was “A Bastardized Version of the Muppets Teaches Us How to Vote.”“I thought it went really well,” Armitage said. “And I was really surprised by how actually funny it was. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all.”
(02/22/10 2:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A city-boy actor trying to live life on a farm might sound like the perfect reality-show premise, but “The Drawer Boy” is a deeper story of everlasting friendship and the growth of understanding between three men.The Cardinal Stage Company show, which opened Friday, centers around Miles, who shows up ready and willing to work on characters Morgan and Angus’ farm to research rural life for his new play. Morgan agrees, but neither knows what they are getting into.Miles, an unwitting city boy, is given tasks as practical as moving hay and as ridiculous as polishing gravel. Morgan, who takes care of his memory-impaired friend Angus on the farm, finds out too late exactly what Miles is observing and writing down for his play.Slowly, gaps in Angus’s memory are filled in front of the audience. Miles’ play forces Angus to confront the night he received his memory-impairing injury and the history between him and Morgan.Kathy Doering, Bloomington resident , said she had no idea what the play was going to be about but was very pleased with what she saw.“I loved it,” Doering said. “I liked all of it. It was so well done.”Patty Cole, wife of actor Dave Cole, who portrayed Angus, said she was proud of her husband’s performance but also enjoyed the show as a whole.“I’m pleased with all of them,” Cole said. “I thought they really pulled it together. It was pretty solid.”IU employee Sean Pendergast said the play was “intense” and he especially liked the ending.“I thought it was beautiful,” Pendergast said. “It started really slowly, and I was concerned it was going to pay off, but it was absolutely wonderful intense. The actors were terrific, all three of them.”
(02/19/10 3:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Young versus old, rural versus urban, farm life versus ... theater life? The
story of the city misfit figuring out farm life is retold with a new
twist that explores the power of storytelling in Cardinal Stage
Company’s production of “The Drawer Boy.”
The play opens Friday and runs through March 7, with performances
Thursday through Sunday at the John Waldron Arts Center. Performances
are at 7:30 p.m., along with 2 p.m. shows each Saturday and Sunday. It
is part of ArtsWeek 2010.
In the show, characters Morgan and Angus, played by Ken Farrell and
Dave Cole, have lived on a farm since their return from World War II,
where Angus sustained an injury that has given him serious memory
problems. Morgan takes care of Angus until a big-city actor, Miles,
played by IU alumnus Harry Watermeier, shows up on the farm seeking
material for a play about rural life. Miles’s intrusion threatens to
dig deeper than Morgan wants when he discovers what parts of his life
are being exposed in Miles’s play.
“Because Miles is unfamiliar with farming and this kind of life, the
show is, in a way, this fish-out-of-water comedy at first glance, but
it’s really a character study of Morgan and Angus,” Watermeier said. “I
hope the play is, for an audience member, difficult to categorize. They
won’t leave saying ‘that was a great comedy’ or ‘that was a great
drama.’ It’s just a great story.”
The Canadian play was inspired by a true story of a collision between
actors and farmers in Ontario and the play the actors created about the
farmers’ lives. Since its first production in 1999, “The Drawer Boy”
has become the fourth most-produced play in the past decade.
“We wanted to do a piece that spoke to a different community that is
normally represented on stage,” director Randy White said. “So this is
a rural farm community, and the clash of that rural and urban
environment I think is something that we really experience here in
Bloomington.”
White said he also thinks the play is applicable to the experiences of students as well.“Watching
this young person figure out how he can succeed, how he can move
forward, this is like his first steps in the world and he’s screwing up
terribly,” White said. “He’s naïve and earnest and well-meaning, but he
literally steps in all kinds of things on the farm, all the time.”
(02/19/10 3:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Young versus old, rural versus urban, farm life versus ... theater life? The story of the city misfit figuring out farm life is retold with a new twist that explores the power of storytelling in Cardinal Stage Company’s production of “The Drawer Boy.”The play opens Friday and runs through March 7, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, along with 2 p.m. shows each Saturday and Sunday, at the John Waldron Arts Center. The show is part of ArtsWeek 2010.In the show, characters Morgan and Angus, played by Ken Farrell and Dave Cole, have lived on a farm since their return from World War II, where Angus sustained an injury that has given him serious memory problems. Morgan takes care of Angus until a big-city actor, Miles, played by IU alumnus Harry Watermeier, shows up on the farm seeking material for a play about rural life. Miles’s intrusion threatens to dig deeper than Morgan wants when he discovers what parts of his life are being exposed in Miles’s play.“Because Miles is unfamiliar with farming and this kind of life, the show is, in a way, this fish-out-of-water comedy at first glance, but it’s really a character study of Morgan and Angus,” Watermeier said. “I hope the play is, for an audience member, difficult to categorize. They won’t leave saying ‘that was a great comedy’ or ‘that was a great drama.’ It’s just a great story.”The Canadian play was inspired by a true story of a collision between actors and farmers in Ontario and the play the actors created about the farmers’ lives. Since its first production in 1999, “The Drawer Boy” has become the fourth most produced play of the past decade.“We wanted to do a piece that spoke to a different community that is normally represented on stage,” director Randy White said. “So this is a rural farm community, and the clash of that rural and urban environment I think is something that we really experience here in Bloomington.”White said he thinks the play is applicable to the experiences of students as well.“Watching this young person figure out how he can succeed, how he can move forward, this is like his first steps in the world and he’s screwing up terribly,” White said. “He’s naïve and earnest and well-meaning, but he literally steps in all kinds of things on the farm, all the time.”
(02/12/10 3:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Started just 12 years ago with a performance of “The Vagina Monologues” on a New York stage, V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women and girls, is now celebrated all over the world.This Friday, IU will carry on the campaign to end violence with its own production of “The Vagina Monologues.” Performances will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Organizers around campus have been selling T-shirts and chocolate vulva lollipops, along with tickets in anticipation of V-Day, and Wednesday the actresses of the show presented their own personal vagina monologues at Rachel’s Cafe alongside an a cappella performance by Ladies First.Ten percent of all proceeds will go to the worldwide V-Day campaign, and remaining funds will be donated to Middle Way House, a center working against domestic violence, to specifically help the women in Bloomington.Actress and sophomore Jordan Kay said no one should be intimidated to see the show.“It’s for a good cause. It’s not bashing anyone. It’s not making fun of anyone. It’s for everyone,” Kay said. “When they see it, they’ll be able to feel what the monologues mean and they’ll take away certain aspects of the show and change their views on women, hopefully.”Stephanie Seweryn, a junior also in the performance, said the show is “very candid and very direct” and hopes that will drive the point home for the audience.“I think that the most important thing is it’s so direct that it might inspire people to investigate those things they are not clear on,” Seweryn said. “I think that’s what the main purpose of this show is: to bring people out of their comfort zone so that they are more actively pursuing answers to those things that they didn’t know before they saw it.”Before anything else, the show and campaign are about helping women, said junior and director of the play Stephanie Moore.“I think it might seem like it’s a quite in-your-face sort of way of talking about this, but the heart of the message and the heart of the show is just to tell about women’s stories and about the abuse that they’ve overcome,” Moore said. “We don’t want it to be considered depressing or too explicit. But it is just about general empowerment of women and how it’s important worldwide.”