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(11/14/05 4:50am)
After the very traditional "Così Fan Tutte" and "Roméo et Juliette," the IU Opera Department threw audiences a curveball: Benjamin Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."\nOne word best describes the opera: bizarre. That's not to say it was bad -- in fact, it was rather enjoyable. Just to put things in perspective, the first two premiered in 1790 and 1867, respectively; Britten's opera dates from 1960. Yet despite its late date, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" uses rather standard harmonies and manages to be fresh and unique without being unbearably avant-garde. The music is reflective of Shakespeare's fairy-tale subject material -- at times dreamy and mysterious, eerie at others and light and airy at still others. A small pit orchestra, as well as atypical pit instruments such as the harpsichord and celesta, are mainly what achieve this effect.\nBritten's music is also very playful. A trained listener can pick up a jab at Verdi arias and quotations from the seventh symphony of Shostakovich (with whom Britten was friends).\nThe true success of the production is the ability of the lighting, set and costumes to blend perfectly with the music. Of these, the set (by C. David Higgins) was by far the most impressive achievement. It was remarkably simple, consisting of a few pearlized green columns on rotating bases with leaves made of yellow transparent plastic. What truly made this set stand out, though, were the lighting effects. The stage was always mostly dark -- too bright lights would not have conveyed a forest scene -- and an emphasis on blues, greens and pink added a subdued shimmer that highlight the magical atmosphere.\nThe costumes were wonderfully odd -- straight out of a dream. It was obvious that much care and effort went into designing, making and donning the outfits. The overall impression the fairies' costumes gave was of glam rockers' elaborate couture from the 1970s and 1980s. The costumes of the two pairs of Athenian lovers, however, were lacking, especially when viewed in light of the magnificent fairy costumes. Granted, as "human" characters, the costumes should have been more subdued, but the colors and cuts were too bland to be interesting to audience members' eyes. For example, some of the lovers wore jeans. I could think of many more interesting materials, patterns and colors to use on an operatic stage.\nAn opera cannot be reviewed without mention of the singing -- and special attention must be given here to Daniel Bubeck in the role of Oberon, king of the fairies. Britten wrote the part as the first major countertenor role since Purcell's operas of the late 17th century -- Bubeck sang his part in a range normally sung by a woman. The ability to train his voice to sing in that range -- for more than three hours -- definitely speaks volumes for Bubeck's talent.\nOther roles that deserve notice are those of the fairies -- all played by children. One certainly has to admire these children overcoming their stage fright and donning cumbersome costumes, appearing before a live audience and singing their part without flaw.\nAlso, Greg Brooks provided comic relief in his role as Nick Bottom, a weaver whom Oberon transformed into an ass, and with whom Tytania, queen of the fairies, falls in love.\nFinally, the orchestra, conducted by David Effron, dealt remarkably well playing Britten's strange music. In fact, it could be argued it was the most successful element of the performance, since so much of the atmosphere rests on its ability to be conveyed through the music.\nFor a fun and unique performance, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is well worth seeing. It is different but still very much an opera.
(11/12/05 1:52am)
The next production of the IU Opera Theatre will involve a rare collaboration between the opera and ballet departments - odd bedfellows, for the two departments hardly ever collaborate in productions.\nBenjamin Britten's operatic rendition of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," opening at 8 p.m. Friday at the Musical Aarts Center, is one of this season's operas in English that is actually a part of the English operatic tradition, rather than a translation from Italian, French or German.\nThe opera -- written in English in the composer's adaptation of Shakespeare's play -- first premiered at Aldeburgh in Suffolk, England in July 1960.\nIU professor David Effron, who will be conducting the opera's performances, spoke about where "A Midsummer Night's Dream" fits into English opera.\n"Britten is important in the history of English opera and of opera in general," Effron said. "Britten is English opera in the 20th century. All of his operas are very important."\nEffron said Britten's operas are not typical of the genre because they have a very unique style and display very strong characterization\nInstrumentation, Effron said, is part of what makes the opera's music unique.\n"There are some unusual instrument combinations," he said. "For example, there's a harpsichord combined with percussion and celesta."\nDespite a small orchestra, Effron said Britten's score puts it to good use.\n"The combinations (of instruments) Britten uses make the orchestra sound much larger than it is," Effron said. "There are only 10 woodwinds, but the combinations make it sound like much more."\nHarmony is another musical element that makes Britten's opera unique.\n"Britten uses a mixture of conventional harmonies and also some more unusual, modern ones," Effron said.\nFinally, Britten uses unconventional structural elements in the composition of his opera, especially in its use of arias, or solo parts that can stand alone as individual songs.\n"('A Midsummer Night's Dream') has very few arias, and they have a different format than usual," Effron said. "In most arias, the characters state their feelings. Here, they forward the drama."\nThe arias also fit into the opera in an atypical way.\n"It's also hard to point out the arias -- they're buried in the score," Effron said. "In most operas, the aria stands alone from the rest of the action."\nOn a local level, this production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" stands out because it incorporates ballet, allowing a one-of-a-kind collaboration between the opera and ballet departments.\nSenior Christopher Nachtrab, who plays the ballet role of Puck, spoke about his rare perspective as a solo dancer in an opera.\n"This is my first time as Puck," Nachtrab said. "I'm familiar with the character, though it's a much bigger role in Shakespeare's play."\nThe approach guest director Colin Graham wanted to take with Nachtrab was different from his previous ballet experience.\n"I was allowed to make my own interpretation with the given steps," he said. "Normally I just interpret the movements given by the choreographer. Here I have free will within the given direction."\nAnother difference Nachtrab observed between ballet and opera performance is the relationship the dancers have with the conductor.\n"The relationship with the conductor is much more distant than in ballet," he said. "In ballet, the conductor will watch the dancers and adjust to meet our movements. I have to follow the conductor much more here."\nAside from adjustments, Nachtrab said the music itself is challenging.\n"It's difficult -- more difficult than ballet," he said. "It's hard music to count to."\nDespite his role's challenges, Nachtrab said he is glad to be part of a very rare IU experience.\n"This has been the first time I've been here where the ballet and opera departments interact. Normally they're miles apart," he said. "I'm making a big stand in the school of music (by doing this). It's a great experience"
(11/04/05 4:26am)
Museums are meant for nothing more than standing and viewing art. Right? Wrong. \nOn Tuesday, the IU Art Museum expanded the concept of what can be done at a museum by opening Angles, a gift shop combined with a café.\nDavid Tanner, the Art Museum's associate director for administration, explained the move was made to strengthen the Art Museum's role in the IU educational community.\n"In creating the business plan, we also feel it is important to utilize resources that are environmentally friendly, educational, tie into the Art Museum's collection and support fair trade and equality," Tanner said.\nEmily Powell, the Art Museum's manager of external relations, explained how the move was accomplished.\n"The gift shop that was on the mezzanine was cramped," Powell said. "The second floor opens everything up -- we now have a true kitchen and room to expand."\nPowell also said the merchandise has a role in making the gift shop an attraction.\n"We widened our selection of merchandise," she said. "We wanted jewelry, books, vases and decorations that connect with the collections."\nPowell placed special emphasis upon having the merchandise reflect the Art Museum's collections.\n"Our goal is for people to see the museum in a different light, to actually take the art home with them," she said.\nPeggy Anderson, the gift shop manager, and Chase Potter, the café manager, collaborate in overseeing the workings of the new gift shop/café.\n"This is a one-stop coffee and gift location, similar to the large chain bookstores," Potter said.\nPotter further compared the relaxed atmosphere of the gift shop with the bookstores.\n"It offers a unique ambiance for studying," he said. "There are lots of little study areas on campus, but most of them are not quiet and laid-back -- with food."\nAnderson agreed, adding that the sitting area that used to be in the gift shop's location hasn't really changed in its function.\n"This space was already popular for studying, and people are still studying here and enjoying the space," she said. "We just want people to come in and enjoy it."\nAnderson said the space has not merely maintained its previous crowd but has become even more popular.\n"We've definitely had an increase in traffic beyond our expectations," she said.\nPotter said the café contributes to this increase.\n"All of our sales until noon are mostly from the café," he said.\nPowell said the Art Museum's new gift shop/café changes the face of the museum.\n"This encourages you to sit and relax -- you don't even need to look at the art to enjoy it," she said. "It allows visitors to think of art in a different way"
(10/24/05 4:12am)
"Così Fan Tutte" was such an impressive starter that it gave me high expectations for this opera season, but Friday's performance of Charles Gounod's "Roméo et Juliette" raised those expectations even further. Not only was the opera well-chosen for its excellent music, but every aspect of this performance was well-executed enough to create another world on the stage and draw the viewer into it.\nThe story is Shakespeare's play with some abridgements made for the sake of time (a merciful decision by Gounod, since the opera is 3 hours and 15 minutes long as is), so everybody is familiar with the story. Two decisions by the production staff with respect to the plot gave this performance its success: keeping the setting in Renaissance Italy and keeping the libretto in the original French.\nKeeping the setting true to Shakespeare in Renaissance Italy allowed the set and costume crew to show their true talents as designers. "Modernization" (like in the recent film) would only allow for drab sets and unimaginative costumes. The setting used in the opera had all the symmetry and elegance of Renaissance buildings and consisted of a remarkably versatile basic design, used for all scenes. The costumes were the true highlight of the performance, however. While remaining true to Renaissance fashion, the costume shop used a wide array of colors, designs and accessories to build an intricate and varied wardrobe. The most impressive costumes were those of the Prince of Verona and Lord and Lady Capulet, which accurately portrayed the sort of luxury that Renaissance wealth could buy. Lord Capulet's costume changed in different scenes, a nice detail supplied with extra effort, time and money.\nKeeping the libretto in French not only kept the singing in tune with the elegance of the music, but also showed some subtle differences between Gounod's text and Shakespeare's. The translation in the supertitles was largely drawn verbatim from Shakespeare, but anyone with a working knowledge of French could hear that what was sung differed slightly from the translation. (For example, Mercutio's line "a plague on both your houses" was sung "the devil take both your houses").\nIt should go without saying that the quality of the vocalists and orchestra was outstanding. Singing in French also allowed the vocalists to demonstrate their true talent. French operatic singing is very subtle and requires precise enunciation of words, which the cast was very skilled at doing while still creating a powerful emotional atmosphere.\nThe orchestra, under David Effron's baton, was the primary conveyor of emotion and did a wonderful job of bringing out the on-stage emotions even more. They did so well, in fact, that it was often easy to not notice the music until after it had ended.\nIn the stage action, there were some inaccuracies and errors -- for example, Friar Lawrence wore a rosary as a necklace (any Catholic knows this is a no-no) and Stephano dropped his/her sword mid-aria. These errors can hopefully be corrected, though, with little effort.\n"Roméo et Juliette" remains a highly recommended performance for those who want a new, more elevated angle on the familiar Shakespeare play and to lose themselves in another world constructed by music.
(10/21/05 4:45am)
Everyone knows the story behind William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." Now take that story, have it sung in French, intensify the fight scenes and parties and add an orchestra to underline and heighten every emotion onstage. That, in a nutshell, is the opera "Roméo et Juliette," by Charles Gounod.\nThough many Shakespeare adaptations are known for twisting the plot lines, Gounod stayed loyal to the original play, said student John Sumners, who plays Romeo in the IU production.\n"Obviously (Gounod) needed to nip and tuck the play to adapt it to an opera, but it maintains all the crucial elements of the Shakespeare story," he said.\nThe opera most loyal to Shakespeare is probably Benjamin Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Sumners said, which will be performed at IU next month and uses the exact script in the original English.\nSumers also said the upcoming performance is important because it is part of a trend of increased public exposure to "Roméo et Juliette."\n"'Roméo et Juliette' has often been the red-headed stepchild of Gounod's repertoire, but in my opinion it's every bit as good as 'Faust' -- in fact, I think it's even better," he said.\nPerformer diploma student Carrie Reading called the opera a "higher form of drama."\n"This is not Shakespeare," she said. "Everything's on a grander scale with the opera. Not only does the voice set the emotion, but you have an entire orchestra to back up every mood. In the swordfights, for example, the motions are perfectly coordinated with the orchestral music."\nReading's role is unique because she plays a male character -- Romeo's page, Stephano -- who is about 10 years old.\n"The first thing I had to do was get rid of any female characteristics," Reading said. "I had to remove any graceful characteristic and study the movements of a little kid."\nReading said though this involved an increased level of energy, there were no vocal adjustments involved.\n"The words are rough and raunchy, but it's singing just like normal," she said.\nBoth Sumners and Reading agreed the efforts of guest stage director Michael Ehrman play a huge part in a successful stage performance.\n"Ehrman is brilliant," Sumners said. "He makes a completely traditional production interesting by supplying the details."\nReading commented on Ehrman's ability to make the acting interesting without interfering with the singing.\n"Ehrman knows how to sing and act," she said. "In operatic acting, the performance is much more affected by the singer's positioning, and Ehrmann knows how to make the stage action visually interesting while keeping it easy for us to sing."\nBoth performers also agreed the performances will captivate the IU audience.\n"In a truly good performance, you want to make the audience forget about everything outside the stage so much that when the curtain falls, there's a slight pause before the applause," Sumners said. "We can do this with the excellent quality of the staff putting (this production) together."\nReading saw two different qualities that she believes make the opera an attraction to audiences.\n"It's one of the most fun operas ever done -- there's a swordfight in the first 35 seconds, violence, death and implied nudity," Reading said. "Also, it shows the highest and lowest parts of existence together in one opera. That's why it's so beloved"
(09/26/05 4:04am)
If the opening performance of Mozart's "Così Fan Tutte" is an indicator of the rest of this opera season, the IU community certainly has many good things to expect.\nThe opera was about three hours and 15 minutes long, but the time flew by because the production was in constant motion. The music was characteristically light, witty Mozart (with perhaps a little more fire than anticipated), but it was handled with such mastery that its presence seemed natural to the stage action and familiar to the listener.\nMuch credit goes to conductor Andrew Altenbach, who is the first student in IU history to direct an opera production (because of the sudden passing of guest conductor Randall Behr). He constantly kept the music in motion. Not a single moment seemed to drag and he brought out the full potential of some of Mozart's most beautiful music.\nThe story of the opera, derided by many as a misogynistic farce, is actually a witty and all-too-true tale of human fickleness in love. A jaded, old Alfonso seeks to prove women's fickleness to his young friends Ferrando and Guglielmo. He disguises them as foreigners and has them seduce their respective fiancées, the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella. The women fall for the ruse, and the men reveal their disguises, to the embarrassment of their lovers and the delight of Alfonso.\nStage director Vince Liotta made the characters extremely realistic and very believable, rather than caricatures of emotional stereotypes. The singers all deserve credit for executing Liotta's interpretation into concrete form. The facial expressions, the motions and the intonation all made the stagework seem as much intense drama as musical skill. \nAngela Mannino deserves particular credit in her role as Despina, the sisters' maid. Not only did she portray a sarcastic and fun-loving character, but also the various ridiculous disguises as doctor and notary that she assumed. The roles of the four lovers required much endurance, and they succeeded admirably at giving both convincing and musically-perfected performances in spite of this.\nAnother noteworthy feature of this opera is that it is the first Mozart opera at IU (in the last three seasons, at least) to be performed in the original language -- in this case, Italian. This greatly enhanced the opera's character, and augmented the music, which was written to accompany the libretto in this exact version. Also, keeping the original libretto removed all the incongruities of singing an opera in translation (especially between languages with timbres as different as English and Italian). The singers did stumble a bit ("credere" -- "to believe" -- was used once where "chiedere" -- "to ask" -- should have been sung), but overall the singers seemed more comfortable in the original language than in their own.\nThe scenery for this opera is best described as timeless. The classical lines and columns of Mozart's day predominated, but really did not date the setting or attempt to move the story into the present. Period costumes were used as well, which made the audience appreciate the opera as a product of Mozart, rather than wondering at the experimentation of the designer.\nIn all, "Così Fan Tutte" works wonders with a cast of six soloists and a small chorus, not to mention a chamber orchestra. The enormous effect which Mozart gives through these seemingly inadequate tools cannot be fully appreciated without realizing the effort the members of this production exerted to make it successful. "Così Fan Tutte" is one of the better operas to come to the Musical Arts Center stage in the last three seasons, and is definitely recommended for an audience seeking a light, yet beautiful performance.\n"Così Fan Tutte" performs at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the MAC. Tickets range from $15 to $35 for general audiences and $10 to $20 for students. For tickets and more information, call 855-7433.
(09/23/05 4:28am)
Guest conductor Randall Behr passed away unexpectedly at a Bloomington hotel Sept. 8, but his legacy lives on as Mozart's "Così Fan Tutte" comes to the IU stage.\nDoctoral Student Andrew Altenbach was chosen to replace Behr because the two worked very closely during the summer. Altenbach served as Behr's assistant at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Calif., where they worked on "Così Fan Tutte" together.\n"I was chosen because I know how (Behr) does the show more than anyone else," Altenbach said. "It is the greatest way I can memorialize him."\nPart of what endeared Altenbach to Behr was the latter's enthusiasm for working with students.\n"(Behr) was a big proponent of student involvement," Altenbach said.\nAltenbach said his own role as a student conductor reflects Behr's ambitions to educate and involve students. He is the first student in the history of the IU Opera Theater to take over a production.\nAltenbach also spoke about how Behr built up trust with the cast members. Carol Dusdieker, who plays Fiordiligi in the opera, spoke about her experience with Behr.\n"It was difficult to lose him," Dusdieker said. "Behr loved being a teacher and working with students. It wasn't about being right or wrong, but about making the best music. His main purpose was to educate and improve the next generation of opera singers."\nIU stage director Vince Liotta, who worked with Behr for more than 30 years, said the successful presentation of "Così Fan Tutte" depends on Behr's love and vision for the opera.\n"This production wouldn't be what it is without (Behr's) love for 'Così,'" Liotta said. "He continued to work to prove that 'Così' is a great opera."\nLiotta explained that of the three Mozart operas that use Lorenzo DaPonte's libretti, "Così Fan Tutte" has been regarded as lesser than "Don Giovanni" and "The Marriage of Figaro."\n"'Così' is really a very well-written play set to music," Liotta said. "It has often been treated as the red-headed stepchild of Mozart's DaPonte operas, but it is really worthy of the others."\nLiotta said that one reason why the opera is not as fully appreciated as it should be is that many productions cut portions of the opera.\n"We take less cuts, and the play makes more sense that way," he said. "You wouldn't put on a production of 'Hamlet' and cut out the third act."\nLiotta's treatment of the characters also breaks from the common production method.\n"It's most common to treat the characters as one-dimensional, commedia dell'arte-style figures," he said. "I take a more human rather than a more farcical approach."\nLiotta said another aspect of the opera's underappreciation is the treatment it gets through the production process.\n"The typical synopsis states that Alfonso bets that all girls are unfaithful and the girls prove him right," Liotta said. "But he also asks the guys if they're sure they won't do it, either. The true message is that everyone is unfaithful, or simply change their minds." \nLiotta also stated that the subtitle, "The School for Lovers," implies that the audience is supposed to learn something from the experience.\nDusdieker said that the opera deals with a question relevant to everyone: can someone love two people at once?\n"It offers a heartfelt peek into the ways of love," she said.\nDusdieker also encouraged the audience members to engage themselves in the story.\n"I want the audience to fall into the plot, sit and enjoy it as much as the singers and the pit players do," she said.
(09/15/05 4:36am)
What would be the reaction if the New York Philharmonic or the Chicago Symphony Orchestra decided to make all of their concerts free and open to the public? \nMost would probably think these orchestras suddenly went crazy.\nAt IU, far from being crazy, the idea is actually a reality. In IU's concert season, appropriately titled "Live and Free," some of the finest musicians from around the world regularly give concerts that are free and open to the public. IU's School of Music is famous for its high caliber musicians, so the quality of music matches that of the most prestigious metropolitan orchestras.\nAlain Barker, director of marketing and publicity for the IU School of Music, echoed this thought.\n"The School of Music's concerts are really world-class events, which, if they were seen in New York, Los Angeles or Chicago, would cost lots of money," Barker said. "IU offers a great chance to experience this for literally nothing."
(09/05/05 4:14am)
Far from the drab walls of museums, the Fourth Street Festival featured "living art" -- art made and sold by the actual artists. The tents, live music and smells of local food vendors added to the "alive and present" atmosphere of the festival.\nThis year, the Fourth Street Festival is in its 29th year. It was started in 1976 by local potters to showcase southern Indiana's artistic talent. The potters chose Fourth Street because they admired its architecture and saw it as a growing and revitalizing area of downtown, said Dawn Adams, president of the Festival Committee and Bloomington resident.\n"We still like this site. It's perfect for a community event," she said.\nToday the show has grown to feature 109 exhibitors in 14 categories, some from as far away as Canada and Venezuela, as well as 18 live music groups. The visitors are also drawn from a wide geographic range, Adams said. About one-third of the visitors are traditionally local (from the tri-county area), while the rest come from all over, but mostly the Midwest and Northeast.\nThe festival has also made a reputation beyond southern Indiana. Adams said an art fair sourcebook rated Fourth Street Festival the best festival in Indiana. Despite such prestige, the festival firmly keeps its feet on the ground.\n"The artists run the festival, so we always keep their interests foremost," Adams said. \nOne vendor who sees eye-to-eye with this goal is Bloomington artist Martina Celerin, who sold wall hangings with 3-D plant shapes woven into them.\n"The festival is entirely run by the artists, which gives it a very non-pretentious flavor. That way it's accessible to all," Celerin said.\nThis is Celerin's second year having a booth at the festival, and she has her reasons for returning.\n"I love Fourth Street. I love the festival. It's such a Bloomington thing to do," she said.\nCelerin said her booth has been rather successful this year, but she measures her success not in terms of profit, but in watching visitors' reactions.\n"One of the best things is watching faces light up when they see my work. I love watching it making people happy," she said.\nThis is also Celerin's main objective for being at the festival. She thinks it's a great way to bring art out to the general public.\n"The festival brings art back into the forefront of people's thinking. It inspires them to be creative, whether it's to create their own artwork or make their house more beautiful. It's all about making people happy," she said.\nA passerby who wished not to be identified said, "I agree with everything she said."\nAnother vendor for whom this was the first year at the Fourth Street Festival was Daniel Bennett, a ceramicist who came from Rushville, Mo., to show his work at the festival.\n"Another artist told me that the show was good and profitable, so I figured I'd apply," Bennett said. "So far (the festival) has been very good. I've had a large response and sales are good."\nBennett enjoyed the festival enough to willingly return again.\n"Selection is by jury, so if they'll have me again, I'll return," he said.\nAside from the vendors, local arts organizations also had booths set up to sign up volunteers and supporters. Organizations represented included the Monroe County Chamber Singers, the Monroe County Civic Theatre, the Bloomington Early Music Festival, Jazz from Bloomington, the Bloomington Playwrights' Project, WFIU and the Hoosier Youth Philharmonic.\nEven though the Bloomington Early Music Festival does not happen again until next may, Bob and Lizzie DeVoe were using the festival as an early opportunity to gain support. Despite several months advance, the DeVoes have had encouraging results.\n"We've had a great response. So far lots of people have signed," they said.\nThe hosts were greatly impressed by the turnout. The Bloomington Parks Department, which helps coordinate the event, had a booth there,also. It was staffed by Jacqueline Myers, the supervisor for the People's University program, who gave her overall impression of Saturday at the Festival.\n"The turnout is great, the day is perfect, we have a nice mix of people," she said. "It's a real community event"
(08/25/05 5:15am)
For any college student (except those with a parental carte blanche), debt remains a very real threat, if not a reality already. I know economics tends to be a dry subject, but for any student with debt or soon to be accumulating debt, the subject of bankruptcy is urgent.\nIn April, President Bush signed into law a bill that will be the most significant restructuring of the bankruptcy code in 25 years. The code will take effect in October, so Americans are currently rushing en masse to the courts to file bankruptcy before the deadline -- filings have increased by as much as 17 percent in Cleveland and 22 percent in Iowa.\nWhy the rush?\nCurrent bankruptcy code includes Chapter 7, in which the debts are wiped out to give the debtor a fresh start, and the less generous Chapter 13, in which all debt remains and a payment schedule is required. The new code stipulates that any debtor making above the state's median income and able to pay back at least $6,000 over five years cannot file for Chapter 7. This forces debtors into a Chapter 13, which requires court-supervised financial counseling.\nAccording to the U.S. courts,\n 1.6 million bankruptcies were filed between March 2004 and March 2005, 1.14 million of which were under Chapter 7. Changing the law to make it virtually impossible to file for Chapter 7 will greatly reduce the overall number of bankruptcies filed or force debtors to pay all their debts on a schedule under Chapter 13.\nReducing bankruptcies may not be as great as it sounds. Forcing payment of debts will ensure that Americans are financially accountable, but it will slow economic activity.\nBeing on a court-supervised financial plan means consumers cannot spend money as freely as before. Granted, it is money they don't have, but it is used to purchase a product, creating demand for more of that product and thus jobs to produce it.\nLess overall buying (the result of being on a budget) will result in less production and most likely job cutbacks. Debtors will also be less likely to pay the exorbitant gas prices (previously bought with debt-accruing credit cards). Businesses dependent on drivers will then suffer from lack of customers.\nThe new law will also affect student loans. Any bankruptcy filed within 10 years of last attending school will not apply to student loans. A separate application must be made, which will be judged by the same high standard as Chapter 7. Thus, students with both loans and living debt will be doubly doomed by the new law and forced into a very tight financial situation.\nGranted, I'm definitely a fan of personal accountability, especially with finance. Someone who spends irresponsibly should suffer the consequences. But what about those with medical expenses, or legal fees or student loans? These debtors are not irresponsible, just unfortunate.\nThough Congress' desire to encourage financial responsibility is admirable, it should also consider both the long-term economic consequences of its actions.
(08/04/05 1:19am)
The word "artwork" normally does not conjure up images of rocks and fossils, but one of Bloomington's galleries does exactly that: it transforms rocks, crystals and fossils into marketable works of art.\nLorraine Merriman Farrell, the owner of Fossil Rain Gallery and designer of its artwork has done exactly that. She combines natural geologic wonders with human craft to form artwork.\n"I combined my fine arts education from IU and my interest and love for nature in my works," Farrell said.\nAn interest in fossils and minerals has long been part of Farrell's life, so long that she cannot assign a definite beginning to that interest.\n"I've always had an interest (in geology) as far as my memory goes back," she said.\nHer life-long interest became marketable in 2000 with the debut of Fossil Rain Gallery. She had been in a partnership in the same location for three years, but the partnership was amicably dissolved when the other member decided to go into teaching. The gallery has been under Farrell's sole direction ever since and has also been one of the charter galleries of the Bloomington Area Arts Council's Gallery Walk.\nThe gallery features all sorts of art forms, including jewelry, painting, print, photography, sculpture, ceramics and textile.\n"We deal with a lot of two-dimensional media," Farrell said.\nThe medium that the gallery focuses most upon, though, is handcrafted jewelry.\n"We display handcrafted jewelry year-round," Farrell said.\nNot all of the jewelry is Farrell's own work, though. Many jewelry artists' work is displayed on consignment. The jewelry artists use Fossil Rain as a venue to showcase and sell their work and get an opportunity to bring public attention to their work.\nFarrell is also focused on bringing public attention to Fossil Rain Gallery. She donates merchandise to non-profit organizations to raise money for various causes.\n"It's a win-win situation because the causes get the proceeds from my jewelry and Fossil Rain's name is made known to the community," Farrell said.\nFarrell also said that her gallery contributes to keeping downtown Bloomington vital and interesting.\n"It really is a one-of-a-kind gallery," she said. "It isn't a chain or franchise, but an artisan owned-and-driven gallery."\nFossil Rain gallery is located at 115 N. College Ave., suite 114 and is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.\nFor more information, call 339-3061
(08/01/05 3:18pm)
When one thinks of the great operatic traditions of the world, England usually doesn't come to mind as much as Italy, Germany and France. When IU shows operas, they usually are from those countries, and if the performance is in English, it is usually a translation from Italian, German or French (and sometimes Russian). Such is not the case with IU's running opera, the "H.M.S. Pinafore," premiered in 1878 with the text by William Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan.\nThe most unique thing about seeing the performances of the "H.M.S. Pinafore" is that the libretto is originally in English, so the listener knows there is no mangling of the language. All the humor (and there is much of it) comes through clear and unfiltered.\nThe main type of humor used in the "H.M.S. Pinafore" is parody. The language is very overblown and may be difficult for those with small vocabularies, but the bombast parodies the highly overwrought literature of the Victorian Age. The opera includes also a great deal of social commentary. Class distinctions and contemporary attitudes toward them are lampooned, and the character of Sir Joseph Porter gives a delightful parody of Parliament and how he became First Lord of the Admiralty.\nThough a basic knowledge of Victorian England helps in understanding the humor, the parodies are so general that a listener can laugh at the characters on a human level, without any knowledge of British history or society.\nThe cast did an excellent job articulating through the wordy lyrics and speedy melodies, and succeeded as well in feigning British accents. The difficulty of some cast members with managing the accent was apparent, however, in the brief dialogue sections. Another issue that the cast had on occasion was projecting over the orchestra, making understanding \ndifficult. Clear and loud singing was especially necessary for this performance, since the usual supertitles were absent even though English operas usually have them.\nOverall, however, the cast succeeded admirably in singing beautifully and portraying convincing characters. A noteworthy performance was given by Courtney Crouse as Josephine Corcoran, the heroine, whose voice easily reached the highest notes in the opera and whose changes in mood were extremely convincing. Also, Christopher Nelson as her paramour, Ralph Rackstraw, sang with a wonderfully clear voice, which drew more attention to his rather one-dimensional role. Jason Plourde as Sir Joseph Porter looked every inch the part of a pompous bureaucrat, and gave the most convincing portrayal of the opera with his mixture of bumbling and condescension.\nThe orchestra, led by guest conductor Robert Wood gave the light, happy music almost the air of a Rossini opera, bringing out the melody and craft that lies in Sullivan's music. There were moments, particularly during the overture, when more projection would have been desired from this pit, but if it would have meant sacrificing the skillful execution, muffling is not a major problem.\nFinally, the stage design by C. David Higgins was very impressive. The set did not change through the two acts, so more attention could be given to making the design as impressive as possible. Not only the deck of the Pinafore, but several other ships were designed in the set with considerable nautical detail. The set was also framed by a mock-curtain scenery, complete with coat-of-arms on top and orchestral players on bottom.\nThe "H.M.S. Pinafore" does not offer tragic drama and royal or divine characters as many other operas. It is a light, humorous opera that will leave everyone delighted. It is perfect for the carefree summer season and is perfect for listeners of all walks of life.\nThe "H.M.S. Pinafore" will be showing Aug. 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. at the MAC. Tickets range from $12 to $29 for general audience and $8 to $18 for students. For more information contact 855-2255.
(07/28/05 3:56am)
What do opera and "Saturday Night Live" have in common? The ability to delight audiences even after years have passed, according to IU stage director, Vince Liotta.\nLiotta, who will be directing the performers in the coming performances of Gilbert and Sullivan's famous comic operetta, "H.M.S. Pinafore," spoke about the opera's place in the modern repertoire.\n"The opera is a comedy, and it is also a forerunner of American musicals, where the comedy is the predominant element, rather than the text," he said.\nLiotta called the opera "typical Gilbert and Sullivan" with its lighthearted comedy, over-the-top humor and lack of dramatic elements.\n"If you look at Gilbert and Sullivan, they were played to be the English equivalents of Jacques Offenbach's operettas. They're full of gags, funny situations and parody, which was the typical humor of the time," Liotta said.\nDespite the humor being characteristic of the 1880s and '90s, Liotta said that the opera still has relevance to today's world without needing to be updated in any way.\n"If you try to update this work or make it modern, it only seems that much more dated, like the covers of The Saturday Evening Post," he said.\nYet the opera has been continuously popular without needing any updates.\n"The 'H.M.S. Pinafore' is popular because it's funny," Liotta said. "It feels good in its own time. That way it can provoke laughter, when we can translate it to another time and place."\nThe opera does not lie completely in the past, however. It shares many comic techniques familiar with millions of television viewers across the country.\n"The essence of the style is overblown, while maintaining a lot more levels to laugh at things. The characters are caricatures of familiar types, much like the Marx brothers. I also keep looking back to 'Saturday Night Live,' where each company member became a formulaic character so that the audience would be familiar with that character type," Liotta said.\nDespite his analysis of character types and comic techniques, Liotta said that the opera is not about subtlety.\n"Burlesque doesn't work with subtlety," he said. "You have to make a point to take everything over the top."\nTo heighten his point, Liotta quoted Stephen Sondheim's "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."\n"Morals tomorrow, comedy tonight," he said.\nGilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore" will be showing a the MAC July 29 and 30, and August 5 and 6 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $12-29 and $8-18 for students. For more information, call 855-2255.
(07/18/05 3:31am)
On Nov. 2 of last year, Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was shot, stabbed and nearly beheaded. Aside from the embarrassingly long time it took to go to trial, what is really disturbing and enlightening is the nature of the killer's confession.\nMohammed Bouyeri, the murderer, is an Islamic extremist, and he told the court that what motivated him to kill was his religion -- van Gogh had made a film called "Submission" that criticized Islam's treatment of women.\n"What moved me to do what I did was purely my faith. ... I was motivated by the law that commands me to cut off the head of anyone who insults Allah and his prophet," Bouyeri told the court.\nNot stopping there, Bouyeri even told the victim's mother, "I have to admit I don't have any sympathy for you. I can't feel for you because I think you're a nonbeliever."\nThe Associated Press story which quoted Bouyeri also noted that spectators were "stunned" by his comments.\nStunned? After Sept. 11, after Madrid and only a week after London? How can one be stunned when it is common knowledge that large networks with this mindset are actively seeking the downfall of western civilization and when Bouyeri himself has 12 accomplices awaiting trial? One would have to live in a cave (and not in Afghanistan, either) to not see this.\n"Peace in our time," said Neville Chamberlain after Munich in 1938, perhaps the most naïve statement of the century. But Chamberlain is not far from a typical political idealist of today, and I dare say his kind is more common than ever, especially in Europe. Their heads are so high among the clouds that they don't notice the bombs exploding at their feet.\n"Tolerance," "understanding" and "dialogue" are rattled off dogmatically as the solution to terror. But no amount of tolerance or understanding can deal with people of Bouyeri's mindset and there certainly will be no dialogue, only hot air being frozen on stone-cold hearts.\nThe trial also shows how diametrically opposed the Islamic extremists are to western values. If I beheaded everyone who made a movie portraying Catholicism negatively, all of Hollywood, except maybe Mel Gibson, would be dead (and the movie industry's IQ would consequently skyrocket). One filmmaker criticizes Islam and dies for it -- notice the disparity? Van Gogh died because he picked the wrong religion to insult. It was the one with a sect of extremists willing to \nmurder because a man expressed his contrary opinion. These people hate everything the west represents, down to basic free speech.\nThat hatred is so thorough that it precludes any compromise. It took oceans of spilled blood to make Chamberlain see that, and I certainly hope no more must be shed to show our own Chamberlains. Their devotion to their twisted ideology resembles that of the Nazis: kill and die for your ideals. They must therefore be treated as were the Nazis. No tolerance, no dialogue, no mercy. That is how evil is vanquished.
(06/27/05 6:48pm)
The EU dreamboat is now being rocked so severely, it threatens to capsize. France and the Netherlands having famously rejected the proposed EU constitution in national referenda, now the Czech Republic and Finland are among those nations whose polls show disapproval. Britain, Denmark and Portugal have now postponed referenda, effectively halting the constitution's progress.\nYet the EU elite remain adamant on their constitution.\n"The constitution is not dead and buried," Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said in an Associated Press story.\nPolish Prime Minister Marek Belka wants to sidestep the popular vote altogether.\n"I understand that today the best way to ratify would be to quickly pass it through parliament," Belka said. "It will be tough to get people out to vote knowing that most countries are delaying their referendums." \nPoland's President Alexander Kwasniewski also refused to rely on the people's sentiments, saying, "The bitter experience of the last weeks shows that Europe needs mobilisation and not protest."\nIt appears the EU leaders are determined to have their constitution whether the people approve it or not.\nThis is very important. Europe, which prides itself on being a bastion of freedom and democracy, is flouting the most basic of democratic principles -- popular sovereignty. Perhaps "progress" is merely a myth and the pendulum of the past 200 years is swinging in the opposite direction -- back toward absolutism.\nGranted, it's not the absolutism of kings and archduke-electors, but as the poet says, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Parliaments and unelected commissioners now are about to wield the same power as monarchs and carry out their wishes for the Union -- in spite of the people's patent disapproval.\nThe elitist "Eurocrats" want to push their agenda because they have delusions of European grandeur to compete with the United States. Europe was great, it is true, but it passed its apogee 60 years ago and the Europe of today is a sad reflection of Europe of the past.\nEurope today is morally degraded -- boasting low crime rates only because so little is still classified as a crime (12 is the legal age of consent in the Netherlands). Its once-proud spirit of Romantic individualism lies crushed under oppressive and inefficient social government systems. Its art is ugly, uninspiring and nihilistic, a reflection of its equally nihilistic and mind-numbing trendy philosophy of Jacques Derrida and his ilk. And rather than reveling in its past glories, it turns to America to import a culture that relied upon it for development.\nThis is the Europe of today -- a continent that is culturally on the verge of another Dark Age. With the return of absolutism under the guise of pan-European government, it soon promises to be in a political dark age as well.\nIn 1790, Sir Edmund Burke lamented "the glory of Europe is gone forever" upon witnessing the French Revolution. If the EU constitution is passed in spite of popular opposition and Europe's current cultural trend continues, this shall indeed be true.
(06/23/05 2:50am)
IU's School of Music is famous for its talent, but it's now showcasing world-famous talent of epic proportions.\nThe IU Summer Music Festival is a concert series that features world-renowned professional musicians and ensembles playing alongside IU musicians.\nAlain Barker, director of marketing and publicity for the School of Music, emphasized the festival's importance to the Bloomington area.\n"(The festival) is a unique opportunity to showcase the School of Music in the community and region with performances that can be enjoyed in most metropolitan centers," Barker said.\nThough the musicians featured already are quite talented and highly-rated, the true fire of the Summer Festival is yet to come. The upcoming concerts feature two performances of the Penderecki Quartet.\nThis quartet is famous for exploring both contemporary music and classic, centuries-old works. Its history has much to do with the nature of its repertoire. Founded in Poland in 1986 at the urging of the pre-eminent Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki, the quartet became the authoritative performer of his modernistic works while still performing works of the old masters - Brahms's quartet works are particular specialties of the ensemble.\n"It is a phenomenal ensemble that has also been involved in teaching at IU's String Academy," Barker said of the Penderecki Quartet.\nOn June 28, the Penderecki Quartet will be performing string quartets by the Soviet Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) and the Pole Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994). They will then be joined by IU violist Atar Arad in performance of the Mendelssohn quintet.\nAnother world-renowned ensemble playing in the Summer Music Festival is the Beaux Arts Trio. This ensemble was founded in 1955 and consists of founding member Menahem Pressler on piano, Daniel Hope on violin and Antonio Meneses on cello. The trio has performed all over the world.\nOn June 30, their showcase piece at the IU Summer Music Festival will be Beethoven's Triple Concerto, Op. 56, a unique work that features a string trio in a concerto form normally used for a solo instrument. The orchestra will be led by new IU professor Jaime Laredo. On July 1 and 2, the trio is performing other works by Beethoven as well -- three piano trios -- to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Trio.\n"We are honored to have the Beaux Arts Trio celebrating their 50th Anniversary with us," Barker said, "especially since Menachem Pressler is a faculty member."\nBarker also emphasized the weight that the trio's presence gives to the festival.\n"The Beaux Arts Trio's performance makes this year's festival exceptional on an international level," he said.\nOther upcoming events on the Summer Music Festival program include performances of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 (Roberto Abbado conducting) on July 21, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 (Leonard Slatkin conducting) on August 4 and the Gilbert & Sullivan light opera "HMS Pinafore" on July 29.\nA taste of the talent in upcoming performances can be seen in those that have already taken place. The festival kicked off on Sunday with a performance by the American Chamber players. The Chamber Players were joined by IU pianist Jean-Louis Haguenauer in performance of works by Frank Bridge (1879-1941), Bohuslav Martinù (1890-1959), Beethoven and Brahms.\nConcerts following the opener included performances by violinist Sarah Kapustin and pianist Jeannette Koekkoek on Monday night, pianist Alice Rybak on Tuesday night. Wednesday night featured two IU musicians, Atar Arad, professor of viola, and pianist Chih-Yi Chen. Featured on last night's program was a work by Arad himself.\nFor more information on upcoming concerts and tickets, call 855-2255.
(06/09/05 2:21am)
Much in Bloomington resonates the past: the courthouse, the old university buildings and the portraits in the Union commons. For one night, Bloomington can experience a more personal reminder of the olden days -- music.\nJanet Klein & Her Parlor Boys kick of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater's "Good Ol' Summertime" nostalgia music series on Saturday. They will perform several vintage songs ranging from the 1910s to the '30s.\nThe program includes rustic and authentically inspired interpretations of early 20th-century hot jazz, tin pan alley, late ragtime and vaudeville tunes. Also included are 1920s jazz-styled Yiddish and Hawaiian novelty numbers and speakeasy songs featuring Janet Klein on her ukulele.\nKlein's own vocal style is also reflective of older, bygone singers such as Ruth Etting, Josephine Baker, Lil Armstrong and Mae West.\n"Listening to Janet Klein's sweet birdlike voice makes you feel like you woke up in your silk pajamas right next to your favorite sweetheart," said Mari Kono of Scram magazine.\nElizabeth Setler, in a 1999 issue of Popgallery magazine, also said of Klein's vocal talent: "Her knowing, kittenish vocal delivery, the equivalent of a wink and a smile, is perfectly matched with the material (which, chock full of clever wordplay and double entendre, almost makes one long for the days of strict censorship) and the delicate instrumentation lends an authentically old-fashioned sweetness to songs that, in the hands of a less finely attuned interpreter, might well end up as overblown camp. Impossible to listen to without smiling."\nKlein's first exposure to vintage music came from her grandparents, and what started out as a collection of sheet music from the turn of the last century gradually evolved into poetry readings backed up by music inspired by pre-World War II American popular music. Eventually, Klein dropped the poetry and focused entirely on vocal performance, assembling The Parlor Boys as her backup band.\nThe Los Angeles-based group has been performing vintage music since 1996, and regularly performs at historic theaters in Hollywood and Los Angeles as well as throughout California. The members of The Parlor Boys include 1960s pop star and radio personality Ian Whitcomb on vocals, ukulele and accordion and Tom Marion on guitar, mandolin and banjo.\nSaturday's concert marks one of the band's first ventures into the Midwest, so Bloomingtonians will have the added privilege of being among the first in the area to be exposed to the nostalgic sounds of Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys.\nJanet Klein & Her Parlor Boys perform at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Saturday at 7 p.m. For more information, including tickets, call 323-3020.
(05/18/05 11:45pm)
The 12th annual Bloomington Early Music Festival begins on Friday and will last ten days. Its 21 events include concerts and recitals of music ranging from medieval to baroque and classical. Events will occur mostly on the weekends, anchored around the Norwegian vocal ensemble Modus on the first weekend and around the ARTEK theatrical production the second.\nThe Bloomington Early Music Festival was begun by a group of IU students in the Music School's Early Music Institute who wanted to fill the concert gap in the Music School's program after the school year's end. The concerts gradually drew more interest and expanded into a 10-day festival of international recognition.\nMartie Perry, the interim Executive Director of BLEMF, spoke about the growth she has seen during her years involved with the festival.\n"I've personally seen the expansion in my five years here," she said. "We've reached out to the wider community of Indiana and we've gained notoriety among early music artists. This year we had 90 groups apply to get on our festival and our audience grows 20 percent every year."\nPerry also said that the festival is great for both the IU and Bloomington community.\n"The Early Music Festival is not only good for tourism and fills the Music School's performance gap, but the events are actually in the community itself," she said.\n"Also, the festival benefits students. It exposes them to more early music and makes them run their own concerts. It's a great résumé booster," Perry added.\nIU Doctoral Student Avi Stein, who will be playing in two of the concerts and conducting a third (Johann Mattheson's setting of the Saint John Passion), gave a student's perspective on the festival.\n"A group of friends and I got together and we wanted to perform this youthful, dramatic music," he said. "There's a great sense of doing things for their own sake. There's such a variety of really great musicians. Also, being in the summer makes the concert seem less stressful."\nStein said that for listeners, the festival is a great chance to hear music that is rarely performed live. Stein also commented on the performance of Bach's Cantata No. 80 and Handel's "Dixit Dominus" -- other choral works. Though they are part of the standard repertoire, Stein said, they are exciting pieces performed in an exciting way.\nStein was enthusiastic about the festival and highlighted its importance to Bloomington as well.\n"Lots of local effort goes into it," he said, "and it gives Bloomington national attention. It's like the Lotus Festival, but with the focus on early music instead of world music."\nPerry then spoke of the concerts featured on this year's program.\n"There's no concert to miss. Every night there's something exciting and different," she said, "because performances are of rare music on period instruments."\nUnique events that Perry did highlight, however, are the anchor events: the Dodworth Saxhorn Band, the Atwater Consort at the Oliver Winery and the Gaelic harp's performance at the Irish Lion, which is the first time the festival will expand to a local restaurant venue.\nPerry also highlighted future plans for the Early Music Festival.\n"We've always had an educational aspect to the festival," Perry said. "This year we have three children's programs, family events and a program at the Ellettsville public schools. We plan on having a fall program that reaches out to schools in the future."\nOther plans are to bring new and more famous names to the festival. Also, 2006 is going to be a "Mozart year" for the festival and in 2007 the festival plans to host a modern premiere of a Vivaldi opera stored on microfilm in IU's music library.\n"The festival is becoming more established every year," Perry said of present expansion and future plans.\nA concert schedule and ticket information can be viewed at www.blemf.org/concerts.htm.
(05/09/05 1:56am)
The IU Auditorium might appear to host its events effortlessly, but a massive amount of student and professional work goes into making the performances so successful. Last Saturday, the auditorium said goodbye to both student and professional staff in a ceremony honoring their efforts.\nGraduating seniors Bridget Krull, who has served as assistant box office manager, and Matt Mindrum, who has been customer relations manager, spoke about their time working for the Auditorium and how these experiences have shaped them. Krull started working as a volunteer usher, then was hired in her current position after the Auditorium renovation created more staff openings. Mindrum missed the first usher callout, but still wanted to become involved, so he was hired as a customer relations assistant and was promoted from there.\n"One of the things I love the most and that I'll miss the most is the small staff here," Krull said. "Everyone is so close, and that outweighs any work-related tensions."\nMindrum agreed, saying, "Work here has been a lot of fun, but we definitely get things done, too. We have a blast doing them."\nMindrum also said that work at the Auditorium helped him develop personally, giving him just as much as the classroom experience.\n"The Auditorium is a great place to develop areas where you're lacking," he said. "You push yourself and have the support of everyone on staff."\nMindrum's experiences at the auditorium are helping him in his post-graduation plans. Mindrum will be pursuing his MBA at Harvard, after which he plans to use it in arts and entertainment management and consulting or another related field.\n"To be accepted in the program, I needed four to six years of full-time work experience, which is hard for any college student to have. Working at the Auditorium gave me that experience and allowed me to have this opportunity."\nKrull also is going to directly use her experience at the Auditorium -- she is going to work for Ticketmaster.\n"I definitely got real work experience from (the Auditorium)," she said. "If it weren't for this job I probably would be living at home after graduation."\nAside from students, the Auditorium is also saying goodbye to a longtime professional staff member. Cherri DuPree, who has served as the head ticket taker since 1988, is going to be leaving her position after 17 years.\nDuPree started working for the Auditorium in only a part-time capacity until she was asked to take charge. In her years, she has worked a variety of shows ranging from controversial speakers to showtunes, and has met a variety of celebrities including Jay Leno, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Bob Newhart, Winton Marsalis and Johnnie Cochran.\n"I tried to go in to every show and meet the act. It's a lot harder nowadays than when I first started because security is tighter," DuPree said.\nDuPree also advised her student staff to meet the opening acts.\n"You never know when an opening act that no one's heard of takes off and soon becomes the main act," she said.\nDuPree hasn't always worked alongside the students. When she first started, the ticket takers and student managers were separate. Current Auditorium director Doug Booher put the two together several years ago, and since then, DuPree has had a special relationship with the student employees.\n"I've been kind of like a mother to them," she said, "but I've always been seen as an equal, too. (Students) have invited me to parties and I still maintain contact with several former students. I really love that."\nDuPree said that she is getting too old to continue to be seen as an equal, and that the time was right for her to leave. Her days at the Auditorium are not finished, however. DuPree plans to continue volunteering at shows.\n"It hasn't quite hit me yet, though. It just seems like I've ended a regular season. I'm sure I'm going to miss working here," she said.\nThe students also feel the same endearment for DuPree.\nMindrum said, "She's been here longer than anyone, even the directors, and she knows everyone. She's a wonderful woman and everyone will miss her."\nKrull added that DuPree knew exactly how to deal with the different audiences that the Auditorium's shows attract.\n"It won't be the same here without Cherri," Krull said.\n-- Contact Arts Editor Adam Sedia at asedia@indiana.edu.\nand meet the act. It's a lot harder nowadays than when I first started because security is tighter," DuPree said.\nDuPree also advised her student staff to meet the opening acts.\n"You never know when an opening act that no one's heard of takes off and soon becomes the main act," she said.\nDuPree hasn't always worked alongside the students. When she first started, the ticket takers and student managers were separate. Current Auditorium director Doug Booher put the two together several years ago, and since then, DuPree has had a special relationship with the student employees.\n"I've been kind of like a mother to them," she said, "but I've always been seen as an equal, too. (Students) have invited me to parties and I still maintain contact with several former students. I really love that."\nDuPree said that she is getting too old to continue to be seen as an equal, and that the time was right for her to leave. Her days at the Auditorium are not finished, however. DuPree plans to continue volunteering at shows.\n"It hasn't quite hit me yet, though. It just seems like I've ended a regular season. I'm sure I'm going to miss working here," she said.\nThe students also feel the same endearment for DuPree.\nMindrum said, "She's been here longer than anyone, even the directors, and she knows everyone. She's a wonderful woman and everyone will miss her."\nKrull added that DuPree knew exactly how to deal with the different audiences that the Auditorium's shows attract.\n"It won't be the same here without Cherri," Krull said.\n-- Contact Arts Editor Adam Sedia at asedia@indiana.edu.
(04/29/05 4:24am)
I have been to nine European countries thus far, and each one is so different I cannot understand how all these different countries could ever consolidate into one nation. Yet some are proposing they do exactly that.\nThe European leaders will try once again to ratify a constitution for a united Europe after their dismal failure in June 2004 to do the same thing. The failure of the last attempt at unification caught all of the leaders in its favor completely by surprise. It was, for them, one might say, a reality check.\nThe nation most in favor of uniting Europe is (surprise!) France, because it is the nation with the most to gain from this move. The united Europe is a French vision of Europe, based on French values with France at its helm. \n"This treaty will allow France to be stronger in Europe, and Europe to be stronger in the world," French President Jacques Chirac said in a Reuters News Service article. "A 'no' vote would weaken France and leave the way open to an 'ultra-liberal' Europe." Chirac even brought his longtime sidekick Gerhard Schröder of Germany in on the deal, saying, "France and Germany have a very special responsibility for the success of this process."\nDespite all his visions of French grandeur, Chirac might have second-guessed his own electorate about its goals. France plans to have a referendum May 29 to determine whether the French people support a united Europe.\nIt turns out that such a franco-centric vision of Europe has not met with much support in France itself. According to opinion polls, most French voters plan on rejecting Chirac's bid for a united Europe, and as many as one-third simply do not care. The opposition to the proposal results largely from high unemployment and unsuccessful economic reforms carried out by the government. Many French people fear the unemployment will rise even higher if this proposal is ratified.\nA popular rejection by the citizens of the European Union's founding member would not only embarrass Chirac and like-minded French leaders, but it would be a firm statement about the European Union's future that would have serious effects on the other 24 member nations and their involvement with France and the European Union.\nIt would be better for Europe and the world if the French do vote "non" and the European Union loses some of its cohesion. A united Europe under one constitution would peacefully achieve what Napoleon sought to achieve by war: imposing French values and French power upon the rest of Europe.\nEurope can never be so uniform and so docile to one master. Its political and cultural landscape has hardly changed since the fall of the Roman Empire. Europe is a mixture of many languages and nationalities, both national and sub-national (as with the Basques and Catalans). We must also remember that only 60 years ago, the nations now looking to unite were locked in a bitter struggle that nearly destroyed Europe.\nSo how can Europe expect to unite and stay united when it will never be homogenous nor peaceful. More importantly, why does Europe (or France) wish to defy history and attempt unity?\nFrance is trying to set up a United States of Europe to balance the United States of America as a world power. Interesting idea though it may be, Europe will never be like the United States; their histories and demographics are too different for the same effect to be achieved.\nIt is already amazing enough that Europe is as powerful as it is in the world, considering it is the second-smallest continent. European powers should be content with that.