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(02/20/02 5:29am)
Professor Howard Jensen has waited thirty years for this Friday night. On that evening, the IU Theatre production of Arthur Miller's "Death of A Salesman," which Jensen directed, will open the new Ruth N. Halls Theatre at the new Theatre and Drama Center.\nHired in 1972 and having served 27 years as head of acting and directing at IU, Jensen has directed here and regionally for much of his career but has never, as a director, tackled the play that many consider to be the greatest American dramatic work.\nBut that is not to say that the play and the director do not have a history that will culminate in this weekend's opening. \n"'Death of a Salesman' was the first play I ever read -- it was the first play I ever bought. Obviously it made a great impression; it blew me away," said Jensen, who for many years would not have touched the play. "I came back to Death of a Salesman maybe five, six years ago and realized what it was that hit me when I first read it. It is indeed a genuine American classic; and I think while a lot of other Miller plays have not retained their popularity, this one still is and seems to get at something universal."\nIt is that universality that has seen the play produced in numerous countries, translated into dozens of languages and even adapted on Broadway in 1999 starring Brian Dennehy, who won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Willy Loman.\n"I'm just amazed at the number of people I've talked to who come right out and say, 'This is a very painful play. It's just like my family; it reminds me of my father,'" Jensen said. "While I think he was writing a critique of the dark side of the American dream, it's a family thing that keeps the play in the repertory."\nThe aspect of the family is also something that touched graduate student Erik Anderson, who will play Willy Loman in this production as his thesis role in conjunction with a master's degree in acting.\n"I think it's important because it's a story that on any level any American can relate to," Anderson said. "I'd like to believe that this is a play that when people leave the theater, they might appreciate (their) families even more."\nAnderson's work as Willy Loman was not originally the idea for the casting of the role. Miller was attempting to merge the idea of a tragic figure who was a normal man or 'low man' with that of the Aristotelian notion of a tragic hero. Willy Loman is arguably the most difficult American-made role, and is not easily attempted by any actor.\n"When I proposed this play, I wanted to have assurance that a professional actor would come in and do it," Jensen said. "Well, then as time went on and I saw (Anderson's) work and how he was progressing, and when I went through the (professional) actors I personally knew that I thought we could get here and who would come for a longer period of time, I realized that I had the best actor here with (Anderson)."\nAnderson, who was originally slated to play the role of Biff Loman (Willy's son), has now come to embrace the role.\n"Looking back, I was really uncomfortable being cast in this role. Now, I wouldn't want any other role for my thesis even though it still scares me to death a bit," Anderson said.\n"Death of a Salesman" concerns many ideas. It merges theatrics and expressionism on the stage with realism, takes on the facets of the American dream and critiques post-World War II generational issues, but in the end it deconstructs the American family.\nIn the play, salesman Willy Loman is nearing the end of his career but cannot reconcile the fact that he is not a success and that his house and his investments (a refrigerator and a car) are not yet paid off and are now falling apart -- just as he is. His children, now grown, have also not lived up to his ideals, and throughout the play he is forced to face the values he embued versus the changing face of the American dream.\nBecause the play is realistic but with a foot embedded in theatricality, graduate student and set designer Mark Smith, whose design will serve as his master's thesis, had a great challenge before him.\nOriginally, it was Miller's intention to have the play take place in a set that was the inside of Willy's head -- hence the play's original title "The Inside of His Head." Though that idea faded away, the notion of the play taking place in Willy's mind has not.\n"Our setting still reflects the inside of Loman\'s mind -- the claustrophobia of being boxed in by his surroundings and the paranoia not being able to keep up with a world that keeps changing," Smith said. "The audience should see the world the way Willy Loman sees it. But the issues in the play are very real, particularly today, so it is important not to create a setting that is detached from reality."\nBecause the show is being done in the state-of-the-art Ruth N. Halls Theatre, it affords many new technical capabilities, including its height, which Smith said is utilized in this design.\nThe use of the new theater is also something Jensen has been awaiting for a long time, and for him, though memories of the University Theatre are fond, it was well worth the wait.\n"A lot of people have been very fond of the theater over there -- and I am too -- but I've been in the slums for 30 years," Jensen said. "There were days when it got really hard to come and teach because of the dark, dirty, stinky rooms -- so yeah, this is joyous. Walking into that new space was wonderful."\n"Death of a Salesman" will play at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre March 22, 23 and 24-30 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and are available at the IU Auditorium Box Office.
(02/14/02 4:38am)
The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, has canceled his North American tour which included a visit to the IU Bloomington campus in April due to illness from exhaustion.\nThe Dalai Lama was to dedicate the opening of the Chamtse Ling Temple and the Youth Program at the Tibetan Cultural Center as well as give a talk at IU's Assembly Hall.\nThe Dalai Lama, 66, canceled his engagement to North America as well as his European tour in March due to exhaustion from his extensive tour and lecture schedule, according to a press release.\n"We are very sad to hear about his recent illness, but are also very happy to hear that he is in full recovery," Thubten J. Norbu of the Tibetan Culture Center, said. "The health of His Holiness is most important, not only to us but also to all the peoples of the world."\nNorbu is the brother of the Dalai Lama and founded the Tibetan Culture Center. He also owns the Snow Lion restaurant in Bloomington.\nHis North American tour was to include visits to New York, Boston, Ottawa, Ontario and Bloomington.\nWhile in Bloomington, the Dalai Lama's sister, Jetsun Pema, was to hold a program for children at the center entitled "How to Find Peaceful Solutions to Conflicts," according to the IDS article "Dalai Lama returning to Bloomington campus" from Jan. 30.\nAccording to a press release from Norbu and from the Office of Tibet in New York, all events will be postponed.\nThe Dalai Lama was first diagnosed Jan. 27 with intestinal infection, which doctors said they believe he may have obtained from a food or water-borne amoeba, the Office of Tibet said. Feb. 7 the Dalai Lama left Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai (Bombay), India for his home in Dharamsala, India.\n"Over the past two weeks, Tibetans and supporters of Tibet living in various parts of the world have performed prayers for His Holiness' early recovery and good health," said a representative from the Tibetan Center in New York. "The Kashag (Cabinet of the Tibetan Government in Exile), as well as friends and supporters of His Holiness and Tibet, have requested that His Holiness take a complete rest for the next three months."\nHis talk at IU's Assembly Hall entitled "Finding Inner Peace in Today's World" will also be postponed and tickets purchased through Ticket Master are fully refundable, their telephone service said.\nThe Tibetan Culture Center has given three options to those who have purchased tickets to their events, said representative Sandy Belth. Patrons may apply their payment to a future visit of His Holiness, donate the money to the building of the Chamtse Ling Temple, or apply for a refund, which the Tibetan Culture Center will honor.\nProfessor Elliot Sperling, the chair of the Central Eurasian Studies department at IU, is a Tibetan Specialist and relates that part of the prominence of the Tibetan Studies department has been due to the visits from the Dalai Lama.\n"The Dalai Lama's presence, the presence of the Tibetan Studies program is uniquely tied to IU's focus of diversity," Sperling said. "We regret that he's not going to come, but his reasons are completely understandable and he should take time to recuperate."\nThe last time the Dalai Lama visited Bloomington was in 1999, when he celebrated the 12-day Kalachakra initiation for world peace. This would have been his fourth visit, having first come in 1987, again in 1996 and finally in 1999.
(02/05/02 6:46am)
Tonight at 7 p.m. in Auer Hall in the School of Music Library, the late distinguished professor of violin, Franco Gulli, will be remembered and honored by his colleagues and students in a memorial concert. The concert, serving both as a tribute and a farewell to the late professor, will bring family, friends, students, alumni and IU Music Faculty together to play the music that Gulli loved.\nThe concert will feature music by Bach, Haydn and Franck and will be played by various IU violin professors, including close friends Miriam Freid and Paul Biss. Biss, who visited Gulli nearly every day in the hospital prior to his death Nov. 20, said that while the concert is in celebration of his life, it is "a painful reminder that he's not here anymore."\n"I was terribly sad and felt I lost a true friend," Biss said. "I think Indiana lost a giant and I think it was a very very sad day for music and for anybody who loves the violin and a profoundly sad day for IU. These are all pieces that he loved. And though there may be an element of sadness, none of it is really morbid. They are slow movements but somehow the music has a smile on its face."\nThough Gulli had been ill for most of the fall semester, he still was able to give some lessons to his students. Many had to begin studying with other violin faculty members. Though many students, like senior Michael Evans, came to IU specifically because of Gulli, having to work with a new teacher did not deter his enthusiasm for study.\n"While Gulli was away and on sabbatical, I was put with (Professor Henryk) Kowalski, which was a very different style of teaching but we got along quite well and as a result, it's been a pretty smooth transition for me," Evans said. "I have worked with him in depth enough that we get along pretty well. Every teacher here is here for a reason. They're all wonderful teachers. I feel fortunate to be with a wonderful teacher."\nBut while the transition has been easier for Evans, his time with Gulli was full of learning and memories. \n"He would talk about what you need to consider in terms of balance with the orchestra and getting along with the conductor on certain passages. It was more considering music as a whole rather than how to play it. It was really above and beyond the limitations of pure technique. Gulli himself wasn't much into working on technique. But he was so good at what he did that it didn't matter. It made practicing a little more interesting," he said.\nThe concert on Tuesday will allow the string faculty to say goodbye to their friend and colleague as many of his friends and family were either away for Thanksgiving at the time of his death, or in Italy, Gulli's native country.\nProfessor Lawrence Hurst, the chair of the string department, will give a speech sharing the music faculty's goodbyes as part of the concert. Hurst, like many of Gulli's friends and students, made clear that Gulli was more than just a teacher.\n"What I remember most about Professor Gulli is that he was always encouraging to the students," Hurst said. "He would always be there for them, helping the students overcome difficulties, and the students loved him for that. He's the embodiment of the word 'gentleman'."\nWhen many think of the violin and its repertoire, the works of Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn and Paganini come to mind, but to celebrate Gulli, works by classical period composers were chosen. Rather than use showpieces, the faculty chose these pieces because they are the music that Gulli most enjoyed in his life.\n"His true love and passion for this instrument was for the classical stuff," Evans said. "Beethoven, especially Mozart -- the great masters. I think it's a perfect program. Gulli had the chops to play anything he wanted to, but his love was centered around those kinds of works so I think it's very appropriate that they picked those works. It was very perceptive on (the part of the organizers in recognizing) Gulli's mastery"
(01/09/02 4:03am)
When in Indianapolis, a favorite pastime of mine is to seek out new and exciting culinary experiences around the city that are either very unknown (hole-in-the-wall) or under appreciated. In Bloomington, it is a rare occasion for a new restaurant to open in such a supremely competitive and uniquely varied market.\nBloomington's famous restaurant row of Fourth Street between Dunn and Washington has just added a new cuisine to its growing oriental offerings that is likely to become a great rage. When Chinese becomes boring (and for me, that is often), seek out Burmese Gems at 413 E. Fourth St. just next door to Anyetsang's Little Tibet.\nAlong with Thai and Tibetan restaurants in Bloomington, the dishes of Burma, a neighbor of Thailand, are now available as tasty and exciting alternatives to the dullness of Americanese Mandarin food.\nOpen now, Burmese Gems is open for lunch and dinner and their growing menu offers about ten Burmese dishes with five assorted Burmese appetizer salads. They also include a few Thai favorites and a small but fresh selection of well made sushi.\nMonday evening, my friend and I decided to sample something from each of the three represented countries.\nFrom the look of their menu, the Burmese, like the Thai, base their dishes on rice noodles which are called kaukswe; other dishes are varieties of salads called lethoke. The main tastes in Burmese food seem to be bean curd and soy bean and other garden tastes that differ from Thai by means of the lack of peanuts and coconut milk. There are exceptions, but the main source for the foods is in the noodles.\nMy friend chose his favorite Thai dish, chicken Pad-Thai which is rice noodles with cabbage, bean sprouts, green onion, tofu, ground peanut and chicken (it also can come vegetarian or with shrimp). Either he was quite hungry or it was just very pleasing, because the plate was cleaned with an appetite of voracious proportions.\nWe both sampled a few bits of sushi from their menu going with yellow-tail (hamachi) and red-snapper (tai) nigiri sushi, an spicy tuna roll and for myself I ordered a salmon hand-roll (saki temaki). The fish was quite fresh and not at all chewy, and there was not an abundance of rice to make up for small amounts of fish. The tuna roll was nicely spiced but not too saucy and also not overpowering. The hand-roll was not spiced, even though it was advertized as a spicy salmon hand roll, but nevertheless it was well made and very tasty. Only the seaweed wrap was chewy from having sat on my plate a second too long.\nAs far as my dinner, I tried the Burmese Kaukswe Pyoke or rice noodle soup with fish balls (also available with pork balls). Having a special liking for fishball dishes, I found the Burmese soup to be quite interesting. The fish balls were obviously hand made for they were not perfectly round and they had a unique taste and texture that made them quite accessible and very tasty.\nThe soup itself was a fish based broth with roasted garlic, green onion, broccoli stalks and trees with a mountain of noodles. When it came, the soup was very hot to the tongue and it needed a bit of cooling. However, once I became accustomed to the temperature, it was a welcome change from the frozen winter weather. The only draw back from the soup was that it was a bit garlicky for my taste which makes for unpleasant breath on two counts: garlic and fish.\nOn the whole, Burmese Gems impressed me as few restaurants do. With their relatively cheap menu (all noodle specialties were $7 for dinner), I will most definitely venture there again to try the other interesting menu items.\nWhen in need of a break from Chinese or even if you're as curious as I am about new eateries, check out Burmese Gems.
(12/10/01 3:42am)
Attorney General John Ashcroft has given voice to an executive plan to fight terrorism in the United States and in Afghanistan. The plan shall effectively limit certain American civil liberties, while conspicuously leaving others alone. One civil liberty the Republican Administration's plan shall infringe upon is the FBI's auditing of gun purchasing records by those they detained for questioning in the Sept. 11 attacks, according to the New York Times.\nDuring his testimony before congress, Ashcroft said that those who would criticize the plan would be giving "ammunition to America's enemies. To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists."\nGranted, the terrorist threat posed by al Qaeda cells around the world are much more imminent than Communist threats in the 1950s were, but how far are Ashcroft's statements from allegations made by Senator Joe McCarthy?\nIt is true the Administration's plan is to heighten safety for American citizens and not a partisan ploy, but one cannot help seeing the similarities. Rather than trying to aid terrorists, the Democrats are trying to make sure that no one abuses a power that becomes a precedent the moment it is adopted -- protecting the American people for the future just as the Republicans are for the present.\nBut it is interesting that the Republicans, who are so interested in this country's well being, won't allow the FBI to investigate possible terrorists' gun-purchasing records since they've been detained. One could say that they are trying to protect their gun lobby.\nFurther, this plan would allow the military to hold "tribunals" where they could try anyone they deem to be a "war criminal" whether in this country or in Afghanistan.\nOf course the plan is in place so the U.S. can indict Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders without bringing them here and allowing them to be on national television during trials.\n"When we come to those responsible for this, say who are in Afghanistan, are we supposed to read them the Miranda rights, hire a flamboyant defense lawyer, bring them back to the United States to create a new cable network of Osama TV or what have you, provide a worldwide platform from which propaganda can be developed?" Ashcroft asked Congress.\nAs mentioned here last week, I'm glad to see this administration understand that simply assassinating bin Laden would only make him a martyr.\nBut, the critics of the Bush initiative are only trying to ensure the civil liberties of the citizens of the U.S. so that after the war, that power cannot be abused in a more dangerous way.\nSenator Patrick Leahy, the senator who had an Anthrax laced letter sent to his office, said, "It (criticism) is to protect ourselves as Americans and protect our American freedoms."\nBut it should be questioned whether or not the plan should be sanctioned at all in terms of its spirit juxtaposed with the thoughts of the creators of this country. \nParaphrased, Benjamin Franklin once said that anyone who would limit his or her own liberty for the sake of short-term security, doesn't deserve that freedom in the first place.\nWell said.
(12/03/01 3:53am)
A recent poll on the Netscape home page asked if Osama bin Laden were to be captured by the United States, should he be assassinated or brought to trial. The vote was more than 70 percent for assassination and 30 percent for bringing the man to trial.\nSince Sept. 11, the world view on killing people has drastically changed. In one fell swoop, murder and death have lost their lethal demeanor and something more passe seems to have found its way into our collective minds.\nEven in this country -- a country founded on the principle of innocent until proven guilty -- a man who is only suspected is already condemned. We sit back and joke about it; even here with George Carlin who, in his IU Auditorium show, denounced the Ten Commandments except for one: "Thou shalt not murder anyone unless he doth not believe in the same invisible god as you do; in that case, kill that son of a bitch."\nNo one is really dormant from these feelings -- even if they are in passing -- as my first reaction was to point nuclear weapons at Mecca and Medina and unless bin Laden was released to us, the United States would start destroying those holiest of places. In effect, I wanted the United States to hit them where it hurt the most. But, being a rational and tolerant person, that thought took only a minute to pass through my mind and be discarded as totally ludicrous.\nNevertheless, life now seems to be the resource we are least interested with. Being a Jew and a firm supporter of the State of Israel, I am now stuck in a very strident tug of war within my soul. \nAs many are aware, three suicide bombs went off in Israel this weekend: two in Jerusalem, one in the port city of Haifa in the north. At least 20 people, mostly between ages 14-20 are dead and injuries are in the hundreds. And as I read this, I came upon a quote that froze me and horrified me.\n"On Sunday morning, angry Israelis gathered at Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem, chanting 'Death to the Arabs' and calling on their government to move against Arafat."\nJudaism is a religion that does not in any way support killing. Only in times of war is it permitted to kill someone (if someone tries to kill you first, you are allowed to defend yourself). There is no movement in Judaism to wreak terror on those who do not believe what we do. \nBut, Israel and many Israeli Jews are not religious. The loss of religion in Israel will be the political and bloody death of that nation. The same holds true for the Palestinians. If they ever want to have a free and peaceful nation, a murder and casualty toll of more than 200 must not be the price for one assassinated figurehead.\nFinally, the people of the United States and the world must realize that death and killing is never the final answer. Certainly in a war people must die, but we can never resort to being a nation that will kill anyone without cause or proof of wrongdoing. Even bin Laden must come to trial and not to immediate death. Otherwise, we are no better than he.
(11/27/01 5:06am)
Not being completely immersed in the news everyday, I often find it difficult to find a topic to address in my columns. For this particular week, since I have been going from show to show at the theater, I've spent more time creating than critiquing.\nFor the first time in a long time, however, I took a very long moment outside.\nThis past weekend, I found a new meaning to a very American holiday that, more than any other American holiday, I\'ve actually celebrated in a manner that was not blinded by merchandising or my own cynicism -- for instance, Labor Day (wait a minute...?).\nThanksgiving, for me anyway, has some very distinct traditions that always make it an anticipated holiday, but also one where I can allow my patriotism to show.\nFor the last four years, a friend from high school has had a brunch for friends from high school (not all of us are still on speaking terms, but none of us dislike one another). It is a tradition she plans to continue even beyond college. That small gesture of friendship and hospitality brings those of us together who, otherwise, we may not even speak to, much less break bread with.\nNot to be too long-winded about it, it is a tradition that immediately puts me into a sharing and loving atmosphere for the rest of the day's festivities.\nThis year, since Thanksgiving is always divided between being with my mother and my father, I chose this year to be with my father and come back to Bloomington for the kind of thanksgiving people only read about (ha, ha). \nWe spent the holiday with friends at their home in Green County, Ind., -- a home with dogs, horses, a pond, hundreds of acres and nowhere near civilization (relatively). It was a day of being back in a place where nothing can really bother you, a place that is much older than you realize (just take a walk by the cemetery on their property where most of the deaths were between 1835-1890).\nIf nothing else, laying on the hammock after having eaten my fill of organic, hickory smoked turkey brought me back to my Southern Indiana roots and laid back, simple pleasures.\nAfter having spent (and about to return to) hours upon hours in a dark theater helping entertain people, the thanks I was giving this holiday was for the reminder of the simplicity of life and how beautiful this world can be.\nDespite the cold I caught, this was a very peaceful, thankful Thanksgiving.
(10/29/01 3:33am)
The patriotism of this country is showing a change in overall sentiments from its citizens. Never since World War II have the American people come together, showing fully that cynicism and apathy have not ruined the spirit of this country.\nRecently, I viewed a performance of an opera in Indianapolis where the performance began with the cast and orchestra playing and singing the "Star Spangled Banner." Also, in the middle of the opera, during a processional for war heroes coming home (the Egyptians at war with Ethiopia), Indianapolis sheriffs, policemen and firefighters came out on stage and received a standing ovation.\nThough it stirred my heart at the moment and I sang the national anthem and clapped at the processional, I couldn't help but feel violated by this forcing of patriotic ritual upon me.\nThe question for me today is twofold. I am not patriotic in the sense that I have a flag in my window or perform any other American patriotic ritual. Does this mean that I am not patriotic at all or that I do not love my country?\nNo. I pay my taxes, I highly advocate the American Civil Liberties Union because I truly believe that everyone should have the freedom to have rights, and I vote on election days. But I do not outwardly show my patriotism -- and no one should feel bad for not being as outwardly patriotic as others are.\nThe other question that I ask is at what point does patriotic ritual become nothing higher than proselytism or idolatry? \nPresident George W. Bush asked that flags return to full mast almost a month ago. While I can certainly understand singing the national anthem in Broadway theatres in New York (actually, they've more often been singing "God Bless America" or "American the Beautiful" after the performance, not before) because the tragedy is staring them in the face.\nBut we are not neck deep in this tragedy -- this is Indiana, not New York City. For an opera to not only force a singing of the national anthem at the beginning of the production but to also induce our empathy for Indianapolis safety workers (albeit they deserve our support) is nothing more than inappropriately placed patriotism, not an expression of some deeper love for the country.\nThe director said he decided to do it not for artistic reasons, but as a space filler and to get the audience back if he had lost them -- hardly patriotic to me.\nTo me, patriotism is ritualistic and needs to be decided on a personal basis -- not an enforcement of many on the few. Rituals performed idly can ruin their meaning, and when that happens, no amount of singing will well up the pride of the American people.
(10/26/01 4:41am)
This weekend, a world premiere musical written by an IU student and her husband will open at the John Waldron Arts Center at 122 S. Walnut. Senior Catherine Peterson-Smith wrote the book and lyrics; Koven Smith wrote the music. \n"Neenog and the Fish for a Long Time" is Peterson-Smith's final project in her individualized major in playwrighting, directing and performance in musical theater.\nNew plays by IU undergraduate students -- especially new musicals -- are rare. With the help of the B-town players, which Mrs. Peterson-Smith helped found, this rarity will come to fruition.\nThe musical's title refers to a place of the afterlife, a major theme of the musical. The musical also tackles, "...the unfreezing of emotion, the quest for passion and the ultimate attainment of peace," according to a press release.\nThe couple proceeded to gather a production staff and cast of mostly undergraduates to put the piece together in what Richard Rundle, a senior and the show's director, is calling a workshop.\n"Many plays have been workshopped such as 'Godspell' and 'A Chorus Line,'" Rundle said. "In essence, they used the simple text of the Bible to create something out of nothing. My expectations are that the audience will walk out of the show feeling that they have seen a theatrical production completely different than anything they have seen before."\nFor the writers, its gestation was a taxing, but productive, experience for both.\n"It was actually a very freeing dynamic because it was a creative process between two people, not two married folks hoping a comment wouldn't affect me deeply and cause me to poison his dinner," Catherine said of her husband. "It was a joy working with his brilliant musical mind."\nPutting together a new musical is no easy task. No Broadway cast CD or book serves as a guide for the staging and set designs; everything will be original.\n"It's different putting together a new musical because there aren't any tapes to listen to, no previous singers to emulate," said Carly Roetter, a senior. "You are the first person to bring life to this character. And it's fun to think people will emulate you someday and learn the nuances of the character through you. It's amazing to play a part that someone you know wrote."\nPeterson-Smith and her husband said that they are pleased with the talent, progress and dedication their group has put forth but that diving immediately into another musical might not be first on their "to do" lists.\n"I just believe so much about what musical theater can be in the future that I wanted to make something of a gleaming light of hope to a world of skeptics and an eye-opener to all those tried-and-true 'Oklahoma!' lovers," Peterson-Smith said. "I pray this is not the last time the world sees Neenog."\n"Neenog and the Fish for a Long Time" opens at 8 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Waldron. It runs through the Oct. 28 with all shows at 8 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door for $6 and by members of the cast and production staff for $5 prior.
(09/25/01 5:32am)
In the world of classical music, performers tend to be booked years in advance, allowing very little time for special engagements. \nIU's School of Music has many personalities connected to the professional music world and often some of those people find a way to make a visit to the rolling hills of Bloomington -- Kurt Masur in 1999 and Mistislav Rostropovich in 2000. \nTonight, one of the world's most renowned pianists, whose career spans nearly 30 years, will make time for a special concert at the Musical Arts Center. At 8 p.m. pianist André Watts will play a concert with IU's Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of his good friend, professor David Effron.\nThough there are many different works in the canon of piano and orchestra music, Effron and Watts chose to perform the piano concerti Nos. 1 and 2 by Johannes Brahms. The works are not only rarely played together on the same night, but they are both tour-de-force pieces for the piano and a challenge that only a performer of Watts' ability might undertake.\n"He has a wonderful command of the instrument," distinguished professor of piano Menahem Pressler said. "His aim in making music is very high. And, to that, I can say that his program (what he'll play) certainly aims very high -- playing the Brahms concerti in the same night is a marathon to say the least ... physical and mental strain. But he's at his best age now, his most mature, and his best physical condition so it should be very exciting."\nMaestro Watts' career has had unique longevity that began at an age when most kids are still confused about how to go about their futures. At 16, he played with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic on a Young People's Concert series on CBS. \nTwo weeks later, Bernstein asked Watts to step in for an sickly Glenn Gould to play composer Franz Liszt's E-Flat concerto with the Philharmonic. Since then, his playing has garnered him a completely booked career playing to sold-out concert halls across the world resulting in fame, numerous recordings and being considered among the top pianists of his generation and the last century.\n"The IU School of Music is thrilled to have renowned pianist André Watts perform with its Philharmonic Orchestra in a rare program of both Brahms piano concerti," music school spokeswoman Maria Talbert said. "Not only is this a rare opportunity for the students, but it is also for the campus and Bloomington community -- it's not every day that we can hear such an accomplished musician, right here in our own backyard."\nFor Watts to make time to come to IU is quite special and would not have happened had it not been for his friendship with Effron. Effron asked him two years ago if he could come to Bloomington to play and share his music and Watts graciously said yes -- provided Effron would conduct.\n"We're friends and we love to play together, we love to make music together and anytime we get an opportunity we try to do it," Effron said. "Sometimes you're really fortunate that you find someone that you're on the same page with psychologically, musically, thought process, education and that's the case with us -- we're good friends, so that helps."\nThe concert is for School of Music Scholarship money and, Effron said, Watts has waived his fee so all of the proceeds from ticket sales will help music students pay for their education.\nEffron believes having a pianist of Watts' stature is not something to be missed.\n"There's no controversy about the fact that he's one of the great pianists of this century and it's like in any field," Effron said, "If Mark McGwire or Tom Hanks comes to Bloomington I would think that if you have an opportunity to be in the presence of these people, to be in the audience, and listen to what they do, how they do it and why they're where they are, to have that experience would be enough"
(09/24/01 4:09am)
As I watched the opening night performance of IU Opera Theatre's "The Marriage of Figaro" at the Musical Arts Center Friday, I hoped that I would experience Mozart's immaculate score in all its brilliance with the added joy of seeing it staged.\nIn the famed scene from the film "Amadeus," we see a first performance of "Figaro" where the character of Salieri has an experience elevated by Mozart's divine score and marred by Salieri's own jealousy. As he both recognizes the voice of God and prays for failure, his wish becomes a reality when the Emperor yawns in the fourth act. The difference between our two experiences is that I longed only for divinity, but unfortunately my first yawn came in Act II.\nMy heart initially dropped when the first word from Figaro was "fifteen" rather than "cinque." Lorenzo da Ponte's splendid Italian libretto could not even play its usual supporting role to Mozart's score. The poetry and fluidity of the verse could never translate into English. The mixture of cultural styles in this production is almost as confusing as the opera's farcical complexities. Here we had a French play translated into Italian and done in Italian opera buffa style by a Viennese composer which takes place in Spain being sung in English. Confusing, to say the least.\nAfter Maestro Imre Pallo's at times Beethovian interpretation of the overture, the curtain rose on a huge foyer set for the beginning of the intimate opera. I say "intimacy" purely because of the nature of the characterization -- 11 integral characters -- and because the show utilized a small chorus and small orchestra complement. But in this case, a sense of intimacy was lost in the cavernous sets and period design.\nFrom that point forward, the opera went about trying to emerge in some form of its true self amid a labyrinth of production elements that nearly sent Mozart to the background of events.\nPlacing "Figaro" in the period creates a limitation of presentation allowing for only a comedy of manners. Today, comedy has to be a combination of the visual and visceral.\nBecause of the period style, there was very little movement; every moment seemed directed out to no one in particular and the singers sang, without emotion most of the time, to the air rather than to or about someone -- very bland.\nNearly perfect musically, "Figaro" should easily sustain an audience for three and a half hours on sheer musical intrigue. But to have it staged should mean that those three hours are meaningless, for the added visual and human emotional aspect make those hours seamless. This was, unfortunately, not the case with this production.\nInterjecting intermissions just as the pace was starting to pick up at the end of the first and second acts snapped the spirit of Mozart from me like a tightrope artist on fishing wire.\nThe one exception to this was graduate student Kimberly Gratland-James, whose singing of Cherubino was a casting choice that was made in heaven. Because of her similar, but wholly smaller role in last year's "Faust," she was destined to play Cherubino and she soared with it, playing the devilish page to the farthest reaches she possibly could under the circumstances.\nIt is exciting to experience the vitality of a live performance of a favorite opera, but it can be scary as well if the performance is lifeless. Staged singings do not operas make (no matter how beautifully they are sung) and money can be saved in terms of costumes and sets if a well sung opera is what we receive. An empty stage, an orchestra and chairs for the singers would suffice.\nI hoped to see "Le Nozze di Figaro," but what I saw was a version of the opera's alternate title: "The Follies of a Day"
(09/17/01 6:22am)
I was looking recently at my photos from my trip to New York City in March, and I came across a photo of lower Manhattan taken from Liberty Island. The shot was framed so well, in fact, that Ellis Island can be seen in the bottom left corner as the panorama caught the reflection of the World Trade Center off of the waters in New York Harbor.\nI think of the freedom of that day, the cool, biting sea air that was kissing my half-frozen cheeks as I stood at the feet of Miss Liberty herself. I think of the rest of that week in New York and the many shows I saw, the museums and the life of that city that drew me in like a fish on a hook.\nI spoke to my brother the other day about all of this and to my great happiness he told me that he would not hesitate for a second getting on an airplane or going to school at Columbia University in Manhattan. It proved to me that people are not going to change their lives because of this -- or perhaps it is just too early to tell. I know that I would never hesitate going back to visit New York City again, nor would I hesitate going to the top of the Empire State Building. But what exactly would I do differently now? The question really is, have I lost my freedom or do I choose to limit it? \nEveryday now, I wake up thinking, "Please God do not let there be a draft" not because I don't love my country and believe that this act should be left unchallenged, but because I didn't choose to be in the armed forces. My life's choices were made with the knowledge that I am not a soldier -- I am an artist; the way I fight my wars is on the stage. I also fear that airline travel will go up in price, companies will diminish and that the profession that I hold dear will be laughed off the earth as trivial. I fear that the loss of our innocence will mean the arrival of censorship, martial law, anti-Semitism, and anti-Muslim / Arab sympathies in a fashion as horrific as apartheid. And of course, nuclear war is always a dreadful thought.\nI was born into an America where the dogma was that we all have a choice, that our freedom was ours to do with what we choose, and that everything that I have in my life can be mine if I choose it to be. I hope that I will once again be allowed to photograph freely as a civilian, in a non-war time, in lower Manhattan from Liberty Island, where I can confidently say I am celebrating my freedom.
(08/28/01 4:30am)
ELEN SARAH WALKER, age 21, of Sugar Land, TX, died Saturday, May 19, 2001. Arrangements are to be announced."\nThis is what the Houston Chronicle newspaper death announcements section printed Sunday, May 20 amidst a score of names followed by lengthy obituaries commenting on the lives of men and women who died recently and those they were remembered by. Helen Sarah Walker's announcement said nothing.\nIs this to indicate that this girl -- this woman -- accomplished nothing in her life, cut short by a drunk driver? Is this indicating that Helen Walker is not remembered by anyone?\nAs a student at IU and writer for the IDS, I've seen the articles printed where an IU student has died either from alcohol poisoning at a Fraternity party, or death by automobile accident on the way to New York for spring break and, thankfully, few others. I've read these stories and thought to myself how awful such tragedies are. No one deserves to die that early. Then, I'd walk away and continue my day and routine - life goes on. When I received the news that Helen, my colleague, fellow student and good friend was no longer, life could not "just" go on. \nHelen Walker was to be a senior this fall and was going to graduate with me in the spring with a double major in Theater and Drama and computer science. Helen was what we call a techie in theater jargon, but that says nothing about what the girl could do. Helen maintained a load including 17 credit hours, a full time job as the technical director for IU's Broadway Cabaret, the stage manager for the B -Town Player's production of "A Chorus Line," the University Players Technical Director and all around savior. She was also willing to help people move, help fellow students with projects, send tons of emails and pull strings just so that a show might run more smoothly with an extra stage hand, and if all else failed, come and help herself.\nHelen was a lightning fast thinker, sharp and very knowledgeable. When she was around or involved with a project, there was a sense that the project would be an ultimate success, and if it wasn't, it would at least look great and run well.\nBeyond this, however, she was a fun, cute, quirky, spunky and silly girl who loved her friends and loved to have fun. She was warm, the perfect hugger -- the kind that once your arms embrace it feels like a perfect match.\nHelen had an incredible smile, and her brown eyes peering up at her friends (yes, she was short) through her thinly rimmed glasses with the look of pure and true friendship is an image that I shall never forget.\nHelen and I had many memories, but I think the one regret I perhaps have is something that directly correlates to my job here at the IDS. I wrote a review in the spring of "A Chorus Line," for which Helen served as stage manager and company manager from the moment the idea for the show began to flower(over a year of commitment).\n I gave the show what I will maintain was a fair and honest review, but Helen pleaded with me to be gentle because of how hard the cast and crew had worked on the show. \n When I called her and read her the review, she began crying on the phone to me because she knew that no matter how fair or honest I had been, she and her cast would take it a tad more personally than perhaps I had anticipated.\n Hearing her cry on the phone made me realize how much she threw herself into her work and everything she did. I will miss her so much, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry that I made her cry. \nWhen a friend dies, a part of you dies with them because as a friend you gave yourself to that friend. My brother recently told me that if he should (God forbid) die as a young man, he wants me to say at his funeral, "He died at his time," rather than say that he died too soon.\nHelen died at her time, much to the dismay of all those who knew and loved her. \nSo, because she never had one, this is Helen's obituary. Helen Sarah Walker, remembered by her parents, relatives and many friends and professors at her Alma Mater, Indiana University -- Bloomington. We miss you and love you.
(04/16/01 4:23am)
As a little boy attending my first live musical, I marveled wide-eyed at the whole performance, taking in as much as a 6-year-old out late on a school night could. But when the "Boy's Band" came marching down the aisles with their 76 trombones, my excitement for the magic of musical theater was at the height of its potency.\nNot until my first Broadway-caliber musical, "Les Miserables," did I experience that delight again, nor have I since. Until Saturday evening at the Theatre Department's production of "The Pirates of Penzance" by Gilbert and Sullivan.\nAs Mabel floated into the rock arch and was first introduced with comical disdain by her chatter chorus sisters, she proceeded to give her name with a colorful flourish of tones ending with a simple, single and elegant note.\nWith this image in mind, an appropriate question to ask audience members upon entrance to the University Theater this week would be, How long can you maintain a smile? The answer, then, would feasibly be as long as you can hold your tongue to your cheek.\nThe experience of Gilbert and Sullivan live for the first time is truly a magnificent, marvelous adventure -- what could be better in a musical theater experience than hearing the wordsmith lyrics of W.S. Gilbert accompanied by the posh yet effervescent music of Arthur Sullivan?\nWith a playful panache, the overture commenced and an affair of "categorical" exhibition from the mind of director/choreographer George Pinney began the evening. The fairy tale introduction to the evening's performance -- an innovation which, unbeknownst to me until much later in the evening -- was singularly unique to this production. \nThe colors of the evening continued to rainbow over the audience in various shades of brilliance, never fading, only augmenting to change the tone of comedy that emanated from the exquisite performers, past the orchestra and out to the audience. \nThe brashness of the Pirate King -- incarnated with a saucy charm and fluid voice by senior John Armstrong -- elicited the pizzazz of the pirate clan, who are ever so innocently the institution of virile honor and, interestingly enough, absurdity.\nSenior Stan Wash's noble innocence as Fredrick invited the audience to feel his sense of duty and -- though his sense love is archaic from a 21st century perspective -- his sonorous singing left all traces of disheartenment behind.\nThe female chatter chorus juxtaposed with the robustness of the pirates and police provide the means for a collective characterization from the bright-eyed actors whose energy alone was enough to mollify the audience, let alone their singing and dancing.\nBut that tongue-in-cheek humor that is so inherent in Gilbert and Sullivan came intrinsically from junior Blake Bowen with his charming yet cheeky Modern Major General. The demand for encores after individual numbers is a practice that Bowen, through his natural zesty charisma and his surprisingly well-sung tunes, could popularize again.\nAlso, senior Elizabeth Stanley's introduction as the illustrious Mabel immediately made me wish for her singing to linger. Likewise, the mere two hour and five minute performance made me wish there were more ditties, more lyrics and just more show.\nThe University Theatre closes its curtain to the musical theater genre with its final musical performed in the space of an animated, yet stylish, piece showing just exactly where the magical material we call musical theater has come.
(04/13/01 3:41am)
In sequence with many independent productions done at the John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St., the most current production from the B-Town Players, "A Chorus Line" is likely to find full house audiences standing well before the finale has ended. Such was the case Wednesday night for Michael Bennet's tour-de-force musical about out-of-work dancers who "have to get this show".\nDirector and alumna Ajna Austin's Bloomington directorial debut attempts to be the spectacle that was the talk of Broadway for more than 6,000 performances. But this effort is made with a company and crew that, while talented, is not ready for the undertaking of such a difficult piece.\nAustin probably saw and was touched by creator/choreographer Bennet's original production. But rather than trying to play homage to that version, the B-Town Player's production of the Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban, James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante musical tries to become the original. By making that move, the production presents itself as being almost too difficult to perform properly (as is especially evident from senior Nick Pupillo's choreography), even with some heartfelt and whirlwind performances from the entire company.\nAs audience members arrived in the theatre to take their seats, cast members fought their way through to the audition happening in the same theatre, leaving the spectators to be voyeurs at this life or death audition. Dancers began warming up and talking, creating a familiar atmosphere, but the distraction of the mirrors kept audience members' attention away from the performers and, unfortunately, on themselves.\nAlthough the mirrors are necessary to the show in many ways (especially for Cassie's song "The Music and the Mirror"), the Waldron is not a leveled off proscenium stage where spotlighting can take place easily. This accounts for a direct reflection of not only the audience, but also of the bright spotlight coming from a dead center, mid-height angle.\nTechnical problems for both the actors and technicians continued throughout the performance as various cast members were hard to hear (from the front row), were out of light, lost a hat or two and seemed to know all too well the songs and dances they were supposedly doing for the first time. \nFrom a technical perspective, costumes looked anywhere from 1975 to 2001 depending on the particular actor, the triangular black flats/mirrors were often turned the wrong way, giving away the secret of the finale as well as looking unprofessional. The spotlight also failed to come on at specific moments so that certain performers were singing in complete blackness.\nIn performance this musical is a bear, for it requires an ensemble of 24 triple threats -- not easily found especially in Bloomington. For this, director Austin found most of her people in the famed Singing Hoosiers, most of whom are musical theatre majors.\nThe role of Cassie, arguably the lead female role, must be the best actor/singer/dancer in the group. Undeniably, senior Lauren Fagone is the best dancer -- though her dance break in "The Music and the Mirror" mostly featured her ballet abilities -- but her singing and acting showed a lack of training.\nA fresh performance came from senior Angel Cabral as Diana Morales, whose rendition of "Nothing" was connected and deeply felt. Freshman Zachary Frank as Larry, the show's dance captain, was incredible to view, as his dancing (as it should be) was flawless.\nSophomore James Neff as Zach, the fictional show's director/choreographer was ruthless and compassionate at the same time, creating a Zach that spoke with eloquence and humanity while being at times rash and uncompromising. It was by far the most stirring performance.\nSupporting performers sophomore Amy Birnbaum, senior Cynthia Tomm, senior Brendt Reil, junior Maria Campos, senior Joe Komara and senior Chris Klink, who all had major roles, gave the performances of their careers thus far. This shows the world that this was the piece for them to do at this time. Their humor, singing and dancing all came through nicely, making them fun to watch and listen to.\n"A Chorus Line" is the hopes and dreams of every Broadway dancer, and perhaps of many in the B-town Players production. As the characters realize near the end of the show that it could all end tomorrow, they understand it is all about "What I did for love." This show was created with that same love and audiences will most likely adore it. But for those who know this musical and hope for a certain standard of performance, this production just doesn't make the cut.
(04/10/01 4:00am)
I love Bloomington in the spring. The air buzzes with a rebirth of humanity, class ends at 5:15 and the sun will shine for another hour and a half, Frisbees fly rather than snowballs, and students shed their coats for shorts and sunglasses.\nSouthern Indiana in the spring is at the height of natural beauty, and all around there is a need to be alive and refreshed. Friends gather and enjoy the outdoors and break bread together with the ageless tradition of the grilling. And, as we all know, a good cookout is cornerstoned by its most notorious of dishes -- the hamburger.\nIt is a sandwich which gained popularity in the United States during the early 20th century, is said to have originated in Germany and was brought to the United States, where now it is one of the most iconic foods in popular culture.\nFor those like me who have yet to don my backyard with an altar made by the gods of Webber Inc., the necessity for a good hamburger is paramount. I searched Bloomington for the best hamburger -- perhaps hoping to find one of the best in the state or country. \nBecause many restaurants boast that most delectable of carnivorous dishes, I limited my search to those establishments whose reputations preceded them. The five restaurants were Mustard's, 300 S. College Mall Rd.; Yogi's Grill and Bar, 519 E. 10th St.; Opie Taylor's Burger Works, 212 N. Walnut St.; Johnny Angel's Express, 301 S. Walnut St.; and Hinkle's Hamburgers, 206 S. Adams St.\nEach restaurant also had french fries and beef chili (some carried vegetarian chili), which I sampled with the hamburgers. Although all of these restaurants are unique to Bloomington and all use the hamburger as a signature item, each burger is distinctly different, and they encompass the entire realm of burger-mania.\nFor those who enjoy a three-inch-thick, fully loaded, juicy hamburger, three of the aforementioned restaurants carry such burgers with varying levels of intensity (in taste and quality). But, for those who want a tasty, grilled, Steak 'n Shake-style burger that will drive your tongue wild, two of the restaurants have what you want.\nPersonally, I prefer the second of the two choices because they tend to be a lot more personal in preparation and taste -- what I mean is that not every burger looks exactly the same, each individual burger has its own flair while still remaining faithful to the style.\nFor those restaurants that serve the three-inch-thick burgers -- Yogi's, Mustard's and Opie Taylor's -- the best of the three has to go to Opie's. While Opie Taylor's is a bit more expensive than the other two, the restaurant's burgers are highly tasty. Yogi's was fairly bland and Mustard's was not as fresh as either of the other two -- it also looked as if like the meat had been thawed that morning.\nOpie's burger is a quarter pound patty grilled any way you like and served on a toasted kaiser bun with any of a variety of fixings. They also specialize in burgers and have many to choose from ranging from classic to cajun.\nWhat also made Opie's the best was the restaurant's chili was the perfect blend of spice and taste with a nice mix of ground beef chunks (not bits) and beans. While the extra-thick steak fries are not my favorite, their burger and chili make for a great combination.\nBut my personal taste buds flock to a burger of less gargantuan status, merely craving the more diamond in the rough of hamburgers, of which Bloomington has its subtle few. The newly reopened Johnny Angel's Express and Hinkle's American Hamburgers are the two restaurants who satisfy this craving, cranking out sandwiches that make fast-food look and taste like New Coke compared to Coca-Cola Classic.\nBoth restaurants cater to the "get a lot of food for not a lot of money" slogan, but they both deliver a distinctly different taste on a similarly made sandwich. Both sandwiches are fresh beef grilled on a flat grill within eyesight with most fixings available.\nMy personal favorite, and what I will call the absolute best hamburger in Bloomington and also the best hamburger I've ever had, is from that little-known hole-in-the-wall on South Adams -- Hinkle's Hamburgers.\nWith signs around the restaurant showing not only its Southern Indiana style, but also its sense of humor, Hinkle's has been serving Bloomington since the 1930's, starting as an ice-cream shop on 10th Street serving grilled hamburgers made with freshly ground beef (daily ground) seared with onions creating the most deliciously devilish burger I've ever tasted.\nNow, just to give warning, this hamburger is ugly. It's greasy, the buns are not thick kaiser rolls and they don't want to give the impression of a gourmet sandwich. But, looks as usual are deceiving and this hamburger has more than 70 years of history and taste, making it a burger worthy of Clintonian infamy.\nAlthough Hinkle's chili is nothing to write home about, the 'tater cakes blow the normality of french fries out of the fryer and the freshly scooped milk shakes that started everything are crisp, cool and very sweet. The service, though seemingly cynical from the cashier ("That'll be $505" instead of $5.05), each sandwich is made with love and pride, and it is certainly tasted in the sandwich.\nSo, for those who love their hamburgers, Bloomington has the stuff to satisfy that craving and it is not a difficult or expensive endeavor. Enjoy the breeze, the freshness and beauty that is spring in Bloomington and allow yourself the guilty pleasure of a Hinkle's hamburger some sunny afternoon.
(04/02/01 4:44am)
When one sees a production at the Bloomington Playwright's Project, 308 S. Washington St., it must always be viewed with a grain of salt. Performing in an adequate, although not equitable space, using effective, yet old lighting equipment and an off-center pole, nearly every production is a struggle usually resulting in brilliant work. \n"Bird Germs" proved to be an exception to this standard.\nAt 8 p.m. Friday, "Bird Germs," a new comedy by assistant director of the Office of Student Financial Assistance in the Kelley School of Business Eric Pfeffinger, opened for a three-weekend run with performances at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sundays. Directed by John Kinzer ("Simplicity Itself"), "Bird Germs" explores the mind of a woman and her life troubles, rooted to her images of her father and sister.\nEllen Birnbaum, the daughter of a classics professor, is a producer for a local public television affiliate in the Midwest. Unable to stay in steady, healthy relationships, Ellen's boyfriends are played by the same character and represent the mundane status of her love life. One of the men wants to pick her brain so that he can effectively write female characters in a new novel, which sets in motion a series of events leading to her epiphany of why her love life is so dysfunctional.\nEnter into the equation a therapist who has an agenda that excludes helping Ellen, images of her father as various dictators of the past century, a Shirley Temple-esque sister and an everyman producer/taxi driver who philosophizes and one can understand Ellen's neurosis.\nPfeffinger, whose "Traumaturgy" and "Scrooge Variations" were seen at the Playwright's Project last spring, produced another comedic offering with "Bird Germs." He also serves as the literary manager of the playwright's project, and his plays have won several awards and been finalists in many competitions.\nBut "Bird Germs" is another self-indulgent, all-in-her-head psychological comedy that patronizes the audience. By offering lines that give reference to unknown philosophers, writers, television programs and the like, the playwright, and possibly other writers who fall into this trap, receive some kind of pleasure from confusing and patronizing their audiences.\nLike "Traumaturgy," which was a play about a dramaturg, the play is a field day for playwrights and other writers, giving them a play all about themselves. "Bird Germs" tries to show us a troubled woman whose difficult problems are rooted to something very personal in her past. While we might have all seen our parents a Hitler figure at one point in our lives, in this play it serves to trivialize Ellen's own personal troubles making them and herself look ludicrous.\nKinzer, an experienced director, handled the text with care and grace. Trying to create an environment of truth even with the ridiculousness of the situation, he elicited a beautiful performance from Bloomington resident Megan Wilson. \nWhile Wilson took the first few scenes to get the energy and pacing on track, her portrayal of Ellen was layered, alive and deeply felt. She had great comedic moments with all of her cast members.\nThe only difficulty with such a brilliant performance was that many of her fellow cast members could not work at her level, thereby sucking the life out of what could have been energetic scenes. But freshman Emily Cavanagh had great energy as Ellen's Shirley sweet sister Delores, dancing on stage in tap shoes and a sun dress to deliver her perky lines.\nThe set design, by Kinzer, artistic director and graduate student Richard Ford and lighting designer and graduate student Rob Graham, was an effective raked thrust stage. It was an aesthetically pleasing sight. Graham's lighting was soft and shadowy, offering a smooth shift of scene changes without blackouts giving the show a seamless flow.\nWhile the play is a questionable choice, the execution of it is another matter entirely. Kinzer's touches are delightful and effective, and Wilson's war-horse of a performance is definitely worth the price of a ticket.
(03/23/01 4:36am)
It's not uncommon that when driving to an important event through rural areas, everything will be fine until the car breaks down and the only solution is a small garage in Nowhere, Mo.\nUnder time constraints and deadlines and left in the hands of the all-powerful mechanic is where Frannie and Lee find themselves in Joan Ackermann's "Stanton's Garage," which opens at 7 p.m. today in the T300 Studio Theatre.\nCommissioned in 1993 for the 17th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, "Stanton's Garage" is a play for actors. The play does not have a revelation of a story, nor does it attempt to uncover some revelation on life.\n"(Anton) Chekhov wrote this way, but the U.S. hasn't had plays like this since George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart," wrote Jon Jory, former artistic director of the Actors Theatre of Louisville, in a brochure for the play. \nWhile Ackermann's characters don't all seem to be in a place where their lives depend on the events of the play, as is true of Chekhov, her characters are all, "humorous, but they are always well-rounded, too," Jory said.\nThe T300 production of the play will attempt to celebrate the play's Americana or the imperfect characters in the garage, said Dennis Black, director and visiting lecturer in theater and drama.\n"The characters are very down-to-earth people dealing with the problems of life," Black said. "They are not the pretty people; they have flaws and you can see all their warts, moles and blemishes and hopefully love them for their flaws."\nOn Route 36 in northern Missouri, on the way to St. Joseph, Frannie and Lee -- en route to a wedding from their home in Chicago -- must have their Volvo serviced. Denny, the genius mechanic, is nowhere to be found, and Silvio, the older, concise and not-so-genius mechanic, has to fix it. Meanwhile, Harlon, the garage's token 17-year-old apprentice of sorts, cannot take his eyes off Frannie. \nAnother city slicker named Ron appears in and out of the play to complicate matters, as do Mary and Audrey -- two locals who work at the garage.\n"The characters are all very simple and the audience should be able to easily relate to their problems," said graduate student Jose Garcia, who portrays Silvio. "As an actor, it's just nice to be able to tell a simple story of sharing, taking and causing some mischief along the way wherever we can."\nThe play is about simplicity and taking a look at the world in an uncomplicated and humorous way. The simplicity is emphasized in the play itself, such as when Denny says, "When you're analyzing a problem, always go for the simple things first."\nBlack said the play reflects life because the characters act like real people when it comes to solving problems.\n"As in life, we always assume that all our problems are very complicated and we must find the most complicated solutions -- when it is really the simple solution that we need," he said.
(03/01/01 4:55am)
Perhaps the reason it's called "Grand Opera" is because the sensation one feels when watching a Verdi opera is so aesthetically powerful, it can only be described as grand. At 8 p.m. Friday at the Musical Arts Center, the first and only Verdi opera to be played at IU within the last three years opened -- the tragic "Rigoletto."\nComing into the MAC, the buzz from the crowd gathering in the lobby and coat check indicated something special was about to occur. For this reviewer, who's seen almost every opera at IU in the last three years, this was a new experience.\nVerdi operas are the cornerstone of the operatic cannon. His music is well known, loved, respected and performed, which is why Verdi operas play almost constantly in New York.\nAs the lights dimmed, professor David Effron conducted the concert orchestra in the haunting prelude (reminiscent of the opening from "La Forza del Destino") with the brass pulsing the same notes of terror.\nThe curtain opened on a lavish palace set, where the duke was involved in what seemed to be an orgy, or at least a wild party. We meet the duke of Mantua, a brash, insensitive ladies' man, whose sole object is to seduce whomever he wants: his servants, wives of counts or sisters of murderers.\nGraduate student Yoonsoo Shin played the duke well, making him likable and fun. A performance like that made it difficult to hate the duke, although he is a horrid character.\nThe scene continues and introduces the court jester, Rigoletto -- an old, bitter man who often crosses the line between joke and insult. Rigoletto, played by graduate student Ray Fellman, is chastised by court members for being a buffoon and being deformed (he has a hump). He responds with cruder and nastier jokes.\nFinally, Count Monterone, played by doctoral student Allen Saunders, takes the stage like the commendatore from "Don Giovanni" and curses Rigoletto, then vanishes. Saunders was brutally magnificent in his delivery, tone and eerie energy.\nRigoletto goes home lamenting his curse. He finds his daughter, Gilda, played by graduate student Kerrin Dunbar -- whom the men at court think is Rigoletto's lover -- wanting to go out in the world. Rigoletto, afraid she will leave him, does not let her go. \nWe learn Gilda has found a lover who follows her after church -- the duke in disguise as a student.\nTwo incredible duets between Rigoletto and Gilda silenced the audience until the uproarious applause was followed by bravos. They are unmatched at the MAC in any production during the last two years.\nThe first act ends with court members tricking Rigoletto into thinking they are going to kidnap Count Ceprano's wife, but instead they kidnap Gilda and bring her to the court. Rigoletto is devastated, but seeks revenge.\nAct two finds Rigoletto ready to work at the home of the duke, to find Gilda at the mercy of the duke and his court. Rigoletto vows revenge on the duke, while Gilda, still in love with him, prays for his safety.\nThe final act takes place in and around the home of Sparafucile, an assassin with a beautiful sister. The duke buys Sparafucile's sister for 20 scudi without her knowledge.\nShin, as the duke, then sings the most popular song, "La donna mobile," which is often heard on commercials and is a favorite of the Three Tenors. But hearing the song in context creates a new vision about how fickle women are and how their tendency to love is stupid. While Shin sang the song with arrogance, a filthy grin and stunning mastery, it was difficult to like a song with such horrible content.\nFinally, Rigoletto and Gilda enter and Rigoletto pays Sparafucile to murder the duke. Sparafucile's sister, charmed by the duke, begs her brother not to kill him. Sparafucile decides to kill the next person who comes through the door. Gilda, having returned to the house to find the duke, hears the plan and knocks on the door.\nThe opera ends with Rigoletto condemning himself and the curse that was laid upon him.\nDunbar and Fellman gave two of the best performances in IU opera in years. They were masterful in voice -- Dunbar incredible with the dramatic soprano -- and had true emotion, which made the ending much more powerful.\nGuest director Tito Capobianco and maestro Effron created a haunting and brilliant presentation that should not be missed. If Verdi is performed this well at IU, perhaps the Opera Theater should consider doing a few more.\n"Rigoletto" will be performed again at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Musical Arts Center. Tickets are $16-28 for the public, $9-14 for students and can be purchased at the MAC Box Office or any Ticketmaster outlet.
(02/27/01 5:31am)
What is with our country's obsession with the 1980s? 1980s music is the stuff to have at a party and these theme parties are becoming more frequent all the time. It's suddenly the best dance music and the fashion, while repulsive to me, is making a comeback (don't tell me you haven't seen more mullets around).\nI was born in and lived in the 1980s. My music was Michael Jackson, my TV was "He-Man," my movies were "E.T." and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and my fashion was how my parents dressed me for school (admittedly, I had one jean jacket). \nThe nostalgic period for me is the 1990s -- the decade during which I did most of my growing up. That is the decade in which I wish I could dwell more.\nMusic\nNow we have the wonderful lyrics of Eminem -- the white rapper who is the real Slim Shady -- but white rappers will never be able to "check out the hook while my DJ revolves it" as Vanilla Ice did. \nEighties rock music will never hold a candle to bands such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Dave Matthews Band, which dominated the 1990s.\nNineties music includes old school rap when it was new, fresh and "the BOMB." The battle of having the title emcee before or after your name was key. Similarly, 1980s hair bands took their music to a new level as they approached an age when it wasn't about how much hair you grew, but what the songs and lyrics meant. Lyrics became poignant; hip hop and pop borrowed from motown and grew into R&B; synthesizers were put away and music became music again, with real instruments.\nMovies\nMany of my favorite films are from the 1980s -- such as the two mentioned earlier and others, including "The Princess Bride" and "Amadeus." But filmmaking in the 1990s was leaps and bounds better.\nDisney revived with releases ranging from "Beauty and the Beast" to "Mulan," which created a new dynasty in Disney animated features -- a genre nearly empty during most the 1970s and 1980s. Disney and Pixar started a revolution in computer-generated images with films such as "Toy Story." Those images are now standard in films, especially those such as "The Phantom Menace" and "The Matrix." \nThe 1990s also brought a new-found maturity to the screen, as Steven Spielberg delved into deeper issues and explored his own heritage in "Schindler's List." Films with topics never discussed before, such as AIDS ("Philadelphia") and homosexuality ("Chasing Amy"), came into the limelight without the prejudice of the 1980s.\nGrowing Pains\nThere are many things about the 1990s I miss or wish to see spurts of again, because they make me laugh. Here's a list of phrases you might remember: "bull-yeah!"; "talk to the hand"; "raise the roof"; "da bomb"; "yeah, baby, yeah"; "oh yeah"; "Alllllllllllll righty then"; "Sup homey?"; using "like" in, like, every phrase; using "not" after things that were so interesting … NOT!\nFashion took some weird turns, such as wearing the right pant leg up to the knee and sagging pants. But we rid ourselves of long hair (which, if you know me, I learned a little late), moved to naturals instead of synthetics and hair coloring went from purple and green to blonde highlights.\nThe 1990s were the days when most of today's college students went to high school and had the experience of becoming an adolescent and moving on to adulthood. The 1990s will always be when I got my first car, found my first love and all of the other cheesy and stupid things we did as teenagers.\nPolitics\nI don't think I'll find a strong argument that the 1990s was a worse decade politically than the 1980s. Reaganomics and Star Wars not only damaged the nation's budget and forced us into deficit spending, but the shift in economy and tax cuts by another Bush led to nationwide recession.\nThe 1990s found us in the midst of a Democratic presidency for the first time in two decades, our deficit was reduced and peace in the Middle East seemed more possible than ever. Nonetheless, as the 1990s waned, we saw how conservative and Puritan this country still is.\nBut we did see the effects of bombing Iraq and what happened when President George Bush wanted to force an issue that blew out of proportion, causing the most recent war in America's history. Of course, history seems to be repeating itself.\nFor me, the 1990s was the decade to be alive. The music, the movies, the clothes, the thoughts and ideas were so hopeful and forward-looking. The drugs, politics and prejudice of the 1980s look like a haunting apparition I want to forget as much as the cheesy music that dominated the decade. I long for the days when the president played a mean saxophone, I could sag and be cool and Eminem was Vanilla Ice.