A&E

Faculty members join Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for free show

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra will give a free performance at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Musical Arts Center. The show will feature Jacobs School of Music faculty members Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson.

Opening Friday, 'Crucible' mirrors modern society

With Halloween last week and Thanksgiving well on its way, it seems only fitting that "The Crucible," a play featuring witch hunts and pilgrims, should open this week. The IU Department of Theatre and Drama will open the iconic American play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. Set in Salem, Mass., a young girl, Abigail, played by senior Jessica Rothert, fends off accusations of witchcraft by manipulating other girls to turn the blame around and "cry witch" about other members of the Puritan community. Obsessed with John Proctor, played by graduate student John Armstrong, Abigail involves him in the trials. First she accuses his wife Elizabeth, graduate student Lilia Vassileva, of witchcraft and later she points the finger at Procter. The trial is presided over by Gov. Danforth, played by guest actor and member of the Actors' Equity Association Dan Kremer. As the lies and accusations mount, the state of the town and its people slowly deteriorate.

Israeli-Lebanese duo to perform classical, international music

Daniel Bolshoy, an Israeli, and Julie Nesrallah, Canadian-born with Lebanese roots, try to inspire others to live peacefully through their work. The duo wants to make an example of their relationship and show that peace can be achieved between dueling cultures. "It sounds strange," Bolshoy said, "but we hope to inspire those two countries (Israel and Lebanon) to get along." The Nesrallah-Bolshoy duo will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at Bloomington's John Waldron Arts Center Auditorium. Nesrallah, a mezzo-soprano and Bolshoy, a classical guitarist, will play 27 classical songs infused with many international influences.

Bloomington's 'little' citizens display photos in new exhibit

Autumn leaves exploding with color, friends' smiling faces in a pumpkin patch, the Sample Gates on a sunny day -- these are just a few examples what local children find beautiful in Bloomington. The Bloomington Photography Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central Indiana are currently hosting their third annual photography exhibit in the Education Gallery at the John Waldron Arts Center. Twenty-four photographs, brightly lit and framed by bold blues, yellows, reds and greens, portray the world from the perspective of the young participants in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. The exhibit is designed to help expose young people in the program, known as "Littles," to photography as a potential career path and as a means to capture and share the beauty of the everyday world, according to a press release.

Ben Folds performs 'functionally' sold-out show tonight

It's being hailed as the "concert of the semester." A show so coveted that an eager fan bunkered up in a sleeping bag overnight in front of the IU Auditorium to get the best seats. A "functional sell out," with tickets so hot first-row seats are said to be selling for $260 a pair on eBay. Piano singer/songwriter Ben Folds comes to Bloomington "inspired" after spending October recording a full-length album to follow up the still fresh LP released two weeks ago. With the built-up excitement of dedicated fans clamoring for tickets combined with Fold's dynamic live show, the auditorium should be rocking tonight.

Emma Thompson portrays 'destroyed, suicidal writer' opposite Will Ferrell

TORONTO -- From page one of the script, Emma Thompson knew she wanted the part in "Stranger Than Fiction," the Will Ferrell tale about a meek man suddenly able to hear an unseen narrator's voice chronicling his life -- and impending death.

Sylvia Plath poem housed in Lilly Library published online

Forty-three years after her suicide catapulted her into iconic status, confessional poet Sylvia Plath lives on through her words.

Once upon an Opera

Friday night, a Southern farm girl will become a witch.

Undergrad organizes exhibit of 19th century ceramics

From cobalt blue Chinese willow ware plates to a delicate hand-painted IU teacup and saucer, the latest array of shiny things to stop students in their tracks is on display in the Fine Arts Library foyer. Senior Andrea Truitt concocted the idea for the display, titled "Prints, Patterns and Porcelain: a selection of ceramics from the Wylie House collections," as well as the corresponding in-house exhibit at the Wylie House Museum, "A Glimpse of Wylie Household Taste: Come to the Table!" She did all the research and put both exhibits together.

NYC judge halts sale of Picasso painting

NEW YORK -- A judge temporarily blocked the auction of a Picasso painting that was expected to fetch up to $60 million, saying he needed to decide whether the Nazis forced its former owner to sell it in the 1930s because his family descended from Jews.

Female folk duo play at Boxcar Books

Pamela Means and Sarah Grain will play a free show at 7 p.m. tonight at Boxcar Books, located at 310A S. Washington St. Means is a Boston-based Indie folk artist who writes political folk music and has actually worn a hole into her guitar. According to the biography on her Web site, she recently received the honor of being nominated as an Outstanding Contemporary Folk Artist at the Boston Music Awards.

Robert Randolph plays at IU

When Robert Randolph and The Family Band take the stage tonight at the IU Auditorium, audiences should get ready to shake their hips, said band member Marcus Randolph. The last few years have sent the group through funk, R&B and more, landing Robert Randolph on Rolling Stone's list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Their latest album, "Colorblind," is geared more toward audience participation, comprised of 11 distinct songs, rather than the instrumental songs they've gravitated towards in previous albums.

Help Me, Harlan!

Artifacts

What: Wooden wunkirmian (feast ladle) from the Dan peoples of Liberia/Côte d'Ivoire

Jacobs School of Music adds 2 new courses for spring

The Jacobs School of Music will offer two new courses for the spring semester to music and nonmusic students alike. They are Choral Masterworks, taught by Katherine Domingo and Opera Theatre Series I, taught by Constance Glen.

Ballet master class offers direct line to Balanchine

For Violette Verdy, a distinguished professor of ballet at IU, this past Saturday's master class was a chance to share something unique -- a personal insight into the works of George Balanchine. The solos the students danced were those Verdy herself began performing more than 40 years ago.

Spotlight shines on African American tradition, new choir director

Keith McCutchen had big shoes to fill Saturday night.

Themes of 'Born Again' spark opportunity for thought, discussion

Any book that has a main character questioning his or her belief in God is going to upset some people. "Born Again" by Kelly Kerney, a 26-year-old author who grew up in a Pentecostal household, is just such a book.

Orion Quartet takes residence with Jacobs School of Music for 2006-07 year

The Jacobs School of Music recently appointed the Orion String Quartet as its first quartet-in-residence for the 2006-07 season. The Orion Quartet, which has made many guest appearances at IU during the last two years, will perform concerts and lead master classes for students twice a semester. They will also work closely with chamber groups and quartets within the school.

Fat is phat but skinny is in

I have a love/hate relationship with my boyfriend, Denim. Sometimes he shrinks and doesn't perform very well. Sometimes he compliments my ass, so I let him get close and touch me inappropriately. Our relationship is unstable, but I know this much is true: I like skinny boys, but I love skinny jeans.