Category: Arts & Life

Categories
Arts & Life

Cocktail Theatre: An Evening of One-Act Plays

Molly Ford

Writer

If you are looking for a treat before finals, stop by the Tustin Studio Theatre on Dec. 3 and 4 at 5 p.m. to see “Cocktail Theatre: An Evening of One-Acts.” This series of one-act plays is directed by students from Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance Anjalee Hutchinson’s Theater 240 class.

Hannah Cordes ’15, a student director, explained that there are nine Cocktail directors, each in charge of a few cast members. Professionals wrote the one-acts, but everything else is up to the students. Since the cast members are student volunteers, this event brings the theater department together to support the novice directors.

Not sure what to expect?

“The theme of this year’s cocktails is ‘lovers and strangers,’ so it encompasses a lot of really great stories (both comedic and tragic) about chance encounters as well as deep-rooted romantic relationships,” Cordes said.

Support the University’s theater students next week as they show off their talents. Admission to all of the plays is free.

Categories
Arts & Life Columns

Trend Report: Snow Boots

Trend Report: Snow Boots

By Kate Jansen

Writer

This November has been unseasonably chilly. I’m sure this week’s snow episode was a rude awakening for those who have not yet had the privilege of bearing Northeastern winters.

After nearly four winters of warmth, I officially retired my Uggs this season and decided to look for a more reliable pair of snow boots. So, amidst Black Friday chaos, my mom and I traveled to the nearby L.L. Bean store.

I must admit, I have wanted a pair of duck boots–commonly known as Bean Boots–since they became wildly popular last spring. When we had finally meandered our way to the outerwear section of the store, a pair of tan Bean Boots immediately caught my attention. Needless to say, I was sold in an instant. And, in case you were wondering, I’m wearing them as I write this article.

L.L. Bean, however, is not a duck boot monopoly. J. Crew is currently selling an exclusive line of Sperry Top-Sider Shearwater boots. They come in a variety of preppy two-tones, including navy blue and pink. They’re also fur lined, making them perfect for Pennsylvania winters.

Bean Boots also look adorable when paired with calf-high wool socks and black leggings. On days when I want to feel extra-outdoorsy, I throw on a plaid flannel and Patagonia vest to complete the look.

Categories
Arts & Life Campus Events Music Review

Lin and Svard honor Merce Cunningham through attention to both silence and notes

Laura Crowley
Writer

World renowned pianists Jenny Lin and retired University professor Lois Svard gathered a crowd of University students and members of the Lewisburg community for their piano duet, “For Merce” on the evening of Nov. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rooke Recital Hall of the Weis Music Building. Despite the fact that many of the pieces were composed for just one piano, the two came together to create a more authentic sound, and to honor the choreographer and dancer, Merce Cunningham, after whom the performance was named.  In total, the night consisted of seven songs from composers who worked with Cunningham prior to his death in 2009.

Each piece was more unconventional than the former; the first piece was played from a composed graphic score, another was performed from images rather than notes and the last was composed electronically from the notes generated throughout the entire concert.

But, such an innovative performance was to be expected from Svard and Lin. Svard, who taught at the University until last year, is especially known for combining classical piano with new-age technology, such as multimedia, keyboard and microtonal tunings. Last year, Svard left the University to dedicate herself to the combination of classical piano and new technology. Most notably, she has been examining how neuroscience can be applied to music for listeners and performers. One of the songs played was composed when the composer observed his brain waves and imitated them musically.

Lin currently lives in New York City, where she serves on the faculty of the 92nd Street Y.  Her impressive resume includes more than 20 albums, with one that was selected as the Best of 2009 by the Washington Post. She has also performed in Carnegie Hall, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Lin described one of the pieces played, “Music for Piano with Magnetic Strings,” as “music of chance.” She explained that “the clefs can be interpreted as treble or bass depending on how we feel,” so the outcome “depends on timing and the mood we’re in.”

This piece was played by touching the strings on the inside of the piano rather than by touching the keys.

Svard described Morton Feldmans’ piece, “Two Pianos” as a piece about “time and space.” Since none of the pieces played at the event had a melody, Svard stressed that the experience as an audience member is more about “listening to the texture, to the tambour, to how instruments interact with each other,” as well as “hearing the silences between the notes” and “how sounds overlap.”

The combination of classical and contemporary music offered the audience insight into the expanse of sounds pianos can create. While classical piano is limited in the sounds it produces, the integration of technology increases the sound potential for classical pianos.

Categories
Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apples

Katie Mancino | The Bucknellian

Katie Mancino

Writer
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apples
150 calories, 0.5g fat, 39 carbs, 1g protein
For the holidays this year, you can forget the apple pie with this incredibly delicious treat. This is one of those fantastic recipes that tastes phenomenal and just happens to be more healthy for you. You can also try adding nuts or dried fruit to the filling (golden raisins are my favorite). I topped a few of mine with a half teaspoon of chopped pecans. You can bake the apples longer to make them more soft so they fall apart, or cook them a little less so they still have a bite.
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 6 large apples
  • 2 Tbsp Truvia Baking Blend
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp Land O’Lakes Light Butter
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 400 F.
  2. Core apples–make sure not to cut through the bottom. You can use an apple corer or carefully use a paring knife.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together sugars and spices.
  4. Cut butter into 6 cubes and put one cube into each apple along with 1/6 of the sugar spice mixture (you can also top with chopped nuts if you’d like).
  5. Place in a casserole dish and add about 1/2 inch of water to the dish as well.
  6. Bake 30-40 minutes until browned and soft.
Categories
Arts & Life Columns Movies Review

Skyfall deemed one of the best Bond installments, a possible Oscar contender

Carolyn Williams

Writer

As the Bond franchise celebrates its 50th anniversary, director Sam Mendes delivers a terrific reboot to the series with “Skyfall.” Engaging, modern and lovingly self-referential, “Skyfall” is a definite contender as one of the best 007 movies of all time.

“Skyfall” opens, in traditional Bond fashion, in an exotic locale (Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar) as our hero (Daniel Craig), in all his perfectly tailored glory, knocks over some fruit carts in his attempt to catch the “bad guy”–in this case, he’s stolen a flash drive loaded with valuable information. Rooftop chases and a fight on a train ensue (Bond stopping to adjust a cuff link before reentering the fray); it’s all in a day’s work for 007–until it’s not. When the villain in question uses Bond as a human shield and his fellow agent cannot get a clean shot, M (Judi Dench), via earpiece, commands she take the shot, and Bond apparently dies.

Shockingly, 007 does not die 20 minutes into this film. While he’s presumed dead, some serious dilemmas arise at MI6. M is subjected to her new, deeply bureaucratic boss (Ralph Fiennes), who thinks it is about time she stepped down, and is seriously questioning the role of secret agents in an increasingly digital world. Shortly after this dressing down, M is made the target of a terrorist attack on MI6 itself, and is told to “think on her sins.” All this, and she has to write Bond’s obituary, too?

Happily, Bond returns to London soon enough, but this is a tired and aging Bond. Forced to retake his physical and mental exams, he scrapes by and returns to active duty, gunning for the cyber terrorist targeting M. With the help of the latest Bond girl, he finds the perversely amiable Silva (a blonde Javier Bardem) living on a creepily abandoned island. It turns out that Silva’s an ex-MI6 agent who has major Oedipal beef with M. In an exciting and somewhat expected plot twist, Silva is not so well-caught as MI6 had hoped, and both Bond and M must run for cover until they are able to face Silva on Bond’s home turf.

“Skyfall” is hands down the best action movie of the year, which is already saying something unusual about a Bond movie of late. This film is the rightful sequel to 2006’s “Casino Royale,” and firmly sets up Bond movies for years to come. (Let’s just pass over the blip that was “Quantum of Solace,” shall we?) A super-creepy Bardem is a terrific baddie–always a good sign in the world of 007 successes. With the help of fresh, new cast members (Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw), this Bond screams 21st century, a place some weren’t sure he belonged. Specifically great is a sardonically nerdy Whishaw as the latest Q, who jokes, “What, were you expecting an exploding pen? We don’t really do that anymore.”

Although gone is Connery’s sarcastic, all-knowing Bond, Craig’s more realistically brutal performance is an easy second for best ever 007.

“A dynamic and vulnerable Daniel Craig comes of age in this action packed movie, making this Bond one of the best,” Ava Giuliano ’14 said.

The exuberant references to past adventures, witty script and the unexpected return of a certain Aston Martin DB5 make “Skyfall” one of the best Bond installments, and perhaps even a contender this Oscar season.

Categories
Arts & Life Columns Humor Rees' Pieces

Rees’ Pieces: The Columnist Manifesto

Ben Rees

Writer

The Columnist Manifesto

 

A couple of weeks ago I did not get a column done–oops! Like everyone else, I was inescapably swamped with loads of schoolwork, and in the midst of my scholarly flurrying, I neglected to write. While entrenched in the intellectual firefight preceding Thanksgiving break, my creative spark was nowhere to be found. Not to say that I failed to attempt a column; in fact, I tried to come up with something halfway decent on more than one occasion. Regrettably, the ideas I came up with were nowhere close to pleasant and even further from endearing. I do not know whether rigorous intellectual pursuits necessarily stifle creativity, and as many of my scholarly endeavors are dedicated to English literature, I would assert that homework and creativity go hand in hand. For some reason, I just couldn’t get it together.

William Faulkner once said: “I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately, I am inspired at nine o’clock every morning.” I, on the other hand, seem only to write at a mildly successful level anywhere between six and 12 hours before my deadline. There are two possibilities for this: one, the increased need to produce stimulates whatever comedic abilities I may have, or two, I get stressed and bitter enough that my anger ends up sounding funny. Take a look back, and I think we can all agree that the latter is probably right on the money. All my columns either rant, tell people what not to do or make incomprehensibly juvenile jokes about body parts.

An embittered columnist cannot produce comedy forever, as he is not on stage to make goofy faces and provide filler jokes bashing the ugly couple in front. Rather, from now on, I, Benjamin Rees, will try to be a little more optimistic in my writing. The glass is no longer half full of poison, it is just half full–maybe of Fanta or something else pleasant.

Now don’t forget, my goblet still overfloweth with bubbling scorn, and I rather dislike most things; however, in the spirit of the artistic process I will attempt to create some original, positive jokes in order to make everyone’s day shine a tad brighter. Call this column my metamorphosis: a once sour larvae blossoming into a beautiful, yet decently funny butterfly. With immense grace, as if erupting from its cocoon like the Alien from an unsuspecting abdomen, it spreads its wings and lightly flutters upon the generally confused synapses of those misfortunate enough to encounter this questionable transformation.

Disclaimer: If you have laughed at all during this column, you should be shamefully aware of your cynical chuckles. Every word espouses a delicate, personal transformation, and any humor this may have aroused in my audience is at the expense of my personal progress. Essentially, my happiness is a joke. Thanks, jerks.

Categories
Arts & Life Campus Events Review

The Fall Dance Showcase keeps audience engaged with a variety of styles, music and dancers

Anna Jones
Writer

The University may be well known for its Engineering program, but the Arts program is rich with opportunity, and is growing in popularity and success. On Nov. 9 and 10, in Harvey M. Powers Theater, the University Department of Theater and Dance presented the Fall Dance Showcase.

The Showcase involved more than 60 dancers from all around campus. Anyone could audition for the show, and then, if selected, they could be cast in up to three pieces. Choreographers included students, faculty and guests.

“The student choreographers were really great. It was inspiring to see how passionate they were about dance,” Rachel Fernandes ’16, a dancer in the show, said.

Guest choreographers included alumna Kourtney Ginn ’12 and Erin Rehberg. Ginn is currently working for Dance/USA, Adventure Theatre-MTC and Dance 4 Peace in the Washington, D.C. area. Rehberg is founder and artistic director of Core Project Chicago, a performing arts collective.

The Showcase choreographers are experts in a vast variety of techniques and styles, so the show featured almost every type of dance. The music ranged widely too, including pieces from David Guetta to Tchaikovsky to Bon Iver.

“The show was really a mix of everything–jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, modern and even Irish,” Fernandes said.

“I really enjoyed the dance showcase because it showed a large variety of dances,” Eileen Cook ’16 said.

The show also included dance groups like the Lewisburg Dance Conservatory and students from Jazz I, Ballet I, Watersleeves and Social Dance classes. Two dancers from the Bisonettes were featured as well. Each number varied in size; some dances including eight or more dancers and some only featuring three.

Including a pre-show installment, the show featured 21 different numbers. The show was about two hours long with a short intermission.

“Everyone was saying that it gets better every year,” Fernandes said in response to how this year’s show compared to the shows in past years.

“Everyone was really talented, so it was really cool to see all those people that I knew from my classes in their element, performing really well,” Cook said.

Dancers enjoyed being a part of something so creative on campus.

“It was so fun being in a showcase here and meeting all the dancers at Bucknell,” Fernandes said.

With many guests at both shows, the Fall Dance Showcase was a huge success. Fernandes urges everyone to come out and audition for the Spring Showcase in April.

Categories
Arts & Life Columns Cooking Corner

Mini Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes

Katie Mancino | The Bucknellian

Katie Mancino
Writer

per cheesecake: 25 calories, 0g fat, 5 carbs, 1g protein

This is one of the biggest hits among my friends, and they have all agreed that if it wasn’t for me making this dessert, they would have never realized cheesecake could be so healthy. You can easily use this cheesecake recipe to make other flavors by just swapping out the pumpkin. You could even make a few kinds by splitting the recipe into halves for an extra impressive Thanksgiving display!

I decorated these with cool whip frosting (found in the freezer section) and fun sprinkles. The frosting is 60 calories for two tablespoons, but I only used half a teaspoon on each, adding only five extra calories.

Makes 36 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients

  • 5 Honey Maid Low Fat Cinnamon Graham Crackers
  • 1 Tbsp Land O’Lakes Light Butter
  • 2 fresh egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
  • 8 oz (1 pack) fat free cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
  • Mini cupcake liners

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. Crush graham crackers until fine and melt butter.
  3. Combine butter and crushed crackers. Press 1/2 teaspoon into the bottom of each mini cupcake liner.
  4. Whip egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form (this is much easier with a mixer).
  5. Beat together pumpkin, sour cream, cream cheese, sugars and spices until smooth.
  6. Gently mix egg whites into pumpkin mixture.
  7. Add 1/2 tablespoon of batter to each mini cupcake tin.
  8. Bake 15-20 minutes until solid at the top but still jiggly.
  9. Refrigerate for 1 hour to set.
  10. Decorate and enjoy!

 

Categories
Arts & Life Campus Events

Feinstein and Young share their poetry and experiences

Molly Ford
Writer

The Stadler Center for Poetry hosted a joint reading with Sascha Feinstein and C. Dale Young on the evening of Nov. 13 in Bucknell Hall. Both poets took turns reading a selection of their poetry for University faculty, students and guests. Earlier that day in Willard Smith Library, Feinstein spoke on jazz and memory, while Young talked about balancing artistic pursuits with a professional life in Walls Lounge. Their readings that night reflected these topics.

Feinstein’s work incorporates jazz in its patterns and form, and refers to other artists and their work. Through his poetry, Feinstein hopes to “express the lasting qualities of art.” Feinstein’s work puts the arts of jazz and poetry in conversation.

Young is an oncologist, as well as a poet and editor. During his faculty introduction, Young’s measured stanzas were described as “immaculate, well-structured rooms in which the reader walks.” He combines his experiences as a full time physician and his life as an artist in most of his poems. Young offers a unique point of view as he reveals the emotion and art behind a professional job in medicine.

Categories
Arts & Life Movies Review

Based on a true story,”Argo” proves to be a successfully suspenseful off-season opener

Carolyn Williams
Writer

Ben Affleck’s latest directorial effort, “Argo,” tells the recently declassified story of a little known escape during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. Heavily hyped as being based on a true story, the actual events make for some pretty nail biting cinema.

The film opens on the hostile takeover of the United States Embassy in Tehran. As fear mounts and American employees hasten to destroy government records and batten down the embassy’s hatches, a group of six covertly escapes through the back door, taking refuge at the Canadian ambassador’s residence a few streets away.

As their fellow countrymen live as hostages, these six hide out in relative comfort for several months. The Canadians don’t want the responsibility anymore, and the Americans fear that if the Iranians find them, the escapees will be made into examples by public execution.

Enter Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck), a CIA staffer who specializes in “exfiltration;” basically he gets people out of dangerous situations. He immediately rejects the original escape plan: give the group six bikes, maps to the border and best wishes for their survival. As he’s brainstorming, Mendez chats with his son over the phone (he and his wife are estranged, another reason for the audience to sympathize) and has an epiphany–what if they were a film crew?

Given the late-70s trend for science fiction movies, Mendez decides that one of the most far-fetched (and therefore least suspicious) ways of exfiltrating these citizens is to pass them off as a Canadian film crew looking for an exotic location to film the next Star Wars rip-off. What’s even more unbelievable than this plan is the fact that the CIA okayed it.

To make the film seem legit, Mendez goes to Hollywood where he contacts John Chambers (John Goodman), a prosthetics designer who has worked with the CIA in the past. They begin spreading the buzz about their upcoming film–they choose a film called “Argo”–but things don’t really get going until they have their producer, played hilariously by Alan Arkin, who proclaims that if he’s going to make a fake movie, “it’s going to be a fake hit.” Once all the groundwork has been laid in stateside, there’s nothing left for Mendez to do but carry it out.

Once again, Affleck proves that as a director, he’s got chops. The real-life story is so outlandish that it’s automatically the stuff of good cinema. Kendall Woods ’14 called the film “better than I anticipated.” Affleck does slip into some bad Hollywood habits by exaggerating some of the escape sequences, and perhaps the denouement is overly indulgent, but most of the movie is interesting, tense and emotionally involved. Though probably not much of a contender come Oscar time, “Argo” is not too shabby for an off-season opener.