Category: Arts & Life

By Elyas Harris

Writer

From Martincich’s perspective, theatre and dance share narratives through kinesthetic and emotional cues.  As a professor, she has discovered that art, in a university setting, has the ability to broaden perspectives on an emotional and intellectual level.

“Art demands the intersection of technologies with humanity in innovative ways which communicate an experience,” Martincich said.

Martincich received her Masters of Fine Arts from Smith College and her B.A. in Theatre/English from Marquette University. She was invited to the University as a visiting professor in 2007.  The University was in search of a dance professor with expertise in jazz dance, dance conditioning, ballet and musical theatre choreography. Martincich taught in Minnesota for a year prior to being offered a permanent position on campus.

Martincich’s work at the University allows her to teach both theatre and dance courses.

“Every jazz class, I learn something new about natural rhythm and community. Every class I deal with new humans. Setting dance on them informs me because everyone moves differently. It’s always about an individual expressing his or her style,” Martincich said.

In addition to teaching, she spends time researching in both fields and performing as a dancer. In April of 2011, “Then Again,” a collaborative piece by Martincich and her colleague Kathryn Borrows, opened in Chicago. Martincich’s current work, “Lone Windows,” is a physical narrative as an ekphrastic work, inspired by Edward Hopper’s paintings and flash fiction from Joseph Scapellato.

“My favorite thing is collaboration. Collaboration is key. It’s what develops the form,” Martincich said.

Art has been a major influence throughout Martincich’s life, who was introduced to arts at an early age by her mother and father. She identifies her parents as the guiding force motivating her engagement with creative processes. Growing up outside of Chicago, Martincich had an enviable access to the arts. She got her first dance experience training at Shirley’s Dance Studio of Crest Hill in Illinois. There were many quality jazz music and dance offerings in the Chicago area, she said. Martincich’s parents helped her take advantage of the rich arts scene in the region and to connect the arts with issues of social justice. They even recruited her as an emerging artist to choreograph performances for charity and local community events. From those early experiences, Martincich internalized the power of art to address issues of diversity and/or gender inequality.

Martincich attempts to bring to her work here, and to her students, her embrace of the transformative and pragmatic potentialities of art. She sees art as an important aspect of the social balance on campus.

She believes that students are rising to the challenge and noted the “Double Take Project” of Tina Cody ’12, a show which addresses student concerns and experiences on campus.

Martincich believes that after acquiring an artistic and intellectual toolbox, students can begin to integrate arts into everyday life.

“Be educated in everything. Take as many classes as you possibly can. Know that everything can be used. Be able to make connections. Community is where the heart of art is. Synthesize all those connections you make. Research. Be generous. Give as much as you take in. Contribute,” Martincich said.

By Juliet Kelso

Writer

Your Halloween was likely filled with copious amounts of bad candy and dorm-made costumes, but what about new music releases? There must be something to be said about an artist who chooses to drop their latest album around the world’s spookiest holiday. Turns out, it’s not that popular of a move. Florence and the Machine and Down with Webster were two of the only groups to make the statement this year, releasing CDs on October 28 and 31, respectively.  

In terms of notoriety and mass appeal, the headliner of the day was inevitably Coldplay’s “Mylo Xyloto.” The general reaction to “Mylo Xyloto” is that of relief: the tracks are somewhat refreshing, a change from the expected Coldplay conventions. But if you’re like most Coldplay fans and your love of the group is rooted in emotional attachment to their earlier material, you will be very disappointed.

My personal recommendation from the October 25th list is Surfer Blood’s EP “Tarot Classics.” The short six tracks include two remixes and four eclectic songs with a West coast-post-punk-revival vibe. The opening track, “I’m Not Ready,” is a bouncy pick-me-up and “Voyager Reprise” is the highlight.

The Italian indie band A Classic Education has dropped their highly anticipated LP,”Call it Blazing,” which is another must for the adventurous listener. The break-out band exhibits the fashionably ennui style of yawning indie elitism. This inclination is heavily present in the LP: preppy meets a contrasting above-society-coolness, a healthy balance which resonates but lacks originality.

For a busier selection, I would suggest Justice’s album “Audio, Video, Disco” which I have listened to extensively with satisfaction. As expected, Pitchfork graced the album with a scathing review and insulting grade of 5.3 out of 10. Their fickle critics gave a much more appropriately stinging mark of 3.9 to Deer Tick’s “Divine Providence.” Do not waste your time, it’s really that bad. With that said, I have provided a list of new album releases:

A Classic Education, “Call it Blazing”

Florence and the Machine, “Ceremonials”

Down with Webster, ” Time to Win- Vol. 2″

65Daysofstatic, “We Were Exploding Anyway” (U.S.-only two-CD release)

Coldplay,  “Mylo Xyloto”

Deer Tick, “Divine Providence” 

Dub Trio, “Dub Trio IV”

Haken, “Visions”

Junius, “Reports From the Threshold of Death”

Justice, “Audio, Video, Disco”

Kathryn Calder, “Bright and Vivid”

Lights Resolve, “Feel You’re Different”

Roots Manuva,  “4everevolution”

Russian Circles,  “Empros”

She & Him,  “A Very She & Him Christmas”

Surfer Blood, “Tarot Classics”

Tom Waits, “Bad As Me”

Vince Gill, “Guitar Slinger”

Woodsman, “Mystic Places EP”

By Carolyn Williams

Staff Writer

“Moneyball,” a newly released sports drama film, is based on Michael Lewis’ 2003 novel of the same name. The plot tells the true story of the Oakland Athletics team’s 2001 and 2002 baseball seasons. As the general manager of a team with only a sliver of the financial backing compared to what is offered to the New York Yankees, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) finds himself forced to reevaluate the way he plays the game.

Upset after being defeated in the 2001 World Series by the Yankees and losing many of his star players to the powerhouses in New York and Boston, Beane is discouraged to find himself once again having to rebuild his team. Working within his very limited budget, Beane finds himself at odds with his aged staff of scouts who are looking for players of similar star power to replace the ones they’ve lost. 

Taking matters into his own hands, Beane approaches recent Yale graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill, “Get Him to the Greek,” “Superbad”), from the Cleveland Indians, impressed by his strategy of compiling players based on their specialized, statistical performance rather than their overall potential. By choosing such undervalued, unexpected players, Brand theorizes a potentially successful team within the A’s price range.

Naturally, the old-timers working under Beane are displeased. Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead”), the recalcitrant team manager who outright refuses to conform to Beane’s new standards, undermines the system until Beane forces him into compliance by trading all of the traditional players Howe prefers. This results in a 20-game winning streak, proving, beyond any shadow of a doubt, exactly how well his new system works.

Director Bennett Miller’s (“Capote”) restrained sensibility behind the camera paired with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”) and Steven Zaillian (“Gangs of New York”) renders “Moneyball” a sports film which does not necessarily conform to its circumscribed genre. Pitt’s portrayal of Beane, a jaded 40-something with a high school diploma and a failed marriage under his belt is colored also by his endearing relationship with his preteen daughter and his recollections of his own unsuccessful major league career. Regardless of his obstacles, he wants to prove that it takes talented players rather than big bucks to secure a World Series title. Hill is also surprisingly good, stepping out of his typecast of raunchy comedies, and gives a warm portrayal of the nerdy, pudgy Brand who, while probably never playing much serious baseball, has catalogued and memorized every player’s strengths, weaknesses and value to a specific team.

“Moneyball” is not meant to be a joyous film, although it has its moments of comedy. It transcends the sports movie stereotype of a last-minute victory or an 11th-hour upset. This is a story based in recent history, and we all know how it goes. Not to say that sports fans won’t enjoy it as well, but there really is something for everyone here. It’s the actors’ performances, the writing and the spirit of the film which give “Moneyball” the strength to stand on its own rather than the game itself.

By Michelle Joline

Arts & Life Editor

We all know what it’s like to live in close proximity to a prison in Lewisburg. After all, the sparkling lights and shiny barbed wire fences of the Lewisburg Penitentiary are a staple in the view from the Academic quad. Most of us can say that this sighting is as close as we have ever dreamt of coming to a prison, though some recreational scaring appears to be cause enough to change that. 

Now that Halloween is right around the corner, with hayrides, apple cider and pumpkins on our minds, we are looking to get into the real spirit of Halloween. Who doesn’t love a good scare this time of year? Luckily, we live in Pennsylvania, not too far from Philadelphia, where the Eastern State Penitentiary holds a haunted house that could literally scare you to death, judging by the waiver they make you sign as you walk in. “The Terror Behind the Walls” portion of the penitentiary offers an experience that is “The Blair Witch Project” meets “The Shining,” but a lot more realistic than just sitting with popcorn in hand at a horror film.

The Eastern State Penitentiary is now a historic landmark, but it is famous for jailing Alphonse “Scarface” Capone, the Chicago mob boss, and Freda Frost, a female inmate who poisoned her husband. The fame of these inmates and many others has attracted guests to the site for many years and is a perfect place to hold a frightening Halloween haunting, if you aren’t too scared to attend.

If you are looking for something slightly more thrilling than a hayride at Ard’s and apple cider at Seventh Street, then hop in your car with a group of friends and be prepared to experience some of the best haunting on the East coast.

By: Caitlin Falco

Contributing Writer

Experimental filmmaking is far from a novelty in the film and media industry, and these “independent” films compose a relatively large part of the market. But some filmmakers, in addition to experimenting with content, have begun to develop innovative ways to shoot and present a film. Roger Beebe, an experimental filmmaker, will be coming to the Campus Theatre on Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. to present his most recent work, “Films for One to Eight Projectors.”

“My form of experimental filmmaking is at least partially about finding a way of making films that it’s easy to embrace as a maker. My filmmaking is based in a DIY culture that values those things that society has deemed worthless, like the 16-millimeter projectors that I buy for $10 apiece–or like the thrift store clothes, couches, etc. that are a big part of the rest of my life,” Beebe said.

Transforming the theater into a multimedia landscape, Beebe will utilize several projectors to completely alter how the film is viewed. What’s the inspiration for this multi-projector project? 

After being invited to do a show in a planetarium, “[I got] really got excited about the possibility of making giant compositions of different kinds of images interacting with each other,” Beebe said.

No longer bound by what he calls “the limitations of the frame,” Beebe believes that multiple projectors add tremendously to the presentation of the film.

“The quality of liveness is something we’re losing in society. Sure, you can stream lots of things through Netflix, but there’s a kind of indifference to that process that the multiple projections contests. It’s almost like watching a tightrope walker, complete with the thrills of the stumbles and near falls. But there’s also a rhythmic complexity that you can get with multiple projections that you can’t get with a single projector,” Beebe said.

Aside from experimenting with how his films are shown, he shares a unique perspective on how his films are made. While Hollywood and more mainstream filmmakers embrace the constant onslaught of new technology by releasing movies in 3D and Blu-ray, Beebe reinforces his belief of living modestly by shooting with more simple technology.

“Sure, everyone loves their iPhones or their new Canon 5Ds or whatever, but I shoot on a camera that was made in 1971, and other than an occasional repair, I basically don’t have to do anything to keep it looking great. With video or new media, the tools become outmoded incredibly quickly, so every few years you need new software, a new computer, a new camera, etc. You’ll blow thousands of dollars on these, and the old gear just goes in the landfill. So I’m standing there at the landfill trying to make treasure out of your trash. And it turns out that 16-millimeter especially is still a pretty incredible, and incredibly simple, technology.”

Although his newest film requires eight projectors, Beebe takes pride in the fact that everything he needs fits into the back of his Toyota Prius.

“I do like being able to transform almost any space into a microcinema. It makes me feel like cinema could happen anywhere, not just at the multiplex or arts house,” Beebe said.

 

By: Michelle Reed

Contributing Writer

In the commotion of midterms, homecoming football games and never-ending coursework, it can be easy for students to overlook an area of campus life that’s constantly growing and changing: the arts.

The University’s creative community is always quietly (and sometimes loudly) at work, looking for new ways to engage students and faculty in artistic experiences. Kathryn Maguet, executive director of the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, is always on the lookout for inspiration.

“I attend a lot of performances in New York and nearby, and even in international venues,” Maguet said. “I like to take my time to see how an artist is evolving, and how their work might resonate with the campus and the greater community. I want to present artists and performances with the most natural points of connection to Bucknell. ”

Performance art, Maguet said, is unique in its ability to offer a shared artistic experience. “What happens between artist and audience member is the magic; it’s the glue. It’s the beauty of experiencing something profound together.”

Rick Rinehart, director of the Samek Art Gallery, similarly emphasizes the transformative power of contemporary art.

“Art is that space in society that’s carved out for imagining,” Rinehart said. “I honestly, sincerely believe that every student should engage in the arts. That’s the kind of learning that will sustain them through the rest of their lives.”

Rinehart believes a vibrant artistic community is essential to a university setting.

“The arts create an alternate learning space to the formal classroom. A liberal arts college gives students the opportunity to experience the best of the world in a microcosm,” Rinehart said.

So, how can we immerse ourselves more fully in the arts? It’s as simple as venturing up to the third floor of the Elaine Langone Center and exploring the Samek Gallery’s current exhibit, spending an evening enjoying performance art at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts or discovering a new film at the Campus Theatre.

“At no other point in your life will you have opportunities to follow the arts that are as economical and as accessible as you will on a college campus,” Maguet said. “Take advantage of it. When you walk out of here and enter a different chapter of your life, it’s not going to be at your doorstep.”

By Caitlin Falco

Writer

The newly renovated Campus Theatre is “a unique learning environment for everybody who loves the films from yesterday and today,” said Diego Chiri ’12, a film/media studies major. It is a place “to appreciate film as an art form.” And with the presentation of over 20 films spanning several decades during The 70th Anniversary Film Festival, the Campus Theatre has certainly flourished in these ideals.  But the wide spectrum of movies is only one part of this festival’s undeniable appeal. Culminating with an impressive lineup of special events and guests, the festival marks its end with a weekend nothing short of extraordinary.

One such special guest is Nina Paley, animator and filmmaker, who will introduce her film, “Sita Sings the Blues,” tomorrow.  Demonstrating an innovative mixture of the 1920s jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw as well as animated depictions of the Indian epic “The Ramayana,” “Sita Sings the Blues” was produced entirely on her home computer and has won over a dozen major film festival awards. Because no major commercial studio would distribute her film, Paley began to self-distribute, utilizing what Eric Faden, festival co-coordinator and associate professor of English and film/media studies, deems “a fan-centric method for publicizing her films.”

On Sunday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m., the festival will showcase John Ford’s 1927 silent film, “Upstream.” Lost for decades, this film was just rediscovered in 2009 and was restored by The National Film Preservation Board; Hollywood composer Michael Mortilla and violinist Nicole Garcia will perform live music along with the show, allowing attendees the unique opportunity to “see—and hear—a silent film in its original context,” Faden says.

On Sunday, there will be a special 7 p.m. showing of “Hollywood Home Movies,” personal home movies of famous Hollywood stars and directors that have been stored in the Academy archive. Seeing legendary artists like Alfred Hitchcock, Joan Crawford and Cary Grant without the glare of Hollywood’s spotlight is an exceptional opportunity, made even more so by the fact that this collection will be presented by Randy Haberkamp from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

For Eric Faden, these special guests are fundamental to the festival experience. “What makes a festival special is not only seeing the films but also meeting the people behind the film’s creation, because understanding the context and the story of the production process allows you to understand and appreciate the film on a whole different level,” he said.

The 70th Anniversary Film Festival has marked the reopening of the Campus Theatre in a memorable way. With its promotion of film culture, appreciation of filmmaking and celebration of the simple film experience, the festival has become a powerful reminder of all the reasons people love movies in the first place.

For more information, please visit the festival’s website: www.bucknell.edu/filmfest.

By Carolyn Williams

Staff Writer

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” So begins Jane Austen’s best-loved novel, “Pride and Prejudice,” adapted for the stage and performed here at the University this homecoming weekend. For those little acquainted with the plot, here’s a brief overview.

Elizabeth Bennet is the quick-witted second of five sisters living in Regency, England. Her father’s estate is entailed away from his female descendants, who are, as such, faced with the daunting task of marrying well with “little but our charms to recommend us.” When a wealthy young gentleman moves into town, their incorrigible mother decides that one of them must marry him. This man, the amiable Mr. Bingley, brings along his best friend, the seemingly arrogant and slightly mysterious Mr. Darcy. While Bingley takes a keen interest in the eldest Miss Bennet, Jane, who happily returns his affections, Darcy quickly earns the disapproval of Elizabeth. Their relationship, however, soon develops in divergent directions, and both find themselves questioning whether their initial impressions of the other were perhaps mistaken after all. Fittingly, the original working title for the novel was “First Impressions,” and Austen’s novel of manners is close to the hearts of those who have read the original text, or who have seen any of the many film versions.

“It’s a fairly faithful rendition of the beloved classic which channels the BBC ‘Pride and Prejudice’ successfully and enjoyably,” Kate Wilsterman ’14 said of the adaptation.

Director Anjalee Hutchinson’s interpretation of the novel is enhanced by a beautiful set, numerous carefully choreographed dance sequences and diligently maintained British accents. The book’s narrative style is simulated by the Bennet sisters addressing the audience, giving their “interpretation” of background information, thereby including necessary details which would otherwise be lost in translation between the mediums of text and stage.

Starring as our lovers are theatre and psychology major Katharina Schmidt ’13, as Elizabeth, and theatre major Banner White ’14 as Darcy. Aside from reading the novel, the two prepared for the parts by utilizing Chekhov-based styles of method acting, which rely heavily on physicality and expression, and actually were forced to stay apart from each other outside of rehearsal for much of the process of putting the play together.

“When we weren’t allowed to talk to each other, we wrote letters to each other as Elizabeth and Darcy, and snuck them to each other in our classes, which was a lot of fun,” White said.

As to the magnitude of playing one of English literature’s favorite pairs of lovers, Schmidt said, “Of course it was intimidating. The toughest part about playing these characters was that everyone knows them. It’s a lot of pressure to try to do justice to Austen.” To get into character as Darcy, White watched numerous romantic comedies, and said he didn’t quite feel the full weight of the role immediately.

“I don’t know if it added or took away from the process that we both found a lot of ourselves in our characters. The magnitude of the role in English-speaking culture didn’t really hit me until later. I rolled with it, but to be compared to actors such as Colin Firth and Laurence Olivier is intense.”

Aside from the superb leads, whose onstage chemistry will please all Elizabeth and Darcy fans, the play is really made excellent with the help of the supporting leads, notably Eve Carlson ’12, for her dead-on interpretation of the most mortifying mother of all time, Mrs. Bennet; Emily Hooper ’14 as the haughty and cruel Caroline Bingley; Molly Davis ’14 as the irrepressible Lydia Bennet; and Matt Dranzik ’13 as the always affable Mr. Bingley.

This interpretation of “Pride and Prejudice” is tastefully done, with a fresh cast, but at the end of the day it’s the same great story we all love, as good the first time as the 20th.

“The play was extremely well done, very well acted, I highly recommend seeing it,” Emily Conners ’14 said.

Some of the play’s themes are relevant to the University’s current environment, as well as the modern world at large. “I think an overarching goal of our production is to remember what it’s like to have romance. As we’ve been frequently reminded thanks to the campus climate report, Bucknell is more of a “hook-up culture” than not, and I want to see romance brought back. That’s part of what makes this so fun, reviving a completely different world. I think what we hope to leave everyone who sees the play with a longing for the romance and flirtation which is so prevalent in Jane Austen’s work,” Dranzik said.

“Pride and Prejudice” will be performed October 21-24. Performances are at 8 p.m. in Harvey M. Powers Theatre on Friday, Saturday and Monday, wiht a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, seniors (over 62) and youths (under 18).

By: Saba Davis

Contributing Writer

Ever heard of the Brawley Fund?  No, it’s not the University’s answer to Fight Club.  The Brawley Fund was established by E.M. Brawley, who graduated in 1875 as the University’s first African-American student.  He created the fund to provide monetary support to underrepresented students for various research and internship opportunities.

This past summer, theatre major and Brawley Fund recipient Diego M. Chiri ’12 traveled to Scotland to film a documentary that captured the making of the play “The American Family.” The film was a collaborative project between the University and Western Washington University students.  The play  included many of the performers’ personal stories, such as coming out to parents, dealing with the effects of divorce, going to a grandfather’s funeral, or personal traumas from childhood.

What is particularly interesting about Chiri’s experience is that he witnessed an experimental method of theatre production called “devising.”  His documentary gives some insight into “devising” and its application, Chiri said. The “devising” technique promotes equality so producers and directors don’t rely on the previously-established hierarchy of writers, he said.

“There is no director at first, just performers exploring time and exploring space … they become the writers. The text is not the most important thing; instead we start with a concept, a question or a desire.”  Performers were trained by the renowned Andy Paris, one of the founding members of the Tectonic Theatre, a company that professionally practices the application of devising theatre techniques in the United States.

Chiri explained the special importance of the documentary for his own education by saying, “When I was told that I was going to be filming [the documentary], I didn’t want it to be just about the experience of just going to Scotland, or just footage from the play. I wanted it to have an educational purpose— in order to understand ‘The American Family’ as a play, you first need to understand how devising works as a theatre technique.” Chiri said that his documentary is about the making of a play, but there are two aspects that are especially important: the “theory of devising” and “putting the devising technique into practice, which is the play itself.” When asked if he had any advice for aspiring students, he said, “If you’re interested in theatre or filmmaking, try this technique.”