Category: Review

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Arts & Life Campus Events Review

Macbeth

 

Estie Pyper | The Bucknellian
Elyas Harris ’13 completely encompassed the role of Macbeth, reciting his line with intensity, confidence, and a sense of personal ownership.

Christina Oddo
Arts & Life Editor 

This past weekend, a group of students performed one of Shakespeare’s most renowned works. The University’s Department of Theatre and Dance was proud to present “Macbeth” on Oct. 19-22 in Tustin Theatre. This production was directed by Anjalee Deshpande Hutchinson, assistant director of theatre and dance, aided by assistant directors Gwenn Gideon ’15 and Bronwyn Barnwell ’15.

The set of the production itself included a staircase leading to a door, a trap door in the floor and other openings and pathways. Realistic sound effects, as well as projected images and footage and fog effects, allowed for an even more three-dimensional performance. At multiple times during the production, actors performed right in front of the first row of the audience. Such a cozy venue allowed for great audience engagement, and an up-close, intense experience.

Estie Pyper | The Bucknellian
Michael Strauss ’14 conveys his role through his relationships with the other actors onstage.

“One challenging aspect of this production was being open to all the historical interpretations of Lady Macbeth while also letting go of all preconceived notions and letting her spirit emerge organically,” said Victoria Moyer ’13, who played Lady Macbeth in the production. “Another challenging aspect for me was to open myself to my own darker nature in order to become Lady Macbeth. The idea of ‘what’s done cannot be undone’ weighed really heavily on me each night … It was such a roller coaster experiencing Lady M’s highest hopes and dreams transformed into her worst nightmares for the past weeks.”

The actors grew as artists through the development of relationships with one another and with their characters.

Estie Pyper | The Bucknellian
Katrina Medoff ’13 acts as one of the three Wyrd Sisters. Eerie body movement, along with excellent lighting, costume, and stage setup, add to each of the Wyrd Sisters.

“We had an amazing cast–I think each one of us opened ourselves, to each other, as fellow creators and artists,” Moyer said. “I had an eye-opening experience developing the relationship of the Macbeths with my phenomenal fellow actor, Elyas [Harris ’13] , and I felt the complexity of our bond and eventual undoing grew immensely with each rehearsal.”

At first, the students needed to tackle Shakespearean language in order to capture and portray the true essence of emotion on stage. Over time, it became less about memorization, and more about immersion.

“Having time over the summer to memorize lines and study the poetry and form of the text was necessary so that the physical exploration could happen right away this semester,” Moyer said.

The actors grasped the language so fully that emotion was expressed with what seemed like ease.

“Everyone was so talented; it brought much more emotion to Shakespeare than I expected,” Nicole Davis ’15 said.

The actors became their characters with this great understanding of the language and its meaning.

“In Shakespeare’s world, the characters are not afraid to speak, and they must articulate for their very survival,” Moyer said. “Being immersed in Shakespeare’s language has rekindled my passion for this kind of expression, yet I am dismayed sometimes to find our generation operating in a mode of stuttering, trailing off, indecisiveness, neglecting the power of the voice. I hope that the audiences this weekend were moved not only by the power of the story, but by the power of the language.”

Above all, the cast not only became a closer group of artists and performers, but also a closer group of friends, creating and enforcing a group environment in the theatre.

“Macbeth was a group effort,” Ethan B. Van Buskirk ’13, who played Angus and Lord said. “Everyone was on top of it; lines down, cues up, extra hours from everyone. Anjalee was great too. She had a strong sense of what needed to happen in the show, but was exceptionally flexible and receptive to everyone’s input. The best part of the show for me was easily the sense of community. Theatre doesn’t exist in a vacuum, it needs people to thrive–including not only production, but the audience.”

 

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Arts & Life Campus Events Review

Oktoberfest events at Uptown prove successful

Laura Crowley
Senior Writer

On Oct. 19, Uptown held Oktoberfest, at which students over 21 were offered three free drinks per person. In the spirit of October and the German holiday Oktoberfest, students were offered Sam Adams’ Oktoberfest draft and hot pretzels. Alternative options of Coors Light, wine and non-alcoholic beverages were also available. The three-drink limit was enforced by a wristband system in which bartenders removed tabs from the band after each drink.

Games of pool and foosball were active all throughout the event, which lasted from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The music consisted of a DJ who opened the floor up to karaoke for students on several occasions.

“It was my first time at pub night at Uptown, and it definitely won’t be my last,” Ben Sunshine ’13 said. “The atmosphere was very relaxed and I didn’t feel cramped once inside.”

The turnout was substantial, as the bar was quite full towards the end of the night.

Pub Nights at Uptown are typically held on the last Friday of each month, and are a fun way to enjoy time with friends while maintaining a budget.

Uptown also hosted a non-alcoholic Oktoberfest event on Oct. 20. Uptown provided students with free mugs and access to a Birch beer keg. Soft pretzles were also served, along with pierogi and mini brownie dessert bites. Face-in-hole photos and holiday-related music were other fun additives to the event.

“The non-alcohol event, BisonHaus, proved that people can have fun without drinking. Face-in-hole cut outs, free souvenir mugs and typical German food made the event memorable,” Emilie Ratajczak ’15 said. “It is definitely an event that has so much potential, so we hope to hype it up more next year.”

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Arts & Life Campus Events Review

ACE presents a night of Mexican food and activities

Anna Jones
Writer

After several weeks of intensive planning and advertising by the Spades Committee of Activities and Campus Events (ACE), headed by Asha Harvey ’15, the committee pulled off a successful Fiesta Night in the Terrace Room on Oct. 19.

Upon walking into the room, guests were overwhelmed by the sound of festive music and the enticing smells of Mexican food, including make-your-own tacos and burritos. On the other side of the room, there was a long table filled with bowls of chips and just about every kind of salsa possible, ranging from extremely spicy to more mild. If your taste buds needed something to cool down, virgin margaritas were being served in the middle of the room. In another corner sat cinnamon covered churros with vats of chocolate for dipping. People raved about the food, which was prepared by the University’s dining staff. 

One of the main events of the night was the hot pepper eating contest.

“[It] was a huge attraction for many attendees,” Harvey said.

Harvey said they wanted to “facilitate friendly competition,” and that the committee is working to make the competition even better for next year’s Fiesta Night. This year’s winner was Farhan Altaf ’15, who won a piñata full of $50 in cash and lots of candy.

Guests also had the opportunity to take part in the Mexican piñata activity. Upon entering the Terrace Room, every guest received a ticket with a number. Every 15 minutes, ACE committee members drew five numbers; whoever’s number was called got the chance to swing at the piñata three times after being blindfolded and spun around three times.

After several people beat up the piñata, it fell to the ground and there was a mad rush for the candy inside. A few pieces were labeled with bright green tags; the lucky winners of these pieces won gift cards to shops in downtown Lewisburg. One of the winners was Meghan Mahoney ’16.

“I expected that I had gotten a free Milky Way bar, but it turned out that I’d won a $10 discount at any store downtown. It was a very nice surprise!” Mahoney said.

For the more artistically inclined students, there was a table for decorating maracas and Mexican fans with markers. The Latino Dance Corner performed a dance and even gave a short lesson on the tango to students. For even more of a Mexican feel, ACE had flower pins for guests to put in their hair.

Finally, there was a “guess how many beans” contest. Students could guess how many beans were in a jar, and the closest estimate won a $30 gift certificate to El Caporal, a Mexican restaurant in Lewisburg. Patience Osei ’14 was the lucky winner of this gift certificate.

With almost 300 guests, Fiesta Night turned out to be a huge success.

“I’d say it was a success,” Harvey said. “The Latin Dance Corner turned up the heat and we had so much going on it wasn’t a surprise that people stayed the whole night.”

ACE has many more events planned for this semester, including Casino Night this weekend at the Campus Theatre and BU After Dark on Nov. 2.

“ACE activities are great ways to bring the entire community together and break down boundaries,” Harvey said.

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Arts & Life Books Review

Character voice in Diaz’s third book proves to be irresistible

Carolyn Williams
Writer

Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz’s third book, “This Is How You Lose Her,” is of that rare, awesome breed which combines readability with literary merit. This is the first book in a while that I have been genuinely unable to put down.

For anyone unfamiliar with Junot Diaz’s rather unique style, here’s an excerpt from page one of the first short story in the collection, “The Sun, the Moon, the Stars:”

“See, many months ago when Magda was still my girl, when I didn’t have to be careful about almost everything, I cheated on her with this chick who had tons of eighties freestyle hair … Magda only found out because homegirl wrote her a fucking letter. And the letter had details. Shit you wouldn’t even tell your boys drunk.”

So there you have it. If this sort of writing doesn’t appeal to you, it’s probably best you stop reading here. But if this small sample whets your appetite, the collection only gets better as it goes on.

Diaz focuses eight out of nine of these stories on Yunior, whose misadventures in love are referenced in the title, and who figures both in Diaz’s first collection, “Drown,” and his acclaimed novel, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Yunior, like Diaz, is a Dominican author and professor living in the Boston area, but the stories deal more with his coming of age and coming to terms with himself than the actual business of falling in and out of love. Romantic relationships play heavily throughout, but there is much more emotional writing of loss and familial love as well.

Yunior, though he tries to avoid it, has inherited the “cheating gene” of his father and older brother, and, well intentioned though he may be, cannot stay faithful to the women in his stories. He’s far from heartless, though. He bemoans his condition, spends the final story in the collection, “A Cheater’s Guide to Love” trying to get over a lost love interest for years, but he can’t shake this family curse.

Whether he’s demonstrating his status as a Dominican outsider in a white America or personally proving just how hard a good man is to find, Yunior’s voice is what makes this collection so excellent. Diaz’s interplay of English and Spanish, or slang and literary reference, are so unusual they become addictive. A great narrative voice can really make or break a book, and Yunior’s seals the deal for “This Is How You Lose Her.” I seriously cannot recommend it enough. As Yunior, that consummate cheater in love would say, “the half-life of love is forever.” And trust me, that’s pretty much how long you’ll be in love with Diaz’s book.

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Arts & Life Movies Review

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” falls short of other coming-of-age films

Carolyn Williams
Writer

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Stephen Chbosky’s 1999 hit young-adult novel and second foray into film directing, has been met with mixed critical reviews, but general popular approval. Though touted as both a “Catcher in the Rye” and “Breakfast Club” of our generation, neither version of Chbosky’s work honestly measures up to these paragons of coming-of-age malaise.

Our titular wallflower is Charlie (Logan Lerman), who communicates in the novel through letters to an unknown recipient. In the film, most of this narrative style is changed to voiceover monologues, which work pretty well. Charlie’s had a rough couple of years, between the suicide of his best friend and the death of his favorite aunt. We meet him on his terrifying first day of high school, made all the more frightening by Charlie’s complete lack of social skills. Given his troubled past, can we really fault him for this? The only friend he makes on day one is his English teacher (Paul Rudd), who, in true English teacher style, immediately recognizes a receptive pupil in Charlie, and begins giving him extra curricular reading assignments and friendly advice.

Eventually, Charlie makes friends with the flamboyantly gay Patrick (Ezra Miller), and through him, his alt-rock loving stepsister, Sam (Emma Watson, in her first major post-Hogwarts role), who quickly becomes Charlie’s crush. These free-spirited seniors also notice Charlie’s potential, and take him under their wing, inducting him into their friend group, which Sam lovingly calls “the island of misfit toys,” a line which might have been better had Watson quite gotten a grasp of the American accent she’s aiming for throughout the film.

Aspiring writer Charlie spends his time making mix tapes, hanging out in diners and reveling in his newfound friendships. But this new world of friends and parties comes with its own set of issues: that permanent stumbling block of any self-respecting (or not) adolescent-identity. As Charlie discovers who he is, and how this new self fits into his past and his future, he tries to help his friends in their own quests for self understanding before they leave for college in the fall.

The movie is not bad, especially for one directed by the original novelist–a situation generally avoided by Hollywood for a reason. Emma Watson makes a decidedly un-Hermione-like showing, which was definitely her intention, and Ezra Miller is funny in a sarcastically over the top, stereotypical kind of way, a complete turnaround from his last role in “We Need to Talk About Kevin.” On the other hand, Rudd is seriously underused, and Lerman looks a little too much like someone who should be sitting at the popular table to be a wallflower. His character lacks that fantastically original voice which makes Holden Caulfield so iconic, and the film pales in comparison to the fleeting intersection of social status and personality that “The Breakfast Club” studies. In trying so hard to emulate these teen greats, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” falls into some been-there, done-that coming-of-age tropes, but the heart is still there, and that keeps the film from flopping entirely.

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Arts & Life Campus Events Music

Musical group gives voice to Chilean people: a representation of Latino culture

Molly Ford
Writer

Inti-Illimani, the Chilean instrumental and vocal Latin American music group, performed at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 11. The eight-member group utilizes over 30 instruments and numerous cultural and musical influences to create a distinctive, Chilean folk sound.

“The blending of traditional South American sounds, the versatility of the musicians and the soulfulness of their lyrics made me experience one of the best performances here at Bucknell,” Angel Hernandez ’13 said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better representation of my Latino culture.”

The performance was one stop on the group’s 45th  anniversary tour. Inti-Illimani became a voice for the Chilean people during a time of political unrest in 1967, and the group continues this mission today.

“I loved the performance, both for wonderful music and their extraordinary musicianship, but also because they continue to bear witness and give voice to people all over the world, and especially Latin Americans, who have struggled against oppression,” Professor of Geography Paul Susman said.

The group has performed at Amnesty International Concerts alongside Sting, Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen, proving the group’s status as a cultural icon.

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Arts & Life Campus Events

Retreat fosters lifelong bonds and a vision for a better Bucknell

 

Courtesy of Laura Yeckley
Director, assisant directors and facilitars create lifelong friendships during the Common Ground Retreat.

Christina Oddo
Arts & Life Editor 

Common Ground continues to be a rewarding experience for students year after year during fall breaks. Common Ground is a free, five day diversity immersion retreat that takes place at the Cowan Forrest Brown Conference Center. Common Ground focuses on issues surrounding race, sexual orientation and gender. Thirty-five students participated this past fall break, lead by Director Capri Dubois ’13 and Assistant Directors Sam Lauer ’13 and Ana Aguilera Silva ’14. There were also 11 facilitators for the program.

Courtesy of Laura Yeckley
Thirty-five students break out of their comfort zones to learn more about one another.

“As a facilitator, Common Ground taught me that the things I say truly do have an impact on people,” Kate Albertini ’14 said. “One night, through tears and laughter, I encouraged participants to say ‘hi’ when they pass people they know on campus. At the time, I did not think it was that profound, but I can tell you that I have been so incredibly touched by all the amazing hugs and greetings I have both witnessed and received since returning to campus.”

Students take part in different activities that highlight topics about identity. The “Race Iceberg” is an activity that deals with racial and ethnic stereotypes, while the “Falling Stars” activity explores the coming out process. Different levels of discussions are facilitated in small and large groups throughout the retreat.

“I do not come from a very diverse background, and the diversity immersion retreat opened my eyes to the difficult experiences many Bucknellians are going through at home and on campus in relation to issues of race, sexual identity and gender among others,” Jennie Means ’14 said.

Favorite bonding activities among the participants include “Trees & Stumps,” “Mafia,” “Psychiatrist,” dance parties and campfires.

“What gives me the most hope for the future of Bucknell is the response members of the retreat have had since returning to campus,” Means said. “The experience we had together and the love and respect we now share is something that will not only help us maintain our friendships into the future, but will also drive us to make change on Bucknell’s campus and follow through on the action plan we created.”

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Arts & Life Campus Events Review

Uptown to be new Fall craze

Anna Jones
Writer

Throughout September, Uptown, the University’s on-campus nightclub, has hosted many different events, such as a poetry slam, a dueling pianos performance, Sunday Night Football games, a club night, Trivia Night and more.

The year started off strong on Sept. 7 when Uptown partnered with WVBU to showcase student musicians and groups. This received much support from the student body.

“[Uptown] would like to have more students performing … in the future,” Uptown Manager Steph Wyld ’14 said.

Next, on Sept. 14, the Stadler Center for Poetry hosted their Poetry Slam at Uptown.  More than 100 people attended, including students from Susquehanna University who were also able to participate.

“This is one of our favorite events because it exposes students’ creative side and is really entertaining to attend,” Wyld said.

She reminds everyone to look forward to the second Poetry Slam of the semester on Nov. 2, as well.

Over Family Weekend, the Midwest Dueling Pianos made an appearance at Uptown. They played everything from Billy Joel to Bruno Mars, and even took requests from the audience. 

“Groups of students and families came out to see this entertainment … and we would like to make this an annual event,” Wyld said.

Club Night, on Sept. 28, was a dance party co-sponsored by the Latino Dance Corner, and more than 100 people showed up. The dance group led a workshop on Latin dance technique and DJ Ian Hackett ’15 kept the crowd dancing all night. Emilie Ratajczak ’15, Assistant Manager of Uptown said free soft drinks and snacks were served to the guests. Ratajczak also said that people actually had to be asked to leave at closing time because the event was so popular. The party was a huge success, with most people rating the event as a four or five on a five-point scale on the event evaluation.

Finally, NFL Sundays, happening all throughout the season, continue to be a big hit as always. Students watch the games on a large projection screen while enjoying the comfort of Uptown’s multitude of couches and free snacks. Another perk of watching the games at Uptown is the season long raffle of official merchandise. Fans can enter their name every quarter and winners will be picked at the Super Bowl Party in February.

“I love Uptown because it’s a great way to meet all sorts of new, interesting people in a very fun atmosphere,” Ratajczak said. “There will be plenty more dance parties in the future [along with] trivia, karaoke and pub nights.”

The first Pub Night for 21+ will be held on the Oct. 19, followed by Bison Haus on the 20. During Homecoming weekend, Vertical Horizon will be performing a free concert at Uptown.

“[The club] is really trying to bring back live bands … and [we] hope this will be a great success,” Wyld said.

Lastly, a jazz café is an event to look forward to in November.

Be sure to like the Facebook page (“Uptown Nightclub at Bucknell”), and to stop by the club sometime soon to enjoy it for yourself.

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Arts & Life Books Review

“The Casual Vacancy” falls short of Rowling’s Harry Potter series

Carolyn Williams
Writer

For millions of fans who have been waiting five years for the next novel from J. K. Rowling, author of the beloved Harry Potter series, her first work for adults, “The Casual Vacancy,” will be a bit of a disappointment.

In a drastic departure from the world of magical face-offs between good and evil we’ve come to expect from her, Rowling has chosen to write about a conventional, albeit imagined, British suburb called Pagford. In this seemingly idyllic vestige of simpler times, generations of families live within walking distance and everyone knows everyone else’s business. So, naturally, the small town is thrown into a tizzy at the unexpected death of Barry Fairbrother, and the subsequent empty spot on the Parish Council this death occasions; the formal term for such an opening is the titular casual vacancy.

But surprise, surprise, Pagford isn’t quite as nice as its shiny veneer would suggest. Due to an extremely unpopular land sale in the 50s, its borders include an addiction clinic and a subdivision of government housing called the Fields, which the painfully polite Pagfordians simply want nothing to do with. Chairman of the Parish Council, Howard Mollison, (an obnoxiously pompous figure, complete with simpering wife/lackey), sees his opportunity to finally do away with those pesky blue collar families, now that his greatest political opponent, Fairbrother, is out of the picture. A general struggle between many supporting characters ensues for the open council seat, and we are introduced to about 15 separate but interlocking characters who partake in the drama, ranging from the spunky but crass Krystal, a teenage resident of the Fields, to Samantha Mollison, the chairman’s sarcastic, bored daughter-in-law, to Gavin Hughes, whose unbearable timidity has him vacillating for most of the novel between an unhappy relationship with his social worker girlfriend, and an unrequited crush on his recently deceased best friend’s widow.

One of the biggest problems with “The Casual Vacancy” is Rowling’s obvious desire to distance herself from her past writings. Pagford is rife with drug addicts, adulterers, angsty teenagers and general unrest, to a degree that’s just unrealistic. Parts of this suburban setting and fairly mundane plot line are reminiscent of Tom Perrotta (“Little Children”), America’s suburban writer-du-jour. But, honestly, Perrotta does this setting much better; he makes suburban malaise and domestic disputes believable. Sure, the all-too-perfect façade of suburbia hides lots of secrets, but this is extreme. Every house on the block is not concealing stolen computers or bags of heroin. Pagford is a weird cross between “Weeds” and Wisteria Lane, a kind of Bermuda Triangle for paranoia and creepy secrets.

At least we can imagine the coronary Aunt Petunia would be sure to have if surrounded by so much juicy gossip. Between the stifling storyline and plodding pace, it would be a relief to see the loathsome Dursleys again–at least we know they’re good for a laugh. All in all, though, it’s admirable to see Rowling writing again after setting such an impossibly high standard with the success of Harry Potter, we also know quite well how very capable her imagination is, and “The Casual Vacancy” definitely falls far short of the mark.

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Arts & Life Campus Events

PHILADANCO performs a diverse selection of pieces, putting a twist on modern dance

Molly Ford
Writer

The Weis Center for the Performing Arts hosted the Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) on Sept. 28. The audience also had the opportunity to attend a pre-performance talk with company founder Joan Myers Brown. Brown has experienced many accomplishments in the international dance world. Her experience with racial prejudice inspired Brown to train young black dancers and provide them with opportunities to perform. PHILADANCO is founded on the basis of integration and equal opportunity not only in modern dance, but ballet as well. Brown’s simple goal turned into an exceptionally successful international dance company.

Audience members were impressed with the company’s performance. Kelly Knox, associate professor of dance, articulated why she loved the performance, hightlighting the group’s diverse repertory.

“With all of the different choreography they were performing, the dancers had to be well versed in ballet with clean lines, pirouettes and leg extensions,” Knox said. “They also had to understand Horton and African techniques while being able to incorporate an integrated, full body experience of modern [and] a hip hop piece to top it all off.”

“The dancers showed immense strength while also showing incredible beauty,” Kelsey Fletcher ’14 said.

For Fletcher, the highlight of PHILADANCO’s performance was the piece performed atop a table. She was impressed with how effortlessly the dancers jumped and danced on a tall table.

Knox also commented not only on “the exceptional ability of the dancers,” but also on the “range of pieces, and elegant and vibrant design elements.”

“The audience didn’t just see technique; we saw human beings oozing with vitality and creating universes with their bodies,” Knox said.