Posts by Rachel Borders

At one moment or another we’ve all told ourselves the following: I’m an outcast.  No one likes me. I feel ugly.  I feel weird.  If you’re looking for a little Schadenfreude this weekend, come check out Bat Boy at PW.  This funny and touching musical, directed by Alex Ostroff ’14, follows the journey of a boy (half bat, half human) as he tries to become an accepted member of society. The show is fast-paced with catchy songs and more costume changes then one person can fathom.

Be warned that what seems like a silly story about a bat boy finding his way in a misguided rancher town on a mountain is actually loaded with serious messages. However, these are easily passed with a tall glass of fake blood with a side of humor and absurdity. When asked what he wants the audience to walk away with, Ostroff said, “There are a lot of ‘morals’ in the show, and we’ve talked about some of them as a cast, but I’d have a hard time choosing one that is most important.”  Set in West Virginia, this show questions Christianity, modern science, and how much freedom you should give children. The black cage-like set, designed by Becca Balton ’14, allows the actors to amazingly transform it: Whether it’s a living room, slaughterhouse, cave, or a forest filled with talking animals, the energy and dedication of the actors fills the space and transports you. [Read more →]

This weekend, escape into the twisted logic of the underworld with PW’s March show Goose and Tomtom – or as I like to call it, WWE Smackdown in the Downspace. Goose and Tomtom tells the story of how these two friends react to the theft of Tomtom’s girlfriend’s prized jewels and diamonds. However, what might seem like a common story about two thieves turns into a complex study of power and social dynamics.

Once you give in to the play’s bizarre world and unique language, director Jenny Gorelick ’14 takes you on a funny and crazy ride. With the help of talented stunt choreographer Trevor Olds ’14, this show uses physical humor and fight scenes more than any other production I’ve ever seen at Brown. Gorelick steps beyond the text and has directed an interpretation of the show that takes advantage of every potential moment of comedy. As director, she has created a mix of gripping scenes and high action moments that are sure to grab your attention.

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NEW WEIRD AMERICA is a dance-theater play currently being performed at 95 Empire in downtown Providence. Directed by Ari Rodriguez ’13, New Weird America is a devised theater piece that mixes dance, language, and music to tell the story of four couples. The play centers around the rituals and traditions of pan-American courtship.  With a completely Brown student cast and crew, this show is bringing interesting new theater to the greater Providence community.

New Weird America – it’s everything you would expect and nothing at the same time. Confusing? Well, you’ll just have to go see it for yourself. Bridging the gap between experimental theater and dance, the show has the ability to communicate something different to each audience member. It’s new. It’s weird. And for me created a new idea of what “America” can mean.   [Read more →]

Are you around this weekend and looking for something new and innovative to see?  Well, you’re in luck.  While your friends tour Boston and NYC, you can tour the stories of your peers in the Undergraduate portion of “Writing is Live.”  This weekend at the Rites and Reason Theatre, you can see readings of new plays by students studying writing for performance.

“Writing is Live” aims to put on theater works in progress. Their goal is to experiment with what writing means in terms of creating “live” theater.  This weekend, there will be a wide range of play readings dealing with different subjects, forms, and themes. Chances are you will come out with a new opinion of what a “performance” can be.  Check out the schedule after the jump. [Read more →]

In what can only be described as an episode of Cops: Brown Edition, a student was arrested on Saturday night after an altercation with police. It seems as though the intoxicated student thought the BDS worker was a little too slow dishing out snacks during an otherwise uneventful impromptu Jo’s rager. The student was pinned to the ground by police officers after he refused to leave Jo’s when asked to do so.

While we were hoping that a DPS crime report would help inform us about what went down, our parent publication has picked up the slack; see this web update by The Herald for more information.

To everyone that slept through too many of Prof. Hayden’s 9 a.m. Abnormal Psychology classes, Next to Normal is here to refresh your memory. Zach Rufa ’14 has taken on the daunting task of directing this Pulitzer Prize-winning musical about a woman suffering from bipolar disorder. This show examines the toll mental illness can take on a family. Rufa does a nice job of handling such challenging material with support from his talented cast and crew.

A small cast of characters keeps the show moving with their powerful vocal talent. Emily Kassie ’14, who plays the bipolar mother, captures the complexity and conflict of someone who can’t comprehend reality. Although Kassie is half her character’s age, her presence and commitment to every moment combats this and is really the backbone of the show. Sarah Gage ‘15 plays the family’s daughter and stuns with her emotional variability and belting abilities. Similarly, Alex Ostroff ’14, Gavin Kramar ’15, and Elias Spector-Zabuksy ’15 all hold their own against these two talented women who control the world of Next to Normal. [Read more →]

You’re handed your program for The Old Queen and enter PW’s Upspace to find Anna Muselmann ’14 facing away from you seated on a crate. Her hands rest gracefully on her knees. A small potted flower and a pair of green worker’s rain boots rest on either side of her. The room is quiet and peaceful. But as the lights dim, this solid and calm image turns into a dark and haunted glimpse into the imprisoned power Muselmann and director Ari Rodriguez ’13 have captured together.

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Longing for the old country? Wish you could have studied abroad in Prague? Missed your cousin’s wedding because of an exam? Well then you will love PW’s production of “The Golem… or Get These Nazis Out of My Wedding” written and directed by Phoebe Nir ’14. This show is more fun than my bat mitzvah, granted I’m not Jewish, but now I wish I were.

Set in 1938 Prague, Nir’s interactive play transports the audience to a secret Jewish wedding after the Nazis have invaded and outlawed any such ceremony. A smart mix of written material, improv, and audience participation creates the unexpectedly wild and comedic ride through romance, secrecy, and Nazi violations. I don’t want to ruin the many surprises Phoebe has in store, but be ready to eat, dance, and be merry—oy vey, someone is getting married, remember!

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Have you ever looked at a painting and wanted to know the story of the painter or the people in it? If your answer is “Yes!” or “Duh, I’m an art history major,” then seeing MF’s current production of Sunday in the Park with George is the perfect way to spend your weekend.

Sunday in the Park with George, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, takes the audience straight into 1884 France as crazed painter Georges Seurat works on “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” This work, pictured above, is done in Seurat’s complex pointilistic style (aka all tiny dots). The first act of the musical focuses on Seurat and the many people in the park — including his love interest Dot and their dysfunctional affair.  Then the second act jumps to the 1980s where Seurat’s alleged great-grandson is putting on an art exhibit of his own. Sunday focuses on what it means to be an artist, what it means to see light and beauty in unseen places, and how to keep moving on in an ever-changing world. [Read more →]

The Ivy Film Festival has done it again.  This year the group is bringing in an advanced screening of Oscar-award winning director Barry Levinson’s new film “The Bay.”  This screening is so exclusive they haven’t even released a trailer yet!  What can you expect from the first look at this new film by the director of “Rain Man” and “Good Morning Vietnam?” The limited information that exists about the movie thus far says that it’s a horror film told through a series of recordings on camera phones, 911 calls and other scraps of video. Two biologists come to a small seaside town and discover that their water is contaminated. The mayor refuses to inform the citizens and soon the town has descended into horror as mutant parasites take over people’s minds and bodies.  Sound creepy?  It should.  It’s from the crew and production team that brought you “Paranormal Activity.”

The Creative Coalition has assisted the Ivy Film Festival in getting Levinson as part of their Spotlight Initiative. The Creative Coalition is a nonprofit organization that aims to mobilize leaders of the entertainment community to address issues such as freedom of speech and arts in public education. The organization was founded in 1989 by a group including Alec Baldwin and Susan Sarandon. Barry Levinson is just one of the many celebrities the Creative Coalition has joined up with over the years.

The screening is tonight, April 12^th at 7pm at the Avon!

Is it free?  DUH!  Just show up to the Avon before 7pm.  Seats will go fast.  You can also get tickets in advance on the Main Green today.

Missed out on Laura Linney’s speech on Tuesday?  Well, it’s not too late to catch everything the Ivy Film Festival has left in store. Lena Dunham will be screening her new HBO show, Girls, on Saturday at 1 pm in Salomon. Tickets will be available on the Main Green today from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Producer George Hornig will be here for a screening of his new Sundance-selected documentary Atomic States of America on Saturday from 6-8pm in Granoff, and all the amazing finalist film screenings will be shown Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!