Residing in East Quad, RC Players is the Residential College’s own theatre group (though you don’t have to be in the RC to be involved). The organization is student-run, with new shows chosen at weekly meetings led by the executive board. Through RC Players, students get to direct, act, write, produce, and handle tech for various productions throughout the school year. These shows include full-length productions, Evening of Scenes, and Red-Eye, where a show is written from scratch and performed within 24 hours.
Evening of Scenes, or EOS, is a series of original short comedy skits. Like other RC Player shows, the pieces are written, directed, and presented by students. The sketch comedy show is performed at the beginning of each fall and winter semester. This semester’s EOS occurred last weekend, January 31st and February 1st. According to the performance’s facebook event description, the show included a variety of eccentric scenes, from “frat guys running the constitutional convention to the Adpocalypse.”
This semester, I decided to try out for EOS at the last minute, and I’m glad I did. Cast in “Open Call Auditions”, a parody on the Bachelor and its audition process, I played Giselle Evans. The character was a diva “straight off Broadway” who eventually lost her temper and caused drama onstage. Add sassiness, sexual tension, and a verse of “Memory” from Cats to make her character even more memorable. Giselle’s loud, confident demeanor was quite the opposite of my own; yet, that’s what made playing her character so fun. Another thing that I liked about my scene was the awesome ad-libbing that came from my cast mates. Thanks to the liberty granted by our director (you rock, Alexa!), some of the biggest laughs we received were due to witty one-liners not in the script. Whether for transitions or humorous reactions, the improvisation made for a different show each night, as per live theatre in general.
One thing I love about EOS in general is the flexibility. I’m currently not an active member in RC Players, but the show is one of many open to all for involvement. College is a busy time, and amidst classes, jobs, and other extracurriculars, it can be difficult to find the time to dedicate yourself to a full-length show. For someone who loves theatre but doesn’t have enough room in their schedule to take a ton of drama classes or frequently do said full-lengths, EOS is a good compromise. After auditions, there are only two weeks or so of rehearsal before the performances. The people in RC Players are hard-working yet fun and accommodating, so rehearsal times vary depending on the availability of the group. For any RC freshmen or sophomores, living in East Quad makes heading to rehearsal convenient, as you can just walk downstairs (as a reminder, RC Players is set in East Quad).
Prior to last weekend’s EOS, I have been an assistant director for one EOS show and an audience member for the others during my time at college. Whether behind-the-scenes, on-stage, or in the audience, EOS is a blast. I highly recommend to keep your eyes open to opportunities for getting involved or watching EOS and other shows by RC Players.
Want to get involved or learn more about the RC Players? Click this link for their Facebook page!
I recently sat down with Yuki Obayashi, a junior pursuing a BFA in Art & Design here at Michigan, to hear what she had to say about her own work and art as a whole.
Valerie: Hi Yuki, can you tell me about yourself and how you became an artist?
Yuki: I was first introduced to art by my family. My mom was always really handy, and did every craft with a needle and thread. My sister was always painting and drawing. I used to watch drawing videos as a hobby, but in middle school I realized I really enjoyed it. People asked me to make things, and in high school, I took an art class and realized I wanted to keep [making art].
V: Wow, you come from a very artsy family. Where are you from?
Y: I was born in Novi. I lived my whole life in Michigan and I go to Traverse City every summer, so Michigan is always close to my heart. I also identify as Japanese American.
V: Cool! How do you define art and your place within it?
Y: There’s no real definition. Even though it’s cliche, anything can be art. It’s more a state of mind–it belongs to everyone, so I’m part of this larger thing. I’m not sure I have a specific place in it so I’m just happy to be there.
V: That’s an interesting point of view. I think you are definitely an artist within the sphere of art. Now, who influences your art?
Y: In the beginning, it was definitely my sister–she had a beautiful way of portraying things. I would see all of her high school paintings and artwork and it really resonated with me. I wanted to be able to say things in that kind of way. Now, I’m really influenced by designers like Paula Scher, Jessica Walsh, Michael Bierut–they are not quick to define things.
V: Yeah, I like them too! [Paula and Michael] are partners at Pentagram. I really like their work. Speaking of work, what is one of your favorite projects that you’ve done?
Y: I’m never really proud of the stuff I’ve done because I always look back and think about the other things I could have done. I like painting the murals [LiveinColor] is doing. We do so many, so I’m constantly having my mind opened because many different painters come in with what they want to put on the walls. Sometimes at first I’m narrow minded but seeing the final work makes me realize that I come out a slightly different person. So I wouldn’t say there’s one piece of work I’m most proud of
V: I hope you’re proud of your work, it’s so good! I’ve never had anyone give me an answer like that before; you’re very insightful.
V: In your work, what do you care about?
Y: I realized that within my work I care about the process itself and idea formulation. The end product can be anything, but it will only be successful if there’s a clear intention. I care about people who are willing to do things that aren’t conventionally seen as beautiful–there’s so much intelligence behind it and i really admire people who do that. I hope to pursue similar ways of thinking in my own design.
V: Everything you say is so eloquent. I think that emphasis on process is really important, and I’m trying to get better at that too. So where do you see yourself going in the future?
Y: I think my state of mind is going to be the same. I’m going to be painting or designing, but I’m still going to question myself. I always want to take risks and be more open to them.
V: Nicely said. Thank you so much for speaking with me!
Yes, art is a variety of things but sometimes it’s just a piece of paper with a painting on it.
A writer and author from Chicago, Michael Lipsey, creates art simply because he wants to create. He composes images out of magazine clippings of people, quotes of his writing and watercolor. The blurbs Lipsey includes are all one sentence lines that push the narrative of his pieces. Not only are his quotes interesting but the colors and images of people included also help give his work character.
Lipsey’s work is powerful through its vulnerable innocence and its way of creating a human connection. I enjoy looking at and revisiting his work because of the simplicity, wisdom and wonder it contains. Known as @stoicmike on Tumblr, Michael Lipsey is an artist who proves that sometimes all you need to make art is a paintbrush and your own thoughts.
Here are a couple of my favorite collages thanks to Pinterest and Instagram. 🙂
