Author: Minna W

I have heard of live screenings at the Michigan Theater before but had never attended one before King Lear. There were live screenings of Julie and Frankenstein just recently. The Madness of King George (starring Mark Gatiss) and The Nutcracker will be playing December 9th and December 23rd respectively.

King Lear, often considered as the greatest tragedy ever written, was broadcast live in HD from the National Theatre in London. I am really glad I experienced the live screening. I liked how the camera showed the audience before and after the show, as well as during the intermission. It added to the illusion of being there in person.

Before the show, there was a video interview of the actors. It was informative to hear how the stage was designed to promote an intimate experience for the audience. A center stage and walkway (which divided the audience into two sections) was set up. Audience members were so close to production that they could hear the actors’ inhalation and exhalations.

I loved the setup and props used in the show. During the storm that happened in the play, real water poured down the actors’ faces. I could see water splashing as they walked onto stage during the rainstorm. I also really liked their use of a mirror to extend (or at least give the illusion of extending) the stage.

All the actors were fully realized. I appreciated the skill and artistry of each actor. During emotional scenes, I saw real tears run down their faces. My appreciation for Ian McKellen as an actor also grew when I saw him in King Lear. Prior to the show, I only knew him from the X-Men film series. I was surprised to find that he has been involved in more theater productions than movies, and I was blown away by his physical and mental capacity at the age of 79. Memorizing a complex script and performing in physically intensive scenes (kneeling, engaging in fight scenes, carrying other characters, etc), I imagine, are difficult on the body.

It was an emotional play. The fight scenes were entertaining and choreographed very well. There were also scenes that were quite disturbing (i.e. the eye gouging scene) and incredibly well done. No wonder the Chichester Festival Theatre’s production of King Lear received five-star reviews.

There were definitely differences (disadvantages?) between seeing a live screening of the play and being there in person. There were some issues with the microphone during the show which were generally minor but distracting. Additionally, the camera dictated which character’s expressions or part of the stage the audience focused on in a particular moment. In movies, blocking is done specifically for the camera. But in a play, blocking is designed for live audience. The audience gets to absorb what’s happening on the entire stage at all times and can choose what to pay particular attention to. A camera changes these dynamics. But to me, these sacrifices demanded by a live screening are well worth it to see a fantastic production of King Lear.

• Website and Video: http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/ntlout29-king-lear
• Full Gallery from the Show: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ntlive/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1015573232651385

G-Fest reminded me of why I love live shows so much. The call and response component makes it feel real. I enjoy feeling the swell of anticipation within the audience. When the music builds up, and then it ‘crashes’ back down into a quieter melody, everyone goes wild.

A total of five groups performed during G-Fest: Photonix (performance art group that utilizes glow-sticks and other implements to manipulate light), Oren Levin (singer, guitarist), Revolution (Chinese Yoyo/Diabolo performance art group), The Impro-fessionals (improv group), and the G-Men (all-male a cappella group).

My favorite part of the show was seeing Photonix and Revolution perform. I was mesmerized by the culmination of skill, choreography, and musicality. Also, it was funny to see the members of Photonix rush off stage once the lights came back on. They clearly loved the art form but were not used to being on a bright stage with a large audience—which I find totally understandable. There were at least 500 people there that night; stage fright is real.

During Revolution’s performance, performers made mistakes, but that was okay. The performance wasn’t about perfection. It was about people coming together to celebrate the joy of art. Watching the tricky maneuvers and choreography reminded me that art is a skill.

It was cool to hear Oren Levin’s original songs. This was his third year performing during G-Fest. He clearly had a lot of experience in front of a live audience; he knew how to make the right jokes to make tuning and setting up less awkward. He tried to get the audience to participate in one of his songs which turned out to be a little bumpy, but I appreciated his enthusiasm.

My favorite songs performed by the G-Men were “Day n nite” by Kid Cudi, and “Other Side of Paradise” by Glass Animals. I was enthralled by the lead singer’s vocals; his voice was like liquid gold. The corny jokes the G-Men made in-between songs made me laugh and cringe.

G-Fest was a great way to unwind and relieve stress. It felt like a formal, yet informal way of celebrating art with other people. It was formal in the sense that it was an organized event where hundreds of people showed up, fliers were made, and a host announced each event and group performance. It was informal in the way that there was no pressure for performers to be perfect. I loved that. One of my favorite quotes is: “To live a creative life we must first lose the fear of being wrong” (Joseph Chilton Pearce). A lot of the time, art is about the process rather than the finished product. Allowing other artists to share their skills and passions with others in a nonjudgemental environment promotes creativity and collaboration.

Here are some links to check out the groups and their latest works and upcoming performances:

• Oren Levin
  • https://soundcloud.com/oren-levin
• Impro-fessionals
  • https://www.facebook.com/UMichImprofessionals/
• Photonix
  • https://uac.umich.edu/photonix/
  • https://www.facebook.com/PhotonixGlowsticking/
• Revolution
  • https://www.facebook.com/Revolution.Chinese.Yoyo/
• G-Men. Find them on Youtube and Spotify. Their latest album is out now.
  • https://linktr.ee/michigangmen 

Passing Strange is a musical hosted by the U of M Department of Musical Theatre, with music direction by Jason DeBord. The Department of Musical Theatre describes it as: “A bitingly funny and outrageous rock ‘n’ roll musical about a young African-American man’s artistic journey through Europe.” It is a philosophical piece that explores themes like existentialism, metafiction, and an artist’s growth to maturity.

Throughout the musical, the main character grapples with topics like race, socioeconomic status, and identity. He utilizes music to express himself and rebel against his family and societal expectations. “Passing” perhaps alludes to the concept of ‘passing as white,’ the passage of time, and/or how the main character “passes” through different places and relationships.

Although the music score for the musical is mostly rock, it also contains elements of jazz, blues, punk, and gospel. It sounds like there’s thematic overlap between Passing Strange and the the movie A Star a Born. So if you enjoyed the movie, you may enjoy this musical as well.

Event Details

Dates 11/15-11/18

Location: Walgreen Drama Center – Arthur Miller Theatre

Tickets Details

General admission $30/ $12 with student ID

Tickets.smtd.umich.edu

Purchase online or at the Michigan League Ticket Office

University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) is having a photo exhibit from 10/22 to 11/9, on the fantasies of childhood. The exhibit is specifically on display for the class English 313 on children’s literature, but it is also open to the public. I encourage everyone to check it out!

The exhibit explores how our society views and constructs the idea of “children” and “childhood.” What do these photographs say about how we think children should and shouldn’t behave? What childhood tropes have we taken for granted? How do these themes influence child labor laws and children’s rights?

The study cases are located in the lower level of the UMMA Frankel Family Wing (the new wing, entrance at 525 S. State St.)

UMMA’s hours

11am-5pm daily

Except for Mondays which are closed. Sundays 12pm-5pm.

This Friday at 8pm, the G-Men is having their annual parent’s weekend show, featuring guest performances from Photonix, Revolution, Midnight Book Club, and others.

I don’t know what G-fest is going to be like, but I’ve heard the G-Men in concert. They are a super talented all-male a cappella group, and they’re always enthusiastic and have a sense of humor. Tickets are selling out fast, so pick them up at the Angell hall posting wall soon.

Event details: Friday, November 2nd at 8pm @ Rackham Auditorium

Ticket Prices:

Presale price (Students: $5, General: $10)

At the door (Students: $7, General: $12)

Their other concert is December 7, 2018  – FALL CONCERT @ Rackham Auditorium… more details to come!

Their website: http://www.thegmen.org/home

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/michigangmen/

G-Fest event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1861418277308430/

*Note, spoilers contained.

When I heard A Star is Born was finally out, I was excited and anxious to finally go and see it. My friends told me it was raw and beautiful. The movie got great reviews, and I knew Lady Gaga was a talented actress from following her career and understanding what she stood for. Eventually, I got my brother to go see it with me, and the movie did not disappoint.

It had an amazing soundtrack that was simply worth experiencing with high-quality theater speakers. As for the movie itself, it is not something you would go see if you wanted mindless entertainment. It is a movie that engages the audience to think about deeper issues. The movie has a lot of emotional layers that I am still unpacking. I keep thinking back to various scenes and remembering different things that were beautifully captured.

As an aside, the movie does a fantastic job of showcasing Lady Gaga’s talent and versatility as an artist. Before the movie, my brother was a skeptic of Lady Gaga and only really knew her because of her meat dress from the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. By the end, he grew to appreciate her as an artist. The movie also depicted drag culture which has been influential in shaping Lady Gaga’s career and alter-ego. I thought this was a clever nod to the community and a way to popularize and normalize drag. A lot of issues are presented in the movie for its audience to ponder.

The movie grapples with difficult topics like drug and alcohol addiction and suicide. It does not answer any questions, but depicts these issues and how it affects people’s lives. It relied on some broad generalizations and stereotyping to explain these concepts to its audience. For example, Ally’s alcoholic mother was alluded to in order to psychologically explain why Ally decided to be with her alcoholic husband. The movie does not delve deeply into the psychology of trauma or childhood adversity—which I would argue is understandable given the scope and the length of the movie.

But because the movie does not serve to answer these questions, it is important for the audience to think about these issues: suicide as a mental illness, the guilt experienced by survivors of suicide loss, loving someone who is an alcoholic and/or drug addict.

For those who may be cautious about suicide depicted in movies and film, I thought the movie tastefully avoided graphic scenes of suicide and used cinematography to allude to the event. Foreshadowing was also done well. The character talked about how he attempted suicide when he was really young. After that moment, I immediately knew what was coming in the movie.

The movie did a really great job of capturing the subtleties and complexities of relationships. It left me understanding that love is beautiful, raw, devastating, unpredictable, and terrible. I cried at the end of the movie. The lady next to me balled her eyes out. My brother remembered a friend who completed suicide four years ago, and he asked the rest of his friends to have a moment of silence for the person.

Truthfully, I did not feel satisfied by the end of the movie. Not because of the movie itself, but because of my desire for life to be uncomplicated. The movie made me feel, and I would say that is the ultimate purpose of art.