By Rosie Hertzman
On Thursday, May 9, Journey to the West, directed by Phil Wong, had its premier in a unique performance space: South Bowl. The audience was sprawled out comfortably on their blankets, many wrapped up to protect themselves against the fierce wind. Yet despite the cold, there was something magical about the outside setting that invited the audience to feel connected in its shared experience of this performance.
By Delaney Ross
The time has come. The end is near. The end is here. Oh, the places you’ll go. For me, this is the last week of the hell called finals I will have to endure. It brings on a feeling of weird nostalgia and at the same time, absolute joy. In the midst of the bajillion and one papers I have to write in the next seven days, I have compiled an (almost) lyrics-free playlist to help me stay focused and relaxed for the final push. Play it to remind yourself that YOU ARE SO CLOSE TO THE END. Au revoir!
By Rosie Hertzman
I feel it necessary to begin this by disclosing that from ages eight to fourteen, Friends was my favorite television show. To this day it holds a special place in my heart and I still quote it on an annoyingly regular basis. However, I’d like to talk about the frustrating trend of comparing every new pilot featuring a cast of twenty-somethings to my beloved Friends. It seems like every pilot season some show-runner is accused of trying to crack the code behind Friends’s success.
By Maya Mariner
After so many struggles and setbacks, this past Thursday Community had its season four finale. There were so many questions to ask, but the biggest of them all is, WILL THERE BE A SEASON FIVE???
By Madeline Raynor
She & Him, the sunny-sounding indie rock duo consisting of singer and actress Zooey Deschanel and singer-songwriter M. Ward, debuted their third album, Volume Three, on May 7, just in time for summer. She & Him is truly the bandleader of its niche genre of retro-sounding rock, taking inspiration from the rock, pop, doo-wop, and country sounds of the 1950s and early 60s. Bands like Best Coast, The Walkmen, and Girls are also influenced by the vintage sounds of this era, but none of them are as firmly centered as a staple of this new retro movement as She & Him. The album consists of eleven songs expertly penned by Zooey Dechanel alongside three era-appropriate covers.
By Maya Mariner
As the third installment in the wildly successful Iron Man franchise, and an impressive performance at the box office, raking in $175 million (as of May 3), Iron Man 3 has established itself as the first hit film of the summer. Still, the question remains: does it have enough bite to continue into the Marvel universe?
By Madeline Raynor
It seems that everyone at Oberlin knows who Lena Dunham is. And so does everyone not at Oberlin. At the tender age of 26, she’s written and starred in her first movie, Tiny Furniture, she writes, directs, produces, and stars in her HBO show Girls, and she has just signed a book deal. Nowadays, she’s our most famous alum. But instead of being proud of her, there is a campus-wide feeling of indifference—and sometimes even hatred—toward her.
By Nina Winterbottom
Production photos by John Seyfried.
Oberlin Dance Company, a group of students and guest artists, had its showcase this Friday and Saturday May 3-4 featuring works by Bobby Wesner, Amy Miller, Alejandro Cerrudo, Samantha Bergman ‘13 and Winona Brown ‘13. Oberlin dance aficionados may be more familiar with the performance space in Warner, with its intimate seating, open performance space, and diffused lighting. Hall Auditorium provided an intriguing change of atmosphere, with more prominent lighting, clear spatial boundaries, and vividly colored backgrounds that highlighted dynamic costumes and stunning physical compositions.
By Hannah Varadi
The Trojan Women, which premiered in Warner Main on Friday May 3, is as much about parental and communal love as it is about romance. This brilliantly executed play speaks of the devastating effects of human cruelty and psychological trauma.
By Madeline Raynor
The Language Archive, which ran in Wilder Main from May 2-5, is a new play by Julia Cho that has the gift of being able to communicate “what oft was thought but ne’er so well expressed,” as Alexander Pope would say. Fittingly, the play is about language and communication: George is a linguist who knows hundreds of dead languages, but is incapable of finding the right words to tell his wife he loves her before their relationship falls apart. This fascinating premise was sprinkled with many beautiful insights into love and life and a quintet of well-developed, realistic characters. The statements of this rich, complex work cohered beautifully under Annie Obermeyer’s confident staging and direction.