Green Room Seniors Self-Script Musical Performance in 12 Hours

At 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, six sleepy seniors, myself included, met in the Friedman Room where we would spend the next 12 hours creating an original show from nothing. We were all seniors and members of the student theater club The Green Room, who had wanted to commemorate our time in the club the way a capella groups or sports teams do through senior shows and senior games; we decided to have a “Senior Show” of our own. Instead of doing a scripted play, as the club usually does, we decided

“Peer Gynt” Forces Audience to Confront Inherent Human Greed

“We are all Peer Gynt,” the actors chanted, some on stage, others surrounding the audience, all dressed in the signature red that coded them as the main character they all played. The house lights glowed as the audience shrank into their seats, trying to hide their discomfort with the subverted theatre norms. Nothing about this play followed convention, least of all the last 15 minutes. Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, best known for his more conventional play “A Doll’s House,” originally wro

Kesha Returns After Dramatic Trial with an Inspiring Message

Five years after her second album “Warrior” was produced, Kesha, now going by her birth name instead of the stage name Ke$ha, released her album “Rainbow.” At the age of 30, the pop star, known for her 2009 hit song “Tik Tok,” produced this heartfelt comeback album, an homage to her triumph over the trauma she faced during her career. For the last five years, Kesha has fought for creative control of her music and sued her longtime producer, Dr. Luke (who discovered her when she was 17 and convin

Tips for First Years: How to Get Off Campus and Where to Go

An important part of keeping one’s sanity while at Amherst is remembering to get away from everything every once in a while. It’s easy to get consumed in the “Amherst Bubble,” especially in your first year. While the Office of Student Life and our plethora of student groups do provide many fun activities to do on weekends, there’s a lot of other options provided by the Five College Consortium as well as the Pioneer Valley in general. After three years at Amherst, here are some of the places I’ve

RC and EMT Brings Heart to Neuroscience

Amherst College Emergency Medical Services (ACEMS) superhero, Charles Pratt resident counselor (RC), neuroscientist, rat whisperer, writer and one of the funniest guys you’ll ever meet, Ruben Valera stands tall at Amherst. The love people have for Valera is boundless, mainly because he has such a big heart and cares so deeply about all his friends as well as the groups he’s joined while on campus. Valera, like many students, has also struggled with his sense of belonging and self-doubt. Howeve

Reproductive Justice Alliance Hosts “Trails Towards Solidarity” 5K

The recently-founded Reproduction Justice Aliance is organizing a 5K trail run or walk here at Amherst to raise funds for the “Prison Birth Project.” The PBP, based in Holyoke, supports and educates formerly incarcerated mothers and “trans*” parents about reproductive justice and community organizing regarding the intersections between parenting and the criminal justice system. Sam O’ Brien ’18 and Kamini Ramlakhan ’17, two staff members at the Women’s and Gender Center, founded the RJA in the w

Oscar Night's Twist Ending Overshadows Award's Record Diversity

The 89th Academy Awards will go down in history for one very obvious reason, the massive blunder that was the final and most important award announcement of the night. For those that live under a rock, here’s a quick recap: While announcing the “Best Picture” winner, Warren Beatty took a pause when reading the card. However, his hesitance seemed like a cheesy effort to build suspense, causing his “Bonnie and Clyde” co-star, Faye Dunaway, to take the card and name “La La Land” as the winner. What

Marsh Holds Auction at Coffee Haus to Raise Funds for ACLU

Last Friday’s traditional, bi-weekly “Coffee Haus,” which almost always takes place in Marsh Ballroom, had a special twist. The members of Marsh Arts House decided to hold an auction in order to raise funds to donate to the American Civil Liberties Union. The house members organized and each volunteered what they could auction off. Some offered material things, such as a painting of a cantaloupe (in the form of an antelope) and an 80’s style tracksuit, and others offered to give lessons on mus

Tomal Hossain ’17 Presents His Music Thesis “Kundali Rising”

Last Friday in Buckley Recital Hall, Tomal Hossain ’17 presented his original composition, “Kundalini Rising.” Comprising of voices and electronics, Hossain’s work involved seven movements of musical material that correspond with the ethical and psychological associations espoused by each of the seven chakras. Hossain talked about the process of creating this piece and how he combined his music background with the material he’s learned while at Amherst. Q: How would you describe your thesis and

Amherst Musical Presenting “Sweeney Todd” in the Powerhouse

Days away from opening night, I sat down with the directors, the producer and the stage manager of this year’s Amherst Musical, Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” This musical thriller will be performed this weekend in the Powerhouse. Producer Frank Tavares ’18, director A. Scott Parry, musical director Mark Swanson and stage manager Sophina Flores ’20 discussed the meaning of “Sweeney Todd” and the impact the revival of Amherst musicals has had on student life.

“Between Us” Explores the Confluence of Art and Social Practice

Jonathan Jackson ’17 and Hoang Thu An ’18 participated in Visiting Professor Amanda Herman’s Five College advanced art seminar course: “Make it Public: Art and Social Practice” about socially engaged art. The course has students from all five colleges who were chosen by the art departments at their schools for their exemplary work. For the course, each student proposed and implemented an original social practice art project that explore themes of identity, gender, race, mental health, human perc

Thesis Spotlight: Lauren Carter to Produce “Big Love” Next Year

Lauren Carter ’17 is a math and theatre and dance major whose senior thesis will be an adaptation of Charles Mee’s “Big Love.” Her acting thesis will be directed by visiting theatre and dance professor Yagil Eliraz. The show will premiere in February with rehearsals beginning during interterm. I had the chance to talk with Carter about her hopes for her thesis before auditions are held later this week. Q: How would you describe your thesis? A: My thesis is a play called “Big Love” by Charles M

The Six Podcast Series Guaranteed to Take Your Mind Off of Midterms

It’s midterms season, that time between add/drop and finals season where you’re drowning in multiple “mitdterm” papers and tests. This period may seem endless, but on your commutes into town for Starbucks you can have a good laugh and maybe learn something from these podcasts. NPR’s How to do everything: Mike Danforth and Ian Chillag have listeners send them questions via email or telephone and the pair do their best to answer it. The questions vary from scientific to life advice to just gener

The Amherst Musical Revives with Sondheim’s “Into the Woods”

Three weeks away from the show’s grand opening, I talked with the directors and producer of “Into the Woods” which will be performed at Orr Rink, May 4-7. Producer Jayson Paul ’16, director A. Scott Parry, musical director Mark Swanson and orchestra liaison Sam Rosenblum ’16 were eager to discuss what this musical means to them and why they hope to revive the college’s tradition of putting on an annual musical. Q: What does “Into the Woods” mean to you and what effect do you hope it has on this

Racially Aware Oscars Marks Turning Point in Hollywood Politics

The impossible happened: Leonardo DiCaprio finally won an Oscar and the Academy owned up to its lack of diversity. The #OscarsSoWhite controversy emerged in the last couple of years, but the issue became even more pertinent this year when there were no actors of color nominated. After Neil Patrick Harris danced around the subject last year, the Academy chose straight-shooter Chris Rock to be this year’s host. When it was first announced that he would be hosting the Oscars for the second time, ev

Thesis Spotlight: Stuart McKenzie Composes “The Making of a Hat”

Stuart McKenzie ’16 presented his music composition thesis, “The Making of a Hat,” last Saturday night in Buckley Recital Hall. The recital consisted of five different pieces, performed by singers and a string quartet. Watching McKenzie’s hard work come to life was a true joy, and it reminded me of the wide-ranging talents present on this campus. The arts and living team interviewed McKenzie to learn more about his experience of executing a music composition thesis. Q: What was your inspiratio

Bryce Monroe ’15 Revamps Senior Thesis “The Lower Frequencies”

Bryce Monroe ’15 performed his play, “The Lower Frequencies,” last weekend at the Powerhouse. The play, which was inspired by Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man,” was originally Monroe’s senior thesis. Monroe hopes “The Lower Frequencies” will grow into a touring performance for colleges all around the country. The piece is a one-man show that analyzes what it means to be black in America. Monroe aims for his work to be more than a performance; he wants it to be a learning experience and an opportun

Take a Breather: Campus Entertainment Options at Amherst

Welcome to Amherst College, where the struggle is ever-present and stress seems to be your permanent roommate. But when the readings, exams and papers start to suffocate you, there are lots of places on campus to go for a much-deserved break. There will always be a chance to laugh, dance, relax and/or support your fellow classmate’s artistic talents somewhere on campus. However, the inundation of fliers and Facebook event posts may seem overwhelming, so I compiled a list of popular campus even

Smith Department of Theater Presents “Water by the Spoonful”

Now that spring has finally arrived and it’s possible to travel beyond campus bounds without risking frostbite, perhaps a trip to Smith College to see their production of “Water by the Spoonful” could be added to your spring itinerary. Written by Quiara Alegria Hudes, “Water by the Spoonful” premiered in October of 2011 at the Hartford Stage Company and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2012. Smith College Department of Theater’s adaptation of the play, directed by J. Mehr Kaur, adds an extra

12 Reasons Why You Should Drop Everything and Watch “Empire” Right Now

There’s little chance you haven’t heard of Fox’s new hit show, “Empire.” With an average of 380,000 social media mentions per episode and a collection of Buzzfeed articles dedicated to it, “Empire” is undoubtedly the most discussed new show of 2015. The show is about the fictional Lyon family, who own a music production and entertainment company called “Empire.” The heir, Lucious Lyon, played by Terrance Howard, is in the process of deciding which one of his sons will succeed him in leading the

Thesis Spotlight: Daejione Jones Discusses Her Project, “Destiny”

Sitting on a small patch of grass against the wall of the dark studio, audiences waited to see the senior thesis show, “Destiny.” Written and directed by senior Daejione Jones, “Destiny” tells the story of a young girl who goes from the being homeless in California to attending Amherst College. Before the show started, the audience watched the cast play childhood games like hopscotch and Double Dutch, setting the stage for the life story of the main character, Destiny. The small studio allowed

“Birdman” and Noteworthy Sentiments Highlight the 2015 Oscars

My favorite part of the dreary month of February is Oscar Sunday: a night to be distracted by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood stars as they award each other gold trophies for making million-dollar movies. Cynicism aside, I was very excited to see Neil Patrick Harris bring his Broadway talent to the Oscar stage. Although I expected a night of musical numbers, cheesy jokes and heartwarming speeches — not much different from the last 10 Academy Awards I’ve watched — I was in for a surprise. “T

Shonda Gives us a Reason to Thank God it’s Thursday

You’ve probably encountered the #TGIT hashtag on Twitter, or heard the screams coming from your common room every Thursday night. What is this phenomenon? It is nothing less than the magic of Shonda Rhimes, the creator, writer and executive producer of three incredibly successful ABC prime time shows. If the name Shonda Rhimes doesn’t ring a bell than the titles “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder” might. These shows are so popular that ABC decided to put all three shows