I had been looking forward to this show for weeks.

Not surprisingly, I was surrounded by mostly white folks who think they’re so #woke because they watch The Daily Show. Despite the regular Iowa City majority, I saw quite a few Desis in the audience, which was encouraging and comforting. Their presence became clearer through the night.

The show opened with Arish Singh, a comedian raised in Waterloo but now splits his time between Chicago and Iowa. He began the show by discussing the difficulties of being an Indian Sikh kid growing up in Waterloo, from watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (which I refuse to link to because it’s so racist) with his white friends, to attacking questions about his turban.

One of my favorite jokes in his set consisted of dividing the audience along bipartisan lines. He asked Republicans “when I say race war,” republicans say the minority group which they’d like to harm, and asking Ds “when I say class war,” deny any wrongdoing. At this point, I was very curious about the reactions of all the old white ladies in the audience.

Singh ended his set with a powerful call to action against corrupt state and local politicians, citing examples of the University of Iowa revoking scholarships from over 2,000 students, to Iowa Senators Grassley and Ernst and their deafening silence among hate crimes in this country, to the state government taking away collective bargaining. “We can’t let Iowa become Nebraska,” he declared as he ended his set to laughter and applause. He gave Hasan Minhaj a touching introduction calling “Homecoming King” one of the best works of comedy he has ever seen, and left the stage.

Minhaj began his set discussing childhood, and with the help of his slideshow projected on the screen behind him, explained the conditional nature of “brown love,” the relatable phenomenon of brown/immigrant parents hitting their kids (which Minhaj claims led to the creation of “Indian sociopath” Bobby Jindal), and more.

Minhaj came to Davis, California with his father while his mother stayed in India until he was eight completing medical school. When his mother finally came to live with him in America, she shows up with his little sister who Hasan didn’t know existed until she walked through the door. He dubbed this situation “Maury for immigrants.”

He used this incident to explain two facets of immigrant life: immigrant parents love secrets, and his negative attitude towards immigrants (mainly his sister). Minhaj jokes that at that point, he “believed in the wall,” referring to Donald Trump’s plans to construct a wall along our southern border to keep immigrants out. 

Minhaj frequently incorporated Hindi words and phrases throughout his show, most notably “log kya kahenge” which translates to “what will people think?” For a Desi Muslim man to get on stage in Iowa City and speak to a largely white crowd using Hindi and Urdu reveals courage and audacity, to me.

He translated most of the words for the non-Hindi speaking population, but his references to movies like Jodha Akbar, Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham, and more without an explanation was a bold move. The absence of an explanatory comma with these references made me feel welcomed, like I was chatting with Hasan in my living room.

In addition to his hilarious jokes, Minhaj used lighting techniques and sharp emotional contrasts to tell traumatic, unfortunate experiences from his life too. He saved one of his funniest jokes to precede a dark moment in the show, the moment his father suffered a heart attack.

He described a tragic moment immediately after the terrorist attack on 9/11 where some white kids who attended his school vandalized his family’s property, stole his backpack and called him racial slurs including sand n*****, a name I was called often in my childhood.

He tries to keep this moment of the show palatable to white folks by explaining that he knows “white people have problems,” because he has seen “Girls” on HBO and Lena Dunham’s character hasn’t found love yet. However, he stands firm in his explanation of white privilege here.

He explains that immigrants feel they have to pay this “American Dream tax,” which requires them to accept moments like these. Immigrants constantly adapt to America, bend for America, and have to release “press releases to prove their patriotism” after moments like 9/11, and other terrorist attacks that many Americans wrongly connect back to the Muslim community as a whole. This part of his show resonated with me, and my experiences as an immigrant in this country grappling with my parents’ acceptance and passivity to bigotry and my refusal to compromise with racism.

From an ongoing story about a spurned (probably racist) prom date to a dramatic triumph in marrying a Hindu woman, Minhaj created a piece of art that connected with Iowa City audiences of all backgrounds.

His references to Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Mario Kart comforted the general public, but his inclusion of Hindi/Urdu phrases, Desi cultural explanations and immigrant experiences reached out more specifically to people of color and Desi folks in the audience.

Without tokenizing or making fun of brown folks or other people of color, he honestly showcased his own experiences in this country.

The post Show Review: Hasan Minhaj @ The Englert Theater 2/25/17 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Emily’s D+Evolution was about to rock my world and I was totally unprepared.

I showed up super early, anticipating a line going down the block, and I was the first person to the Englert. NO SHAME.

After spending some time in the lobby hearing the ushers talk about the sound check, I thought I’d explode. They used words and phrases like “theatrical” and “choreographed” and praised the “bright lights” and “carefully crafted stage materials.” How could I contain myself?

Finally, the doors opened. Walking in, I saw a brightly lit stage with tall red curtains on the sides and white ones in the middle. The colors looked elegant and mature, but based on the gossip in the lobby, I knew I could expect wild and psychedelic colors  later in the show.

Emily and her fellow musicians entered the stage promptly at 8:00 PM (thank god), and they began with “Farewell Dolly.” I was surprised that she chose to do her set in a different order than her album, because Emily’s D+Evolution makes a lot of sense as a work of art every time I listen to the whole thing on Spotify. However, last night I learned that changing the order of the songs creates different meanings.

After she finished “Farewell Dolly,” Emily spoke conversationally to the audience about the “depressing” last line of the song: “nature’s dead up in my head.”

For five minutes, she spoke about the kind of art she wanted to create for us that night, taking long pauses as if making up her mind on stage. I ended up whispering to the person next to me, “is this a part of the show?” because her acting was so convincing.

I should have known, though, that she would have planned that moment just as her group choreographed and orchestrated such complex lighting and stage props. She decided on not doing the play that was listed in the program (which makes me wonder if they created the program just so they could rip them up?) and tore off her black veiled dress and wig to reveal all-white clothing and braids underneath, and of course, she put on Emily’s glasses and crown as she began “Elevate or Operate.”

As the lighting changed from red to green and her backup singers acted as puppeteers behind her, controlling her movements, the stage looked like a scene from a child’s dream. Paper flowers coated the bottom of the curtains and changed colors with the lighting and Emily moved around the stage according to the puppeteers’ orders.

Her improvisations kept reminding me that this show was live; her voice sounded so smooth, so flawless that I could have been listening to an edited, polished album.

They played “Ebony and Ivy,” one of my favorite songs off this album and the red, white and blue lighting in the background had to be intentional. In this song, Emily and her backup singers discuss how American academia is still entrenched in antiblackness and profited off of the exploitation of black bodies and minds. The song title probably references a recently published book by Craig Steven Wilder about how slavery benefited higher institutions of learning.

Afterwards, they performed “Noble Nobles.” At the end of this song, and in a somber moment, she opened a book on stage and mournfully pulled out a pair of metal shackles.

She followed this song with “Judas,” changing the lights on stage to bright pink and purple. During the whole performance, Emily attempted to convince her backup dancers to move past the systematic way, the professional and structured concert, the prim and proper behavior expected of them. They insisted she follow a plan but she pushed back, wanting to dance and improvise to their disapproval.

Emily finally convinces them to let loose in “One,” and during this transformation, her backup singers unzipped parts of their clothing to reveal bright yellow and orange cloth underneath. The musicians moved into an extended improvised section and transitioned into “Funk the Fear,” as the backup dancers tore up their programs and created their own crowns, moving into the audience and encouraging us to get up and dance too. Repeating the anthem, “funk the fear, live your life,” the audience moved with the musicians and the trippy rainbow lighting.

Finally, Emily had convinced us to let go and feel free. She fittingly begins her next song with, “now what are we gonna do/with our two fiery souls?” At this moment, I realized she created a different story by rearranging the songs in her album and I fell in love again with D+Evolution.

During “Rest in Pleasure,” she teaches each of her backup singers a sensual hip movement and eventually they all moved in sync and looked so free and light. This was my favorite performance of the evening.

Their last song of the evening, “Unconditional Love,” made so much sense.”We could change the whole story of love, same old play I’m getting tired of. No more acting these predictable roles, just us living, unconditional love.” She seemed to plead her musicians and the audience with these lyrics, and we were totally with her.

Before the song finished, Emily, her guitarist and percussionist performed over five minutes of intense improvised music and soloing while the backup singers set up a strange metal contraption in the middle of the stage. When they finally finished, they held up a quilt which read “LOVE” with a backwards E and took a bow bringing their performance to an end. However, when the lights turned off, the audience realized the purpose of the quilt and the metal contraption behind them.

The audience cheered for a last song, and finally Emily walked out again saying “well, there aren’t anymore songs in the story, but I can sing something else” and graced us with an a cappella rendition of a song from an earlier album.

The night was magical, pure, and transformative. I’m so thankful I saw their performance, and I have a more profound understanding of the depth of her latest album.

To keep up on all things Esperanza and Emily, check out her sleek website and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Concert Review: Emily’s D+Evolution @ The Englert 10/25/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

For some (including yours truly), the answer to the last question is usually theatre-related – acting, playwriting, or directing. Whatever your answer, it’s safe to say that majoring in Theatre in college does not guarantee you a job in theatre once you get out into the real world. Theatre is an extremely competitive field, and the hard truth is that most people just don’t “make it big” like they thought they would.

So you’re in your mid- to- late-20’s, and you’ve realized that while you had plenty of fun in college, the dog-eat-dog world of theatre isn’t for you. What are you to do with your degree, especially if you don’t have a second major to fall back on?

The truth is, being trained in theatre gives you a much larger skill set than you might think. From enhanced communication skills to an ability to work under pressure, there are tons of qualities in theatre majors that will give you a leg up in the professional world. Here are just a few ways to use that degree that you may not have thought of when signing up for your first acting class:

Human Resources Manager

One thing that employers are always on the lookout for is good communication skills. Theatre majors are very likely to have excellent communication skills because of the focus put on listening in performance classes. When someone is able to be present and listen, they are better able to communicate effectively. This skill is an important part of any Human Resources department, and with companies opting for outsourced human resources in the UK, it’s now easier to find a job in this field. As the person in charge of things like staffing and work design, being able to communicate clearly and effectively is a necessity. Not only does the manager have to be able to relay instructions and important messages, but she or he will also be communicating with a wide array of people. A manager who is able to get their thoughts across concisely as well as think on their feet would be a welcome addition to any team.

In addition to effective communication, HR practitioners also play a crucial role in shaping workplace culture by recognizing and celebrating achievements. The ability to learn to celebrate your successes at work significantly enhances team morale and fosters a positive work environment. Celebrating milestones and accomplishments not only boosts individual motivation but also reinforces a sense of shared purpose and appreciation within the team. This practice can transform the workplace into a more engaging and supportive space, where employees feel valued and inspired to contribute their best. A manager who understands the importance of acknowledging success and incorporating it into the company culture will be instrumental in cultivating a dynamic and thriving workplace.

Program Coordinator

“Critical thinking” may not be the first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think “Theatre major,” but it should be. To be successful in any area of theatre, you have to be able to problem-solve. Whether a scene isn’t coming together right on stage or the budget doesn’t allow for certain special effects, everyone involved in a production needs to be able to think outside of the box. This quality is extremely important for program coordinators. How can you expect someone to coordinate schedules and activities if they can’t be resourceful or think for themselves? There’s so much organization and preparation that goes into theatre, and that makes Program Coordinator a great option for any struggling Theatre major.

Teaching

This may seem like a no-brainer, but a Theatre major’s options extend far beyond teaching acting classes. To quote Amy Farrah-Fowler (Big Bang Theory), “At its essence, teaching is a performance art.” A teacher is responsible for her or his students’ education, and for many students simply relaying pieces of information one-after-the-next isn’t enough. A teacher needs to be able to engage and entertain students, and who better to do that than someone with that specific training? While you would need a second major (such as English or History) and a teaching certificate in order to teach with a school district, teaching assistants and teaching aides aren’t always required to have certificates. If you’re considering teaching as a career, then you should learn more about the Washington teachers retirement system to secure a comfortable and reliable retirement in the future.

Whether you’re being hounded with questions at a family gathering or questioning your college path, knowing your options as a Theatre major (or minor, if that’s easier to fit in) is important. Many people enjoy theatre but don’t think being trained for it in college will have any merit in the “real world.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. So many important skills are learned in theatre classes that are hardly ever taught in less artistic departments, and all of these skills will be applicable in the workforce.

Sources

• https://www.pdx.edu/careers/what-can-i-do-with-a-degree-in-theater-arts
• https://qatar-weill.cornell.edu/cpd/pcRole.html
• http://www.snagajob.com/i/education-jobs/

The post What To Do With A Theatre Major appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Now, we must purchase new calendars, adjust to writing a 6 on our dates, and sweep Donald Trump from the presidential campaign. I don’t know about you, but my New Years Resolution just might be to never see that carrot-colored toupee again.

I’m fine with many things from 2015 confined forever to 2015. For example, the all-white Oscars? We live in the 21st century, not the 19th. Come on. I could also do without the Fifty Shades of Grey industry. It is mind-boggling that some consider Christian and Anastasia a serious example of a modern relationship. Digital Trends reported in March that Fifty Shades set the record for Universal Pictures most successful R-Rated movie of all time. I do not find that okay.

Many good things occurred in 2015 as well. For all of the mixed press, Caitlyn Jenner brought awareness to reprehensible transgender discrimination. She graced the cover of Vanity Fair and Glamour crowned Jenner as 2015 Woman of the Year. Adele blessed the world with a new CD. According to Youtube, during the first 48 hours after the release “Hello” was viewed over one million times per hour. Inside Out, the 2015 Pixar film released in July, tackled the subject of depression. The family movie met incredible success, and for once, the film earned its publicity.

Also, the Hawkeyes swept the board with a 12-0 regular season this year, and claimed the title of West Division Champs. Go Hawks!

Yet, one of the finest cultural contributions of 2015 fell into bookstores and libraries. Throughout the year, I read fantastic novels, short stories, and nonfiction pieces and fell in love with too many to name.

I still have a lengthy 2015 To-Be-Read List in my little red Moleskin notebook.

However, I must recommend one novel I find particularly captivating.

Before I begin my review, I must confess to a slight transgression. In the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you. I had not even finished the novel when I started this review. As a student, I never failed to read an assigned book. When I began writing this, I was halfway through.

I finished two days later.

Written by Lauren Groff, the novel in question is entitled, Fates and Furies. I discovered this gem a week before finals, and oh boy. I almost wish that Groff’s novel had not dropped into my hands. While memorizing the moon phases for astronomy class, I found myself daydreaming about the characters of Fates and Furies. I could not focus on Buddhist philosophers when I had yet to discover what fate would befall the furies.

It takes a lot to distract me from studying, yet Lauren Groff’s words swallowed me, refusing to release until I devour her story in its entirety.

The novel follows a fascinating, ambitious pair through the course of their marriage. Fresh college grads, Lancelot, nicknamed Lotto, and Mathilde, elope after two weeks. An affair bound for greatness, the couple alluringly transfuses passion into art.

Set in two parts, the novel examines both Lotto and Mathilde’s view, comparing the intrinsically different perspectives. As the old saying goes, “There are two sides to every story.”

In the review by the New York Times, Robin Black says of Groff’s novel, “A domestic union set prominently in a work of fiction has the sometimes unfortunate capacity to obscure whatever else is going on. Yet Fates and Furies explodes and rages past any such preconceptions, insisting that the examination of a long-term relationship can be a perfect vehicle for exploring no less than the nature of existence.” Indeed.

I could not compare Lotto and Mathilde’s marriage to any that I have known. The couple avoids the mundane trap that befalls many other relationship stories. Groff constructs the marriage as a character of the tale in itself. Marriage twists and turns Lotto and Mathilde, curling them around its finger. Despite certain attempts to free themselves, marriage binds them together.

To say the least, Lotto and Mathilde effectively avoid the noose of normalcy. Their relationship hardly drifts into the mundane. Rather, it spills excitedly into emotional and philosophical depths. Groff creates complex conflicts that call to question human nature, familial love, and passion.

The first part roots itself in Lotto’s mind, but Mathilde’s pithy character hints at the storm hidden beneath her calm facade. Lotto’s world sparkles with childlike reverence for life and art. Through the first section, readers experience the profound positivity and arrogance that Lotto embodies. His adventures and thoughts reveal an intricate character of remarkable depth.

Mathilde’s section reveals the irony of the title, Fates and Furies. Lotto lives and breathes theater in the book, yet he fails to realize the tragedy and comedy implicit within his life. As readers discover early on, Lotto perceives Mathilde as an angelic, superior being. The tragic truth? No human is an angel. We all have devils within us. Even the people we love and know best in the world can keep dark secrets from us.

Perhaps irony, rather than comedy, describes the complement to tragedy here.

However, I leave you to decide.

It has been a long time since a novel captured me so thoroughly. Groff’s intricately developed characters, attention to particular detail, and skill in directing dialogue sends this novel into literary excellence.

If you still need convincing evidence that I know what I’m talking about, Amazon.com named Fates and Furies one of the best books of the year, NPR Morning Edition selected it as a book club pick, it reigns as a New York Time Bestseller. Oh come on. Give it a read, you will most certainly be entertained.

The post Paperback Ponderings: Fates and Furies appeared first on KRUI Radio.

American Idiot follows Johnny (Aaron Brewer), Tunny (Sage Spiker), and Will (Skyler Matthias), three angsty youths who – sick of pop-culture controlled suburban life – decide to break out of their mundane lives and take control of their destinies.

Each main character makes his own personal journey throughout the show. Johnny escapes the suburban hell he’s trapped in and finds love in the form of Whatsername (Niki-Charisse Franco), only to lose everything to drugs. Tunny deserts Johnny to join the military. He is quickly injured and spends his rehabilitation and had a great experience then falling in love with his nurse, The Extraordinary Girl (Madeline Asher). Will never escapes. He decides to stay back and care for his pregnant girlfriend, Heather (Maya Bassuk), who eventually leaves him for a cooler, newer man. At the end, the three men are reunited. Tunny with a new girlfriend, and Will and Johnny with new perspectives on life.

As a huge Green Day fan, I enjoyed the musical/rock opera. Do I wish there had been a more concrete plot? Yes. Do I wish there had been more real dialogue? Hell yes. Are either of those things at the fault of the department? Absolutely not. Every person involved in this production – whether they were part of the artistic team, cast, band, performance crew, scenery and props, electrics, costumes, or production staff – did a great job bringing this show to life.

That’s not to say there weren’t a few hiccups here and there. A shaky opening number does not a comfortable audience make. Brewer was able to get his vocal back on track relatively quickly, but an opening like that tends to leave a bad taste in your mouth – er, ears.

I could go on about the instances of pitchy vocals, the technical acting oopsies, and the missing chemistry that made me die a little on the inside, but I won’t. There was so much that impressed me about this performance that I don’t want to waste time nitpicking.

I happened to be sitting next to what I can only describe as a, “mini-stage.” Basically, it was a decently-sized piece of stage set up right at the end of the first five rows. Throughout the show, many performers hopped on and entertained from the unique space. The character frequenting the mini-stage the most was Tunny.

Major props to Sage Spiker for playing guitar and singing six feet away from me. I was staring at him and scribbling furiously in my notebook.

While I’m administering props, I’d like to acknowledge the following:

• Further props to Spiker for doing such a great job on the silks during “Extraordinary Girl”
• Also props to Madeline Asher for her work on the silks
• Super props to Brewer, Spiker, and anyone in the Company for being able to play the guitar. Such a great element of the show
• And really, props to all the guys who ended up in their underwear on stage and kept it down, especially the one who had women feeling him up the whole time. I’ve been told this isn’t difficult to do, but I remain impressed

Back to Tunny. I think one of my favorite parts of the show was being so close to Spiker while he played the guitar and sang. He was so connected to his character the whole time, and getting to watch and hear him so closely was truly a pleasure.

Franco also provided a spectacular performance of her character. Because I did a ton of research on the show beforehand, Whatsername had become my favorite character. Niki-Charisse Franco, you definitely did her justice. What a gorgeous voice, and what amazing intensity and depth she brought to the role. She was absolutely perfect. Post script props to both Franco and Brewer for their on-stage sex scene. It was a little short lived, but they played it honestly without making it too uncomfortable.

And now for my favorite, St. Jimmy (Christopher Matheson). St. Jimmy is Johnny’s drug-addict/dealer alter ego. He kick starts Johnny’s descent into addiction, and ultimately stands in the way of Johnny’s happiness with Whatsername. St. Jimmy becomes so central to Johnny’s life that, after a while, Johnny is never seen without St. Jimmy close behind.

Matheson brought so much flair to the role that I was reminded of Dr. Frankenfurter from Rocky Horror Picture Show. Matheson made the character his own and emitted a kind of sexiness in the unapologetic attitude of the character. “I’m a bitch and I’m fucking up your life, but goddammit I love what I do.” Matheson even carried this attitude through St. Jimmy’s “death” scene.

While I’m on St. Jimmy, let me just say that the giant puppet was amazing. I was in awe. For those who didn’t attend, a large-scale puppet made out of paper mache and fabric and dressed like St. Jimmy was brought out during the number (I believe – the musical numbers tended to run together) “Know Your Enemy.”

As it loomed over Johnny, coming closer and closer, enveloping him in the murky embrace of addiction…There really is no eloquent way to put this. I lost my shit. It was cool. I sat there and had my mind blown because there was giant version of the most rock ‘n’ roll musical villain I’d ever seen taking up half of the stage area. I don’t care if you hate Green Day. I don’t care if you think it’s devil music. The musical is worth seeing just for that puppet, if nothing else.

This production was fantastic. So much talent was showcased, and I’m very excited to see what these actors, artists, technicians, and production staffers do in the future.

For more information on the Theatre Department, tickets, and their upcoming shows and events, visit their website.

The post Show Review: American Idiot appeared first on KRUI Radio.