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(04/16/10 5:22am)
Spain’s national contemporary dance company Compañía Nacional de Danza will perform its tribute to the classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach at UNC this weekend.The performances, titled “Multiplicity” and “Forms of Silence and Emptiness,” draw from Bach’s masterpiece “The Art of Fugue” as a source of inspiration. Nacho Duato’s choreography blends themes of death and isolation with heavy, dramatic modern ballet.“The Carolina Performing Arts have brought some outstanding, significant dancers to Carolina this year,” said UNC lecturer Marian Hopkins, who hosted the group in her class. “It’s very commendable — everyone should appreciate that they don’t have to go to New York to see really great performances.”
(04/08/10 4:02am)
Rodrigo Dorfman, an independent filmmaker and UNC alumnus, will present his film “Generation Exile” at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival today in Durham. The filmmaker describes his style as ‘fictionary,’ mixing fictional story-telling with elements usually found in documentaries. We sat down with Dorfman to discuss his experience as a filmmaker.DTH: What were some of your early experiences with films?Dorfman: My father used to take me to see films that I shouldn’t have seen as a little kid; they were really adult films. They were art movies from Europe that really shaped me as a little person. The first time I felt the power of the moving image was when I was working in Chile, under the dictatorship, with an underground news gathering agency that was filming the uncensored reality and lives of the Chilean people under the dictatorship.DTH: When did you get serious about filmmaking?See the FilmTime: 4:40 p.m. todayLocation: Durham Convention Center, 201 Foster St.Info: fullframefest.orgDorfman: My first film was called “My House is on Fire.” I did that in 1997 with my father, and it was a short. It was about under connected children and what happens to under connected children in North Carolina. It was very poetic, very beautiful and it went around the world. After that, I slowly started working my way up, and I guess I truly started becoming serious when I bought my first real digital camera that was good enough to withhold scrutiny. You become a professional when you have professional tools. I’ve been a screen writer for 12 years, and as a filmmaker I have made already four features in the past three years.DTH: Was UNC pivotal in shaping you as a filmmaker?Dorfman: I got my master’s in journalism at UNC in multimedia, and that’s where I learned my craft. This is really and truly where my career took off after I finished that amazing program that allowed me to go to Morocco with a scholarship and film. A lot of my footage that I took on my trip made it into “Generation Exile.”DTH: How does it feel to have your movie premiered at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival?Dorfman: It’s great to finally be able to go to the next stage, which is to show it in public and actually see it have an effect, that’s the whole point. On one level you make films for yourself but then you’ve done that, and you later show it to people so others can bathe in those images and the feeling. Hopefully the next stage after that is distribution and then after that you move on.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(03/23/10 4:12am)
A beggar held out a cup and tried to collect money from a group of young people, pleading for a few pieces of change and a meal for him and his girlfriend.The group was told to keep walking into Cobb Residence Hall, as part of the Tunnel of Oppression Project.The project, a multimedia experience hosted by the Residence Hall Association, the National Residence Hall Honorary and others, sheds light on the struggles of people dealing with oppression.
(03/01/10 4:54am)
Correction (March 1 11:49 p.m.): Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this story failed to include UNC student Emily Satterfield, one of the winners of the student stand up competition. The story has been changed to reflect the correction. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.
(02/19/10 4:51am)
Continuing its critically acclaimed 2009-10 season, the PlayMakers Repertory Company has unveiled its next season, beginning on Sept. 22 with William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” There is a little something for everybody, with plays ranging from the heavy drama “Fences” by August Wilson to the family comedy “Shipwrecked! An Entertainment” by Donald Margulies.“In selecting next year’s list of plays we pushed ourselves with challenges,” said Joseph Haj, the artistic director of PlayMakers. “We couldn’t have dreamt of a more ambitious season.”PlayMakers is welcoming change, as next season’s list of plays is greatly different from the current season’s lineup.“Next season’s plays are just as grand in scope as far as the amount of work, but I think this season has a lot more social awareness,” said Marianne Miller, a graduate student and actress for PlayMakers.Derrick Ledbetter, a graduate student and PlayMakers actor, described the next set of plays as more varied, ambitious and provocative.“Theater is lacking ambition lately, so it is refreshing to see a local company willing to be so ambitious, take so many chances and try new things,” he said.
(02/05/10 5:07am)
You all know the voice. Now meet the face.Ira Glass, host of the public radio program “This American Life,” will deliver a speech about radio stories Saturday in Memorial Hall.The program, started in Chicago in 1995, features first-person stories and short fiction pieces with universal interest. The show gained popularity quickly because of Glass’s tales, which combine emotion and sincerity.Past stories include babies who left the hospital with the wrong families in 1951 and found out 40 years later who their real families were.The show has picked up a massive public radio following.“Ira Glass is an icon for me because he creates a radio show that is very intimate and has a presence,” said junior Jacki Huntington, host of a news and commentary show on WXYC.WXYC DJs admire Glass’s unorthodox way of storytelling and his conversational tone, she said.“All of us have really normal-sounding voices, and so does Ira Glass. We share a casual and real feeling,” Huntington said.Adam Hochberg, a local National Public Radio news reporter, said Glass has much to offer students.“I think it is a great opportunity for the students because Glass is a master at using radio to tell stories,” he said.“I don’t know if I’d say he invented the art form of radio storytelling, but he certainly perfected it, and every week he demonstrates in his show how powerful the medium of radio is to telling the human story.”The speech will consist of a lecture followed by a short question-and-answer session.Emily Carey, the music and media chairwoman for the Carolina Union Activities Board, said CUAB brought Glass to campus because of what he could teach students.“We want students to learn something culturally and think, as well as have fun,” she said. “People into radio, arts, writing, communications and English can hopefully see themselves in Ira Glass and learn something.”Buzz about Glass’s speech at Memorial has expanded beyond the campus. Both student and general admission tickets have sold out.“I know freshmen that are excited about it, I know graduate students that are excited about it, and I know people in the community that are excited,” Carey said.Huntington said that it is important for UNC to host a radio personality like Glass.“It’s really a triumph for CUAB that they are bringing Glass to UNC because it is showing radio culture to UNC, which is something that is not well represented on college campuses,” she said.With so many groups anticipating Glass, it is no surprise that he will be talking to a full house. The show sold out Thursday.Glass’s speech is expected to mirror his acclaimed radio show.“I think people will enjoy listening to him speak the same way they enjoy listening to the program,” Hochberg said. “At its base, every single story is about people, and we forget that. Ira introduces us to people.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(02/01/10 5:31am)
Dressed in tight black jeans, a navy seals shirt, a faux-leather jacket and a Bihawk, Mystery Meat walked across stage Friday to claim his title as Air Guitar Champion.Meat, senior Brady McReynolds when not in costume, won $100 for his efforts in the 3rd Annual Air Guitar Championship hosted by the Carolina Union Activities Board.“With a score of 34.1, in first place is Mystery Meat,” said host Dan Crane, whose stage name is Bjorn Turoque.Contestants were ranked by three judges on a scale of 4.0 to 6.0, and had two rounds of competition.“I’m going to leave my all in the Great Hall,” said Anish Thakkar, a senior who performed as Skeeter Valentine, before the event. “This has nothing to do with winning or losing; this is my salute. It’s bigger than air guitar.”As promised, the performances were bigger than air guitar.Eight students shed their normal clothes and persona, donning costumes from ultra feminine glam rock to heavy metal.“I got my hair straightened, I got my make-up did, I got my shirt undid. I am ready to rock,” said Drew Millard, who took the stage under the alias Oscar De La Satan.Contestants used a variety of gimmicks to supplement their onstage personas.Performer Patient 20314002 spent his time before the show scaring audience members by running up to them wearing a straight jacket and holding a plastic fork in his mouth.CUAB president Amanda Kao asked the audience to ensure the competition continues after she graduates. She began the program her sophomore year.Crane also gave UNC a special performance accompanied by an air drummer and an air bassist.The night’s competitors rocked out in their own ways, playing to music from Prince to Pat Benatar.Standout performances by Lothar and Mystery Meat impressed both the crowd and judges, and Patient 20314002 memorably took a page from Lady Gaga’s book and had blood pour out of his mouth mid-performance.Oscar de la Satan, Patient 20314002, Skeeter Valentine, Lothar and Mystery Meat all advanced to round 2.In the second round, contestants were played a snippet of “Youth Gone Wild” by Skid Row. They had not heard the song before and had to improvise their performances.Oscar de la Satan started round 2 by throwing off his jacket, and most of his remaining clothes, leaving him in his boxers at the end of the song.Lothar, Skeeter Valentine and Mystery Meat all rocked in more conventional ways.The scores were calculated, and Mystery Meat was crowned champion. Months of practice and loss of dignity and pride finally paid off as he was handed his check.When asked how he would spend it, he replied, “A new haircut.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(01/29/10 4:30am)
Mixtapes began as quasi-albums rappers used to exhibit their skill outside the mainstream music industry. Marc Bamuthi Joseph will bring that raw spirit of mixtapes to the theater tonight with his performance of “the break/s: a mixtape for stage” in Memorial Hall.Joseph’s show also features a DJ and a beat-boxer. It is part of The Loading Dock, a series of shows that place both performers and audiences on the same stage.Tonight’s show is an autobiographical look into the performer’s life as he ages alongside the development of hip-hop.
(01/22/10 4:12am)
Senior marshals invited their classmates into Wilson Library after hours on Thursday night for a look at UNC students’ art.Gregory Halloran, a freshman, was one of several student artists included in the show, called “We H(art) UNC.”Halloran said he was pleased that he could finally exhibit his work to a different crowd.“I am excited to be a part of the UNC community, as opposed to downtown Raleigh where my friends can’t come, and the only people that see my work are 30-year-olds,” he said.“We H(art) UNC” featured art from students around campus, regardless of their majors.“Some of the participants aren’t even art majors, so it’s an opportunity for people who do it on the side to see what they can do and show their talent as an artist,” said Meggie Staffiera, senior class president.She said students were excited for the chance to show off their pieces in Wilson Library during the one-night-only event.“I think it was an opportunity that people wanted to take advantage of. People are really excited to get out and show what they can do,” Staffiera said.Visual artists weren’t the only ones spotlighted at the exhibit. Harpist Caroline Scism and the Loreleis performed, serving as a soundtrack to the event.Staffiera said they were excited to have Scism and the Loreleis perform because of their reputations as well-known, accomplished student musicians.Scism even got the event a bit more publicity from friends who noticed her name on the event’s information.“A lot of my friends were like, ‘Hey, we saw the events page on Facebook and saw your name as a performer,’” she said.Organizers decided to hold the event in the library to promote the senior campaign, which supports UNC’s library system.“We came up with this event to get the word out about seniors supporting the library system,” Staffiera said. She called the event a chance to “learn about ways to give back to the campaign and ways to give back to Carolina.”Organizers said they wanted to give students a chance to look inside Wilson, learn about their campaign and have a sophisticated location for a gallery. Overall, the show was a good match for the impressive interior architecture of Wilson Library.“I think that a lot of people do not get the opportunity to go and see Wilson,” Staffiera said. “It is a beautiful and important building, so I think it is cool for students to see a building they do not venture into very often.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(11/20/09 5:06am)
ATTEND THE PERFORMANCE
(11/13/09 6:03am)
Master in Fine Arts students are opening their studios up to the public tonight in the UNC Art Lab, offering free food and a chance to see their upcoming works.The art lab, which is located just off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, will feature art from six current M.F.A. students from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.This is the first time that some of the pieces will be on display to anyone besides their creators.Jessye McDowell, who is showcasing her video art, said she is excited about the possibility to share her original works with visitors.“It’s a good chance to talk about your ideas with people who may have never been exposed to your work before,” McDowell said.“It’s kind of a cool thing to show people works in progress and get their immediate reaction.”Emily Beck, another student pursuing a master’s degree, is playing one of her pieces for the second time ever this weekend. The piece is an audio documentation of people born into Christian homes and the progression of their beliefs.“This is kind of cool because I get to show it to a bunch of people who haven’t heard it yet,” Beck said.“I don’t know what will happen with that piece because when I showed it, it was to a group of professors.”The pieces at the art lab vary from digital art to sculptures. Traditionally a sculptor, Beck has transitioned into digital and multimedia art in the past year and a half.“What will be displayed is video, audio and even some photographs,” Beck said about her work.The art lab will be a bit confusing to navigate for those unfamiliar with the building.“When you come in we will have food and stuff set up in the main wood shop,” Beck said. “But you will have to walk around the whole building to see which studios are open.”Last year, M.F.A. students held an open studio that received poor attendance due to lack of advertising, organizers said.But this year, graduate students involved hope to have a better turnout.“In particular, we really hope to get a lot of undergrads out there,” Beck said. “It is a good opportunity to see what a graduate program is like, what graduate students do and ask us questions in a way they normally would not be able to do.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(11/06/09 5:34am)
In an effort to accommodate student and faculty schedules and promote downtown Chapel Hill nightlife, the Ackland Art Museum is extending their Thursday hours.For the first time in the museum’s history, it has added evening hours on Thursdays until 8 p.m.“Realizing from our own schedules and the people we know — we work during the day. We don’t have time to go to a museum,” said Emily Kass, art director for the Ackland Art Center.The extension of gallery hours was slated to happen last fall but was canceled because of an uncertain budget.But this year, creativity made the extension possible.“We figured out there was a way to reorganize our security guards’ time so that we could actually extend the hours without having to add more funding,” Kass said.Noticing an increase in activity on Franklin Street, the museum chose Thursday night to add three additional hours.To celebrate the first Thursday night with extended hours, the museum hosted a gallery talk with curator Timothy Riggs about their fall exhibit, “The Guardian and the Avant-Garde.”Ackland staff members were excited about both the gallery talk and the extension of hours.“For students who are busy, the extended hours are great to take advantage of the art and study galleries,” said Carrie Faur, a junior work-study student at the museum.She said the gallery talk was great for bringing attention to the longer hours.But some expressed dismay at the extended hours.“If you have the activities to get people in here, then it’s fine,” said Reggie Edwards, a security guard for the museum.The museum has no plans to continue with Thursday night events yet but is open to the idea.“I think our original intention was just to have the museum open and available,” Kass said. “But we will see if there is an interest in more live programming, and we’ll do that.”Although the extra hours add work for the Ackland staff members, they welcome the undertaking.“It may be a little more work, but this is something we have always wanted to do,” Kass said.The museum plans to make more accommodations for people who cannot visit during regularly scheduled hours.“We will see how it goes. If we get a good turnout, we could look to do the same thing on Tuesday nights or Sunday nights,” Kass said.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(10/29/09 4:17am)
The Artery, a new student-run gallery, hopes to be the lifeblood for student artists in the area.“It’s a student-run gallery started by students for students,” said Hallie Ringle, president of the art and art history honors fraternity Kappa Pi and gallery co-founder.The gallery, in the Bank of America Center on Franklin Street, came about much quicker than the organizers expected.Inspired by director of undergraduate art studies Jeff Whetstone, who told the group about a student-art gallery in 2003, organizers began to approach properties on Franklin Street the first Thursday of October.Natalia Davila, vice president of Kappa Pi and co-founder of the gallery, said they sent a letter to buildings that had vacancy signs.“By that following Tuesday, we had a meeting with the manager of the Bank of America Center, and he was like, ‘Yeah, use my space,’ so we got it in five days,” Davila said.Though the 2003 gallery only lasted a few months, organizers of The Artery have plans for the free space to become a staple in the Chapel Hill art community.“We’ve been selling it as a long-term project, not just to last a few months, so I think everyone is expecting that of it and everyone will work for that,” Davila said.The gallery provides a portion of all sales to the artists and accepts art of all media types.“The profits go 60 percent to the artists and 40 percent to Kappa Pi,” Ringle said, adding that a portion of the Kappa Pi profits go to the building owner as a thank you.The works available are priced relatively less than gallery norms. Ringle said many student are pricing their work at $25 to $30, which their peers can afford to buy.Organizers hope students interested in art history and curating will also participate.Davila said it’s a good opportunity for students to get involved in the art, even if they are not artists.“And it’s not an intimidating setting because it is run only by students,” she said.Davila said she has already seen excitement for the gallery.“Whenever I tell people who are completely not part of the art community here about the gallery, they get really excited,” she said. “They want to come see the art and see what students are doing. I think it is really exciting for other students to see what their peers are doing.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(10/09/09 4:58am)
Tony Award-winning playwright David Edgar sat down with director Joseph Haj on Thursday night to give a behind-the-scenes look at their production of “The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.”Seated in the Paul Green Theatre amid the spare set of PlayMakers Repertory Company’s “Opus,” the two discussed the company’s upcoming Mainstage production.Edgar’s interpretation of the classic Charles Dickens novel — by the same name — was adored by fans, but received mixed reviews from critics upon release 30 years ago.The playwright said that he had no expectations going into the production and that it would be a “catastrophe or a huge smash hit.” Thankfully for Edgar, it was the latter.A Tony Award and a few decades later, fans are still excited to see the play and appreciate the chance to meet Edgar. Jo Oldham, who watched the play in New York 30 years ago, said she plans to attend the production again.“It’s pretty exciting to meet him, and I am excited to see the play again,” she said.And not just the audience that was excited to be talking with Edgar.When Haj, the play’s director, asked Edgar’s permission to produce the play, he was surprised to hear the writer would be in town and be available for the rehearsals. Haj described his feelings for Edgar as “deeply admiring and very respectful.”This is not the first time PlayMakers has opened its doors before a show goes up.The company’s Vision Series has the director of a current production talk about the show and its design before the play opens. The discussions are free and open to the public.“It’s interesting to hear the playwright’s perspective,” said Heidi Reklis, general manager of PlayMakers.Even with about 50 people in the crowd, the conversation between the director and writer gave those in attendance a feeling of “belonging,” as described by Company Manager Jeff Stanley.Flor de Liz Perez, who is a third-year Master in Fine Arts acting graduate and part of the play’s cast, summed up the night.She said being close to Edgar was not intimidating, but was an exciting privilege.“The more I hear him talk, the more I can learn,” she said. Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(09/25/09 4:39am)
Clarification: Beacon of Hope is a non-governmental organization associated with the umbrella organization Africa Rising, but the two are unrelated in this circumstance. Africa Rising supports existing health, education and advocacy programs in East Africa.
(09/18/09 5:03am)
Board games. Disappearing dining halls. Eating condoms. Aliens and cats versus humans and dogs.Those are just a few of the topics that created echoing laughter at the improv show Thursday night.The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre touring group, a professional comedy group from New York, performed in the Student Union Auditorium, and UNC’s own Chapel Hill Players opened the event.After Chips’ opening act, the brigade hit the stage, and the audience erupted with applause.To start off the show, the group turned to the crowd for help, and one student happily fulfilled their request.When onstage, the student was asked questions ranging from his major to what he likes to do in his free time, to which he answered, “Play board games.”The group ushered the student offstage and started their performance using some of the odd stories, such as guys and girls attempting to take showers together, as the basis of their performance.Here’s a breakdown of a few of their sketches:
(09/11/09 3:45am)
Twenty-three of Carrboro and Chapel Hill’s most renowned venues will be displaying artwork tonight as part of the towns’ monthly celebration.The 2ndFriday Artwalk takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. across the two towns, from Southern Village to downtown Carrboro.Admission is free, and there will be wine and music at some locations. Everyone from art lovers to novices is encouraged to participate.Unlike a traditional art gallery, where regulations make patrons feel obligated to whisper their thoughts on pieces, the Artwalk combines socializing with analysis of the works, which range from still photographs to oil paintings. Large venues like the Ackland Art Museum will host displays alongside lesser-known art houses like Studio Supply and Fleet Feet Gallery.Many of the smaller venues have limited hours during the week, which keep some people from attending otherwise.Far from one-dimensional, the 2ndFriday Artwalk features everything from the most controversial and taboo pieces, such as those at The Merch on Lloyd Street in Carrboro, to paintings of North Carolina landscapes.“We try to make our place as abnormal as possible,” said Chip Hoppin, owner of The Merch.His gallery will host a Latin theme night, displaying Mexican wrestling masks while serving food out of a taco truck.Tyndall Galleries in University Mall will host a major showing of artists they represent, including several UNC alumni, said Jane Tyndall, an Artwalk veteran and UNC graduate.There also will be the opportunity to experience artistic expression from artists who reside in North Carolina, as well as sculptors who have never set foot on American soil.Garry Meldrum, co-founder of the Artwalk and owner of the Turning Point Gallery, will display Chinese paper sculptures at his University Mall location.Other venues provide a glimpse at local artistry, such as the N.C. Crafts Gallery, which features handcrafted artifacts. Some of its exhibits include pottery, glasswork and folk art.The gallery will showcase two North Carolinians, artists Sarah Faulkner and Jim Whalen.Faulkner will be meeting and discussing her work with those who visit the gallery during the walk.“She’s not folk, but it has a dreamy-like effect to it,” said Monica Hedgecock, a representative from the N.C. Crafts Gallery, about Faulkner.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
