Russ Lane

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'General' Reunion

By Russ Lane | January 17

Elesha Barnette sat alone Tuesday night, joined only by broken dialogue trickling from small speakers and digitized images of those who sat in a similar chair 10 years ago. Barnette is editing a special reunion episode of "General College," a collegiate soap opera produced by Student Television. With roughly half of the two-part episode complete, Barnette has several long nights ahead of her to ready the reunion episode for its Feb. 24 premiere at 8:30 p.m.

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All in Good Company

By Russ Lane | January 10

Mention modern art to most people and you'll get a response similar to a one-liner in the British comedy "Absolutely Fabulous:" "and what the hell is the difference between someone who chooses to paint like a child and a child's painting?"

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Merritt Helps Ring In New Year With Full Scale Southern Rock

By Russ Lane | January 10

Tift Merritt and the Carbines Cat's Cradle Thurs., Dec. 31 4 Stars Dec. 31, 2000, marked the last night that alt-country singer-songwriter Tift Merritt was officially a waitress. What a difference a year makes. With a national tour under her belt, a Lost Highway Records contract in hand and her first album, Bramble Rose, almost ready for release, Merritt had as much to celebrate on New Year's Eve as the all-ages collection of young hipsters and mature country fans populating the Cat's Cradle.

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UNC Alumnus Returns as Resident Director

By Russ Lane | January 10

Ted Shaffner has always put work before furniture. By age 28, the '97 UNC graduate already had served a two-year term as the resident directorial assistant at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. Before that, he directed several productions in New York in the Lincoln Center's Director's Lab program, founded the Vesuche Ensemble and received the Drama League's Fall Production Program fellowship.

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Dive Recommends

By Russ Lane | January 10

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Local Director Reinterprets Casting of 'Romeo & Juliet'

By Russ Lane | December 6

Director Heidi Jacot likes to take overlooked Shakespeare works and polish them until they shine or dust off old favorites and put them into a new context. Last March, she directed Company Carolina's rendering of "Pericles;" Jacot's latest project is a mostly male casting of "Romeo and Juliet," which opens Friday at the ArtsCenter. "I have to feel like I'm doing something new," she said.

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Unfamiliar Songs Fuel THV Success

By Russ Lane | December 3

Finally someone got it right. All the major a cappella groups on campus tend to pick easily recognizable songs for their concerts. But while familiarity is good, it breeds contempt: sometimes the song selection is too obvious. Often, you can just listen to G105 and come up with most of the season's a cappella must-haves in an hour. It makes such concerts tedious -- honestly, would it kill one of these groups to perform something no one has heard 30,000 times already? In theory, a balance between familiarity and creativity can be reached.

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Committee to Infuse Art Into UNC's Master Plan

By Russ Lane | November 19

Plans are in motion to transform the University into a museum without walls, in which even sidewalks, stairs and doorways might make an artistic statement. A committee of roughly 20 people met Saturday to begin instituting a public art program into UNC's Master Plan, the blueprint for 50 years of campus growth. It was the first of six seminars that examine the future of public art, expanding its on-campus presence from what UNC art Professor Jim Hirschfield described as a spotty existence.

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Teen Queen Looks to Janet for 'Not So Innocent' Inspiration

By Russ Lane | November 15

Britney Spears Britney 3 Stars Whether anyone likes it or not, Britney Spears is an icon. Or at least she's built a career alluding to those who have reached such status. With Britney, Spears is making her play for relevance. The album is her equivalent to Like a Prayer and Janet, and the icons she emulates on it are equally powerful. Spears has recast herself using the angry sexuality of "Butterfield 8"-era Elizabeth Taylor, the media savvy of Courtney Love and a Madonna-esque mission to make her dance music say something meaningful about society.

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Film Soundtrack Still Fascinates After 26 Years

By Russ Lane | October 25

While the whole idea of "Don't dream it/Be it" appeals to everyone on some level, there are ultimately two types of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" aficionados. The first appreciate the film for the shameless glee it exudes. For these, "Rocky Horror" is good, not-so-clean fun, and it's not unlike the naughty expression on Marilyn Monroe's face when her pure white dress blew upward in in the breeze.