6 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(05/21/09 4:00am)
The latest musical to hit Otterbein's campus, "Nine," a play by Maury Yeston, will be premiering May 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Fritsch Theater. Yeston's musical is based on Arthur Kopit's book depicting the life of film director Federico Fellini and the horde of women influencing not only his love life but also his career. The play is directed by Otterbein theatre professor Chris Kirk with musical direction by associate professor of music Dennis Davenport and choreography by dance coordinator Stella Kane. Otterbein students participating in the production feel as though it is a labor of love. "The play was done really organically and every cast member was challenged to find their own interpretation," freshman Leah Fox said, who will be performing as a Venetian gondolier. Sophomore Sara King plays one of Fellini's many loves, but more specifically his muse. King said that this is one of the most difficult plays that Otterbein's theatre program has produced. "The show itself is confusing because it is based off of a movie with ideas instead of plots," King said. She would advise viewers to listen and pay attention carefully. Though the play is a musical, King and Fox both feel as though it is more of a drama that just happens to have music. "People can't come into this thing thinking its ‘Oklahoma,'" said Fox. The plot may be hard to follow, but King said "I think they'll enjoy it whether they know what's going on or not." Many involved in the production feel as though the aesthetics of "Nine" will be just as beautiful as the music and acting. Kyle McIntire, a freshman costume assistant with the production, praised costume shop supervisor Mari Hain's costume design. "She created a nice visual that partners with the pictures Chris Kirk creates," McIntire said. King expects Otterbein to be receptive after a successful show given for high school students and senior citizens. "It really is beautiful. The sets and lights and costumes are beautiful and the actors have really put their hearts into it," King said. t&c;
(03/12/09 4:00am)
What do you get when you combine a conspiracy theory, historical fiction, sex, violence and some retired superheroes? You get two hours and 40 minutes of intensity that begs to be watched no matter how large the urge to wince may be. You get "Watchmen," based on the 1987 graphic novel of the same name. The film revolves around a group of retired superheroes who were first exploited and then asked to step down by the U.S.government after assisting in a Vietnam War victory. It takes place in an alternate 1985 when Richard Nixon manages to be elected for a fifth term and the Cold War has not yet ended. The appeal of the movie is that it presents a more realistic look at what the pressures of being a superhero would do to the psyche. As retired superhero and outlaw vigilante Walter Kovacs, also known as Rorschach, points out most superheroes either have personality disorders or are murdered. These heroes aren't necessarily people that should be looked up to or emulated, unlike the never-do-wrongs like Superman or Spiderman. None of the superheroes actually have super powers. They all have their own reasons for fighting crime. Rorschach, played by Jackie Earle Hayley, sees the world in black and white with no shades of gray. Silk Spectre II, played by Malin Ackerman, is a superhero because her mother was a superhero and wanted her daughter to follow in her footsteps. Dan Dreiberg also known as Nite Owl II, played by Patrick Wilson, wanted to change the world, but quickly became disillusioned with the way that people treated each other and him. Adrian Veidt, who was the superhero Ozymandius, played by Matthew Goode, used his time as a masked hero to become rich and powerful. The only member of the Watchmen who had any superpowers is Dr. Manhattan, played by Billy Crudup. A science experiment went awry and gave him the powers of a god. He is completely unstoppable and the only reason the USSR and America haven't gone to war. After another retired superhero Eddie Blake, also known as The Comedian, played by Jefferey Dean Morgan, is thrown out of the window of his high rise apartment, Rorschach takes it upon himself to find out why. His investigation uncovers a much more sinister plot that involves all the other masked heroes and even the nuclear bomb. The twist at the end causes the viewer to question how bad the means can be to still allow the ends to be justified. The movie is rated R and not too far into the plot you'll begin to realize why. The violence induces some wincing, but the most uncomfortable moments in the film come from the long, drawn out sex scenes. The point of these is lost on me, the movie is long enough without the softcore porn that, had it have been left out, would have had no effect on the plot. While the film clocks in at just under three hours, there is no appropriate cutoff in the movie until the very end. Every minute, minus the extensive sex scenes, is worth watching because of the plot's intricacies. If you are a fan of the novel then you will appreciate that almost every frame of the book has been lovingly and faithfully recreated by the film's director Zack Snyder, until the very end, when he slightly deviates from the comic. It doesn't hurt the story too much as it is still an incredibly powerful ending. As far as superhero movies go, "Watchmen" most certainly raises the bar and will not leave you disappointed. t&c;
(03/05/09 5:00am)
Saturday night the junior acting and musical theatre majors performed their second annual "Junior Cabaret" fundraiser. The event featured 17 performers over the course of one hour with a big opener and finale that featured the entire class. The event showcased popular songs from musicals such as "Spelling Bee" and "Rent." The group had one month to prepare for the event without any assistance from faculty. Junior Amanda Huxtable, one of the organizers and performers during the event, said this made it difficult for the group to organize and work together. With the majority of the cast either performing in "An Absolute Turkey" or the upcoming "Dance Concert: 2009" performance, Huxtable said it was difficult for everyone to show up at once. "To know we accomplished the show was a huge relief," she said. Huxtable considered it a success. "We're very thankful for everyone who came out." Whether or not there would be a suitable number of attendees was up in the air after considering the problems they faced. The amount of money made from the event has not been calculated, but Huxtable said that over 100 tickets were sold at the door. The money raised during the event will help the class when they are seniors and travel to New York to meet with casting directors and inevitably find agents. This is the first year the fundraiser has been mandatory for theater students to participate. It will continue to be mandatory in years to come. Huxtable said that this year's juniors have taken steps to make sure that the faculty becomes involved. t&c;
(10/09/08 4:00am)
Last Friday, Campus Programming Board (CPB) had to cancel their first free movie night of the quarter, due to Hollywood Studio Theaters closing its doors rather unexpectedly this summer. While CPB's popular event will be taking a short hiatus, Becky Sorensen, president of CPB, tells students not to worry, because the movie nights will be back. CPB had considered moving the event to Rave Motion Pictures but Sorensen says that chances of that are doubtful due to drastic price differences. Renting a theater at Hollywood was less than $1,500 for three movie nights per quarter, including the free popcorn for the first 500 students. Rave would cost the organization approximately $2,000 per movie night without popcorn for students. "CPB does have a good budget, but we plan so many other events and help many other student organizations on campus and plan on doing that a lot more this year," said Sorensen. Currently CPB sponsors three movie nights a quarter, and with a change of venue, this could drop down to two or even one. The next movie night is scheduled for Friday of Week 6 and Sorensen thinks that this one will continue as scheduled. "I have full confidence that we will have another theater to attend by then." While the group continues to look for a new location for the event, no plans have been finalized. "We are checking our options at this point, trying to see what would be more cost effective for us," said Kadia Reed, faculty advisor of CPB. She adds that they are still waiting to hear back from the companies they have contacted. No comment was available from Hollywood Studio Theaters as to when they will open their doors again. Sorensen and the rest of CPB are confident that they will be able to find a replacement theater to host the popular event. "I'm positive students were disappointed, as was CPB, but you can't do a whole lot when your original theater closes so close to the beginning of the quarter. We never anticipated having to move theaters," Sorensen said. With several events planned for the quarter, Sorensen believes that they have plenty to hold student interest. The biggest event this quarter will be Homecoming. "It seems all we are known for is our movie nights, but there is so much more than that," Sorensen said, "Take a look around and you'll find us doing something fun and exciting, not to mention successful." t&c;
(10/09/08 4:00am)
"Body Of Lies," a movie about foreign policy and espionage, takes viewers to a post 9/11 world full of technological warfare, power hungry operatives and, as the title implies, lies. Director Ridley Scott ("American Gangster") combines talents with Oscar winning screenwriter William Monahan ("The Departed") to bring movie-goers a new kind of war epic. The story takes place in various Middle East locations but centralizes in Amman, Jordan. The movie is based on Washington Post columnist David Ignatius's novel of the same name, and includes a powerhouse cast. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Roger Ferris, a young CIA field agent trying to capture a notorious terrorist in the Middle East while trying not to damage his relations with the Jordanian government. Russell Crowe co-stars as Ferris' veteran CIA bureaucrat, Ed Hoffman, a stateside agent who has his own mission and thirst for power. What sets "Body of Lies" apart from the traditional war movie is that the war on terrorism is dealt more with words and sudden movements than actual warfare. The use of technology and words are a far greater asset to the CIA in the film than actual weaponry. The movie is not for the weak of stomach. There are several scenes throughout the movie depicting torture on both sides of the conflict, which caused more than one audience member to jump in their seat. The violence combined with language land the film with an R rating. To accompany the violence there is also a small sense of dry humor in the film. Crowe takes an indifferent attitude early on in the movie and maintains it throughout by balancing his take-no-prisoners, trust-no-one attitude with his day-to-day fatherly tasks, like taking the kids to soccer practice. DiCaprio brings a sense of realism to the movie as he is caught between his relationship of trust with the Jordanian officials and his over-bearing boss sitting peacefully at home. All in all the movie is a must see for all of those needing excitement and perspective. This film will arrive in theaters on October 10th. t&c;
(09/25/08 4:00am)
In a few weeks a new coffee and ice cream shop, Serendipity, will be opening its Otterbein-friendly doors on College Ave. The new shop will feature hand-dipped ice cream, a new twist on soft serve, coffee, pastries and Panini sandwiches. Debbie Mitchell, shop owner and Westerville resident, said, "My husband always says that it's good to give back to the community that you live in." The Mitchells wanted to create a student-oriented environment as well as fulfill their dreams of owning their own business. Mitchell is in the process of making Serendipity Cardinal Card friendly and hopes to be the first of many off-campus Cardinal Card locations. In Mitchell's pursuit of Otterbein involvement, she contacted Hannah Teitt, the facilitator of the Starving Artists through the Otterbein Art Department. The Starving Artists decided as a group that they would assist with decorating the new shop. This includes pottery and a mural that will coat an entire room of the establishment. The mural will be designed by Otterbein students Billy Fry and Flint Garrabrant with assistance by many other "Starving Artists." Serendipity has several extra features geared toward the college students of Otterbein. The shop has free Wi-Fi Internet, as well as a back garden with lawn space for small group events such as corn-hole tournaments. "Westerville is a town that has a college, not a college town," she said when commenting on her inspiration for the shop. In addition to Serendipity's appeal to college-age costumers, she hopes to attract many local families, offering an enjoyable environment for both parents and children to themselves. She hopes that the "Flavor Burst" soft serve ice cream, choosing a flavor to be twisted in with the typical soft serve flavors, will attract a lot of kids because of its childlike appeal. Fry, one of the mural designers, located inside of the shop, said that he can see many Otterbein students enjoying themselves at Serendipity. He enjoyed his time spent at Serendipity so much that he decided to work there. Fry said that the majority of shop applicants are Otterbein students. Fry and Garrabarant said they are working with Mitchell to set up a number of art shows with Starving Artists and concerts featuring local talent at the shop. The new shop will be located at 33 College Ave. Store hours are yet to be determined. t&c;