Author Archive

Editorial Privilege

Wednesday, April 26th, 2006 | Laura Vilines

Writing a column a handful of times over the course of one semester really doesn’t give anyone the right to call herself a columnist, let alone allow that person to write a farewell column to her non-existent readership. But as the title of this “column” indicates, I’ve decided that I’m going to go ahead and do it anyway.

Last week, as I was wrapping up the final Cadenza issue of my newspaper career, I had the sudden realization that with the departure of this senior class, the last people who remember Cadenza as its own beautiful once-a-week publication will graduate, and there will be no one left here to remember the section in all of its glory. To me, this seemed significant, sort of like when the last person who remembered the Civil War passed away, and no one was left to tell firsthand about Honest Abe and the destruction of Atlanta. As a result, this column is a tribute to the Cadenza that once was, so that all of the future Cadenzstars can know what our section was like at its finest.

Cadenza was the brainchild of Student Life staffers in the early 1990s who decided that unlike other college papers, Student Life needed a real arts section, and Cadenza, “an exceptionally brilliant part of an artistic work,” was created as its own entity, separate from its Student Life umbrella. Once the section was formed, the staff devoted themselves to writing primarily about the activities of KWUR, the source of most music-related activity on campus. However, over time, Cadenza branched out and began writing about other topics, including fine arts, movies and theatre and grew into the hip, weekly publication we all knew and loved. Every week, regardless of its content, Cadenza was 12 pages of greatness.

Three years ago, in what some might describe as a misguided yet judicious decision, Cadenza was integrated back into the newspaper, where it was given nine pages a week, which eventually shrank down to our current three to four page max. In these three years, we have witnessed the Cadenza spirit rise up in fury, simmer down to weekly flare-ups and eventually begin to integrate itself into the regular workings of a student newspaper.

Over the past four years, Cadenza readers have consistently accused us of being egotistical, condescending, haughty and conceited, and I am proud that the letters kept rolling in even after we have tamed ourselves under our Student Life parent. (This column is yet another example of our self-aggrandizing nature, and I expect letters in protest.)

Even though I am not nearly as informed or with-it as my amazingly knowledgeable predecessors (Dan Carlin, Travis Petersen, Jess Minnen, and Matt Simonton), I am glad that we are still a forum for people to talk knowledgeably about arts and entertainment without taking it all too seriously. In addition to its serious journalistic aspects (of which there are many), Cadenza is and should always be about writing sarcastic columns, bull-shit features and at least one story each year that calls for excessive drinking as a major aspect of the creative process.

So, on behalf of the Cadenza that once was and will no longer be remembered, let us all take a moment of silence and at least one shot of Jager. Cadenza – here’s to you.

PAD finishes the season with a musical journey

Friday, April 21st, 2006 | Laura Vilines
Courtesy of Opal Andrews

Editor’s Pick: “Violet: A Musical Pilgrimage”

Dates and Times: April 21, 22, 27 and 29 at 8 p.m. and April 23 and 30 at 2 p.m.

Location: A.E. Hotchner Studio Theatre

For Tickets: Tickets can be purchased at the Edison Theatre Box Office.

The Performing Arts Department began its 2006-2007 season with a “trip” back to the year 1968, transforming the Edison stage into the streets of New York, complete with sit-ins, be-ins, free love and Vietnam protests.

This weekend, the Performing Arts Department (PAD) will end its season with a very different story of the same era with their presentation of “Violet: A Musical Pilgrimage.”

The story is set in 1964 in the Deep South and follows a physically scarred young woman as she travels to Oklahoma in search of a televangelist and her own salvation. Like most pilgrimages, the actual journey is more important than its destination.

As the characters travel through the South, the music reflects their journey and features a variety of styles, including bluegrass, country, blues and rock.

Along the way, Violet also becomes the traveling companion of two soldiers, the self-assured Monty and the African-American sergeant Flick who serves to illuminate the social and racial tensions of the time.

The show, however, still resonates with many of the issues that affect today’s society. “This show reflects a lot of what is going on in the world today,” explained Musical Director Lisa Campbell.

“It confronts issues of interracial relationships, coping with difficulties and discovering in the end that that’s okay.”

In the end, Monty also tells Violet that Vietnam ‘barely even counts as a war,’ and I think that is also reflective of our situation right now as well.”

The Exhibit

Wednesday, April 12th, 2006 | Laura Vilines
Matt Rubin

Since Oct. 14, 2005, the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts has housed “Minimalism and Beyond,” an exhibit designed to showcase multiple generations of minimalist artists, including those who have defined the movement and those who carry on the minimalist tradition today. This exhibit will be removed from the gallery on April 26, but Wash. U. students can catch this phenomenal show before its departure this Thursday at After Hours at the Pulitzer, an event designed specifically with the student population in mind.

The work of 13 distinct artists comprises this exhibit, and all works were selected for both their contribution to the minimalist movement and for their ability to speak in dialogue with one another and with the facility’s own unique architectural design. Works include “Untitled” by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, an interactive piece which actually invites the viewer to take and eat a part of the work, and “Untitled” by Dan Flavin, which juxtaposes a seemingly frigid block of ice with a warm light emanating from the corner of the room.

For more information about this exhibit or future installations, please visit the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts at www.pulitzerarts.org.

After hours at the Pulitzer

Wednesday, April 12th, 2006 | Laura Vilines
Matt Rubin

If there’s one word to describe the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, it is this: surprising.

Surprising first because many members of the St. Louis community don’t even know that this gallery/museum space exists. Completed in 2001, the Pulitzer’s first installation included works by Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko and Henri Matisse, but it has still failed to make a lasting impression on its hometown. Tim Reichman, visitor services manager, quipped that “some people say that the Pulitzer is better known in Europe than it is here in St. Louis.” The Pulitzer, which has been called an “unmuseum” for its alternative approach – it only allows 50 visitors in the gallery at a time so that all of the artwork can be viewed in “quiet contemplation” – has made a name for itself in the international art community, if not here at home.

Surprising because, like the Pulitzer’s hometown reputation, the Foundation’s actual physical presence almost gets lost amid its looming St. Louis neighbors. The beautiful concrete building (which was designed by world-renowned architect Tadao Ando and was touted by the “The New Yorker” as the best building to be constructed in St. Louis since the Wainwright Building, constructed circa 1891) has a tendency to get lost on Grand Blvd., and unless you’re specifically looking for the building, chances are you may never even notice it.

Surprising because while most college students studying at a liberal arts university like Wash. U. would kill to get an internship at a respected gallery or museum, the Pulitzer has actually been seeking out students in an effort to engage a younger audience with its unique perspective. In fact, the Pulitzer has welcomed students from Wash. U. to participate in a student docent program that will come to a conclusion at an After Hours event this Thurs., April 13 from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m.

The 10 students led by Professor John Klein who will be participating as docents have researched the exhibition “Minimalism and Beyond” and have completed docent training as part of their preparation. The event, which will offer tours of the exhibit, free food and raffles for students, is geared specifically toward students from the Wash. U. community and allows them to experience the artwork and the Pulitzer, which is normally only open during the day, in a new and exciting way.

Reichman explained the Pulitzer’s desire to specifically target the Wash. U. audience, commenting, “One of our points is to raise the recognition of the facility within the St. Louis community. We’re one of the only non-profit organizations that is not dependent on the number of people who come through our doors. So, in that sense, we’re able to do almost anything that we want. One of the things we’re looking to develop is a way to offer the facility to universities in addition to high schools and elementary schools.”

Student docent and Wash. U. senior Justin Huebener recommended the event to fellow students, saying, “‘Minimalism and Beyond’ speaks to a collegiate audience. It is an exhibit that is about the experience of viewing and it really forces you to develop new ways of thinking about the art.”

Reichman echoed Huebener’s thoughts, explaining, “The Pulitzer takes a different approach because it is able to enrich people’s experience with the art. It is a different institution, and it hits people who may not be affected by other forms of art, and it may change their visits to other places.”

The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts is open and free to the public on Wednesdays from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. After Hours at the Pulitzer will be held this Thurs., April 13 from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. and is free to the public.

Young Choreographers Showcase

Wednesday, March 29th, 2006 | Laura Vilines

This weekend, the Performing Arts Department will present its biennial Young Choreographers Showcase (YCS), which will feature nine original works by student choreographers. The pieces featured in the showcase cover a wide variety of styles and themes, ranging from a musical theatre satire to a modern piece featuring blindfolded dancers. As a result, YCS not only provides Washington University students with an excellent opportunity to showcase their work, but the concert also allows the audience to view fresh, original choreography by talented young dancers.

Performances will be held Thursday, March 30, Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $9 for students or $5 for floor seating, and can be purchased at the Edison Theatre box office.

Forgive me, readers, for I have sinned

Friday, March 3rd, 2006 | Laura Vilines

At long last, I have decided to bare my soul to the public arena and make a confession that I have been denying for years: I love People magazine. I know that it’s an exploitative publication, but ever since my mother received a year-long subscription of the trashy tabloid as a gift when I was a junior in high school, I haven’t been able to get enough. I long for celebrity red-carpet rundowns and I thirst for cheesy feature stories about how the Flying Tomato was finally able to meet Sasha Cohen. In fact, yesterday afternoon before going into the office to write this column, I spent 30 minutes in the University Bookstore trying to find a photo of Tom Cruise and the very pregnant Katie Holmes sporting her Burberry swim cover-up (which, by the way, can be found on page 60 of the most recent People).

Over the past six years, I have hidden my deep love in shame, hoping never to be discovered by my fellow students as they step up to the magazine rack to pick up their latest copy of Time or The New Yorker. In fact, I have a system to hide my love and complete the deception. As the seemingly more refined student steps up to the magazine rack, I will immediately stash my People behind the closest National Geographic, hoping to update my status from airhead pop culture aficionado to traveler extraordinaire – effective approximately 75 percent of the time.

So goes the story of my love and disgrace, a dangerous cycle of denied love and secret humiliation. After being divinely inspired by Don DeLillo and my upper-level English class, however, I have decided to transform into a new Laura Vilines: a Laura Vilines who openly loves People magazine.

This divine intervention occurred just before my People bookstore run, as my seminar class was discussing “Parable of the Sower,” a novel by famed (and recently deceased) science fiction writer, Octavia Butler. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that this book is not the finest work of modern literature, and it hardly holds a candle to Butler’s previous gem, “Kindred” (which I highly recommend). Yet “Parable of the Sower” is almost indisputably entertaining and an easy read. This entertainment factor, though, seems to escape a majority of my Wash. U. peers.

My class spent the first hour of our time making statements such as, “I kept asking myself how anyone would ever want to read this” and “It was almost more difficult to read than ‘Underworld'” (DeLillo’s 800-page tome dedicated to the historical rendering of the post-Cold War era). All the while, I had to restrain myself from yelling at the top of my lungs, “It’s entertaining! Some people read for fun!” And while Butler’s novel really is more than cheap entertainment, the point of this hour-long conversation can not be missed. When did we all become so intellectual that we can’t even enjoy ourselves anymore?

I’d hate to see the day when we can only listen to NPR, drink Perrier and read “The Atlantic Monthly.” So everyone crank up your Ashlee Simpson, pop open a Diet Coke, and bring on the latest People magazine. Maybe if we all take a dive into the depths of generic pop culture, we’ll be able to remember that sometimes, even reading can be fun.

Much Ado and the ‘Merry War’

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006 | Laura Vilines
Dan Daranciang

In the 1990s, comedian Jerry Seinfeld popularized the concept of creating an entire show about nothing. Mr. Seinfeld, however, did not give credit to the true creator of this concept, the Bard himself, William Shakespeare. This weekend, though, the Performing Arts Department will pay homage to the creator of this something-out-of-nothing genre with their spring mainstage production of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Unlike Seinfeld’s popular sitcom, Shakespeare’s creation does not revolve around four neurotic friends meeting in a New York coffee shop. Instead, it tells the story of Claudio, a young aristocrat who serves in the army of Don Pedro, and his potential relationship with the innocent and beautiful Hero (who Don Pedro has volunteered to woo on the young soldier’s behalf). The plot is complicated when Don John, Don Pedro’s half-brother, threatens to ruin the young couple’s possible relationship by spreading rumors of Hero’s infidelity. The play’s other central focus is found in another blossoming romance that develops between Beatrice, Hero’s cousin, and Benedick, another soldier in Don Pedro’s army. Beatrice, a strong-willed and sharp-witted woman has vowed to never marry, but struggles with these decisions after meeting the also clever Benedick.

According to director and PAD chair Henry Schvey, who first directed the play 25 years ago, despite its title, this Shakespearean comedy is about much more than its title-claim of “nothing.” Schvey believes instead that the play, “deals with a woman’s place in a man’s society” and that it still speaks to both men and women dealing with today’s ever-changing social climate.

“It’s all about how we use masks in our lives. There is a literal mask ball, but there are also the masks that Beatrice and Benedict wear when they deny their love,” Schvey explained. “There is a real psychological complexity. People can be both intimately connected and equal and friends, so in that sense, it really is a modern look at love.”

Schvey’s updated version of this Shakespearean classic is set in Italy in the 1920s as a means of conveying the universality of these concepts. “I wanted to stay fresh with it, and I chose the 1920s because it is a time after a war and a time in which women’s roles were still circumscribed,” Schvey explained. “I also like the idea of Italy being a light. It creates a comic circle, from the lightness of Italy, into the complications of the play when Hero is denied.which comes back into the light at the end.”

In the end, Schvey says that the play can best be summarized by its sexual conflict and “the merry war” between the sexes. Schvey commented, “It’s something we can all relate to and something we can all laugh at.”

“Much Ado about Nothing” will be performed on February 24 and 25 and March 3 and 4 at 8 pm, and Sunday February 26 and March 5 at 2 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Edison Theatre Box Office.

‘My Date with Drew’

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006 | Laura Vilines
Dan Daranciang

My Date with Drew
By: Brian Herzlinger and the Drew Crew
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

The premise of this documentary is simple: one guy has 30 days and $1,100 to get one date with Drew Barrymore.

Brian Herzlinger, a poor, aspiring filmmaker, was a member of the Drew Barrymore fan club as a child and had a lifelong crush on the movie star ever since he saw her for the first time in “E.T.” And Brian had one dream: to get a date with Drew. He also had $1,100 that he won on a pilot game show by answering the final question with the correct response of (what else?) “Drew Barrymore.” So with a camera from Circuit City with a 30-day return policy (hence the 30-day time limit), a film was born.

The premise of the film may sound a bit hokey and simple, but truthfully, this is one of the funniest documentaries of all time and maybe even one of the funniest films of all time.

Well, that may be going a bit far – but Herzlinger, the show’s creator and star, through his quirky traits, car sing-alongs and emotional outpourings, makes this movie absolutely honest and completely hilarious. Whether Brian and his film school buddies (now known as the Drew Crew) are sneaking into the “Charlie’s Angels” premiere with fake passes or trying to wax Brian’s chest hair, this film makes the viewer feel like part of the team, and by the end, everyone is rooting for Brian to succeed (except for Andy Dick, who first agrees to help Brian on his quest but then backs out because he doesn’t want to hurt his credibility by appearing in too many movies.)

The only negative thing about the film is that it’s only available at Blockbuster. But since there are no late fees, you could always keep it and watch it twice.

From what I can tell, there are few documentaries that are actually laugh-out-loud funny, and this is definitely one of them. It is comical and inspiring, and watching Brian reminds us all to be “Kids and dreamers! Kids and dreamers!”

‘The House of Yes’: a dysfunctional, incestuous, yet loving home

Wednesday, February 8th, 2006 | Laura Vilines
Dan Daranciang

What do Sophocles, “The House of Yes” and the 17th-century British court have in common? Sex, love, family.oh yeah – and a combination of all three. Not since the days of “Oedipus Rex” has one play seen so much familial longing, but the similarities between Sophocles’ masterpiece, Henry V and Wendy MacLeod’s dark comedy probably stop right there.

“The House of Yes,” which will be performed this weekend as part of a Performing Arts Department senior honors thesis, tells the story of the Pascals, a ridiculously well-to-do family, their lunatic daughter Jackie O., her obsession with her twin brother Marty and the entire family’s attempt to regain normalcy despite their overwhelming interest in the assassination of Jack Kennedy and their very close proximity to the Kennedy estate itself.

After Marty returns home for Thanksgiving break with fianc‚e Lesly in tow, the family’s odd interactions erupt into an all-out battle. Jackie O. (who received this moniker after arriving at a costume party dressed as the famous first lady, covered in fake blood and macaroni) wishes to rid the house of Lesly in order to resume her affair with Marty. Her younger brother Anthony (played in the film version by an awkward Freddie Prinze Jr.) wishes to break up Marty’s relationship, hoping to have Lesly as his own.

In the end, according to playwright Wendy MacLeod, “The House of Yes” is a “play about people that have never been said no to,” who are “living by the rules they’ve invented.”

However, despite the play’s seemingly bizarre plot and wacky characters, director Brian Stojak claims that interesting issues lie beneath the surface of this dark comedy.

“It basically revolves around some crazy issues but a simple story,” Stojak said. “It’s a family that may have some dysfunction, but they’re just trying to simply live life and get by.”

Stojak also claims that the play is perfect for college-age students who may be ready for a taste of slightly nontraditional theatre.

“It’s different than things they may have seen and things that have been presented on campus,” said Stojak. “It’s very exciting. It’s only about 75 minutes, and it’s a very fast-paced, witty comedy with some love and some violence.”

“The House of Yes” will be performed in the A.E. Hotchner Theatre on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission is free.

Washington University’s True Life: How other University students stack up

Wednesday, January 25th, 2006 | Laura Vilines
Dan Daranciang

Following in the footsteps of University heroes such as “Cara from the Real World,” a second Wash. U. alum has chosen to seek fame and fortune through the fantastic medium of MTV reality television. Julie Loewenberg, who graduated from the University last spring with a degree in fashion design, appeared in Episode 804 of MTV’s “True Life: I’m Moving to New York” this January. Intrigued by clips of students exiting Duncker Hall (which appeared on the commercials leading up to the debut of the episode), I decided to tune in to catch a fellow student in action and exert a little University pride.

Unfortunately, after watching the episode, I was incredibly surprised by my fellow student’s ability to become financially independent and make it in the real world of NYC. After obtaining an education worth, in the end, over $160,000, I would hope that we could all at least be able to pay our rent. However, if, like Julie, you’re used to having a monthly stipend for entertainment that exceeds $900 and regular lavish shopping sprees, maintaining your high-class lifestyle in the postcollegiate world will be challenging, and a basic electric bill may seem daunting if not completely unpayable.

In the end, Julie really wasn’t able to become financially independent. She maxed out her parents’ credit cards, blew $600 in less than an hour, paid only half of the rent for her apartment and bought a round of drinks for her friends at a swanky New York bar, all on her parents’ plastic.

As a result, we here at Cadenza were interested to see if Julie’s life really represents the life of the regular Wash. U. grad. Are we all really spoiled socialites, and are any of us (excluding the engineers who have companies banging down their doors with job offers) going to make it on our own? To find out, Cadenza conducted a very unscientific survey of 20 students found wandering through Whispers Caf‚ on Tuesday afternoon. How did they stack up compared to our MTV diva-alum? The results are below:

Students surveyed:

Grad student: 1
Super senior: 1
Senior: 5
Junior: 1
Sophomore: 5
Freshman: 7

Percentage of students surveyed whose parents help them out financially: 100 percent

Economic stratification:

Lower middle class: 0
Middle class: 5
Upper middle class: 13
Lower upper class: 2

In debt after graduation:

Yes: 3
No: 17

Post-WU financial status:

Complete financial independence/cut off: 6
Parents will help only if necessary: 9
Parents will pay for graduate school: 3
Parents will help with finances: 2

Most common thoughts associated with the words “trust fund”:

vacation, money, not me, Paris Hilton, silver spoon, rich kid

After completing this survey, Cadenza found that apparently no one at Wash. U. is currently making it on their own. Out of all of the students surveyed, not a single one paid for his or her own room and board, and almost everyone identified themselves as upper-middle class (meaning that most people were afraid to admit that they came from money). However, almost everyone surveyed also said that they hope to be financially independent from their parents after graduation. While this was Julie’s claim at the beginning of her episode, hopefully the survey participants will all be a bit luckier in managing their budgets and their need to buy designer shoes for $300.

However, if you’d rather be a Wash. U. alum turned MTV star than an independent 20-something, go to mtv.com and try auditioning for one of their upcoming True Life episodes, including, “I’m a Sumo Wrestler,” “I’m on Meth” and “I’m a Former Cheater.” Whether you’re a player, a drug addict or an oversized fighter, please audition! Someone needs to prove that we’re more than a sassy outfit and our parents’ checkbooks. We’re almost a top-10 university. Almost.