UTC’s ‘Mamma Mia’ puts a new spin on a classic

In the interest of transparency, I’ll start this article with a brief disclaimer. I have been critiquing, and sometimes creating, student theater for five years. Despite the skepticism I sometimes face when discussing it, I will champion it as something with as much worth as the work created by more experienced artists. The student musical […]

WBRS brings indie spirit to campus

WBRS held a concert last Saturday, Jan. 19 to kick off the new semester and welcome new midyear students to campus. A relaxed event featuring an array of truly independent artists, the concert was an impressive showcase of college music. The show started with a performance from Adam Sickler, a former Berklee School of Music […]

Toxic creates stunning showcase

Toxic Majorette Dance Line, Brandeis’ first majorette dance line, celebrated their new status as an independent club with “Pick Your Poison,” a performance which brought together dance and performance groups from across campus to create one of the most exciting arts events of the year. The show was fittingly started with a solo dance by […]

‘Dream A Little Dream’ enchants audience

The Brandeis Theater Department kicked off their official season on Thursday with the opening night of “Dream a Little Dream,” a dance-focused exploration of dreams. The show is conceived by Brandeis theater professor and accomplished professional theater artist Susan Dibble. Centered on two dreamers’ mindscapes, the show creates an enchanting world where people can revel […]

Hold Thy Peace presents ‘Tempest’

Brandeis’ resident Shakespeare company kicked off their year this weekend with a production of “The Tempest,” the Bard’s classic tale of sorcery and power. The production, directed by Kat Lawrence ’20, brings together multiple approaches to the text to give each scene a unique energy. The story focuses on a powerful sorcerer, Prospera (Prospero in […]

‘Talking With…:’ eleven touching monologues provides engaging view into women’s lives

The Free Play Cooperative somewhat unofficially joined Family Weekend with their newest show, “Talking With…” which proved to be a touchingly emotional night of stories. Directed by Lauren Komer ’21 and Amber Ruth Crossman ’21, the production created a tender space where playwright Jane Martin’s characters could express themselves to the fullest. “Talking With…” is […]

‘Adam ruins’ family weekend

Brandeis celebrated family weekend with student and professional performances alike, but possibly the one with most buzz was comedian Adam Conover. Known for work at popular group CollegeHumor (whose fans never actually seem to be in college) and self-titled show “Adam Ruins Everything,” Conover has created a brand with a smarmy know-it-all character who dispels […]

‘Cabin Sam’ an inspiring example of original theater

How much damage can trauma and isolation do to our minds? Is it possible to stray so far from society you cannot come back? And what if society self-destructs while you’re not there? “Cabin Sam: A Post-Apocalyptic Guide to Making Friends,” a chilling story of survival and trauma, poses these questions beautifully while dipping between […]

Vote, and vote Democratic: polarization

Fourteen years ago, Barack Obama rose to national prominence endorsing John Kerry with a Democratic National Convention speech in which he declared, “There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America, there’s a United States of America.” At a time when political polarization looked like a growing issue for people across the country, the message […]

WBRS brings chuckles to Chum’s

Jerry Seinfeld famously proclaimed the college comedy scene to be too politically correct, driving performers away. On Monday, Sept. 25, comedian Josh Day proclaimed “fuck Jerry Seinfield” to cheers as he introduced that night’s comedy show at Chum’s. Day, along with his co-producer, Adam Landau ’20, and WBRS, has presented several comedy shows at Brandeis […]

WBRS brings chuckles to Chum’s

Jerry Seinfeld famously proclaimed the college comedy scene to be too politically correct, driving performers away. On Monday, Sept. 25, comedian Josh Day proclaimed “fuck Jerry Seinfield” to cheers as he introduced that night’s comedy show at Chum’s. Day, along with his co-producer, Adam Landau ’20, and WBRS, has presented several comedy shows at Brandeis […]

ABIR wows, Kiiara disappoints at Fall Flex

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) hosted ABIR and Kiiara on Saturday, Sept. 15 at the annual “Fall Flex” concert in the Shapiro Gym in Gosman. Despite flares of strobe lights and fog covering the stage during the performances, the event’s energy level was inconsistent, with the audience growing and shrinking throughout. The opening act, ABIR, […]

Mailroom is a good first step

Those of you who were on campus early last year may remember the horrors of a mailroom unprepared for the most predictable rush of the year. With the notifications system down, students were forced to visit periodically to check whether packages had arrived. I personally remember my first two trips to that pit, each of […]

24-hour ‘Annie’ brings improv spirit to Broadway production

The 24-hour musical has become a sanctified Brandeis tradition, bringing throngs of sleepless theater kids and audience members alike to the SCC theater every year. The production, which this year brought ever-hopeful orphan “Annie” to the stage, is entirely created in exactly one day. The considerable talent of all involved created a surprisingly impressive product, […]

Brandeis student music scene thriving

Friday, Sept. 14, only three weeks into the fall semester, the Stein will host student musicians performing from 10 p.m. all the way to 1 a.m. in the first Stein Night of the year. Semi-curated musical open mics, Stein Nights offer the opportunity for anyone with musical inclination to perform for and with their fellow […]

Improv Showcase displays Brandeis’ sense of humor

When the first Monday of the academic year ends up on a holiday, seize the opportunity to create an improvisational comedy show. At least, that was the conclusion of Brandeis’ many improv troupes, who performed their first showcase of the year the night of Labor Day. Intended largely as an introduction/advertisement, the showcase involves all […]

Activists speak about the power of art

For some students, the beginning of a new academic year brought the opportunity to meet some well-known artists and social activists. The Creativity, Arts and Social Transformation (CAST) minor worked with Brandeis’ Imagining Together Platform of Arts, Culture and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT) program to bring accomplished peacemakers and cultural artists to Brandeis to speak to […]

Rose Art Museum prepares for new year

Brandeis’s resident beacon of culture, the acclaimed Rose Art Museum, brings a rich variety of art to the Brandeis campus and greater Boston community with a long tradition of thoughtful exhibits which showcase both emerging artists and classic pieces. The museum is closed for installation right now but is looking towards its reopening Friday, September […]

Dancers in Adagio semester show dance like they meme it

The Adagio Dance Company hosted their semester show Wednesday, a performance that exemplified the energy dance can bring into the room. With a theme based on memes, the show demonstrated the sense of community and openness Adagio hopes to create within their club and throughout their performances. Each dance captured a certain message, belief, or […]

Senior Theses examine representational issues in art

The performances of the shows created by Brandeis’ graduating theater majors came to a close with the end of the Festival of the Arts, but their limited run managed to raise deep questions about how we feature minorities in art. The most interesting piece came from Keturah Walker ’18, whose “From Pearls to Hoops” piece […]