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(04/26/15 5:32pm)
Elon University’s only vocal jazz ensemble group, elan, will be bringing a distictive style and sprit to the music of Sting, who wrote hits like “Roxanne” and “If You Love Someone Set Them Free,” in its spring concert “Bring on the Night” on April 28.
elan combines a cappella with jazz, but also performs other genres such as rock and pop. Past concerts have included tributes to Stevie Wonder, the Beatles and Pink Floyd.
Stephen Futrell, associate professor of music, teaches the academic course students must audition for to perform in elan. Futrell also directs Camerata, Elon’s other auditioned choir, but said the two differ in the genres they perform.
“While elan is more focused on popular commercial music, Camerata focuses on music from all centuries, for example performing a Gershwin medley or gospel songs,” Futrell said.
“Bring on the Night” will feature nine songs, including “Fields of Gold,” “Walking on the Moon” and “Shape of My Heart.” Guest vocal percussionist Lucas Seisel, choral director of Walter Williams High School in Burlington, will performm as well.
Futrell decided to make Sting this year’s theme after hearing his music last summer.
“We did Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ all a cappella one year, so I wanted to try something similar to that,” Futrell said. “I found a few published arrangements of Sting’s music, and I really like his music, so my students and I started making our own arrangements suitable for elan.”
Sophomore Anders Borg said performing Sting’s music is relatively easy after last semester, when elan first exposed him to heavy vocal jazz.
“Sting tends to write pretty repetitive songs, in contrast to difficult melodies and harmonies we have done in the past,” Borg said.
Borg is also the music director of Rip_Chord, Elon’s male a cappella group. His favorite role in an a cappella performance is background vocals, rather than singing a solo, because it is more interesting and complex.
To audition for elan, students must perform a song for Futrell, along with sight reading and sight singing.
w is open to all grades and majors and usually consists of 12-14 singers who will perform one semester each year.
This semester, there are 14 singers, with majors ranging from music to psychology and human services. The female singers are called swingers, meaning they typically sing in soprano but also swing down to their lower vocal register, and vice versa for altos.
The class meets twice a week and has no outside rehearsal time, aside from last year when the group was invited to perform at the American Choral Directors Association Southern Division Conference. The group opened for the New York Voices, a professional a cappella group, and performed in front of several thousand choral directors.
Junior Caitlyn Balkcum is a music education major. She joined elan in the spring of her freshman year. She said elan is unique because, although there are occasional instrumentals, it is usually solely a cappella.
“I am involved in several of Elon’s groups, like Vital Signs and Camerata, but elan is smaller and performs more current music, which is fun to do because I am classically trained singer,” Balkcum said.
Balkcum said Futrell works hard to make sure his students are singing as correctly as possible, and this technical side is something that is not usually emphasized.
She added that Futrell has taught them vocal techniques such as proper voice placement.
“elan is a different style than other vocal groups at Elon,” Balkcum said. “It requires a lot of stylistic and technical components, especially focusing on healthy singing techniques.”
(04/15/15 11:32pm)
The era of 1920s Chicago is being fused with modern day hashtags, selfies and reality televison. This is the vision for senior Ryan Kanfer’s revamp of the iconic musical “Chicago.”
Kanfer is directing and choreographing the show for his Elon University College Fellows project. He was inspired by a criminology course he took his junior year and wanted to combine his fascination with the criminal justice system with his love for musical theater.
“Through criminology, my thesis started to evolve into media manipulation,” Kanfer said. “Especially how media controls how we think in regards to criminal cases, which is very apparent in ‘Chicago.’”
Kanfer’s criminology class examined the infamous Casey Anthony trial, in which Anthony was accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter.
Kanfer was intrigued by the overwhelming presence of media in Anthony’s trial. According to Anthony’s lawyer, ABC Network paid for her defense, which Kanfer said perfectly exhibits media manipulation in the court system today.
“There’s a line in ‘Chicago’ that goes, ‘It doesn’t matter whether you’re innocent or guilty, it’s how you put on the show,’” Kanfer said. “I think that shows what our judicial system has turned into today.”
“Chicago” is the story of vaudeville performer Roxie Hart, who murdered her lover and is now in prison, where she meets famous vaudevillian Velma Kelly.
In the 1920s, publicity was a huge aspect of court cases, similar to the big murder trials of today, and Roxie and Velma competed for the media’s attention.
Fifty-seven students auditioned for roles in “Chicago,” but with an ensemble of only 17, casting for the show was competitive.
The auditions were held in one night and required a vocal piece from the show and a dance number. Kanfer taught the hopefuls dance combinations that they later performed in groups of two or three.
Senior Jadi Curtis was cast as Roxie. She heard about the production through Kanfer and knew she wanted to be a part of it.
Curtis said the show is different from others she has been involved with at Elon because it is more experimental.
“Ryan is really open to collaborating and trying new things,” Curtis said. “We get to use our personal connections, and it has been amazing seeing how many people have come together just to help out.”
As Kanfer’s classmate and friend, Curtis loved watching the process unfold and feels especially pressured to perform well.
“It’s cool to see the gears working in his head,” she said. “This production has been more of a personal process because we all want to do well for him.”
She has been watching original portrayals of Roxie on YouTube to brainstorm how to approach the role in a new and fresh way while living up to its legacy.
“Chicago” is known for its iconic Bob Fosse choreography, but after Kanfer did the Elon in LA program, he was inspired to use contemporary, modern dance in his performance. The majority of the choreography is contemporary, but Kanfer did want to pay homage to Fosse by incorporating his style in certain numbers.
To get inspiration, Kanfer and Curtis went to see “Chicago” on Broadway during spring break. They had the opportunity to go backstage to meet Jennifer Nettles, who is currently playing Roxie Hart.
Kanfer is basing his production on the movie version of “Chicago.” To incorporate his thesis topic of modernization, he decided to use livestreams and pre-recorded material to establish a reality television setting.
“My roommate is obsessed with the Kardashians, and he suggested I have confessionals, where the cast does commentary following a scene,” Kanfer said. “I imagined Roxie as a diva, like Kim Kardashian.”
Other modern twists include a live Twitter feed during the number “Razzle Dazzle” and a fan taking a selfie. Monitors will be placed on the stage so tweets can be projected to the audience.
As a first-time director and choreographer, Kanfer has been busy with overseeing every aspect of his production.
Although he has a team behind him, including media director and senior Brian Mezerski and assistant director and senior Nick Martinez, Kanfer has been in charge of everything from sending out schedules to finding and reserving rehearsal spaces.
“I live in the world of ‘Chicago,’” he said. “It’s exhausting but really cool.”
“Chicago” will be performed April 20-22 in the Center for the Arts’ Black Box Theatre.
(04/09/15 6:35pm)
Across campus, a blonde ponytail bobbed up and down, bright Nike sneakers hit the pavement and music blasted. Freshman Helena Nicholson reached another mile on her run.
Nicholson recently began training for a half marathon in Boston this summer. With about a month and a half left before the race, her training regimen has become rigorous.
“I just started a more intense schedule of running six days a week and doing longer mileage,” Nicholson said. “I try to run around 30 miles a week around campus.”
While practicing running long distance is important, Nicholson added that her diet is just as significant. She now eats more protein than she used to and drinks lots of water.
Sophomore Danielle Dulchinos completed her first half marathon during spring break in Wilmington. She was apprehensive at first since she had previously only run 5Ks and a ‘Color Run.’ Dulchinos said the support of friends running with her made it much more worthwhile.
“My friend convinced me to start training because she had run lots of half and full marathons,” Dulchinos said. “When she went abroad to Spain, I began training with another friend who was at the same running level as me.”
Freshmen Olivia Sorbo and Olivia Vaz are training for a half marathon in June in Fairfield, Connecticut. Training together, the two agree, makes it fun and much easier.
“This is my first half marathon, so doing it with Liv is a great motivator,” Vaz said.
Sorbo and Vaz are on a 16-week plan, training five days a week with three of the days specifically for running. The rest they spend on cross and strength training, and following Blogilates’ YouTube videos or taking cardio classes at the gym.
Their Fitbits, Vaz added, are an important part of their training plan, tracking their movement and running distance each day.
Sorbo decided to do another half marathon after having positive experiences running in previous races.
“I like having something to work toward,” Sorbo said. “I played field hockey in high school so I was always looking to have a low mile time. Once that was over, I wanted a new something to focus on.”
For Nicholson, running has been a huge part of her life since high school. She runs almost every day, a training schedule she says contributes to her positive mindset.
“When I had shin splits in the winter, I couldn’t run, and I noticed a dramatic change in my mood,” Nicholson said. “People say they get a ‘runner’s high,’ but for me, it’s an overall improvement of happiness.”
Dulchinos said the running community has given her a greater appreciation and love for running.
“They are a really cool group of people that are supportive and friendly,” Dulchinos said. “I love racing because it’s an amazing feeling to have people cheering you on in the sidelines.”
A half marathon is no easy feat — 13.1 miles is quite daunting, especially for new runners. Sorbo said that beginner runners should not be afraid of half marathons because of the length.
“People always say, ‘13 miles, that’s impossible,’” Sorbo said. “Freshman year of high school, I couldn’t even run a mile. I am not a natural runner, so I feel like if I can do it, anyone can.”
Nicholson added that running in general is a great stress reliever and also a convenient way to work out.
“Running gets you into great shape because it works every muscle group,” Nicholson said. “I am fairly lazy in regard to working out, so it’s nice that I don’t have to go to the gym and do several different exercises to work each specific muscle.”
After finishing her half marathon, Dulchinos got hooked. Running with 3,000 people was an incredible experience that made her consider signing up for a full marathon. This was different from her original plan, which was to simply finish the whole race.
“I was running three miles before I started training,” Dulchinos said. “For anyone who is hesitant to do a half marathon, all you need to do is find a great plan, commit yourself and just do it.”
(03/18/15 11:38pm)
For 15 years, she was in a bunker in Indiana, forced into an underground cult and brainwashed to believe the apocalypse had come. Newly freed, she makes a life for herself in New York City, and hilarity ensues.
(03/11/15 11:40pm)
Tapping, swinging and gliding on the stage, Elon University’s Department of Performing Arts presents its spring dance concert, titled “Ready.Set.Go!”
The concert will feature six contemporary pieces choreographed by Elon faculty and guest choreographer Sumi Clements of Summation Dance, a New York City-based dance company.
Although each piece is contemporary, the concert will also showcase ethnic pieces such as “Enter to Exit,” a fusion of African and modern dance choreographed by assistant professor of dance Jason Aryeh. Other pieces are centered around athletic movement and incorporate pilates, yoga and contemporary ballet.
Director Lauren Kearns, dance professor and professional choreographer for more than 25 years, has a vision for the concert that matches the title: high energy, athleticism and intense movement.
“I thought it would be interesting to ask all the choreographers to design a piece around the theme of energy, movement and psychological tension,” Kearns said. “All of the pieces are very different and unique, but they share this contemporary ‘now’ feel.”
Sophomore dancer Hallee Bernstein interpreted the title as a representation of the dance company’s prowess.
“The title shows that we as a company are ready to take off in terms of our artistic ability,” Bernstein said. “Each and every piece shows us off as artists and really proves to the audience how physical and athletic our department is.”
Casting for “Ready.Set.Go!” began in September, when the dance department holds its seasonal auditions for the fall, spring and Black History month concerts. There are four nights of auditions designed to prepare the dancers for the audition process in the professional world.
After auditions, 45 total dancers of every year were chosen to perform in the concert. The rehearsals for some pieces began early in the fall, while others started the first week of spring semester.
Every Winter Term, a guest artist teaches a dance repertory class for which dancers must audition. Clements taught this year’s repertory class, and alumna Allie Lochary ’09, who is a company member of Summation Dance, assisted in choreography.
Kearns chose the choreographer because she thought Clements would challenge Elon’s dancers, but she also wanted to have Lochary so the dancers could work with an alumna.
“I love Summation Dance’s work but ultimately decided to pick them because we have an alumni dancing in the company,” Kearns said. “I know Sumi loves the way that Allie moves, and she trained with us, so I knew that she would really enjoy working with our dancers.”
Working with Clements both sharpened Bernstein’s skills and reaffirmed her decision to move to New York City after college to pursue dance.
“Working with Sumi was incredible and life changing,” Bernstein said. “The choreography was incredibly challenging and different than what we are used to here at Elon, so we all had a nice challenge picking up the work. Sumi is so detail-oriented and really pushed us past our limits.”
Senior dance majors have been juggling preparation for this performance with work on their senior thesis concert, which they will perform in May. Senior Kate Phinney, a dance major, said these two performances sum up her Elon experience.
“The Elon dance community is really great and very familial,” Phinney said. “It gives you a home away from home. I have grown a lot as an individual, and it has really challenged me to not only be the best dancer and choreographer, but also the best version of myself.”
Catch the movement and energy with shows March 13-15 in McCrary Theatre.
(02/25/15 11:28pm)
The road to bring a new sorority to campus is a long one. After a push from students, Chi Upsilon Sigma, Elon University’s only Latina sorority, has emerged.
While 38 percent of female undergraduates are involved in a Greek organization, some women felt that they did not belong in any of the nine pre-existing sororities that make up Elon ’s Panhellenic Council (PHC). The start of a Latina sorority was just a thought for students and is now the introduction of Chi Upsilon Sigma is being celebrated.
A sorority like no other
Senior Ana Brambila has been working toward bringing Chi Upsilon Sigma (CUS) to campus since she was a freshman. She said she noticed a lack of diversity within Elon’s PHC and did not personally identify with any organizations in the National Panhellenic Council.
She began to search for other options, especially for students with Latina backgrounds.
“A group of girls and I did some research on Latina sororities and spoke with Shana Plasters, director of Greek Life,” Brambila said. “We then sent out proposals to Latina sororities nationwide that aligned with Elon’s values.”
According to Plasters, the process for a new sorority to become an official organization on campus takes longer than most students think.
“The Panhellenic Council must vote to add another group and once that happens, the faculty Student Life Committee must approve the organization,” Plasters said. “Then, the nationally recognized Latina sororities are invited to campus to make a presentation.”
In an article published by The Pendulum in September 2014, senior Nikki Payne, who has been working alongside Brambila since the beginning, said she saw the lack of diversity within the Greek community at Elon as well. She said the Latino population is rapidly expanding on campus, and she believes Elon must “provide for this
community” by allowing diversity within PHC.
The official recruitment process will begin this coming fall. Although CUS technically falls under PHC control, its recruitment will differ from the nine sororities currently on campus. Plasters said that CUS will not participate in formal recruitment, nor will members be eligible to apply for PHC positions such as president or director of recruitment.
To join CUS, potential new members must attend interest meetings, individually research the organization and reach out to sister chapters, such as the one at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, by attending their events. Women can then become official OWLS, or Organization of Women Looking for Sisterhood. After becoming OWLS, women are initiated into the organization after a new member education process, the length of which varies by chapter.
The women newly interested in joining CUS at Elon have already begun fundraising for the chapter, a significant distinction from existing PHC organizations. Greek Life is known for high new member fees, a price that some students cannot afford or are not willing to pay, which discourages them from participating in recruitment.
CUS wants to make sure its members do not have to fully pay out of pocket.
“We are currently fundraising for the chapter so the girls will have access to those funds and have less of a financial burden,” Brambila said.
Seven Latina women founded Chi Upsilon Sigma at Rutgers University-New Brunswick in April 1980. Its goals were to educate and enrich the community, as well as to “promote and preserve the Latino culture,” according to CUS’s official website. Brambila added that CUS also emphasizes empowering women, and affectionately refers to its members as “women of wisdom.”
“CUS is all about building yourself up with your sisters and working together for the community,” she said.
In the hands of a new generation
Freshman Kaitlin Laureano searched for a Greek organization that would be a good fit for her, but the existing PHC and NPHC sororities did not suffice.
“I came from an all-girls high school, so I knew I wanted to join a sorority,” she said. “The sororities on campus are great, but what is special about CUS is that it is historically Latina. However, it also encourages diversity of all backgrounds within each chapter.”
Laureano learned about CUS after attending an NPHC interest meeting, where she inquired if there were any Latina-based sororities on campus. She discovered CUS and found that its values aligned with her own. Laureano’s appointment as president was made possible because of her enthusiasm and investment in CUS.
“I had attended several interest meetings for CUS, and the senior members were looking for a first-year who could take over and grow with the organization from the start,” Laureano said. “They offered me the opportunity to become president, and I immediately accepted.”
Laureano was initially attracted to CUS’ mission to “educate and elevate women through political and cultural awareness.” Through their work with the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, which seeks to help children in lower-income areas by providing tutoring and mentoring programs, CUS is doing its part to give back to the community.
Brambila said that each year CUS focuses on a specific event related to women empowerment. This year’s event was Girl Rising, a global campaign for girls’ education. According to its website, CUS strongly believes in the education of young women, which will “break down the cycle of poverty.”
Leaving behind a legacy
The idea to bring a Latina sorority to campus was not pushed by administration or the PHC –– it came directly from Elon students. According to Plasters, Elon has been searching for a way for Greek Life to become more inclusive.
The dedication of Brambila and her peers has allowed the Latina community on campus to have a voice and an identity, attracting students like Laureano to be a part of CUS.
“For a long time on campus, there has been a divide, whether you are a member of PHC or NPHC,” Brambila said. “There was no organization that I identified with personally or that specifically worked with Latina and lower-income populations. I wanted to be a part of a group that works towards a ‘bigger something’ and have that common ground with who I am working with.”
CUS chapters across the country encourage education of members’ individual cultures. For example, a sister chapter recently held a cultural event on hijabs.
CUS’s promotion of diverse cultures correlates with Elon’s recent push for cultural diversity on campus. Through the “A Campus of Difference” seminar offered this Winter Term, freshmen learned to accept all backgrounds and diversity of their peers by learning to “identify strategies to respond effectively to bias.”
Elon’s current undergraduate population consists of 5 percent Hispanic or Latino students. As Laureano noted, students interested in CUS come from different ethnicities and backgrounds, creating a safe haven for those who feel they do not belong in other organizations on campus.
During the past four years, Brambila has worked to bring CUS to campus. Although she will not be able to become an official member, she hopes for a bright future for the organization.
“I believe CUS will succeed because of its openness to people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and experiences,” Brambila said. “That’s where the richness and inclusivity comes from, and that’s how CUS will make women feel like they belong.”
Correction 5/26/15: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the length of the new member education process for CUS. The process length varies by chapter; it is not five-six weeks, as originally stated. The Pendulum regrets the error.
(02/06/15 6:24pm)
Nomination after nomination for the 87th annual Acadamy Award were released on Jan. 15. However, something was clearly missing from this long list of talent: diversity.
Every actor nominee is white and every writer or director nominee is male. Such a drastic lack of diversity has not been seen since the 70th Academy Awards in 1998. Within minutes of the announcements, #OscarsSoWhite became a nationwide trend on Twitter.
Despite its late arrival in theaters, “Selma” was a buzz-worthy film this year. After receiving four Golden Globe nominations and rave reviews, it received a nomination for Best Picture, but was completely ignored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in all other categories.
If nominated, Ava DuVernay, director of “Selma,” would have been the first black woman to receive a nomination for Best Director. David Oyelowo, who portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was nominated for a Golden Globe but was passed over by the academy.
“The lack of a Best Director nomination for DuVernay is a disappointment not only for those who admired the film, but also for those who see her as a figure of hope,” spoke Linda Holmes in her weekly “Moneky See” segment at NPR. “[Especially] how rare it is for even films about civil rights to have black directors, and how rare it is for any high-profile project at all to be directed by a woman.”
This lack of diversity can be attributed to the films that are being green-lit, or allowed to move forward, according to Kelley L. Carter’s article “The Oscars Are Really While, and It’s Not Surprising” in BuzzFeed.
“Films that center around black, Native American, Latino or Asian characters always are tied to the most challenging elements of history,” Carter wrote. “The same themes are played out on a Hollywood screen year after year...slavery, Reconstruction, civil rights. That’s all you get.”
Carter noted that “color-blind casting” is the key to the future of Hollywood, where all ethnicities can have the ability to play complex and intriguing characters.
In addition to the lack of ethnic diversity, women who were behind the scenes were not recognized. Hollywood is known to be a tough battleground for females trying to make a name for themselves.
According to “Celluloid Ceiling,” an annual report that tracks women’s progress in the film industry, only 17 percent of behind the scenes film workers in 2014 were women, and only 7 percent of directors were female.
The Best Director nominations were comprised of all men, as Angelina Jolie, director of “Unbroken” and Laura Poitras, director of “Citizenfour,” were dismissed. All eight Best Picture nominations were stories about men. Although “Still Alice” and “Wild” featured female character received Best Actress nods, they were unacknowledged in the Best Picture category.
In 2012, a Los Angeles Times article noted Oscar voters were 94 percent white, 77 percent male and a mere 14 percent were less than 50 years old. Jorge Rivas, a national affairs correspondent for digital news platform Fusion, noted that in the last 20 years, 67 of the 80 Oscars for Best Actor awarded to men were white.
The correlation between the demographics of the academy and the Best Actor winners are clearly not a coincidence. The film industry itself is primarily white and male, something that needs to be changed.
While it must not be forgotten that “Selma” was nominated for Best Picture and extremely talented and courageous women were nominated in the Best Actress categories, the academy and Hollywood need to undergo a change. Long gone are the days when black actors were simply a mockery in minstrel shows or women were viewed as the inferior gender. These marginalized groups deserve equal recognition.
The film industry needs to promote an equal society, where diversity is revered, women are breaking glass ceilings and anyone can accomplish greatness.
(01/26/15 3:52pm)
A romantic view from a rooftop as the sun goes down, a bag of Doritos and the girl of your dreams. What could go wrong?
The commercial, “What Could Go Wrong,” by Elon University’s Alex Pepper, ’11, is one of 10 finalists competing in the 2015 Doritos Crash the Super Bowl Contest. Pepper beat almost 5,000 submissions for the coveted finalist spot, where he is up for the grand prize of $1 million and a one-year contractor job working at Universal Pictures in Hollywood.
The commercial features Mark St. Cyr, ’10, who encourages his friend — played by Pepper — to go on a date with his beautiful next-door neighbor. The two begin dancing on the roof, but Pepper’s character slips on a bag of Doritos and accidentally throws his neighbor off the roof.
Pepper also enlisted the help of Kristen Sandler, ’13, and Sarah Linn Reedy, ’10, to bring his idea to life.
“Alex conceptualized the whole thing,” Sandler said. “He is truly a brilliant guy. He has a real eye for getting across information in a shot while still making it look beautiful.”
St. Cyr said that coming together with friends was one of the main reasons he was excited to join the team, but “creating something really great was a side benefit.”
Although the shooting played out in a rush, Pepper was able to rally supportive, creative and talented friends to execute his vision in the most successful way possible.
“I had to pull it all together in about two weeks, which included finding dancers, someone to run the camera and then edit it all together in a program I’ve only been using for six months,” Pepper said. “Our budget was only $80.”
Though there was little room for error because of the tight budget and short amount of time available, Sandler said her role as videographer benefited tremendously from her experiences at Elon. She graduated with a BFA in dance performance and choreography but discovered different fields that allowed her to contribute to the commercial even more.
“While at Elon, I got involved in the musical theater department, music technology and communications through a myriad of different projects,” Sandler said. “These experiences, along with the personal connections I have made, played a large role in creating this commercial.”
St. Cyr, who studied acting at Elon, added that his background in performing arts helped him prepare for his role in the commercial.
“The performing arts community at Elon is a very supportive and creative environment that instills [in] you a lot of confidence in your abilities,” St. Cyr said. “That freedom to create, play and listen while collaborating with fellow alumni on the commercial made it a simply fun afternoon creating with friends.”
Pepper, who earned a BFA degree in dance and music theater, explained that Elon gave him the skills for photography and videography, key components in the creation of the commercial.
“I learned how to use cameras for my senior dance thesis, which was a dance-for-camera piece,” Pepper said. “I got help from communications major Stephanie Olsen [’11], where I learned how to use Final Cut Pro and work in the editing labs. All of my dance, acting and comedic classes helped shape my timing and execution for the video.”
“What Could Go Wrong?” has already landed the team seats at the Super Bowl, but the grand prize of $1 million looms overhead.
“If we won, I would be ecstatic and probably use the money to invest in owning an apartment in New York, so the obscene money that I spend on rent actually goes toward something,” Sandler said.
St. Cyr said he would feel more than grateful if the commercial won the grand prize, though he already feels grateful to have so much support.
“If our commercial won, I would take a vacation with my girlfriend, Kat Nardizzi [’12], and save and invest half of my portion so I can continue to be free to create and not worry about money for a while,” St. Cyr said.
Additionally, both St. Cyr and Pepper noted they would love to use the money to give back to the communities that helped shape them as performers and create opportunities for other artists. Whether his commercial wins the competition or not, Pepper is grateful for what he has so far.
“Watching the Super Bowl from a private suite at the 30-yard line with Elizabeth Banks is already really cool,” Pepper said.
As long as he doesn’t drop anyone off the edge of the suite.
Visit https://crashthesuperbowl.doritos.com/finalists#/6520 to vote for Alex Pepper’s submission.
(11/23/14 6:00pm)
The Center for Performing Arts buzzed with energy at a rehearsal for “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” Elon University’s Senior Music Theater Class will perform the musical as a part of their senior capstone.
Co-director Hunter Brown explained that the show is a murder-mystery with twists and turns that allow the audience to decide the ending.
“The show is based off of a Charles Dickens novel, but Dickens died before he could write who the murderer was, so the audience votes who they think it is,” Brown said. “Dickens wrote the story in such a way that anyone could be a suspect.”
Zane Phillips portrays John Jasper, a choirmaster who falls in love with his voice student, Rosa Bud. Bud is engaged to Edwin Drood, Jasper’s nephew, proving him to be a strong potential suspect in the murder of Drood.
The show is a play within a play showcasing modern actors who portray Victorian thespians of the Hall Royale theater troupe, performing a colorful interpretation of Charles Dickens’ unfinished mystery novel.
“My character is played by Clive Paget, who is the theater’s matinee idol, has a winning smile and gets all the girls,” Phillips said.
Leah Greene’s character, Alice Nutting, plays Edwin Drood, the central character of the musical.
“Nutting’s big thing is that she is the best actress of all time. She’s so good which is why she is able to play a male character. She thinks very highly of herself and is a bit of a diva.”
Greene discussed the hardships of assuming the role of a male character, noting the physicality of it as the most difficult.
“I am a very petite girl, and I have to carry myself as if I tower over Zane, who is 6 feet 1 inch. I have to envision myself at his level, which is hilarious but also very tricky,” Greene said.
Casting the part of Drood was difficult for Brown and co-director, Joe Bach.
Bach explained it is an extremely vocally demanding role, among other things.
“Drood requires immense vocal talent, in addition to the necessity of assuming the posture and ideals of a man,” Bach said.
Casting a woman for a male role is called “pant-rolling” and is seen in other productions such as Peter Pan, where casting directors typically hire a woman to play a young male character.
The casting process was unique for this particular production, because students were auditioning for their classmates.
“Auditioning for my close friends and peers who I know really well and have been with for four years made the process much easier and fun,” Greene said.
Phillips added the pressure was not as high and that working with peers made the process much more comfortable. Throughout auditions and during rehearsals with the whole cast, Phillips felt like he was able to be free to “act like a complete fool.”
From a director’s perspective, Brown explained that in casting the show, it was important to “see how the cast gelled and who looked really good together.”
The show is heavily student-run, though the class was aided tremendously in technical aspects of the musical.
“Mike Smith, a professional sound designer and theatrical consultant, runs the design and tech program here at Elon,” Bach said. “He helped bring our set ideas to life, and without him, we really could not have created what we envisioned for the show.”
Phillips said many of his classmates held a leadership position in the production, such as the music director, production manager and choreographer.
It was important to have positions of power in the show because “Drood” is considered their senior thesis, and the class wanted to be as involved in production as possible.
“While most senior English majors, for example, may have to write a short story for their thesis, the cool part about being a senior music theater major is that our thesis is a musical,” Phillips said.
The class voted on what show would be performed last spring, and Brown suggested “Drood” because he thought it would showcase his class’s immense talent and uniqueness.
“We have a very intellectually driven class, so performing a piece with intellectual grounding, as it is based off of a Dickens novel, was something that I thought would be very interesting. You need to use your actor brain at all times for this show,” Brown said.
“It’s not just good theater, but smart theater. You have to be extremely talented, but also in an intellectual mindset to execute this type of a performance,” Bach said.
(11/12/14 8:38pm)
Nine pieces were performed at the Elon University dance program’s fall dance concert, “Dancing in the Black Box” Nov. 6-8. The show included choreography by both students and faculty members as well as a guest artist, Helen Simoneau, who choreographed the final piece, “Flight Distance II.” Each work allowed the audience to grasp a certain emotion that was expressed through the choreography, music and physical appearance of the dancers. The dances also portrayed specific themes, and while some were quite obvious, others had the audiences puzzling over what a specific piece implied.
(11/06/14 3:40pm)
West End Terrace was transformed into a scene out of “Pitch Perfect” during Stand up for Freedom Week, hosted by the Periclean Scholars Class of 2015. The concert featured Elon University’s a cappella groups, gospel choir and Limelight Music Group artists. Proceeds went to the Restavek Freedom Foundation, whose mission is to end Haiti’s widespread practice of child slavery.
(10/30/14 3:38pm)
Cameras flashing. Front row packed with celebrities, editors and icons. The elegance and grace of models. Gorgeous clothes created by visionaries. This is Paris. This is French fashion.
(10/22/14 8:05pm)
A Port-a-Potty. Dentures. Kanye West. And a goth.
Yeager Recital Hall featured all of these things at Instant Laughter’s fourth annual Homecoming Weekend performance Oct. 17-18. The short-form improv troupe performed a variety of hilarious games to a packed student, faculty and alumni crowd.
Games ranged from “Russian Roulette,” where a scene is acted out repeatedly until it can be done in ten seconds, to “Questionable Behavior,” where dialogue can only be said in question form.
The show was solely built upon audience suggestions, which made the performance even more impressive because the players could not prepare scenes ahead of time.
The audience would be asked for random objects, celebrities, high school stereotypes and locations. For example, even if a player’s depiction of Kanye West was not entirely accurate, their drive and commitment to each character portrayal convinced the audience that they really were, in fact, watching Yeezus before their very eyes.
At the beginning of the performance, the players transformed the show into a pep rally introduction, cheering and applauding each player onto the stage.
Throughout the show, the audience was bursting with laughter, often from the extraordinary talent of standout performers sophomore Fergie Philippe-Auguste, senior Sam Jones and sophomore Spencer Hodges.
In addition to these performers, all of the Instant Laughter players brought their own unique talent and strong improv skills to the performance, putting on a highly interactive and engaging show.
The show had some dull moments, like during the game “What Are You Doing?”
The audience provided an action, such as throwing a ball, and the player would act it out, but instead say out loud a different action, like “throwing confetti into the air!”
Some players, like Jones, were quick on their feet and came up with genius ideas for the action of table tennis, but other players’ jokes fell flat, which led to the faint sound of throats clearing and polite laughs heard through the audience.
A highlight of the show was “Elon Speed Dating,” where Jones had to guess different players’ weird traits, like blinking constantly, acting like Beyonce and being a fortune teller.
The audience especially loved when Hodges appeared onstage as a woman obsessed with feet. Her quick wit and ingenious physical comedic responses added to the hilarity of this particular game.
Toward the end of the show, senior Kelsey McCabe, whose quirky humor and charm brought an excellent addition to the show, playfully strummed a guitar on stage, thanking the audience for coming to the performance. This led to a full-cast rap/ode to Sam White ’61, a participant in Performing Arts productions while a student at Elon.
An annual scholarship that White created in 2007 is given to students majoring in theater studies or musical theater, as well as the “Sam White Theater Award” that recognizes student achievement in theater.
It was clear that the Instant Laughter troupe has a very strong bond. Throughout the show, they would hug and high-five to keep the energy and excitement alive. Their ability to bounce ideas off each other on the spot and play up each other’s improv strengths made each performer shine in his or her own way.
Instant Laughter was a perfect introduction to Homecoming Weekend because members of the Elon community were able to experience a live, interactive form of comedy that further proves the talent and versatility of students in the Performing Arts Department.
(10/07/14 7:50pm)
Student radio program offers taste of improv