IMPACT | Spring 2020

T IM PAC CT A IMP M Artistry

Spring 2020

TI M I T PAC CT A P

TI PAC CT A IMP M TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 04 05 07 09 11 13

The Team

Letters from the Masthead

Kay Nielsen’s Enchanted Vision at the MFA Game Changers at the MAAM

Reimagining Home at the MFA

Student Showcase: James Doyle

Sing Street World Premier at the New York Theatre Workshop

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Mary Stuart Turns History into Thrilling Suspense Student Showcase: Vidisha Agarwalla Photo Spread

Cold War Kids at House of Blues

Yuna Gives a Heartfelt Performance at City Winery Electric Guest Brings Youthful Energy to Sinclair Student Showcase: Eva Ullmann

Queen & Slim Tells a Story of Black Love Amidst Struggles

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McBride Strikes Gold with

The Righteous Gemstones

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Wendy Soars as a Modern Retelling Student Showcase: Brigitte Gong

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Impact

Spring 2020

THE TEAM Nadia Naeem Liliana PiĂąa Danny Tran Drefnie Limprevil Sasha Brykailo Tara Powell Patric Song Sully Barrett Asia London Palomba Anna Tobin Olivia Oriaku Sanya Mittal Nora Holland Scout Gullick Dalia Sadaka Norman Zeng Lauren Aquino Jenny Chen Cindy Zhao

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President Editor-in-Chief Creative Director Administrative Director Communications Director Communications Associate Communications Associate Managing Editor Art Editor Screen Editor Music Editor Stage Editor Deputy Editor Copy Editor Head of Photography Co-Head of Design Co-Head of Design Collateral Designer Design Mentor

LETTERS FROM THE MASTHEAD

O

ur dear readers,

It’s hard to believe that my time at Artistry has come to an end, but I am absolutely thrilled to be leaving it in the hands of the most driven, dedicated, and creative people I know. To my lovely staff of one and a half years, it was a pleasure to be your editor-in-chief. This position has taught me so many lessons and allowed me to grow in so many ways, and I have made friendships that I will carry with me now and forever. Thank you, Artistry, for all that you have given me and for all that you will continue to give to our arts community.

Artistry has made an impact on me, and I hope that it has had an impact on you, too.

Sincerely,

I

know it sounds corny, but it really does feel like just yesterday I was popping into my first Artistry meeting my freshman year; I wasn’t really even that interested, I was just supporting one of my friends who wanted to go. I could have never predicted that this was where I would end up.

I like to say this thing: If we post about an article on our Instagram about an exhibit at the MFA, and someone sees it — maybe even someone who wasn’t involved in our organization — and that post makes that person get out and go to the MFA, then I feel like we’ve done our job. And that really is the truth. Boston has a vibrant and thriving arts community, and I love the idea that I get to help people engage with it.

When I took on the role of president, I knew I wanted to make some big changes. Luckily, I had Liliana and Danny as my collaborators.

And I truly could not have asked for kinder, more dedicated, or more talented people to work with. The three of us having the ability to trust each other completely to run our branches is what allowed Artistry to achieve new heights over these past eight months.

I also want to thank my incredibly diligent and hardworking administrative and communications teams. Drefnie, Sasha, Tara, Patric, and Jenny have worked tirelessly throughout the semester helping me in all my craziness, making sure the club is running correctly and efficiently. And I am beyond happy to announce that Drefnie will be taking over as president and Tara will be taking over as communications director. I can rest assured that I am leaving my branch in the greatest of hands.

Liliana Piña, Editor-in-Chief

H

aving been with Artistry since my freshman year, I have had the opportunity to watch the magazine evolve issue by issue. It is truly astounding how much the organization has grown. It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to contribute to the magazine and work with such talented, creative, and dedicated individuals from different backgrounds. I am grateful to have learned so much from my involvement with Artistry.

I want to thank Cindy for giving me the very first opportunity to get involved with the magazine, Liliana and Nadia for committing to transforming the organization to the best I have ever seen, Norman and Lauren for sticking around and always giving your best, and everyone on the e-board for your exceptional contributions!

Every single person in our huge e-board has worked hard to create not only this issue, but all of Artistry. None of what you see — from the website, to the social media, to the pitch meetings, to the designs, to even the emails, and to this issue — would have been possible without our amazing e-board. And in that vein, thank you to all the writers, photographers, and illustrators who worked with us this year. I hope that Artistry will continue to be a place where you can share your creative talents for years to come.

One of my favorite projects we’ve done this semester has been the Student Showcase. I have always felt that Artistry could be a great place to spotlight some of the immensely talented students that Northeastern has. I personally pushed this project along through my time as president, and I am so happy that we were finally able to pull this off! James, Brigitte, Eva, and Vidisha represent the diversity of talent that is present on our campus, and I am so thrilled to see who gets featured next.

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Being a part of the leadership of this publication is one of the best things I have done during my time at this school. Even though my time at Northeastern isn’t over yet, I feel like this is the right time for me to part ways with Artistry. Creating opportunities for others to achieve is something that has always been important to me, and so I wish our Fall 2020 e-board the utmost success!

Best,

All my best,

Danny Tran, Creative Director

Nadia Naeem, President

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Impact Spring 2020

Kay Nielsen’s

Enchanted Vision at the MFA

F

airy tales have the profound ability to capture readers through the timeless stories they weave, each one rife with wonder, enchantment, and disbelief. Danish artist Kay Nielsen expressed these stories as illustrations, and did so for numerous works. Previously on display at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA) is Kay Nielsen’s Enchanted Vision, a one-room exhibit showcasing a selection of Nielsen’s prints from the Kendra and Allan Daniel collection.

Nielsen’s career picked up following an exhibition of his work in London in 1912, which allowed him to begin publishing books of his illustrations. His first book, published in 1913 and titled In Powder and Crinoline, was full of imagery from different French fairy tales. The collection at the MFA showcases pieces made for Minon Minette, The Pot of Pinks, and John and the Ghosts. Nielsen’s unique style derives inspiration from the Rococo style of architecture — one which plays with symmetry and geometry, and primarily uses pastel colors. As color printing had advanced by Nielsen’s time, he was

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able to play with a wider range of paints than his predecessors, allowing for a distinct gradient of colors in his works.

Following a brief break from illustrating during which Nielsen worked on designing costumes for theatre shows, the artist returned to creating sketches for fairy tales.

Nielsen took Hans Andersen’s classic Fairy Tales and put together an edition that included his illustrations. The colors Nielsen chose for these illustrations were noted to be muted tones, the faint coloring contributing to the storytelling and mood of Andersen’s stories.

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Nielsen’s illustrations celebrate his and Andersen’s shared Danish background and include aspects of this heritage.

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In his illustration for Tinder Box, the twisted spire of the Church of Our Savior in Copenhagen is present, blending together reality and fantasy.

MITTAL WRITTEN BY SANYA

PHOTOS BY DALIA SADAKA

Not long after Andersen published his book of stories, the Grimm Brothers published their own. Hansel and Gretel and Other Stories by the Brothers Grimm displayed Nielsen’s illustrations, the palette featuring colorful tones in contrast to the muted ones used in Fairy Tales. Many of Nielsen’s works have an incredible amount of depth to them, with the illustrations seeming to extend into the walls of the exhibit. Works from the Brothers Grimm publication on display at the MFA include illustrations for The Juniper Tree, The Two Brothers, and Hansel and Gretel.

Following his successful exhibitions and printed publications throughout Europe, Nielsen moved to California in 1936 to work on a production of the play Everyman. His talent and ability would later land him a career at Disney Studios. Though he was admired for his skills, he did not enjoy film animation as much as he enjoyed illustration and stage design. He ultimately left Disney, but his work on classic films such as Fantasia and The Little Mermaid remains unforgettable.

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Illustrations hold the power to reimagine stories that may have otherwise faded into history.

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Nielsen also illustrated pictorial series, sets of drawings that, when combined, tell a story. These series would often be published in magazines. On display at the MFA is an illustration from a series called Joan of Arc, which tells the story of the famous French heroine. A series of four illustrations, following a couple in a park called Tale from a Garden: He, She, and It is also on display at the museum. Nielsen’s style of elongating human limbs is ever-present in this series, adding to the dreamlike feeling his works produce. His series The Book of Death is illustrated in black and white. This series was completed at an early point of his career, which can be observed by comparing the

change in stylistic choices he made from that time to later on in his career. His future work would, however, come back to this series and play further with the elements used.

Nielsen’s work on the compilation East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North brought attention to Norse stories and marked an important point in the artist’s career. This work laid the foundation for Nielsen to become the leading European illustrator of his time. Blending aspects of reality and fiction, Nielsen’s fairty tale illustrations enhance readers’ experiences in their immersion into the world of fantasy.

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Impact Spring 2020

GAME CHANGERS Written by Lauren Aquino

Photographed by Levi Kaplan

at the MassArt Art Museum

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G

ame Changers, previously on view at the MassArt Art Museum, features a collection that spreads across many mediums with one central theme at its heart: video games.

The exhibition synthesizes the works of contemporary artists from all walks of life, each one utilizing mediums from VR and gaming platforms to acrylic paints and ironed Perler beads. The exhibition provides a myriad of approaches to using games and gaming culture as a means for delivering pointed messages. A common thread of social justice pervades throughout many of the pieces, while others explore more niche topics about human nature and our environment.

Upon entering the Sandra and David Bakalar Gallery, the viewer is greeted with life-size pixelated images created using a childhood favorite: Perler beads. The bright colors and bold black outlines are reminiscent of Japanese-style video games, immediately immersing the audience into a jewel-toned landscape. Striped umbrellas hang from the ceiling and a large purple tree sits in the center of the space. The atmosphere is further expanded by the immersive activities located in corners of the room, including a mobile game, a VR experience, and a desktop game. The open-world style of these

experiences allows the audience to create their own adventures through the space, feeling a sense of wonder among the organic elements and fantastically built environment.

As the viewer moves further into the space, different themes and aesthetics start to emerge from each artist’s interpretation.

Dan Hernandez, for example, draws inspiration from da Vinci’s classic The Annunciation, painting scenes of angels exchanging punches in a Street Fighter style. Skawennati, a Mohawk multimedia artist, uses machinima, a combination of “machine” and “cinema,” to create cinematic animations from a popular 3D role-playing game. She takes control of this unexpected medium to explore the histories and futures of indigenous peoples, as well as their role in society and culture today.

Other artists in the exhibit use a similar technique to guide viewers through journeys, their virtual creations becoming a lens of their perspectives and experiences in the real world.

Some of the works are meant to challenge archetypes and draw comparisons in unexpected ways. Juan Obando uses a series of video game screenshots to create banners whose looks mimic athletic companies’ campaigns, but twist their meanings into something new. In this installation, Obando is comparing the way athletic capitalism has similar themes to revolutionary ideologies in Colombia.

Other works take cues from popular video games, such as Grand Theft Auto, and replace elements in uncanny and unconventional ways, allowing the viewer to experience the familiar world with fresh eyes and a sense of wonder.

Game Changers is both a distancing from and a love letter to video games. In some works, the gaming aspect is a means to an end, a way to deliver messages and push concepts. Other works draw from gaming culture and turn it into an exciting new world for the viewer to experience. It’s an exhibit that can be enjoyed by seasoned gamers and newbies alike. While no experience is required, background knowledge could help elevate understanding and appreciation.

Each installation celebrates the ways in which games can expand the bounds of technology as it pertains to art.

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Impact Spring 2020

Reimagining Home at the MFA Written by Laith Matari Photographed by Anita Goharfar

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n the long hallway that holds the Reimagining Home exhibit in Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), you enter a span of Iranian history that begins with Bahman Jalali’s Image of Imagination series and ends with Gohar Dashti’s Home series. The exhibit explores Iran’s history and follows the path of mentor and mentee, as Jalali and Dashti were. Jalali’s robust influence shines through Dashti’s Home as she takes surrealist means and a politically charged approach to capture Iran, a method prominent in Jalali’s work. Where these works differ is in their depictions of the past and the future.

Through surrealism, Jalali attempts to translate Iran’s gender inequality, furrowed in cultural norms and the turbulent political climate of the country. His approach to portraying these messages is what distinguishes Image of Imagination, an utter success, from a mere attempt. Using cropping techniques and translucent effects, he juxtaposes the privileges of one gender over the other as well as the economic differences between Iranians, highlighting

Using cropping techniques and translucent effects, he juxtaposes the privileges of one gender over the other as well as the economic differences between Iranians, highlighting the overall societal disparities of the country.

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the overall societal disparities of the country.

The creatively altered photographs range from an image of armed Iranian men to a cropped photo of a traditionally dressed Iranian woman lingering. Nearby, there is a photograph of shirtless Iranian men being praised for their athletic builds as a women wearing a hijab lingers in the background, overshadowing their indecency. In all of the photographs, Jalali places women in the background as specters to illustrate that while Iranian women have been historically oppressed and forced to carry themselves hyper-conservatively, men carry an unjust privilege to do the complete opposite. In a portion of his photographs in this series, Jalali challenges society’s view of how women should present themselves by capturing Iranian women in provocative poses with exotic colored flowers covering their breasts.

The works of Jalali and Dashti blend together in a certain section of Jalali’s photographs.

Although similar to the others, Jalali introduces images of the vandalization of an Iranian photography studio following the Iranian Revolution. The vandalization presents itself as red streaks — representing blood — that dominate the photographs and alludes to the violence that has

historically unfolded in Iran. The product of this violence is seen just down the

Although Dashti’s work effortlessly captures the present state of Iran as a war-torn country, she also sprinkles in a glimmer of hope for its future.

Moving away from the “what could be” message portrayed in the picture is the “what is now” message of the exhibit at large.

The position of inferiority and oppression depicted in Jalali’s photos is contrasted by the present empowerment of the women of Iran exuded by Dashti and endorsed by Jalali. The story goes like this: an Iranian man empowered an Iranian woman to pursue not just photography, but politically charged and meaningful photography that challenges the future of a country to be better.

hallway in Dashti’s Home.

Although Dashti’s work effortlessly captures the present state of Iran as a war-torn country, she also sprinkles in a glimmer of hope for its future. In Iran’s second largest city, Mashad, Dashti uses tattered, abandoned buildings as her backdrop and contrasts the center of them with plush scenes of nature. Dashti captures the history of unrest, social disparity, and violence through splintering ceilings and desolate, glassless windows. This ruin and desolation is then contrasted with the raw, the colorful, and what seems to be portrayed as the abundant. This surrealism is what makes the series powerful. It is not a recounting of Iran’s history, but a response to what Iran can become.

The exhibit offers a short video documentary of the efforts that went into staging the photographs of the Home series. In this video, Dashti stands among several men — one of them her husband — directing as to where things should be placed. Although the aim of Dashti’s series is to contemplate what home is, and to capture the past and present social and political climates, to an extent, no contemplation is needed. The powerful messages of both photographers don’t just lie within the ambiguities and implied meanings of their works, nor in what the past held or what the future may hold — but in what they have displayed in the present and what is at work now.

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Impact Spring 2020

How have you impacted the arts? How have the arts impacted you?

I honestly don't think I've impacted the arts much; a lot of what I do is small work in my free time, and I am still quite young, after all. But the arts have definitely impacted the way I look at the world and myself. I love the feeling of having created something beautiful, and I love the idea that my hands can produce beauty. Similarly, I love studying art history because I can often be left in awe at the ability of others. More recently, as I have worked on more buildingfocused works, the way I look at architecture and the spaces around us has changed.

Through art, I've been given a more critical eye which tends to look for beauty in the structures and grime around us.

In what ways does being an engineering major influence your arts?

In my head I pursued engineering in an artistic way — I didn't necessarily major in it because I already knew everything about it and knew I wanted to be an engineer forever, but more so because I knew nothing about it and wanted to learn more about how technology and computers work.

I've done a few pieces centered around computers, such as my Ode to Technology works, some spray paintings of computers, and an ASCII drawing of a computer screen, and I hope to work more with computers in the future. Other than that, I am still working out how I want computer engineering to directly influence my work.

I guess you could also make a tie-in with my use of math, since math is heavy with engineering and something I've loved my whole life. Math is also incredibly present in my works, such as in my Fibonacci piece, but also just in the measurements and angles required to work out the nuances of perspective in my building drawings.

Are there any artists that have influenced you? If so, how have they impacted your approach to your creation and reception of art?

I am influenced by too many artists to count, and in too many ways. My first artistic loves were Da Vinci and Duchamp, who are quite different but both very fun. I even have an "R. Mutt" tattoo on my thigh to match Duchamp's Fountain. They are both so different, however, that it's hard to pinpoint if they've had any impact on the artwork I make myself. I tend to draw more realistically, as did Da Vinci, and he was also an engineer, so there can be a connection there. Also, because of Duchamp, I tend to love absurd and outlandish things in the art of others.

I see the ASCII drawing I did as a modern take on a readymade, in a way, because I really didn't do anything beyond just copying the editing an algorithm performed on a photo I took manually. That action in general to me is funny, because it makes me into like a human printer, if that makes sense, rather than an artist. After doing it, I discovered Arno Beck, who also makes really, really cool works in the same vein, but a thousand times more amazing.

Through art, I’ve been given a more critical eye, which tends to look for beauty in the structures and grime around us.

Regarding people that are alive, I get a lot of my inspiration from Instagram, and really love the work being done right now involving AI and art. Artists like Sougwen Chung,

Robbie Barrat, and Mario Klingemann are doing really amazing things that I hope to someday work toward. I also have recently been following the work of a lot of contemporary/experimental graphic designers, such as the work of the Panama Papers Office group, and minimalleaning abstract artists, such as B.D. Graft and Henrik Delehag. I could go on forever, so I'll leave it there.

How have you utilized the city of Boston and Northeastern to cultivate your love of art?

Specifically in Boston, I've worked as a teaching assistant at the MFA and a visitor assistant at the ICA, which has allowed me to really have some quality time inside of different exhibitions and to look at art in more depth than I normally would have. Both institutions are very fun, and have really cool exhibits. I've also spent some quality time in the Harvard and MIT museums, which both have some amazing works, including MIT's exhibit on Arthur Ganson.

Northeastern has helped cultivate my art in a variety of different ways. Beyond the proximity to the MFA, I think one of the best influences I’ve had from the university is my friends. Those of my friends in the arts have definitely impacted me, and have encouraged me to really dive into my art creation. I also did a co-op in Washington DC, which forced me to live alone in a city where I knew nearly no one. That alone time really gave me the time to start taking my art more seriously, to a point where I hadn't before in my life. My degree and engineering classes have also given me a lot of new knowledge and material to expand upon with regard to what my art can explore, which is always welcomed. Right now, I have a plethora of things I want to create, but a shortage of hours in the day to do it all.

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Student Showcase

James Doyle is a fifth-year student at NU. Though he studies computer engineering, he also is absolutely enamored with art.

Minoring in art history and having worked at both the MFA and ICA, James has spent quite a bit of time formally working within the art world. In his free time, James also frequently draws. He has a love for buildings, textures, and black-and-white works.

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Impact Spring 2020

show’s closer, Go Now, Halper commands a strong voice and gives Brendan depth in his moving performance.

Zara Devlin, the only Irish native in the cast, plays the young aspiring model Raphina. Although not the strongest voice on the stage, Devlin makes up for it with her beautiful portrayal of a self-described “happy-sad” teenager with a long history of abuse. The musical expands more on Raphina’s backstory and succeeds in making her more than just another damsel in distress.

WRITTEN BY GILLIAN BROWN PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK THEATRE WORKSHOP

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ho the hell are you to tell me what to do? / You wear a dress and tell me not to wear brown shoes.” The makeup is bright neon and the costumes are wild. The economy is failing and people are out of jobs.

Political unrest stirs in the streets and in the churches. New wave and punk rock are the language of the youth. Welcome to Dublin in the 1980s. Welcome to Sing Street.

Sing Street, based on the 2016 film of the same name, had its world premiere at the New York Theatre Workshop last December and was set to open on Broadway on April 19, 2020, before the COVID-19 outbreak forced them to reschedule. Directed by Rebecca Taichman, the musical follows 16-year-old Conor as he forms a band to impress a mysterious girl and navigates the trials and tribulations of high school in 1980s Dublin.

The band names itself “Sing Street” as a clever play on their school’s name, Synge Street CBS. The production features a minimalist set and a single backdrop, utilizing lighting and a few props to create separate spaces. In every scene, the Irish sea beckons in the distance.

The country’s deep in a recession, Conor’s parents are separating, and his new headmaster is a priest with a power complex. But when Conor puts on his headphones, the audience is with him as he escapes to a fantastical world of eighties new wave synth. The rest of the real world falls away. In addition to hits by Duran Duran, The Cure, and Depeche Mode, the musical features all the brilliant songs from the movie (written by Gary Clark and John Carney), along with a small handful of new ones and reprises.

Brenock O’Connor is perfect as Conor, the nervous but endearing lead singer who eventually comes into his own. The film and television actor, best known as Olly from Game of Thrones, is a natural on the stage and has strong vocal skills. His confidence comes through during the show’s musical performances and he approaches each scene with fresh-faced sincerity.

Gus Halper opens the show as Brendan, Conor’s supportive, house-bound older brother. He serves as a music connoisseur and wingman to his younger brother, offering advice on everything, from musical styles to life philosophies. Despite only singing in the

Martin Moran plays Brother Baxter, the principal of the Christian Brothers school Conor attends. The show tries to further develop his character, but he still lacks depth by the end. Much like in the movie, the priest is representative of the Catholic Church’s abuse of power in Ireland and serves as the story’s main antagonist.

At times, the show attempts to humanize him, or at least allow the audience a glimpse into his headspace. However, he’s too backand-forth: a wishy-washy character lacking a real backbone. In the same scene where Baxter lets the band compete in a music competition, he scolds Conor for his brown shoes that violate the school’s dress code.

It’s a complete tonal shift that doesn’t feel intentional and is sloppily written. It isn’t until midway through the show that Baxter becomes the menacing tyrant he is in the film. All of the priest’s scenes seem to further develop another character rather than his own. Baxter should have been established as an antagonist earlier on — or gotten an entirely new backstory altogether.

SING STREET WORLD PREMIERE AT THE NEW YORK THEATRE WORKSHOP

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The performance energy peaks during Brown Shoes, the rebellious ’80s rock anthem at the climax of the show. Cast members run through the audience and form a line downstage, singing directly to the audience. “The boot’s on the other foot now / Buckle up, we’re taking you down,” Conor and the band scream into their microphones.

Each actor completely owns it with their outrageous costumes and colorful makeup.

This is a turning point — it’s when the boys finally stand up to Baxter.

In all its glorious teen angst, it’s a giant “screw you” to everyone: the priest, the adults, the country, or any figure of authority who has tried to diminish their spirit.

For such a monumental moment, the performance needs something else to make it more visually interesting. The production

surprisingly leaves out the paper masks of Baxter’s face as shown in the movie; imagery like this would’ve helped emphasize the rebellion of the song. The number needs a visual symbol of the dramatic revolt.

The musical talent and performance energy is there for each and every song. However, some of the staging and choreography needs to be reworked. Most of the songs sung by the band are staged concert style, with minimal choreography. Some exceptions are Up and Girls, where the show takes a more theatrical approach with overlapping scenes.

Up is a beautifully uplifting number that highlights O’Connor’s deep vocals and Devlin’s acting chops. A Beautiful Sea makes a splash as the band’s second music video; it is pure joy onstage. To Find You is the first number to feature the adults, who lament about their troubles in a sorrowful song that draws comparisons between the two generations.

Girls, a catchy earworm about teen angst and young love, is probably the most wellstaged number of the show. Conor’s older

sister, Anne (Skyler Volpe), frustrated with her splintering family and university studies, pounds her fists on the table in raging thuds that become the electric drumbeat for the song. The band emerges from stage right and sings its heart out. Conor’s father, Robert (Billy Carter), and mother, Penny (Amy Warren), appear, distraught in the aftermath of a heated fight. Carter and Warren’s emotional performances make this number even more raw and cathartic.

Sing Street ultimately explores the power of music and love during a time of both stagnation and cultural revolution, as well as power structures on the brink of collapse.

For a piece set nearly 40 years ago, so much of the sentiment still rings true. The show really has a lot of potential; just like the film, it’s full of heart and feel-good ’80s nostalgia.

There’s humor, romance, joy, and that painful sting of soul-crushing heartbreak that makes for great music.

“So here we are,” Brendan sings in the final number as he strums a guitar. “We’ve got another chance for life.” Hopefully in its Broadway transfer, Sing Street will seize its second chance at life.

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Impact Spring 2020

Mary Stuart Turns History

into Thrilling Suspense WRITTEN BY NORA HOLLAND PHOTOS COURTESY OF NORTHEASTERN STUDIO THEATRE

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n Feb. 19, the Studio Theater was transported back in time to 16thcentury England as Northeastern students performed Friedrich Schiller’s Mary Stuart, directed by Professor Antonio Ocampo-Guzman. The story dramatizes the tale of Mary, Queen of Scots, in the final days of her life.

Set in a dimly lit theater with a stage stripped of any props, the audience was immediately greeted by actors roaming the aisles as they found their seats. After briefly honoring

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the natives of Massachusetts, the story began with the dramatic entrance of Queen Elizabeth of England. With a whimsical melody and her subjects at her beckoning, the Queen performed a dance as other actors joined her on stage to transition into the first scene.

The scene opens in the middle of a quarrel between Sir Amias Paulet, Mortimer, and Hanna Kennedy as they fight over the subject of Mary’s innocence. The actors explore the space, roaming across the

full stage and making eye contact with audience members as they argue as if to gather validation. All discussion is silenced when Mary, played by fourth-year theatre major Carla Mirabal Rodriguez, enters the scene, her head held high with her shoulders back proudly. She reveals that she was imprisoned both because of her role in her husband’s murder and her claim to the throne in England. Although she holds onto what she thinks is right, Mary has little hope to escape fate — until Mortimer approaches her and reveals he is on her side.

Mortimer, played by second-year computer science and theatre double major Ezekiel D’Ascoli, is starry-eyed and raw with passion for Mary, treating her as if she is a holy being above all people. The look of insanity in his eyes is both captivating and terrifying.

Mary is pessimistic but gives Mortimer a letter to deliver to the Duke of Leicester, played by fourth-year computer science and theatre major Matthew Hosking, with the ultimate goal of meeting the Queen to delay her death warrant.

Although the play is based on the real story of Mary’s death sentence, the actors did not let the audience relax for a single second.

One of the most interesting themes of the play is Queen Elizabeth’s struggle to gain control of her own throne. Elizabeth, played by fourth-year media and screen studies and theatre combined major Christelle Iliza Girimana, had the power and grace to completely silence a room, yet when alone it is revealed that she can also be weak.

The hardships of being a woman ruler are demonstrated as she argues with herself whether to give up her freedom in the name of an alliance with France, bringing an element of feminism into the plot. This, along with the gender-bended roles of William Cecil and Sir Amias Paulet, modernized the otherwise historical show.

The lighting and music played an important role in setting the tone of the play. Each scene seemed to be lit with a new color, often accompanied by whimsical music in the background. This brought an almost mocking tone to some scenes, bringing out the theme of deception that is present throughout the plot.

The cast and crew of Mary Stuart did an incredible job portraying an old tale in a fresh, modern way, leaving the audience shocked by just how deceptive people can be.

They were not afraid to break the fourth wall and get into people’s faces as they all raced toward their objectives.

Each scene blended together with one surprise after another as the characters revealed more of themselves and their dark sides to the audience, like Elizabeth as she strays away from her duties and morals and succumbs further to societal pressure and her own personal goals. The dramatic personifications of the characters turned a historic story into a suspenseful thriller, and the dynamic relationships between the characters kept spectators at the edge of their seats.

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Impact Spring 2020

Student Showcase

Vidisha Agarwalla Vidisha Agarwalla is a second-year communication studies and media and screen studies combined major with a minor in law and argumentation. She is the president and producer of New Renaissance Theatre Company, a theatre company for people of color and minorities. She produced What Rough Beast, the play New Renaissance put on last year, and also worked toward their production of Stop Kiss. Vidisha is also a passionate dancer and a member of Rangila, a competitive Indian Fusion Dance Team at Northeastern.

She recently participated in competitions in Baltimore and New Jersey.

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As a South Asian woman, why was it important to you to become so involved with the arts?

Like many other young Indian girls, I was encouraged to take up a classical Indian dance at a young age. For 10 years I learned the classical Indian dance form called Odissi. I loved it. It was a dance form that taught me discipline in the rigidity of the postures, grace through the intricate hand gestures, and elegance from the sultry torso movements. Due to the storytelling aspect of the dance form, I also learned about mythical Indian stories, which helped me connect to my Indian roots despite growing up in Singapore. Alongside Odissi, I also learned ballet and lyrical jazz. I loved the vastly different dance styles that I learned; however, in high school I began to feel like a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. I wasn’t exceptionally good at any one style, and I couldn’t pick a single style I liked best.

From a young age I was always fascinated by theatre and drama. However, my interest was quickly snuffed in middle school by a racist drama teacher who lumped me in with a group of chatty Indian girls who didn’t pay attention despite my many efforts in class. Not feeling welcome but still wanting to be involved in theatre, I applied my strengths backstage. I did stage makeup, dance choreography, set design, and stage management. I wanted to do more but I didn’t have the confidence or the knowledge.

The last two semesters have given me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone. To get involved with theatre, a new art form that I have always admired from the sidelines.

Last fall I joined New Renaissance Theatre Company, a theatre company that aims to give people of color and minorities a space in theatre regardless of experience level. New Ren was the perfect entryway into theatre. I started off as their producer, which meant organizing the production season and ensuring every element of a play (including lighting, sound, costume, set) came together for the final show. What I love about New Renaissance is that they welcomed me (someone with little to no experience in producing plays) and taught me the ropes. Now, I’m so happy to say that I’ve been elected President for the Spring 2020 semester.

Another aspect of New Ren that makes me so excited to be involved is that we choose to put on plays that reflect the conflicts that people of color and minorities face. Last semester I produced What Rough Beast, a play that dealt with anti-Islam ideology and gun violence. Before the arthating disaster that is COVID-19, we were just starting the production of Stop Kiss, a beautiful contemporary play that revolves around the relationship development of a lesbian couple who get beaten up by a homophobe after their first kiss.

As a South Asian woman, it’s so important to me to be involved in the arts — and not just the ones that are deemed culturally appropriate by our parents. The last two semesters have given me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone. To get involved with theatre, a new art form that I have always admired from the sidelines. I thrive with the constant challenges leading

a theatre group has presented me with. I’m grateful that I get to meet and learn from so many incredibly talented people along the way. I couldn’t have made it through this particularly chaotic semester without the guidance and support from New Ren’s incredible e-board.

What advice would you give to students who are trying to create a space for themselves and their communities as artists?

I would encourage students who are trying to create a space for themselves as artists to join any groups they feel comfortable in and to learn from others. If no such place exists, I would also encourage them to actively create spaces in art communities where they don’t feel welcome.

Being an international student, how has your experience with the arts in Boston and at Northeastern been unique?

As an ethnically Indian woman who was born and brought up in Singapore, my experience in Boston has been unique. I’ve found Northeastern to be a place of so many artistic opportunities. In my two years here I’ve been involved with Rangila and New Renaissance, but I have also done the cover art and a six-page, self-directed spread for The Avenue (Northeastern’s fashion magazine), a contemporary ballet with a live wind ensemble, and a fashion show through Northeastern’s Fashion Society. It’s a fantastic place to try new things, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.

In university I found the perfect creative outlets for my interests. In my first semester I joined Rangila, a competitive fusion Indian dance team that fused Bollywood, classical, and contemporary dance styles. I found a loving community of Indian girls, and I get to learn and practice all the dance styles that I love. I also love our competition seasons despite how hectic they get. This semester we competed at Johns Hopkins University at their fusion dance competition ‘Dil Se,’ and at TCNJ’s ‘Jersey Jalwa.’ While we didn’t place at either event, the amount of hard work we put in as a team to create polished and energetic sets was so rewarding.

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Issue 2 Impact Fall 2019 Spring 2020

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Photographed by Dalia Sadaka & Cali Cardenas

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Impact Spring 2020

cold war kids 21

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY AVITAL BRODSKI

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merican indie-rock band Cold War Kids energized a diverse audience at House of Blues on Feb. 1.

The band started performing out of California in 2004 and, since then, has mesmerized people from all walks of life. Their sound has naturally evolved from blues-infused punk to alternative rock. With hits such as First and Hang Me Up to Dry, Cold War Kids has attracted a mass following of both young and old fans.

Recently, they released an album titled New Age Norms 1, which is meant to be the first part of an upcoming album trilogy.

With an electric opening by the female duo Overcoats, the audience was ready to rock. As the stage went black, an overture played to hype everyone up for what was to come. Finally, Cold War Kids came out.

The band allowed a few seconds to pass, giving fans the opportunity to release some of their excited screaming, before opening with their well-known song Love is Mystical, a track off of L.A. Divine. They then went on to perform another one of their older songs, Miracle Mile, which is featured on Dear Miss Lonelyhearts, and followed it with a song from their newer album Complainer.

The band had a dynamic stage presence, and sometimes even danced from one side of the stage to the other.

No single album dominated the night, as they played a mix of songs from all of their past seven albums — from Coffee Spoon,

an older song that they just started to play live again, to Who’s Going to Love Me Now, which they had never played live before.

Lead singer Nathan Willet said the band definitely felt a “special connection” between themselves and the Boston audience.

The band had a dynamic stage presence, and sometimes even danced from one side of the stage to the other. The band members loved to get close to each other, as if to feel each other’s passion as they played.

Although Willett was sitting down at a piano for Fourth of July, a song off of New Age Norms 1, he was still able to enthrall the crowd and make them dance. While playing Mexican Dogs, a track off Loyalty to Loyalty, the audience started clapping along and screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs.

After Mexican Dogs, Willett rushed the rest of the band off of the stage, mellowing out the audience by playing Beyond the Pale, a song off of New Age Norms 1, on his own at the piano. During the performance, the audience got a surprise when opener Overcoats came onstage to provide backup vocals. Cold War Kids went on to perform Restless, off of L.A. Divine, during which Willett got up close and personal with the audience by squatting down and reaching out to them. After holding a few hands, he got back up and transitioned into Calm Your Nerves, a song on New Age Norms 1.

After playing a few more tracks, the night ended with the band’s most well-known song, First. It was only the — first — of three other songs played as an encore. As they closed with two of their older songs, the crowd sang along and danced together in unison — a strong end to a lively night.

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Impact Spring 2020

Written by Olivia Oriaku Photographed by Cali Cardenas

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alaysian pop and R&B artist Yunalis binti Mat Zara’ai, known by her stage name Yuna, gave an intimate and heartfelt performance at City Winery on Jan. 26. Her show would be the first of two that night, her second performance also taking place at City Winery just a few hours later. The talented singer, whose vocals touched audience members throughout night, grew up in Perlis, Malaysia and moved to Los Angeles, California once her music career started to take off. Yuna is currently on tour for her album Rouge, which both reflects on her identity as a global pop star and pays homage to her home country of Malaysia.

The show itself was laid-back, with concertgoers seated at tables that stretched all the way back to the venue’s entrance.

Audience members munched on hors d’oeuvres and sipped drinks as they waited for Yuna’s show to start. The venue’s cozy atmosphere proved to be perfect for her performance, allowing people to feel more connected to her and her music.

She started the night off with Does She, a track off of Rouge. The two other instrumentalists on stage — one on guitar, the other on keyboard and drums — complimented her impeccable vocals.

Next was Castaway, another song off of Rouge that features Tyler, The Creator.

While she sang, Yuna rattled a shaker, adding another musical element to the already captivating performance.

After the track ended, Yuna told the audience that her next song would be an older one that she wrote when she first moved to Los Angeles. She hinted at its title by saying that it had been remixed into a

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popular EDM version and, to her surprise, used in a lot of snowboarding videos. The song was Lullabies. During her performance, Yuna’s smooth vocals layered beautifully over slow, melodic guitar riffs.

Between songs, Yuna addressed the crowd.

At one point, she gave a disclaimer that she would be talking a lot throughout her show, which caused the audience to erupt into cheers. Yuna went on to say that while she was writing Rouge, she wanted to be true to herself and her identity as a Southeast Asian Muslim woman working in the American music industry. Yuna spoke about how she comes from two different worlds, saying that there are some people in the West who do not understand who she is and where she comes from, and some people in the East, who have a lot to say about her career and what she is doing. Her song Likes, off of Rouge, dives into the issue of constantly being criticized by people but finding the strength to stay true to yourself nonetheless.

The crowd clapped and wooed at the song’s sassy, clever, and powerful lyrics.

Departing from Rouge, Yuna played Coffee, an oldie off of her 2011 EP Decorate. A couple of seconds after the guitarist started to play, Yuna paused and laughed with the audience, saying, “Wait, how does this go again?” She then effortlessly jumped back into the jazzy number — her crystal clear voice floating peacefully through the venue.

Next was Decorate, a song off the same EP. Yuna admitted to using her friend’s story as inspiration for writing the piece. Though she loved the track, she said that she could never truly relate to it until her grandfather,

whom she was very close to, passed away.

The song then took on a whole new meaning.

She quoted a line from the song: “I decorate my house with things you love / Just in case you show up.” Yuna said that after her grandfather passed away, she returned to Malaysia and visited their house, only to find his newspapers and books still lying around their living space; his glasses, still resting on their coffee table; and his clothes, still neatly placed in his closet. As the song’s chorus built up, audience members seemed to hang on every word.

Yuna played the vibey Forevoremore, a track off Rouge, next. She said that the song was dedicated to the family and friends that she grew up with in Malaysia, whom she described as hard workers and lovers of life. As the song’s bass dropped, Yuna and her band’s silhouettes seemed to enlarge on the stage’s back display. Following was Tiada Akhir, a song in Yuna’s native language of Malay and also on Rouge. Before singing, she translated the song’s lyrics, enabling the audience to feel more connected to her performance despite the language barrier.

Later in the night, to the crowd’s amazement, Yuna confessed that her husband was somewhere in the audience. She said that the day of her show marked their wedding anniversary — a perfectly ironic introduction to Used to Love, a breakup song off of her 2016 album Chapters, which features R&B artist Jhené Aiko. After the track ended, the stage lights shifted from a bright red to a soft pink, just as the first synthesized chords of the groovy Blank Marquee came on, another song on Rouge, featuring rapper G-Eazy.

Towards the end of her set, Yuna played a song that she said changed her life — the popular Crush, which features Usher. She ended with Best Love off of her album Chapters. The track’s punchy bassline and upbeat tempo left the audience in good spirits.

Yuna Gives a Heartfelt Performance at City Winery

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Impact Spring 2020

ELECTRIC Guest Brings Youthful Energy to the Sinclair WRITTEN BY LILIANA PIĂ‘A PHOTOGRAPHED BY NADIA NAEEM

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os Angeles-based indie pop duo Electric Guest brought high energy and impressive showmanship to their sold-out performance at The Sinclair on Feb. 10. The group, which consists of lead vocalist Asa Taccone and multiinstrumentalist Matthew Campton, released their most recent album, Kin, in October 2019 and began touring shortly afterward.

While touring, musicians Luke Top and Reese Richardson joined the group, adding a fresh element to their established dynamic.

Electric Guest wasted no time before jumping into their set, starting their performance with one of their most popular songs off Kin, Play With Me. Taccone commanded the stage effortlessly — his buttery, musical notes complimented by impressively smooth footwork. Between lyrics, he engaged in small and meaningful interactions with the crowd, which made the venue feel much more intimate. The crowd was instantly engaged by his authentic charisma, and this momentum carried on through the rest of the night.

Next, they played The Bait, a bluesy song off their debut 2010 album Mondo. As he sang, Taccone strutted across the stage with intent, surprisingly light on his feet despite the large combat boots he wore, and looked to each section of the crowd as if to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves.

After the song, Taccone greeted the crowd excitedly. They responded to his words with loud cheers, clearly eager to get the rest of the night underway.

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The lights on the stage turned into a kaleidoscope of color as Electric Guest performed Get Out, another song off Kin. Without so much as a beat between songs, they moved into Dollar, much to the crowd’s delight. This feel-good number got the entire audience moving, and Taccone jumped up and down onstage as he sang to match their energy. In a hilarious moment, the members of the band began throwing fake money into the crowd to accentuate the lyrics to the song.

A self-proclaimed “angry fucking teenager” turned into a music sensation, Taccone kept the energy high throughout the entire night, using his impressive wit and youthful spirit to keep the audience in good spirits throughout the entire performance.

During the band’s performance of 24-7, a heartfelt song featured on Kin, Taccone handed out dozens of roses to the audience, a small but sweet gesture that inspired several elated cheers from the crowd.

Electric Guest played several fan favorites throughout the night, including upbeat Waves and crowd-pleaser This Head I Hold, both off Mondo. Between every few songs, Taccone would find a purposeful way to interact with the crowd. At one point, he launched several t-shirts into the crowd — and got one stuck on the ceiling of the venue. The audience laughed in unison despite their missed opportunity for free merchandise, a moment of unity that was unexpected but delightful nonetheless.

They ended the night with a show-stopping performance of Oh Devil from their album Plural, a move which turned the intimate venue into more of a club scene. As people danced with friends, strangers, and even Taccone himself, a sense of sheer

satisfaction emanated throughout the space.

With pulse-pounding beat drops and a gorgeous lighting display, Electric Guest made sure that their last performance was their most memorable.

That is, until they returned back onstage for an encore. The band immediately jumped into Dear to Me, a popular song off Plural and the perfect song to end the show with.

Taccone played his keyboard with gusto as he sang the song’s heartfelt lyrics, giving everything he had for the longest song of the night. After thanking the crowd, Electric Guest waved goodbye to the audience and left the stage. But the infectious, high-energy nature of their performance persisted even as everyone headed home.

Before Electric Guest took the stage, the concert began with an opening performance

by Soleima, a Danish musician who is known for her ethereal vocals and genre-defying sound. An eclectic blend of complex sounds — including pitch-shifted synths, future bass, and otherworldly vocals — Soleima’s approach to modernist pop music is utterly unprecedented.

Her set contained tracks from older projects, including her 2017 EP NO. 14 and 2018 EP Bulldog. It also featured a few unreleased songs from her upcoming debut studio album, Powerslide. She began the night

with an energetic performance of Heartless, a catchy track off Powerslide. After encouraging the crowd to shout the lyrics “I just wanna make it to the weekend” while she danced excitedly on stage, Soleima had the audience completely captivated for the rest of her performance.

Next, Soleima crouched on the floor as the childlike melody of Low Life, a fan favorite track off Bulldog, began to play. The playful energy she exuded throughout her performance was infectious, and both the audience and fellow bandmates ended the song with huge smiles on their faces. She followed with a spirited rendition of Pacify Me, another track off Bulldog. The song’s strong bass and aggressive instrumentals were quickly replaced by a simple electric guitar as the band transitioned to Roses, a single off Powerslide. Despite its release being just days before the concert, the audience already seemed to know and connect with each and every lyric. Toward the end of the song, Soleima jumped into the crowd and asked everyone to put their hands up and dance with her. After they eagerly complied, Soileima returned to the stage to finish her two remaining songs, Cracks and Breathe, both off NO. 14. As she exited the stage, Soleima encouraged her fans to stream her new album upon its release and said that she couldn’t wait to be back in Boston soon.

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Impact Spring 2020

Q&A How have you impacted the arts? How have the arts impacted you?

Someone once told me that sometimes, if you’re lucky, music grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go. That’s how I feel about music. Music is my passion, and I love it and want the life it brings more than anything.

Music has given me an outlet to share my innermost thoughts and feelings and has gifted me the ability to share them with others. That’s how I have impacted and will continue to impact music. By writing songs that people can relate to, sing to, cry to, or just listen to, I am giving others a chance to see themselves in my lyrics and realize that they aren’t the only ones who have thoughts and feelings and that they aren’t alone in the way they think. My mission with my songs is to make people feel at home and, at the very least, make them dance a little.

When did you first truly know that going into the music industry was the right move for you?

When I was little, I always sang in the car or in the shower but no one, including myself, really took it seriously. When elementary school ended, I started singing a lot more, and one day I came into my kitchen and asked my mom and my brother if I could sing them the song King of Anything by Sara Bareilles. I’ll never forget their look of amazement when I finished. From there, I started taking guitar and voice lessons throughout middle school and high school, and I came to realize that music was the one

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thing I felt like doing forever. The one thing that I didn’t want to stop.

It sounds cheesy, but music took hold of me and didn’t want to let go.

Eventually, I began writing songs and performing them for larger and larger audiences around my small town. Any time I stepped onstage, my normal day-to-day anxieties would melt away and I would immediately feel calmer and more focused.

That’s when I really knew. When I saw people singing the words to my songs, and when people clapped along, I realized that maybe this was something I could actually do.

What are your all-time personal and professional goals with music?

In a perfect world, I would love to be a touring and recording artist. I think it would be pretty cool to be making records, touring the world, and making money doing what I love. I know this dream can be pretty hard to achieve, though, so I’m also interested in professional songwriting and maybe even A&R within a record label. Ideally though, I want to be an artist above all else.

Who are some of your biggest music influences and how have they impacted your approach to music production?

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m kind of obsessed with Ariana Grande. I am definitely influenced by both her sound and her style.

I have recently been finding myself layering

my vocals in similar ways to what made her famous. I am also heavily influenced by songwriters like Maggie Rogers, Jon Bellion, Ed Sheeran, and so on. I feel that those artists embody the perfect pairing between great music and great lyrics, and their songs often tell stories that make listeners want to learn more. My goal as a songwriter is to make people feel something when they listen to my songs — whether they are good or bad emotions — and these artists achieve this feat and make me want to emulate their work in my own way. As far as production goes, I find myself wanting to expand out of the acoustic realm and explore more toward the classic pop beats that are becoming so popular in this day and age.

Artists like Billie Eilish, Bea Miller, Olivia O’Brien, Mabel, and (of course) my girl Ari are really pioneering this new style and are making it one that people — including myself — are excited to try.

Editor’s Note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

A little about Eva: Eva Ullmann is a first-year student at Northeastern and an aspiring singersongwriter and performer. Music grabbed hold of Eva at an early age, and she’s been singing, writing songs, and playing guitar for almost eight years and hopes to pursue it for the rest of her life! Eva has an EP titled Youth available on all streaming sites and is currently working on her next project, a full album titled Woman, set to be released by the end of 2020. In addition, Eva is also breaking into the Boston music scene through performances at Northeastern and around the city.

EVA ULLMANN student showcase 28

Impact Spring 2020

Queen & Slim 29

Tells a Story of Black Love Amidst Struggles

Written by Drefnie Limprevil Illustrated by Nadia Naeem

Q

ueen and Slim is not just another Bonnie and Clyde movie. The screenwriting debut of Lena Waithe tells the tale of a Tinder date gone wrong, where a black couple tries to escape their inevitable criminalization after defending themselves against a police officer. Directed by Melina Matsoukas, the film uses the theme of vulnerability and immortality to portray the story of two young adults thurst into an unlikely relationship.

The movie starts on a dreary note, with Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith), a lawyer, and Slim (Daniel Kaluuya), a Costco employee, on a date where the chemistry is clearly off.

During the car ride back, at the close of what seems to be an uneventful night, the pair is pulled over by a police officer who conducts an invasive and unnecessary search. After shooting Queen and threatening to kill Slim, Slim shoots the officer. Fearing they will be criminalized for this act of self-defense, they steal the gun and flee the scene. Queen directs Slim to drive down to Louisiana to meet her Uncle Earl (Bokeem Woodbine), who she knows will be able to help them

While the narrative somewhat struggles to reconcile the love story with the political statements, it is the film’s aesthetics and soundtrack that truly make it special.

flee arrest. What results is a blossoming relationship as they drive from Cleveland to Louisiana, and then to Florida, where they plan an escape to Cuba.

In the first half, the audience sees the conflict between the headstrong, pragmatic Queen and the reluctant, naive Slim. They constantly butt heads and argue about everything, from simple issues to the morality of their actions. After arriving at Uncle Earl's house and hatching a plan to escape to Cuba, they both change their hair to help conceal their identities. This scene marks a notable shift in their chemistry. As Queen undoes her twists, Slim sees her vulnerability for the first time, as she literally and figuratively removes the layers and hostile posture she puts on to protect herself. As the pair moves through the South in their new identities,

they begin to embrace the journey to Florida.

Right when they become uncertain of their prospects of making it out, they meet a teenager who idolizes them and presents their story as immortal.

Though the plot of the movie is captivating, it struggles with what it wants to be. The most compelling parts are the emotional experiences of the characters and the evolution of their relationship. The movie’s attempt to address the topic of police brutality head-on can feel awkward and unnatural. It is the subtle details, such as the progressive twisting of the story by the media and the failure to say their names until the end of the film, that feel more effective and point to the sinister consequences of police aggression in narratives. The story of black love amidst struggle in and of itself is enough of a political statement, which makes political scenes feel less natural in the plot. While the narrative somewhat struggles to reconcile the love story with these statements, it is the film's aesthetics and soundtrack that truly make it special.

The music that played throughout the film, a blend of hip-hop and R&B accompanied by an orchestral score, complemented the dialogue seamlessly. This impressive soundtrack is no shock since Matsoukas’ previous work includes iconic music video projects like Rihanna's We Found Love and Beyonce's Lemonade. When the characters were unable to express the mood of the moment, songs from Slim's playlist found the words to describe their energy.

Queen and Slim is saved by the raw and emotional performances by Turner-Smith and Kaluuya, the seamless integration of music, and the story of an unlikely relationship. The movie addresses issues of race, while not taking itself too seriously at the same time.

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Impact Spring 2020

McBride Strikes Gold with

The Righteous Gemstones WRITTEN BY TARA POWELL

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ILLUSTRATED BY ANGELA LIN

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anny McBride hits the mark again with his third and newest HBO series The Righteous Gemstones, a twisted family sitcom set in the flamboyant world of Southern televangelism.

The Gemstone family symbolizes the role of religion in American capitalism and asks the question, “What would capitalist Jesus do?”

The wealth, fame, and power that hails from their growing franchise of megachurches is (poorly) hidden underneath the mission to spread God’s message.

After the matriarch of the family dies, Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) inherits the sole responsibility of controlling his three adult children: Jesse (Danny McBride), Judy (Edi Patterson), and Kelvin (Adam DeVine). The family is left to move on without the mother’s powerful spirit that once bound them together and preserved some sincerity of their religious devotion. Instead, they push forward with their malleable morals wrapped in wealth, fame, and the selfproclaimed will of God. From the beginning of the first episode, it’s clear the dysfunctional family has converted religious worship into ostentatious wealth.

The show opens with a 24-hour baptism marathon conducted by the Gemstone men at a waterpark in China, but it goes awry when the wave pool turns on, along with fist-bumping EDM music and flashing lights.

The men of the Gemstone family return to the women at their South Carolina headquarters on their trio of private jets, aptly named The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

While televangelism is a focus of the show, McBride was deliberate not to poke fun at religion. Rather, televangelism is the platform on which hypocrisy arises and the characters’ foolishness flourishes.

The two primary plotlines of the show set out to challenge the “righteousness” of the Gemstone family and display the hypocrisy of their religious empire. The first plotline

explores the contradiction in acting against the very morals they preach. Eli focuses his attention on expanding the megachurch empire and revamps an old Sears building into a fully equipped church. However, a rural pastor challenges Eli’s expansion into his town where religious needs are already met, fearing his congregation will flock to the flashy new church. Eli sees the challenge as a threat to his wife’s memory and plots to squash the small-time pastor. Instead of “loving thy neighbor,” Eli acts out of his own grief and desire for financial success.

The other plotline continues the exploration of empty religious talk. Jesse Gemstone is being blackmailed by mysterious people in devil masks, with an illicit video of him and his church friends partying — which threatens his reputation as a preacher, son, husband, and father. Jesse solicits the help of his siblings to keep up the impression that their family is indeed righteous.

In this series and in his two other HBO works, McBride challenges the common custom to portray likeable characters.

The facts point to disliking the Gemstones: they are greedy, corrupt, and stuck in doctrines of toxic masculinity, misogyny, and racism. But a unique ability of the series is making these outrageous and outlandish comments while somehow evoking empathy.

Even the most foolish characters are simply humans with insecurities. Eli is a pastor who more resembles a greedy businessman, but the viewer discovers his softer side as a grieving widower, unsure of how to move forward without his partner. Jesse is a frustrated and aggressively masculine man who feels the pressure as the first born son to be at the top — but internally

he fears not being a good enough father, husband, and son. Judy comes across as selfish and hungry for fame and power, but in actuality, she is frustrated that she is treated differently from her brothers. Finally Kelvin, the youngest Gemstone, plays the annoyingly hip and trendy youth pastor that has it all together, but he is trying to find his place in the Gemstone family amidst his loneliness without his mother’s support.

The characters’ dual portrayals explore humanity’s underbelly of vulnerabilities that so many of us try to hide, including the Gemstones. Doing so enhances the comedy by lacing foolishness with truth.

While the show’s humor is absurd and ridiculous, it is carried by depicting the truth of human relationships and insecurities.

The characters navigate their family relationships while they grapple with the loss of a loved one, the impossible pressure placed on portraying a consistent appearance, and the quest to find a purpose in life. The immaturity between Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin conveys the hilarious truth of how regressive a sibling dynamic can be: they know how to hit the raw spots of each other’s deepest insecurities. The humor highlights the characters’ vulnerabilities that are of course heightened for the purpose of entertainment, but are recognizable as an exaggeration of a genuine truth.

Just three weeks into the first season, HBO renewed The Righteous Gemstones for a second season. While there is no official release date yet, we can be sure to expect another season of hilariously grotesque Misbehavin’ with moments of truth and twisted sincerity from the Gemstone family.

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Impact Spring 2020

Wendy

SOARS as a

Modern Retelling

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Written by Calvary Dominique Illustrated by Jessica Chin

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“

ll children, except one, grow up,” is how J.M. Barrie famously introduces his novel Peter Pan. With these six simple words, Peter Pan’s mythology was forever enshrined in our culture, becoming a symbol of the optimism of childhood and the refusal to sacrifice joy, adventure, and passion. The story of “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up” has stood the test of time through its many, many adaptations precisely because its themes are universal and, well, timeless.

Wendy, directed by Academy Awardnominated director Benh Zeitlin, contains much of the same heart and soul as the classic Peter Pan story, but with a unique tone. Instead of telling the story from Peter’s perspective, Zeitlin works from Wendy Darling’s point of view.

This iteration of Wendy (Devin France) is all at once free-spirited, passionate, wild, and fierce, and she is full of genuine kindness and heart.

Wendy is an 11-year-old girl who dreams of adventure, but for now, she is stuck in an impoverished home over the diner where her hardworking mother (Shay Walker) toils.

Wendy’s mom has given up on the dreams she once had as a girl, settling for a life of quiet unease in order to care for her children, and this saddens her immensely. “Dreams

change,” she tells her daughter. But Wendy refuses to accept this. And so, she vows to everyone who will listen, including her two twin brothers Douglas and James (Gage and Gavin Naquin), that she’ll be different.

Rather than its usual Victorian England setting, the film is set in rural Louisiana, giving it a grittier and more current feel.

Early on in the film, years prior to the main action, Wendy’s young cousin Thomas (Krzysztof Meyn) boldly announces to the room that he’s going to be a pirate when he grows up, but gets sharply rebuked. “You’re going to be a mop and broom man,” his grandma says, matter-of-factly. But Thomas will have none of it. Muttering to himself a denial of her words, he runs outside when no one is looking, jumps aboard a moving freight train, and disappears. Signs are put up all over town, but no one can find him.

Wendy has no idea where he has gone, but the audience can feel her wanderlust; she envies him for having escaped. It’s not until years later, when the train makes another appearance, this time to take Wendy and her brothers away, that the truth is revealed.

He has been living in Neverland as a pirate, and he hasn’t aged at all.

This movie took seven years to make because Zeitlin thrives on the unorthodox.

Detailed in a piece by IndieWire, he discovered the boy who would end up playing Peter Pan (Yashua Mack) in a Rastafarian compound in the forest, and this casting decision came only after his team had spent a year auditioning 1,500 kids, none of whom fit his vision. Rather than portraying Peter Pan as a British kid “who’s just sort of prancing around this imaginary Caribbean landscape,” he explains, “our Peter had to be able to navigate this terrain with such a level of knowledge, agility, and

fearlessness that we were never going to be able to bring someone who hasn’t experienced this before.” He shot most of the movie on the island of Montserrat and remained committed to his vision even as things grew more chaotic on set.

Although this is a movie about kids, it’s not really a film for kids.

It’s most effectively viewed with wiser eyes, by those who have already grown up, looking back on a childhood they’ve lost.

For a movie based on the Peter Pan mythos, there are no fairies, mermaids, bumbling pirates, or ticking crocodiles. Yes, there’s certainly magic in this movie, but it’s less “fantastical” in nature and more grounded in realism. The movie gets incredibly dark and heartbreaking, and as an avant-garde, arthouse film, it might confuse younger audiences. In that regard, it has much in common tonally with Spike Jonze’s moody adaption of Where the Wild Things Are. Wendy is a wild, untamed, and intentionally unpolished movie. Unlike most Peter Pan adaptations, this film is significantly less plotdriven and more focused on emotion and feeling. The brilliant colors and the vibrant cinematography combine with an incredible score to form a truly impressive, albeit imperfect film. It’s bizarre, but it works.

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Impact Spring 2020

STUDENT SHOWCASE

Brigitte Gong Brigitte Gong is a fifth-year sociology student and the president of NUTV. She is a double Taurus and a big believer in the Oxford comma. She is currently trying to watch 52 films directed by women this year and has seen The Farewell seven times. She loves breakfast food, a good Spotify playlist, and her trusty 35mm camera Steve.

How have you impacted the arts? How have the arts impacted you?

As the president of NUTV, I’ve helped create a student filmmaking community at Northeastern. This community is also where I’ve made most of my friends and creative partnerships. On a broader level, the arts have largely informed my personality and what career I hope to pursue.

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As an aspiring filmmaker, what are a few goals you want to accomplish?

Why is it important for you to teach video production techniques and develop a community through NUTV? It’s important for me personally because I’ve benefited from the community at NUTV so much. When I first joined, I was a very intermediate-level filmmaker. I knew how to use a camera and edit but had never worked on anything narrative. I learned a lot from just observing other people and was lucky to befriend members whose work I really admired, and those people were instrumental in helping me develop not only my technical skills, but also my voice and style when it came to filmmaking. Given how much I got out of the club, it only feels right to give that back to new members as much as possible. Additionally, the people I’ve met through NUTV have truly been some of my closest friends in college, and I know how important it is for people to find a space where they can feel comfortable as themselves and as creators, especially since making art with people can be a very vulnerable experience, so fostering that kind of community was also very important to me.

I have two ideas currently for feature-length films I want to write and direct, but I have no experience writing a screenplay that long, so I’m in no rush to do those things just yet.

In addition to that, I want to be a producer and help other people execute their ideas.

I’ve found that that is really one of my favorite parts of being in NUTV, just helping other people put together a video of which they can be proud.

What have you learned from being the president of one of the most popular artsfocused clubs on campus?

A lot! I think the most important and universal lesson I’ve learned is just to clearly communicate your own goals as a leader, so that your fellow e-board members understand your vision and everyone can be on the same page when it comes to making big decisions. Obviously this won’t always be possible, but in the cases where people have disagreements, hearing everyone out and trying to understand how to incorporate their ideas into what you see as “the big picture” can really be helpful. Other times, it’s more helpful to stand your ground in the decisions you’ve made and trust that it’s the best one for the club. Knowing when to use which approach is hard, but it helps when you have people on your e-board whose opinions you trust! Also, running a club is much harder than people give credit for. It’s essentially another job, and there are a lot of moving parts to consider.

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Impact Spring 2020

Want more Artistry?

Check out additional articles on our website!

Carmen at the Citizens Bank Opera House Photographer: Cali Cardenas

Kamasi Washington at Big Night Live Writer: Levi Kaplan Photographer: Cali Cardenas

The Times of Bill Cunningham Review Writer: Alex Sumas Illustrator: Nadia Naeem

Somnyama Ngonyama: Hail The Dark Lioness at the Hutchins Center Photographer: Alex Sumas

Women Take the Floor at the MFA Writer: Lily Elwood Photographer: Levi Kaplan

Help us share our story!

We are always looking for students with a passion for the arts to contribute to our publication!

Whether you’re a writer, designer, illustrator, or photographer, we want YOU to help us share our story!

Visit our website ArtistryMagazine.com, our Facebook Artistry Magazine, and our Instagram @artistrymagazine for more information.

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TI M I T PAC CT A P