The Heights, Arts Fest 2023

BC Celebrates 25th Arts Fest

BY JOSIE MCNEILL Arts Editor

On the last weekend of April each year, Boston College students can hear music blaring throughout campus from a large white tent that suddenly pops up on O’Neill Plaza each spring. Paintings hang on makeshift gallery walls in Robsham eater and Devlin Hall, and students set up arts-oriented activities on Stokes Lawn. All are a part of BC’s annual Arts Festival, organized by the Boston College Arts Council.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for art and performance groups, especially because the arts on campus aren’t always the most visible,” Emily DeVito, volunteer coordinator for Arts Council and MCAS ’24, said. “So at the Arts Council, we work to advocate, enhance, and increase visibility for the arts on campus.”

is year marks the 25th anniversary of Arts Fest. e festival started in 1999 during a time when the University was aiming to promote the arts more on campus, according to Je rey Howe, the rst chair of Arts Council and professor emeritus of art history at BC. e University created Arts Council in 1997 and the McMullen

Museum of Art in 1993, so Howe said that creating an arts festival was an organic next step.

“ e suggestion came up very early to have an arts festival because one thing that all the talented students at BC were missing was showcase, especially dance and music,” Howe said.

“We had the new museum, relatively new at that point … so it seemed like a nice synergy coming together.”

Howe said Arts Fest was originally a one-day event, but since its popularity grew each year, Arts Council expanded it due to the amount of groups that wanted to perform. He said he knew the event became an integral part of the BC experience after the fth Arts Fest.

“But, you know, we realized that [at] ve years, we were already a tradition because every student had never known the campus without an arts festival,” Howe said. “Because normally [after] four years, you’re gone. So, the fth year, we said, ‘Wow, we’ve done it. We’ve made this something that will last.’ And here it is—25 years on and it’s still going strong.”

According to Kara Robbins, Arts Council program director and Arts Festival coordinator, the festival

looks a lot di erent now than it did when it rst started, especially because BC’s campus looked very di erent in 1999.

“O’Neill Plaza looks different, like the stairs were in di erent places,” Robbins said. “Stokes Lawn wasn’t there, and it was this big expanse called the dust bowl. … ere was always a tent on O’Neill, but then [there were] a lot of outdoor sculptures and there weren’t any sides to the tent yet and there wasn’t as much grass … but I just remember it being busy and fun.”

According to Robbins, outdoor sculptures and hands-on demonstrations used to be a large part of Arts Fest and were pioneered by Mark Cooper, a professor in the studio art department.

Cooper said that for the rst Arts Fest—and for many of the ones following—he orchestrated a collaborative sculpture project where students from all disciplines helped paint images to collage onto a big project. ese sculptures can now be seen in Robsham, the staircase in O’Neill, and in the entrance to the Arts Council o ces in Rubenstein Hall.

“I think, no matter what your discipline, you’re in the School of Nursing, if you’re in, you know, management, if you’re in engineering, if you’re in science, you need to think creatively to solve problems,” Cooper said. “And I think art is a place where one sort of ts your 10,000 hours of practice.”

This project later shifted to a collaborative ceramics project where students could display the work they did in class on shelves around campus. Cooper also oversaw an activity where students could make their own ceramics outside. Likewise, Crystal Tiala, Arts Council chair and scenic designer, said she used to run an activity where students could help paint theatre sets during Arts Fest.

Although Arts Fest events have become more observational in past years and less hands-on, Robbins said that attendees still fully immerse themselves in the arts at Arts Fest.

“When you’re participating in that, even if you’re just watching something, somebody do it, you know, it’s still this amazing way to be able to empathize beyond ways we might be able to otherwise,” Robbins said. “So yes, they’re watching, but I really hope they’re also feeling some inspiration and not … on a phone and, you know, just like taking it in.”

Cooper attributed this shift from hands-on demonstrations to more sitdown performances to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 24th Annual Arts Fest in 2022 was the rst time the event was held fully in person since 2019. e event was held virtually in 2020 and in a hybrid format in 2021. When Arts Fest returned in person in 2022, only the Class of 2022—who were then seniors—had experienced a fully in-person event before.

Tiala said because of this, participation rates at the festival have been lower in recent years than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic and even 20 years ago. Tiala said this year in particular, Arts Council has focused on getting students back to being very involved with the event.

“We didn’t have the participation we did like four years earlier, which is why that sort of goal this year is to really get back to that really vibrant, full participation,” Tiala said.

Robbins said another goal Arts Council has is to not only to get more students to come out and enjoy Arts Fest, but to have a more diverse array of students and activities featured in the event in the future.

As part of this initiative, Robbins said Arts Council introduced the Culture Showcase this year, which will feature various cultural clubs and performers, including Chinese Students Association, Korean Students Association, Masti, and more.

“My hope is that we have greater collaboration among our groups and that everyone feels that they have a voice and some input into making this festival something really unique and really special,” Robbins said. “I love our traditional events and am sure a lot of them will stand the test of time, but I’m really interested to see what else students can do and to give them a safe space to experiment with it a little bit. I think we really could do some amazing things.”

Michalczyk’s Newest Film to Premiere

BY LEAH STITZEL Heights Staff

Nearly seven years ago in 2016, Lou Montgomery: A Legacy Restored premiered at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Mass.

The film, produced by Boston College professors Susan Michalczyk and John Michalczyk, unpacks the legacy of Lou Montgomery, BC’s first Black student-athlete. It follows Montgomery from his childhood in his hometown of Brockton, Mass. to his time playing for BC football.

Lou Montgomery: His Story is Our Story is a continuation of Montgomery’s story and exploration of his impact on the school’s conversations surrounding race, past and present, will premiere at the 25th Annual Arts Festival on Thursday, April 27 at 5:30 p.m. in Devlin 026.

So what’s changed since 2016?

For Susan Michalczyk, a literature and film professor in the Woods College of Advancing Studies, the decision to expand the story into a second film began when she was asked to write

a chapter on Montgomery for a book about Black athletes in Boston.

“In doing the research for writing the chapter, I kept going back to Brockton and looking at research,” she said, “I was then able to connect with another BC alum, a sociologist and professor at the historical society of Brockton, and he had all this information that we never had in the first documentary.”

Michalczyk said once she learned more about Montgomery’s story, the decision to make a second film made sense.

“We needed, really, to remind people of Lou’s story, and to push for more recognition,” Michalczyk said. “And this time around, I was able to get some of the athletic directors on board, some of the current football players, and then a slew of former football players to interview and then to narrate the film.”

Two of the current football players Michalczyk interviewed for the film were Taji Johnson, LSEHD ’23, and Nick Thomas, CSOM ’25.

Michalczyk said she has worked with students on film projects in the past, using student compositions to score her films or interviewing them to get a unique perspective.

Thomas said he became involved with Lou Montgomery: His Story is Our Story after taking a class with Michalczyk last spring and having conversations with her about his experiences as a Black man at BC.

“When this was coming out, she reached out to me right away and said, ‘I would love for you to be in this, and to talk for yourself, and for everybody to see where you’re coming from,’” Thomas said. “Once she told me that, I needed to do it, it felt like.”

Johnson’s experience was similar. “I felt like it was the right thing to do, because it’s me being a voice for the people that don’t really get to be heard that way, the way that they should be,” he said.

According to Michalczyk, a voice is exactly what this film aims to provide, for both Lou Montgomery and for anyone

confronting prejudice in any community, including BC. Michalczyk’s research does not just focus on Montgomery and his experience with racism at BC, but present-day issues that go beyond one program or one school.

In 1940, BC made it to the Sugar Bowl, but Montgomery was told to stay behind because he was one of the only Black players.

“He stayed here,” Michalczyk said. “And they went off to play the game. And that’s the reason I’m doing it … the research shows he spent his entire life giving of himself.”

Michalczyk said the film was produced to spark the kind of difficult conversations often encouraged at BC, and to give students an example of a student who was a leader despite adversity and profound discrimination.

“Film is one of those media that allows for uncomfortable conversations to happen,” Michalczyk said. “You read about in the book, it’s hard, but if you’ve got the music playing, seeing the pictures, it allows for awkward discussions, uncomfortable conversation to

happen. We’re trying to show the kids that college kids talk about racism, and BC football players are talking about racism. I think it’s time.”

The film’s interviews with historians, athletic leaders, and alumni are supplemented by interviews with current BC athletes like Johnson and Thomas. Both expressed their hopes for the film’s impact at BC regarding race and why they were compelled to contribute.

“When you talk about something that you really care about it just comes off naturally, because it’s something that you lived and experienced personally,” Johnson said. “It felt necessary, and it felt comfortable to me.”

The film demonstrates how these conversations may feel uncomfortable but are necessary if communities want to progress toward real equality and respect. Honoring Montgomery’s legacy at BC is one way that movement can begin.

The screening will include a panel discussion following the film.

VIKRUM SINGH / HEIGHTS EDITOR

CAROLINE CANNON / HEIGHTS STAFF

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEIGHTS ARCHIVES

BC’s Best: A Look Into the Competitors

By Sofía Torres / Asst. Arts Editor

Once a year, Boston College brings together its student musicians, from hard rock to indie, to determine who is BC’s best music act. BC’s Best is an annual competition during Arts Fest that determines the opening act for Modstock, a concert that takes place on the last day of classes. e competitors of BC’s Best are the top three winners of both Music Guild’s Battle of the Bands and singer-songwriter competition.

Reigning Scarlet

In September of 2022, Daniel Kabanovsky, bassist and MCAS ’24, and Ian Bourgin, rhythm guitarist and MCAS ’25, met in a music class at Boston College. ey connected with a similar music taste and the mutual desire to start a band, Bourgin said.

Soon after, Kabanovsky recruited Colin Cui, lead guitarist and MCAS ’25, after watching him perform at an open mic event. He found Jack Daggenhurst, drummer and MCAS ’24, through the recommendation of a Music Guild e-board member. Finally, Alexandra Bates, lead singer, main songwriter, and

MCAS ’26, joined the band through an audition the band held in search of a singer.

Reigning Scarlet is the new kid on the block at BC. It is a band with no xed genre, mainly mixing hard rock, alternative, and even blues, which Cui sums up as a “beautiful mess.”

With suggestions ranging from In nite Blue, inspired by Kabanovsky’s obsession with the color, to Infinite Head, Bourgin said the band brainstormed through a set of names until settling on Reigning Scarlet during a dinner at Carney’s dining hall in McElroy Commons. According to Cui,

the name Reigning Scarlet re ects the band’s neo-classical focus.

“Expect very loud drums, very loud music, de nitely a lot of energy that hopefully the crowd will re ect as well,” Cui said about the band’s upcoming performance at BC’s Best.

Reigning Scarlet will be performing its full discography, which includes three originals that are not yet available on streaming services: “Serotonin Summer,” a single that will most likely be titled “Nightmares,” and another that will most likely be titled “Neoclassical,” according to the band, according to Cui.

Uncommonwealth

Uncommonwealth, a student band formed in 2020, will participate for its third and likely nal time at this year’s edition of BC’s Best.

“ is event has been one of the most important things for all of us in our BC careers and it may be coming to an end relatively soon because our bassist [Spencer Bono, CSOM’23] graduates this year, so it’s gonna be di cult to keep everyone together,” Ben Austen, guitarist and singer and MCAS ’24, said.

According to Austen, his freshman year in 2020 was a di cult time

Jamsexual

Last year, Jamsexual had been together as a full group for only two months when it performed at BC’s Best. It was also the band’s first time performing in public with bassist Michael McKane, MCAS ’25.

This time around, the band has been together for a year—and in that year, it has solidified what Jamsexual is all about.

“We realized what’s important, like the kinds of aspects that

we want to bring to a show, you know,” Gabriel Biagi, lead singer and MCAS ’25, said. “We want to get people excited, get people enjoying what we’re doing, get people moving, and get people engaged.”

“Nowhere to Go” and “Nice to Know You (Enjoy the Ride)” are Jamsexual’s newest singles, and the band will perform them both at BC’s Best in addition to one or two other new singles, according to Biagi.

The band, composed of McKane; Biagi; Patrick Kelly, guitarist and MCAS ’24; John Regis, guitarist and MCAS ’24; Ryan Barcy, keyboard player and MCAS ’25; and Michael Castellano, drummer and MCAS ’25; said it is looking forward to recording its music. Jamsexual’s long-time goal of releasing its music on streaming services will hopefully be met before each band member heads home for Summer Break, according to Biagi.

Julia Piccard

Julia Piccard, a singer-songwriter and MCAS ‘26, said she started writing songs during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, posting her music on TikTok and quickly gaining an audience that prompted her to continue making music.

Currently, her covers and originals are streaming on all platforms, including on Spotify

to meet people because of COVID-19 precautions. Austen recalled sitting alone outside, playing his guitar in the hope that someone would join him. Eventually, Cole Dumas, guitarist and MCAS ’24, and Tommy Lynn, lead singer, guitarist, and CSOM ’24 did. is was the start of Uncommonwealth.

During these last three years, Austen said Uncommonwealth has gone through ups and downs as a band, all of which have resulted in its strengthened bond. The band has taken a new turn in songwriting, leaning more toward hard rock and

even experimenting with indie-pop, according to Austen. For this year’s performance, the band will return to its first round of originals, including a fan favorite “Phoenix from Mars,” and play its newest single “What I Want,” released in February 2023.

“We really want to just use this as an opportunity to connect with all the fans that have given us support over the past three years, and, you know, give them another memory of our band and the songs that they’ve come to know pretty well,” Austen said.

Blake Mongno, a singer-songwriter and WCAS ’23, has been singing her entire life.

But it was during her sophomore year of high school when she started writing original songs, inspired by acoustic songwriters such as Lizzy McAlpine, Taylor Swift, and Annika Bennett.

Six years later, under the

e Artist’s Journey

Hear a talk from Cameron Esposito, BC ’04; Betsi Graves, BC ’04; and Lulu Wang, BC ’05; about their careers in the arts at “Laughing, Moving and Sharing” on April 28 at 3 p.m. in Gasson 100.

indie folk genre, Mongno has dedicated her time outside of classses at BC—as well as her communications and marketing career path— to record and release her music on Spotify, TikTok, Youtube, and Instagram.

In April of 2022, Mongno released her single “Impression” on streaming services.

But for her performance at

BC’s Best, she will be singing unreleased songs that will be part of her upcoming EP, Impression , which will be released by the end of the semester.

Mongno describes her style as being an “acoustic singer-songwriter” and said she expects her performance at BC’s Best to have “lyrics that people will be able to relate to.”

CARAMEL

Angus Williams, MCAS ’25, will immerse himself into his stage persona again for his performance as CARAMEL at BC’s Best. Having recently performed in a sold-out Conte Forum at intermission of ALC Showdown, CARAMEL has made sure that BC students have heard his name. “I love performing,” CARAMEL said. “ at’s one of my favorite

as a verified artist with over 6,000 monthly listeners. She has accumulated experiences as a performer in her high school, at BC, and even at a The Red Room at Cafe 939 at Berklee College of Music on March 1.

“I’m most excited about the experience, honestly, and doing another performance at BC that isn’t just an open mic in the Rat,” Piccard said. “I think it’d be really

cool to perform for a different demographic.”

Piccard has not finalized her setlist yet, but she said she will be performing mostly originals as well as her indie-folk version of Taylor Swift’s “Me!” which she released on Spotify on Dec. 23, 2022 and already has over 80,000 listens. She also said she will most likely play a Phoebe Bridgers cover.

things, to be in front of a group of people, bring them together, and listen to work I’ve been practicing for a long time.”

CARAMEL also organized and performed in the Living in Color events during Black History Month that aimed to promote Black art on campus.

On April 16, the day of his birthday, the singer-songwriter released his rst EP, Roadtrip: Seatbelt Warn-

Event Highlights

Screen Printing for Social Change

Screen print a tote bag or t-shirt with BC clubs that work toward diversity, equity, and inclusion, with help from e Hatchery on April 28 at 12 p.m. on Stokes Lawn.

Arts Walk

View student-produced artwork hanging in Robsham Theater, Devlin Hall, and Gallery 203 in Carney Hall from April 27 at 12 p.m. until April 29 at 9 p.m.

Dancing with bOp!

Watch BC dance teams, such as AeroK and UPrising, perform to live music played by BC bOp! on April 29 at 8 p.m. in the Main Tent on O’Neill Plaza.

ing, on all streaming services. e album is composed of his most popular single “GONE BY THE MORNING,” along with “007 ROMANCE (Hold On),” “SCHIZO,” and “HABITUAL.”

At BC’s Best, CARAMEL said will sing “GONE BY THE MORNING” and two unreleased songs that he said he wrote in high school and are very important to him: “Cool Thoughts”—the song title is not finalized—and “Human.”

Culture Showcase

Watch some of BC artists and performing groups, including Masti, KSA, and CARAMEL, put on cultural performances on April 28 at 8 p.m. in the Main Tent on O’Neill Plaza.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BROOKE OLSEN AND ARTS COUNCIL

Blake Mongno

PHOTO COURTESY OF BROOKE OLSEN AND ARTS COUNCIL

PHOTO COURTESY OF BROOKE OLSEN AND ARTS COUNCIL

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE WEI AND ARTS COUNCIL

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE WEI AND ARTS COUNCIL

VIKRUM SINGH / HEIGHTS EDITOR

Students To Sell Artwork at Fair

BY PATERSON TRAN Assoc. Arts Editor

In between balancing classes, work, and extracurricular activities, some students on Boston College’s campus kindle their creative outlets through art.

JACK WEYNAND / HEIGHTS STAFF

Waaw Waaw BC Honors West African Traditions

BY JACK WEYNAND Heights Staff

Some nights, on the fourth oor of Lyons Hall, rhythmic drumming can be heard echoing throughout the hallways. ere are di erent layers in the music—multiple rhythms work with each other to create a uni ed song. Voices chanting “waaw waaw” accompany the music as the drumming dies down. is music comes from Waaw Waaw BC, a West African drumming ensemble open to all students to learn and perform the Sabar drum style, which hails from Senegal.

“ is is the rst African ensemble [we’ve] had at BC,” Timothy Mangin, co-director of Waaw Waaw and assistant professor in the music department, said. “Africa is underrepresented in the curriculum. So it’s a way to show a living, vital cultural tradition.”

Waaw Waaw will perform at the 25th Annual Arts Festival on April 29 at O’Neill Plaza. While multiple music groups will perform throughout Arts Fest, the history and culture behind Waaw Waaw di erentiate it from other ensembles at Boston College, according to Mangin.

“We play rhythms and those are what people usually dance to,” Mangin said. “And then there’s something called a bakk, which is a composition from an elder.”

Waaw Waaw is currently preparing four rhythms featuring bakks. Each rhythm has a rich cultural history behind it, dating back to as early as the 12th century. One of the rhythms is called Baar MBaye.

“It’s beautiful when you see it danced by women, especially elder women, when they dance,” Mangin said. “It is very graceful and beautiful.”

Lamine Touré, instructor and master drummer for the group, is a member of one of Senegal’s oldest griot families. According to Mangin,

this means that it is Touré’s family’s responsibility to ensure that the traditions, histories, and stories of his people are maintained and upheld to withstand the test of time. is often comes in the form of the group’s drum music.

One of the rhythms that Waaw Waaw is practicing, called Nsupp, has a special meaning in Sereer culture. Nsupp is played to a certain individual in order to honor them, according to Touré.

“A long time ago they worked together, like farming,” Touré said.

“ ey like to play, the women, so that can give them energy. So if you’re a hard worker, I can play Nsupp to honor you.” roughout rehearsals, Touré will say the words “waaw waaw,” which means “good job” or “excellent” in the Wolof tradition. Touré said he says these words in order to create a supportive environment where mistakes can be easily mended with more practice.

Touré runs through beats multiple times to ensure that all students understand the rhythm and the hand coordination needed to play each one.

e drumming itself is called Sabar, which refers to a single drum or a group of drums together. Craftsmen called lawbe create the sabar drums from either dimb or baawbaab, which are hard materials that help create the drum’s echo. Once the drum is created, members of the griot families, like Touré, have the responsibility of putting the drums together with a goatskin drumhead.

ere are numerous di erent types of drums, each with the ability to make di erent types of tones and noises that contribute to the diverse sounds in the Waaw Waaw BC ensemble. Ben Hetherington, a student in the drum ensemble and MCAS ’23, said he joined Waaw Waaw BC because he wanted to learn both about music and African culture.

“I was interested in learning

how to play drums because I didn’t have any experience,” Hetherington said. “I also study Africa. Like I’m an international studies major and so it’s always interesting to me.”

Hetherington said that getting to perform at Showdown this past year with Waaw Waaw was one of the most exciting performances he has had in the group.

According to Mangin, the drum ensemble also played at the annual African Student Organization Fashion Show. Mangin said other venues around New England have also invited Waaw Waaw to perform. e group takes in teachers, students, or alumni at any level of experience. For Waaw Waaw, its goal is to preserve culture and foster a sense of community. e group aims to ensure that every person feels included in Waaw Waaw.

“ In the previous semesters, we’ve had an equal amount of women and men,” Mangin said. “People from South America and Mexico, Africa, Europe, Middle East, Asia, people from really all over.”

Hetherington said that being in a club like Waaw Waaw at BC allows him to get out of his comfort zone.

“Basically, from my perspective, like you look at a serious, typical like BC students that are like, from like Connecticut or New Jersey and like a lot of like nance majors, guys that have names like Ben Hetherington,” Hetherington said. “I just feel like it’s just like a great way to kind of get out of your comfort zone and be exposed to something like di erent than that.”

For any new members to Waaw Waaw, Touré stressed that community was at the core of the drum ensemble.

“We just have to be patient, but with Sabar, people can really relax,” Touré said. “ e answer is to help each other, bring people together, check the stress out, and recharge.”

e Maker Art and Craft Sale will return at the 25th Annual Boston College Arts Festival, organized by the Boston College Arts Council. Student vendors will showcase goods ranging from handmade jewelry to photography prints in the Rat on April 29 from 12 to 5 p.m.

“I’m honestly really excited to talk to people about my process and why I picked up crocheting, sewing, and embroidery,” Natasha Serfaty, MCAS ’25, said. “I’m really excited to meet all the people who walk by and have questions.”

Serfaty specializes in crocheted items. She said she was inspired to sell at the event after attending last year’s event and seeing her friend vend. Of the wide range of items she creates, customers could expect beanies, ngerless gloves, and leg warmers to be displayed on her table during the event, according to Serfaty.

Serfaty also has a business Instagram account and website to display the clothing and crafts she has made for her friends.

Like Serfaty, Matthew Kirven, CSOM ’24, took his hobby to the next level by starting a small business. rough his business, Upper Limit Films, Kirven sells prints of photos he has taken on trips across the world. Kirven said he plans on selling photos he took while traveling during his time studying abroad last semester.

“A lot of [the prints] were taken when I was backpacking in the mountains, so there’s a lot of di erent mountain shots,” Kirven said. “One of my favorites is called ‘Above the Void,’ and it’s this photo of a mountain and clouds emerging, so it’s peeking out above this sea of clouds.”

Behind the scenes of Kirven’s prints are a multitude of hectic and risky stories that contextualize the shots’ signicance to his journey in photography. Kirven recounted his e ort in taking “ e Night Mirage,” a photo that will also be featured at the Arts Walk.

“I slept in my car for maybe three nights in that parking lot,”

Kirven said. “And I think I did the hike ve times just for the shot but it was a really cool experience because I saw the Northern Lights. … ere’s a light show moment where they kind of go o and there were a couple other photographers on nearby peaks, and they were shouting and whooping when that happened. So it’s kind of a surreal experience.”

According to Kirven, all of the pro ts he makes at the Maker Art and Craft Sale will go to Nazareth Orphanage, an organization that is currently fundraising the building of a girls’ dormitory in Tecate, Mexico. e event will also host student artists who are looking to show their talent and creativity with di erent mediums than photography. is will include linocut cards and prints from original watercolor, oil, and pastel paintings, according to Arts Council’s Instagram.

Sadia Tanzem, MCAS ’26, will bring her nature-inspired watercolor and pastel works to sell alongside other student vendors. ese works will include plants and animals, including one of a monarch butter y and others of Mustang horses, according to Tanzem.

Tanzem participated in the Arts Council’s Holiday Craft Fair on Dec. 10, 2022. She said she owes both the free time she’s had since nishing instructive art classes and BC’s supportive art community for allowing her to continue making art and vending.

“I took art classes from third grade up until early high school,” Tanzem said. “I do think I’ve been exploring di erent mediums and using it as more of a fun creative hobby … previously it has felt more like something that I had to do.”

Students like Tanzem, Kirven, and Serfaty are just a few of the many students that will be showcasing their talent, hard work, and love for art at Arts Fest. Products from the vendors shine a light on one of the speci c ways BC students create and foster an artistic community on campus.

“I really enjoy being able to sell and get my art up there, to get feedback from our community and see [other art] in general, so I am excited to get the chance to do that again,” Tanzem said.

Pinkham Revisits BC and ‘Candide’

BY SOFIA TORRES

Asst. Arts Editor

When actor and singer Bryce Pinkham, BC ’05, was in rst grade, his teacher called his parents into a conference to tell them that they needed to nd an outlet for their son’s “reckless creativity.”

is conference inspired the name of the course Pinkham is currently teaching at Boston College as the visiting Monan professor in theatre arts: Reckless Creativity and e Physical Actor.

e outlet that Pinkham’s parents found for him was theatre performance, a hobby that led him to double major in communication and theatre at BC and continue to pursue a professional career as an actor and director after college, Pinkham said.

“I just sort of got the bug and took my hobby all the way to BC where I spent a lot of time in … theatre when I was a student,” Pinkham said. “And like the students that I’m directing now, you know, I was there late hours working on di erent projects and putting all of my creative en-

ergy and reckless creativity into those projects. And that’s part of the reason I was thrilled to be asked to come back and work with students, now as a professional actor, and director.”

As a part of his return to campus, Pinkham is revisiting Candide, a play he was involved in when he was a student at BC. But this time, he will play the role of director rather than cast member.

Candide will run on the Robsham eater mainstage from April 26 to 29 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 30 at 2 p.m. Based on Voltaire’s novel of the same name, the theatre department’s production of Candide is an adapted operetta and satirical play that has been transformed by Pinkham and his students.

“What they’ll end up performing during Arts Fest will be something that is truly theirs,” Pinkham said. “ ey’ve taken this, you know, dusty old show and they’ve made it their own, and the production I think, celebrates the performers as much as the show.”

According to Pinkham, most of his cast members are students in his

“Reckless Creativity and e Physical Actor” course, which allows him to see the students working to bring the ideas and lessons they’ve learned in class to life in the production.

“[Pinkham] is open to all ideas,” Elisa Falanga, Candide cast member, student of Pinkham, and MCAS ’23, said. “Candide is a really old play and has been put on many di erent times, but it’s interesting how we’ve been able to put it on in a new way.”

Pinkham said Candide follows the story of students who discover the incompatibility of the real world through their education. In school, the students were taught that everything happens for a reason, but as they face a chaotic world full of war, natural disasters, and senseless pain, this philosophy begins to con ict with their reality.

“I felt like Candide was a good choice because it’s about these students learning something about the outside world and that felt like in part what my role is this semester,” Pinkham said. “To kind of bring a bit of the profession and the outside world from a knowing place.”

e message of the play is pretty simple, according to Pinkham. “Happiness is proven to be somewhat elusive throughout human history, and the best chance that Voltaire sees for us to retain happiness is to work with the things that are in front of us, the people that are around us,” Pinkham said.

e production of the play reects this message, as Pinkham’s cast of 16 students has the opportunity to showcase what they learned in class in a real-life execution. rough putting the play together, these students have had big ideas that have fallen at on their faces, Pinkham said. But according to Pinkham, despite the di culty of the play and the challenges it has faced, the cast has found the struggles—and the creative solutions they have been forced to use in response to these struggles—rewarding.

“ e technical aspects of the play are very ambitious,” Diana Marsan, cast member and MCAS ’25, said. “ e characters play multiple roles at once, and even physical objects like water or a sheep. It’s a fun

challenge.”

Marsan, who has participated in three plays at BC, joined Candide to learn more about comedic theatre, she said. Marsan said as a student of Pinkham, she has come to appreciate the way that Pinkham makes people laugh.

“Bryce’s goal is to make joyful theatre,” Marsan said. “He makes people laugh in the rehearsal room and there are moments where everybody bursts out laughing.”

Meanwhile, Falanga said that preparing for the play has challenged her and made her grow as a singer.

“ is role is high soprano so it’s de nitely been a challenge,” Falanga said. “I love engaging in new ways of singing so that’s been a di cult but rewarding opportunity because I’ve been able to grow as a singer.”

e last line of the play encapsulates the mentality that Pinkham’s students have adopted throughout the production of Candide, according to Pinkham.

“‘We’re neither pure nor wise nor good, we’ll do the best we know,’” Pinkham quoted from Candide.