Arts and Entertainment
By Hailey Mallah
Fall Show
Photo Courtesy of Jonah Mayer
This year’s fall production was Clue! Many of you are most likely familiar with this popular board game in which this show is going to be based off of. The plot of this play follows almost verbatim to that of the game, with a few changes- extra characters and interesting touches here and there. The play follows the mystery of a recent murder, taking unexpected turns on the journey to find out who the killer is. Blind Brook High School’s production of the show will take place
on Friday November 19 as well as Saturday November 20. There will be two separate casts for each of these shows, showcasing a bunch of different talents! While there are a good amount of freshmen and sophomores taking part in the play, the cast mainly consists of juniors and seniors. This year’s cast consists of 23 actors along with the helpful crew members. Playing one of the lead roles of Wadsworth is Kyle Grindstaff. He walks the audience through the story and acts
as a narrator. Wadsworth is a butler in this production. This year’s fall show will not contain any songs, or as stated in previous years, “There will be no music in this production, simply just a play.” (Aviella Kibel Grade 9) The entire cast and crew have been working extremely hard to make this play happen. Everyone in this production is extremely passionate about the play and has been devoting their hard work and time into this masterpiece. During the month of October practice was typically two days a week after school, yet moving into November the cast will be beginning to practice three days a week, plus every day during tech week. The props in this show are slightly different to other plays in previous years. While it is typical that the props be put on and off the stage, this year’s props stay on the stage entirely and act as the different rooms like in the original board game. These props will be highlighted with lighting, which is
a key component to this set. There will be different portions of the stage that act as the rooms typically seen in the board game. This makes that set unusual and excit ing because instead of the changing set, different parts are brought focus to. As for COVID protocols, the play has returned almost back to normal this year, apart from the standard mask wearing in practices. There were allowed to be the typical auditioning process, along with call backs. The pl-ay will be in person and students and parents alike will be able to attend. The play is also the same time of year it normally is and did not need to be pushed back at all. Later this year in the spring the actors will be producing a musical as usual. The students and teachers alike have put in so much work to make this show incredible, and I’m sure it will be truly amazing. We are so excited to see this year’s annual fall show and know it will be spectacular!
Squid Game: Transformation Through Dubbing By Olivia Zahl
Photo Courtesy of Netflix
Squid Game, a Korean TV series, started streaming on September 17, 2021. Just 4 days later, it hit the number 1 spot on Netflix. Squid Game follows a group of extremely poor and indebted people in South Korea. They are suddenly given a mysterious opportunity to win money. With this, they enter a tournament where they have to play childhood games. What they do not know is that losing a game equates to death. These people are desperate, however, and they continue in the tournament at all costs to win the prize money in the end. It is strange to think that a non-English language series has become so popular. Why has Squid Game become such a hit? Audiences are captivated by the thrill and violence within the show. Also, audiences become quickly connected with the characters. We learn the ins and outs of their lives and sym
pathize with them. Watching them participate in the games and face death at every corner is extremely entertaining and nail-biting. Moreover, this series presents many prevalent social issues. It implements problems such as poverty, debt, social-class differences, and violence. These are problems that we face and deal with in our everyday lives, so, when portrayed in the show, it grips and engages the audience. However, since Squid Game was dubbed to English, the way we perceive the show may not be totally authentic. A lot of controversy has sparked over the fact that there are clear misinterpretations in our English version from the initial Korean version of Squid Game. For example, there is an instance in the show where a character is trying to prove her intelligence. She says, “I’m not a genius, but I still got it worked
Photo Courtesy of Emily Tian
out. Huh.” This is the English translation, which is close but not one hundred percent. The real line is, “I am very smart. I just never got a chance to study.” The translation is similar if you pick apart the line word for word, but the meanings of these lines are completely different and portray unequal ideas. The issue with this alteration is that the English-speaking audience is misunderstanding Korean culture. The initial intent was to explain the unfortunate circumstances for poor Koreans. They may have a lot of potential for success, but without any money they are incapable of taking next steps. The English version of this line does not illustrate that idea whatsoever. There are many other instances like this one,
where the English translation is slightly tweaked from the original dialogue. Our perception of characters and their personalities, our understanding of Korean culture, and the significance behind the show itself has all been altered. Due to dubbing, the Netflix series has triggered a lot of debate and disagreement. Squid Game has been transformed as there are countless ways to interpret the show. Squid Game is definitely a bit disturbing, but it is engaging and compelling. I would absolutely recommend this show. But, in order to get the real and full Squid Game experience, look out for erroneous dubbing and do not believe something just because it is what the subtitle says. 16
