May 2020
BOLD SOUNDS: p.5 DUCHESS OF DELICIOUS: p.8 MJ AND MEDILL: p.12 HARRIER TAKES HOLLYWOOD: p.16 MAY THE FINALE BE WITH YOU: p.18
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COVERING CORONAVIRUS
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CONTENTS Staff of The Monthly
Bold Sounds
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Duchess of Delicious
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From Jones Dorm to the Magnificent Mile
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MJ and Medill
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Q&A: John Krasinski
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Harrier Takes Hollywood
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May the Finale be with you
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Open Tab
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Reel Thoughts
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Liner Notes
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Issue 29
Wilson Chapman Monthly Editor Catherine Buchaniec Jacob Fulton Jordan Mangi Roxanne Panas Emma Ruck Carly Schulman Designers Catherine Buchaniec Gabriela Carroll Yunkyo Kim Zoe Malin Drew Schott Crystal Wall Charlotte Walsh Janea Wilson Writers Cover photo by Ben Schmoyer
Editor:
It’s been a weird two months: I’ve gone outside once every three weeks, haven’t seen someone I wasn’t related to outside of Zoom since early April and binge watched five seasons of “New Girl” in a disgustingly short amount of time (Cece and Schmidt 4evah!). Now that we are, more or less, adapted to the long haul of quarantine (aside from the moronic protestors), it’s been fascinating to watch how artists are operating and making content in a world that makes it difficult to create art in. We still have a pretty steady trickle of pre-quarantine content coming out, in the form of TV and movies and music. But increasingly, I’m finding myself more interested in art that was made during the weird times we’re living in, and how people have adapted to the limitations that have been placed on them. One of the main strategies that channels and companies have used to keep themselves afloat are virtual concerts that see A-listers perform from their couches, bathrooms, or bedrooms. ABC has aired not one, but two Disney singalongs that were mostly redundant but did give us that pretty sweet Ariana Grande rendition of the absolute best Disney song, “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)” (between that and her performance of “Still Hurting” from “The Last Five Years,” Ari is definitely my quarantine MVP). Tina Fey hosted a virtual telethon to raise money for charity group Robin Hood that featured performances from Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey, among others. And Lady Gaga organized perhaps the apex of the quarantine concert genre, the “One World: Together at Home” eight-hour livestream concert to raise money for the World Health Organization. These concerts aren’t exactly flawless: there’s a lot of fluff in them, a few genuinely bad performances by bad artists I hate (who invited Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello to the “Together at Home” concert?) and although the stripped down intimacy of watching an A-lister sing from the floor of their bathroom has some charm, it can grow tiresome and exhausting quickly. And yet, as I continue to tune into these concerts, I find that the flaws don’t take away from what make them special. There’s something comforting about watching incredibly talented people continue to do what they do best even at a time when it feels like nothing will ever be the same again, and there’s a corny but heartening “show must go on” energy to these concerts that a regular concert could never have. It’s the same with something like the three “Saturday Night Live” episodes produced after the cast had all fled to their homes in Los Angeles: the sketches were hit or miss, but there was something undeniably emotional about seeing the 40-year comedy institution remain undefeated. That’s not even getting into the measurable good these concerts have helped create in the world: Lady Gaga raised $127 million for WHO via the “Together at Home” concert. This week, I’m looking forward to Charli XCX’s new album “How I’m Feeling Now,” which she began recording during the pandemic, and created through a collaborative process where her fans gave input and feedback on demos and rough cuts she sends them. It’s a fascinating experiment, to capture the emotional mindset we’re in during this crazy ride, and the hustle of recording and releasing a whole album in two months or so simply must be respected. And her strong pre-release singles have inspired confidence that the project can successfully reach its goal of portraying how we’re all living right now. The coronavirus has made creating art difficult – but the efforts that have been taken show that what’s being made now isn’t any less important, or any less good.
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n the middle of Alex Banin’s first year at Northwestern, she became extremely sick and could not sing for an entire year. After getting her tonsils removed, she was able
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to sing again and realized how much she missed it. From that moment on, Banin dove into her music career, and she hasn’t looked back. Over the course of two years,
she has released music on Spotify, opened for Chicago native Mick Jenkins at this winter’s A&O Benefit concert and featured on rapper KOTA The Friend’s latest album. Now a se-
nior in SESP, Banin is dedicated to her music in a way she didn’t think was previously possible. Growing up, Banin enjoyed singing and songwriting, but never thought she was good at it.
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I had a lot of sessions with a lot of different people, to figure out what works and what doesn't work and at that whole time, I was still discovering my own sounds, still developing as an artist and I still am -SESP SENIOR Alex Banin As a Northwestern fencer who has trained for years, she didn’t have much time to spend practicing music. Yet she always found ways to write, even if it sometimes meant taking breaks during practice to do so. “Sometimes I have to go in the corner and type up a note on my phone or write something really quickly or just remember it until the end of practice, which would drive me nuts,” Banin said. ith the exception of a few piano lessons as a child, Banin is a self-taught artist. She describes her music as pop melodies paired with R&B vocals, and she draws inspiration from her three favorite musicians: Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill and Frank Ocean. While Banin said those artists have greatly influenced her sound, the types of music she listened to in certain phases of her life has helped to influence and evolve her writing style. Banin said she has many firsts in terms of the songs she’s created. There’s the first song she wrote when she was 12 years old, and the first one she released on SoundCloud. But she considers her first song to be “House Alone,” which she wrote in December 2017. “I played it live before, and it was kind of the first song that I (performed),” Banin said. “I was like ‘this is a real song, like this feels real. I showed it to people and they were like ‘this is a real song.’” “House Alone” was never recorded or
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produced, but Banin cites it as the song that really started her career. From there, she started working with Northwestern friends on music and found her way into the Chicago music scene. Banin began her music career as someone with very little performance experience, until last summer when she went to every open mic event she could to get over her performance anxiety. At those events, she met producers who helped her get into the studio, giving her the chance to fully produce her songs. “I had a lot of sessions with a lot of different people, to figure out what works and what doesn’t work and that whole time, I was still discovering my own sounds, still developing as an artist and I still am,” Banin said. She met a producer from Loop Theory, a music management and artist development agency. In fall 2019, Banin signed with Loop Theory and worked with them to produce her songs, as well as to shoot cover art and a music video. en Michael is a manager with Loop Theory and first met Alex when he shot the cover art for her single “Hollywood (No This Isn’t),” which she wrote in their studio alongside producers in an hour. Michael said the photoshoot went well in part because the two were able to feed off of each other’s energy and ideas. They went to an abandoned art building where they found
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a plastic bag on the ground. Banin insisted that they use it as a prop, winning over Michael, who thought it would be weird. He said the incident showed that Banin has a strong sense of what she wants, and is able to run with any idea. “She works incredibly hard all the time and is always trying to learn new stuff, and I don’t think she’ll ever stop progressing,” Michael said. “She is so unique and I think it’s going to be very easy for her, and already has been for her to create that niche fan base and that is easily going to lead to her being very successful.” n addition to making music, Banin also loves collaborating on the visual aspects of her work. For her single “Nightmare,” she shot and designed the cover art by collaging photos of herself and putting them onto mannequin heads. She then arranged them in an art building on campus and took the photos with her sister’s camera. According to her, the cover art is a visual representation of the song’s personal meaning to her. “‘Nightmare’ for me is a collage of my past manifesting in my dreams,” Banin said. “It’s all the parts of me in different times in my life.” Often, Banin collaborates with others on videos or photo shoots. Communication sophomore Lauren Washington worked with Banin on an impromptu shoot at the Loop Theory studio. There were several balloons around the studio, and Banin posed with them while Washington took photos. The shoot only lasted about 10
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minutes, but Washington said it was a great experience. ashington and Banin have discussed collaborating on a video and developing the concept together, and Washington said she is looking forward to working on it once stay-at-home orders are lifted. According to Washington, Banin is a very easy person to work with. “She has a really clear creative direction for herself and what she wants, so it’s really nice working with her,” Washington said. “She also has that kind of visual mind, so it’s not just me thinking of ideas. It’s a really easy collaboration.” Since the pandemic hit, Banin has changed her writing process, since her songs are based on her daily experiences and environment, which have changed drastically in the past few months. But even though she’s missed bouncing ideas off of producers while writing, the time alone has reminded her of how she wrote when she was younger. Banin said she’s been able to use this time to reflect on her goals and hopes to release music soon. anin plans to stay in Chicago after graduation to continue her career, with hopes of reaching a point where she can fully support herself with her music. Whether she performs her own songs or writes for other artists, Banin said she hopes to stick with the music industry in some way. “I just love it,” Banin said. “I feel really driven and I can’t imagine doing anything else.” ◊
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I just love it. I feel really driven and I can't imagine doing anything else -SESP SENIOR Alex Banin
Source: Lauren Washington
Duchess of Delicious NU alum modernizes cookware with her company, Great Jones
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Photo courtesy of Great Jones Illustrations by Emma Ruck
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fter years working as a food writer and editor for New York Magazine, Tishgart decided it was time to prioritize her own home cooking. The first step was to invest in new cookware, but between expensive prices, dozens of brands and too many materials to count, she quickly became overwhelmed. “It was a mess,” Tishgart said. “I couldn’t find something that fit my needs, and I had to get rid of the hand-me-downs my parents gave me for my first apartment.” Tishgart’s personal experience led her and her childhood friend Maddy Moelis to found Great Jones. The company sells ceramic or cast-iron nonstick cookware, including a sleek, bright blue sheet pan and a Dutch oven cheekily named “The Dutchess.” Together, the women raised capital, designed items and launched a business as first-time entrepreneurs in November 2018. Great Jones is now a household name in the home cooking community. It has been featured in publications like Vogue Magazine and Food & Wine. In 2019, Tishgart and Moelis were named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 List in the food and drink category. “I really got the idea because I felt like this was something I would report on,” Tishgart said. “I knew someone had to modernize this and it would explode as a cultural force.” Great Jones’ core demographic is millennials, the generation that the founders belong to themselves. Tishgart said while designing products, she and Moelis aim to solve their own consumer problems. The cookware is made to perform well and look visually
appealing, based on the belief that when people love their cookware and add it to the landscape of their kitchen, it makes them want to cook more. Drawing upon the community she established as a journalist, Tishgart said Great Jones looks to partner with individuals who promote kitchen confidence and cooking at home. Great Jones’ products have been used by Molly Yeh on her Food Network show “Girl Meets Farm,” which is filmed in her home kitchen. Alison Roman, cookbook author and columnist for the
intimidate them. “For years, we’ve seen marketing around cookware that says “Cook like a chef,’” Tishgart said. “But we’re seeing a moment right now where people want to make cooking feel less professionalized and competitive.” Cooking at home has experienced a huge rise in popularity since the coronavirus pandemic began. Forced to stay home and left without the option to dine out at restaurants, people are getting reacquainted with their stovetop and oven. According to Tishgart, the biggest barrier to cooking is time, and right now, people have more of it. Those who have never cooked before or who usually can’t spare an hour to stir and sauté are now finding happiness in creating dishes. Although the coronavirus pandemic has made cooking at home a necessity, Tishgart said its growing popularity is also due to a desire to learn new skill sets. Lauren Goldstein (Communication ’18) is using her free time during the pandemic to experiment with new recipes. She owns Great Jones pieces like the Dutchess, which she uses to make loaves of bread and soup. Goldstein said she recommends Great Jones’ cookware to everyone, and bought her mom a blue sheet pan – called the Holy Sheet – as a Hanukkah gift. She said she supports the company’s mission and admires its co-founders. “I love supporting small businesses, especially female-owned small businesses,” Goldstein said. “Great Jones does a great job connecting people in the culinary industry with home cooks.” Both during this uncertain time and in the future, Tishgart said she hopes Great Jones can be a companion to people in the kitchen. Her goal for the company has always been to make the experience of cooking more joyful, whether that’s with a shiny skillet or a scrumptious recipe out of their digital cookbook. “Cooking can be making an omelet,” said Tishgart. “That still counts. That’s still a beautiful thing.” ◊
“Cooking can be making an omelet. That still counts. That’s still a beautiful thing.” - Tishgart (Medill ‘12)
New York Times food section, is also a fan of the cookware, cooking with Great Jones pieces in videos for The New York Times Cooking YouTube channel, shot in her Brooklyn apartment. While partnering with people in the culinary world is important to Great Jones, Tishgart said the company is conscious not to feature chefs cooking in restaurants on its social media pages or website. She said the company and the products are geared towards a cooking at home experience, which is completely different from how one cooks in a professional environment. Tishgart wants to empower Great Jones’ customers to roll up their sleeves and make something delicious, not
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From Jones Dorm to the Magnificent Mile: Lookingglass Theatre Company builds community and inventive art through its unique ensemble-based approach The first ever Lookingglass Theatre Company production took place in the Jones Great Room. A group of Northwestern students, led by David Schwimmer (Communication ‘88), put on an experimental production of “Alice in Wonderland” in 1987, inspired by a similar production at NYU. The group took their “Alice in Wonderland” piece to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that summer, and afterwards they decided to found a theater company dedicated to the ensemblebased, physical style of the production. That company grew into Lookingglass Theatre Company. “The production was very, very theatrically inventive,” said Northwestern acting Prof. David Catlin, one of Lookingglass’ founding members. “We loved the kind of physical theater that we were doing, and that the underlying story had a literary source to it. We didn’t see any other companies in Chicago doing that kind of work, and so we decided to start a company.” The theater has since grown into a major
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player in the Chicago theater industry, winning the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 2011. Lookingglass is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing its ensemble members to reminisce on why the company became their artistic home. “There are lots of absolutely brilliant plays,” said Tony Award-winning director, frequent Lookingglass collaborator and performance studies Prof. Mary Zimmerman (Communication ‘82, ‘85, ‘94). “But if you heard them on the radio, you wouldn’t be missing much because what you’d be imagining is the kitchen or the living room or the backyard in which they are set. But in our shows, the physical manifestation image in the body is a bit more primary.” Zimmerman’s process is unique among Lookingglass directors. She pitches an idea, and writes the script for each day’s rehearsal the night before. This allows her to be more impulsive with her work, and to be influenced by the present moment. Because this development process can be relatively risky, Zimmerman said
by Gaby Carroll
collaborating with an acting ensemble familiar with her work and process helps nurture trust and a healthy environment. Kareem Bandealy, Lookingglass’ New Works Manager, said that in his role he encourages directors and adaptors to tell stories from outside the Western literature canon so they can bring more diverse voices into the room. He tells adapters to stray from the original material and get to the core of what the piece means to them to portray it more effectively in the new medium. “I remember watching David Catlin’s adaptation of ‘Moby Dick,’” Bandealy said. “It used to be so many characters, he excluded some from the book, but still it was this huge cast. Over time, he found the similarities between certain characters’ points of view and merged them into larger arcs. What I find most engaging in an adaptation is when I can hear the adapter in it, and you could tell he knew that material.” Longtime ensemble member Raymond Fox (Communication ‘89) said Lookingglass’
interest in combining performance studies and theater helps make for stronger adaptive work, and this interest is fueled by the number of company members who graduated from Northwestern’s theater program, which explores the intersection between the two fields. Because of Lookingglass’ established acting ensemble, Zimmerman said she often adapts work and creates characters based on the strengths of her actors. Instead of worrying about finding the perfect actor for a specific role, she said she can create, for example, singing roles for musically talented actors. The company’s ensemble plays a large role in the season-planning process, a role usually reserved for the artistic director in other theater companies. Ensemble members pitch projects and the artistic team and ensemble vote on which projects to develop. The ensemble also selects the artistic director, who holds the role for three years. Fox said Lookingglass tries to cultivate creativity and encourages ensemble members to pitch projects unlike anything the theater has done before and couldn’t be done at other theaters. Any project that has the physical and visual sensibilities that fit the theater’s mission can be in their season. “The assumption that underlies our ensemble ethic is that everyone is inherently creative,” said co-founding ensemble member
Andrew White (Communication ‘87). “Everyone has creative impulses and everyone is welcome to participate. Everyone in the group feels empowered to come up with an idea and bring it to the table and bring it forward. It just feels right.” Catlin said he sees Lookingglass as a community as much as it is an arts organization. Many members of the Lookingglass ensemble
COVID-19 pandemic, Catlin said the Zoom meetings the team has together remind him of the love and community he feels for not only the company members, but their families that they’ve seen grow over time. Lookingglass used to be an entirely volunteer operation, and many of those original volunteers still work for and are involved with the company, according to White. Despite the insecurity over how and when the theater will be able to resume programming, White hopes the willingness of its ensemble members to stand by the company and the love the group has for it will help it survive the pandemic. Many company members continue to return to Lookingglass even after they stop consistently participating in projects. White said the company, especially the founding members, have grown up together, and have experienced life together, making their personal and artistic relationships even more fulfilling. “The longevity itself is a reward,” White said. “Getting to know people, and having a group of friends for that long. For almost all of us, it’s been our longest relationship, far longer than marriages and many other friendships. It’s been this enduring constant. I love continually being amazed by my colleagues’ creativity and seeing them continue to come up with brilliant ideas.” ◊
The assumption that underlies our ensemble ethic is that everyone is inherently creative. - Andrew White (Communication ‘87)
have been with the company since its inception or early in its establishment. Fox has been in more than 10 productions of “Metamorphoses,” one of Lookingglass’ most famous and produced plays, during his time at the company, and he met his wife acting in the show. During the most recent revival of the play, Zimmerman put into the program that the show has resulted in three marriages and four children. Though the company is not together physically, having closed indefinitely due to the
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Three journalism professors share their experiences covering Michael Jordan-era Bulls in“The Last Dance”
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ollowing the opening title scene of episode one of “The Last Dance,” footage plays of the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls celebrating their fifth NBA title. As players cheer and confetti rains from the roof of the United Center, a voice Following the opening title scene of episode one of “The Last Dance,” footage plays of the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls celebrating their fifth NBA title. As players cheer and confetti rains from the roof of the United Center, a voice known to sports fans around the country says it was uncertain if the Bulls’ championship roster would return, despite winning their second
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consecutive title. Seconds later, a 25-year veteran of the sports journalism industry adds that the championship placed the Bulls back at the top of the NBA hierarchy. Michael Wilbon (Medill ’80) and J.A. Adande (Medill ’92) — two of the first interviewees featured in the ESPN 10-part docuseries — have more in common than their participation in Jason Hehir’s critically-acclaimed project. Before making their way to ESPN, the journalists covered the Bulls during Michael Jordan’s prime and the franchise’s six championships: Wilbon at The Washington Post, and Adande for the Chicago Sun-Times, The Post and The Los Angeles Times.
Both received degrees from Northwestern and Isaacson said she has enjoyed watching “The things because someone needed to explain these covered sports for The Daily as undergraduates. Last Dance” because it uses never-before-seen facts that help them get from one part of the Now, the two are professors at their alma mater. footage of the Bulls, including practices and documentary to another part.” “When people would think of Northwestern scrimmages. She added that the docuseries has A Chicago native, sports and a lack of national success, (they) created a flood of memories Wilbon credits wonder how the school could produce so many from her time reporting the 1970s Bulls He was easy to people in sports media,” Wilbon said. “Those on the team. teams with Jerry talk to, a great things are not mutually exclusive. We’ve always “I did realize how Sloan and Chet had that heavy flow from the college ranks into incredible it was,” Isaacson Walker for inspiring storyteller. He sports journalism.” said. “Watching Michael his love of basketball. loved the backAdande and Wilbon, as well as Medill Jordan and covering him After joining and-forth. He professor and former Chicago Tribune Bulls on a daily basis was… The Post, where he didn’t love it 24/7, beat writer Melissa Isaacson, provide analysis and the chance of a lifetime. I worked for three but he was great insight from their former journalistic positions was very aware of what was decades, one of in “The Last Dance.”The series follows Jordan’s unfolding and what I was Wilbon’s first at it. career with the Bulls, with a primary focus seeing and that it would be assignments - Michael Wilbon on the 1997-98 season, Jordan’s last with the something that I’d talk about was covering franchise that culminated in Chicago’s second for the rest of my life.” the Atlantic championship three-peat. During Jordan’s time on Coast Conference. During Wilbon’s first Adande, Isaacson and Wilbon were among the Bulls, Adande covered the team from three year covering the ACC, Jordan led conference more than 100 former NBA players, reporters, different time zones in five years. member UNC to the national title. coaches, Bulls executives and employees, and As a Bulls beat writer for the Sun-Times When Jordan entered the NBA in 1984, members of the Jordan family interviewed for the during the 1993-94 season, he reported on how Wilbon paid close attention to the sensational project. Two other Northwestern alumni appear the three-time defending champions performed rookie, but most of his reporting focused on the in the docuseries: current Bulls and Chicago without Jordan. At The Post, Adande wrote top teams of the mid-1980s, like Julius Erving’s White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf (School of about how power forward Dennis Rodman fit Philadelphia 76ers, Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics Law ’60) and Chicago Sun-Times columnist into the Bulls’ system and covered Chicago’s and Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers. Wilbon Rick Telander (Weinberg ’71). back-to-back finals victories in 1995-96 and said the Bulls did not become nationally relevant Isaacson, the Tribune’s lead Bulls beat writer 1996-97, before moving to the Los Angeles until 1988, when Chicago played the Detroit from 1991 to 1995, covered Chicago’s first set of Times. Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. championship wins. In 1995, she published Adande got to know Jordan in 1993 when Wilbon connected with Jordan numerous her book “Transition Game: he interviewed him on how his game-winning times over the course of the six-time NBA Finals An Inside Look at shot in the 1982 NCAA MVP’s career, from his time at North Carolina Life with the Chicago Championship game to his final season with the Washington Wizards I was very aware Bulls” about how the for the University in 2002-03. He credits Jordan for being a great franchise fared in of North Carolina participant in media interviews. of what was the 1993-94 season kickstarted his “He was easy to talk to, a great storyteller,” unfolding and without Jordan, who basketball legacy. Wilbon said. “He loved the back-and-forth. what I was seeing retired after the Bulls’ W hen Hehir He didn’t love it 24/7, but he was great at it. He and that it would Finals victory over the first approached him, was always on the All-Media Team, the Allbe something that Phoenix Suns the Adande didn’t know if Interview Team.” previous year. he could contribute to the Although “The Last Dance” is a celebration of I’d talk about for The b o ok docuseries’main storyline of Jordan and the Bulls’achievements, it also discusses discussed the the 1997-98 season because controversial topics of his tenure in Chicago, such - Melissa Isaacson season from he only covered the Bulls as harsh treatment of teammates in practice. various angles, when they played at the While these perspectives may shock young such as how Staples Center. But when sports fans, Isaacson said she is watching the small forward Scottie the director told him “The Michael she always knew. Pippen’s MVP-caliber performance filled the Last Dance” would tell the story of Jordan’s entire “I don’t find him to be somebody unlikeable leadership void left by Jordan. career with the Bulls, Adande became “thrilled and at all,” Isaacson said. “You know, they may be Hehir and his crew interviewed Isaacson in excited,” and sat down for a one-hour interview. showing more of the rough side of him in the McCormick Foundation Center television “They were going to rely on journalists to practice, but Steve Kerr, who got punched directly studio and discussed topics such as Pippen’s help tell the story because they weren’t going to in the face by Michael in practice, could still speak emergence in the 1993-94 season and Jordan’s have a narrator,” Adande said. “So they needed graciously about him. I think fans can see the stint in minor league baseball. you to say sometimes very basic, fundamental competitive side and understand.”◊ understand.”
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Photo courtesy of ESPN
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Reality TV
Q&A: John Krasinski talks “A Quiet Place Part by Charlotte Walsh and Crystal Wall
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ou’ve seen him on your Facebook feed during quarantine for “Some Good News” and on Netflix during your latest binge of “The Office,” but John Krasinski doesn’t just do virtual proms and harmless pranks. The director, writer and star of award-winning horror movie “A Quiet Place” is back on board to write and direct the film’s sequel, but this time (spoiler alert!) without his own character. Originally set to premiere in the US on March 20, the film’s release was postponed until Sept. 4 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Krasinski sat down with The Daily to chat about the expectations of sequels, his view of parenting and why he wants to continue making horror films in the future. The interview, which 12 school publications participated in, has been edited for clarity. The Daily: Sequels have a reputation for not living up to the original films. Did this discourage you from making this film or affect
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the way you approached making it? Krasinski: It affected me by being the exact terrifying thing I needed. Basically, the studio asked to do a sequel and I very quickly said no. I know as an audience member I am very weary of sequels. Then basically they were starting to talk about (having) another director and writer and I had this small idea to have Millie [Simmonds] be the lead of our movie ... so I realized that I can make this a continuation and a further expansion of the metaphor I was going for in the first one, which was parenthood. The first movie is about that promise you make to your kids as a parent: as long as you stay close to me, I can protect you forever. Every parent knows that that’s a false promise, and one day that promise will be broken, and I think when that promise is broken, I believe that’s what growing up is. The Daily: In the sequel, how does the family maintain that same closeness and intimacy as they leave the farm and the scope of the story widens considerably?
Krasinski: When I decided the only way to get into the second one was to have Millie be the lead character, it wasn’t just because I thought Millie would pull off an amazing job — which she clearly does — it was more that her character has this amazing opportunity to relive and reuse and recycle all these beautiful things we were using in the first one. She really becomes my character and so much more. As a parent who cries at everything, I cried everyday writing the script because I just thought about that imprint you hope you leave on your kids that they will not only be everything you hope they will, but that they will actually exceed your expectations at every turn. So if the first movie was a love letter to my kids about what I see parenting being encapsulated as, I would say the second movie is a letter I wrote to them about all my hopes and dreams and what they could be. I hope ... in these dark, dark times that they would be the brave ones to light a candle in the middle of all that darkness. The Daily: A really big part of the first film is
II,” parenting and horror movies the use of sign language. Have you gotten a response from the deaf community since the first film? Krasinski: I can’t speak to how people feel about how they are being represented. I hope they feel like they’re being represented as respectfully as possible. It’s certainly the reason why it was nonnegotiable for me to cast a deaf actress; not only would I get a more organic performance out of someone who actually lives through an experience that way every single day, but I also had a guide who was able to walk me through what it’s like to be the only deaf member of a family, as Millie is. I got to talk through all the emotions, all the frustrations. Certainly in the first movie I find Millie’s character to be insanely heroic. In the second movie you’ll see her as that, times a billion. I’d never see it as, ‘I have a deaf actress in my movie.’ I always see it as, ‘I have one of the best actresses working today in my movie,’ and that’s my advantage.
The Daily: With the traction horror movies have gained in recent years, do you plan to make more films in that genre? Krasinski: I was not a huge horror fan before I directed this first movie. I was too much of a scaredy-cat. I was definitely still reliving the early ’90s when I was just watching slasher movies in a basement with some friends. In my research for the first one I realized two things: one, I’m so bummed that I was late to this party because it’s such a great party, and two, how ignorant I was to be so judgmental of horror and genre. I realized that the storytelling medium might be the best genre to tell stories because you’re able to bend reality in a way that allows people to examine the world in a way that’s not too in their face. I think “Let the Right One In” is one of my favorite movies I’ve ever seen. “The Witch” and “Get Out,” all these things are doing much more than just trying to scare you. So would I do it again? I hope so, because it’s probably one of the most fun things I’ve ever done in my career. ◊ Photos courtesy of Mike Gifford
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Harrier Takes
HOLLYWOOD Evanston native stars in new Ryan Murphy Netflix miniseries by Wilson Chapman
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n just her few short years working as an actress, Laura Harrier has worked with some of the biggest and brightest people in the industry. The Evanston native’s first major film role was in Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” as Liz, acting alongside Tom Holland and Zendaya. In 2018, she got a call to work with one of her favorite filmmakers, Spike Lee, on “BlackKklansman,” an experience she described as “very surreal.” And this year, she made her TV debut working with the most powerful man in television, “Glee” and “American Crime Story” mastermind Ryan Murphy. In Murphy’s new Netflix miniseries “Hollywood,” which premiered May 8, Harrier plays Camille, an aspiring black actress in post-World War II Los Angeles who faces limited prospects for stardom because of her race. Sick of playing bit roles in films as the main character’s maid, Camille pushes her boyfriend Raymond (played by Ryan Murphy royalty Darren Criss) to let her act in a film he’s set to direct based loosely on the life of
Peg Entwistle, a real-life failed actress who committed suicide by jumping from the Hollywood sign. Raymond agrees, and Camille headlines “Meg,” a boundary-breaking film that changes the face of Hollywood as the characters know it. Harrier sat down with The Daily to talk about working with Murphy and the cast, getting into the role of Camille, and the importance of representation in Hollywood and “Hollywood.” This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. The Daily: What initially drew you to “Hollywood?” Harrier: Ryan Murphy. I mean, he is just such an incredible filmmaker and showrunner and obviously everything he’s done has had so much success. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. “Pose,” I love so much. I think he’s just so incredible. So anything he was doing I would have definitely wanted to be a part of. But that was
the jumping off point. I wasn’t able to even read a script for “Hollywood” until I was attached and signing contracts. All I knew going into it was “old Hollywood in the ’40s, I’d be playing an actress and it was Ryan Murphy.” And that was enough to get me to sign up. The Daily: Did you take any inspiration from real actresses of the time period in your portrayal of Camille? Harrier: My biggest source of inspiration was Dorothy Dandridge, along with Lena Horne. They were the two first black leading ladies. They both had gone through so much adversity in life, and Dorothy Dandridge’s life ended pretty tragically. She didn’t really reach the achievements in her career that I think she should have, and maybe would have been able to had she been in the industry at a different time. But it was really hard for her back then. So she was my main research and point of inspiration. So I watched
as many of her movies as I could and read a biography on her and listened to podcasts, and was able to form Camille, starting with the idea of Dorothy Danridge. The Daily: How was this a different acting challenge for you than working on “Spider-Man” or “BlackKklansman?” Harrier: This is my first time doing a television series. So that comes with its own set of challenges, and it’s definitely different. Just the time period and the way that you film, getting scripts really last minute and not really knowing what the whole story is going to be when you start playing this person. You have to keep up a quicker pace and really have a lot of trust in the people that you’re working with and in the writers, and I was so fortunate to be able to work with people like Ryan Murphy and Janet Mock and Ian Brennan who really are so great at what they do. So I just kind of had to trust in them. The Daily: The production design of the show is incredible, particularly the amazing period vintage outfits you wear. What was it like working with that aspect during production? Harrier: It was so much fun. The costumes are crazy and beautiful. And our costume designer Sarah Evelyn is incredibly talented. And it’s such a gift because you can do all the prep and the research as an actor, but half of it is just showing up and feeling like I’m actually in the 1940s. Being on set with this incredible production design, and these amazing costumes that are real vintage from the ’40s, I didn’t look or feel like myself and
the world around me didn’t look like it normally does. It really kind of transported me to that time. And that informs everything, from the way that you walk or sit or your posture. It’s half the battle. The Daily: What was it like working with the cast, particularly Darren Criss, whom you have the most scenes with? Harrier: It’s such a cool cast, because there are these established actors that we all grew up seeing like Holland Taylor, Patti Lupone, Dylan McDermott, Joe Mantello, just these really amazing established people that we can all learn a lot from. And then there’s a younger generation. And we just had so much fun together. And especially working with Darren, he’s such a talent and has been in the Ryan Murphy universe for a long time, but he’s just fun and goofy, and we laughed a lot on set. We just all had a really good time together. The Daily: What’s it been like promoting a show during a pandemic? Harrier: Super weird. [laughs] Definitely a very different experience than it would normally be. But
obviously, it’s really important that we all stay home. So I’m just grateful that people
are able to still see the show, that we were able to finish production and that we’re still able to talk about it with the way the world is right now. The Daily: The show portrays an alternate history of classic Hollywood where marginalized groups are able to find success and visibility sooner than they ever were able to in real life. What power do you think that has? Harrier: To think about what if there had been this type of representation at the beginning of Hollywood, what if the changes that we’re seeing now starting to be made had happened from the very beginning, to me it seems very clear that the world would be a much better place. Hollywood would be a better place. The films would have been much more interesting, it’s so much more interesting to see people from all different walks of life and to have representation and to be able to connect with people on screen that look like you or have had similar experiences to you. It’s so obviously important, and it’s frustrating that it took this long. So I think that had that been able to happen, it would just be better, to put it simply. ◊
Photos courtesy of Netflix
May the finale be with you A love letter to Star Wars: The Clone Wars after seven memorable seasons By catherine buCHANiEC 18
etween hated characters like Jar Jar Binks and infamously bad dialogue — does anyone else remember “I hate sand?” — the legacy of the Star Wars prequel trilogy remains controversial at best. We start the series with a young Anakin Skywalker and end with the establishment of Darth Vader — one of the most well-loved movie villains of all time. However, his journey from idealistic youth to an antagonistic Sith Lord fails to be fully fleshed out, leaving his characterization childish and misplaced. With the exception of Ewan McGregor’s iconic portrayal of Obi Wan Kenobi, the prequel trilogy is plagued with undeveloped characters and a storyline in dire need of fluidity. Unlike the initial trilogy, where all three episodes took place in short succession of each other, the prequels jumped several years from movie to movie, resulting in many unanswered questions about what happened during those missing chunks of time. If I haven’t made it clear so far, here’s the short version: the prequel trilogy by itself has some issues. That being said, in the wise words of General Leia Organa: “there is always hope.” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” not only fixes almost every single issue with the prequel series, but it actually makes Episodes I through III a meaningful part of the Star Wars saga. I’d even argue this cartoon television show from the early 2000s produced some of the most noteworthy Star Wars content to date. or context, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” was a television show developed by George Lucas — the original creator of “Star Wars” and the director of four episodes of the saga — and the fabulous Dave Filoni that aired on Cartoon Network from 2008 through 2013. After briefly switching to Netflix, the show was cancelled amid Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm, leaving the final season forever on the drawing boards. But to the shock of many, Disney announced in 2018 they intended to develop and
air the 12 episodes of the last season — to answer questions first ignited almost two decades ago with the premiere of Episode I. The final season aired this year from February to May, concluding on Star Wars Day, May 4. After Disney’s initial announcement, I rewatched “The Clone Wars.” Twice, if I’m being honest. “The Clone Wars” did what the prequel and sequel trilogies attempted but ultimately failed at: expanding the world George Lucas created in the initial trilogy. ontrary to popular thought, the prequel series isn’t just a battle between the Jedi and the Sith. Episodes II and III focus on the beginning and end of an intergalactic civil war between the democratic Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, which strived for financial and geopolitical independence. “The Clone Wars” fully fleshes out the gory battles and the overarching chronology of the war, and it didn’t shy away from plotlines that challenged the typical Star Wars narrative while doing so. Entire storylines were dedicated to exploring the intricacies of government encroachment into the intergalactic banking system. We spent an entire arc exploring the mythic conceptualizations of good and evil. Likewise, the series acknowledged the realities and ramifications of war. Unlike the other cartoon Star Wars television series, “Star Wars Rebels,” “The Clone Wars” brutally depicted death scenes, at one point even showing a character trapped in a lethal Force choke unwillingly shoot his accomplice with a blaster pistol. Keep in mind, this was a show theoretically meant for children. Furthermore, “The Clone Wars” redeemed characters that were introduced in the prequel series. Protagonists and antagonists alike were finally given backstories and emotions, complex plotlines and depth. Transformed from a well-dressed love interest to a vital part of the war’s political manications, Padmé Amidala’s role in Episode III was finally contextualized. Anakin
Skywalker’s slow descent to the darkside was built step by step through his crumbling trust in the Jedi Council — an organization whose corruption was also given a well-needed backstory. Even the original phantom menace himself — Darth Maul — was transformed from a blank slate of a villain to arguably one of the most complex characters in the entire saga. Similarly, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” did what Hollywood has been trying to do for decades: introduce a new female character into a primarily male-dominated series. In the first season of the show, our hero, Anakin, is tasked with mentoring a padawan apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. In the years following the series’ premiere, Tano has gone on to become one of the series’ most beloved characters and one of the most powerful Force wielders, even making a vocal cameo in “The Rise of Skywalker.” She not only wooed the fanbase, but has left a lasting impact on the saga. hile “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” might have ended two weeks ago, its legacy lives on within the larger Star Wars universe. In the critically acclaimed series “The Mandalorian,” many fans were left puzzled over the introduction of a black lightsaber sword — where did that come from? Well, if you watched season five of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” you would be in the know. In the less critically acclaimed “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Darth Maul made a surprise appearance as the leader of the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate. Thought he died back in Episode I? If you had watched “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” his appearance would seem only logical. The impact that “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” has had on the franchise can’t be understated. And it shows how the series was more than a kids show: it was a program that shaped my childhood and the childhoods of many younger “Star Wars” fans. If you have any interest in the franchise, you owe yourself a watch. ◊
illustrations by catherine buchaniec
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Evanston eateries transform into mini grocery stores amidst pandemic
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ust two months ago, customers lined up behind the register at Backlot Coffee, waiting to get an oat milk latte. Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, customers enter the shop a few at a time, and they’re not just purchasing a cup of joe: they’re buying groceries too. In addition to bagged coffee beans and its signature beverages, Backlot has started selling take-out food, cakes and pies, and even baking supplies. John Kim, Backlot co-founder, said the shop began offering these services to address social distancing mandates from the state. “People don’t want to go into grocery stores,” Kim said. “Pivoting in this way feels right.” Kim said Backlot’s food menu is designed around sitting in the café. But with dine-in service currently suspended and social distancing measures in place, Backlot had to reimagine how it serves the community. Offering essential items like soup, organic eggs, milk and unique foodstuffs seemed fitting. Backlot is not alone in its pursuit. Eateries across the country have adapted their offerings to include bulk produce and pantry staples. Some have lined their shelves with toilet paper and cleaning supplies, while others, like Lush Wine & Spirits in Evanston, set up mini farmers markets at their storefronts. Lush manager Adam Seger said the wine bar and bistro uses George J. Cornille & Sons Inc. as its produce purveyor. The family-run business that has been severely impacted by the pandemic, so to help it stay afloat, Seger increased his produce order. He now sells high quality fruits and vegetables among bottles of wine and take-out meals. “Farmers who
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normally sell to restaurants are struggling to get their food to people,” Seger said. “If we don’t buy farmers’ food this year, they’re not going to be here next year.” Lush also sells fruit and vegetable boxes whose contents change daily and include items like strawberries, heirloom potatoes and rhubarb. Seger said the boxes are top sellers, in part because they give people an incentive to try new food. Found Kitchen and Social House, a farm-totable restaurant, also sells fresh food and produce boxes. Customers place orders online and pick up at the restaurant. Owner Amy Morton said the food sold in Found’s new “pantry” is produced by local farmers, ranchers and cheese mongers. In addition, the restaurant supplies customers with necessities like paper towels and tampons. Morton said during the pandemic, businesses in every industry are working to reinvent themselves. Found’s pantry is just one example. “We’ve loved doing this, and will continue it even after the pandemic,” Morton said. “It’s a win for our farmers and the community.” Beyond trying to avoid grocery stores, people are seeking out fresh goods as concerns over health increase. Carrie Jackson, chair of the events, communications and outreach committee at The Talking Farm, said its
— by Zoe Malin
sustainably grown produce is minimally processed. This is in contrast to fruits and vegetables sold at supermarkets, which have more human contact before hitting shelves. Jackson said it gives customers peace of mind to know that the goods they purchase are locally grown and barely handled. In addition to selling produce at farmers markets, through its farm box membership program and in its “pick your own” boxes, Jackson said The Talking Farm provides food to Evanston eateries like Found and Backlot. She believes these partnerships are key to ensuring that every business comes out of the pandemic stronger. “Shopping and eating locally is the healthiest for everyone,” Jackson said. “You’re supporting small businesses in the process, which is one of the biggest things we can all do to help right now.” ◊ Courtesy of Lush Wine & Spirits, Backlot Coffee, The Talking Farm
Reel Thoughts
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unkyo K — by Y
Mrs. America is a mirror to unfinished business
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don’t like shows or movies that reimagine history, because it reminds me of what we could have had. But if writers of historical cinema decide to stick strictly to the version of history, the narrative feels uninspired. If they decide to change the course of the historical events completely, the storytelling feels indulgent and privileged. “Mrs. America” is somewhere in the middle. The Hulu-FX original, co-directed by filmmaking duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck as well as Amma Asante, Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre and Janicza Bravo, is a sweetened, condensed version of the Equal Rights Amendment movement in the 1970s. The miniseries premiered on April 15 and releases episodes every Wednesday. The amendment, which promoted constitutionalized equal rights for “men and women” at the time, was originally submitted by suffragette Alice Paul in 1923. It was revived and brought to the House of Representatives by former congresswoman Martha Griffiths (D-Mich.) in 1970. Subsequently, after passing through the House and the Senate, the amendment was sent to the individual states for ratification within a seven-year deadline. Although the show focuses on a different ERA activist every episode, none of them are the show’s primary leads. Instead, the
Courtesy of FX
writers center the story around Illinois native Phyllis Schlafly, who led conservative opposition to the ERA. Schlafly, played by THE Cate Blanchett, is the antifeminist answer to Steinem, Uzo Aduba’s Shirley Chisholm, Tracey Ullman’s Betty Friedan, Margo Martindale’s Bella Abzug and more. The acting from the women headlining the series is uniformly great. Blanchette impeccably portrays Schlafly as a politically shrewd but pitiful woman. She remains ironclad and compliant by the blatant misogyny she faces from her male associates and even her husband, one of the blandest g-men I’ve ever seen. Aduba’s acting gives even more significance to Chisholm’s perseverance in her semi-symbolic presidential candidacy (“power concedes nothing”). However, the writing is prone to giving cheesy and unnecessary lines to Byrne, who characterizes Steinem as a postmodern, slightly naive and internally conflicted woman who wants the best for everyone. “We can’t afford to alienate our male allies,” Abzug says in the “Shirley” episode. “We finally got our foot in the door and now you want us to kick it down?” Steinem responds: “Serves them right for making us wear heels.” After watching that scene, I Googled some interviews Steinem gave in the
1970s, and she doesn’t serve one-liners. This portrayal also sidesteps some of the more questionable moral judgments that Steinem made. The series also glosses over the fact that the activist collaborated with the Central Intelligence Agency — the same institution that launched an espionage project to surveil the Black Panther Party, Women Strike for Peace (founded by Abzug) and for decades settled gender discrimination complaints. It’s not in the showrunners’ interest to depict that, though. The show is otherwise mostly candid about the faults of both the feminists and STOP ERA organizers and dynamics within each group, which is refreshing. However, it spares too much sympathy on the latter for the sake of parallelism, undermining Schlafly’s racist practices (hint: if you mobilize racist people for a single-issue vote that particularly impacts women of color, you’re racist too). It’s also pretty clear (maybe too clear) that it tries to teach a moral lesson about how the debate surrounding electability, party unity and dissent always ends in the victimization of marginalized identities. It’s a lesson that a lot of us already know all too well –– one only needs to look at the 2020 election to see how little has changed from the Democratic Party of the ’70s to the Democratic Party of today. ◊
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— by Wilson Chapman
“Petals for Armor” may be Hayley Williams’ debut solo album, but she has nothing to prove
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t feels weird to call “Petals for Armor” Hayley Williams’ debut album, because Hayley Williams has been with us a long time. Now 31, the singer-songwriter founded pop punk band Paramore when she was just 15 years old, and the group released its first album “All We Know Is Falling” a year later. Through multiple iterations of the band, as members have come and gone, Williams has remained its constant, writing and performing iconic bangers like “Misery Business” and “Ain’t It Fun.” Outside of Paramore, she’s had a healthy side-business featuring on pop or rap tracks, from Zedd’s “Stay the Night” to B.o.B’s “Airplanes” (my absolute favorite song when I was 10 years old). But despite her long career in the spotlight, Williams has never officially gone solo. It’s a move she’s resisted for a long time: when she was first signed by Atlantic Records as a teenager, she had to fight record execs who wanted to sign her as a solo pop act. It took almost 20 years, personal issues and a break from Paramore for Williams to finally decide going solo was a good creative direction for her. 2017 saw the release of Paramore’s best record, “After Laughter,” a swerve for the band that saw them embrace a vibrant synth sound that sharply contrasted with the dark themes of depression and isolation they were exploring. It reflected the state that Williams was in: struggling with depression, with her marriage to Chad Gilbert of rock band New Found Glory crumbling. After a 2018 tour to support the album, the band took a break, and Williams began work on her debut album the following year. The rest of Paramore’s influence isn’t totally absent on “Petals for Armor.” Taylor York, the most consistent member of the band aside from Williams,
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produced the album and is listed as a co-writer While I Bloom” finds Williams overcoming her on six of the songs. But listening to the album, demons and looking towards a new chapter of the difference between a Paramore record and a her life. It feels like a very deliberate choice on Hayley Williams solo record is readily apparent. Williams’ part to make femininity and feminism Williams is exploring themes of independence, one of the central themes of her solo debut: she loss and depression that feel has been very upfront unique to her. Releasing about how difficult it’s these songs as a band just been for her as a woman in wouldn’t feel right. a male-dominated sphere. Williams chose to parcel It’s thrilling, with that out the 15 songs on “Petals context, to hear her loudly for Armor” five at a time. and publicly embrace her She released two extended femininity, not just as a part plays, “Petals for Armor of her, but as what makes I” and “Petals for Armor her strong. II” with the first songs on “Petals for Armor” isn’t the tracklist on February 6 perfect. It’s perhaps a tad Courtesy of Atlantic Rec ords and April 21 respectively. too long, with a few lessThis release strategy reflects the format inspired tracks like “Creepin” of the record, as each five songs explore different or “Sugar on the Rim” weighing it down and themes and portray Williams in a different stage exploring territory that was handled better of an intense emotional journey. elsewhere on the album. It’s also front-loaded, The songs that make up “Petals for Armor as the first five songs of the album are the most I” are bitter and rage-filled, from the quiet but consistent and well-executed, while the final furious “Simmer” that kicks it off to the thumping third’s sudden pivot towards pop results in some “Sudden Desire.”The “Petals for Armor II” songs high points, but on the whole feels out of step are contemplative, as Williams examines the with the rest of the album. Still, the album closes disintegration of her marriage on “Dead Horse” strongly, with Williams expressing hope for the and her depression on “Over Yet.” The five new possibility of healing with the soft, warm “Crystal songs on the full album, such as “Pure Love,” Clear.” are noticeably poppier than their predecessors, In spite of its flaws, “Petals for Armor” is worth as Williams explores the opportunity for new listening to for the simple fact that Williams is romance and finds herself rejuvenated after a fantastic performer that brings a confident, overcoming her personal traumas. strong presence to every song on the album. But Throughout “Petals for Armor,” Williams that shouldn’t be a surprise; Williams has been repeatedly returns to flower imagery, representing a strong presence from the minute Paramore her relationship with her own femininity. “Roses/ burst onto the scene. This might be her first solo Lotus/Violet/Iris” uses a garden as a metaphor record, but her worth as an artist isn’t something for women finding themselves, while “Watch Me she’s ever had to prove. ◊
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