Monday, July 1 July

Recess

volume 15 issue 1 July 1, 2013

The Chronicle

MUSIC

IN THE GARDENS Weekly concerts ‘connect with local communities in a novel fashion’

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LARSA AL-OMAISHI/THE CHRONICLE

at the box office movie sequels that will spice up your summer

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Wesley Hogan

the new CDS director shares her vision

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berenbaum’s

local bakery connects food with childhood memory

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recess

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July 1, 2013

theSANDBOX. Growing up in the suburbs of South Florida, public transportation opportunities were slim to none. It’s the nature of the sprawl. Interesting places are separated by long expanses of highway, and my public high school took kids from all over Broward County, so my friends were never within walking distance of me or each other. My modest social life depended on the always precarious task of “getting a ride.” But do not pity me—I made it through and wound up somewhat well-adjusted regardless, and the summer before college eventually reached its end.

I got to Duke, and it was a slap in the face in the best way possible. My friends were within the closest proximity I have ever known, in rooms down the hall in Giles. They were also a short walk past Lilly Library, enjoying live jazz in the Pegram common room; they were also texting me to come to the show at the Coffeehouse (if I was not already there). The Nexus was screening Casablanca on Central, a C-2 bus ride

away. Just half a minute on a C-1 got me up close and personal with an actual Picasso at the Nasher, or a few borrowed hours of peace and watercolor at the Arts Annex on a quiet afternoon. All the way from the steps outside Marketplace, I could hear the bass pounding for my friend’s African dance class in the Ark Dance Studio. From the moment I moved in, I was entirely immersed in a buzzing energy, and this was all without stepping a foot off-campus.

Later in the semester, I ventured past the short cobblestone wall. I walked with my faculties-in-residence to a Duke Performance at Casbah. I peeked into charming photo galleries, savored lifechanging sandwiches and caught films at the Carolina Theatre with free rides downtown on the Bull City Connector.

With the swipe of a GoPass, the Robertson Bus took me from West Campus to that other school down the road (and for the record, they have a pretty cool art museum, too). The new Bridge Bus

[recesseditors] what i did instead of writing a story Lauren Feilich......................................................................................hell is editing Ashley Mooney.............................................................................slave, #notinrecess Kathy Zhou................................................................................so many storiezzzzzz Marie-Claire Bousquette...........................................................modern stevie nicks Megan Rise..........................................................................................dank ass bread Eliza Bray....................................................................................................stuck in hk Jamie Kessler.........................................................................................................MIA Minshu Deng......................................................................................asheville selfies

Discover the Terrace Shop

service brought me back and forth to thriving downtown Raleigh for a price much cheaper than any cab. And with my honed skills in carpooling, I managed to drag my friends across the state for concerts we’ll never forget.

It has meant a great deal to me to find this level of independence—to walk down 9th Street, browse a record store and drink an iced coffee alone; it has meant even more to grab lunch and good conversation with friends who I may spontaneously run into on the Bryan Center plaza.

It has been just a year so far, but I already see in this newfound expansion of choice where I will grow most as a person, as a friend, as a student and as a consumer and creator of art.

Duke University is internationally renowned for top-quality academics, championship athletics and tremendous advances in scientific research. I knew this reputation when I chose to come here, if not from the admissions pamphlets then from my own Google searches. But what I did not, what I could not have seen coming was the overwhelming artfulness of the city

surrounding it—curated under the glass top tables at Cocoa Cinnamon, in the performances at each local venue, on the shelves of the vendors at the farmers market.

So I’m home for the summer now and, while marinating in my childhood bedroom, I have reflected on how I relate to Duke and Durham, and how they relate to each other.

I have realized that the most vital element of all is accessibility. In my classes, I have had professors and peers with whom I could speak openly and passionately.

Outside of the classroom, I was welcomed into Chronicle and WXDU families with open arms. And the city itself has been inviting in SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE more ways than I can express in my first editor’s note with any sort of brevity. My first year at Duke has been, inseparably, my first year living in North Carolina; my second will be a chance to dive a little deeper.

— Lauren Feilich

NASHER MUSEUM OF ART AT DUKE UNIVERSITY

For the finest garden-related merchandise.

TOP: Doris Duke and James Cromwell pose by the Jali Pavilion at Shangri La, 1939. Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Historical Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University. Photo by Martin Munkacsi.

On your next visit to the Duke Gardens, stop by the Terrace Shop. We’re located in the Doris Duke Center for the Sarah Duke Gardens off Anderson Street. We offer some of the finest garden-related merchandise found in the triangle area.

Clothing | Books | Children’s Items | Educational Items Jewelry | Ceramic Pots | Vases | Bird Feeders and more!

Doris Duke Center • Sarah P. Duke Gardens • Phone: 919.684.9037 Store Hours: Monday - Saturday: 9am - 5pm • Sunday: 12noon - 5pm

www.dukestores.duke.edu/retail/terraceshop Department of Duke University Stores®

Doris Duke’s Shangri La ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE, AND ISLAMIC ART An intimate look at Doris Duke and her Honolulu estate, Shangri La. The exhibition features selections from the Islamic art collection amassed by this stylish American heiress and philanthropist.

On view August 29 - December 29, 2013 2001 Campus Drive | Durham, NC 27705 | 919-684-5135 | nasher.duke.edu

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July 1, 2013

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Outdoor concert series features local musicians

by Katie Zhou THE CHRONICLE

Durham summers immediately conjure up thoughts of iced tea, humid sunshine and melodious blues. And now in its sixth season, Duke Performances brings together the best of these for its popular summer concert series: Music in the Gardens.

The fundamental aim of Music in the Gardens is to bring together Triangle and North Carolina-based musicians who also have a national reputation. The series, in its current configuration, began in the summer of 2008. “This was the first effort to consolidate the programming to specific genres, to draw directly from the community and to provide a showcase to some of the best groups that have made their home in North Carolina,� said Aaron Greenwald, Executive Director of Duke Performances.

One of the goals of the series is to highlight the local music scene’s strengths: indie rock and Americana. The success of the series has allowed Duke University and Duke Performances to connect with local communities in a novel fashion. Several runoff collaborations include past projects with psychedelic folk band Megafaun and orchestra indie group Lost in the Trees, as well as a project next year with the folk-pop Bombadil. “Right about now, it’s really an especially vibrant music scene in the Triangle,� explained Greenwald. He described the series as a sort of platform to forge ties as the local scene continues to expand. “When we started this series, we had only a handful of bands that could draw a big audience. Last year, we’d be at capacity—850 people.�

Well-known lyrical folk acts like Mandolin Orange and Midtown Dickens brought in full audiences, reflecting the increasing appetite to rally around and support local musicians. The series’ progress and success with its audience speaks not only to the quality of local music but also to the heightened difficulty of selling records within the current industry.

Michael “MCâ€? Taylor of the Durham and Brooklyn based band Hiss Golden Messenger, who will perform in the Gardens July 31, reinforced the characteristics of Durham that help the local scene continue to thrive. “There are very strong ties here. It’s nice to be a part of, to live here and make music here‌. Music in the Gardens is a good gig to get as a musician. The series is rooted in the broader term of ‘community’ in a really special way.â€?

The second founding goal of Music in the Gardens is the breezy ambience—the concert experience, for performers and listeners alike, has been the series’ distinguishing factor.

The venue at the Page-Rollins White Garden, located behind the visitor’s center within the Duke Gardens, is beautiful and expansive. More importantly, the venue allows for the best possible sound and technical experience for the

work study student needed The Duke Dance Program is seeking an enthusiastic, reliable work-study student to work part-time in Fall 2013, 6-10 hours a week. If you are eligible for federal work-study and interested in this position, please send your resume to Christina Price, Business Manager, at christina.price@duke.edu The Dance Program is located in 205 Bivins, 2 Brodie Gym Dr., Duke University.

Phone no.: 919-660-3353 4LJMMT SFRVJSFE JODMVEF t(FOFSBM PGmDF TLJMMT t$PNQVUFS TLJMMT .4 8PSE &YDFM FUD t4PDJBM NFEJB

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

The artists perform at the Page-Rollins White Garden, located in the Duke Gardens., every Wednesday until July 31. artist while also providing a laid-back and family-centered environment for the audience. “It provides a perfect platform for the individuals who grew up with indie rock in the Triangle here—by going to Cat’s Cradle, for instance,� explained Greenwald. “When they got older and had families, it was less convenient to go out on weekdays to see a late set.�

Music in the Gardens provides the perfect solution; the weekly Wednesday shows start earlier; children 12 and under are free and cozy picnics are welcome. The series only showcases one act, each show lasting no more than an hour and a half. It is intentionally not a massive production, but provides enough for the artists to put on a memorable show.

Each concert veers away from sponsor-driven events or fullblown music festivals. Rather, there is a directness and conciseness, and the performance space becomes intimate. “It’s a really nice venue to perform in,� said Taylor. “I never discount proximity—the gig is five minutes from my house as opposed to a thousand miles, and it’s a very special space to go and see a concert.�

Taylor, an artist familiar with Music in the Gardens, praises Greenwald’s work as director. “Greenwald has done well in curating [the concert series] and making it fly. It’s not

only for Duke students, faculty, staff, and the broader Duke family. He also reaches out to those outside the world of Duke. It’s a big accomplishment.�

The vibe and consistency are primary factors in the curating of the series. It’s a search for enjoyable and top-notch live performances. There’s a winnowing down for the perfect fit; there are eight performances this year, fewer than in years past. Finally, the series tries not to host the same artists again and again, and instead takes advantage of the extensive local scene.

Although there is no specific directive, the series is carefully crafted to timelessly appeal to a diverse audience, from longtime fans to families looking for a pleasant evening in the gardens. Music in the Gardens covers the array of bright musicians who live locally and fit into the right feel of the series. It continues to be successful and well received, another music venture that Durham can look forward to each summer. “It’s a good thing for folks,� said Greenwald. “We make sure it has that mellow, it’s-a-little-too-hot-out-here summertime feel.�

Music in the Gardens runs every Wednesday until July 31.

Shows start at 7 p.m.

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recess

July 1, 2013

July 1, 2013

camera obscura DESIRE LINES 4AD RECORDS

It’s safe to say that the impetus for my extensive journey beyond mainstream pop was Camera Obscura’s 2006 album, Let’s Get Out of This Country. It drew me away from formulaic, overplayed top 40 hits and towards the more instrumentally diverse and lyrically thoughtful independent music scene. From lead singer Tracyanne Campbell’s simultaneously seductive and simple voice to each song’s love-themed melodies, I instantly fell for the band’s music.

After listening to Camera Obscura, there was no returning to the instrumentally basic, emotionally void 2000s pop.

And so began my journey off the beaten airwave. Now, seven years later, Desire Lines feels like coming home.

Camera Obscura is by no means known for their experimental nature. The casualness with which the lyrics, seasoned with lyrics, describe the ebb and flow of a relationship, is pleasantly standard for the group.

The uncomplicated lyrics and instrumentals manage to capture even the most minute details, rather than the

daft punk RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES COLUMBIA

It was a full ten years ago when Daft Punk was filling crowded dance clubs rather than wedding DJ playlists.

The decade since has seen a blaze of color-by-numbers electronic dance anthems that extinguished much of the oxygen that Daft Punk’s first three studio albums produced. Daft Punk is not subtle on their opinion of the current antiseptic state of EDM; Random Access Memories opens with a marquee track ‘Give Life Back to Music.’ Indeed, any listener has likely been bombarded with noise about Daft Punk’s intentional use of entirely live or analog instrumentation. For a band that made its name by hacking, sampling and patching digital sound into soul, their gimmick is undeniably bold.

Random Access Memories’ opening tracks place this instrumentation center stage—disco guitars and 70s era vocoders, not sampled horns or compressed vocals, drive the melodies of ‘Give Life Back to Music’ and ‘The Game of Love.’ The nine minute ‘Giorgio by Moroder,’ however, stands out even against the earnest, retro plying of the album’s opening. Bombastic strings, a vamped synth crescendo, and Moroder’s recorded interview combine to a sonic return to the 2001-era Daft Punk so heavily influenced by Moroder.

The track is one of the better ones on the album, and preludes the surprisingly high quality of collaborations in Random Access Memories. In the tracks featuring a notable co-producer, Daft Punk displays a remarkable willingness to channel their guest’s style. ‘Instant Crush,’ a

music greatest devastation or elation, of a relationship. The instrumentals are soothing and familiar. The guitar sounds like an old Telecaster playing riffs ganked from the early 1980s. This sound is only enhanced by the omnipresent synthesizer and mellow drum backbeats.

Desire Lines is, at its core, a not terribly intense study of the ending of relationships and the desire to move on. Moderately paced “New Year’s Resolution” describes the disintegration of a relationship as feelings fade, revealing the resolution, “is to kiss you like I mean it.” Other tracks like “Troublemaker” also reveal the feelings of someone who has fallen out of love.

In a somewhat different vein, in “I Missed Your Party,” Campbell injects some darker humor as she lists reasons why she can’t attend her friend’s party; “I listen to Billy Joel, I watch Flashdance again, I’m going to get through Walt Whitman.” The accessibility of the lyrics is only enhanced by the easy flowing music and Campbell’s vocal nonchalance.

Desire Lines is nothing revolutionary, nor is it a great divergence from previous albums. But, I echo Campbell in saying, “Let’s do it again.”

—Marie-Claire Bousquette track featuring Julian Casablancas, moves exactly like a Strokes’ single under a Daft influence. ‘Touch,’ the album’s center, unfurls like a 70s era anthem in the image of collaborator Paul Williams. Every orchestral break drips with the unironic sincerity of a boombox playing Peter Gabriel, making space for lyrics like, ‘If love is the answer, you’re home.’

The one-two of ‘Touch’ and the radio hook ‘Get Lucky’ comprise the climax of the album and, after it passes, Random Access Memories concludes with a dénouement of noticeably more experimental material. Lush, unconventional arrangements in ‘Motherboard’ trade the Daft Punk’s hallmark vamped synthesizer underpinnings for morphing, electro-jazz drum beats and reverbdrenched breaks. Panda Bear’s collaboration in ‘Doin’ It Right’ presents his voice front and center, over a devolved, Strawberry Jam percussion and stark synthesizer cover for a pop song with edge. ‘Contact’ exists as the only proper way to end the album—a grand six minutes of samples, vamping synthesizer and unapologetically 80s drums. For an album that finds headroom in the opposite direction of Discovery and Human After All, the closing is an announcement of the distance that the duo has covered in four albums.

Random Access Memories is a cohesive force. Although the collaborations alone justify the album, Daft Punk’s earnestly emotional intentions pervade nearly every track on the album. Although some tracks like ‘Within’ and ‘Beyond’ remain as somewhat repetitive transition tracks, nearly all of the album functions as a unit to take the listener back, forward, and (maybe) to Daft Punk’s future.

—Adarsh Dave

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the national TROUBLE WILL FIND ME 4AD RECORDS

The first time I listened to The National’s newest album, Trouble Will Find Me, I was clutching a lukewarm cup of coffee while walking down Walnut Street in Philadelphia under a grey sky and drizzling rain. I could hardly have chosen a better soundtrack for a cold morning commute. Something about lead singer Matt Berninger’s soulful baritone crooning makes you feel deep and pensive, like maybe I should be smoking a clove cigarette and reading Kafka or Tolstoy in a coffee shop.

Since debuting their first self-titled album in 2001, The National, currently enjoying long-awaited popularity after releasing their sixth album, Trouble, May 21.

“I Should Live in Salt” opens the album, a bar-soaked gem that relates the mood of Trouble faithfully as it builds in strength and intricacy, threaded with a dark refrain, “you should know me better than that.” Their lyrics are an odd mix of moodiness and self-effacing cheek, exemplified in “Demons” as Berninger sings, “I’m going through an awkward phase/I’m secretly in love with everyone I grew up with.”

Trouble flirts with the line between melancholy and pleasantly catching. “Don’t Swallow the Cap” seems to contradict itself, with strangely sweet phrases like “tiny bubbles hang above me/it’s a sign that someone loves me” in contrast to the much darker chorus, “everything I love is on the table/ everything I love is out to see.” The National have a knack for touching on shared, intensely human inner fears. They set lyrics about experiencing love, loss, hopelessness and the feeling of being directionless against magnificently wrought guitar and keyboard harmonies, occasionally tempered with bass and a shaking tambourine.

The pre-album released single “Sea of Love,” “Graceless” and “Humiliation” are arguably the catchiest and most accessible songs on Trouble, though they lose none of the pensive, powerful lyricism the album showcases. Melodically welcoming, yet subtly self-aware, the album digs into the listener’s consciousness and tugs on one’s heart.

Trouble met critical acclaim and success in its first week of release, achieving the No. 3 slot in sales in the US, Canada and the UK. The praise is well deserved because the album is a beautifully crafted and polished piece of musicianship. It demonstrates how fully this band has come into its own since the release of High Violet in 2010. The lyrics are more self-referential, the melodies less forced and the tone of the album is carried by the dramatic tension between insistent, steady rhythms and Berninger’s gentle baritone.

Even if it’s your first time listening to The National, Trouble will quickly grow on you. The band’s sound builds in complexity and catchiness song after song, crescendoing to the multilayered, wonderfully integrated tracks towards the end of the album. The brooding yet relatable depth that The National brings in Trouble Will Find Me is certainly worth your time.

—Eliza Strong

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music

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July 1, 2013

Fleetwood Mac still dazzles a younger crowd

by Marie-Claire Bousquette THE CHRONICLE

On Saturday, June 22nd, something tremendous happened to me. Days later, it still feels like a dream when I recall watching Fleetwood Mac, live, surrounded by the still waters of Zach’s Bay at Jones Beach, N.Y. I saw one of the greatest bands of all time (yes, Kanye, of all time) and crossed a major entry off my bucket list at the mere age of 21. Music of the past resonates with me deeply, in a way that many teenagers and twenty-somethings miss out on by ignoring the great artists of decades past. As one of my friends said during the pre-concert tailgate as “Don’t Stop” played over our iPod speakers, “Do you remember ever not knowing this song?”

It didn’t seem that age had adversely affected the band’s performance at all. Stevie Nicks, now 65, was impeccable. Her voice sounded just as it did at the beginning of Fleetwood Mac, distinctive and “a little kind of gnome-like,” as she described it in 2011. She wore allblack, as always, and twirled around the stage frequently, arms spreading her light-colored shawl out in her signature butterfly-like manner.

Lindsey Buckingham is still a wizard on his bizarrelysmall and acoustic-looking Turner solid-body electric

guitar. He took the guitar-heavy “Big Love” to an extreme, performing one of the best guitar solos I’ve ever heard in concert or on a record. He was so engaged in his music that, at the end of the minutes-long fingerpicking glory, Buckingham bent over, hands on knees, panting from the exertion. The rest of the band was just as energized and focused, particularly evident during Mick Fleetwood’s extended drum solo which lasted long enough for Nicks to leave the stage and find her black to p hat in time for “Go Your Own Way.” The tension between Nicks and Buckingham, former lovers who split during the 1976 recording of the band’s legendary album, Rumours, was palpable throughout the concert. The second of three encore songs was “Silver Springs,” which Nicks sang directly to Buckingham for nearly all of its four and a half minutes. As I witnessed the thread of love still hanging in the air between them, I felt the chorus was particularly apt: “I’ll follow you down ‘til the sound of my voice will haunt you/you’ll never get away from the sound of the woman that loves you.”

My only qualm with the evening was the complete lack of enthusiasm from anyone over 25 in my seating section, the age group that constituted roughly 98 percent of the patrons. Those in the floor seats far in front of me stood

for the entire concert, while my section remained quietly seated. Before this, I had never been shushed during a concert—certainly not one in a massive outdoor amphitheater. I watched as the man next to me asked his wife to stop dancing to “Stand Back” and sit down. As my friend and fellow Fleetwood-goer Laura Valk put it, “No one sits for Stevie. No one.” I really don’t think I’ve seen so many middle-aged people act “too cool” for anything before.

Quite frankly, this is something I would expect more from my generation than from those who grew up when Fleetwood Mac ruled the airwaves.

The apathy of the older crowd in my section has manifested itself differently in my own generation. There are college students who can’t tell you who sang “Landslide” and have never heard “Go Your Own Way” sung by anyone but the Glee Cast. A number of college-aged music fans only listen to tracks that have come out in the last month, even calling music from 2012 “old news.” We miss something tremendous by subscribing to this mentality; there is so much to be discovered in the music of the past.

Inspired songwriting and devoted musicianship produce beautiful results that transcend the decades, and Fleetwood Mac’s powerful, sold-out performance is a testament to this truth.

Want to write for Recess or The Chronicle?

Email recruitment@dukechronicle.com

recess

July 1, 2013

! p u ignday S ! en – Theater To od & Guts p o 5 Still THEATRST 11 ding Theater: Blo eim dh Rea n Son -1 – e S h 0 p 9 1 - Ste TRST 0S-4 9 2 THEA T TRS THEA

Department of Theater Studies

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Annual Open House

All undergraduates are invited to our open house, Monday, August 26, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm in Sheafer Theater, Bryan Center, West Campus.

Meet the Theater Studies Faculty and the Duke Players Council and reconnect with friends. Information about courses, auditions, backstage opportunities, and other news will be available.

FREE FOOD, T-SHIRTS AND ENTERTAINMENT!

cre DIT on a e an o

e course

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Duke undergraduates can earn credit for participation in some Theater Studies’ productions!

Duke University Department of Theater Studies On Stage 2013-2014 Season Republic Theater Previews New Works Lab

Duke Players Orientation Show

Project for New York City Players A reading of a new play by Sibyl Kempson Sheafer Theater, Bryan Center, West Campus September 27, 28

Learn more about Duke Players when we present a rollicking night of theater…

The Narrowing

God

By Woody Allen Come to Brody Theater for a night of existential romping through religion, politics, the nature of man and where to get the best Chinese takeout.

Brody Theater, Branson Building, East Campus August 23 & 24 at 11:30 pm August 30 & August 31 at 8 pm* * free pre-show pizza on the Brody porch at 7 pm!

Visit Duke Players at the Student Activities Fair August 30th from 4 to 6 pm Duke Players is the student organization in the Department of Theater Studies. Its members support the Department’s productions by running auditions, working on production crews, promoting participation in theater by all Duke students, and representing the interests of students involved in Theater Studies. All undergraduates are eligible for membership.

Auditions for Uncle Vanya and The Visit Course credit for both productions (THEATRST 290-5) for work onstage or backstage!

All Duke undergrads are invited to audition for the Theater Studies fall and spring mainstage plays, Uncle Vanya and The Visit. Uncle Vanya auditions will be on Tuesday, August 27th, 6:30-9:30 in the Bryan Center Rehearsal Studio (BC 127) with callbacks tbd. The Visit auditions will be Tuesday, August 27th from 4:30-6:00 & Wednesday the 28th from 4-6 in the Rehearsal Studio, with callbacks tbd. Audition sign-up instructions will be at theaterstudies.duke.edu starting August 23. Casting for the Theater Previews New Works Lab will come from these auditions as well.

More info to follow on the website.

Written/Directed by Ellen Hemphill, TS Faculty Produced by Archipelago Theater The Shadowbox

September 26 - October 13

Duke Players Lab Theater Brody Theater, East Campus October 24 - 26

Uncle Vanya

By Anton Chekhov Directed by Jeff Storer, TS Faculty Sheafer Theater, Bryan Center, West Campus November 14 - 24

Love’s Infrastructure Torry Bend, TS faculty & Bombadil Theater Studies/Duke Perfomances Durham Arts Council January 23 - 25

Performance = Insurgence Group (P=IG)

By Hoi Polloi Theater Company Theater Studies/Duke Performances Manbites Dog Theater February 20 - March 1

An Iliad

By Lisa Peterson & Denis O’Hare Phil Watson’s distinction project The Shadowbox March 20 - 22

Duke Players Lab Theater Brody Theater, East Campus March 27- 29

The Visit

By Friedrich Durrenmatt Directed by Jules Odendahl-James, TS Faculty Sheafer Theater, Bryan Center, West Campus April 3 - 13

Parade Book by Alfred Ubry Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown Drew Klingner’s distinction project Produced by Hoof ‘n’ Horn Reynolds Theater, Bryan Center, West Campus April 4 - 14

New Works Festival Sheafer Theater, Bryan Center, West Campus April 14 - 20

Andy Chu’s distinction project February 6 - 8 (venue tba)

The Man Who

By Peter Brooks Sam Kebede’s distinction project Brody Theater, East Campus February 20 - 23

Off Stage

Interested in working backstage? Contact the Costume Shop Supervisor at kay.webb@duke.edu or the Scene Shop Supervisor at david.berberian@duke.edu

Duke University Department of Theater Studies 0AGE s "OX s $URHAM .# \ theaterstudies.duke.edu for info and updates

film

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iron man 3

DIR. SHANE BLACK MARVEL STUDIOS

The third installment of the Iron Man franchise is more than just another superhero movie bloated with spectacle, as it manages to be both fun and thoughtful.

The sardonic, fast-talking billionaire-genius Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) is back in Iron Man 3. This time around, however, the reformed playboy struggles with PTSD-induced insomnia and panic attacks (brought on by the “New York Incident”—an attack portrayed in the recent Avengers film). As he restlessly battles his inner demons, Stark’s life becomes even more complicated by a terrorist called “The Mandarin” (Ben Kingsley). The two come into conflict after the pragmatic villain Favreau). coordinates Stark then a string of vows to bring bombings, one his new, powof which nearerful enemy to ly kills Stark’s justice. close friend Iron Man 3 sucand security ceeds in its refuschief Hapal to take itself too py Hoseriously. Robert gan (Jon Downey Jr. continues his reign as the king of banter as he expertly delivers the

the great gatsby

DIR. BAZ LUHRMANN WARNER BROS. PICTURES

It is apparent from the beginning of Baz Luhrmann’s most recent film, The Great Gatsby, that the movie will be a polarizing feature. Taking on the most famous work of author F. Scott Fitzgerald, Luhrmann’s visually magnificent and aurally hip version of the book is avant-garde, to say the least. While there are underlying flaws that come with the territory of translating such a nuanced novel to the big screen, the flashy sounds and visuals allow it to shine as an enjoyable feature.

The Great Gatsby takes on themes of love, greed and corruption of the American Dream in the jazz age of New York City. A young transplant, Nick Carraway, narrates his summer spent befriending his dazzlingly wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and his subsequent disillusionment with the New York elite. It’s a timeless classic, but this is a Gatsby unlike any other. There have been adaptations before, but none quite as sexy. Flashy cars, a soundtrack that blends twenties swing with modern rap and party scenes that are oddly reminiscent of those on a college campus combine to yield a much younger version of the book read by many in high school literature classes.

At the same time, however, Luhrmann stays true to the story; most dialogue is straight from the novel, and plotwise, he follows the book rather well. Carraway’s romantic life is ignored, but the sad pensiveness of the novel is retained as well as much of the main action.

The visuals in particular cannot be overestimated.

There’s an abundance of articulation in the book, but not action, and putting a screenplay together full of dinner dates and tea parties was likely challenging. The camera angles and intense colors Luhrmann uses to keep the interest of the viewer are incredibly effective— one can hardly tear their eyes from the sparkling extravagance characterizing the party scenes. The soundtrack

quippy one-liners and retorts audiences have come to expect. Director Shane Black uses these jokes to actively subvert and poke fun at common filmic and cultural tropes. Stark’s relationship with misfit 10-year-old Harley (Ty Simpkins) while he struggles to Macgyver his way out of small-town Tennessee, is particularly biting. The “big twist” in the later half of the film involving The Mandarin, expertly played by Kingsley, is also sharp.

Black’s focus on Stark is what makes Iron Man 3 a stand-out. Tony loses nearly everything in the film. His home crumbles into the sea and his relationship with his girlfriend (Gwyneth Paltrow) is tenuous. During this struggle, there are large chunks of the film where he is without his Iron Man suit, ei- ther because it is out of operation or borrowed by another character. It is Tony, himself, who must find a way to return to his former glory and defeat his enemy. Black establishes that the Iron Man is not the suit of armor, but the man within. Tony can lose all of the trimmings, but he is still the ultimate hero.

Iron Man 3 is not without its issues. The motivations of the villains are never fully developed and the plot could be cleaner. There are times where special effects seem unnecessary (Aldrich Killian’s room-sized 3D projections of the human brain) and the action scenes unrelated to plot lean towards gimmicky (the Air Force One sky dive). Also, the after-credits scene is totally not worth waiting around for. Still, Iron Man 3 is a fun and well-coordinated ride.

The film is smart and, most importantly, character-driven.

Tony Stark is Iron Man. —Eliza Bray is another plus. Roaring jazz remixed with artists such as Jay-Z and Lana Del Rey makes for some seriously fun listening, and the songs will likely gain their own fame apart from the film. Paired with the visuals, it’s clear that Luhrmann had a clear vision when making the movie, and he executed this vision with great effect.

In contrast with the production, the acting is a mixed bag. Leonardo DiCaprio gives the solid performance moviegoers have come to expect, but surprisingly it’s Daisy’s husband, played by Australian Joel Edgerton, who gives the richest performance of the movie. He is the only character who seems fully comfortable in his role— some of the lines, taken straight from the book, seem awkward coming from Tobey Maguire’s narrator and appear forced, as do some of Leonardo DiCaprio’s accented speeches. This is the most superficial appearance of the underlying problem: as a full adaptation of the novel, the movie has its drawbacks.

The fundamental issue with Gatsby is that the nuances the book conveys so well in prose are often difficult to translate on-screen. Much of the significance of certain lines is lost as the movie is forced to move the plot forward: for example, when Daisy says she hopes her daughter is a “beautiful little fool,” it comes off as odd and unsettling, without the profundity felt in the text. The film is also long; at two and a half hours, there are parts that tend to drag and noticeably lengthen the movie. It’s a good version, but maybe not the great one that Luhrmann hoped for.

Still, the movie is a testament to the recent trend of heavily computerized visuals and updated soundtracks, as well as the director’s visionary style. This is not the easiest book to adapt, and Luhrmann delivers a fresh new Gatsby that’s fun to watch.

—Christina Malliris

July 1, 2013

star trek into darkness

DIR. J.J. ABRAMS BAD ROBOT PRODUCTIONS

J.J. Abrams’ latest installment in the hallowed halls of Star Trek lore is replete with visual wonder, but lacks in emotional heft. From its inception, the Abramshelmed Star Trek reboot has been a departure from the staid and more philosophical treatment of previous franchises. Infusing more action sequences and epic set-pieces than any other franchise before it, this is the Star Trek for the Michael Bay generation.

The plot takes a different angle from the time-space continuum-altering mayhem of the first film and mashes up storylines from the original iterations. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) return as protagonists, turning in respectively strong performances as the brash but brilliant Captain of the USS Enterprise and the all-too-cold and logical half humanvulcan, respectively. The supporting cast also puts in a satisfying and sometimes brilliant effort, with special consideration given to Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoë Saldaña) and Scotty (Simon Pegg).

But it is the main antagonist who reigns supreme.

John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) exudes evil from his pasty pores and generates the most dramatic energy into the narrative. Harrison—neé Khan—excels as a mysterious übermensch that threatens the stability of the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet’s very existence.

Star Trek Into Darkness’ production value is its main selling point. Gorgeous camera work that takes advantage of the latest developments in cinematic technology creates a world that is hyper-visually stimulating, rife with action sequences using quick cuts and heartstopping shots to grab at our primal fancies. Couple that with eye-grabbing and immersive set design that entrances in every scene and you have one of the most cinematographically pleasing blockbusters of the year.

The sound design—curated by sci-fi veteran Ben Burtt—is, along with the cinematography, one of the film’s crowning achievements. Into Darkness’ lush sonic landscape was produced using triple the amount of sound effects normally found in a feature film. With over 1500 different effects meticulously strewn throughout the narrative, you can’t help but feel awestruck and fully immersed in the Star Trek universe. That is, of course, until you are sucked back

into reality by the diaphanous plotline and the (un)intentionally comic dialogue.

This occasionally embarrassing level of dialogue is one of the main weaknesses of the work. Star Trek has never shied away from camp and self-reference; Dr. McCoy’s classic one-liners (e.g. “Damn it, I’m a doctor, not a torpedo technician!”) and Spock’s classic

Summer of Sequels

SEE STAR TREK ON PAGE 15

film

July 1, 2013

scary movie 5

the hangover: part iii

It’s been seven years since the last Scary Movie film was released, so maybe Scary Movie 5 only feels tired because we’ve already seen its predecessors run nonstop on Comedy Central. More likely, though, is that the producers know people will watch it no matter how bad it is.

The “new” film focuses on Jody and Dan (Ashley Tisdale and Simon Rex), an oblivious couple left to take care of their nieces and nephew who grew up in the woods. They agree to move into a house to be observed by hidden cameras. This provides a Paranormal Activitystyle foundation for the movie. Is it just me, or is it a little late to parody Paranormal Activity? It’s already had three sequels of its own. In fact, many of the references in the film, save only Mama, seem fairly dated, if only by a few years: Inception, Black Swan and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, to name a few.

Dan and Jody’s house is taken over by a demon whom the children affectionately call “Mama.” There are also subplots about Jody’s career as a ballerina, Dan working at an ape research facility and two stoners who try to remember that movie about “a cabin in the woods,” don’t succeed and buy a shark. Also, in the opening scene, Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan attempt to make a sex tape but become possessed. Don’t worry.

None of that made sense to me, either.

Scary Movie 5 is a popcorn-and-candy experience to its core. There’s virtually no mental preparation or involvement required. If you’ve seen trailers for a few somewhat recent movies, you’ll be in good shape to catch most of the jokes. But that’s the problem. If its only trouble was that it had been done before (four times), maybe I would be willing to let its bland triteness slide. Scary Movie 5, however, isn’t just a repeat of the first four films—it’s worse. While the last few editions were able to poke fun at their own ridiculousness, Scary Movie 5 completely lacked selfawareness. Tisdale played her role with such Disney Channel earnestness that I was certain she would break into song at any moment. Unfortunately, the writers missed the boat on that one—it might have actually been funny. The only actor who seemed to be in on the joke was Molly Shannon, who played an aging prima ballerina. She performed the role of the Black Swan while drinking a martini and smoking a cigarette, and she struggled to climb into a bathroom stall with four broken limbs.

Both scenes were done with Shannon’s typical over-thetop charm, but again it was nothing I hadn’t seen done better before (Anyone remember Jim Carrey in the Black Swan SNL sketch?).

I never thought this movie could make me miss the middle-school-funny flatulence and genitalia jokes of the first four films. Though there are certainly plenty of those, all are so drawn-out that they lose any punch they may have delivered. Scary Movie 5 has more slapstick injuries than a Three Stooges short, more montages than a Brat Pack movie and more severed limbs and fake blood than the most gratuitous slasher flick.

How many attempts does it take for a horror-parody film to become a parody of itself? Apparently five.

—Megan Rise

This third and presumably-final installment in the Hangover trilogy features the return of the Wolfpack—the now infamous troublemakers are back in Vegas for an ultimate outrageous escapade. Despite past criticism, writer and director Todd Phillips makes a valiant effort to cap off the series on a positive note. He abandons the post-disaster adventure theme that vaulted the Wolfpack to fame in the first film but drew fire in the second for its blatant repetitiveness.

This resolution to deviate is evident in the official plot synopsis, which crows, “This time, there’s no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right?

But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.” The excitement that this coy quote inspires is justified by a number of laughable moments in the beginning. Alan (Zach Galifianakis) is subjected to an intervention after causing a 20-car pileup on a freeway, and the guys set out in pursuit of Dr. Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) after Doug (Justin Bartha) is inexplicably kidnapped by a mob boss. Overall though, the quasi-crime thriller that the film becomes leaves much to be desired.

Comedic chemistry is a delicate thing. And just as suddenly and inexplicably as it flourished in the original, it has all but vanished here. Again, it is clear that Phillips has done his best to rework the roles of the characters to try and breathe life into the franchise, but in doing so, he dampens the very elements that drew people in from the start.

For the most part, it appears as though he has elected to favor individual talent over group dynamics. Alan takes center stage while Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Stu (Ed Helms) are reduced to mostly auxiliary roles, and they act like it. Sure, Galifianakis is a brilliant comedic actor, but it is difficult to carry an entire film when your supporting cast appears, well, hung over. I consistently got the impression that Cooper and Helms were acting solely on contractual obligation.

Ken Jeong, who completed his undergraduate education at Duke in 1990, is also given a larger slice of the spotlight in his return as the raucous Dr. Chow. His brand of humor was once a refreshing interlude from the antics of the Wolfpack, but as a focal point it is rendered garish and stale. John Goodman gives a strong performance as the crime lord, Marshall, and the plot smartly ties in some of the loose ends from the previous films—Heather Graham as Jade is a favorite of mine.

DIR. MALCOLM D. LEE BRAD GREY PICTURES

DIR. TODD PHILLIPS WARNER BROS. PICTURES

oblivion

DIR. JOSEPH KOSINSKI UNIVERSAL PICTURES

The sci-fi story of Jack Harper (Tom Cruise)—a drone repairman who works alongside his partner and lover Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) to protect earth’s remaining resources after an alien war—is a little tough to describe.

Too much plot description, and I’m afraid I’ll ruin the many many twists and turns that drive this otherwise stagnate film forward, and too little might lead you to think this is the action-packed War of the Worlds 4 the trailers advertised.

Instead, the story is more about Jack’s journey to uncover a conspiracy and discover the life and love he lost when everyone’s memories were wiped clean five years ago.

The movie is also difficult to categorize as good or bad— interesting or predictable. Half of the plot surprises had my mouth agape and half I had whispered to my friend 30 minutes before they happened on-screen. Some of the romantic plotline had tears welling and some moments felt as contrived as the meet-cute in a bad romantic comedy. To its credit, Oblivion’s setting is a post-apocalyptic world in which Tom Cruise is here to save the day, and while what feels like

Now You See Me centers around a group of magicians who are pulled together by an unknown party for an unknown purpose when they each get a mysterious tarot card. The foursome is composed of J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), a cocky street magician, Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Atlas’s ex-assistant who has her own death-defying act, Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), a down-on-his-luck mentalist and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), who uses his knack for misdirection as a pickpocket. After a brief introduction the movie picks up a year later with the illusionists in a single act: The Four Horsemen.

The group uses large-scale illusions to rob banks, seemingly for little reason. The Horsemen’s only profit from their heists is increased popularity. The trailer would have you believe the Horsemen are Robinhoodtype vigilantes, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Technically, they are, but the plot is so muddled

that it doesn’t really matter.

If you strip Now You See Me down to its core, it’s about an FBI agent (Mark Ruffalo) trying to catch the Horsemen after their first heist, which does result in some excellent chase scenes full of car flips. Unfortunately, Ruffalo’s character brings with him a painfully French female Interpol agent (Melanie Laurent) who serves no purpose but as an unnecessary love interest.

Now You See Me is a gargantuan moving puzzle of action, adventure, mystery and fantasy, but the pieces do not quite fit together. There is so much flash and dazzle—not to mention a lot of nearly-nauseating spinning—that you do not know where to look. Now You See Me depends on misdirection, but it creates a bit too much confusion. The audience should always know what the outcome of a trick is going to be. The key hidden up the sleeve should not be shown, but it should be

now you see me

DIR. LOUIS LETERRIER SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT

PAGE 9

These bright spots, however, cannot rescue the long stretches of strained laughs and flat dialogue.

You may have been reading this thinking, “Well, he’s basically damning Phillips for trying to do something different, but wasn’t that the point? What else could he have done?”

Here is the answer: Do not make the film at all. The Hangover was one of those rare instances where a largely unknown group of talent comes together to create something unique and thoroughly enjoyable. Phillips has put his paycheck over his integrity in making the second and third films, and they will undoubtedly remain a blemish on the image of a franchise that never should have been.

—Shane Loomis a hundred movies fit that logline, originality was not absent.

And with a well-chosen cast that includes Morgan Freeman, the film was fine to sit through, even fun here and there.

Plus, the film was visually stunning, with computer-generated scenery varying from deserts to deserted mountain ranges. The pieces of a good movie seem present, so it’s hard to put a finger on exactly what wasn’t right here, but perhaps that’s the problem: Oblivion doesn’t quite fit a category. For a sci-fi action flick, there isn’t all that much action, and the love story is Jack’s driving force. The movie also moves slowly, opening with a very long narration and moving on to what must’ve been at least an hour of day-today life. Maybe it didn’t feel like enough was at risk. Civilization was already destroyed. Jack and Victoria were some of the last few people on earth. In the other conspiracy-driven movies like I, Robot, the world is about to lose everything and in Oblivion, Jack’s world already has.

The positives of this film are in its shock-value and intimacy. The plot will keep the audience guessing and the well-developed characters will keep them invested. Don’t stand in line for this one, but on a boring afternoon at a discounted matinee, you won’t necessarily want your money back.

—Jamie Kessler clear that the chains will be broken. The problem with Now You See Me is that the mystery is in the wrong place.

While it clearly spells out—with the help of Morgan Freeman as a professional magic-debunker—how each heist was accomplished, the movie leaves the bigger questions unanswered. It is intentional, but it leaves you dissatisfied. My friends and I each left the theater with an entirely different idea of what had happened and why. A little secrecy is sometimes good, especially in a movie about magic, but Now You See Me leaves the audience feeling completely in the dark.

That being said, Now You See Me is still an incredibly fun, fast-paced film. The illusions are magnificent and compelling, if unbelievable. But is that not what magic is all about?

—Megan Rise

recess

PAGE 10

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For info on courses and auditions check us out at dukejazz.org or contact Professor John V. Brown, Director jbrown@duke.edu 919-660-3385

July 1, 2013

film

July 1, 2013

PAGE 11

Recess Interviews: CDS Director Wesley Hogan Recess writer Adrienne Harreveld spoke with the incoming director of the Center for Documentary Studies, Wesley Hogan, about her past work, her decision to come to Duke and her vision for CDS. Recess: Why did you make the decision to leave your position at Virginia State to come direct the CDS program?

Wesley Hogan: The [Center for Race Relations at Virginia State] was trying to bring together different stakeholders in the communities that surrounded the University…. I was drawn to that work of bridging— taking my academic knowledge and skillsets but using them to help build bridges to people in the community. What excited me so much about that work, and what I was drawn to in CDS as well, was finding ways to connect University-based work with communities that are in search of innovative solutions to issues that they are struggling with…. I learned this verb “to accompany.” How do you accompany a community on its path in a way that is helpful rather than patronizing? So the work that I was doing here was really great.

So, I was not very likely to be interested [in working at CDS], but a friend of mine who works for the Center started poking at me to check it out. I have this drive that I have to do once a month that’s five hours round trip, and the only way to stay sane is to listen to podcasts. I started putting a podcast on my iPod, which was The Center, a bunch of programs from CDS. The first one I heard was a young doctor from Duke Medical Center talking about a project that he did. I literally pulled my car over and wrote down a huge number of ideas for my own work here.

My kids would have been mortified by this, but I would walk up to random people on West Campus and be like, “Tell me what you know about CDS.” When I found people who knew something, they were genuine. They were excited. I don’t know if you’ve seen that work in the Allen building that some CDS certificate students have done, but it’s just extraordinary. That level of work by undergraduates and by continuing

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

The new Center for Documentary Studies Director, Wesley Hogan. education students…. I don’t know, girl, it just got me out of my seat! And that’s how it evolved.

R: I know that the MFA program is different from the Certificate Program and the Continuing Education program, where people in the MFA program have much more experience with documentary arts. It is an “experimental” documentary program, so I was wondering—your background is in oral histories—what are your thoughts on what the CDS undergrad curriculum should be?

Duke Dance Program Open House

auditions

Monday, Aug. 26, 2013 5:30-6:30 p.m.

The Ark Dance Studio Porch, East Campus

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013 4:40-6:10 pm - Ballet Repertory with Tyler Walters @ Ark Dance Studio

Come and meet the dance faculty and other students interested in dance!

7:45-9:15 pm - African Dance Repertory with Ava Vinesett @ Ark Dance Studio

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Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013 7:45-9:15 pm - Modern Dance Repertory with Andrea Woods Valdés @ Ark Dance Studio 6:15-7:45 pm - Tap Repertory with Thomas F. DeFrantz @ Bivins 210 for more info: danceprogram.duke.edu

WH: I’m approaching this as pretty intense experiential learning the first few months I’m on the job…. I come out of a very traditional oral history background and I love oral history—for me an untold story impoverishes all of us—so getting those stories out there is a very essential part of living in a democratic society. I think we need to understand each other and ask questions of one another.

Having said that, a lot of the students in the MFA program have taken a really different set of approaches to what you could more broadly call the documentary arts…. The MFA program brings a lot of different dynamism and richness to the debate about why documentary arts are important. Looking at their work and appreciating and understanding their own background and creativity is essential for me to grow personally as an artist and academic.

I wouldn’t say I would want to have different channels of CDS. I will say that it is really hard for someone outside of CDS to understand all of the complexities that CDS is. To really give it its full to do you have to talk about how it has one foot in the community and one foot in the academy and that gives it a lot of energy, but it looks differently whether you’re in Istanbul or East Durham. How does CDS face outward?

And to tie in the continuing [education] piece, most universities don’t really prioritize continuing [education]; they don’t really see adults in the community as a really valuable component of University learning….

I think that’s a huge missed opportunity…. What I really like about CDS’ commitment to continuing ed is that it has really found a way to harvest those adults in the community and their life wisdom…. People have to come to terms with complexity. Two ideas that may not overtly correlate can exist at once.

R: So I have to say, a lot of students that heard your talk on Nonviolence vs. Unviolence are really excited for you to get to campus.

WH: That’s good to hear, girl. It’s a rare opportunity SEE HOGAN ON PAGE 15

PAGE 12

man of steel

DIR. ZACK SNYDER WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Last night, a friend and I joined other comic-book-mademovie fans at midnight in the hopes of experiencing a longawaited, yet ever elusive, gratifying addition to the Superman film canon. While not quite as satisfying as a super-punch right into Lex Luthor’s stomach, Man of Steel nonetheless delivers a heat vision beam of fiery re-invigoration into the dying franchise.

The first thing you need to understand about Man of Steel is that it’s not your typical super-hero movie in the heroic, lighthearted yet action-packed, Marvel sense. Nor is it your typical Christopher Nolan gritty, dark post-modern commentary on terrorism, national security and crime a la the Dark Knight Trilogy. Man of Steel is fundamentally a science fiction movie more than a superhero movie, focusing primarily on Superman’s (or Kal-El’s) existential search for identity as an alien being from another planet.

film/arts Super-powers per se are not under the microscope here so much as the idea, as General Zod so sinisterly puts it in a climactic scene, that “we are not alone” in the universe.

How does humanity react to the idea that aliens exist? And do we accept or reject the alien being that we’ve unknowingly harbored in Smallville all these years? This unique interpretation of the Superhero story—taking it away from the campy and into a new-found mix of brooding, dark action with sci-fi—is bound to excite both die-hard fans and regular movie-goers alike.

Man of Steel especially does a superb job of re-imagining what many expect would be the rote story of how Superman comes to earth. Opening the movie with a quick-cutting, fast paced narrative of Krypton’s implosion and the escape of Kal-El in the famous “Moses-in-a-basket” like space-ship, moviegoers from the start enjoy arguably the best part of the movie, with cinematography to excite, action to captivate and even a coup to entice the political science fans out there. This is a Krypton we have never seen before, imagined in a thoroughly modernist way, with no less than a couple apocalyptic/caution invoking allusions to human-

July 1, 2013

nature and earth thrown in.

That being said, the narrative in this opening sequence— along with many of “flashbacks” that the movie then employs to flesh out the childhood journey of young Clark Kent as he grows into the hero we know him to be—feel unnecessarily fast and deliberate. Zack Snyder has an existential message he wants the movie-goer to walk away with—the problem is he conveys it with the subtlety of a club-patron in Superman tights. Whereas reboots of other franchises, such as The Amazing Spider-Man, have had a calculated and purposeful devotion of significant screentime to the “origin” story of the character, Man of Steel sometimes zooms through its own narrative as fast as a speeding bullet. One might leave the theater feeling that part of the 45-minute slug-fest that ends the film with a hunked-up Henry Cavill slamming through enemies, would have been better served with character development and dialogue sequences—scenes that ironically would have greater evinced the very identify-driven existential examination the movie sought to evoke.

SEE SUPERMAN ON PAGE 14

Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls Essays, Etc. DAVID SEDARIS

When I picked up Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls - Essays, Etc., I questioned whether it was a Southern recipes cookbook or a part of a peculiar cross-section of endocrinology and ornithology. Once I saw the name “David Sedaris,” however, I anticipated poignant musings, satirical commentary and great material for forensics tournaments.

Needless to say, I purchased the book that day.

The good news? Sedaris’s latest collection met my expectations. The bad news? Sedaris’s latest collection met my expectations, but did not exceed them.

In “Understanding Understanding Owls,” Sedaris writes of his ridiculous collection of owl memorabilia and complains that “this is what happens when you tell people you like something.”

The latest collection of Sedaris’s essays is much like the excessive owl memorabilia: it is an entirely useless abundance given to readers because they said they liked Me Talk Pretty One Day. Still, certain essays resonate with the same humor and poignancy of his earlier essays, such as “SantaLand Diaries” and “Jesus Shaves.” It takes a special author to make me care about colonoscopies, taxidermy and Amtrak, yet Sedaris always manages to seamlessly integrate meaningless everyd a y occurrences into meaningful truths. “Loggerheads,” the strongest essay in the collection, mingles the absurdity of childhood imagination with the understated emotion of coming of age. My particular favorite is “A Friend in the Ghetto,” reminding me of his segments on “This American Life” on NPR. The prose exudes the same incisive voice as SEE OWLS ON PAGE 14

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July 1, 2013

o-week events Tasty Treats >>Durham Farmer’s Market Wednesdays, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon The Durham Farmer’s Market runs year-round, offering fresh fruits and vegetables, local goods and various food trucks. Hours will change in December. Located at 501 Foster St.

>>Summer Days, Nasher Nights: Dinner and a Movie Thursday, Aug. 22, 5 to 9 p.m.

Join the Nasher Museum of Art for a screening of Man on Wire, which received the 2008 Full Frame Audience Award and 2009 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. A two-course dinner will be served with the movie.

arts

PAGE 13

Schroth named Director of the Nasher Museum of Art from Staff Reports THE CHRONICLE

Sarah Schroth was announced as the director of the Nasher Museum of Art June 20.

Schroth, currently the Nancy Hanks Senior Curator at the museum, has been serving as interim director since November. The previous director, Kimerly Rorschach, left to take the position of president at the Seattle Art Museum after eight years at the Nasher.

“I’m delighted to have this opportunity to lead the Nasher in what promises to be a very exciting time in its history, as we approach its 10th anniversary celebration in 2015, undertake new initiatives in undergraduate educa-

tion and expand the scope of our exhibitions,” Schroth said in a University press release.

The decision to appoint Schroth was the work of an 11-person committee, chaired by Richard Powell, the John Spencer Bassett Professor of Art, Art History and Visual Studies. The official announcement was made by President Richard Brodhead.

Schroth—an expert on 17th century Spanish art—has been at Duke since 1995. As director, she will be the Nasher’s chief executive officer and will report to Provost Peter Lange.

“I am thrilled with the selection of Sarah as director of the Nasher,” Lange said in the press release. “She has been a superb curator.”

>>Duke Farmer’s Market Friday, Aug. 23, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

If you’re looking for fresh produce, baked goods and lunch, but can’t make it downtown for the Durham Farmer’s Market, head to Research Drive near the Searle Center.

>>Friday’s on the Porch

Abby Starnes, 1st Place Winner 2012 Duke Arts Festival, Rapture; Joyce Wang, 2nd Place Winner 2012 Duke Arts Festival, Holding Back; Nekoda Witsken, 3rd Place Winner 2012 Duke Arts Festival, Statue's Soul.

Friday, Aug. 23, 4 to 7 p.m.

A special snack menu, local beer (for the 21+ upperclassmen) and live music at the Hummingbird Bakery, 721 Broad St.

Student Visual Arts Exhibition Appreciating the Arts >>CRUSH - Brightleaf Square Concert Friday, Aug. 23, 7 to 9 p.m.

Free admission! On the corner of Gregson Street and Main Street.

>>The Art Market at Vega Metals Saturday, Aug. 24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

An outdoor market featuring arts and crafts. Located at 214 Hunt St.

>>Durham Craft Market Saturday, Aug. 24, 8 a.m. to noon Handmade, unique and college-student-priced items. Located across the Durham Farmer’s Market at 538 Foster St.

October 25 – November 3

call for submissions Submissions open September 9, 2013

We seek work by Duke students to present in exhibition and performance settings.

PAINTING

200+ student visual arts exhibition

PHOTOGRAPHY

Back-to-back student performances on East and West campus

FILM SCULPTURE MUSIC DANCE CREATIVE WRITING THEATER

Hands-on happenings 150+ participant-strong *DEMAN Weekend of arts career panels led by alumni & sponsored by the Duke Alumni Association.

Alumni/Student Meet & Greet at the Nasher Museum of Art

details @ arts.duke.edu/festival | 919.684.0540 | facebook Sponsored by Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts, Duke Alumni Association, Duke Career Center, Duke University Union Visual Arts Committee.

TORI POWERS/THE CHRONICLE

Check out the “Fresh Mozz” at the Durham Farmer’s Market.

*DEMAN (Duke Entertainment Media and the Arts Network) Weekend is sponsored by Duke Alumni Association.

arts

PAGE 14

July 1, 2013

Berenbaum’s bakery focuses on attainability Situated at the food truck section of the Saturday morning Durham Farmer’s Market is a foldout table with several pastries (the most popular products are vegan hand pies and chocolate babka) with their suggested prices.

Self-described as a “data-driven, open-sourced, sliding-scale food concept,” Ari Berenbaum, who currently works in public health at Duke, conceptualized Berenbaum’s.

“I grew up in a very typical suburban, Boston and Jewish household. There were four or five really good Jewish bakeries in my town,” Berenbaum said. When he came to the Triangle in 2003 for graduate school, he found it harder to find the same quality of baked goods.

This food concept recreates the tastes from Berenbaum’s youth and memory. There are the staples: challah and French bread. There are the twists on some classics: walnut raisin mandel bread and superfood salad. There are the vegan treats: BBQ tofu savory hand pies and vegan Chips Ahoy cookies.

The goods are all baked at Ninth Street Bakery. “We try to focus on goods that you can’t find in other places,” explained Berenbaum. “We use flours to make Jewish and vegan treats that aren’t anywhere else. Uniqueness of that kind of product is essential, and we try to keep it original.”

Berenbaum takes the stand beyond originality and toward another defining and integral aspect: attainability.

“Portability and accessibility are key tenants,” Berenbaum explained. Back when he was the production

manager for Ninth Street Bakery, Berenbaum could only afford 10 dollars per visit at the Farmer’s Market.

That’s when he decided to aim toward more affordable goods for consumers. Berenbaum’s began with a “paywhat-you-like” system influenced by “One World Everybody Eats,” a foundation whose mission is to eliminate world hunger and food waste, as well as to create food.

The point was to pay what you could afford, or to pay what you thought appropriate. Over time, Berenbaum’s began to list suggested prices.

“Some people were a little hesitant about what to pay,” explained Berenbaum. “Most of the Farmer’s Market customers are generous and affluent. It’s really a small percentage of people that we’re driving the models for.”

Aside from the modest but meaningful Saturday food stand, Berenbaum’s also runs bike deliveries to Old West Durham and Watts Hillandale. The program has been fairly successful, providing an opportunity to meet community members he wouldn’t otherwise have interacted with.

“We include as many people as possible,” Berenbaum said, referring to both employees and customers. “The process is transparent. We see what is working and what hasn’t been working. There have been many changes since 2011, and we’re thinking hard about what enterprise we want to be.”

Berenbaum’s blog well exemplifies the frank bakerto-buyer relationship. It covers everything from menu items to music tracks to the science behind why fermented foods keep you skinny. There’s a blog post devoted to each week of Berenbaum’s running shop— now upwards of 100—with a recap of their products and a shout-out to their crew.

SUPERMAN from page 12

OWLS from page 12

But this is but a small complaint in an otherwise superior movie. Nonetheless, the action scenes, while maybe overdone and overemphasized in the film’s plot finally demonstrate a Superman in true 21st century fighting form. Henry Cavill, in a potentially career-launching performance, and Michael Shannon (with plenty of “bug-eye” scenes to spare) superbly fill their respective roles as Superman and General Zod. And while Amy Adams is not the most exciting Lois Lane we’ve ever seen on screen or in print, she captures the key elements of the character nicely.

In the end this movie succeeds the goal it desperately needed to accomplish—bringing Superman into a new age, proving his continued relevance to the American mythos.

—Daniel Strunk

do his early essays. The most redeeming quality of his collection is apparent in the audiobook. Sedaris’s reading of his own essays adds humor through careful emphasis on certain words and more exaggerated inflections. Unfortunately, without the assistance of his voice, this humor is often lacking in the static prose.

In his boldest change of pace, David Sedaris included “Etc.” into his latest collection. The “Etc.” refers to fictional monologues written for high schoolers who need material for forensics tournaments, a competition in which students perform monologues in front of a panel of judges. The monologues are told from varied perspectives: a Jesus-obsessed woman; a sixteen-year-old recently returned from the United Kingdom; a man who just murdered his wife. The monologues, however, relied too heavily on

by Kathy Zhou THE CHRONICLE

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Berenbaum’s provides baked treats at the Durham Farmer’s Market.

Most remarkable is the candidness and familiarity of the blog. Berenbaum posts recipes and customers’ photos. There’s a great deal of humility, with reflections on lessons learned from customers and future goals.

“We could have a higher degree of inclusivity,” said Berenbaum. “So much of [the bakery] depends on my schedule and what we’re currently doing.” He also mentioned the possibility of a small café or bakery, as well as building up a pop-up restaurant.

Berenbaum has already helped put together and run a Pop-Up Ramen Shop this past February. The popup restaurant, a novelty made possible by the thriving Durham foodie community, was open for a grand total of five hours. The popup creates a unique environment SEE BERENBAUM’S ON PAGE 15

clichés and lacked the celebrated nuanced humor of Sedaris’s other essays. Regardless, I admire his willingness to move beyond his typical format and explore a new mode of storytelling, just as he did in Squirrel Meets Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary.

The greatest achievement and challenge for David Sedaris is that he is very good at what he does. Like King Adidas, the man can turn the mundane into gold.

He fails, however, in transcending his own format rather than relying on overwrought satirical tropes. In his essay, “Day In, Day Out,” Sedaris states that the power of his personal writing is that “it not only calls forth the person you used to be but rubs your nose in him, reminding you that not all change is evolutionary.” Unfortunately, that is not only true of him, but also of his latest book.

—Katie Fernelius

recess

July 1, 2013

HOGAN from page 11

STAR TREK from page 8

when you can bring together your deepseated academic interest with your skillset‌ the mission of CDS is insane! It’s like, here is what we are going to do and we are going to do it in the interest of promoting social and ecological justice.

Who in academia is allowed to say that?

Not only do they say it and own it, but they also have a 30 million dollar endowment for bringing it to fruition, which is very striking and unusual. I feel like it’s a great privilege. There was nothing like this at Duke when I was a graduate student there. I’m excited to get to Durham and to get everything rolling.

This interview has been consolidated for print. For the full transcript, visit http:// www.dukechronicle.com/section/recess.

“Khaaaannn!� are veritable pop culture fodder. But Star Trek in its best manifestation has otherwise grounded itself on well-developed and cognitively stimulating character development and discussions about topics like racism, classism and other controversial talking points.

Ultimately, this film lacks the same

BERENBAUM’S from page 14 for diners as well as creative freedom for its chefs. It’s a part of a new dining phenomenon and food culture to which Berenbaum’s policy alludes and builds upon. “On any given weekend, four to five food trucks are out there,� Berenbaum

PAGE 15

care and level of engagement that lent previous Star Trek franchises their gravity and endeared itself to millions of Trekkies. By avoiding the tough questions and focusing on constructing the Hollywood sheen that the public desires, Abrams has crafted a work that satisfies on a visceral level but fails to linger in the recesses of your mind. —Derek Saffe said. “It’s great for people to start a food business on a small amount of money.

Popping up a stand is really easy and was successful for us.�

For potential Duke foodies, Berenbaum nods toward the Durham community: “Try getting off campus to the Farmer’s Market. There’s a whole other scene that’s bubbling up.�

TONY SHAN/THE CHRONICLE

Aaron Greenwald, Executive Director of Duke Performances, helps organize Music in the Gardens.

Whether you are a music major or not... Be part of an amazing artistic and social experience.

Continue your love for music in college!

Play fun and amazing concert music Make new friends and have a great time Perform with living composers and guest soloists Perform in Baldwin Auditorium & the Duke Chapel

Tuesday / Thursday Rehearsals 7:30pm - 9:30pm

Ensemble information meeting: Saturday, August 24 Come learn more at 2, 3, or 4 pm Mary Biddle Music Building, Room 101, East Campus.

2013-2014 Highlights Ĺ” DPODFSUT QFS TFNFTUFS JO %VLF BVEJUPSJVNT Ĺ” 1MBZ NVTJD CZ (SBJOHFS )PMTU 5JDIFMJ BOE NPSF Ĺ” 'BMM 5PVS UP "UMBOUB Ĺ” )PTU UIF 7JFOOFTF #BMM JO UIF TQSJOH Ĺ” +PJOU DPODFSU XJUI UIF 6/$ 8JOE &OTFNCMF

Conductor Verena MĂśsenbichler-Bryant verena.m@duke.edu

President Melissa Klein melissa.klein@duke.edu

PAGE 16

recess

July 1, 2013