Epoch Arts 9-11-2015

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Why Enough Is Never Enough Can the arts continually cut new edges? Hardly.

The Music Learner’s Brain

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Musical training can pave the way to accelerating many more skills.

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The Classics Offer Us a Foundation

Whether today’s musicians realize it or not, they are using techniques informed by their classical predecessors, cellist Alicia Storin says.

Collaborative cellist Alicia Storin speaks about classical music today

By Sharon Kilarski | Epoch Times Staff

lassical music “is essential to who we are and where we come from,” cellist Alicia Storin says.

Storin fell in love with classical music at Interlochen Summer Arts Camp when she was in high school. “It was such a magical place,” she said, that right then she made the decision to pursue music professionally.

The Bach Suites are the bible for a cellist.

Alicia Storin, cellist

Taken up on her mother’s urging as “the most beautiful instrument in the world,” Storin discovered she had a knack for the cello. And given the cello as her starting point, it was natural that she was introduced to music through the classics— ”classic in the sense of Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach,” she said.

“Especially Bach. The Bach Suites are the bible for a cellist,” Storin said, in a phone interview on July 15.

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September 11–17, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ZANE WILLIAMS

Collaborative Cellist Alicia Storin: The Classics Offer Us a Foundation Foundation continued from C1 One of the early memories from her childhood lessons was when she was introduced to the prelude from Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1.

“My eyes lit up. ‘I know that piece!’” Storin said. For a child to recognize a melody and be able to play it is exciting.

Storin acknowledges and accepts that classical music is not for everyone but still asserts that all of Western music rests on it as a foundation. Whatever musical genre composers are working in today, they are relying on and have grown from that tradition.

“It’s hard to give a concrete reason for the importance of classical music, because one could argue that something that is 300, 400 years old is obsolete. Pop musicians may not realize, may not need to know they use a fourfive-one chord progression,” she said, but whether acknowledged or not, it’s a tradition that informed their predecessors.

Moreover, it’s an actual link to our past, bringing us back to an experience that we can re-enliven. “We can read history books, but the closest we can get to experiencing it would be from a composition of that time or a novel written in a particular era. It’s a personified action of what happened at that point in history and given to us in a nutshell,” Storin said.

“Just that we are still playing a piece that was written in 1670 is mind-blowing,” she said.

Classical Music Isn’t Going Anywhere The cello “has not changed for hundreds and hundreds of years,” Storin said. There’s a satisfying solidity to that thought. For Storin, it means she has confidence that she can continue to work.

She feels immensely grateful that in an age when technology is replacing jobs, her work is safe. “It’s true that musicians are losing their jobs due to technology, but I don’t believe we’ll get to a point where a person isn’t going to play a cello anymore. It’s staying.”

Every 10 or 20 years, we hear cries that classical music is dying. “Now we hear that it is the audience of classical music that is aging and so the art form is dying,” she says.

But Storin sees another side. Currently there are so many young classical musicians that “the skillset has exploded, which creates an absolutely cutthroat level of competition, which, while not necessarily healthy, does mean that many people care so passionately about this and they’re doing amazing things with it,” she explained.

The number and quality of young players speaks to the fact that classical music remains relevant despite technology and its effects on our culture.

A Collaborative Cellist Although job shortages may not have dampened eager and talented musicians, it may have reoriented their career paths.

Storin calls herself a collaborative cellist, a cellist who works outside of her own media and who plays more than only classical music.

At present, she is collaborating with a director, actor, and composer in the theater piece

The number and quality of young players speaks to the fact that classical music remains relevant.

“An Iliad,” presented by American Players Theatre, a classical repertory theater. The team built up Storin’s “role” as the Muse from the ground up, since the script only indicated that a muse affected the one-man show’s character, the Poet.

Storin is also a founding member of the three-woman performance group called Cadance Collective, which crosses the boundary between music and dance. In addition to Storin, the group comprises professional flutist Emma Koi, who also has a degree in dance; as well as professional modern dancer and choreographer Christal Wagner, who has a beautiful singing voice.

Cadance Collective composes and choreographs in free form but in a highly integrated way. “We rarely have very structured rehearsals and often ideas come to us while improvising together, or just by sitting and talking with each other,” Storin said. “When we don’t have any guidelines for a piece, we discuss what is currently happening in our lives or about things that have inspired us lately.”

For example, their work titled “Um, ok...now let’s move on” originated from a chat the three had while out for coffee.

“On a whim, Christal decided to record our conversation, and after listening to it several times, we started to notice a few themes. We isolated five different spoken phrases that resonated with us for one reason or another and set music and dance to them.”

In addition to completely original works, the group also relies on classical pieces. They “analyzed the phrase structure of the prelude to Bach’s second cello suite. Emma and Christal then made corresponding dance phrases and structured their choreography to mirror the structure of Bach,” Storin explained. They called it “Translation.”

Through working with Cadance Collective,

Cellist Alicia Storin accompanies Jim DeVita in the one-man play “An Iliad.” Classical music is a personified action of a specific point in history, Storin says.

Storin has gained perspective. She has opened up to seeing how other artists work. Actually, the group has had to rethink their specificart-derived working processes. For example, dancers “think” in counts of eight steps. They count “one and two and three and so on” which may not measure up to the time signature and count of the written music.

The collaboration has also forced Storin to open up as an artist.”As a classically trained musician, I remember the first time my colleagues wanted me to improvise during a rehearsal. I was absolutely terrified. I didn’t know what to do! I really had to try to break through my inhibitions, and in front of people, no less! Somehow I got something out of my cello back then, and improvising has been getting easier ever since. Cadance rehearsals force me to flex my creativity muscle,” she said.

These collaborative endeavors have spoiled her somewhat. She once read about a survey on happiness in the workplace in which orchestral musicians ranked near the bottom (referring to a study by psychologist Richard Hackman in which orchestra musicians ranked below federal prison guards in their job satisfaction and happiness.)

At the time, Storin reacted, thinking: “What do you mean that orchestra musicians are unhappy in their jobs? What could be better than doing what you love?”

“I still find playing Mahler’s symphony an incredible experience, but now I better understand that symphony players have no artistic license in their work.” The collaborative experiences have been intoxicating for her.

The series “The Classics: Looking Back, Looking Forward” asks those in the arts whether and why the classic forms are worth keeping. ept.ms/LookingAtClassics COURTESY OF ALICIA STORIN

Whatever musical genre composers are working in today, they are relying on and have grown from that tradition.

Cadance Collective: (L–R) Alicia Storin, Emma Koi, Christal Wagner.

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THINGS TO DO

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Kite Festival

The Kite Festival at Brooklyn Bridge Park in 2013.

COMMUNITY EVENTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Special Tea Ceremony by Souheki Mori of Tea-Whisk Sept. 19 at 3 p.m.

Globus Chashitsu, KeiSui-an 889 Broadway, PHC Twelve Kimono will be shipped from Kikusuiro, Nara, Japan, that is the oldest Ryokan established in 1891. $40. Tea-Whisk.com STOP Trafficking of People Fashion Show Fundraiser Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

O’Marche–The Globe Showroom 263 W. 38th St., 11th Floor Under the High Patronage of His Excellency Mr. Francois Delattre Ambassador of France to the United Nations, Florence & Alizée Klein, fashion designers of Alexia Klein, and with the support of fashion designer Catherine Malandrino and best seller French author Marc Levy. Donation recommended.

StopTraffickingofPeople.org Summer Stage Through Sept. 24 Various locations Summer Stage is celebrating its 30th season. It’s a free performing arts festival with shows in Central Park and 16 neighborhood parks across the city.

CityParksFoundation.org Bryant Park Moves Saturdays through Sept. 26 This modern dance class, now in its fifth year, is led by dancers from the world-renowned Limón Dance Company. Free.

BryantPark.org

Dear Readers: If you have an event to suggest, please send details to NYC_Arts@ EpochTimes. com in the format you see here.

Autumn Crafts Festival Oct. 3, 4, 10, 11 64th Street at Columbus Avenue Juried craft displays selected from every region of the United States. Continuous entertainment, craft demonstrations. Saturdays 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Free.

CraftsAtLincoln.org The Unseen Holocaust: Recent Polish Films Oct. 25 at 2 p.m., Oct. 27–28 at 7 p.m., Nov. 1 at 2 p.m.

Museum of Jewish Heritage 36 Battery Place The fall of communism ushered in a new era of candid and artistically accomplished Polish filmmaking about the Holocaust.

This week-long series presents features, documentaries, and short films rarely seen in the United States. Discussions with experts will follow the screenings. $15 public, $12 members. MJHnyc.org Free Kayaking Through October Various locations along Hudson River This event offers free sit-ontop kayaks for public use in protected Hudson River embayments. Brief instruction and all necessary safety equipment will be provided as well as changing rooms, lockers, and locks, bike locks, sun block, and first aid equipment. Free.

DowntownBoathouse.org Exhibit: Oh Sit! 14 Sculptors Consider the Chair Through Nov. 8 Tower Plaza in Highbridge Park in Manhattan Located along the esplanade leading up to the recently opened High Bridge, Oh Sit! is a group exhibition of nine artists’ public artworks. In a frantic world, finding a chair can be almost impossible and settling comfortably into one can be an enormous satisfaction. Free.

NYCgovParks.org

NEW ELSEWHERE Kite Festival Sept. 19 at 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Harbor View Lawn, Brooklyn Kites will be available for purchase or you can bring your own. Free.

BrooklynBridgePark.org

VISUAL ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Janette Beckman, Joe Conzo, Martha Cooper: Hip-Hop Revolution Through Sept. 15 Museum of the City of New York More than 80 photographs taken between 1977 and 1990 by three preeminent New Yorkbased photographers who documented hip hop’s rise. $6–$10. MCNY.org

ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Mirror, Mirror: Frida Kahlo Photographs Through Sept. 12 Throckmorton’s New York Gallery (145 E. 57th St.) Photographs of Frida Kahlo by 20 renowned artists including

Gisele Freund, Nickolas Muray, Juan Guzman, Diego Rivera, Edward Weston, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Fritz Henle, and Dora Maar. ThrockMorton-NYC.com Saving Place: Fifty Years of New York City Landmarks Through Sept. 13 Museum of the City of New York A comprehensive exhibition exploring the roots and impact of a landmark preservation movement that has transformed the city and been an engine of New York’s growth and success. $6–10. MCNY.org Water to Paper, Paint to Sky: The Art of Tyrus Wong Through Sept. 13 Museum of Chinese in America Celebrated painter, muralist, kite-maker, lithographer, and calligrapher, Tyrus Wong is one of the greatest ChineseAmerican artists of the 20th century. $5–$10. MOCAnyc.org Landscape Drawings in The Frick Collection Through Sept. 13 The Frick Collection, 1 E. 70th St. This presentation features the Frick’s newly acquired “View of Dieppe Harbor” of 1873

by Antoine Vollon, depicting quotidian life in the country and urban scenes. $10–$20.

Frick.org Richard Estes: Painting New York City Through Sept. 20 Museum of Arts & Design, 2 Columbus Circle Spanning from the mid1960s to the present “Richard Estes: Painting New York City” presents works by this photorealist photographer.

The exhibition presents a range of Estes’s paintings and works on paper, including his photographs, silkscreens and woodcuts and their various proofs, states, and art-making tools. $12–$16.

MADMuseum.org Hidden Likeness: Photographer Emmet Gowin and the Morgan Through Sept. 20 The Morgan Library & Museum One of the most original and influential photographers of his generation, Emmet Gowin (born 1941) is also among the most attuned to the deep historical life of images. $12–$18. TheMorgan.org Trajectories Art Exhibition Through Sept. 26

Friedman & Vallois, 27 E. 67th St. French Art Deco gallery Friedman & Vallois presents Vladimir Montufar’s fanciful artwork that pays a homage to the Mayan culture and expresses different aspects of man’s universal condition. Vallois.com

ONGOING ELSEWHERE The Rise of Sneaker Culture Through Oct. 4 Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway From their modest origins in the mid-nineteenth century to highend sneakers created in the past decade, sneakers have become a global obsession. Suggested $16.

BrooklynMuseum.org

PERFORMING ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Ana Carolina Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Town Hall Tickets 123 W. 43rd St. In 1998 Ana Carolina quietly entered the pantheon of the intricate world of MPB [“Musica Popular Brasileira”: Brazilian Popular Music] singing in the local bars of Minas Gerais. A mere year later, her release, Ana Carolina, was nominated for a Latin Grammy. Today, she is one of the most important voices in Brazil. $55–$75.

TheTownHall.org Dream Up Festival Through Sept. 20 Monday–Friday at 6:30 p.m., 9 p.m. and Saturdays–Sundays 2 p.m., 5 .m., 8 p.m.

Theater for the New City at 155 First Avenue A three week long anthology of wide-ranging and original theatrical visions embracing drama, poetry, music, and dance from performing artists representing theater and performance companies in our theater complex in downtown New York. The motto of the festival is “Dream Up: Invent, Concoct.” $12, $15, $18, $20.

DreamupFestival.org Hollywood Arms Sept. 21 Merkin Concert Hall, 129 W. 67th St. The incomparable Carol Burnett teams up with Tony winners Tyne Daly and Michele Pawk and 2015 Tony nominee Emily Skeggs (Fun Home) for an anniversary reading of

Burnett’s autobiographical play “Hollywood Arms.” $45–$75.

KaufmanMusicCenter.org BalletNext Oct. 27–31, Nov. 3–7 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 31 & Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.

New York Live Arts 219 W. 19th St. Dance and music play on and off of each other to create a fiercely magical experience. Tickets start at $15. NewYorkLiveArts.org

MUSIC NEW IN MANHATTAN Dine and Dance With Sinatra Sept. 26 at 5 p.m.–11 p.m.

‘21’ Club 21 West 52nd St. Hosted in the sophisticated Puncheon Room and Gallery, crooner Nick Drakides and his band will play for your dining and dancing pleasure. $165.

21club.com TeRra Han, Kayageum Sept. 29, 8 p.m.

Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall 57th Street and Seventh Avenue Korean musician TeRra Han plays the kayageum, or 12-string zither. $50. CarnegieHall.org The Big Picture Oct 14 at 7 p.m., Oct. 18 at 2 p.m.

Museum of Jewish Heritage 36 Battery Place In this cinematic concert, Grammy-nominated clarinetist David Krakauer explores the intersection of music and Jewish identity in iconic movies of the last 50 years. Krakauer adds his contemporary style to beloved songs from films ranging from Funny Girl and Fiddler on the Roof to Sophie’s Choice and The Pianist. $35 general admission, $30 for seniors and students, $25 for members and groups of ten or more. MJHnyc.org

ONGOING IN MANHATTAN Spiral Music Every Wednesday Rubin Museum Spiral Music presents acoustic music every Wednesday evening at the base of the museum’s spiral staircase. Artists who specialize in music from the Himalayas and South Asia are invited to forge a connection between their music and the art in the galleries. Free.

RubinMuseum.org

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September 11–17, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALCHEMY

ALCHEMY

(L–R) Ravi, Champa, Geeta, and Vasant Patel in Alchemy’s “Meet The Patels.”

Filmmaker Geeta Patel chronicles brother Ravi’s journey to find a match in “Meet the Patels.”

Film Review

A Cultural Melting-Pot Lesson on How to Find a Wife—Indian-Style

By Mark Jackson | Epoch Times Staff Is dating in America that different from dating in India? Indian and American cultures couldn’t be more dissimilar; theirs is roughly 11,000 years old, our is 239 years old.

Here’s a cultural-difference example: When Bollywood scouts for a Hollywood script, there are many rewrites that have to happen before Indians can understand what’s going on in an American movie.

Take, for example, a western like “High Plains Drifter.” There’s no such thing as a high plains drifter in India. Clint Eastwood riding through the desert all by himself—what is that? Indians can’t culturally contextualize Eastwood.

Clint must be enhanced with aunts, uncles, cousins, and nieces; a large, extended family.

Then they can understand Eastwood, in Mumbai. It’s fun to imagine a paterfamilias Eastwood in cowboy hat, beard stubble, and poncho, leading a large family through the desert, with diapers, binkies, the family wiener dog, the kitchen sink, and a couple of pairs of those boxy, wrap-around sunglasses for both mater-

‘Meet the Patels’ Documentary Director Ravi Patel, Geeta Patel Starring Ravi Patel, Geeta Patel, Champa V. Patel, Vasant K. Patel Running Time 1 hour, 28 minutes Release Date Sept. 11 Rated PG

nal and paternal grandmothers.

Suffice it to say, when it comes to India, it’s all about the family. Us? Not so much. So how do they date?

‘Thank You India’ Alanis Morrisette sang that. I myself never understood what she was talking about, but after seeing the delightful (LA Film Festival, Best Feature Documentary, Audience Awardwinning) “Meet the Patels,” I’m thinking maybe Alanis was thanking India for its Patels, because there’s an insane number of them, and they’re all very nice.

“Meet the Patels” is about one Ravi Patel (that’s roughly Indian for John Smith), whose time of finding a good wife is running out. Ravi is filmmaker Geeta Patel’s brother. He’s a 29 year-old actor, who lives in LA, with sister Geeta.

His mom and dad (Champa and Vasant) would like Ravi to marry a nice Indian girl. If it’s another Patel—so much the better. There are a variety of Patels, as we come to learn.

Ravi’s definitely down with all that. He’s all for upholding the traditions and cultural

richness of his heritage.

Problem is, unbeknownst to his parents, he already had a ginger-haired, freckle-faced white girlfriend—Audrey from Connecticut (the love of his life, he’d never had a girlfriend before her), for a couple of years.

All the pressure Vasant and Champa put on him to marry an Indian girl tragically caused Ravi to break up with Audrey.

‘Hey, We Could Make a Film About …’

So with parental pressure to marry, neither sibling getting lucky, both siblings being in showbiz, the Indian subculture of matrimonial matchmaking on the table … what’s that spell? Prepackaged filmmaking opportunity!

Ravi goes on a parent-sanctioned, nationwide dating spree, which makes extensive use of the “bio data.” That’s basically a marriage-candidacy résumé that came into existence to facilitate a more rapid, universal assimilation of the yottabytes of Patel data. These bio-datum make the rounds, rapidly covering enormous ground, and shrinking the time-space continuum of the Patel eligible-spouse universe.

MUSEO DEL PRADO/PUBLIC DOMAIN

as “25 years of ‘new’: Theater festival as cutting-edge as ever.”

“Triumph of Death” (detail), 1562, by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Is it the end of civilization? Or just the end of sensationalistic theater.

Commentary

Why Enough Is Never Enough and Why Sensationalism Is Destroying Theater

By Sharon Kilarski | Epoch Times Staff oes it take sadistic perversity to get us into theater seats today?

In a long, multifaceted, and sad statement on art, Professor Michael J. Lewis of Williams College states that art today is irrelevant because the public has grown indifferent to it.

Once something meaningful to chew on, art is now only a commercial venture that entertains. In light of the off-Broadway premiere of “Mercury Fur,” this idea is worth thinking about.

Lewis explains that fine art lost its societal importance over a tortuous hundred years or so—during a process in which the arts whittled away at Western civilization. At first, art righteously attacked the insidious, ugly, stulti-

Is art paving the way for us to accept sadistic depravity?

fying, or simply the absurd in our culture. But eventually, all cultural values of Western civilization, whether good or ill, were bashed. The fine arts attacked everything once valued—the essence of any civilization.

We attend museums today in record numbers, for example, but no longer for cultural edification. Now we go for circus-like experiences to see whatever is original and sensational. He cites The Art of the Motorcycle exhibit in 1998, which critics decried as lacking redeeming value—it traced motorcycle history with 114 vehicles—but which the public streamed to. At the same time, fine art sells for record-breaking prices, yet no one talks about it.

If this is the state of the fine arts, what must it be for the performing arts, which have always, necessarily entertained as well as enlightened?

Are they also selling the newest, sensational thrill?

Certainly theater marketing agents think so. New plays, the serious ones, are invariably billed as groundbreaking, innovative, or at the very least, exciting The Contemporary American Theatre Festival was recently hailed

Crossing the Taboo Lewis uses performance artist Chris Burden to make a point. In 1971, Burden had a friend shoot him in the arm with a rifle in what became a defining moment in the genre called “endurance art.” Recently, Lewis showed a video of the event to one of his classes; it caused no horror, no disgust. It did not cause even a ripple of interest.

To be exciting, new, and cutting edge means to cross the threshold of what is taboo for a civilization.

When Henrik Ibsen’s character Nora first crossed the threshold by leaving her husband and young children at the end of “A Doll’s House,” the audiences of 1879 were horrified.

We got over it. That familial bond once considered sacred has been abandoned.

Taboos can only be truly broken once. After that first time, after the fuss dies down, the subject is no longer taboo.

The same applies to art. When thrills are the premium value in theater, each new play must dare to go further than the last. Once a new taboo is broken, other artists revisit the same theme endlessly (think of grotesque zombies) until it is hollow and thin. A new piece then must further the boundary of what is able to shock us.

‘Mercury Fur’ Playing now is the off-Broadway production of Philip Ridley’s “Mercury Fur.” The play premiered in London in 2005. At that time Faber & Faber, which already had a working relationship with the playwright, refused to print it.

This fact is highlighted in all the press about the recent New York opening. The implication is that the play offers surefire taboo-breaking shocks, and we shouldn’t miss it.

I have not seen the play—just reading a review made me queasy. But I did decide to read it.

“Mercury Fur” is set in New York after a Rwanda-like genocide has left the inhabitants roaming the streets in what we might call post-civilization. Most of the few, young (most in their teens) survivors we meet are addicts of a hallucinogen induced by eating mind-altering butterflies.

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September 11–17, 2015 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALCHEMY

Book Review

School Days and Important Lessons to Learn

By Linda Wiegenfeld

(L–R) Champa, Ravi, Vasant, and Geeta Patel, cartoon alter-egos, in Alchemy’s “Meet the Patels.”

Add to that, Indian Internet dating websites, and lastly, a speed-dating Patel Matrimonial Convention.

Turns out “Patel” is not only a widespread name, it’s almost a caste unto itself. And there are two different types of Patels. No wait! Three!

There are so many Vasant almost forgot.

Cultural Insights This Patel mating-ritual display is sort of wonderfully Discovery Channel-like, sprinkled here and there with storyboard-type animated sequences, and Geeta’s contributions in the time-honored “hidden man” comedy role (in this case, speaking lines perpetually off-camera).

Using Hot Chocolate’s lyric, “I believe in miracles! Where ya from, you sexy thing?” as background music to Ravi’s first date, Geeta captures many of Ravi’s amusing pre-date hair mousseing and fiddlings, and post-date, slightly traumatized, “What just happened to me?” thousand-yard stares.

There are some hilarious, fellow-Indian marriage-seeker discussions about inter-Indian racial prejudice, such as the widespread slathering of a skin-lightening lotion called “Fair and Lovely,” (male version: “Fair and Handsome”) as well as the labels of the various gradients of skin tone, such as “wheat-ish-brown.”

Ravi is a wheat-ish-brown man himself. It would have been interesting to see a gradientof-brown label matchup with African-American counterparts, such as “cinnamon” and “chocolate.” Ravi Indian-accent mocks his mother: “If my mom saw me in the sun right now, she’d be like, ‘Your merit value is plummeting!’”

Progress?

Ravi’s dates keep coming up short. Is he too picky? His parents vehemently think so, especially Champa, who’s a known, skilled matchmaker of excellent repute. According to her, if you can get the education and religion to match up—it’s pretty much a slam-dunk. Ravi’s just gotta go for it. Her son should just stop this American noncommittal foolishness, “You will

Each type of butterfly creates a specific fantasy—so not only are we treated to stories of the machete-mutilating deaths of the genocide, we also are transported by detailed narratives of sadistic and masochistic nightmares.

The teens drug-deal these butterflies. But they also set up and help carry out “parties” in which the rich live out their sadistic fantasies on live victims—a child, in this scenario.

So taboo-breaking shocks aplenty. Plenty of high-tension thrills, too, like are we really going to see a child gutted with a meathook?

According to the Observer, critics at the time found “Mercury Fur” exploitive and sick. Remember, “Mercury Fur” first came out in London in 2005. Ten years later in New York, the play has somehow, miraculously improved.

Rather than cite the critics’ superlatives, I’d rather ask whether the play has really changed in 10 years, whether the New York production is much, much better than the original London premiere; or, instead, whether our cultural milieu has acclimated to the play’s shocks and that what was once intolerable and beyond depraved is now deemed raw and provocative.

Perhaps the latter is true. As Theater Mania points out, we’re already consuming “films like ‘The Hunger Games,’ whose theme is the entertainment value to be found in teenagers hunting down and killing one another.”

This is not to say that “Mercury Fur” is only meaningless entertainment. Ben Brantley writes that the play examines how we “define morality under duress in a world without structure.”

In fact, Ridley’s world in “Mercury Fur” pretty accurately sums up Professor Lewis’s points. The play is all about the end of art and supremacy of sadistic entertainment. Consider that we enter a world in which art has no meaning at all: The Metropolitan Museum’s pieces have been looted and serve only utilitarian purposes. Cultural landmarks, icons, history have been nearly forgotten because after repeated use, the butterfly drug destroys the memory. These kids are lucky to know their own names let alone what Egypt is.

Not only that, but an addiction to a hallucinogenic, mind-numbing drug accurately reflects our addiction to the next new nightmarish play, movie, or what have you. We need another fix.

be sixty years old, and still you will be saying, ‘I think I am making progress!’”

Scene Stealers Champa and Vasant pretty much steal the show. They’re quick with one-liners and playful matrimonial trash-talk. It’s heart-warming to experience what feels like a professional-level of marriage, as opposed to the endless, amateur, two-years-and-a-divorce situation that mostly goes on in America these days.

All in all, these Patels are such nice people, you get involved in Ravi’s search, and ride the emotional rollercoaster of laughs and disappointments, and root for both brother and sister to find their soulmates.

Also, you may experience a bit of envy. There’s a wonderful sequence describing how all the various Patel factions add up to one gigantic family, and how, if one Patel family on vacation happens, by chance, to stay at a motel run by a different Patel family, there’s an immediate “family reunion.” The women cook, the children play, the men discuss manly things like politics while sitting in the bathtub together, and when it’s time to leave, everyone cries. They may never see each other again. But they were family. This is priceless.

This is also very good cultural diplomacy, because so far probably the only impression Americans have of Patels comes from the movie “Glengarry Glen Ross;” an Al Pacino rant about trying to sell real estate to a Patel. Roughly: “Patel? Patel?! If the gods Shiva and Vishnu handed this guy a million dollars, told him, ‘Sign the deal!’ he wouldn’t sign!”

Which gave us the impression that Indians named Patel are indecisive. But maybe that’s just Americanized Patels, since Ravi can’t seem to sign off on any spousal deal either, and as we’re shown throughout “Meet the Patels,” Indian men get married in a heartbeat, and stay married until their hearts stop beating altogether.

However, Ravi can’t sign on the dotted marriage line because of another reason altogether.

To find out what that might be, you’ll just have to see the movie ...

But is this deeper meaning—an awareness that art is no longer valuable to us, that the public is overdosing on sadistic fantasies—what the public is getting out of the production?

The seriousness of whatever Ridley intended to say may be lost if those who embrace his work do so for less than serious reasons. After seeing the 2005 London version of the play, Observer writer Miranda Sawyer chided theater critics for dismissing it. She liked attending the theater but only when the plays felt vital, original, and relevant. Like “Mercury Fur.” Her take on the play: “I enjoyed it. I was involved from start to finish.”

She addressed her article to the stodgy theater critics, miserably behind the times and not keeping up in recognizing fresh territory for taboo smashing. She titled her piece “Time to smell those roses, boys.”

Unfortunately, when we are shell-shocked, we cannot think—which is exactly the effect “Mercury Fur” currently has on its viewers.

According to Brantley, it leaves one “moved, muddled, and gasping for air.” A professional critic may be able to draw meaning from it, but for the rest of us, likely not.

Reaching a Dead End Torturing and killing a kid for kicks? Is art paving the way for us to accept this depravity, like the survivors in “Mercury Fur” have done? If this theme continues—say, with “Hunger Games 2” made with preteens—we may simply get over thinking it is disgusting.

Can the arts continually cut new edges?

Hardly. A culture only has a limited number of taboo subjects. Eventually, there are no boundaries left to cross, no idols left to smash.

Which means art that hedges its bet on shocks and thrills is necessarily dooming itself.

All art must draw from the civilization in which it emerges, Lewis writes. No civilization, no art.

When children can be cut up for entertainment, the future has been killed in a pretty literal way, and we have reached the end of the world. The last point “Mercury Fur” makes.

Whether the end of the world is close at hand is hard to say. But theater based on sensationalism has few, if any, taboos left to smash.

EERDMANS BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

It’s back to school time, and life for the child begins to get very hectic. While teachers will focus somewhat on values, they will stress, of course, academics. Parents should remember they are still the essential ones to teach children their beliefs, and the perfect way to do so is with the use of books. At this time of the year, books about school abound.

Here are some of my favorites.

CANDLEWICK

‘The Dot’ by Peter Reynolds This book shows how great teachers challenge children’s preconceived notions about themselves. Vashti thinks that she can’t draw, but her art teacher asks her to draw a dot. The teacher then has her sign the paper with the dot on it.

Later, Vashti sees her finished dot on display with a nice frame around it and thinks that she can improve her work.

She does and begins to create masterpieces.

At the end of the book, Vashti is telling a boy that he can draw by using the same technique that inspired her.

International Dot Day, based on this book, is Sept. 15. It is a global celebration of creativity.

(Recommended by reader and educator Maria Chester) ALADDIN

‘Beatrice’s Goat’ by Page McBrier This is a true story about a child, Beatrice, who lives in poverty in Africa. Beatrice dreams about going to school but cannot afford to do so. One day, everything changes when the family receives a goat from an organization called Heifer International. With the money that the family gets from selling the goat’s milk, Beatrice is able to go to school, which would have been impossible otherwise.

The book shows that small actions can make a big difference and that going to school should never be taken for granted.

See the “60 Minutes” interview with Beatrice Biira after she is grown.

To deal with his fears, Garmann asks his three elderly aunts what scares them: Their answers include death, using a walker, and not remembering.

Even Garmann’s dad, a violinist, has his own fears.

At the end of the story, Garmann is still nervous but prepares for school, realizing that everyone is afraid of something.

BLOOMSBURY USA CHILDRENS

‘Dad’s First Day’ by Mike Wohnoutka This book, where the typical roles of father and son are reversed, is a great discussion starter about change. The story begins by showing Oliver, a young boy, and his dad doing things together in the summer—playing baseball, laughing, singing, and reading.

Then comes the first day of school!

Dad does not want his son to attend, and humorous pictures show how Dad stalls the inevitable. Once at school, Oliver happily joins his class but Dad starts crying, and the teacher needs to walk Dad to his car. Later at home, Dad decides to go back to school to check on Oliver. Dad sees Oliver enjoying class and starts to let go. On an amazing page, Dad realizes that they are both ready for school.

TANGLEWOOD PRESS

CHARLESBRIDGE

‘First Day Jitters’ by Julie Danneberg A lot of fun and easy for the whole family to relate to, “First Day Jitters” shows the typical roller coaster of emotions as Sarah Jane Hartwell prepares for her first day of school.

She wants to stay in bed, stumbles into the bathroom, fumbles into her clothes, and complains about her head hurting.

Finally she gets to school and then something quite surprising happens.

The ending will delight children as they explore a different way to look at school.

‘Garmann’s Summer’ by Stian Hole “Garmann’s Summer” differs from most other children’s books, especially in its use of surreal pictures. It is a Norwegian tale about a boy’s fears right before he attends his first day of school.

‘The Kissing Hand’ by Audrey Penn In this sweet tale, the writer like Aesop chooses the nonthreatening strategy of using animals so the reader can have a little distance from the story and absorb the lesson without putting up any barriers.

School is starting in the forest, but little Chester the Raccoon is afraid to go.

Knowing her love will be a great comfort to Chester, his mother takes Chester’s palm and kisses it. His mom then tells him to put it to his cheek when he begins to feel lonely at school. It works.

Later before he scampers off to school, he gives back to his mother the kissing hand so that she won’t miss him too much. At the end of the book, there is a drawing of a kissing hand to provide similar comfort to apprehensive little ones suffering from separation anxiety.

These are only a few examples of interesting books on the subject of school.

In the search for your favorites, please remember this point: “A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.”—C.S. Lewis Linda Wiegenfeld is a retired teacher. She may be contacted at LWiegenfeld@aol.com

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SIBYLLE’S STYLE DIARY

Frederick Anderson on Using Style to Dialogue With the World CHANCE YEH/GETTY IMAGES FOR HANLEY MELLON

By Sibylle Eschapasse This week’s style diary guest is Frederick Anderson, president of Hanley Mellon LLC, the sportswear label created by Nicole Hanley Mellon and Matthew Mellon, and former CEO and co-owner of the luxury brand Douglas Hannant.

Sibylle Eschapasse: Describe your style? If a close friend were to describe your personality in three words, what would they be?

Frederick Anderson: Effortless casual chic (generally with an open shirt).

Ms. Eschapasse: How did your style evolve since you were a teenager? What is the wildest thing you ever wore?

Mr. Anderson: I’m ultimately a Carolina boy, so from boarding school on, I was always in pink and green or some equally preppy color combo. I still like color, but maybe the combo has changed.

I moved to NYC to join the cast of “Cats,” so every night in front of 3,000 people I wore a furry unitard cat costume—pretty much my wildest.

Ms. Eschapasse: How do you dress on workdays versus weekends?

Mr. Anderson: My daily work staple is a jacket over an open shirt and skinny jeans. On the weekends, I wear nothing, or as little as possible.

Frederick Anderson (L) and Nicole Hanley Mellon (2nd L) at a benefit for Kelly Rutherford in New York in May.

Ms. Eschapasse: What are three accessories you can’t live without and what’s one item that makes you instantly more confident?

Mr. Anderson: My Baume & Mercier watch was given to me by my best friend in a difficult period so it’s always on my wrist. A satchel bag is my staple, and the Armani microfiber underwear is my base.

Ms. Eschapasse: Who have been your greatest fashion influences? Who is your style icon?

Mr. Anderson: The old photos of the Rat Pack.

I wanted to be the forth—always wished I was Sammy. Skinny pants and open shirts. Chic!!!

SPECIALIZING SPECIALIZING IN IN FINE FINE CHINESE CHINESE PAINTINGS PAINTINGS & & WORKS WORKS OF OF ART ART

Ms. Eschapasse: What does having style mean to you? In other words, please define style.

Mr. Anderson: Style to me is one’s exterior dialogue with the world. Someone with great style tells the world exactly how they want to be perceived “without effort” or one spoken word.

Ms. Eschapasse: What is one purchase you’re most proud of? What would you pay a lot of money for, and what would you never pay much money for?

Mr. Anderson: I absolutely feel beyond chic when I put on my Lanvin mesh back fitted blazer I bought in spring. Its my favorite purchase this year.

I would never spend money on anything with logos all over it. Wearing logos is for cowards who don’t have confidence in their

Chinese Chinese antiques antiques wanted, wanted, especially especially painting, painting, porcelain, porcelain, jade, jade, bronze, bronze, furniture furniture etc. etc.

Collections Collections purchased. purchased.

Frederick Anderson at Hanley Mellon Fall/ Winter 2015 Collection presentation after-party at Beautique in New York on Feb. 12. own choices.

I’d pay anything to buy my mother whatever she wanted.

Ms. Eschapasse: When you go on the red carpet, how do you want your outfit to make you feel? Which designers can achieve that?

Mr. Anderson: When I’m off to an event, I want to feel chic but at ease. (I don’t mean comfortable.)

I love detailed and important looking jackets, but then you really have to play them down. Honestly most of my jackets are custom, but last fall, I bought the Ralph Lauren midnight blue velvet jacket with black grosgrain trim and I actually lived in it.

Ms. Eschapasse: What do you think of how others dress and what’s your advice to people who would like to develop their personal style?

Mr. Anderson: I think most people spend too much time looking at what others are wearing and not enough time looking at themselves.

Generally, people with great style live their life first, and the style is an extension and makes sense in the life that they live.

Frederick’s Favorites: Favorite color: Blue Favorite perfume: Douglas Hannant (my baby) Favorite restaurant in NY: Nobu 57 Favorite drink: Vodka gimlet up Favorite movie: “Harold and Maude” Favorite book: “Creative Visualization”

by Shakti Gawain Sibylle’s Style Diary explores style from the perspective of choices, and what that means for different people, with personal advice from some of the most stylish people in New York.

Sibylle Eschapasse is from Paris and now lives in Manhattan. She is a journalist and a contributing writer to various publications.

Sibylle is also the author of a children’s book, “Argy Boy!: A New York Dog Tale.” She may be reached at Sibylle.Eschapasse@gmail.com

COURTESY OF HANLEY MELLON/NEW YORK SOCIAL DIARY

COURTESY OF HANLEY MELLON

(L–R) Matthew Mellon, Frederick Anderson, and Nicole Hanley Mellon at the Hanley Mellon boutique.

40 40 W W25th 25thSt. St.Gallery Gallery205 205 New York, NY 10010 New York, NY 10010 asianexpert@gmail.com museumofasianart@gmail.com www.chinese-culture-art.org www.TonyDaiChineseArt.com For For Appointment AppointmentPlease PleaseCall Call646-539-0523 646-539-0523

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Frederick Anderson and Nicole Hanley Mellon at the Museum of the City of New York in 2014.

I love detailed and important looking jackets, but then you really have to play them down.

Frederick Anderson

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Essence of China

What an Emperor Could Teach Today’s Chinese Leadership About Ending Corruption

By Leo Timm | Epoch Times Staff Xi Jinping, head of the Chinese regime, has been making headlines over the last two years for his sweeping anti-corruption campaign that has disciplined tens of thousands of Chinese officials, among them dozens of highranking Communist Party cadres.

But even as the Party comes up with confession after confession from tearful former officials, mass arrests and arbitrary torture are hardly permanent solutions to deep problems of political culture.

The method exemplified by Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) between 1722 and 1735 was more comprehensive and organic, taking a whole-of-society approach to the problem and implementing far-reaching reforms that refined policies at every level.

When Yongzheng took power, the previous emperor, Kangxi, had left him a powerful empire—but it suffered from factionalism and excessive privilege, especially among the Manchu people, who had conquered China, set up the Qing Dynasty, and composed its imperial elite.

While Kangxi himself had been a highly capable leader who implemented many effective policies during his 60-year reign, the nobles did not respect his attempts at centralizing power. They would have to be brought to heel lest they split up power among themselves and foment rebellion. To see how Yongzheng managed this and was able to continue Kangxi’s work is to look at his application of philosophical principles in his policy.

Principled Diligence As a prince, Yongzheng had been hardworking, well-read, and highly concerned with the moral state of the empire. He was deeply interested in China’s philosophical and religious traditions, which would guide his imperial policies.

For Yongzheng to establish himself as a man of principles and faith was not just a matter of personal preference, but political necessity as well. Yongzheng was just 1 of 24 sons born to Kangxi, and his ascension to the throne was controversial among the Manchu nobility. Meanwhile, the Han Chinese, who greatly outnumbered all other ethnic groups including the Manchus, were distrustful of the foreign dynasty, but the Confucian teachings about family, ethics, and governance were synonymous with the Chinese nation itself.

Additionally, Yongzheng’s interest in Buddhism was very much in line with Chinese spiritual culture.

By upholding these traditional systems, Yongzheng would be able to bridge the differences between the Manchus and the Han. During his 13 years of rule, Yongzheng wrote many lengthy commentaries emphasizing the importance of Confucian teachings and morality, as described in the book “Reorienting the Manchus” by Pei Huang. Yongzheng’s writings were condensed into the “Amplified Instructions on the Sacred Edict,” which became required study material for nobles and government officials of all ethnicities.

Yongzheng is indeed known for cleaning up officials and punishing the corrupt, which contributed to improving the lives of the average Chinese.

Yongzheng was just 1 of 24 sons born to Emperor Kangxi, and his ascension to the throne was controversial among the Manchu nobility.

after his brothers, who were not pleased to see him on the throne, by confiscating their assets and sending them into exile or house arrest. At the same time, however, Yongzheng is indeed known for cleaning up officials and punishing the corrupt, which contributed to improving the lives of the average Chinese.

Improving the Peasant’s Lot The improved tax policies helped Yongzheng bring prosperity to society at large. In the countryside, he changed a millennia-old tax system that counted people and not land. By basing the new tax rates on land value, he eased the lives of poor farmers who owned either little or no land. At the same time, the emperor invested funds into rebuilding impoverished rural areas that had been damaged by rebellions during the last dynasty.

Yongzheng also abolished a low-ranking social caste similar to India’s “untouchables.” Once legally considered second-class citizens, these people—called the “unworthies”—were now elevated to the same status as other imperial subjects. Though in reality it took much longer to undo the discrimination, Yongzheng’s legislation offered the former so-called unworthies opportunities in employment and society that were previously unthinkable.

Implementing a Strong and Fair Bureaucracy The Manchu nobility that Yongzheng and his father Kangxi belonged to enjoyed many privileges. By Yongzheng’s time, the Qing

Dynasty had been in existence for about eight decades and the aristocracy itself had grown ever more complex—Yongzheng’s struggle with his many brothers for the throne demonstrated the gravity of this looming crisis.

The new emperor instituted a strong system of bureaucracy, ensuring the nobles followed the same standards. This way, the empire could be governed effectively. By strengthening the bureaucracy, the rule of law was reinforced by officials, not aristocrats, who earned their positions through the examination system.

An important aspect of Yongzheng’s reforms was that Manchu and Han Chinese became equal before the law. As Pei Huang put it: Yongzheng “contained the aristocrats, bureaucratized the banner system, restricted the judicial privileges of the Manchus, and ordered provincial administrators to punish lawbreakers regardless of their ethnic background.”

At the same time, ongoing integration of the Manchus, including increased exposure to Confucianism that Yongzheng encouraged, allowed them to retain their place as the minority rulers of the Qing empire for nearly 200 more years after Yongzheng’s death.

Rooting out corruption and building true stability requires a genuine effort at reform across the whole society. As seen above, Yongzheng did just that. He reigned between two of China’s greatest emperors, Kangxi, who took the throne in 1662, and Qianlong, who ruled for 64 years until his death in 1799. These 140some years are regarded as the golden age of the Qing Dynasty.

Yongzheng of the Qing Dyansty inherited a powerful, but faction-filled, empire.

Cleaning Up China’s Finances Yongzheng could back up his words. To clean up officialdom and the nobility, he cleaned up their accounting by enforcing tax regulations to end deficits and ensure that debts were settled in a timely manner. The national silver inventory shot up to over 60 million taels by the end of his reign.

Perhaps less admirably, Yongzheng went PUBLIC DOMAIN-ART

Emperor Yongzheng strengthened bureaucracy in order to have rule of law enforced by officials, not aristocrats.

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji: Umezawa Hamlet-fields in Sagami Province (detail) 9 7⁄8 by 14 5⁄8 in., 25 by 37 cm

145 West 58th Street, suite 6D New York, NY 10019 tel. 212.585.0474 fax. 212.585.0475

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Musical Training Can Accelerate Brain Development and Help With Literacy Skills

By Amy Spray The notion that musical training can have positive effects on cognitive functions other than music has long been a source of interest.

Research first emerged at the beginning of the 20th century. Standardized assessments of IQ and musical ability suggested the two were correlated—and it was thought that participation in musical training could improve IQ. Recently, research has shifted focus from effects on musical training on global intelligence and instead focuses on benefits to specific skills and tasks in individuals.

Musical training has shown to lead to improvements in a wide variety of different skills, including memory and spatial learning

Music could potentially function as a training ground for language skills.

for example. In addition, language skills such as verbal memory, literacy, and verbal intelligence have been shown to strongly benefit from musical training.

Musicians are also more adept at processing speech in environments where there are large amounts of background noise, possess a greater propensity for processing auditory signals that are in some way degraded and show an advantage over their musically naive counterparts when it comes to pitch detection in both music and language. Recent advances in technologies have also allowed researchers to probe into the neural (functional, structural, and electrophysiological) underpinnings of these adaptations.

Presented by Shen Yun Promotions International

AN ENCHANTING SOUND RETURNS TO CARNEGIE HALL MUSIC FROM 5,000 YEARS OF CIVILIZATION “The orchestra is phenomenal.”

—Roger Tallman, 7 time Emmy award winning composer/producer

“Very uplifting and inspiring... very deep.”

—David Eaton, composer, music director and conductor at New York City Symphony

“Compliments to the composers that are able to integrate the two kinds of instruments—delightful.”

Concertmaster ASTRID MARTIG

—Per Brevig, professor at the Juilliard School and conductor

“The erhu has such a plaintive, human-voice quality to it... it’s so expressive.”

—Kerry Stratton, Conductor of Toronto Concert Orchestra

Experience the power of Shen Yun music

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MILEN NACHEV

Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at

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Saturday, October 10 2PM & 8PM Soprano HAOLAN GENG

Online: shenyun.com/symphony/nyc (presenter) carnegiehall.org (concert hall) Phone: Presenter: 800-818-2393, 888-974-3698 CarnegieCharge: 212-247-7800 Box Office: 57th Street and 7th Avenue Tickets: $118, $108, $98, $78, $58, $38

The Brain Responds A new study, just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, aimed to assess neurodevelopment in adolescence and the impact that certain forms of experience, such as musical training, could have on this process.

Neuro-physiological methods were adopted to measure subcortical and cortical responses to speech in the brains of two groups of adolescents in a high school in the Chicago area. One group took part in group musical training and one group took part in a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program.

Enrollment into one of these two programs was part of the curriculum of the schools with which the lead researcher, Adam Tierney of Northwestern University, worked.

The method allowed Tierney and his colleagues to assess how their participants’ brains encoded speech before and after three years of taking part in the two different types of training. Language skills were also assessed using a phonological awareness task–which included asking the adolescents to create a new word by dropping a syllable or unit of sound from a spoken word. They were also assessed using a phonological memory task, in which they had to repeat back lists of digits or non-English words, and a rapid naming task, where they had to read aloud a list of letters or digits as quickly and accurately as they could.

At adolescence the brain is not fully developed and specific areas are yet to mature, which makes this an interesting age to do these tests. The results showed that both groups made improvements in all of the language tasks, as would be expected over this period in their development– but, in addition, the degree of improvement was larger in the phonological awareness task for the group who had undergone musical training.

The methods used allowed the researchers to track the level of neural development present in the brains of the participants. Through this they were then able to measure the usual time course of changes that occurred at this stage in development and assess any alterations due to participation in either the music training, or officer training.

The researchers observed the normal brain development that occurs at this age in both groups. However, for those who participated in musical training the period of time during which regions of the brain responsible for auditory processing were developing was extended in comparison to those that did the officer training. The musically trained groups also showed an accelerated time course for reaching adult cortical development. The results therefore suggest that participation in musical training can accelerate brain development and that this can benefit literacy skills.

Music and Language Music could potentially function as a training ground for language skills and may potentially offer an effective, economical and enjoyable activity that could help improve language skills in children around the world if employed in schools. Giving adolescents musical training could help kick-start and accelerate maturation of their brains.

These advantages may also have potential to provide enhancements to a wider range of skills, such as the learning of a second language. The study suggests that musical training could help prolong the window of time in which the brain is developing and is able to deal with complex auditory input, which in turn could make second language learning more achievable to people who otherwise may struggle.

It is important to note however, that although musical training was shown to produce benefits for the phonological awareness language tasks, for the other two tests of phonological memory and rapid naming, no difference between the two groups of adolescents was found. This suggests that although musical training does have the potential to enhance some forms of language skills, there are areas that it does not improve.

Amy Spray is doctoral candidate at the University of Liverpool in the U.K. This article was previously published on TheConversation.com

Musical training has shown to improve memory and spatial learning.