A behind-the-scenes look at MacTheatre’s Grand Hotel where cast, crew and directors talk about the importance of collaboration, hard work

shield the Checking in to the

Directors, performers, technicians of Grand Hotel worked hard to create a whimsical world for the audience

TOP: The antique chandelier and marquee are the cherry on top of the Grand Hotel set. The chandelier is from The Phantom of the Opera musical set. “For me, the most interesting part of the set is all of the fly stuff we’ve got going on,” Dooley said. Photo by Angus Sewell.

MIDDLE: Junior Will Dooley follows along with the script from backstage. As one of two production coordinators, he stays backstage while the show is running in case sound and lighting issues arise. “To keep the ship running smoothly, it’s important to coordinate who’s working on what,” Dooley said. Photo by Alysa Spiro.

BOTTOM: Junior Corin Vandenburg and senior Toshaan Arora hit their final poses in the number “Raise A Glass.” This song is a celebration of friendship between Vandenburg and Arora’s characters. Photo by Alysa Spiro.

ALYSA SPIRO staff reporter

It’s 7:30 on a Thursday evening. The fluorescent lights of the McCallum Arts Center Theater dim into a foggy combination of reds and purples. A sudden hush falls over the crowd: whispers replaced with silent yet static anticipation. Suddenly, a limping, elderly doctor stumbles on stage. Music flares from the orchestra. The lights brighten and a marquee with the words “Grand Hotel” illuminate the stage. The audience is transported to 1920s Berlin, where they will experience the love and tragedy that makes Grand Hotel true to its name. For the audience, Grand Hotel spanned two hours and 30 minutes. But for the show’s

dedicated cast and crew, Grand Hotel was not just a show, but a process spanning over three months that required much creativity and determination in order to create characters, dances and technical designs.

Manifesting a vibrant, realistic character from the script took a lot of work from both the actors and the creative team. The entire cast was assigned a character analysis profile to help them bring their characters to life.

“Mr. Denning kept talking about characterization, but this [the character analysis profile] really forced us to be specific,” said freshman Kathryn Dooley, a member of the dance ensemble. “We also got to request our own character props. It’s very nice because we got to add a little bit of ourselves into our characters.” For some actors, the process of character development stretched even further and required more attention. Sophomore Charlotte Bearse played the role of Grushinskaya (she shared the role with junior Helena Laing), a 51-year-old ballerina. Bearse credited assistant director Sam Richter with helping her prepare for her role.

“Sam made me walk around as an animal that represented my character,” Bearse recalled. “That actually really helped me. It made me think, ‘Is my character really motivated or is she hesitant? Would she care if anyone saw her walk like this?’ That exercise especially helped with the physicality because Grushinskaya is 51. That can be really hard for a 15-year-old to play because that’s literally the numbers of my age reversed.” Grand Hotel is also characterized by its stylistic dancing. The show is a melting pot

of different dance styles, including ballet, jazz, ballroom and Charleston. To get the dances looking clean and the dancers feeling comfortable took a lot of love and work. Senior Blair Kinsey, one of the two assistant choreographers (along with senior Owen Scales) believed that cleaning (polishing or fine-tuning) the dances proved to be the most difficult part of the entire process.

“There were times it got tedious to clean number after number,” Kinsey said, “but once we worked on a number a lot it always looked so much better. It was so nice to actually see progress.”

Dancing also proved to be the most difficult aspect of the show for Bearse, whose character dances en pointe throughout the entire show. Pointe is a technique of classical ballet that consists of a dancer balancing all of his or her

body weight on the tips of their feet.

“Pointe is such an art form,” Bearese said. “I had to start forcing myself to practice pointe work at home every day until I felt really comfortable so I wouldn’t mess up on stage. It was hard not to burn myself out. I really had to sustain energy throughout the entire process— both rehearsals and shows.”

The depth of putting a show together extended beyond the on-stage performances. The technical aspects, including lighting, sound, scenic, props and costume design, took another army of students willing to put in many after-school hours. The responsibility of delegating, streamlining and making sure the show’s technical designs were completed on time fell partially on one of two co-production coordinators: junior Will Dooley.

LEFT: Senior Mia Terminella and freshman Anderson Zoll perform “Valero”, an intense and emotional ballroom dance. “We have done a ton of character work throughout the rehearsal process and that has been a huge game changer,” Terminella said. “Everyone is very grounded in what they’re doing.” Photo by Angus Sewell. TOP: Emma Wallace as Flaemmchen performs “I Want To Go To Hollywood,” an upbeat dance number where Wallace’s character imagines herself as a Hollywood actress. “This show is just fun,” she explained. ”I wanted my choreography to make people happy.” Photo by Angus Sewell. MIDDLE: Junior Dashel Beckett makes calls over the crew speaker. “The process never really ends,” Beckett said. “There’s always more to do.” Photo by Alysa Spiro. BOTTOM: Charlotte Bearse (center) as prima ballerina Grushinskaya dances en pointe alongside ensemble members Kathryn Dooley, Lila Plummer, Mollie King and Mia Terminella. “Pointe is such an art form,” Bearse said. “I really had to sustain energy throughout the entire process.” Photo by Alysa Spiro.

“Ms. Vandenburg, the tech teacher, was in charge of everyone, and she would tell us what we needed to do and what things needed to be delegated and planned,” Dooley said, “and so we made her job easier. Mr. Denning would have big ideas and plans, then Ms. Vandenburg would tell us what they were. With her, we worked to figure out how to execute everything.”

Execution relied heavily on teamwork, according to sophomore Dashel Beckett, one of two scenic crew heads responsible for creating the show’s set.

“So much of it was getting in the right mindset,” Beckett said. “A lot of the first week was talking to the crew and getting to know them so that the entire process was more fun and more productive as we went on.” Unlike other shows MacTheatre has done, Grand Hotel had a very static set. “The show was very much in one location and that location was very interesting, and there was a lot to learn about it,” Beckett said. “Instead of having a lot of moving sets on wheels to signify moving positions, there was a bunch of stuff on stage all at once. Kind of like a grand hotel.”

So what makes all the hard work, lack of sleep and long hours worth it? Realizing the show, says the cast and crew.

“It was just the satisfaction of seeing the entire show on stage and knowing that you did that and your friends did that,” Beckett said. “You find these new people and you realize that everyone has grown because of the show.”

Kinsey agreed and added that the show’s opening elicited an influx of emotions, happiness foremost among them.

“Seeing the end product and getting to see everyone’s parents be proud of their kids was so rewarding,” she said. “Even the people who don’t have kids in the show were like ‘Wow, this is so amazing!’ Just seeing the audience love the show; it meant so much.”

For the actors, working towards inner satisfaction was a constant, never-ending process.

“I know that I didn’t have that pure satisfaction the first time I performed in front of an audience,” Bearse said. “But I think near the middle and end of the run, I got so used to the routine I was able to not focus on my dancing and my lines and my singing. I was just able to enjoy myself in the moment.”

If I told you there was a place in Austin that served delicious macaroons, jiggly cheesecake, and elaborate Taiyaki sundaes (pictured at left), and all made gluten-free, you’d probably say “What’s the catch?” No catch at all, except that this small-batch, “Tex-Asian” bakery in East Austin is only open on Saturdays and Sundays, and when they are open, they sell out fast.

Squee Club is known for its fluffy, soufflé-style Japanese cheesecakes that tower over their squat New York-style siblings like a cumulonimbus cloud and their Taiyaki sundaes served in fish-shaped cones reminiscent of a Belgian waffle. The sundaes are filled with a rotation of soft-serve flavors like vibrant purple ube, classic matcha, strawberry, chocolate and cereal milk, as well as the occasional vegan option. You can choose to fill the tail of your cone with Nutella or red-bean paste, and top your swirl of ice cream with a variety of sauces such as marshmallow fluff, Fruity Pebbles, sprinkles and Oreo dust, or for those who have to have it all, a mini-slice of cheesecake or a macaroon on top. If all those baked goods made you thirsty, Squee Club also offers a variety of drinks to wash it all down. Choose from Thai iced tea, matcha lattes and coffees and pair them with one of the club’s signature macaroons or cakes. The shop seems to attract customers for both their treats and their ambiance. You’ll see quite a lot of photo taking as the whitewashed storefront and rainbow neon signage make for quite the photo opportunity. No matter why you come to Squee Club, the bakery is just the place to share a treat with friends and family.

—Bella Russo What to do this February shield the Four things to eat, do, enjoy that will make your four-day weekend brighter 10 a & e 13 feb. 2020 Elizabeth Street Café: a vibrant restaurant that has left me craving Vietnamese cuisine time and time again, and wishing that I didn’t have to conquer traffic in order to get another taste.

The restaurant, located on South First Street, just a six-minute drive from the Texas State Capitol, is a favorite among locals and tourists alike. After entering through the café’s pastel pink doors, you will find yourself in a chic dining room, complete with a tantalizing pastries case. I found myself strolling back to it in order to gaze upon the multitude of macaroons and mini-opera cakes after finishing my food. There is also the option to dine on an outside patio adorned with lovely sycamore trees.

Whatever option you choose, the café is as easy on the eyes as it is on the pallet. Between the dishes, I tried, the shrimp and pork crepes proved to be my favorite dish. The crepes were crispy, crunchy and delicious. The combination of the crunchy crepe shell with the sprout and meat filling formed a savory and satisfying entrée.

For drinks, my friend and I ordered a Vietnamese coffee and a mocha: both tasted strong and full-bodied.

Although it isn’t the kindest to your wallet, Elizabeth Street Cafe is a great place to visit, not only for the unique design but of course the cuisine, which has definitely impacted my opinion of Vietnamese food.

—Scarlett Houser Explore Sculpture Falls T h o u g h c r o w d e d during spring and summer, the Barton Creek Greenbelt during the winter months is serene and as always, a much-needed escape from the bustle of the city. To explore Sculpture Falls, park by the trail head off of the south Mopac frontage road, and take the trail north. After a short walk, hikers will find the Barton You’ve spent the day hiking through the Barton Creek trail, eating great food and have just polished off a slice of cheesecake or a cone of soft serve. What’s next? We recommend heading just up the road from Squee Club to the outskirts of the Mueller district to find the Austin classic that is the Blue Starlight Mini Urban Drive-in Cinema. You can start your fourday weekend off right with a showing of Say Anything Thursday night, celebrate Valentine’s Day by watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s at the drive-in and come back on Saturday to see a showing of The Princess Bride. What better way is there to enjoy these three classic films than at Blue Starlight’s unique drive-in experience? Just like the drive-ins of the past, you and your Valentine(s) can enjoy the movies from the comfort of your cars, all while enjoying classic movie theater snacks like popcorn, sodas, candy and hot dogs. Pro tip: if you’ve got a truck (Or even an SUV) at your disposal, we recommend pulling into your spot backwards and camping out in the tailgate for an even cooler outdoor movie-watching experience. —Bella Russo C r e e k c r e e k b e d . Normally filled with water, the creek runs dry in the winter, leaving lots of terrain great for walking, and the occasional limestone formation perfect for bouldering. Along the trail in both the north and south directions are tall live oaks, limestone cliffs and even small cave formations cut through the rock. —Bella Russo Sweets at Omg Squee Elizabeth Street Café on South First Street is famous for their fusion of French baked goods and creative Vietnamese eats, like their rice paper and vermicelli spring rolls served with sweet chili vinegar, ginger-jalapeño and peanut sauces. Photos courtesy of Steele Bradford.

Movie-watching at Blue Starlight Urban Drive-in Vietnamese fare at

Squee Club’s Taiyaki Sundae; a fish-shaped (not flavored) cone filled with matcha softserve and Nutella, topped with rainbow sprinkles. Photo by Bella Russo. Sculpture Falls, along the Barton Creek Trail, runs dry in the winter to expose limestone formations that are buried under water in the summertime. Photo by Bella Russo.

Say ‘Hye’ to small towns in Texas It may not be a vacation destination for the masses, but I still believe in a place called Oatmeal shield the

MAX RHODES online editor in chief

Most of the destinations previously discussed on Rhodes Traveled have been exactly that: destinations. These are places I would suggest going to, places with enough merit to justify the hour and a half (or however long) drive it takes to get there. Major cities like Houston or Dallas for sure, but also smaller cities like Corpus, Denton or Waco. But what about the places in between these cities? Dotted around the state and along the major highways are small towns with small populations. You drive through these all the time, sometimes you stop to get gas, but usually it’s just a mild annoyance because there are sometimes stop lights. You know the places I’m talking about.

Let me paint a picture. You’re driving down the highway. You see the green highway sign that says “Flatonia 6” referring to the distance in miles to this place that no one has ever heard of. You’ve got a destination to get to, plenty of gas, it’s hot outside. The idea of stopping here never even crosses your mind. Getting closer the speed limit falls. 60 mph. 55. 45. 35. Entering the town you are first greeted by another green highway sign “Flatonia: population 2,056.” If paying attention, the sign may make you chuckle, the thought of a town the size of a high school is amusing. The sign is followed by a series of houses, filled with overgrown lawns, various yard equipment and old half assembled cars. Once you get to the town center, if you can call it that, you see old three story brick buildings, most of which are empty. On the side of these buildings are the remains of advertisements that were painted on probably 75 years ago, for things like Coca-Cola or a local restaurant. As for open businesses, there are two or three gas stations at which most of the customers are either enormous trucks hauling horse trailers or confused Subaru drivers wishing they were somewhere else. If you are lucky, there is a courthouse on the square, but this is not in every town. Over the street are banners hung from the few power lines that say something about a local event for a church. After seeing a few more vacated buildings and trucks carrying bales of hay in their beds, you exit. Just like that. The speed limit climbs back up to 65 or 70. You don’t dwell on this place, you may pass through five or six of these towns before reaching your destination.

But sometimes you must be adventurous. Instead of just stopping 13 feb. 2020

The historic Hye market and post office in downtown (if you can call it that) Hye Texas. Although over 100 years old this is still a functioning post office, as well as a restaurant. Its claim to fame is that former president Lyndon B. Johnson mailed his first letter here. Photo by Max Rhodes

for gas, maybe you can stop your lunch, maybe you can stretch your legs and explore a little bit. There are people who live here, remember? What do they do in their free time? Allow me to tell you what there is to do in small, and I mean really small, towns in Texas.

First of all, let’s talk about expectations. Small towns such as Johnson City, Wimberley, Flatonia, Shiner or wherever else one winds up could never compare with cities with a greater population, such as Waco. For those who remember, I wrote an article about central Texas barbecue, which featured some obscure places like Taylor, Lexington and Dime Box. You see what I’m saying? These places are home to some of the best food in the state, I would hardly consider that boring.

As I said before, some of these places have a courthouse, but even if they don’t there should be a little town square area. This is usually in towns with a population over two or three thousand. If it’s smaller than that you are more likely to find a main street, which should be similar to a town square. Places with a square are good spots to stop, get out of the car and explore a little bit. Most of the attractions worth going to are on the square, which include restaurants, antique shops, history centers and other stuff. Sometimes there will be a river park, which is also a nice place to stop. Of course the best way to learn about a place is to ask the people who live there. No one knows some obscure town with a population of a few thousand, or hundred better than someone who has lived there for 40 years.

This brings me to the Dairy Queen phenomena. Several of these places are in the middle of nowhere and can only be reached by a two-lane highway or even a dirt road. But, there are also a lot of towns off of the interstate, towns that have the privilege of having frequent visitors stopping there for things like food or gas. And so to meet this demand for basic necessities, the town will host a Texaco gas station and a Dairy Queen. Sure, some will also have Whataburgers and McDonald’s, but nine times out of 10 they will have a Dairy Queen. Just a Dairy Queen. And this makes sense. The DQ isn’t just for the highway-goers, it’s also for the locals. Think about it. You can get all the culinary wonders of the big city, hamburgers, chicken tenders, ice cream cakes, all tucked away into one little store. DQ is a part of small town culture, just ask anyone who lives outside of a big city.

Now I want you to think. Think about the last time you were at a Dairy Queen. Was it in Austin? Probably not. Even if it was, I’m sure you noticed the decor. It’s different than a McDonald’s or a Jack in the Box. There are old photos on the wall. Sometimes there are easy chairs around a circular table. It feels like it’s trying to be down home and comfy, as opposed to crisp and modern. Now you know why.

Anyway, with that out of the way, let me talk about some specific places. Flatonia, the place I described in the second paragraph is real. And, yes, it has a Dairy Queen. But it also has an old drugstore that sells trinkets and memorabilia, as well as actual medications. Around the railroad tracks that split Main Street in half (another common thing) is a nice park where you can have a picnic or just stretch your legs. Flatonia is located on I-10, and is about halfway between Austin and Houston.

Out west, on 290 toward Fredericksburg are the small towns of Hye and Stonewall. Hye is home to a historic post office/restaurant that is definitely worth a stop for lunch. Stonewall is famous for its peaches, and also has a decent restaurant in the back of a Chevron station. I’ve gotten mixed results on whether this place was named after General “Stonewall” Jackson, or someone else. Either way, it’s a nice stop. Between these two towns is the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site.

Sometimes the whole draw to a town can be its name. I traveled about 30 miles out of my way to go to a place called Oatmeal.

Was there anything there? No. But it was funny, and I got some good pictures with the sign.

For me, it can be fun just to drive on those little windy two lane highways through the Hill Country. Whatever you end up doing, it’s always fun to get out of the city and explore a little, even if your destination is a place called Oatmeal.

Passion for fashion shield the

A behind-theclothes look at the annual McCallum Fashion Show

MADELYNN NILES staff reporter

“Scrapbook.” To many, images of heart stickers and seasonal stamps may flash by. Thoughts of double sided tape galore and zigzag-cutting scissors may flood in. But, in this case, what we are talking about is far from Aisle 7 at your local Hobby Lobby.

The annual McCallum Fashion Show is seen by students as a parade of artistic decisions, the end result of a four-month process. However, this leaves the extensive stages of creating and organizing unseen, the entire in-between known only to participants. From the early stages of the design process to the untold stories of trend-setting fourthgraders, the roots of this student-organized event and the people that it consists of come in many different shapes and forms — and for the designers, sophomore and junior interns, and senior directors, there is so much more than the polished product.

In the early months of the fall semester, the preparation process kicks off with the senior directors—this year’s being Brooke Miller, Byron Kinard and Finn Shehan—recruiting and organizing the participants, including models, designers, and sponsors. For the models, this marks the first and primary step in joining the event, but for the directors, this moment is only the first of an endless list of tasks to be completed throughout the semester. When asked about their official responsibilities, both Kinard and Miller let out a laugh. “Oh God,” Miller said. “A lot.”

The two went on to describe their never-ending to-do list of contacting, organizing and preparing each aspect of the show leading up to February.

“Even today, still, there’s so many things that I’m just like, ‘Wow, we need to get that done,’ or ‘We have this that we haven’t even started on,’” Kinard said a few weeks prior to the show. “There’s always so much to do. … Every year, it’s just a long period of hard work, and it’s us being one of those faces that people can ask anything to, one of those people who knows the answer to every question and knows what’s going on. And then in the back of my head it’s like ‘I don’t know what what’s going on — I hope this works out!’” The two laughed again and agreed that, despite these challenges, the payoff of seeing the show is “totally, absolutely, 100 percent worth it,” as Byron described it. The sophomore interns must tackle different, smaller-scale responsibilities.

“As an intern, you’re basically learning how to be a junior director,” sophomore Veronica Britton said. “You do swag bags, get sponsorships, other prep stuff like that.”

From there, the sophomore interns progress to the junior intern position and, eventually, senior director.

Britton said that for her, joining the fashion show community was random. “I decided very last-minute, actually the day of interviews,” she recalled with a laugh. “I was kind of like, ‘Hey, Shown above is junior designer Veronica Crist’s sketchbook for her line this show. Graphic by Madelynn Niles.

this could be fun!’ I love making clothes, but I thought it would be cool to see the process behind the designs, and it’s turned into something I am so happy to be a part of.” Junior Veronica Crist, winning designer of the 2018 Mac fashion show and designer in this year’s show, feels that participating in the show gives her an outlet for one of her favorite things in life—designing.

“I’ve been interested in fashion forever,” she stated. “I was the kid in elementary school who started all the trends. Yes, I was that kid.”

She reminisced further, describing that she attended a charter elementary school where uniforms were required, so “spicing it up” with accessories was an absolute must.

“In sixth grade, my dad finally bought me a sewing machine and sent me to classes where I spent one week learning the basics of making clothes,” she said.

Crist also happily described her gratitude for being part of the fashion-show community, specifically near the end of the process. “During the dress rehearsals, [the designers] get to talk about things, like ‘Hey I did this technique; let me show you what I did.’ Or ‘Oh my God, that was so good; teach me how to do that!,’” she said with a smile. “We all learn from each other.”

Going forward from these early preparations, models begin attending extensive rehearsals and designers begin crafting their ideas in response to the year’s theme. This year, the senior directors decided upon the theme “Scrapbook.”

“What scrapbook means to us is a cohesive collection of art, which can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people,” Kinard stated. “People are doing, for example, a music album, childhood movies, books, just things that go together.”

Miller agreed that this year’s overarching theme is on the loose end of the scale, allowing designers to take many artistic liberties.

“Looking at the pieces, you should be able to tell that they fit together, but other than that it’s pretty much up to them,” she stated. The two agreed that this allows the designers to heavily leverage their own creativity and ideas rather than having to follow a cookie-cutter, strict outline, which, in turn, led to a lengthy process—both in design and creation.

Besides the work, there were many memorable moments and takeaways. Both Kinard and Miller giggled as they reminisced upon the silly games they would play to test the model’s ability to keep a straight face on the runway. They agreed that they have also learned so much sheerly from being a member of the community.

“You can’t go to school without seeing a ton of people in the fashion show in your classes or walking in the halls, and it’s cool to know you are working on this together,” Kinard stated. “And after the show, everyone knows everyone’s names, even though there are so many people. I truly love everybody that participates in the show, and I love that they love it so much.”

And, of course, there must be acknowledgment to the day of the show itself. The consensus between Crist, Britton, Kinard and Miller was a resounding “show day!” when asked about their favorite part of the overall experience. “That feeling watching the aftermath of it all,” Miller stated, “It’s just so satisfying.” Kinard agreed with her co-director. “It’s amazing. … We didn’t even make the clothes, but we’re still just so proud to watch it.”

For the models, interns and designers, seeing all of the puzzle pieces fit together and the loose ends tied up as the show begins, the months of practice and preparation become worth it. By the end of the process, the theme of “Scrapbook”—a unifying bond between a variety—seems to have become something not only describing the lines of clothes, but the people involved themselves.