Thespian, Arras showcase seizes control of fate in new performance of original stories

By Riya Vyas

“Fortunes,” a series of seven plays written by members of the Arras Periodical and performed by actors in the Thespian Troupe, made a mixed debut on Jan. 13. The showcase, which marked the second annual collaboration between the two organizations, explored the concept of luck through various critical, humorous, and superstitious lenses.

The standout play was “miss fortune,” by Jeslyn Nguyen which begins toying with the theme of luck in its title and continues throughout the whole script. Miss Fortune bestows gifts upon townspeople as the devil follows her, falls in love with her, and sabotages her gifts to reveal the townspeoples’ corruption. Instead of dialogue, the entire story was narrated through an elegant voiceover layered over a beautiful musical composition that enhanced the story’s drama and romance. Clever symbolism — such as Miss Fortune (Allie Klaydman) dancing with the devil (Haleta Ayalew) — was enhanced by the actors’ evocative performances. In particular, Klaydman delivered clear emotion through her body language, enunciation, and facial expressions throughout her performances. The audience’s audible gasp when the devil got down on one knee to propose and their thunderous applause after the conclusion demonstrated the play’s impact. In the showcase as a whole, the actors did an impressive job maintaining expressiveness with scripts in hand, glancing down for their lines only occasionally. However, more expressive body language, especially in plays that had less onstage action, such as “Turn of the Table” by Andrew Zhu, would have helped to maintain audience engagement and enhance the actors’ command of the stage.

Many of the plays were dialogue-heavy, which often made them difficult to follow, especially with the lack of microphones and inconsistent delivery. Some parts of the scripts didn’t fully translate on stage, resulting in scenes with talking heads and stillness that struggled to maintain my attention. Nevertheless, unique and dynamic formats that optimized stage space — such as “Money Can Grow on Trees” by DieuUyen Vu, which used the front of the stage for mockumentary-style asides — added nuance and complexity to what would have been otherwise simple plots. To the writers’ credit, dialogue throughout the showcase was delightfully witty, littered with double entendres and pop culture references that prompted chuckles throughout the audi-

‘Glass Onion’ combines tropes into charming murder mystery

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 ence.

Compared to last year’s showcase, “Fortunes” was lacking in its exploration of the central theme. Interpretations were often literal — such as “Call of the Fortune Favored” by Crystal Huang, in which characters’ survival indicates that they are lucky, or “A Shot at Luck” by Kate Chua, in which a character is embroiled in several unlucky situations. The pacing was at times awkward and stilted, but the plays that broke up dialogue with action scenes, like “Fortune Royale” by Andrew Ton, avoided that mistake.

Finally, the props and costumes were minimal but effective. Contrasting colors — notably in “miss fortune,” in which the devil dressed in all red and Miss Fortune in all white — were visually engaging, while simple accessories such as horse ears or cowboy hats successfully established characterization and added comedic undertones. The backstage crew did an excellent job moving props such as couches, tables, and chairs rapidly in between scenes and plays, though the lack of a full painted backdrop and a larger prop setting often made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story.

Ultimately, “Fortunes” presented an engaging showcase, even if it didn’t quite live up to its predecessor, displaying the talent and creativity of MHS artists.

By Tiffany Lieu

Director and writer Rian Johnson’s 2022 film, the Oscar-nominated “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” transports viewers into a story that is simultaneously complexly layered and infuriatingly obvious; the movie almost acts like a glass onion itself. While it is officially a sequel to Johnson’s 2019 film, “Knives Out,” the film is easily able to stand on its own. Set on an idyllic private island — dubbed the “Glass Onion” — renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigates a murder among the eccentric friend group of the even more eccentric billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton).

The story remains grounded in the present with references to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These references are often tasteful; moments like Blanc playing “Among Us” in his bathtub help to keep the film lighthearted. On the other hand, details like the unexplained spray that eliminates the need for the characters’ masks on the island feel like a bit of lazy writing and risks dating the film.

Overall, the story is well-crafted. It builds a healthy amount of tension and cuts it with perfectly timed humorous moments, as seen in scenes where a freeloader on Miles’ island pops in at unexpected moments. “Glass Onion” also cleverly omits parts of certain scenes, skewing the viewer’s interpretation of the plot before later revealing the full context. The film does utilize some trite plot devices to explain some of its deception, but the film doesn’t suffer greatly because of it.

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Movie Review

At first, the cast of “Glass Onion” seems like an ensemble of caricatures, but each character grows more nuanced as the film goes on. In particular, the film doesn’t allow secondary characters to be sidelined: one character’s assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick) and another character’s girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline) are both shown to be more intelligent than they originally seemed. The distinct personalities of each character are also amplified by the actors that play them. From Odom easily embodying the practical scientist to Janelle Monáe flawlessly carrying out the intricacies of her role, the cast was brimming with talent. The individuality of each character is further emphasized by wonderful costuming. Down to the masks they wear, every outfit was clearly carefully chosen.

“Glass Onion” often relies on clichés and the mystery is quite simplistic. However, the film maintains a level of depth as it explores the pitfalls of extreme wealth and balances that by being continually playful. Containing frequent twists and turns, “Glass Onion” is an ingeniously simple story that is as dramatic as it is fun.