The Hoya: The Guide: April 20, 2018

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The Power Of Silence

ILLUSTRATION BY: GRACE CHUNG AND MINA LEE/THE HOYA

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friDAY, April 20, 2018

FILE PHOTO: CAROLINE PAPPAS/THE HOYA

Hosted inside Anne Marie Becraft Hall, the John Main Center for Meditation and Interreligious Dialogue provides a welcoming, inclusive environment for students of all backgrounds. The meditations, which are held twice each day, begin with a reading from John Main, a British Benedictine monk.

Meditation Fosters Peace and Reflection on Campus alexandra brunjes Hoya Staff Writer

The room is small, bright and quiet, with a small table at the center surrounded by floor cushions and chairs. A meditation leader begins to recite the words of John Main, a British Benedictine monk famed for his meditation techniques, followed by the boom of a gong. Then, silence.

Thus begins a group meditation at the John Main Center for Meditation and Interreligious Dialogue, held twice daily.

Housed inside the small brick Anne Marie Becraft Hall, which is located at the corner of Old North Way and Library Walk in the center of Georgetown University’s campus, the JMC provides a welcoming, inclusive environment for students of all religious backgrounds. Fr. Laurence Freeman, a former meditation student of John Main, established the JMC in 2005 when working as a visiting professor in the Catholic studies department.

A team of nine meditation leaders, who are a mixture of faculty members, recent graduates and students of all levels, lead the ritual. Meditation in the JMC follows Main’s model, in which participants silently repeat a word or phrase, called a mantra. During the twice-daily silent group meditations, students enter the space and take off their shoes before sitting down on cushions.

The meditation leader begins by reading an excerpt from Main and then strikes a gong to signal the start of the 20-minute meditation. The gong is rung again to signal the end of the meditation, after which an excerpt from a work of a different faith from John Main is read.

Meditation’s religious roots The practice of meditation has roots in Catholic tradition even as it holds a universal connection, said Nick Scrimenti (COL ’18), program coordinator for the JMC. “The idea of meditating and praying with people from other religious traditions or no tradition at all is an important, indeed necessary, dimension of the center,” Scrimenti wrote in an email to The Hoya.

Scrimenti said meditation connects to three elements of Georgetown’s Jesuit identity: contemplation in action, interreligious dialogue and cura personalis.

“We are a diverse community of contemplatives in action who promote interreligious understanding as well as cura personalis. We have also had fruitful comparisons and fusions of meditation and Ignatian spirituality,” Scrimenti wrote.

Tony Mazurkiewicz, director of the JMC, said one of the best parts of the JMC is that its roots in Catholicism are married with its inclusiveness of students of all religious backgrounds — even those

who are unsure of their spiritual footing.

“There are a lot of folks who come through the center who might not be fully connecting with the institutional tradition that they’re involved in, so in many ways we try to meet them where they’re at,” Mazurkiewicz said in an interview with The Hoya.

“At Georgetown we’re Christian, Catholic, Jesuit, so we present meditation from the Christian tradition, but at the same time, Georgetown’s founded on religious pluralism, and so we invite people, particularly who come from different traditions, to enter into the silence together,” Mazurkiewicz said.

Mazurkiewicz also believes that meditation supports the education of the whole person in mind, body and spirit, and embodies contemplation in action.

“Meditation is that deeper reality that folks want to be in touch with: Not only who we are, but whose we are — that relationship with the divine,” Mazurkiewicz said.

Beyond John Main Besides JMC group meditation sessions, students have also developed other ways to find peaceful moments on campus. Although yoga is a distinct practice from meditation, the two are similar in their emphasis on tranquility and reflection, and meditation is often incorporated into yoga.

Hoyasana, Georgetown’s student yoga club, hosts four free yoga classes per week in the Healey Family Student Center dance studio. Each lasts an hour and is taught by a different teacher.

Dina El-Saharty (GRD ’19), who teaches one of Hoyasana’s classes, finds yoga to be a soothing, meditative practice and concludes each of her classes with a five-minute silent meditation.

Inspired by the benefits of meditation in yoga, El-Saharty has made meditation a common practice in her daily life.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to meditate in between everything that I do,” ElSaharty said. “Often, when I’m walking somewhere, I engage in walking meditation. Walking meditation is great way to remind yourself to slow down in the fastpaced world we live in, to be present and to become aware of your body in full motion.”

Rachael Borrows (COL ’20) has not attended a Hoyasana class, but during her first year at Georgetown she frequently attended student-led Buddhist meditations, which take place at the JMC but are distinct from the silent group meditations.

Borrows said the Buddhist meditations opened her eyes to the benefits of meditative practice.

“Participating in meditation at the John Main Center was a formative experience during my freshman year at Georgetown,” she wrote in an email to The Hoya.

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friday, April 20, 2018 “During high-stress periods throughout the year, I found great comfort in the practices taught and conducted at the nighttime Buddhist meditation sessions.”

Borrows first attended meditation as part of an assignment for her “The Problem of God” freshman theology class but found it so beneficial that she continued to attend.

“The fact that the sessions I attended at the John Main Center were student-led made them feel comfortable and familiar, and the intimate space was perfect to set the scene for mental relaxation,” Borrows wrote.

Meditative Benefits For those who actively engage in meditation, the practice seems to reap many rewards.

“Hopefully meditation leads us to a deeper sense of self-acceptance, of selfawareness, of love and kindness and of being comfortable in our own skin,” said Mazurkiewicz, who typically meditates twice per day.

Of the many benefits of meditation, he noted that stress relief, in particular, might resonate with Georgetown students.

“Your heart rate decreases when you begin taking deep breaths,” Mazurkiewicz said. “The practice also helps you become more aware and in some ways peels some of the layers back. When there is a lot of

pressure, it’s a way to let go.”

El-Saharty agreed, saying meditation provides innumerable benefits.

“Meditation is truly an amazing practice — so simple, yet so powerful,” ElSaharty said. “It’s an all-encompassing practice and a great and simple way to

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reboot your entire body and mind, and improve your overall physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and intellectual well-being.”

After years of practice, Scrimenti now meditates each day, sometimes more than once, and cites the myriad benefits.

FILE PHOTO: CAROLINE PAPPAS/THE HOYA

For those who actively engage in meditation, the practice reaps rewards, especially when it comes to stress relief and mental and physical well-being.

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“You might feel more aware, you might be a better listener, and you might be happier,” Scrimenti wrote, noting that several studies have indicated the positive effects of meditation.

However, Scrimenti was quick to add that JMC group leaders focus more on the immediate practice of meditation than its effects.

“We tend not to emphasize the physical or psycho-physical benefits of meditation. We try not to promote meditation just as a way to become a more efficient worker or as a way to lower blood pressure,” Scrimenti said. “We take a much more holistic approach, attempting to explain why people have historically and religiously felt compelled to meditate.”

At the same time, meditation cannot cure all problems. Yulia Chentsova-Dutton, an associate professor of cultural psychology, pointed to the toxic environment of over-commitment, business and stress promoted by club culture as an issue to resolve.

“I think we can only achieve good results if we do not only address the individual level — teaching students beneficial emotion regulation techniques — but also pay attention to the cultural level,” Chentsova-Dutton wrote in an email to The Hoya. “We are increasingly understanding that while meditation is effective, we cannot expect people to mediate cultural effects away.”

FILE PHOTO: CAROLINE PAPPAS/THE HOYA

The workers of the John Main Center focus on the immediate practice of meditation rather than its effects. They take a holistic approach and choose to emphasize meditation’s historical and religious significance rather than its purported health benefits, especially since meditation is not a catch-all cure.

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Directed by: Brad Peyton Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman Hoya Staff Writer

“Rampage,” director Brad Peyton’s latest film, enticingly combines a far-fetched plot with compelling animations and on-screen chemistry for an experience that is equally humorous and thought-provoking. The film is based on the eponymous video game by Midway Games and follows a quiet pathologist, Davis Okoye, while he desperately tries to keep his friend George, a gorilla, alive and simultaneously prevent a violent disaster.

The film begins in a space station, where a scientist must retrieve genetic samples as a horrifically large rat chases her. She escapes, but the samples enter the Earth’s atmosphere and fall over the United States where a crocodile, a wolf and a gorilla inhale the mysterious gas and begin to grow. When George is affected by the samples, his once tightknit relationship with Davis grows complicated.

As George continues to grow into a rabid beast, he slowly loses the human attributes that make him adorable. While Davis tries to keep George from self-destruction in his unintentional rampage, he meets the ex-genetic engineer Kate, played by Naomie Harris, who helps

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MOVIE review BALLET REVIEW

Rampage Gabrielle irwin

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him navigate the unknown territory of genetic modification.

Davis hopes he and George will be able to repair their relationship and the madness will cease, yet George may be lost forever to the serum he was exposed to.

While the film’s plot is far-fetched, the abundance of action makes for a fun watch; the movie is packed with meaningful expressions of friendship and violence. Peyton’s direction and Jaron Presant’s cinematography combine to create incredibly kinetic shots that put audience members in Davis’s shoes as he faces the film’s many horrific creatures. The camera’s continual movement through each scene instead of static shots keeps the audience fully immersed and contributes to the film’s dynamism.

Despite its adherence to the archetypal structure of the action film, “Rampage” is delightfully witty and energetic. The three monstrous troublemakers who ravage through the film make the Tyrannosaurus rex of the 2015 film “Jurassic World” look tame, perhaps because the concept of a 30-foot wolf or a house-sized crocodile is so unusual. Moreover, the variety of afflicted animals, along with George’s loss of humanity, make the serum’s effects petrifying and realistic.

The relationship between George and Davis is also entirely genuine, a refreshing digression from the strain between man and gorilla in blockbusters like “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is an attractive headliner for action films; his ability to handle physically demanding tasks while keeping situations light-hearted lends pizzazz to otherwise undistinguished action films. His chemistry with Harris makes the jokes sound relaxed rather than rehearsed and helps the audience relate to the storyline.

The film’s animation is impressive, as the wolf, crocodile and gorilla are relatively lifelike within the bounds of the silver screen.

Throughout the film, viewers can see George’s eyes soften as his conscience returns and then watch him fall back under the biological haze of raging testosterone and increasing strength.

The success of “Rampage” relies heavily on the high quality of the CGI, or computer-generated imagery, that makes the nightmarish animals come to life.

The realism of the animations contributes to the film’s warning against the genetic optimization of predators as weapons. “Rampage” reminds watchers that, while genetic modifications may be used for good, they can also go

 awry.

This film is peppered with unexpected, hilarious moments that not only relieve tension but also keep viewers on the edge of their seats. “Rampage” is a rare mainstream movie that balances unlikely escapes and stunning action without taking itself too seriously, making it an enjoyable movie instead of a cookie-cutter blockbuster.

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theater review

‘Translations’ Explores Irish Language and Identity ethan knecht Hoya Staff Writer

STUDIO THEATRE

In a play full of references to Greek stories and Latin poetry, the conflicts between the living Gaelic and English languages and between Protestants and Catholics propel Brian Friel’s “Translations.” With “Translations,” written by an Irish Catholic playwright in 1980 during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Studio Theatre explores the impermanence of language and names, and how heritage can motivate both compassion and cruelty.

“Translations,” set in 1833, takes place in a stone barn that serves as an informal school, where a group of poor farmers memorize Latin, Greek and arithmetic at the behest and professorial wrath of the local schoolmaster Hugh, played by Bradley Armacost.

Between reciting Homer and multiplication tables, the locals worry about the dramatic changes sweeping their isle, including the “sweet smell,” foreshadowing a potato famine.

When rumors of a new, English language-only national school circulate, Maire, played by Molly Carden, dreams of moving to the United States while others worry about losing their culture and heritage.

The plot picks up when Hugh’s oldest son,

Owen, played by Erin Gann, surprises his friends and family, reluctantly returning to his dull hometown where he translates and anglicizes the county’s landmarks for the royally commissioned Irish Ordnance Survey with his friend Lieutenant Yolland, played by Cary Donaldson.

The drama intensifies when Yolland disappears the day after falling for Maire, causing Captain Lancey, played by Jeff Keogh, to threaten death and exile if the townspeople refuse to aid the English in search and rescue efforts. Ending without closure, Hugh recites Virgil’s anguish filled “Aeneid” to hint at the village and Northern Ireland’s impending, but perhaps impermanent, decline.

Like many of Studio Theatre’s productions, simple lighting and a restrained but realistic set design provide a light touch to the play, allowing the acting to shine. The Washington, D.C. theater scene, Studio Theatre included, has no dearth of great actors; as such, it is unsurprising that Gann and Matthew McGee, who plays Manus, propel the story with their brotherly love and quarrels. Still, Carden and Donaldson deserve top billing for their spectacular performances as Maire and Yolland, respectively.

The show perfectly blends the personal and the political, intertwining realistic human stories and the larger cultural and political context around them without being heavy handed.

Intentionally or not, “Translations” brings its audience together, humanizes each side of the Northern Irish conflict and spurs conversation.

Fortunately, the play avoids lingering on the past by focusing less on the specific grievances of each side of the conflict and instead on the personal motivations that can drive ethnoreligious conflict.

Perhaps the best instance of the timely balance of the personal and the political is when the mute Sarah, played by Megan Graves — who had been practicing saying “My name is Sarah,” throughout the show — is unable to speak after being shouted at by a threatening English Army captain. Much like Gaelic speakers with their beloved traditional names, Sarah is helpless to fight back. Yet, having witnessed her courage and strength, the audience is left to assume that Sarah’s voice, much like the traditional Gaelic translations, will one day be heard.

“Translations” is playing at Studio Theatre in Logan Circle through April 29. Student tickets are $20.

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Directed by: Brian Shoaf Starring: Zachary Quinto, Jenny Slate, Jon Hamm Hoya Staff Writer

“Aardvark,” writer and director Brian Shoaf’s new film, is incredibly difficult to endure and provides little entertainment or emotional power across its 84-minute run time.

The film tells the story of Josh, played by Zachary Quinto, a deeply troubled man with some undefined “condition,” and his inept new therapist, Emily, played by Jenny Slate. When Josh’s TV-star brother Craig, played by Jon Hamm, comes back into town, Craig begins sleeping with Emily and appearing in the increasingly unstable Josh’s hallucinations.

Many of the film’s faults lie in Shoaf’s inexperience. This film is his first feature--length film in either the writer’s or director’s chair, and his inexperience is an anchor around the production’s neck. The script meanders uncomfortably and jarringly vacillates between comedy and psychological thriller.

Emily’s storyline feels like a quirky romantic comedy about a young therapist’s burgeoning relationship with her client’s brother after a series of past romantic failures — the type of work toward which Slate typically gravitates, as she

The Rider

is best known for her roles in “Parks and Recreation” and “Zootopia.”

Josh’s storyline, on the other hand, is a sober, stark examination of mental illness. While either story could have made an interesting movie, the tonal imbalance makes for an unnerving viewing experience, and the clashes are especially perceptible during the extended, poorly scripted therapy scenes between Emily and Josh.

Another notable weakness lies in the film’s refusal to provide the audience with any clarity with regard to Josh’s mental illness. The script references a litany of conditions that he might have and makes passing references to his “condition,” but nothing is concrete. All the audience knows of his symptoms are his hallucinations and an oft-referred-to, but never explained, breakdown during his teenage years.

Since so much of the film deals with Josh’s illness, it is strange that Shoaf takes so little care to characterize it. The introduction of Josh’s mysterious love interest, Hannah, played by Sheila Vand, who may or may not be another of Josh’s hallucinations, would be more compelling if the audience knew a little more about Josh’s past and the details of his condition.

Eric Lin’s cinematography, paired with

Shoaf’s direction, provides the film with a pervasive air of discomfort, from its ambient noise soundtrack to camerawork that lingers just a moment too long on certain actors. Shoaf and Lin appear to be overly fond of close-ups where an actor speaks directly to the camera, pulling this shot out near the end of multiple scenes that highlight Josh’s instability. However, this technique only serves to further alienate and disquiet a restless and uncomfortable audience.

With very little to work with, the talented cast is left hanging. Hamm rests on his considerable charm and good looks, seemingly aware of the film’s low quality and extending only minimal effort. However, the film’s superficial character requires little more than Hamm going through the motions with the right blend of likability and distance that catapulted him into stardom in “Mad Men.” Vand similarly floats through the film on her enigmatic charm that befits her cypher of a character.

Slate does a fine, if tentative and slightly awkward, job in the more romantic comedy style scenes, but seems in over her head in the darker, more dramatic moments. While some of this problem may be attributed to the deplorable

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The opening scene of “The Rider” sets the tone for the entire movie: Viewers see horse trainer and rodeo star Brady Blackburn’s stapled skull under harsh lighting, matching the scene’s gruesome mood.

Blackburn is played by Brady Jandreau, who serves as the inspiration for the film’s true story. Directed by Chloé Zhao, the film explores themes of identity and recovery from trauma, starring an untrained lead with a personal investment in the story.

Despite doctors’ warnings to quit riding after he falls off a horse and suffers a traumatic brain injury, Blackburn struggles to let go of his passion for rodeo. Viewers learn a central symptom of Blackburn’s injury is regular complex seizures, which cause his hand to “lock”; the symptom serves as a tactful metaphor for Blackburn’s reluctance to let go of his grip on his horseback riding dreams.

 writing, her performance lacks conviction, as she often appears somewhat confused. It is as if Slate is not sure how to play a given scene; viewers get the sense that she is as confused by her character’s decisions as they are.

Early in the film, there is a scene contrasting Zachary Quinto and Jenny Slate’s viewing of the same television show. While the scene is intended to highlight the differences in their characters, it ends up serving more to show the disparity in their performances. Where Slate is faltering, Quinto commits firmly. His portrayal of Josh reads true in every vacant state, self-conscious twitch, and hesitant smile. In a script that treats Josh’s mental illness as a quirk, Quinto turns the role into a fully fleshed out, achingly real person. He is equal parts enthralling, terrifying, and sympathetic, none of which the script explores in as much depth as the character deserves. It is a shame that such a great performance was wasted on a movie this bad.

“Aardvark” feels remarkably long for its short run time, but has little substance to fill the narrative. With a substantial lack of depth, interest or entertainment, there is little reason to waste time or money on this meandering mess of a film.

movie review

Directed by: Chloé Zhao Starring: Brady, Tim and Lily Jandreau charlotte lindsay

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movie review

Aardvark Paulina enck

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Blackburn’s story is one of perseverance and bravery: He is determined to make a name for himself. Blackburn clearly possesses not only the skills — he is the only one capable of training a number of unruly horses — but also the passion needed to succeed at this high level. Tragically, however, Blackburn is forced to follow a new path by getting an entry-level job at a grocery store — the only job he could qualify for without a high school degree.

Zhao juxtaposes the former rodeo star’s old life with his new one when a young rodeo fan approaches a shelf-stocking Blackburn for a photo. The stark comparison between past and present is clearest in that moment. Despite his difficult circumstances, Blackburn’s spirit is never fully put out. While others would retreat and mope, he does not give up, and instead remains confident and determined.

“The Rider” focuses on the larger theme of identity: Blackburn tells his sister that God created each person with a specific purpose. His

 purpose was to ride. When horseback riding is no longer an option for him, the hero feels stuck in a whirlwind, unsure of what to do.

The psychological effects of this uncertainty are profound, as Blackburn compares himself to an injured horse that gets put down.

Perhaps most impressive about the film is its cast. Jandreau, the star of the film, had no previous acting experience. Yet, his raw emotion and authenticity shine through in his character. Jandreau undoubtedly draws on his own struggles in his performance, as the actor suffered a similar real-life accident The dynamics between the actors are also unparalleled: Tim Jandreau, Brady Jandreau’s father, plays Blackburn’s father in the film, and his sister Lilly Jandreau plays his autistic sister.

Lane Scott, another untrained actor, plays Blackburn’s best friend and fellow rodeo star who suffered an even more serious injury than the main character. The relationship between the two is touching, with each encouraging the other despite an unspoken knowledge that, be-

cause of their injuries, their lives would not be the same.

The obviously close real-life relationships translate onto the screen perfectly in a way that could not have been replicated had Zhao chosen unrelated, trained actors. The composition of the film adds to its authenticity; as a result, the film never feels manipulative or exploitative. The incredible sense of realness draws viewers in and keeps them captivated for the full 105 minute run time.

“The Rider” resonates with its audience not through dramatic scripted conflicts, but through raw emotion. Blackburn is a man of few words, but the words he does say are never wasted.

Those who have been knocked off their path or forced to adapt after an unexpected change can relate to Blackburn, giving the film a wide-reaching appeal. “The Rider” is not simply a story of a horseback rider: It is a story of hope and resilience in the face of struggle.

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Testing Truisms

Table for two

Does Fortune Favor The Bold?

Arab Traditions Flavor Maydān’s Cuisine

Vera Mastrorilli

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friDAY, april 20, 2018

his time of year, many of us are trying to craft the perfect application in hopes of landing a coveted internship or job for the summer. But how do you make your submission stand out?

A cover letter that catches your potential employer’s attention could be a good start. The next step may be to reach out to someone who works at the company, and then, if you are particularly ambitious, to contact a company executive.

But do outspokenness and risk reap rewards in the job hunt? Does fortune actually favor the bold, as the saying goes?

It might, if you are white and male. If you are a woman or a person of color, however, boldness might not be equally beneficial.

According to a survey by employer branding company Universum, the third most sought-after trait in candidates is confidence. But the two most desirable traits — professionalism and high energy, respectively — do not necessarily correspond with boldness or risk-taking. In a similar survey by CareerBuilder, employers ranked confidence as the 10th most important characteristic for candidates, behind nine other traits that had more to do with work or communication style than boldness. So, perhaps the skills potential employees bring to a job are more important than how they present themselves to employers.

But do bolder people get more opportunities to present themselves to employees in the first place? They might, if they network more than their more reserved peers. Matt Youngquist, president of the career coaching and placement company Career Horizons, claims that 70 to 80 percent of jobs are not listed, so you must be bold and reach out to friends, acquaintances and potential employers to find them.

Some evidence supports the idea that networking gets you noticed. One study found that the more time people spent networking, the more job offers they received.

However, the same study also concluded that networking did not explain incremental variables in employment outcomes. So, while boldly putting yourself out there gets job offers, it may not lead to you taking a job that suits you.

Additionally, boldness is not the only trait that may influence whether you get an offer or land a job. In fact, the saying “fortune favors the bold” would be more accurately stated as “fortune favors bold white men.” Experiments consistently

demonstrate that, among candidates with the same resumes, white applicants receive 36 percent more callbacks than black applicants. This ratio has not changed in the past 25 years. Furthermore, while the gap between white and Latinx applicants has decreased since the 1990s, as of 2010, white candidates still received 15 percent more callbacks than equally qualified Latinx applicants. Job discrimination likely prevents applicants from minority groups from being rewarded for their boldness.

Employers may even perceive boldness as an undesirable trait in some employees.

Past studies have shown that while men are rewarded and respected for speaking their mind and acting as leaders, women are perceived negatively when they exhibit these traits. One such study, conducted in 2012, found that a powerful man who talked much more than his peers was perceived as similarly worthy of a leadership position as a powerful woman who talked much less than her peers.

Furthermore, a man who talked less than his peers and a woman who talked more were perceived as equally unworthy to be leaders.

These results imply that expectations for workplace performance are gendered: Men, but not women, should act powerful. This being the case, fortune clearly does not favor bold women.

However, the outcomes of another study indicated that such attitudes may be changing. In 2013, New York University Stern School of Business replicated a study it had conducted 10 years prior, with much different results. In the first study, when students rated two successful entrepreneurs, whose only distinguishing factor was their gender, they described the male entrepreneur as more likeable than the female one and characterized the female entrepreneur as selfish and political. A decade later, however, students rated the female entrepreneur as more likeable than her male counterpart.

Perhaps bold, successful women are becoming more accepted in the workplace.

Boldness is necessary for success to an extent, in that you have to network and ask to find and pursue job opportunities. However, boldness may not be as much of an asset as the saying “fortune favors the bold” implies. While networking does result in more job offers, employers tend to prioritize other qualities over boldness when evaluating candidates.

Even if boldness were a highly desirable trait, because of racial discrimination and different expectations for men and women, being bold might primarily benefit white men. Given that there are other factors at play, writing a daring cover letter or cold emailing a company executive may not significantly boost your prospects of landing a job or summer internship, if you are not a white male.

Vera Mastrorilli is a junior in the College.

This column is the final installment of TESTING TRUISMS.

Daniel Almeida and Toby Hung

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s we turn the corner of an alley lined with upmarket coffee shops, a pizzeria and the Manhattan Laundry WeWork office, we joke that the wooden, Tolkien-looking door looms ominously out of place.

At 9:52 p.m., we are characteristically a few minutes late to our reservation, but hesitate for only a moment before ducking inside a dim foyer lined with tapestries. We sheepishly ask our hostess if we are at the correct location, and she confirms that we have arrived at Maydān — a new Arab-rooted establishment by restaurateurs Rose Previte, Chris Morgan and Gerald Addison.

Bubble-letter graffiti and engraved Islamic geometric designs line the walls; a roaring fire pit topped with a copper dome extending up to the 20-foot-high ceiling gives the room an amber glow.

Tending to the hearth, Morgan, who’s worked with Parts & Labor in Baltimore, and Addison, an alumnus of The Dabney, appear busy. Even at this late hour, the restaurant is filled to the brim.

Despite the hustle and bustle, Maydān, whose name refers to a town square or gathering place, feels intimate. Our server quickly hands us our menus, followed by a plate of warm round flatbreads baked in clay ovens known as toneebi in Georgian.

To describe the cuisine as simply Mediterranean-inspired mezze, however, feels lacking: A menu of dips, salads and kebabs draws from rich Lebanese, Moroccan, Tunisian, Turkish and Georgian traditions. Previte, Morgan and Addison travelled to North Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe as part of their research and returned with a deep appreciation for several of the timehonored traditions.

We tear into the flatbread alongside servings of a Beiruti hummus, a chickpea dip with freshly chopped vegetables and garlic folded into the mash, and a delightfully deep magenta beet borani.

For drinks, the “Sanguinello Soda” and the “Laila and Majnoon” stand out: The former is an “Ilegal Joven” mezcal shaken with ice, ginger, the juice of a blood orange, serrano honey and club soda, while the latter sees Linie aquavit, Amaro Nardini, Apricot Eau-de-Vie and

Syrian seven-spice poured over a tall, icefilled glass.

We are two rounds into the flatbread by the time our grilled-over-the-fire eggplants arrive, accompanied by a trio of dips: a garlic, oil and lemon eggless emulsion, a tomato jam and a parsley, cilantro, cumin and serrano paste. The simple-looking blistered vegetable is drizzled in a walnut sauce — neither too tender nor too unyielding. We kicked ourselves for not ordering more.

With our cocktails out of the way, we turn to a bottle of Massaya’s 2016 Le Colombier, a blend from the Lebanese Beqaa Valley. The black cherry and blackberry hit hard; the result is a surprisingly sweet and floral wine.

As our table quickly fills up, it soon becomes clear how Maydān’s owners have devoted their time and effort to crafting dishes that are first and foremost delicious. We are excited by the flavors in front of us much more than each plate’s presentation.

We wrap portions of a juicy, saffronlaced beef kebab in pieces of teared flatbread and some of the Lebanese toum; mix and match, our server advised. Large out-of-the-shell shrimp grilled over the fire and marinated in chermoula sauce make for tender bites — no easy feat when cooking over a tremendously hot open fire.

A waiter brings over another table to carry a larger-than-life lamb shoulder, which is cooked through in an oven before being smoked over the main hearth’s crackling logs. Served alongside sumac-dusted raw onions, the first bite is unbelievably tender and rich. Aesthetics aren’t the main concern as we tear and hack into the heaping portion.

Quickly, our table turns chaotic. This plate is not suitable for our table of two, however, and by the sixth or seventh bite, the outside char is mostly gone; the inner meat, albeit tender, is dry when unaccompanied by any of our sides, dips or fat.

Despite its few faults, Maydān delights.

Previte, Morgan and Addison disarm you with food made with respect and care.

The intense combination of flavors, aromas and decor honor the various Mediterranean traditions that inspired the new venue.

If you’re looking for avant-garde cuisine or Instagram-worthy aesthetics, Mayd ā n is not for you. Come for the food and hearth, bring a friend and indulge.

Daniel Almeida is a senior in the McDonough School of Business. Toby Hung is a senior in the College. This column is the final installment of Table for two.

friDAY, APRIL 20, 2018

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B7

theater review

Enter Milton’s Paradise Through ‘Amanuensis’

Denesse Mae Javier Special to The Hoya

“You haven’t the flame to outlast a raindrop. You’re not a conflagration, Mary; you’re a wee match in the sea of time. And the sea will swallow you up,” John Milton boomed in response to his daughter’s plea to satiate her hunger for knowledge.

In the play’s world premiere at the Davis Performing Arts Center, the Gonda Theater’s production of L M Feldman’s “Amanuensis” invites its audience to tackle the complexities of the human experience by confronting the disparities between romanticized renderings and the truth.

Set in 17th century England at the height of its social instability, “Amanuensis” spans the seven-year period when Milton, played by Alexander Prout (COL ’19), wrote the epic poem “Paradise Lost.”

The production investigates the relationship between a blind and incapacitated Milton and his three illiterate daughters Deborah, played

by Healy Knight (COL ’20); Mary, played by Kate Ginna (COL ’18) and Anne, played by Michaela Farrell (COL ’18), as they transcribe his epic.

This exploration of the Miltons’ lives acts as a catalyst for a dialogue about inequity, opportunity, genius, gender, privilege, voice and loss.

Feldman’s impetus was to narrate a tender story about a father and daughter, until her research revealed otherwise: In his will, Milton called his daughters “unkind children … very undutiful to me,” revealing their turbulent and fraught relationship.

“It became more about the disparity between the romanticized renderings of

things and the inequities of what was true,” Feldman said in an interview with The Hoya.

Feldman felt compelled to fill the aperture between imagination and reality, resulting in the creation of this “loosely historically inspired feminist fantasia,” wrote professor and director Maya Roth on the Georgetown Events website.

The narrative of “Amanuensis” follows a multitude of tragedies in the Milton daughters’ lives, including the deaths of their mother Mary Powell and their two siblings.

Prout’s performance exhibits an emotionless countenance truthful to Milton’s character, successfully portraying Milton’s apathy toward his family.

In the play, Milton derives zeal exclusively from his work and intellectual interactions with the male sex. “For Cromwell he cries.

For his wife and daughter…,” Mary despairingly murmurs, as it takes the death of Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, to elicit any sort of emotion from Milton, a fervent supporter of the Commonwealth.

Rather than exhibit paradigmatic characteristics of a loving father, Milton instead berates his daughters over the simplest transgressions. In one of the most resonant lines of the play, when Mary fails to record the entirety of the morning’s work, Milton roars, “I cannot keep constellations in my head, and here I am: horribly, pitifully, ironically, cruelly reliant on weak and weary hands to scribe the stars with which I am trying to build firmaments. O God the sublime injustice!”

Nevertheless, Milton’s cruelty is excused by some characters because of the allure of

his genius. Thomas, played by Travis Fujita (MSB ’18), presents this viewpoint, passionately insisting that the anguish Milton inflicts on his daughters is worth it because of his ability to move mountains with words.

Despite the play’s esoteric allusions, direct inclusion of excerpts from “Paradise Lost” and focus on Milton’s unattainable genius, Feldman masterfully includes scenes of high theatricality, comedy and wit to make the play more accessible to the audience.

Through subtle hints of discombobulation, like the sisters’ furrowed brows, invisible to their father, and more explicit markers of confusion regarding Milton’s profound thoughts, like Mary’s muttered frustrations, the cast effectively contributes to this effort.

Through the marrying of heightened comedy and the evident chemistry between Knight, Ginna and Farrell, Milton’s daughters are finally given a voice to help the audience “gain insight into [the] Miltons’ inner world[s]” and communicate Feldman’s social critiques.

The play’s structure is composed of an oscillation between a sequential progression of time and what Feldman calls “interstitial scenes” where every other scene advances the plot by a year. The interstitial scenes are marked by spotlights on the three girls and include additional costume props pulled from a hidden cabinet to differentiate the narrative. These scenes are placed out of time and contain the fantasies of the three daughters where they imagine scenes that range from their father’s childhood to origin stories.

In the 11th scene, Ginna sarcastically recounts the insensitivity and male chauvinism characteristic of her father, reinforcing the gender inequity of the time.

“Amanuensis” also acknowledges the loss that humankind has suffered from the exclusion of female voices through Farrell’s character, Anne, as she recreates the romanticized scenes through the imagination of prominent male painters like Joseph Fradelle, Eugene Delacroix and Soma Orlai Petrich. She reveals that these scenes “look like the past but they are not [her] memory,” and wonders, “Whose memory?

Whose truth [is it]?”

Feldman poses these questions in a narrative structure to engage the audience while capturing the complexity of the issues.

“I hope that people leave thinking about who we aren’t hearing from, who are we giving the opportunities to, and if can we do better, what that would take,” Feldman said.

Contrasting the cruel realities of the sisters’ fates with an optimistic prophecy, Deborah’s final monologue echoes the aspirations of Milton in challenging the audience to create “a more just world.”

“Amanuensis” comprehensively embodies the Davis Performing Arts Center’s central focus on “Past/Present” for its 2017 to 2018 season by wrestling with the historical complexities in order to engage the audience with contemporary socio-political issues and ignite a desire to invoke change.

“Amanuensis” runs in the Gonda Theater at 8 p.m. through April 21. Tickets are available at performingarts.georgetown.edu.

theater review

Cut Loose at Mask and Bauble’s ‘Footloose’

Meghan DeCourcey Hoya Staff Writer

The Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society’s performance of “Footloose” encourages its audience kick off their Sunday shoes and enjoy the music.

Tasked with reimagining the upbeat 1980s classic are director Annie Ludtke (MSB ’18) and producer Benjamin Sullivan (COL ’19), who are joined by technical director Bryce Kelety (SFS ’21) and stage manager Emma Hough (COL ’20).

Ludtke and Sullivan’s team has created an adaptation that stands out from the 1984 and 2011 film adaptations. With a show that many people know, Ludtke said she felt a duty to create something exceptional.

“We’ve taken a script that in different hands could be more two-dimensional,” Ludtke said in an interview with The Hoya.

“We really worked to create this 2018, threedimensional version of ‘Footloose’ that is readily accessible to everyone.”

“Footloose” follows misfit Ren McCormack,

played by Colum Goebelbecker (COL ’21), as he moves from Chicago to a fictional town called Bomont where he discovers that the small town’s reverend, played by Max Hartley (MSB ’18), has banned dancing. With the help of new friends Willard Hewitt, played by Gabriel Berkowitz (MSB ’20), Rusty, played by Nicole Albanese (COL ’20) and the reverend’s rebellious daughter Ariel, played by Cristin Crowley (MSB ’20), Ren hopes to bring life back to Bomont with song and dance.

Stage adaptions of the show typically have a 40-member cast, but this production has only 21. The smaller sized cast allows for character crossover as well as more challenging choreography, arranged by Lexi Schiazza (NHS ’20). The whole ensemble shines under the leadership of Goebelbecker and Crowley, despite the fact that “Footloose” marks their first Georgetown musical.

Goebelbecker and Crowley work together wonderfully as Ren and Ariel, and their voices blend particularly well during the ballad “Almost Paradise.” For Crowley, the entire process has been a delight.

“‘Footloose’ is about having fun, loving to dance, literally cutting loose,” Crowley said. “The whole point of doing a musical like this is to make not only the cast and the characters but the audience feel happy and energized and leave them feeling really good once it’s over.”

The show is driven by the music and many of the songs are hits from the 80s that are instantly recognizable. This production features a live onstage band under the direction of Paul Rochford (COL ’20), whose team transforms Poulton Hall into a booming yet intimate music venue.

“If you like just listening to music and listening to a rock band play, it is so powerful and you just want to sing along the whole time,” Sullivan said.

While the cast does an exceptional job with all of the musical numbers, some of the standouts are “The Girl Gets Around,” “Holding Out for a Hero” and “Mama Says.”

It would not be the ’80s without scrunchies. Denim jackets and the costumes, brought to life by Jamie Farrell (COL ’19), seamlessly encapsulate the decade.

Each character makes a couple costume changes, and every costume stays true to the fashion trends of the time. Whether it is pegged pants worn at school or shoulder pads at church, the attention to detail is meticulous. The costumes’ bright colors further add to the show’s fun and vibrant energy.

Mask and Bauble faced a challenge in differentiating “Footloose” from popular past productions, but its adaption does not disappoint. For those who do not know the show, it surprises and thrills.

“We have taken away a lot of the bells and whistles that a lot of productions of ‘Footloose’ normally come with,” Ludtke said.

“We stripped it down to what it actually is in its essence, which is a group of people who aren’t allow to express themselves that suddenly find a way to because one person is brave enough to speak out.”

“Footloose” has performances April 18 to April 21 at 8 p.m. in Poulton Hall, Stage III. Student admission is $12 and general admission is $15.

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THE HOYA

the guide

friDAY, april 20, 2018

CONCERT REVIEW

P!NK

Pop singer P!nk took her talents to the Capital One Arena on Monday, combining aerial performances with stellar vocals. She often stopped to deliver personal anecdotes, play empowering videos and introduce her band and backup dancers, proving that theatricality, lyricism and inclusion are not mutually exclusive.

P!nk Capital One Arena kathryn baker Hoya Staff Writer

Pop-rock maven P!nk took her talents to new heights at Capital One Arena on April 16 by combining her unbeatable vocal range with artistic aerial performances for the Washington, D.C. show of her “Beautiful Trauma” tour.

Accompanied by a diverse dance troupe and band, P!nk encouraged empowerment, self-worth and an end to exclusivity while redefining the concert experience.

Bleachers, an indie pop group vaguely reminiscent of The 1975 and The Beach Boys, served as P!nk’s opening act. The band, whose “Alfie’s Song (Not So Typical Love Song)” was recently featured on the “Love, Simon” soundtrack, showcased its instrumental range and switched between guitars, drums, pianos and saxophones throughout its set.

Along with hits like “I Wanna Get Better” and “Wild Heart,” Bleachers included a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way,” the members’ boyish charm and smooth vocals providing a welcome juxtaposition to P!nk’s theatricality.

Following Bleachers’ performance, the audience was awakened from its setchange slumber by Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” echoing throughout the arena. Suddenly, the luxurious magenta

curtains masking the stage dropped, revealing P!nk rocking back and forth on a gigantic crystal chandelier and singing “Get the Party Started” from her 2001 album “M!ssundaztood.” While she paused for a dance break, the audience had a moment to take in the many elements of her stage, including the treadmill runway extending far into the crowd and numerous backup dancers.

After quickly donning a royal coat over her sparkly bodysuit, P!nk launched into “Beautiful Trauma” from her 2017 album of the same name and “Just Like a Pill” from “M!ssundaztood.” Showing no signs of exhaustion from her dance break, P!nk tore through the songs enthusiastically while maintaining perfect pitch, setting the precedent for a night of unimaginable performances.

As if her dazzling dance moves and stellar vocals were not enough, P!nk impressed with her genuine compassion and generosity, as she is often addressed the crowd as though her audience members were old friends. She often paused to collect Barbie Dolls — most likely an allusion to her song “Barbies” — and stuffed animals from fans or to tell the crowd about a tooth she recently chipped.

Empowering videos encouraged the audience to bridge racial, economic, gender and political divides and to embrace imperfections, providing segues into the

songs “What About Us” and “F- -kin’ Perfect.”

P!nk also made a point to showcase the individuals who helped make her tour possible. During “Funhouse,” she paused to introduce her backing band, not just with her voice but also with striking graphics on the screen behind her. Toward the end of the show, P!nk also highlighted her dancers, giving each a moment to showcase his or her signature move. Even after the lights came on in Capital One Arena, an “end credits” list rolled on the screen, acknowledging everyone from P!nk’s choreographers, the Goldenboyz, to her bus drivers. These extra efforts conveyed P!nk’s kind heart to her audience members and reminded them that a tour is about more than the main star.

Rather than omitting her songs containing guest artists, P!nk employed creative measures to incorporate the duets into her live show. For Eminem’s part in “Revenge,” a giant blow-up balloon of Eminem sprung up on stage, adding humor to a song embodying the bitter feeling evoked by a breakup. Additionally, P!nk’s live rendition of “Just Give Me a Reason,” featured fun.’s Nate Ruess singing on a vintage television screen.

Alhough these songs could have been omitted, their inclusion heightened the overall artistry of the night.

For her final performances, P!nk brought

all the elements of showmanship together to write a flawless ending to her D.C. story. She teased a finale with “So What,” an edgy smash hit from her 2008 album “Funhouse.” As the red lights flooded the stadium, P!nk hooked herself up to a harness, teasing the audience for the circus moment to come.

When the chorus hit and the beat dropped, P!nk propelled far into the audience, doing backflips on her harness while keeping her vocals crystal clear. When P!nk finally landed on stage after her voyage around the stadium, she appeared neither out of breath nor sore — a testament to her athleticism and vocal ability.

Although her audience would have been more than satisfied with that ending, P!nk returned to the stage donning a casual allwhite ensemble to perform “Glitter in the Air,” which is also from “Funhouse.” Even with the elaborate set and compelling dancers stripped away, P!nk shone on her own, letting the music speak for itself.

With a kiss goodbye and a heartfelt “thank you,” P!nk calmly left her audience to reflect not only on the power of the night’s music and dance numbers, but also on her message of love and positivity. In a time when the divide between elaborate performances and meaningful messages is stringent, P!nk proves theatricality, lyricism and inclusion are not mutually exclusive.

friday, april 20, 2018

Diplo

the guide

Special to The Hoya

On “California,” world-renowned DJ, producer and pop mastermind Diplo delivers a set of summery instrumentals and A-list features for an EP that might become the summer soundtrack for 2018.

While Diplo has not released any other albums, mixtapes or EPs as a solo artist since 2013, he has remained prolific, collaborating with Skrillex, under the group name Jack Ü, and Caribbean dancehall DJs Jillionaire and Walshy under the group name Major Lazer. Diplo’s sound has ebbed and flowed depending on who is standing beside him in the DJ booth, but he has stayed true to his roots of electronic dance music (EDM) influenced by dancehall.

The opening track, “Worry No More,” showcases the charisma of past collaborators Lil Yachty and Santigold. The upbeat guitar and drum machine allow

Hinds

 Lil Yachty’s signature positivity to come through with sincerity and earnestness, while Santigold rounds out the sound with verses celebrating the freedom of financial independence. The two go back and forth, as the beat swells to a refreshing drop.

Across the project, Diplo builds a sound around the lead vocalist, while also pushing the artists to step out of their comfort zones. “Suicidal” features Desiigner’s auto-tuned and almost indecipherable rhymes, but his sound is so well-incorporated and layered into the instrumental that the rapper sounds like another instrument all together. The melody is catchy despite the lyrics being essentially meaningless — but the song is meant to simply make listener’s heads nod, not to inform.

“Look Back” featuring Dram, and “Wish,” featuring Trippie Redd, bring more to the table lyrically. “Look Back” is filled with emotional lyrics within Dram’s soaring vocals. The song is a risk

for Diplo, as he drops the classic pop formula for the structure of an energized rock ballad. Nonetheless, Dram delivers on the track, and the risk pays off.

“Wish” lacks the energy of the previous track, but delivers the same kind of raw emotion from Trippie Redd. The breezy beat is a new sound for Redd, as he pushes his voice to its limits on the chorus. He gets his melancholy mindset across succinctly on the hook, as he sings, “Ooh, baby, what you wishin’ for? / Maybe you should wish it more / Maybe the world is yours / Maybe when it rains it pours / I don’t know how to wish anymore.” Time and time again Trippie Redd proves himself as one of the most versatile young artists to emerge from the SoundCloud generation, and this track is no exception.

The project hits its only low on “Color Blind,” featuring Lil Xan. The lyrics and delivery are uninspired, and despite his richly textured instrumental, Diplo cannot make up for Lil Xan’s shortcomings.

Hoya Staff Writer

Spanish indie-rock band Hinds adds depth and complexity to its sound on its sophomore album, “I Don’t Run,” while continuing what its members do best: making fun, bittersweet music about the messes and misadventures that come with living and loving as a young adult.

As a grandiose guitar riff dives into a rowdy intro on the lead track, “The Club,” vocalists Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote clearly intend to feature unfettered emotional sincerity on their latest project. The duo not -so- subtly challenges lovers to shed their hesitations and live in the moment by asking “politely … what the hell do they have / That you want so bad?”

The feisty girl group thrives on a persona that plays into the classic, rebellious indie-rocker identity. “Hinds,” a name the band adopted after its former name, Deers, was legally challenged by a band called The Dears, takes the musical traditions that inspired its work and transforms the band into a complex — and, at times, contradictory — emotional exploration.

Hinds’ vocals overlap and interact

The concluding track is the classic Diplo song of the project. “Get It Right [Remix]” balances the airy voice of Danish singer MØ with the smooth flow of Washington, D.C.’s own GoldLink. Diplo’s presence is felt throughout, as he distorts MØ’s vocals for a post-chorus beat drop. All that is missing is the sound of the music festival audience in the background. One can almost feel the energy that this song will bring to a crowd.

Diplo goes for quality over quantity on “California,” as each song is a distillation of his capabilities as an artist. Influences from his time in Major Lazer and Jack Ü are apparent, as is the competitive pressure from fellow DJ Calvin Harris, who has been tactfully moving the EDM scene away from the chaos of the early 2010s toward a radio-friendly sound. On “California,” Diplo stays true to his roots, while taking risks and embracing a new generation of voices, furthering Diplo’s tenure as the man pushing the sounds of the Top 40 to new and exciting places.

album review

I Don’t Run Timothy McNulty

B9

ALBUM review

California Jack Colavita

THE HOYA

 with each other, producing raucous and incomprehensible swaths of sound that characterize the band’s carefree approach to its music. The essence of the songs, though, can still be gleaned without being able to make out the exact lyrics; the chaos that comes with these intertwining vocals expresses the band’s message.

On “Soberland,” Hinds’ emotional honesty bares a more vulnerable side that returns as a motif throughout the album.

The band members refuse to delude themselves about the realities of growing up.

“How am I supposed to love you and stay away,” Perrote and Cosials croon over a playful and light-hearted backing track that contrasts with the stark lyrics.

This vulnerability is developed further on the lead single “New For You,” which ironically combines unadulterated confidence in tone and backing track with lyrics that reveal intimate insecurities. The single perfectly embodies Hinds’ attitude toward life: taking everything one day a time and — perhaps most importantly — not too seriously.

Even though the group bounces from track to track with airy guitar riffs and lively drums, the subject matter rarely feels unimportant or banal. In most cases,

the cheeky backing tracks and vocals save the songs from becoming moody, angsty indie-rock cliches.

“To The Morning Light” and “Finally Floating” capture the frustration with love that forms yet another aspect of Hinds’ thematical repertoire. The fast-paced “Finally Floating” reflects the way a lover can try to escape thinking about a partner, only to lie in bed and think of nothing else. Failure to meet their own ideal of being happy despite what life throws at them frustrates the band’s members; in “To The Morning Light,” Cosials and Perrote let their facade of leisure falter, and anger bubbles in their voices.

With these conflicting emotions in mind, “I Feel Cold But I Feel More” sobers the ready-to-party attitude and substitutes it with a cautious acceptance that represents a greater emotional maturity in Hinds’ songwriting. Additionally, the song hints at the directions Hinds’ music may take moving forward. Through its reluctant acknowledgement that adulthood may not always be a party, the track paves the way for the band’s voice to develop as its members age.

Despite this introspective interlude, Hinds pushes on and returns to the impossible game of trying to define a relation-

ship in “Rookie,” a youthful and daring song. Perrote and Cosials sing in unison, “We want to fall in love / If you’re doing it wrong, at least do it strong.”

Perrote and Cosials know that this time in their lives will not last forever, and the plucky guitar riff at the end of the song signals a sense of urgency to make the most of youth. On album closer “Ma Nuit,” however, the vocals become a distant, echo-filled and practically indistinguishable hum.

Alongside an acoustic guitar and paired with the only Spanish lyrics on the album, “Ma Nuit” sounds like one of the most authentic songs on the album, even though it differs in tone from Hind’s others. Here, Hinds spotlights longing and insecurity without the usual fanfare of percussion and guitar. “Ma Nuit” complicates the happy-go-lucky persona of Hinds without falling into a caricature of angst and melodrama. This distinction makes “I Don’t Run” stand out.

With an emphasis on authenticity in the face of difficult realities that come with transitioning into adulthood, “I Don’t Run” refuses to be reduced to a generic indie-rock album and brings a level of emotional complexity that reminds the listener that even in hardship, having a little fun is still okay.

B10

the guide

THE HOYA

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2018

What to Do in DC

MUSIC

NEW RELEASES

NOAH LEVESQUE Hoya Staff Writer

1

MAC DRESSMAN AND KATHRYN BAKER Hoya Staff Writers

FILMFEST DC

Washington, D.C.’s first and largest international film festival, Filmfest D.C., returns this weekend. The festival features 80 films from 45 countries at the Landmark E Street Cinema and AMC Mazza Gallerie. Admission to each movie is $14, and ticket bundles can be purchased for $45 for four films and $100 for 10 films.

2

CHVRCHES

SOFI TUJJER

CHVRCHES, ‘MIRACLE’

SOFI TUKKER , ‘F--K THEY’

Scottish synth-pop group Chvrches recently broke its two-year hiatus with the song “Miracles.” The song combines heavy beats with whispery vocals to create a haunting dance number about the trials of a hopeless relationship, giving Chvrches a glorious return to the music scene.

Electronic music duo Sofi Tukker begins its debut album, “Treehouse,” released April 13, with the bouncy dancefloor romp “F--k They.” The track’s wobbly synths are infectious, and the carefree vocal samples placed throughout the song only increase its danceability.

AFTER THE REHEARSAL AND PERSONA AT THE KENNEDY

As part of a celebration of Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman’s life, the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts is holding performances of “After the Rehearsal” and “Persona.” Adapted by director Ivo van Hove, the performances focus on the complicated lives of theatrical artists.

The performances run from April 19 to April 22. The plays are performed in Dutch with projected English translations. Tickets start at $19.

3

Adapted from George Orwell’s 1949 dystopian novel “1984,” award-winning director Robert McNamara’s production of “1984” opens April 30 and continues to May 27. The production is put on by Scena Theatre, a D.C.-based dramatic institution that tours throughout Europe and has put on plays such as an adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ “A Clockwork Orange” and Oscar Wilde’s “Salome.” Tickets start at $35.

DEAFHEAVEN, ‘HONEYCOMB’

DENZEL CURRY FT. IDK, ‘UH HUH’

This 11-minutelong black metal track takes the listener through a variety of emotions, hinting at inner turmoil near its beginning before building to a triumphant and joyous cacophony around the seven-minute mark. Finally, the piece dissolves into prettier and softer melodies as the band concludes with a satisfying hum.

Continuing the South Florida rapper’s trajectory toward increasingly violent, raw music, Curry sheds acrobatic lyricism in favor of aggressively shouting in a ragged voice reminiscent of many hardcore rock vocalists. Yet, the star of the track is not Curry but IDK, who delivers a more understated but equally ruthless verse.

5

ATLAS THEATRE

BECK AT THE ANTHEM

Showcasing his 13th studio album, “Colors,” which was released in October, Beck’s international tour will stop in D.C. for two performances April 26 and 27 at the Anthem. New Zealand singer and actress Kimbra will open for Beck on Thursday night, and Torres, an Orlando-based singer-songwriter, will open on Friday night.

General admission tickets are $55.

DENZEL CURRY

KENNEDY CENTER

1984 AT THE ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

4 DEAFHEAVEN

FILMFEST DC

BECK

MCCOY TYNER AND RAVI COLTRANE AT BLUES ALLEY

This weekend, two artists closely connected to jazz legend John Coltrane will come to Blues Alley. The first, McCoy Tyner, will perform with his quartet April 20 at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Ravi Coltrane Quartet, led by Coltrane’s son will play at the same jazz and supper club. Tickets start at $35.

MCCOY TYNER AND RAVI COLTRANE

friday, APril 20, 2018

Care for Me

the guide

Special to the Hoya

Introspective and impassioned, Chicago rapper Saba’s second studio album “Care for Me,” pairs clever wordplay with impeccable flow. The 10-song collection demonstrates Saba’s magnetic storytelling ability and earns him a place among the best up-and-coming rappers.

Saba, born Tahj Malik Chandler, released his first project, “Getcomfortable,” in 2012.

He gained notoriety in 2013 for his verse on “Everybody’s Something” on Chance the Rapper’s breakout mixtape “Acid Rap.” Since then, Saba has worked with numerous top names in Chicago, including Noname and Twista, and contributed to Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment’s album “Surf.” At 23, Saba’s promising career is just beginning. With over 20 stops left in his national “Care For Me Tour,” be sure to catch this rising lyricist across the country.

In February 2017, Saba’s cousin, role model, wingman and fellow rapper Walter Long Jr. was fatally stabbed. The assailant followed Long for half a block to make sure he died. Performing under the stage name dinnerwithjohn, Long was also a founding member of Saba’s Pivot Gang rap collective. “Care for Me” tracks Saba’s attempt to reconcile the fact that Long — who was always there for him — would not be there any longer.

Isle of Dogs

 The album begins with the line “I’m so alone.” Looking for companionship after the death of his cousin, Saba becomes aware that he has destroyed many of his relationships. The opening track, “Busy/ Sirens” declares, “If my past could talk / It’d probably reply to the missed calls after all / Cause the friendships that I can’t recall, done turned my heart into camouflage.”

Saba has let his friendships wither; now, no one can see his heart.

Saba then seeks romantic relationships to find solace. In his song “Broken Girls,” Saba reflects that, “Really I’m broke myself, and I think she might help.” Despairingly, female companionship fails to fill the void brought on by the death of his cousin.

His feelings of solitariness are only compounded by the paradox of the modern age; in a time when people are more interconnected than ever, Saba feels completely alone. The song “Logout” describes how social media has made him a different person, always seeking validation and the rush from a buzz of his cellphone.

He sings, “If you press logout, you get forgotten / What’s a post, but a reminder of just how boring our lives ar-ar-ar-are.” Saba sends a deeply personal message about his insecurities.

Yet, this message rings true across the generation, reflecting on the harmful effects of social media that often leave its users dejected and dependent.

Thus far, Saba has depicted a hopeless reality.

These feelings culminate in the most moving song on the album, “Prom / King.” The candid and diaristic lyricism depict Saba’s most private thoughts and vulnerabilities. The song begins with Saba’s awkward teenage phase, when he lightheartedly giggles as his grandfather hands him a condom. His adolescent worries are soothed by his blooming relationship with Long, who, among other gestures, finds him a date for prom. These descriptions of innocence only make the song more harrowing, as the listener anticipates what is to come.

Halfway through, the tone shifts and the song turns into a cacophony of fiery drums and fastpaced lyricism. The tension rises and though chaos ensues, Saba’s immaculate lyricism is not comprised, each word fitting perfectly to make the listener feel his pain and sorrow. As the song progresses, the pain in his voice becomes tangible. The story culminates with the moment Saba learns Long is missing, and he raps, “We got in the car, but we didn’t know where to drive to / F- -k it, wherever you are my n- - -a, we’ll come and find you.”

At this point, the tension is released, leaving the listener with the tragic knowledge that Saba will not reach his cousin in time.

Just when it feels like there is no hope left, the final track, “Heaven All Around Me,” provides a glimmer of light. Saba assumes Long’s point

Hoya Staff Writer

“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson’s ninth feature film and second movie using stopmotion animation, is just as charming and visually stunning as the rest of his critically acclaimed body of work. The concept, characteristically quirky, spotlights a pack of sick dogs abandoned on Trash Island, located on the outskirts of the fictional Japanese city Megasaki. In line with Anderson’s eccentric style, “Isle of Dogs” is heartfelt, emotional and, at times, hilarious.

The film kicks off with a scene-setting prologue from “before the age of obedience” and jumps to “the Japanese archipelago, 20 years in the future.” Mayor Kobayashi, voiced by Kunichi Nomura, the film’s dog-hating antagonist, orders all dogs to Trash Island in response to recent

of view as he leaves the Earth, taken to a better place. He raps, “Walking through the crowd, they share tears / I know I did not disappear.”

Saba and the Pivot Gang created the nonprofit John Walt Foundation to work with young Chicago artists after their friend’s 2017 death.

Although Long has passed, his legacy lives on.

Unsparing and at points despondent, “Care for Me” has a sobering effect on listeners. It beautifully incorporates elements of neo-soul and jazz and will certainly leave its mark on modern hip-hop.

SABA

movie review

Directed by: Wes Anderson Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum megan shapiro

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album review

Saba eric dickstein

THE HOYA

outbreaks of snout fever and canine flu.

To commence the new ruling, Kobayashi sends Spots, the beloved house pet, to Trash Island. Devastated, Kobayashi’s nephew Atari, voiced by Koyu Rankin, goes in search of Spots. Along his journey, he is aided by a pack of dogs including Duke, voiced by Jeff Goldblum; King, voiced by Bob Balaban; and Boss, voiced by Bill Murray.

Despite the unappealing nature of Trash Island, Anderson creates an exquisite setting that is both engaging and beautiful. Each frame was treated with a painstaking amount of work to create the symmetrical, whimsical aesthetic for which Anderson has become known — and the effort shows.

The character design follows suit: The animals are intricately crafted to represent their owner’s personalities. Perhaps the most obvious example is Chief, voiced

by Bryan Cranston, the dog who goes through an emotional transformation, and changes from having a dirty appearance to a shiny white coat of fur.

The film is impressively complemented

by Alexandre Desplat’s score, which moves the plot along while matching the characters’ various emotions and further setting the tone. Desplat’s score and Tristan Oliver’s cinematography seamlessly blend together, with neither one overshadowing the other.

Interestingly, the film lacks English subtitles. Rather, the translation often comes from within the film. The language of Japanese-speaking characters is often translated on screen through an interpreter, foreign exchange student or an electronic device. The dogs’ barks, on the other hand, are in English.

Anderson’s decision not to subtitle the

 Japanese speakers appears to be an artistic choice. While the lack of English subtitles causes detachment from the characters for some viewers, Atari is still easily understood and induces empathy. The language barrier forces the U.S. audience to look for context clues within the frame and further highlights the universality of human emotion.

The standout element of the film, however, goes to the distinct beauty of the scenery. Anderson manages to turn the ugly into the beautiful and the dull into the alluring. From the multicolored sake bottles to the Japanese newspapers littered throughout the film, Anderson brings his world to life. In spite of the heartbreak and disease-ridden terrain, the tender characters transverse a beautifully crafted world that all moviegoers should have the privilege of seeing.

Illustration BY: mINA LEE/THE HOYA