The Hoya: The Guide: October 20, 2017

ILLUSTRATION BY ANNA KOOKEN AND SAAVAN CHINTALACHERUVU/THE HOYA

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friDAY, October 27, 2017

Haunted Streets: The Ghosts of Georgetown Kathryn Baker Hoya Staff Writer

A little drummer boy, a possessed girl and a Confederate spy: What do these figures have in common? They are all specters whose haunted stories are ingrained in some of Georgetown’s most iconic locales.

Students have often passed “The Exorcist Steps” while going on runs, attended a class in Healy Hall or stumbled upon the Oak Hill Cemetery while wandering the city’s streets. Yet, few are aware of the supernatural stories behind these locations.

Ghosts have been said to haunt Georgetown for centuries, as tales of ghosts and magic have existed since the Province of Maryland sanctioned the creation of Georgetown in 1751. In fact, there have been several reports of haunted happenings on campus.

Haunting the Hilltop Many students have recognized that the elevators in Healy Hall only go to the fourth floor, even though there are clearly five floors visible from the building’s exterior. Legend states that a young student found a mysterious book in the library and took it to his room where he began to recite its Latin contents orally.

Former Washington, D.C. tour guide and author Tim Krepp writes in his book, “Ghosts of Georgetown,” that the student “inadvertently opened a door to another realm. Ever since, unable to close the door, the university has sealed off the fifth floor.”

Krepp’s research has uncovered stories of other locations familiar to Georgetown students.

For example, the spiritualist Mary Steele Morris once lived at 3400 Prospect St., a street now cherished by students for Einstein Bros. Bagels at the Car Bar and The Georgetown Chimes’ house.

Morris would frequently host seances in her home, and they were often followed by strange occurrences in the house, such as people hearing tapping noises or finding broken artifacts. When she died, her nephew moved into the home and soon after began hearing the footsteps of an older woman.

“He was pretty convinced that his aunt never really left,” said Andrew Rawls, owner and founder of Fiat Luxe Tours, a D.C. service that offers special neighborhood tours including “Haunted and Historic Georgetown.” “He was also quoted and he said, ‘This was her home for many years, she has my permission to make her return any time she pleases.’’’

Another notorious location familiar to

students is “The Exorcist Steps,” which are also found on Prospect Street. Though the 1973 horror film “The Exorcist” put the steps on the map, they have always been a touchstone for Georgetown students. Inspiration for the horror classic came from the novel’s author William Blatty’s (C ’50) experiences as a Georgetown student. While attending the university, Blatty heard about a young boy who had been exorcised in Maryland and brought to Georgetown for treatment; from there, Blatty penned the famous novel and another mysterious location was added to Georgetown’s long list.

Ghosts of War In his book, Krepp also introduces the diverse array of ghosts rumored to live on in the neighborhood.

One of his accounts takes readers back to a hot, dry day during the War of 1812.

While the British continued to press forward toward the capital city, exhausted and dispirited American soldiers made their way across the Potomac River, hoping to separate themselves from the descending enemy.

As they marched, the sounds of a little boy’s drum permeated the air, motivating the militants to keep pushing forward. Although that little drummer boy lost his life in a terrible storm, rumor

has it that on stormy nights, he can be heard over the sounds of Little Falls, his drumbeats signifying misfortune for those unlucky enough to bear witness to them.

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Ghost stories allow us to be entertained but also learn.

Even the scandals of Georgetown help humanize this neighborhood.”

ANDREW RAWLS Founder and Owner of Fiat Luxe Tours

Another haunted destination just a few blocks from campus is Oak Hill Cemetery, the final resting place for some of Georgetown’s cave dwellers – long-term residents of the community. Though somewhat hidden from the public, the site is the subject of a number of urban legends.

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“The Exorcist Steps,” located on Prospect Street, gained notoreity following the success of the 1973 horror film “The Exorcist.” The author of the original novel, William Blatty (C ’50), was inspired to write the story based on an urban legend that he had heard of a boy being exorcised and brought to the university for treatment.

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Rawls described the bitter life of a Confederate sympathizer named Antonia Ford Willard, now buried in Oak Hill Cemetery on R Street. Willard was a spy for the Confederacy who used her charm to exact secrets from Union soldiers.

Willard was later captured and confined at Old Capitol Prison, where, in a twisted turn of events, she fell in love with her arresting officer, Joseph Willard.

According to Rawls, when Willard was asked how she could succumb to marrying a Yankee, Willard eerily replied, “I knew I could not revenge myself on the nation, but I was fully capable of tormenting one Yankee to death, so I took the Major.”

Urban Legends Live On Krepp retold another eerie story that unfolded in the picturesque Oak Hill Cemetery.

In 1872, as D.C. began to expand into a more bustling city, various human remains were moved to the secluded Oak Hill Cemetery.

The remains of John Peter Van Ness, a New York politician and the 10th mayor of the District, as well as those of his family, were among that group. The hearse carrying the remains was pulled by six white horses, but after the procession, while the horses were feeding, one passerby remarked that the horses appeared to have no heads.

Since then, many people have claimed to have seen the six headless horses making the procession from the old Van Ness mansion, now the site of the Organization of American States and the location of last year’s Diplomatic Ball, to Oak Hill Cemetery.

Both Krepp and Rawls obtained their information primarily through public domains, such as old newspapers and online databases. Krepp relied on the wealth of material available through the Library of Congress, while Rawls amassed his own archive in his home.

“I have a miniature library about D.C. in my house, so lots of books. There are a lot of great ghost story books,” Rawls said.

Ghost stories can help us uncover District’s rich history and understand Georgetownfrom a new perspective. When we talk about ghost stories, we discover things we would never learn in history class.

“Ghost stories allow us to be entertained but also learn,” Rawls said. “Even the scandals of Georgetown help humanize this neighborhood, showing that it wasn’t always the snooty place that it has a reputation to be today.”

Ghost stories can also help show us how humans have responded to historical events over the years.

“Human beings have been concerned with what happens next, what happens when we die, so ghost stories are a great way to examine how human beings have dealt with that question over the years,” Krepp said in an interview with The Hoya.

As to whether you should genuinely feel frightened by these eerie stories, Krepp and Rawls agree that while you can still feel the presence of the people who used to live here, there is nothing to fear.

“The present is much more of a danger to us than the past,” Krepp said.

As we pass through the neighborhood, we can gain insights into the eerie stories of the past, but rest assured that we need not fear the supernatural.

TOP: WILLIAM CROMARTY FOR THE HOYA, BOTTOM: TCLF.ORG

Many sites close to campus are said to be filled with ghosts and haunted remains. For example, the Oak Hill Cemetery on R Street, bottom, is the burial site of Confederate sympathizer Antonia Ford Willard and New York politician John Peter Van Ness.

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TESTING TRUISMS

Being a Big Fish in a Small Pond

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Vera Mastrorilli

s those who have applied to college know, the work does not end when the acceptances roll in.

As your senior year of high school comes to a close, you have a difficult decision to make.

Although financial aid is a deciding factor for many applicants, schools’ prestige also influences where students enroll. For some students, the choice is clear: Go to the best school you get into.

The allure of Georgetown’s name and the sway it may hold in your future career may outweigh the high price of your degree and the academic stress of attending a selective institution.

But is an elite education worthwhile? Or is it better to be a high-achieving student at a midlevel or less selective university — a big fish in a small pond?

Some students attend highly selective universities with the expectation that their degree will bring higher earnings than would an education from a less selective school. But this is

not always the case. In fact, the schools you applied to, regardless of whether or not you get in, may more accurately predict how much money you will earn than the prestige of the school you attend.

A study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that students who applied to an elite school, even if they were not admitted, and had similar standardized testing scores or high school grade point averages to the average student at that school had similar earnings after graduation to students who ended up attending that elite school.

In other words, students who applied to elite colleges with the credentials to do so but attended less selective schools earned around the same as students who actually graduated from elite colleges.

So, differing financial aid packages aside, if you will accumulate the same amount of money over the course of your career after paying over $200,000 for a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown or less than $100,000 for in-state tuition at a less selective public university, the public school is the better choice, financially speaking. Being a big fish in a small pond may be worth your while — and your buck.

But there are other factors to account for, like your major. According to The Wall Street Journal, a degree from a top-tier school results in higher earnings for business and liberal arts

majors, but not for students who study science, technology, math or engineering. Employers in STEM-related fields may be more concerned that students learn the necessary skills for their careers rather than with where they learn these skills.

So while an English degree from Georgetown may be a wise investment, you may be better off attending a less expensive institution if you are a chemistry major.

However, for black and Latinx students, attending an elite university does result in higher earnings regardless of major. The same is true for students in the bottom income quartile of those who attend college and students whose parents received fewer than 16 years of education.

Top-tier schools may offer the latter two groups connections and skills that their middle and high-income peers already have, which might explain why an elite education may be more valuable to these students.

But a college education is about more than how much money you earn with your degree.

The quality of your college experience also matters when choosing a school. Being a big fish in a small pond can be a much different experience from being in the middle or at the bottom of an elite student body.

If you were one of the top students in your high school class, coming to Georgetown, where many of your peers are just as academically high-

achieving as you, can be quite a shock. Falling from the top of the pack can take a toll on students, according to journalist and author Malcolm Gladwell.

Taking difficult classes with highly successful peers can quash students’ confidence and make them feel inadequate. Many Georgetown students are familiar with such academic pressure and discouragement. However, as a big fish in a small pond at a less selective university, highachieving students may more readily excel academically, as they did in high school.

Yet all of us chose to attend Georgetown, which had a record-low acceptance rate of 15.4 percent last year and was ranked 20th on a list of 311 national universities by U.S. News and World Report. An increasing number of qualified candidates are applying to elite colleges, which makes the institutions appear even more selective.

For some students, an elite college offers significant future benefits or can simply provide the college experience they want. But before accepting an offer from a top school because of its reputation, one must weigh the possiblebenefits and costs of being a big fish in a small pond elsewhere.

Vera Mastrorilli is a junior in the College.

TESTING TRUISMS appears online every other Tuesday.

the music on my playlist

Anna Celenza’s Top Picks Anna Celenza is the Thomas Caestecker Professor of Music Georgetown University.

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‘An die Musik’ by Ian Bostridge “An die Musik” offers refuge from the anxieties of life. Austrian composer Franz Schubert composed it in 1817, when he and his closeknit group of friends found themselves under constant threat of censorship or arrested arrest because of their political beliefs during the Metternich era in Vienna. For Schubert and his friends, music healed. The song’s structure resembles a love duet, with the melody of the piano responding to the melody of the voice. I melt when I hear world-renowned opera singer Ian Bostridge’s version of this song.

IAN BOSTRIDGE

‘Rhapsody in Blue’ by The Duke Ellington Orchestra Like a lot of music fans, my playlist is constantly in flux — but this recording from 1962 is always in the mix. When George Gershwin originally composed “Rhapsody in Blue” in 1924, he combined European classical music with American jazz in an attempt to find an “American sound.” Duke Ellington witnessed this experiment, and responded with a series of compositions — “Creole Rhapsody” in 1931, “Symphony in Black” in 1935 and “Black, Brown and Beige” in 1943 — that highlighted the contributions of black Americans to American music culture. In 1959, the conductor Leonard Bernstein orchestrated Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” removing most of the original jazz elements. This is the version most listeners know today. Ellington responded with an orchestration that reinstated the jazz elements and then some! His new version was recorded in 1962, and to this day, it holds up as one of the most innovative musical covers ever made. Cat Anderson’s trumpet riffs blow my socks off every time.

‘congratulations’ by dessa ANAïS MITCHELL

‘Why We Build the Wall’ by Anaïs Mitchell feat.

Greg Brown This song comes from “Hadestown,” a concept album released by singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell in 2010 that retells a variation of the ancient myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.

In the retold story, Hades, originally the Greek god of the underworld, is the wealthy mine owner who uses fear as a means of keeping his workers in line. Greg Brown’s booming voice effectively adds to this feeling of gloom on the track. The tune of “Why We Build the Wall” is constructed like a children’s song. The logic of one line leads to the next, until listeners find themselves back where they started. It was composed over a decade ago, but its message seems eerily prescient now.

Dessa is a rapper, singer, writer and entrepreneur hailing from Minneapolis, and the only female member of the hip-hop collective Doomtree. Dessa spoke with students from my “Music Industry” class a couple of weeks ago, and in prepping for her visit, I got hooked on her music. Lin-Manuel Miranda cut “Congratulations” from the final version of his musical, “Hamilton.” Luckily, he gave the song a second chance with Dessa on “The Hamilton Mixtape.” This song shows off Dessa’s emotional range, flowing from rhythmically biting sarcasm to lyrical melancholy in just over two minutes. Dessa is also a member of Miranda’s Artists for Puerto Rico collective, which recently released “Almost Like Praying” to raise money for the island’s hurricane victims.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2017

MUSIC

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THIS WEEK’S TOP FIVE

Halloween Weekend Activities

NEW RELEASES

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’80s HALLOWEEN DANCE PARTY

Visit the Black Cat this weekend for a night of fun. This venue is going old-school with 1980s music and costumes. The whole club is being reserved for the event, which will feature music from local DJs and musicians. For fans of “Stranger Things,” “It” or ’80s-inspired horror in general, this night will be sure to impress. The Black Cat also features a bar downstairs, serving food and libations. This event is open to all ages.

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FUTURE AND YOUNG THUG ‘PATEK WATER’

MGMT ‘LITTLE DARK AGE’

Future and Young Thug collaborated to drop a surprise mixtape, “Super Slimey,” last week.

Despite their tumultuous past, the two have collaborated several times in the past few years, culminating in this joint project. “Patek Water” includes a verse from hip-hop artist Offset, the only feature on the tape. The artists effortlessly navigate spacy, warped synths with powerful flow and tight verses. Offset shines, erupting in the last verse to give the track a powerful conclusion.

Renowned indie rock band MGMT has not released music since 2013, but the charming “Little Dark Age” is well worth the wait. The track’s mysterious tone is driven by bass guitar and synth flourishes that evoke the sound of ’80s electrorock. The distant, reverb-filled chants of “Burn the page / My little dark age” add a vague malaise, a trademark of the group’s sound. “Little Dark Age” shows promise for new music from the bamd.

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LIAM PAYNE ‘BEDROOM FLOOR’

DVSM ‘CLAIM’

Tropical marimbas punctuate the thumping bass on this new single by the former One Direction singer. Payne sings, “You said it was over / But your clothes say different on my bedroom f loor,” potentially alluding to a rough patch with his girlfriend, Cheryl Cole.

Payne shows off his swagger and talent in this prereleased track off his upcoming album, proving that his talent.

Rhythm and blues duo DVSN have been bringing smooth and sexy back to the mainstream since their 2016 debut, “Sept. 5th.”

The Toronto-based band’s sound has reached perfection on “Claim.” Singer Daniel Daley’s silky, crooning voice perfectly complements the song’s deep bass and seductive guitar notes, creating a rich sonic mélange that should entice listeners to give the rest of the album, “Morning After,” a listen.

THINGS TO DO IN DC

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS

This year, the Petworth Arts Collaborative will be hosting its own celebration in honor of the Mexican holiday, Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. This tradition celebrates the dead and invites us to remember our loved ones who have passed away. The event will feature Mexican food and an opportunity to build altars to commemorate loved ones. This event will be hosted along Upshur Street and Georgia Avenue.

PETWORTH ARTS COLLABORATIVE

NIGHTMARE ON M STREET

If you enjoy visiting bars and pubs, you should visit the Dupont Circle area this weekend for one of the largest pub crawl events of the year. Nightmare on M Street is hosted by D.C. bars and pubs as an all-night party spread across several venues. There are no cover charges, but there will be drink specials at participating bars as well as costume contests and fun prizes.

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TRICK-OR-TREATING ON EMBASSY ROW

Visit embassies on Massachusetts Avenue on Halloween to participate in one of D.C.’s most cherished traditions. Several embassies will be open to trick-or-treaters. For many embassies, this is the only time of the year their doors are open to the public. The Korean Cultural Center, the Embassy of Portugal and the Embassy of Finland will likely have their doors open this year.

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LINDY PROMO

NIGHT OF THE LIVING ZOO

This adults-only event transforms the Smithsonian’s National Zoo into a spooky haunt of goblins, ghosts and creatures that go bump in the night. This event is perfect for those looking to experience classic Halloween frights. It features live entertainment and performances, as well as food trucks and vendors. The zoo will be open throughout the night, so stop by to enjoy thrills and tasty eats.

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friDAY, October 27, 2017

Performing arts

COURTESY BAILEY BRADFORD

Nomadic Theatre’s first show of the year, “Exit, Pursued by a Bear,” by Lauren Gunderson, is technically ambitious and socially engaged, delicately handling the sensitive issue of domestic abuse while still mantaining relatability to the audience. The show is playing in the Villlage C Theatre on Oct. 25 through Oct. 28 at 8 p.m., and tickets can be purchased online.

Nomadic Theatre Presents ‘Exit, Pursued by a Bear’ rachel linton Hoya Staff Writer

Nomadic Theatre’s first show of the season, Lauren Gunderson’s “Exit, Pursued by a Bear,” brings the troupe back to its core principles of being “technically ambitious and socially engaged.” Last year, Gunderson was the most-produced playwright in the United States after William Shakespeare, and the production’s directing staff — director Bailey Premeaux (COL ’19), Producer Cristin Crowley (MSB ’20), Stage Manager Willa Petty (COL ’20) and Technology Director Andy Sedlack (COL ’20) — have been working hard to bring her work to life on a Georgetown stage.

Set in a precise reproduction of a small house in the woods of Georgia, the play opens with Kyle, played by Jake Sanford (COL ’20), duct-taped to a chair by his wife Nan, played by Allison Lane (COL ’19), as she plans to exact revenge for the abuse she has suffered at his hands. Although it is a comedy — and a hilarious one at that, largely thanks to its supporting cast of Kylie Navarro (COL ’20) and Mark Camilli (COL ’19) — the play’s real

strengths lie in its delicate handling of difficult subjects: the impact of domestic abuse and the difficulties that survivors experience in leaving their abusers.

“Domestic violence happens across the country; it can happen anywhere, to anyone, no matter where they’re from, their level of education, anything like that,” Premeaux said. “It’s a message really relevant not only to the world as a whole, but to Georgetown’s campus.”

The work handles its subject matter in a sensitive manner while maintaining relatability to the audience.

“I love the play because it’s about something so serious and so real, but it’s a comedy, so it gives a unique way of dealing with domestic violence. We say a theme of it is catharsis through theater,” Crowley said. “The audience gets catharsis through theater.”

Lane’s stunning portrayal of Nan is one of the highlights of the performance, showcasing an emotional range and precision that cuts through the humor and speaks directly to the audience.

“The hardest part was kind of going through the emotional transition of wanting to leave and being pulled back

and wanting to stay and wanting to leave and being pulled back,” Lane said. “The difficult part was being able to put myself in the mindset of someone who has been hurt so badly because I want to do justice to people who really have experienced that, and I want to make sure that people who have experienced that can see that they’re so much better off on their own and being happy.”

The production is technically ambitious as well. The play makes extensive use of projections each, designed by Julia Beu (COL ’20). The projections are the first to ever be done independently by a student theater group at Georgetown.

The set, designed by Lianna McFarlaneConnelly (COL ’19), also includes small details that bring it to life. For example, water runs from the kitchen faucet when Nan washes her hands onstage.

“This was a very tech-heavy show,” Crowley said. “The set was an incredible undertaking, I think, to create a house on stage. Andy [Sedlack] did an amazing job building it and running all the technical things in the show.”

There was an additional technical aspect to the acting: the cast plays south-

erners even thoughit hails mostly from the east coast, the characters are all Georgia natives. The cast was coached by Premeaux, who is from eastern Texas, in the Southern accents they adopt onstage.

“The accent itself does not entirely have a regional authenticity,” Premeaux said. “They’re doing more of an east Texas accent because that’s the region I’m from, where my family is from … generally when it comes to accents, east Texas and Georgia are shockingly similar, so we could kind of get away with it.”

The actors enjoyed the experience of developing accents, according to Lane.

“We had so much fun. If you were to see us at the beginning of the rehearsal process, we were all sitting around in a circle, and Bailey [Premeaux] would just play a little CD with different Southern vowels,” Lane said. “Now I just feel like it’s my other language; it’s super easy now.”

“Exit, Pursued by a Bear” is playing in the Village C Theatre on Wednesday, Oct. 25 through Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.nomadictheatre.com.

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theater review

‘Antony and Cleopatra’ at the Folger Theatre maddy forbess Special to The Hoya

The Folger Shakespeare Library is the perfect place to learn about William Shakespeare or see a traditional Shakespearean play. Its extensive collection of works and rotating exhibits immerses guests in all things Shakespeare. Kicking off its 2017-18 season, the Folger Theatre presents its first fall production, Shakespeare’s epic tragedy “Antony and Cleopatra.”

Directed by Robert Richmond, an associate artist at the theater who has directed past productions including “Twelfth Night” and “Othello,” “Antony and Cleopatra” features Shirine Babb as the powerful Cleopatra and Cody Nickell as Rome’s love-stricken Mark Antony.

The time-honored play tells the tragic story of Cleopatra and her lover, Antony, who finds himself torn between his duties to the Roman Empire and his relationship with the beautiful Egyptian Pharaoh. The play touches on the themes of power, jealousy, love and loss.

The Folger Theatre’s rendition of “Antony and Cleopatra” presents a creative take on a Shakespearean classic, with an unconventional stage setup. The play unfolds on a rotating circular stage, which holds the audience’s attention for the entirety of the play. The theater-in-the-round setup is designed to bring the play’s private love story to the public eye and to make its public political affairs appear more private.

As the play shifts from Rome to Egypt, the lighting and staging effects reflect the change in setting. The discussions between the central Roman political alliance, or triumvirate, comprised of Marcus Lepidus, Julius Caesar and Antony, is accompanied by dim lighting, echoing voices and a rotating stage with each man sitting on a wooden chair. The opposite characterized Antony and Cleopatra’s love scenes in Egypt: The lighting was ethereal, the costumes

were light and airy and the scene revolved around Cleopatra’s lavish bed fixed in the center of the stage.

This production of “Antony and Cleopatra” focuses intently on the romantic aspect of the story: Richmond intentionally brings the love scenes to the forefront of his viewers’ attention and highlights Antony’s internal struggles and his relationship with Cleopatra. Whereas some interpretations of “Antony and Cleopatra” emphasize the pair’s political relationship, Richmond dedicates more of his production to developing a passionate romance between the two lovers. He succeeds in portraying Antony and Cleopatra as a genuine couple, whose purpose is to solidify their relationship no matter what is at stake.

The actors fully immersed themselves in the throes of passion throughout the narrative.

Nickell brought Shakespeare’s multifaceted character to life, committing himself to the part in every way possible. Antony’s emotional struggle was evident as he left his beloved Cleopatra for Rome. The audience held onto each lingering kiss he laid on Cleopatra’s lips, lamented when he was separated from her by seas and shared in his grief when he believed her dead.

Babb was powerful in her own right. She commanded the stage with her resounding voice and confident stage presence. However, Cleopatra’s affection for Antony was not as apparent as was his for her. Babb certainly exuded passion, but it felt as though Cleopatra’s political struggles weighed more heavily on her than her feelings for Antony did — Babb did not seem as consumed by love. Audience members may find themselves longing for more romantic passion on Babb’s part and searching for the all-consuming love witnessed in Nickell’s character.

But Cleopatra is a complex character, and Babb did a superb job in tackling her multifaceted nature. She deserves credit for handling a

COURTESY TERESA WOOD

role that encompasses equal parts emotion and political poise.

Richmond directed this play so that Cleopatra’s political ties were not as prevalent in the beginning acts, wherein she played an infatuated lover. The sudden focus on her political sway later in the production seemed abrupt. Yet, it is fitting with the inconstancy and transience of Shakespeare’s tragedy to layer the plot with complexity as it progresses. Richmond expertly weaves these dramatic elements characteristic of Shakespeare into his version of “Antony and Cleopatra.”

Folger Theatere’s showing of “Antony and Cleopatra” is the perfect production for Shake-

speare fanatics and hopeless romantics alike.

The average movie-goer would enjoy this play as well for its timeless love story and evocative storyline. Not only does Richmond make Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” accessible to a wide audience, but he does so with a captivating, cleverly designed setup. Without straying too far from the integrity of the original play, Richmond and his actors shed a fresh light on a Shakespearean classic.

“Antony and Cleopatra” is running at the Folger Theatre until Nov. 19. Ticket prices range from $35 to $79 and can be purchased through the Folger Theatre’s website.

COURTESY TERESA WOOD

“Antony and Cleopatra” tells the tragic story of queen Cleopatra and her lover, Mark Antony, who finds himself torn between his relationship with her and his duties to the Roman Empire.

The Shakespearean play is currently running at the Folger Theatre, and is directed by Robert Richmond, who has directed other Shakespearean productions including “Twelfth Night.”

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friDAY, october 27, 2017

exhibition

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The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s new exhibit, “What Absence Is Made Of,” provokes viewers to contemplate violence and fear and resulting feelings of loss.

The exhibit’s 70 pieces span 70 years and encourage museumgoers to consider the strangely overwhelming presence of absence.

Exploring Absence and Loss at the Hirshhorn

Olivia Jimenez Hoya Staff Writer

What is absence made of? How can we materialize absence? Is that even possible?

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden’s new exhibit, “What Absence Is Made Of,” confronts these questions through a variety of artworks and mediums. The exhibit is separated into five major subthemes: “The Dematerialization of the Art Object,” “The Body in Pieces,” “Close to Nothing,” “Memento” and “The Posthuman Body.” The topics are expressed through different elements of absence and loss, represented by fragmentation and open space.

The creation of the 70 pieces in this exhibit spans 70 years and provides a visually stunning and thought-provoking journey through absence.

The first section of the exhibit, “The Dematerialization of the Art Object.” immediately places the viewer in front of artist Joseph Kosuth’s “Titled (Art as Idea as Idea) [Idea],” a color photograph piece in which Kosuth attempts to create a “formless form.” Essentially, the idea is the real art while what is viewed is simply a manifestation of it.

“The Body in Pieces” section includes Louise Bourgeois’ “Legs,” Ana Mendieta’s “Untitled,” Lorna Simpson’s “Five Day Forecast” and Félix González-Torres’ “Untitled.” All of these pieces reflect the idea of fragmentation of the human body in some form.

“Nomad” is a stunning painting created by artist Annette Lemieux. Lemieux made the piece using her own feet covered in paint to depict process and movement.

Although the works of art are different in medium, they evoke many of the same

ideas. For example, A.A. Bronson’s “Mirror Sequences” is a series of seven photographic self-portraits that each deconstruct his body differently using mirrors. Douglas Huebler’s “Drawing (Reflecting essence)” is a more abstract piece, composed of a sheet of paper with a blank center, through which viewers can see their reflections in the glass.

After passing by this piece, viewers are led into a large room with white paper covering the floor and hung from the ceiling, which epitomizes the exhibit’s namesake.

Past this interactive room is Hans Haacke’s “Condensation Cube,” an acrylic cube that reacts to its surroundings according to the moisture in the room. Haacke’s piece touches on another recurring thread in the Hirshhorn’s new exhibit: motion.

Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto contributed a series of works to the Hirshhorn as well. His photographs are all perfectly composed using black-and-white film and depict an absence of human presence across time and space.

The intersecting themes of memory and loss are a focus of the exhibit. For example, Christian Boltanski’s “Monument” is a spectacular piece constructed with photographs, tin, lightbulbs, sockets and a transformer. In this piece, Boltanski creates a tribute to Jewish children whose fates are unknown in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

Another standout work in the exhibit is John Baldessari’s “Cremation Project, Corpus Wafers (With Text, Recipe and Documentation).” Baldessari burned all of the paintings he created between May 1953 and March 1966 and stored some of the ashes in an urn and baked the rest into cookies. The piece has six photographs of

the cremation process above a glass display case with three documents inside: a cookie recipe card, a page of a newspaper and an unsigned affidavit of publication. In a second glass case is a jar of burnt cookies, presumably the cookies that were made with the ashes of Baldessari’s work.

The final section of the exhibit, “The Posthuman Body,” begins and ends with Ed Atkins’ “Safe Conduct” and explores the dehumanizing effects of technology on human bodies. An audiovisual work, “Safe Conduct” plays a disturbing looped video of a man pulling the skin from his body and dropping various objects — a gun, hu-

man hands and at one point, even a brain — into an airport security bin.

Through its boldly conceptual works of art and film, the Hirshhorn’s “What Absence is Made Of” incites viewers to contemplate violence and fear and the feelings of loss that can result. As museumgoers pass by canvases and rooms filled with stark, blank space, they will stop to think about the strangely overwhelming presence of absence.

This exhibit is on display until the summer of 2019 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Admission is free.

ELLA WAN/THE HOYA

friday, October 27, 2017

the guide

THE HOYA

B9

exhibition

Crime Mysteries at the Renwick: ‘Murder is Her Hobby’ Alexandra Brunjes Hoya Staff Writer

In the 1940s, Frances Glessner Lee, now known as the mother of forensic science, revolutionized crime scene analysis by introducing a novel tool: dioramas. In the Renwick Gallery’s newest exhibit, “Murder is Her Hobby,” nine of Lee’s models are spread throughout the room, each displaying a different death.

Each model’s accompanying description provides a backstory for the death, as well as a flashlight to allow visitors to analyze the details and try to solve the crime and determine whether it was a murder, suicide or accident. On view until Jan. 28, “Murder is Her Hobby” provides a fascinating look at how Lee not only used her dioramas to make strides in forensic science, but also broke into a male-dominated field with the power of intelligent, thoughtful craft.

Lee was born in 1878 to a wealthy family and, after being homeschooled with her brother, was told she was not allowed to attend college. When her brother attended Harvard Medical School, Lee was inspired by the subject matter that he was studying. Upon her brother’s death in 1930, Lee inherited the family fortune and used the money to develop her interest in forensic science and create her dioramas.

She endowed the Harvard department of legal medicine and the Harvard Associates in Police Science, and she began hosting seminars about homicide investigation in the 1940s.

During these conferences, she presented listeners with her “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death,” intricate dioramas of difficult, real-life cases designed to challenge students to collect all evidence and appropriately analyze a crime scene. During the seminars, students were allowed 90 minutes to observe the dioramas and then had to draw conclusions about the death. Even now, her “nutshell” models are used to teach forensics by the HAPS program she endowed.

Each diorama cost several thousand dollars to create and was based on an autopsy or crime scene that Lee had personally visited. Lee attended to the models with extraordinary detail, intricately constructing each part so that students had an accurate perception of the crime scene.

She hand-rolled the cigarettes and filled each with tobacco; she created working locks for all doors and windows; she wrote with single-haired paintbrushes; and she stayed true to the decor of each room, from the colors of the walls to the patterns on the curtains.

The 18 dioramas displayed at the Renwick explore a variety of situations, such as a woman hanging in her attic, a woman drowned in her bathtub, a man burned in a house fire and a married couple and their baby killed by gunshot wounds.

One of the most powerful aspects of Lee’s work is in its rebellion. At the time

that Lee was creating and presenting these dioramas, it was extremely uncommon for a woman to have a leading role in the male-dominated field of forensic science.

It is potentially because of her role as a woman in a male-dominated field that she chose to be subversive in her work, particularly in the ways she represented women. Many of the victims she chose to display were not seen by society as worthy of thoughtful investigation, such as sex workers, people with alcoholism and poor individuals.

By including these “invisible victims” in her models, Lee demonstrated her belief that the quality of investigative work should not be negatively impacted by the social standing of the victim — she taught investigators to ignore prejudice.

In creating the dioramas, Lee showed how traditional women’s work can be powerful; the sewing, crafting, and creating that she had to do to construct the models was impactful beyond the scope of the home.

The way “Murder is Her Hobby” is displayed at the Renwick provides a level of interaction not typically seen at a museum.

The dioramas are spread throughout the room next to their descriptive plaques, each of which reports on the life and the death of the victim. Flashlights are holstered beneath each piece so that visitors can illuminate the models and try to absorb every detail.

As people gather around each diorama, discussions begin: Visitors point out details to one another, share hypotheses and try to come to conclusions about the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death. In this way, the exhibit is not purely interactive between viewers and models, but encourages conversation between museumgoers.

“Three-Room Dwelling,” a diorama with three rooms in which viewers can see the death of the married couple and their baby, provoked the most conversation during my visit.

Glass surrounds the top of the diorama, so larger groups of visitors surround and orbit it as they discuss the details of the crime scene. These circumstances allow for interaction and collaboration, beyond that of a typical museum experience.

Despite their best efforts to solve the crimes, visitors quickly discover one of the most intriguing, yet frustrating aspects of the exhibit: Since the dioramas are still used to teach, there are no published solutions to the cases.

“Murder is Her Hobby” presents a fascinating look at one of the historical underpinnings of the modern field of forensic science and demonstrates the conflation of criminology and craft. By creating these dioramas, Lee revolutionized the investigation of homicide and made her mark on history — in classrooms, in investigative practice and now in art museums.

COURTESY SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE

“Murder is Her Hobby,” a new exhibit at the Renwick Gallery, features intricate dioramas of criminal cases created in the 1940s by Frances Glessner Lee.

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the guide

THE HOYA

Movie review

friDAY, october 27, 2017

Movie review

The Killing of a Sacred Deer Thank You for Your Service Starring: Nicole Kidman, Alicia Silverstone Starring: Miles Teller, Haley Bennett Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos  Directed by: Jason Hall  Kiera Geraghty Special to The Hoya

Olivia Jimenez

As its title seems to suggest, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” by Yorgos Lanthimos, director of the Oscar-nominated film “The Lobster,” takes an unsettling yet balanced dive into the themes of revenge and sacrifice lurking beneath the surface of innocence.

Renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Steven Murphy, played by Colin Farrell, appears to have an idyllic life with his wife, Anna, an ophthalmologist played by Nicole Kidman. The couple has two kids, the accomplished, coming-of-age Kim, played by Raffey Cassidy, and her rebellious younger brother Bob, played by Sunny Suljic.

The family lives in an expensively furnished and meticulously ordered home.

The veneer of perfection quickly fades as Steven’s hidden mentorship of Martin, the son of an old patient, is revealed. The supposedly wellintentioned relationship between the two sets the scene for the subsequent deterioration of the Murphy family’s perfection and Martin’s composure.

Although Steven’s life seems perfect, certain moments in the film suggest otherwise; viewers will not be able shake the uneasiness lurking in the back of their minds until the truth is revealed at the end of the film.

“The Killing of a Sacred Deer” intends to unsettle the viewer and it does its job effectively.

Through precise imagery, intelligent dialogue, strong performances and stellar camerawork, the film provokes core questions of morality that concern concepts like blame and justice.

Although the film borders on awkward or overdramatic at times, these moments are purely intentional. Their purpose is vague, but their effect is profound. The build is slow, but the tension is electric.

The film starts with an extended shot of a black screen as operatic music builds in the background, as if a grand tragedy awaits, before the sterile shot of a beating heart covers the screen. Surrounded by green surgical fabric and pinned downed by metal bars, the close-up shot of the heart continues for an uncomfortably long time as only a pair of man’s hands briefly enter the frame. The gruesomeness begins early and leaves nothing to the imagination.

Finally cutting from the image of the unveiled organ, the camera transitions to Steven, removing his bloodied surgical scrubs and gloves, throwing everything into the trash — signaling that the film is stepping out of the surreal realm of the surgery into its plot.

The first conversation in the film establishes many of its recurring motifs. Steven discusses watches with his anesthesiologist while walking down a long hallway. Both speak in clinical, monotone sentences that feel so particular and unusual that there is immediately an unsettling and anxious mood.

Farrell’s character especially appears devoid of emotion, even when his actions suggest in-

In an industry that craves fast-paced thrills and face-value entertainment, creating a war film that strays from its stereotype as an action flick holds inherent risks. But in his directorial debut, “Thank You for Your Service,” screenwriter Jason Hall takes these risks, exploring the important subject of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The war film genre, as “Thank You for Your Service” subtly points out, has often failed to represent the realities for veterans. Even in emotionally resonant films like Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” there tends to be a focus on soldiers in action rather than soldiers as people, and there remains a lack of recognition for the personal battles many soldiers face in the aftermath of war. Through its engaging narrative and stellar performances by its cast, “Thank You for Your Service” sheds light on stories that people may be reluctant to hear.

The story follows real-life veteran Adam Schumann, played by Miles Teller, and contains several subplots concerning Schumann’s friends in war: Tausolo Aieti, played by Beulah Koale; Michael Adam Emory, played by Scott Haze; and Will Waller, played by Joe Cole. Having just returned home from Iraq, the soldiers are forced to grapple with memories of their deployment and must also tackle the difficulties of transitioning back into and becoming functioning members of society. Each soldier faces his own obstacles; each shows varied, and at times severe, symptoms of PTSD. The film explores the frustration these veterans experience as they are forced to fight in a new territory — this time, working through inefficient, thoroughly flawed, and systemic constraints of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The film also reflects on the profound effects war can have on families, focusing on the wives of the veterans: Saskia, Schumann’s wife, played

by Haley Bennett; Alea, Tausolo’s wife, played

by Keisha Castle-Hughes; and Amanda Dolster, played by Amy Schumer. Dolster is the wife of a fallen soldier searching for answers from Schumann concerning her husband’s death.

In terms of its stylistic details, the film is a success. The cinematographic elements of the film are particularly impressive. Hall is able to create subtle yet symbolic shots, ones which will remain in viewers’ minds long after they finish watching the film; the images of soldiers returning from war are among the most striking. These shots succeed in reflecting the conflicting feelings veterans may experience: Veterans are both celebrated and ignored, sometimes all at once.

Another strong element of the film is the superb acting of the majority of its cast, particularly from Teller and Koale, both of whom give compelling and emotional depictions of their characters. Teller presents Schumman’s poignant story through the lens of a fighter, meaning he is able to depict the very terrifying aspects

Hoya Staff Writer

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credible anger. This scene is set against a fluid shot of a camera rapidly moving backward as if the characters are about to run into it.

The characters of Lanthimos’ script, cowritten with Efthymis Filippou, begin speaking in monotonous, perplexing sentences that are eventually rhythmic and understandable thanks to the great actors who play them. In this film, conversations are centered on uncomfortable topics, like Kim starting her period, that would not normally be discussed in daily conversation, and linger throughout the film.

These conversations make the film feel surreal despite its taking place in modern times.

The oddity of the dialogue becomes particularly apparent in scenes between Steven and his mentee, Martin. At first, it appears that Martin tries to mirror Steven’s personality in order to impress him, but it quickly begins to feel sinister. Steven speaks in careful, clinical sentences and so does Martin. Steven smokes, so Martin smokes. Steven invites Martin to dinner, so Martin invites Steven to dinner. Martin’s eagerness quickly starts to feel like an obsession. Something is clearly wrong, although viewers cannot quite understand what until later.

Farrell and Kidman lead the film with strong performances as husband and wife. They both pull off the clipped dialogue while remaining compelling as the film falls into hopelessness.

They seem to almost be at quiet war with each other, which produces an eerie tension.

Barry Keoghan, who acted in “Dunkirk” as George, a teenage civilian caught in war, also delivers a strong performance as Martin. He balances feelings of pain that Martin experiences with truly terrifying elements, capable of making an adult break down in tears.

The film makes effective use of high camera angles, continuous shots and silhouetted characters to create an anxious mood. In evoking emotion, the camera makes as much of an impact as the dialogue does.

The film preys on deep parts of humanity’s moral core, yet does not purely rely on shock value. It is well acted, well written and precisely shot. Lanthimos has another success in “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” an intense dramatic horror that messes with the head and lingers in the mind long after the screen fades to black.

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of PTSD somewhat implicitly.

Koale, who gives the strongest performance in the film, plays a character who struggles from both memory impairment and PTSD, which sometimes go hand in hand. He maintains a disquieted deer-in-the-headlights expression throughout the film without exaggerating his character, and he is extremely successful in earning the audience’s empathy.

Despite the overarching successes in the film, it has several weaknesses. Among them are weaker acting performances, particularly from Schumer. In this film, Schumer, a comedy star, oddly tackles an enormously dramatic role, which she has little experience playing.

Although she may be attempting to break away from her reputation as a purely comedic actress, Schumer’s first scene in the film is lacking and unemotional; she has not quite yet landed the nuances in drama.

Bennett, too, is not at peak performance.

There are certain moments when she truly delivers on her role, but others during which her emotions are difficult to read and unevocative.

Upon first impression, the film’s conclusion feels incomplete. The average moviegoer might even leave the theater with the persistent feeling that the movie was left unfinished and that it needed more to end on a proper note.

Although it at first may appear to be a weakness of the film, this ambiguous conclusion is in fact a much more potent reflection on the reality of veterans’ lives. The transition for soldiers returning home from war is never complete. Though the film’s ending has subtle hints at happiness and hope for the soldiers, its open-endedness is what makes it brilliant — it is powerfully realistic. In the film, there are explicit references to the fact that the struggles that veterans face are longterm, particularly in the case of PTSD, which has no successful treatment outcomes.

Ultimately, “Thank You For Your Service” is deeply rooted in reality and in retelling Schumann’s true story with integrity. Perhaps it is time to reconsider what we define as a powerful war film.

the guide

friday, october 27, 2017

Movie review

THE HOYA

B11

Movie review

God’s Own Country

The Paris Opera

Starring: Josh O’Connor, Alec Secareanu Starring: Benjamin Millepied, Stéphane Lissner Directed by: Francis Lee  Directed by: Jean-Stéphane Bron  Alexandra brunjes Hoya Staff Writer

Set in the blustery, gray Yorkshire countryside, “God’s Own Country,” the debut film of writer and director Francis Lee, is magical in its intentional harshness, poignantly displaying the graceless struggle of coming to terms with one’s circumstances. Much of the film is based on Lee’s own experience working on a farm and the oppression he suffered there. A film that is light in dialogue but heavy in physical displays of emotion, “God’s Own Country” is a powerful depiction of the way in which a life marked with bitterness and frustration can begin moving toward hope.

“God’s Own Country” explores the life of Johnny, a young man played by Josh O’Connor who works long hours on his family’s sheep farm. His father, played by Ian Hart, has suffered a stroke and is on crutches, so the responsibility for the house and the farm fall on Johnny’s shoulders. In the evenings, he assuages his boredom and frustration by drinking himself blind at the local pub and having casual sex with random men.

His life continues in this joyless manner until the arrival of Gheorghe, a strikingly handsome Romanian farmhand played by Alec Secareanu who has been hired to help during lambing season. Johnny is initially unwelcoming to Gheorghe, but their relationship soon blossoms into a romance. The progression of the movie is marked by Johnny’s character development and his transition from bitter indifference to a self-aware desire to live his life on his own terms.

The performances by O’Connor and Secareanu are so bracing and powerful that the film is saturated with scenes of silence in which the men convey their characters’ feelings purely through facial expressions and physical movement.

Part of the authenticity in their performances is due to the training they received: In preparation for the film, both men had to work 12-hour shifts on farms for two weeks so that they could learn to perform the duties that would be expected of their characters. Lee also wrote out detailed descriptions of both characters — down to where they bought their socks — and discussed them with the actors so that O’Connor and Sec-

areanu could deliver the most in-depth, realistic performances.

O’Connor and Secareanu’s incredible performances are set against Yorkshire, highlighting the film’s interaction with nature. The gray landscape and vast fields initially reflect Johnny’s lonely, barren existence, but Gheorghe’s arrival brings the land’s beauty to light. Many of the film’s most significant scenes also occur in the presence of nature.

For example, Gheorghe and Johnny’s first sexual encounter is outside. The men are streaked with mud, and the land around them seems to play a role in the impulsive nature of their tryst. The next morning, Gheorghe looks around and says, “It’s beautiful here.” Until this moment, the beauty of the land is overshadowed by Johnny’s toxic lifestyle and feelings of frustration. But as Johnny begins releasing his pent-up emotions, the brighter sides of the film come to light, just like the beauty of the countryside.

Outside of Johnny and Gheorghe’s romance, “God’s Own Country” also successfully explores Johnny’s relationship with his father. From early on, it is clear that Johnny resents the legacy that he is expected to fulfill and his father’s high demands. At the beginning of the film, Johnny and his father’s relationship is raw and acerbic, but as Johnny’s heart opens to Gheorghe, his interaction with his father grows softer.

“God’s Own Country” pushes the envelope in ways not often seen in American cinematography, namely through the explicit, realistic examples of gay sexual encounters. The vivid depictions of sex allow viewers to see Johnny’s personal growth and increased self-awareness and allow the expression of emotions that would be difficult to convey in words.

“God’s Own Country” is a film marked by transitions — harshness to softness, darkness to light and tense conflict to understanding and content. This film is a thought-provoking, gripping meditation on the power of a relationship to change one’s worldview.

Lee, whose own experiences growing up on a farm as an openly gay man are reflected in the film, hit the nail on the head with “God’s Own Country.” Although he is keeping quiet about his upcoming projects, based on his work with this film, they are bound to be unmissable.

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Maddie Finn

Special to the Hoya

Opera is like very expensive wine. You feel obligated to like it, and often pretend you do, but often you are not sure if you actually enjoy it or just want to enjoy it. “The Paris Opera,” directed by JeanStéphane Bron, is a film that, for most people watching, is hard to truly enjoy.

Those who appreciate the art of opera are in luck. “The Paris Opera” presents great opera, filled with immensely moving songs and dances, and has a high production value. The music and performances in the film are enough to make it worthwhile for opera buffs to watch. Opera is characteristically a highly dynamic and emotional art form — one that can elicit tears, laughter and gasps, even if you do not understand the language.

However, Bron’s documentary on the Paris Opera falls flat, rarely eliciting any emotional responses.

The film follows the production and performance of the Paris Opera’s 2015 season from behind the scenes. Stage managers, opera singers, choreographers, directors and all other characters who go into the creation of a production as large as the Paris Opera are featured.

One of the flaws of this film is that it tries to capture as much of the production process as possible. There are far too many people featured and not nearly enough time to gain a real understanding of their roles. By the time viewers begin to become invested in any character, a new person is quickly introduced and given the camera’s focus.

The only character who was explored in sufficient depth was the aspiring opera singer Mikhail Timoshenko, a Russian bass-baritone. His story felt relatively complete: He arrived in France speaking little French, auditioned for the opera, and, at the end of the film, performed an emotional aria, or long solo song, for an appreciative audience.

An entire documentary could have been devoted to Timoshenko, his story, struggles and successes. That film would have felt more human and whole than “The Paris Opera.”

Opera’s emotion is fundamentally lacking in Bron’s documentary. A moment was captured when two stagehands were singing along to an aria in the wings, dramatically and slightly out of tune.

This was the among the most real and emotional moments in the entire film because it showed the joy that opera can bring to people. After this 15-second segment, however, the stagehands were not seen again, and it was back to the film’s

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uninteresting recipe of how to make an opera.

Bron did a wonderful job structuring the nonlinear plot in a way that was easy and intuitive to follow. Unfortunately, very little actually happens during the film’s 110-minute runtime. There are dramatic and tragic moments, for example, when the Bataclan theater in Paris was attacked by terrorists, but Bron largely glosses over them, instead devoting more screen time to less fraught topics like rehearsals or the debate over ticket prices.

“The Paris Opera” encourages viewers to evaluate their appreciation for the art of opera, but, like all art forms, opera is not for everybody. One emotionally charged scene shows Timoshenko in the wings, watching a seasoned singer perform and weeping from the power of the music. This reaction is expected given the magnitude and power of the Paris Opera, but some people simply will not appreciate it.

“The Paris Opera” achieves its goal of providing insight into the workings of a large-scale production, but it simply does not do it in a way that is compelling to the average viewer. For viewers who are genuinely interested in opera, or desire an impressive film to add to their repertoire, this may be the perfect movie.

But if you are not looking for either of those, you might want to consider picking something else.

Stephanie yuan/the hoya