The Hoya: The Guide: January 26, 2018

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Film Minors, Major Productions ILLUSTRATION BY: MINA LEE AND MICHELLE ZHU/THE HOYA

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the guide

THE HOYA

friDAY, january 26, 2018

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Georgetown’s film and media studies minor was implemented in 2011 to service students with immense talent for film production and analysis. Today, Georgetown alumni work all over the entertainment industry, from HBO to the Smithsonian Channel.

Forming Future Leaders in Media and Film noah levesque Hoya Staff Writer

In the “Commencement” episode of “ The West Wing,” President Josiah Bartlet addresses a crowd on Healy Lawn for his daughter Zoe’s graduation from Georgetown University. The scene shows the lawn decorated in blue and gray banners, and Georgetown students donning caps and gowns to serve as extras in the background.

“The West Wing” does not provide Georgetown’s only appearance in media.

Ever since the university’s 1973 appearance in “The Exorcist,” the university has been a prominent locale for film: Crowds of nervous high schoolers and even more nervous parents, led by chipper Blue & Gray tour guides, often inquire about the location of the infamous “Exorcist Steps.”

Others with more 1980s-oriented tastes wonder about the connection between The Tombs and the bar in the 1985 film “St. Elmo’s Fire.” Alumnus Bradley Cooper (COL ’97) revisited his alma mater just last year, and director Martin Scorsese himself came to campus to talk about his latest film, “Silence,” last April.

Georgetown is more than a set location or a destination for celebrity visits.

The university’s film and media studies program, its wealth of alumni in the entertainment industry and its creative student subculture highlight a budding campus film culture.

A Program is Born Almost twenty years ago, Bernard Cook (CAS ’90, GRO ’91) — assistant dean of the College and a professor in the American studies program — began to realize that many of his Georgetown students had immense talent in film production and analysis. He wanted to create a program for these students to learn more about the industry and express their creativity through media techniques.

Cook’s proposal of a film and media studies minor did not gain traction until former Dean Jane McAullife created the Film and Media Studies Initiative in 2005.

Six years later, the Georgetown College began to recognize that its lack of a film and media studies program was dissuading interested students from attending Georgetown, and started to take the proposed minor seriously.

“I was hearing from students [who] said, ‘Well, I was tempted to go to Northwestern or Brown or Yale or the University of Maryland,’ because they had a program in film and media and we had nothing,” Chester Gillis, former dean of the College, said in a 2016 interview with The Hoya. “We should not be losing students to these other competitive institutions for this particular reason.”

From these concerns came the creation of the film and media studies minor, which was officially implemented

by Gillis in spring 2011.

When the program first began, it was

limited to 15 to18 students of the College.

In more recent years, about 20 students per grade are accepted into the interdisciplinary program, which combines analytical and creative approaches to filmmaking and media to prepare students for a variety of career opportunities after Georgetown.

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P eople talk about media literacy — our goal in film and media studies is media fluency.”

BERNARD COOK Assistant Dean, Georgetown College

Besides the traditional “Gateway to Film and Media Studies” and “Introduction to Filmmaking” courses, students in the program must take “Social Justice Documentary” in the spring of their junior year. The course aligns with the program’s goal of investigating the link between media and power and human rights issues. Through the art of documentary, students can create social change and highlight the work of community-based organizations in the Washington, D.C. area.

Students who graduate the program have gone on to work for HBO, NBC, the Smithsonian Channel and various nonprofits.

“Some of our graduates go into the entertainment and media industry in various positions, and some of them are even on their third or fourth job already,” Cook said.

Of the film and media studies minors who graduate each year, a few continue their studies at graduate-level film schools such as the University of Southern California, London Film School and University of Texas, Cook said.

“We’re not expecting people minoring in film and media studies to dedicate the rest of their life to the entertainment business or to documentary or nonprofit media, but we are hoping that in whatever they do, they have a sophisticated understanding of media,” Cook said. “People talk about media literacy — our goal in film and media studies is media fluency.”

From the Hilltop to Hollywood Whether it be acting, screenwriting or directing, Georgetown alumni have a heavy hand in Hollywood. For students in the film and media studies minor, the program boasts the opportunity to meet with and learn from some of Georgetown’s most successful alumni in the industry.

The film and media studies department regularly hosts master classes for which industry professionals, often alumni, come to Georgetown and engage

friday, january 26, 2018 with students in a panel discussion format.

Most recently, these master classes have included filmmaker Malcolm Lee (COL ’92); documentarian Donn Alan Pennebaker; and key figures behind AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” including Sony Pictures Television President Zack Van Amburg (COL ’92), writer and producer Vince Gilligan and actor Bryan Cranston.

In February, Brit Marling (COL ’05) and Zal Batmanglij (COL ’02) — who met during their time at Georgetown and cocreated “The OA,” a critically acclaimed Netflix original series that premiered in December 2016 — will show some seniors in from the “Media Industry Studies” class around their Los Angeles set and answer questions they have about their careers and the entertainment industry in general.

Batmanglij is not the only professional colleague Marling met while at Georgetown. Marling met Mike Cahill (COL ’01) at a Georgetown film festival, and the two began working on short films together. In his senior year at Georgetown, Cahill interned with National Geographic, eventually becoming its youngest field producer, editor and cinematographer.

Cahill is also the only person to have received the Alfred P. Sloan prize at the Sundance Film Festival twice — first for his 2011 film “Another Earth,” and then for his 2014 film “I Origins.”

Other Georgetown alumni involved in the entertainment industry are equally impressive.

Mitchell Hurwitz (CAS ’85), who graduated from Georgetown with a degree in English and theology, is the sole creator of the Fox series “Arrested Development”

the guide and co-creator of “The Ellen Show.” HBO’s hit show “Westworld” was co-created by Georgetown graduate and screenwriter Jonathan Nolan (COL ’99), and the final four Harry Potter films were directed by David Yates (COL ’87).

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niques and offers hands-on experience for those wanting to make their ideas come to life.

“GUTV is a film production club first and foremost, so we facilitate in student films and if somebody has an idea they

ANNA KOVACEVICH/THE HOYA

Campus resources including Georgetown University Television and the Gelardin New Media Center enable students to showcase their film and media skills outside of the classroom.

Starting with Students Georgetown’s student activities and academic resources enable students to showcase their film and media abilities outside the classroom.

Among student groups focused on film, Georgetown University Television is a campus organization for students interested in learning film production tech-

want to make, we’ll try to make that happen. Secondarily, we like to teach people film production,” Ahmed Latif (COL ’19), the head of the organization, said.

Over the past few years, the club has transitioned from producing news media to creative media.

“What’s really nice about clubs like this is that we are able to give people space to work

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on their creative projects,” Latif said.

Recently, GUTV has produced a short series called “School of Foreign Spies” and has been approached both by Counseling and Psychiatric Services and the Georgetown Mail Services to create professional, informative content.

Students can also showcase their creations every spring at Georgetown University Film Festival, an organization dedicated to promoting short cinematic works from both professional and student creatives. Started four years ago, the festival is largely organized by students enrolled in “ the Film Festival Practicum,” taught by the film and media studies program director Sky Sitney.

When it comes to equipment, the Gelardin New Media Center in Lauinger Library offers free film equipment rentals to any Georgetown student, providing the opportunity for both novice and experienced filmmakers to create movies for classes, student organizations and independent projects.

Although the number of students in the program has remained stagnant since its creation in 2011, Cook is optimistic that as awareness of the program grows, so will its size and opportunities for students.

“I think the student population has gotten stronger and more diverse and more dynamic,” Cook said. “We’ve always had great students in the program, but if anything has changed I think that there’s greater awareness of the program on campus so we’re getting a really wide range of students applying and I think that’s a huge strength of the program.”

Along with the growing number of applicants, the film and media studies program is expanding through its integration of more modern technologies.

“And the world of media is changing daily, so the object of our teaching and research is constantly evolving,” Cook said.

LEFT: COLUMBIA PICTURES; RIGHT: FILE PHOTO: STEPHANIE YUAN/THE HOYA

Throughout the years, Georgetown has become a prominent filming location. It was featured in, from left, “St. Elmo’s Fire,” The Exorcist” and, more recently, season four of “The West Wing.” Yet, despite its numerous pop culture appearances, Georgetown is more than a set. It is a campus with a vibrant student subculture committed to film analysis and production.

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friDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018

Georgetown Director Talks Staged Alternate Realities William leo

Hoya Staff Writer

Following the death of author Ursula Le Guin, professor Natsu Onoda Power of Georgetown’s theater and performance studies program examines the author’s 1971 novel, “The Lathe of Heaven,” which Power adapted into a play.

Artfully directed and adapted, “The Lathe of Heaven” resonates with an analysis of race, gender and the profound difficulty of living in an unkind and turbulent world. In particular, the play joins a conversation about women in theater and society as part of this year’s Women’s Voices Theater Festival, a collaboration between the Washington, D.C. region’s professional theater companies that features special events, panels and workshops.

The Hoya sat down for an interview with Power to discuss her insights about the play’s themes of fate, identity and hope in the face of impending doom.

“Lathe of Heaven” centers around a man, George Orr, who wakes up one day to discover that his dreams alter reality. What inspired you to adapt this novel into a play?

It actually wasn’t my choice. It was given to me by Richard Henrich, the artistic director of Spooky Action [a Washington, D.C. theatre company], and he sent me

an email one day saying, ‘I really love this novel. I’ve adapted it into a production; the production wasn’t successful.

Would you like to take a stab?’ So I said sure.

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It is a story about someone who has the ability to transform the world but has no control over it.”

NATSU ONODA POWER Director of “Lathe of Heaven”

What were the main elements of the novel that you wanted to capture on stage?

The world in which reality is being pulled from under us at every turn. And not having control over it. It is a story about someone who has the ability to transform the world but has no control over it. I thought that it was kind of a

great allegory for us.

Every day — I really shouldn’t say this, but you can — we watch on the news unbelievable things, like our worst nightmares have come to reality in some ways.

Like in any time of history, like you can’t believe the world is changing in such a way. And, living at that moment, what can we do? Or what can we not do? So that was a story about that — adapting this 1971 novel for our context.

What measures did you take to ensure that author Ursula Le Guin’s voice was heard?

I like verbatim adaptations. A lot of the text in the production is pulled directly from the novel, so I don’t make a description into dialogue. We have a student ensemble who speak in third person and narrate the text. We added some text to the novel. Obviously we had to omit a lot, but we also added some that contextualized her world in our world. Because things that are written in the novel that are from a 1971 perspective might sound unfamiliar to us, and we have a chorus that’s commenting on the writing as well.

Your cast consists of both D.C. veterans and Georgetown student actors. How do the actors’ varying experiences translate to their performances and interpretation of the show?

It’s been a really fun process for me.

It’s been a great rehearsal process to collaborate together. I think the professional actors bring things that students don’t yet have, but they will in the future, like age. After trying to portray a 55-year-old, we have an actor that age, who naturally slots into that role. So everybody is kind of playing a version of themselves. It’s a very different mode of performance.

When “Lathe of Heaven” was written, it took place in the “future” of 2002. What does your future world look like, and what elements of the show portray this world?

That’s kind of a central idea of our production, too. We are distinctly telling the story about a future from the past. So it is a ’70s version of 2002. We didn’t want to set it in 2002 real time. We set it in imaginary 2002, which is imagined from the 1970s. People are wearing ’70s-inspired costume; the aesthetic is ’70s. We play lots of ’70s music. We do the hustle.

This play is part of a D.C. Women’s Voices Theater Festival, celebrating some of the nation’s innovative and talented playwrights.

What does it mean to you to be a part of it?

I am really proud and happy to be a part of it. It’s really interesting because people ask questions like, “Why is it valuable for women to be part of theater?” which is kind of a weird question because we are half the population. What

WILL CROMARTY/THE HOYA

Georgetown professor Natsu Onoda Power’s theater adaptation of the 1971 novel “Lathe of Heaven” by Ursula Le Guin takes a daring look at issues of race, gender and love in the context of a turbulent planet struggling to deal with environmental catastrophe. The production maintains a ’70s aesthetic due to the novel’s publishing date.

the guide

friday, january 26, 2018 would theater do otherwise?

But this is an important festival because it calls our attention to the fact that women’s voices have been systematically silenced in the theater. Shouldn’t all theater be women’s theater festival?

Of course. It should always be all voices festival. But by naming it a women’s voices festival really makes a lay person realize, “Oh, theaters that I have been seeing are not like women’s voices festival. We should have this to compensate.”

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This is an important festival because it calls our attention to the fact that women’s voices have been systematically silenced in the theater. Shouldn’t all theater be women’s theater festival?”

NATSU ONODA POWER Director of “Lathe of Heaven”

And it’s also a celebration of different kinds of women’s voices. Women of all backgrounds, identities and people are not specifically writing about feminist politics. These just happen to be women writing in theater.

The relationship between George and Heather is beautiful but complex. What is there to learn from Heather as a character? How do their relationship and the themes of the show intersect with the mission of the D.C. Women’s Voices Theater Festival?

The character of Heather comes up partly from that historical moment. You know, the ’60s. The way she talks about her identity, which is so racially driven, and it’s so strongly based on her identity as a mixed-race woman but appearing as a black woman, and she talks about it a lot.

At the moment of George and Heather falling in love, they have this conversation. She talks about her family, her upbringing, her parents, her father being black, her mother being white. She says something like “Oh I think my father really loved my mother but hated her for being white. My mother really loved father except she loved him being black more than she actually loved him.” So it’s complicated. She ends that speech by saying, “But what does that make me? I don’t even know what color I am.”

And George turns to her and says, and this is really interesting in the current context, “You are brown. The color of the earth.”

We have a bit of a taken-aback reaction to that speech in 2017, but to know that that was a romantic thing to say in the future imagined through 1971 is interesting. I talked a lot about it in rehearsal room. One of the actors said, this Heather character, she just mentions

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these things: “My father was on welfare in Albina, Portland. He was black. Blah, blah, blah.” In 2017, we write a whole play about it, but in the 1971 version of 2002, they just mention it. It is just never touched again.

That was a way in which we thought about the shift in time. Their relationship really made us, me and the cast, think about how we talk about relationships and racial identities. How they have changed and not changed since the time of Le Guin’s novel.

The novel grapples with our desire to control destiny. Is this a question that your adaptation sought to grapple with, and, if so, how does it approach it?

That’s a big theme. That’s the conclusion of the novel. I’m hoping that it resonates strongly with Georgetown students who like to, for better or worse, plan their future in a linear fashion. Georgetown students are very ambitious — they like to control their future and get frustrated when it cannot be controlled.

There’s a quote in the novel; it’s a quote from somebody else. It says, “To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment.” So letting things be, letting things be the way it is without an attempt to control is an accomplishment in itself, and it takes discipline. And it takes a special kind of person to do it. The novel celebrates it, and that could be a lesson to all of us, I think. Especially myself, sitting in tech, stressing about every minute detail.

“

Letting things be the way it is without an attempt to control is an accomplishment in itself, and it takes discipline.”

NATSU ONODA POWER Director of “Lathe of Heaven”

In a statement you said that “The book is deeply resonant now, when all of our nightmares are becoming reality, every day.” Can you elaborate on this statement?

So much has happened since Richard Henrich gave me the book. He gave me the book in 2015, I want to say. The leadership of this country has shifted greatly, which for some people is a nightmare.

And, also, there have been natural disasters.

I just remember coming to campus the day after the election, and I could not continue with the class. It was a traumatic time. I think we all have personal feelings and it just seemed like the apocalypse. It was like, the world has ended.

WILL CROMARTY/THE HOYA

Natural disasters and the intersection of race and gender are important themes addressed in the play, made relevant by today’s circumstances.

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friDAY, january 26, 2018

table for two

Bresca Is a Buzzkill

Toby Hung and Daniel Almeida

I

n its earliest form, this column was laid out largely in jest. Notwithstanding our lack of culinary training, we — two selfproclaimed restauranteurs who find ourselves with a surprising amount of free time — wanted to pursue a questionably noble mission: critically explore Washington, D.C. dining and lay to waste mediocrity.

As we pitched this idea, eye-rolls from friends and colleagues were more than forthcoming. We were often reminded that good restaurant reviewing is good journalism: It takes honesty, fairness, an understanding of the cuisine and an ability to look beyond specific dishes and experiences to capture the whole of a restaurant. We returned to the drawing board determined, and it was with high expectations that we trained our sights on a restaurant that has generated quite some buzz among critics and diners alike: Bresca.

In his newest venture, chef Ryan Ratino experiments with “bistronomy,” a blend of bis-

tro and gastronomy that attempts to capture the sophistication of fine dining without the accompanying frills.

Ratino’s reputation casts a long shadow: A veteran of L’Auberge Provencale, WD-50, Minibar and Ripple — which earned him an award from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington — the Ohio native is widely recognized for his talent and ingenuity.

We are greeted by the maitre d’ with a promise of unexpected flavors, vibrant herbs and a constantly evolving cuisine. The 62-seat spot on 14th Street NW boasts an eclectic decor: The restaurant is adorned with goldaccented design details and fish sculptures.

Animal prints hang on deep royal blue walls.

A back wall blanketed with a mesh of preserved moss and the hexagonal interior call out to the restaurant’s honeycomb theme — Bresca is Spanish for “honeycomb.” The commotion and noise are a touch above tolerable; our server strains to make herself heard.

Ratino mixes Midwestern continental fare, Spanish coastal traditions and French luxe to produce a peculiar menu featuring everything from buckwheat pancakes served alongside parsley root ice cream, to foie gras cake pops. We started off with a pairing of Olde Salt oysters with a foam of Earl Grey tea and vinegar, a balanced mix of briny and sweet. Our only complaint is that we did not order more.

The drinks menu is spearheaded by Juan Coronado, co-owner of Colada Shop, a coffee

and cocktail destination, and fellow Minibar alumnus, whose own creativity shines through. Unexpected ingredients are featured throughout the menu, and the beeswax-infused tequila is a must-try. We opt for the 1906 Old Fashioned — where bourbon, creme de Yvette, bee nectar and bitters yield a standard cocktail — and the Pollination — where vodka, bee nectar, gentian, citrus and chamomile cordial produce a concoction better than the sum of its parts.

Our second dish, a foie gras PB&J, arrives, and we coax an explanation from our server.

The dish trades out peanut butter for a portcured foie gras and jelly for a concord grape gelee with compressed celery. Although meticulously presented — Ratino is fascinated with eye-catching tableware and presentation — the first bite is too creamy and the next too sweet.

An accompanying serving of madeleines, a French sponge cake-like cookie, distracts.

Chestnut agnolotti, stuffed pasta squares, with sunchoke, pear, mustard seeds and rabbit follows. The roasted chestnut filling and butter and milk-softened pasta make for choice eating. A 2016 Ron Rubin Pinot Noir pairs well; strong cherry aromas give way to a palate of overripe plum. The warm, wellrounded finish makes the dish smooth and enjoyable.

The honey-lacquered duck arrives in three generous parts: the first, a platter of sliced honey-glazed breast served alongside coins of duck-head fennel sausage. Accompanying

beignets are cooked in duck fat and served with a healthy dollop of apple butter. A casserole of red cabbage and spaetzle sits atop an emulsion of Comte cheese. The duck does not impress: The decadence is overbearing.

The red cabbage lacks the freshness to cut through the richness of the dish. This attempt at playfulness has fallen short of expectations.

Bresca has lofty ambitions and Ratino’s pull toward bistronomy makes sense. First coined in 2004 by French journalist and food critic Sébastien Demorand, bistronomy has risen in popularity across the United States as creative young chefs with formidable training set their minds to serve superb food in more relaxed settings.

Ratino, however, has overextended himself: The chef’s attempt to combine his passion for French technique, quality ingredients and ingenuity has produced a restaurant where some plates wow but others frustrate. The attempt to integrate such a wide range of concepts and flavors results in a venue lacking a grounding theme. Often, ingenuity gives way not to powerful, complex dishes, but rather to bland fare supported by gimmicks. Although not terrible, Ratino’s new venue falls short of being a delicacy. The food is simply subpar.

Daniel Almeida is a senior in the McDonough School of Business. Toby Hung is a senior in the College. Table for Two appears in print every other Friday. Read the full piece at thehoya. com/guide.

the music on my playlist

Eunice Jeong’s Top Picks Eunice Jeong (NHS ’20) is a host of “Better Than Burnetts” on Georgetown University radio station WGTB.

‘front and center’ by joey bada$$ In this single, Joey Bada$$ flips a sample from Rodrigo Amarante’s “Tuyo” — better known as the theme song from the Netflix show “Narcos” — and makes it his own, transforming the intro of the Spanish pop song into the base for an incredibly catchy beat. Style-wise, the Brooklyn rapper has come a long way since his smooth, no-frills classic tracks like “Survival Tactics” from his mixtape “1999” by incorporating new samples and unpredictable instrumentals.

JOEY BADASS

‘can’t stop’ by theophilus london “… But it ain’t Ralph though!” In this track, the eccentric New York-based rapper and singer Theophilus London creates a memorable blend of melancholy and spirited moods to make a slow-paced song featuring one of Kanye West’s most memorable one-liners of all time, referencing designer brand Ralph Lauren.

‘aquarium’ by nosaj thing Jason Chung, better known by his stage name Nosaj Thing, is a Korean-American producer from Los Angeles. “Aquarium,” from his 2006 EP “Views/Octopus,” is still his most popular and recognizable piece, largely because the track was sampled on rapper Kid Cudi’s 2009 song “Man on the Moon.” It is a dreamy, simple and low-key electronic piece — not one you would play at the party, but maybe on the car ride back home.

MIGUEL

‘waves’ by miguel (tame impala remix) There is something distinctly optimistic and summery about Tame Impala’s remix of “Waves,” originally a track from rhythm and blues vocalist Miguel’s 2015 album “Wildheart.”

Psychedelic pop superstar Tame Impala puts a spin on Miguel’s energetic piece, creating the perfect song to blast over the speakers in the warmer months when you are feeling carefree and driving fast down an empty back road with all the windows down. Regardless, “Waves (Tame Impala remix)” is a fun track for anyone, season, and occasion.

‘piNata’ by freddie gibbs There is no doubt Indiana-born rapper Freddie Gibbs can hold his own on a track, but he is best known for his songs featuring other hiphop artists. “Piñata,” the title track from his 2014 album, may be the most exceptional of them all. With heavy instrumentals and verses from seven artists hailing from across the United States, it is a track that you have to sit down and focus on to enjoy. The steady, unwavering beat throughout the song allows for each rapper’s lines and distinct style to take center stage.

Although Gibbs owns the track with the most memorable bars, I could still listen to Casey Veggies’ verse on repeat for hours.

FREDDIE GIBBS

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the guide

Our Grammy Picks

Record of the year

friDAY, january 26, 2018

Best Dance/ Electronic Album Mura Masa ‘Mura Masa’

Childish Gambino ‘Redbone’

mura masa

Childish Gambino

Album of the year Kendrick Lamar ‘DAMN.’

Best Rock Album The War On Drugs ‘A Deeper Understanding’ the war on drugs

kendrick lamar

SOng of the year

Best Alternative Music Album The National ‘Sleep Well Beast’

Jay-Z ‘4:44’

the national

jay-z

Best New Artist

Best Urban Contemporary Album SZA ‘Ctrl’

SZA

sza

sza

Best POP Vocal Album

BEST Rap Album Tyler, the Creator ‘Flower Boy’

Lady Gaga ‘Joanne’

tyler the creator

lady gaga

The Grammys Awards will be live Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. on CBS. For a full list of this year’s Grammy nominees with picks from the Guide, visit thehoya.com/guides-2018-grammy-picks.

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THE HOYA

friDAY, january 26, 2018

EXHIBITION review

Explore a ‘Parallel Universe’ at Artechouse noah hawke Hoya Staff Writer

Filled with brilliant light shows, “Parallel Universe” at Artechouse presents a moving fusion of art and technology that interrogates the still-undeveloped possibilities of multisensory experiences.

Art is supposed to evoke sensation, and the “Parallel Universe” exhibit at Artechouse, an experimental art gallery located near L’Enafnt Plaza, is an overwhelming sensory experience that certainly accomplishes this goal. When you exit the tucked-away, sparsely decorated lobby and pass the augmented reality cocktail bar to descend into the dimmed “innovative art space,” the swirling fractals and light beams that project designs onto the walls are stunning.

“Parallel Universe,” the first solo retrospective exhibit from Turkish new media art studio, Ouchhh, opened Jan. 18. The exhibit is inspired by science, mathematics and astrology, and attempts to use unique forms of digital media to create a space and atmosphere that feel out of this world.

Visitors sit in plush bean bag chairs, surrounded by a massive canvas of fascinating moving fractals and enveloped by eerie, pulsating music. It is hard to hear yourself think, so

all visitors can do is take in the environment, unless they spend their one-hour viewing slot sitting against the wall to take an array of artsy Instagram photos.

The installation is an intense multisensory experience, but it is surprisingly calming.

In an adjoining room, visitors can gather around a silver hemisphere inserted in the ground that reflects a light show onto the floor around it.

Hidden in the back of the space is an enclosed room with dynamic lights surrounding an inverted pyramid jutting out of the ceiling.

Perhaps the most exciting of the exhibits, these lights, which are stationed on poles throughout the room, move with the music and combine with stationary bulbs along the edges of the pyramid to create a visual spectacle, alluding to the alleged correlation between the Giza Pyramids and Orion’s Belt.

Scholars such as Belgian author, lecturer and Ancient Egypt researcher Robert Bauval believe that the three Pyramids of Giza were constructed as an earthly representation of the constellation Orion’s belt. Although the theory is disputed, the interaction between the lights and the pyramids in “Parallel Universe” is a clear reference to this ancient mystery.

While the installation’s meaning and wider relevance are unclear, it does well at curating a

Milky Chance

particular energy and provides a one-of-a-kind experience. “Parallel Universe” excels aesthetically but lacks substance as you look deeper.

The installation feels as though it is meant solely to be seen and heard rather than analyzed and understood. To this end, words do not do the installation justice — just as one cannot picture the reality of a parallel universe.

Artechouse describes itself as an “innovative arts space,” avoiding the term museum because it is unlike any traditional museum experience. Almost everything about the space is the counterpoint to most typical institutions.

It is a smaller space meant for singular, shortterm exhibits. This minimalistic use of space enhances the visual and aural effects to mesmerizing levels.

Rather than being a location to merely showcase works of art, the space itself functions as a conduit for Ouchhh’s vision — it becomes the art. On the other hand, the small space works against the exhibit’s potency, as the repetitive imagery allows the viewer to effectively see everything there is to see well before the hour has passed. It is intriguing at first, but a visitor can only look at so many fractals before losing interest.

“Parallel Universe” is not for everyone, as more traditional viewers might be turned off by

ARTECHOUSE

the modern media, lack of substantial thematic goals and overbearing grasps at scientific connections. Still, the installation is impressive, and succeeds in presenting its aesthetic vision and playing with space. Whether you go to snap a few pictures with a wavy backdrop or just to experience something new, “Parallel Universe” is a compelling visit.

“Parallel Universe” is open daily until March 4, with special viewings for 21+ crowds after 5:30 p.m. General admission adult tickets are $15; tickets for students, seniors and military ID Holders are $12; and tickets for children 12 years old and under are $8.

concert review

The Fillmore Silver Spring meghan mandi Hoya Staff Writer

In an age when sound engineers can make any artist sound flawless in a music studio, it is rare to hear a band replicate the perfection of studio tracks at a live concert. However, last Saturday night at The Fillmore Silver Spring, alternative folk trio Milky Chance proved itself to be an exceptional case of raw musical talent.

The two-floored venue was filled to the brim with concertgoers of all ages. The middle-aged attendees on the upper floor of the concert hall offered occasional head bops to the band’s music, while the bottom floor was jam-packed with a younger, more spirited crowd. The energy in the air made it evident the audience was thrilled to hear the German folk group perform its new album, “Blossom.”

With a few colorful lights and a smoke machine, The Fillmore was converted from a drab and empty dark room into a vibrant arena with an upbeat mood that paralleled the band’s folksy indie music.

The lead singer of Milky Chance, Clemens

Rehbein, strode on to the stage, donning a quirky ’70s-esque bright green and white button-up, corduroy pants and disheveled hair. The singer’s image perfectly prepared the crowd for his performance, which was slightly unorganized but tremendously enthusiastic and energetic.

The band began its 90-minute set with some of the biggest hits from its new album: “Ego,” “Blossom” and “Firebird.”

During the group’s rendition of “Firebird,” Rehbein and Antonio Greger, the lead guitarist, showcased their remarkable guitar dexterities with long solos that pumped up the audience.

After performing the more upbeat songs off its latest album, the group transitioned into a period of older songs from its 2013 debut album, “Sadnecessary.” One of its most popular songs, “Flashed Junkmind,” had the crowd in an outright frenzy.

Milky Chance’s melodic acumen was palpable to each member of the crowd. Rehbein’s distinct voice resonated with the audience and was supported by his bandmates’ unmatched skills on instruments from the harmonica to the bongos.

The band did not interact much with the crowd, but it was able to establish and maintain a strong connection with its audience through the passion it conveyed while performing and dancing on stage. Rehbein and Greger seemed to enter another world when they started playing their music, and they soon started dancing to their own songs while jamming out on their guitars.

The quirkiness fans love about Milky Chance was evident as Philipp Dausch, the lead percussionist, showed off his dance moves. The strong bond between the members of the band was clear on stage, allowing the audience to forge a connection to each one of them, making the concert even more enjoyable for both the band and the audience.

Despite the sheer talent of Milky Chance and the reaction they evoked from the crowd, the concert was plagued by awkward pauses and breaks when the colorful and invigorating ambience was shattered by the lights turning on and the band going completely silent to switch out instruments.

While it is understandable the group needed time to change its instruments and set

up because of the variety of styles present in their songs, a better flow would have eliminated the choppiness of the concert.

Around 10:30 p.m. as the concert winded down, neither the crowd nor the band wanted it to end. The band teased the crowd by exiting the stage, but the request for an encore was shortly fulfilled.

Closing the show with one of its most sensational tracks, “Stolen Dance,” Milky Chance left the audience basking in all its glory and completely and utterly in awe.

MEGHAN MANDI FOR THE HOYA

friday, January 26, 2018

the guide

THE HOYA

B9

theater review

The Simpsons Take the Stage in Post-Electric Play Julia yaeger Hoya Staff Writer

A post-apocalyptic society without television or electricity is the backdrop for an unnerving examination of entertainment itself in “Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play,” a joint production by student theater groups Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society and Nomadic Theatre. “[The play is a] post-modern dramatic musical comedy,” producer Cameron Bell (COL ’19) said.

Set in a dystopian future in which people grasp for a semblance of normalcy, much of the play’s plot revolves around the attempts of the main characters to recreate television shows by stringing them together from memory.

“The Simpsons” is the most frequently referenced television show throughout

the performance. Creepy, yet intriguing, Simpsons costumes keep the audience on edge throughout all three acts.

During the first act, Matt, played by Mac Riga (COL ’21) describes a Simpsons episode, trying to piece together various quotes he can remember. As other characters arrive, they collaborate to form full episodes.

Despite the humorous content of the performers’ conversations, the underlying situation is heart-wrenching. The characters have lost their families and cope with the tragedy by recreating comedic moments from television shows they can no longer watch.

The second act features the same characters in the business of performing television shows in exchange for resources, while the third act is the most intense. A musical that takes place entirely in Simp-

sons costumes, act three is a complete shift from the hilarious — seriously, fallout-of-your-seat-laughing hilarious — musical number of act two. Instead of relying on humor, act three is unnerving and heavy.

Despite extending through three acts, “Mr. Burns” keeps the audience engaged with drama, hilarious musical numbers and actors breaking the fourth wall with self-referential meta-humor.

Wearing eerie Simpsons masks, the characters test the audience’s limits. If viewers are wary of the length of the play, they must persevere to the final act. The third act is unnerving and confusing, but it calls back themes from the first two acts and rounds out the entire production.

Because of the length and ambition of the product, the development of the performance was complicated, according to

director Johnny Monday (COL ’18.)

“It’s a big play. It would be easier if it was just a play or a musical. It’s a mixture of both,” said Monday.

The cast and production crew succeed in creating an interesting and engaging experience.

“Mr. Burns” has something for everyone: Those who are not impressed by its cultural references or pop music remixes will enjoy how the play challenges the audience, prompting them to think about human nature in a different way. Audience members can choose to engage with “Mr. Burns” on a deeper level or just sit back and enjoy the characters’ banter.

“Mr. Burns” runs in Poulton Hall on Stage III at 8 p.m. on Jan. 18-20 and Jan. 24-27, and at 2 p.m. on Jan. 21. General admission tickets are $12 and student tickets are $8.

COURTESY MASK AND BAUBLE DRAMATIC SOCIETY AND NOMADIC THEATRE

Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society and Nomadic Theatre’s latest production, “Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play,” is set in a dystopian future. The show’s characters must grapple with tragedy and fear, though they mask their feelings with humorous musical numbers. The show premiered Jan. 18 and will continue running in Poulton Hall until Saturday.

B10

the guide

THE HOYA

MUSIC

NEW RELEASES

1

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018

What to Do in DC KALIWA

This smooth and versatile new Filipino, Korean and Thai fusion establishment is located in one of today’s booming areas, The Wharf. Take out or dine in and enjoy the ambience; either way, the food should be terrific.

2 CASHMERE CAT

FALL OUT BOY

FALL OUT BOY ‘CHURCH’

CASHMERE CAT ‘MISS YOU’

Fall Out Boy’s new album, “MANIA,” is both fun and confusing as band members Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz and company explore different sounds and push their boundaries as a group. Stump’s vocal gymnastics impress on “Church,” a pseudo-spiritual pop-rock track, singing dramatically “If you were church, I’d get on my knees / Confess my love, I’d know where to be.” The project has gotten mixed reviews, but songs like “Church” show the band’s talent and versatility, two traits sure to keep them firing off albums for a while longer.

“Miss You” opens with an airy falsetto hook from Canadian rhythm and blues artist Tory Lanez who carries the same tone on the vocals throughout, crooning to a former lover. Major Lazer and Cashmere Cat handle the production, imbuing the song with an electronic dancehall vibe that is simple and tropical. The song has been in the works for over a year but was finished

by Diplo and Cashmere between sets at Red Rocks recently, as Diplo revealed in an interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1 Radio.

KALIWA

CO CO. SALA

With hot chocolate, coffee and cocktails, Co Co. Sala has beverages for every palate. Found on F Street near the International Spy Museum, the eclectic lounge offers both delicious alcoholic and nonalcoholic options.

CO CO. SALA

3

WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF BALLET

The Kennedy Center will house a free performance by internationally acclaimed classical dance program, the Washington School of Ballet, on Jan. 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF BALLET

4 MIGOS

FIRST AID KIT

MIGOS ‘SUPASTARS’

FIRST AID KIT ‘REBEL HEART’

Building up to the group’s upcoming album, “Culture II,” Migos released its third promotional single “Supastars,” a synth-laced track that sees group members Quavo, Offset and Takeoff cruising over a dazzling Honorable C.N.O.T.E. beat. With typical flows and progression, the trio sounds a little tired, a step back from the alternative feel of the Pharrell produced “Stir Fry.” Migos has something to prove with its new album, which drops Friday, Jan. 26.

Sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg make up First Aid Kit, a Swedish band that ironically produces Americana heartbreak pop. After a few quiet years and rumors of a breakup, they returned in 2018 with the appropriately titled album “Ruins.” The two blend well with folksy harmony, and “Rebel Heart” starts the project off with a melancholy mood as they bemoan past tragedies.

WASHINGTON AUTO SHOW

One of the nation’s top-five auto shows boasts a lineup of attendees including McLaren and Ferrari. A must-attend for auto aficionados, the show will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Jan. 26 through Feb. 4, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

THE WASHINGTON AUTO SHOW

5

BRUNCH FEST DC

Come celebrate brunch, Washington, D.C.’s favorite meal of the day. It will take place at Union Market on Feb. 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and feature a huge variety of delicious brunch food.

DRINK EAT RELAX

friday, January 26, 2018

Hostiles

the guide

Hoya Staff Writer

“Hostiles,” directed by Scott Cooper, is a thought-provoking and raw Western that produces a semblance of hope. Instead of glorifying the West, the film presents an accurate and hard-to-stomach depiction of life at the time.

The beginning of “Hostiles” is set in New Mexico in 1892. Army Captain Joseph Blocker, played by Christian Bale, is on the cusp of retirement, but is forced to escort the dying Cheyenne War Chief Yellow Hawk, played by Wes Studi, and his family back to the Valley of the Bears after their seven-year long imprisonment ends. Along the way, the group takes in a grieving widow named Rosalie Quaid, portrayed by Rosamund Pike.

The film boasts strong, emotionally compelling performances. Bale’s Captain Blocker makes his resentment for the chief and Native Americans no secret after witnessing his friends die in battles with Native Americans.

One of the most captivating aspects of the film is the journey of Blocker confronting his hypocrisy during his time with Studi’s Chief

Mania

Yellow Hawk. “Hostiles” does not force a happy ending by positing that Blocker is a savior or that his views are justified. Instead, the film deals realistically with the situation, making the focus of the movie not the action but rather the growing relationship between Blocker and Chief Yellow Hawk.

Another moment of interest in “Hostiles” is the relationship between Rosalie Quaid and Chief Yellow Hawk’s family, particularly his daughter and grandson, the latter depicted with charming innocence by newcomer Xavier Horsechief. The first scene shows the death of Quaid’s entire family at the hands of Comanche Native Americans. Such a framework might make one question the film’s portrayal of Native Americans as biased, but the remainder of the film dispels those worries.

Pike’s portrayal of the grieving widow is particularly compelling. While her character is at first apprehensive of Chief Yellow Hawk and his family, her fears begin to subside after Elk Woman, the daughter of Chief Yellow Hawk — played beautifully and delicately by Q’orianka Kilcher — offers her a new dress to replace her bloodstained clothes.

Elk Woman’s kindness leads Pike to question her preconceived notions of Native American peoples, and to find her sense of family and belonging once again. “Hostiles” has been recognized and praised by the National Congress of American Indians for its representation of Native American peoples, including its accurate portrayal of the rare Northern Cheyenne dialect, spoken by Chief Yellow Hawk and Captain Blocker, and the culture, such as gestures and rituals.

According to the NCAI, Cooper asked for the help of Native American filmmakers Chris Eyre and Joely Proudfit, who run The Native Networkers--a group that seeks to increase Native American representation in the film industry-to make the film as accurate as possible. The inclusion of native language and customs in “Hostiles” not only adds to the film’s authenticity, but also showcases the beauty and depth of Native American culture that is rarely seen in the media.

The pace of “Hostiles” feels deliberately slow, allowing the most poignant moments to shine through. Masanobu Takayanagi’s cinematography is breathtaking, with many of the stills and scenes appearing like paintings. The jux-

Hoya Staff Writer

When exploring new musical styles, Fall Out Boy’s seventh studio album, “Mania,” often falters and is strongest when the group sticks to the sound that made it popular.

The project is a continuation of the group’s move from the realm of punk to the realm of pop, but this shift has not been without challenges.

“Mania” was originally slated for release Sept. 15, 2017, but lead singer Patrick Stump announced in August that the release would be moved to Jan. 19, 2018. The group took those months to rewrite and rerecord much of the album, resulting in a record that explores new styles — some more successfully than others. The band truly succeeds when it returns to its alternative rock roots.

One factor that motivated Fall Out Boy to push back the album was the reception of its first single, “Young and Menace,” released April 27, 2017. On this track, the band tried its hand at EDM, and the song was not wellreceived. Stump’s powerful voice is one of the



GRISBI PRODUCTIONS

taposition of the landscapes’ hostility against their grandness and beauty also provides the perfect setting for the film’s emotional and heart-wrenching journey.

“Hostiles” is not easy to watch. The way characters talk about Native Americans is often hard to listen to and the imagery can be violent. However, this rhetoric and imagery needed to be included to accurately depict the racism of the time and to avoid romanticizing the period or its people.

Driven by strong performances and entrancing visuals, “Hostiles” presents a brutal but compelling adaptation of the Western genre.

Album review

Fall Out Boy MEGHAN DECOURCEY

B11

movie review

Directed by: Scott Cooper Starring: Christian Bale, Wes Studi, Rosamund Pike KIERA GERAGHTY

THE HOYA

 defining attributes of Fall Out Boy, but on “Young and Menace,” his singing is digitally manipulated to the detriment of the song.

Ultimately, it was kept on the album, but it stands out for the wrong reasons.

“Champion,” released June 22, 2017, is the only other single kept from the original version of the album. The song is much more in line with what the group is known for: strong lyrics with an uplifting message. It is similar thematically to “Centuries,” the lead single from “American Beauty/American Psycho,” the band’s sixth studio album released in 2015. This song is also well-known for being used as ESPN’s official theme song for sports coverage.

Fall Out Boy’s albums are defined by the group’s use of metaphor, imagery and emotion. “The Last of the Real Ones,” a fast-paced love song that uses images of space to describe the intensity of the narrator’s infatuation, best embodies these characteristics. One of the lines of the first verse sets the tone: “You are the sun and I am just the planets / Spinning around you.” Here, Fall Out Boy’s evocative imagery helps underline the lead singer’s

devotion to his beloved, resulting in a successful love track. Additionally, the rhythmic tapping of a piano throughout the song gives it an otherworldly sound.

The group turns to spiritual imagery in “Church” and “Heaven’s Gate.” In “Church,” an organ, church choir and church bells accompany the band. It is another love song, but images of worship are used to indicate both the romantic and spiritual aspects of a relationship. The group’s decision to incorporate religious instrumentation and lyrics shows it is unafraid to take new approaches, while the tracks’ thematic similarities demonstrate a rare moment of cohesion on the album.

“Church” is followed by the slower ballad “Heaven’s Gate,” which relies on both supernatural and religious imagery. The main line of the chorus illustrates how the narrator needs his love interest to help him become a better person and ultimately enter heaven: “Give me a boost over heaven’s gate.”

In past projects, Fall Out Boy has frequently featured other artists. For example, Elton John, Courtney Love and Big Sean appeared on the group’s fifth studio album, “Save Rock

and Roll.”

However, “Mania” is devoid of features, except the upbeat “Sunshine Riptide,” which features Burna Boy, a Nigerian reggae singer and songwriter. The track is another example of Fall Out Boy venturing into other genres of music. Burna Boy’s carefree verse begins in the first half of the song with Stump’s vocals in the background. The pop-reggae blend is a surprising break from other tracks on the album, but it is commendable to see the group experiment with new styles.

Compared to the success of Fall Out Boy’s past albums, “Mania” lags behind and feels hastily thrown together. The band stretches itself in too many different directions with its use of various genres. Some tracks fit together, but overall the album lacks cohesiveness.

Nevertheless, the band deserves credit for returning to the drawing board when it thought the initial album did not reflect its identity. Fall Out Boy has been making music since 2001, and its longevity allows it space to explore new musical realms. While some songs on “Mania” seem out of place, some are able to break away and shine.

Illustration BY: Grace chung and Valeria MA/THE HOYA