Graffiti Comes to Harris
Though Harris will be the target of graffiti artists this Saturday, there’s no reason to call the police. The Graffiti Art Showcase is wholly legitimate and sponsored by the Pioneer Diversity Council.
“We’re going to have Harris set up like an alley and have four different student graffiti artists doing 15 minutes of live presentation,” said Ki Harris ’14, President of the Pioneer Diversity Council.
The Showcase is the Diversity Council’s year-end capstone event. Nick Hinojosa ’14 wanted to make the show themed around graffiti to dispel some of the negative connotations that the art form carries.
“[We wanted] graffiti [to be a part of the show] because it’s a big part of the culture back home (Corpus Christi, Texas) and it’s something that Grinnell lacks,” Hinojosa said in an email.
“Also, there are a lot of negative connotations about graffiti, it is often affiliated with gangs and tagging and it’s not appreciated as an art.”
Various performance artists will accompany the artists as they paint.
“We asked each artist to find a performance artist,” Hinojosa said. “There will be a guitarist, ballet dancer, spoken word [artist] and a DJ mix prepared by Will Jackson.”
The theme of the event is GC Pride, but “it’s a surprise about how it’s going to turn out exactly,” Harris said. The showcase starts at 2pm this Saturday.
“Everyone we’ve mentioned [the show to] is planning on going,” Harris said. “It’s going to be big.” Documentary Photography of Changing Times Draws Crowds
Faulconer Gallery is currently housing the “1966 Yearbook Project” exhibition, a powerful compilation of images from Grinnell during the years 1965-1966. The yearbook was created as a social documentary of life on campus during a period of turmoil both on campus and in society at large.
The idea for this historical publication to be turned into a gallery exhibit came from Kay Wilson, curator of the gallery, and Milton Severe, Director of Exhibition Design. In 2009, Henry Wilhelm, one of the photographers and compilers of the yearbook, received an email and immediately thought it was a great idea. The yearbook itself held so much history about how the college became the social justice oriented place that it is today.
“The first was that we changed the name from Cyclone, because cyclone meant nothing to the outside world. So we established the name “Grinnell College 1966,” which were the two key things: where and when,” Wilhelm said. “We approached it as a documentary on college life and got rid of all the usual conventions. No posed senior pictures, no posed team or club pictures, and the whole subject of sports in this yearbook was a radical departure from what was usual at the time. Students really supported the idea and we sold more presubscribed copies than ever before in history.”
Photos in the yearbook ranged from a meet and greet for first years before school started to men on north campus destroying pianos in a competition. The photos are beautiful, but equally, they contain a great deal of commentary on how the college functioned at the time. One aspect of focus was the way women were treated unequally by the college. There are images of people having to leave after being suspended or expelled for being suspected of spending the night with a person of the opposite sex. Students became angry and started fighting back against the sexist regulations, expressed in a photo of women at a meeting holding signs.
“We thought of it as a historical book in a time of rapid change,” Wilhelm said.
When it came to the actual publishing of the yearbook, Wilhelm and his fellow compilers encountered difficulty. The college was given the original compiling of the yearbook to review before printing and decided that there were multiple liabilities.
“In reality, the college just didn’t want the yearbook to be published and it was, in a sense, banned. That was extremely upsetting to a lot of people on campus,” Wilhelm said. “It became very clear that the college wanted to do, but failed to do due to the copyright, was seize the book, probably bring in another editor to ‘sanitize’ it, to remove everything they didn’t like: drug pictures, students being suspended, comments about women, the whole thing.”
Wilhelm and his fellow editors had help from an attorney alum and notified the college that they were in possession of stolen property by holding onto the yearbook. Although, even after getting the yearbook back, it was almost impossible to find somewhere willing to publish the book. All of the publishing companies were afraid of being sued by the college, due to the publicity of the conflict between college and yearbook editors.
Twenty years later, Wilhelm was reminded of the yearbook and decided that it was time to have it published.
“I thought, ‘Well, we should at least tell the college what we’re planning to do.’ If not any other reason, we need the names and addresses of all four classes from the alumni office. Then President George Drake heard through the grapevine that the class of ’66 was planning on publishing the yearbook, so he invited me over to the college to tell him what I’m doing,” Wilhelm said. “In less than five minutes George said, ‘Well this is a history book, we [Grinnell College] should publish it.’ I was astonished.”
The yearbook was published in 1986 and the gallery now sports prints that have been digitally re-mastered from the original negatives. Students are encouraged to visit the exhibition and get a glimpse of Grinnell’s powerful history through beautiful photography. There is a station in the middle of the gallery that allows for students to print out any photo from the gallery. Donations are appreciated and the proceeds go to support preservation activities in Burling Library’s Special Collections and Archives and the Faulconer Gallery’s Permanent Art Collection.
Student Salon to Open Friday
The Annual Student Art Salon showcases works created by Grinnell students in the preceding year. It is organized by the students of the Art SEPC and designed by the staff of Faulconer Gallery, where it will open this Friday at 5 p.m. Art pieces are selected through a jury process and hung by Milton Severe, the Exhibition Designer of Falconer Gallery. The Grinnell College Student Salon will open this Friday with 28 works by 18 students. Photograph by Connie Lee
“Traditionally a juror is brought from outside of Grinnell to select from submissions. Last year it was Gilbert Vicario, Curator of the Des Moines Art Center. The year before this was Jefferey Hamada, author of the art blog, http://www.booooooom.com/, ” said Nic Wilson ’12, a member of the Art SEPC. This year, the juror is Kathleen Edwards, Chief Curator of the University of Iowa Art Museum. Edwards will also be holding a Gallery Talk in Faulconer Gallery at 4:15 p.m. this Friday to talk about her strategy and selections for this year’s exhibition.
This year was also the first year in which students submitted works electronically. “We got together with the Art SEPC and the Art faculty. Together they wanted to try [electronic submissions],” said Lesley Wright, Director of Faulconer Gallery. With the addition of electronic submissions, Kathleen Edwards had about 110 works to choose from.
“Every juror usually comes out of it with a particular idea after looking at everything that particularly speaks to her. And good curators also look to put together an exhibition that has some sort of coherence, ” Wright said. In Kathleen Edward’s statement regarding the Student Art Salon, she says, “I see this curated exhibition of student art work coalescing around concepts related to the structures and functions of the human brain.”
Any student is allowed to enter, even if they are not in an art class. It can be any student on campus and any type of artwork is welcome, such as paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, or video.
There are 28 works by 18 artists this year, so be sure to come support the art community this Friday. The Annual Student Art Salon begins at 5 p.m. Refreshments will be served and the awards will be announced at 5:15 p.m.
Post-Industrial Landscapes
Across from the Strand Theatre, between Lonnski’s Pub and Dori’s, Dani Radoshevich ’12 has installed her latest artwork in her apartment. The show opened on May 2 at 7:30 p.m. Radoshevich has been working all semester on her exhibition, Post Industrial Landscape, which is comprised of photos and paintings depicting and inspired by industrial buildings.
“The project as a whole was inspired by industrial and post- industrial forms in the Midwest, mostly sourced from drawings and photographs I’ve done in St. Louis, some drawings from buildings in Grinnell and some imaginary forms,” Radoshevich said.
Radoshevich’s apartment is situated at the end of a long, high ceilinged hallway. Before walking in, I saw that above the door were two windows. They had pictures of factory buildings projected on to them. The projection of photos creates a positive lighting for the factory buildings usually associated with long hours and tedious labor. “I focused on abandoned or defunct industrial buildings and forms, because something about these kinds of environments is so alien, because in general, factories and warehouses and other similar structures geared towards manufacturing feel so big and precarious,” Radoshevich said. “They’re very obviously not meant for the human form/scale.”
Along the walls, juxtaposed to the projections, are large painted works of buildings and geometric planes.
”I installed it in my apartment because the Spaulding building (where I live) is the old administrative headquarters for the Spaulding automotive manufacturing factory that was active early in the 20th century but was only operational for a few years,” Radoshevich said. The painted works utilize harsh lines and faded colors to express the emotion around the once booming buildings.
Radoshevich began with four huge pieces of birch-ply, the raw support of her paintings.
“I like working on wood because it’s a non-neutral starting place, or some kind of contextualizing ground on which to start. Something about a blank white surface is both intimidating and uninspiring for me. I like to work into something that was already there,” Radoshevich said.
The exhibition, installed against windows which overlook main street, should not be missed. If you’d like to stop by, send an email to [radoshev]. The Loggia Playlist – Titus Andronicus
Titus Andronicus – LLC Mixtape vol. 1 (2012) verdict: 4 out of 5 tragedies
While Titus Andronicus have been music-blog darlings ever since their raucous debut in 2008, their last release—a sprawling civil-war themed concept album called The Monitor—was one of the most unlikely success stories of 2010. Now, Titus fans have another great reason to be excited. No, it’s not another album; it’s a mixtape. Yeah, not what I was expecting either. But Titus Andronicus is anything but predictable, and their latest foray into the world of alternative distribution is no exception. Brimming with live covers of everything from the Velvet Underground to Weezer, there’s enough rock in this record to blow out your car speakers three times over. All the hits from Titus’ first two albums are here as well, making this an excellent starter- album for new fans. And that’s just the first volume! I don’t know when the band plans to release the second, but it better be soon.
The centerpiece of LLC is a new single from their upcoming album—which, if “Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape With the Flood of Detritus” is anything to go by, is going to be awesome. Their covers of “I Fought the Law” and “The Boys Are Back in Town” are also pretty good, although they (like many of Titus’ live recordings) suffer from feedback and low fidelity. If this were any other band, I would be disappointed by the audio quality, but what else can you expect from a punk group named after Shakespeare’s bloodiest, most unpolished play? Titus is all about being rough and rowdy. This Jersey Band famously couch-surfed their “Monitour” (hehe), slept in a storm drain, and is currently signed by the horribly-named label “Diarrhea Planet.” Still, these guys are no dummies; Patrick Stickles’ writing is unusually strong for a self- professed punk, and puts him appropriately in the running for the Shakespeare of shoegaze. And what exactly does that entail? Well, I really recommend you go ahead and find out. This labor of love is well-worth your time, and is the most faithful tribute to the band’s incredible live show since the fan-released compilation, “Feats of Strength.” Plus, the whole thing is available for free at the band’s website!
The Highlights: -Live hits, covers and unreleased material make it very accessible to both new and old fans -The new single, “Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape With the Flood of Detritus” -Great covers of The Replacements, The Velvet Underground, Thin Lizzy, and other punk greats
Gamelan Ushers In Finals Week
Sebring-Lewis will be filled with the sights and sounds of Indonesian tradition when the Javanese Gamelan Music and Dance Ensemble performs this Saturday at 2 p.m. The program will consist of five “sets” of music, one of which will feature a traditional wedding dance.
“The music, generally speaking, its exoticness and strangeness can be bridged fairly easily. It’s not harsh sounding,” said Roger Vetter, Music.
The performance will also be packaged much like a western musical performance. Nineteen musicians will perform in a concert hall, on a stage, and without the ceremonial significance of the original art form. Nonetheless, the experience promises to immerse listeners in a different culture.
“There are so many aspects of Java’s history…all those layers are reflected in different ways through the performing arts,” said Valerie Vetter, Javanese dance instructor.
Part of the cultural experience will be the intermixing of two art forms, dance and music. Javenese music is typically designed to accompany dance, theatre, or a puppet show. Two students, Emily Ullberg ’12 and Chooi Yen Lim ’12, will perform a slightly modified traditional dance that involves a lot of fine details and flashy scarf moves.
“It’s a wonderful dance that is very dynamic, I think,” Val Vetter said. “It’s very closely related to the drumming, so the drum kind of speaks the movements.”
Elaborate costumes and makeup will also add to the visual impact of the performance.
The dance, like many Javanese dances, tells a story. This piece depicts a young prince who is thinking of his love and preparing to meet her.
“It’s a character from some story,” Val Vetter said, “and it’s usually reflecting that character’s inner character.”
Gamelan music plays a similar role in performance, creating a mood or a tone that can be adapted to new lyrics or performances. This is partially because the music is never written down, so there is a limit to the number of variations that performers can be expected to know for any given occasion. In its typical ceremonial function, the music projects the mood of the moment.
“Most often you would hear it in accompaniment of some kind of theatrical presentation,” Professor Vetter said, “which again is taking place to serve some ceremonial function, say a new business is opening shop.” In this case, the Javanese Gamelan Music and Dance performance will usher in the final days of the semester, introducing students to an exciting cultural tradition that celebrates the ceremony of performative art.
Garnder hosts a Cave in the Woods
The spelunkers in Gardner last Friday night exploring Cave, a Krautrock band based in Chicago, were treated to a show driven by a sometimes explosive, sometimes ambling rhythm section and sharp guitar.
“The concert went really well,” Grinnell Concerts Chair Pooj Padmaraj ’13 said. “The songs they played were really long—more so than on their record. … You really got into a kind of trance-like state.”
A sense of dark urgency, provided by snappy drummer Rex McMurry and dynamic keyboardist Rotten Milk, pervaded the 90 minute set, and many of the spelunkers dug such cavernous sounds. Indeed, the band’s aptitude would probably have induced visceral emotions regardless of the help that the cultural holiday they performed on gave them. “I’ve been pretty disappointed with the psych-prog-rock scene in Iowa City,” Graham Klemme, a 2nd year at the University of Iowa said after the show. “After seeing Cave, I’m definitely going to try to transfer to Grinnell.”
Cave was the penultimate performance of the year hosted by Concerts (the last show was Woods on Tuesday), but Padmaraj says that Concerts is collaborating with the AAA [Asian American Association] to bring hip-hop/spoken word artist John Vietnam to Bob’s in early May. Padmaraj, who was just approved to return to his position as Concerts Chair for another year, is also currently working on booking bands for the ’12-’13 school year.
“Agents are now sending in their bands that are going to be routed across the nation,” Padmaraj said. “Concerts is going through them and looking for what we want.” As always, music- minded individuals are encouraged to attend concerts meetings and help select bands for the upcoming year.
Having only listened to Woods long enough to vaguely classify them as a lo-fi Fleet Foxes, I was eager to see how their studio recordings translated into a live show. Lo-fi acts can often sound much warmer and fuller in concert due to the additional amplification, as Best Coast demonstrated during their Fall 2010 Gardner set.
Though certainly amplified, Woods largely ditched their glowing harmonies for mid-song jam breakdowns exploring their psychedelic realm. In addition to dilutions of the songs from their studio, they also brought incense, which sat smoking on the table of “tape effects technician” G. Lucas Crane. He sat in the middle of the stage, bouncing over lights and knobs, with a pair of overhead headphones sideways on his head, one cup on the back of his head and the other over his mouth, evoking Batman’s villain Bane.
Woods displayed plenty of musicianship; members switched instruments several times, playing each with skill and crisply harmonized. Unfortunately, numerous songs, ranging from blues to folk, began promisingly, eventually devolved into Crane spinning dials of psychedelic sonar in Morse code out to a largely motionless crowd of about 30. This was followed by a gently strummed riff that slowly built to a much needed break.
I hold nothing against jam bands. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest meant attending plenty of jam and ska shows, which I enjoyed. However, a breakdown should be a unique experience. Merely repeating the same process becomes mechanical and trying for the listener. The apparent grand finale bout of psychedelia, which came during their last song, finally broke my patience after 10 minutes, and I tiredly left before the inevitable resurgence of sonic order.
Mcqueen has nothing to be ashamed of
For about 10 minutes mid-way through British writer-director Steve McQueen’s addiction-drama “Shame,” it almost feels like you’re watching a normal movie. Two adults sit together at a restaurant on an awkward first date, making forced small talk and sharing and challenging each others’ philosophies about love and relationships. Later they walk through the dark streets of Manhattan, trading childhood memories and if-you- could-live-anytime-anywhere-style banter that sounds like it was borrowed from the screenplay of “(500) Days of Summer.” For a moment you believe things might actually be getting better. But this is nothing but a calculated illusion, as McQueen artfully weaves a sickening sense of dread into the fabric of the scene, foreshadowing the inevitable return to a world of vice and dependency. At once, he rejects the conventional Hollywood romance narrative and his addict- protagonist’s ostensible attempt at a normal life.
And so goes this dark character study, a patient examination of the life of Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender), a highly successful businessman secretly battling a consuming sex- addiction. The first portion of the film establishes the empty monotony of Brandon’s existence, as he navigates a never- ending cycle of work, masturbation, and the comparative thrill of the upscale Manhattan singles bars frequented by his high- power corporate associates.
Then Brandon’s grim, but ordered existence is thrown into disarray with the unexpected arrival of his sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan), a singer with an equally troubled past. Sissy brings her own set of problems, but—more than anything—disturbs Brandon through her continuous attempts to foster some kind of sibling intimacy. “We’re family, we’re meant to look after each other,” Sissy said. But that kind of connection is simply beyond Brandon’s emotional reach.
From there, the pair’s stories devolve, each embarking on their own downward spiral. Sissy has an emotional overdependence on Brandon, through his uncontrollable cravings and utter inability to connect. Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, who served as McQueen’s Director of Photography on his debut feature, Hunger, deftly constructs a visual world to complement this bleak story, painting modern Manhattan in the beiges and grays of a boring but elegant upper-class bathroom.
McQueen, in his own right, flexes an expert ability to construct complex scenes and patiently pace a story. Filling the film with single shots that span conversations or several city blocks, McQueen perfectly captures the droll, repetitive hopelessness of a life of addiction. Occasionally, he tries to do too much, overexerting his directorial influence. As a result, the film is at times weighed down by obvious symbolism and ineffective melodrama—the worst example being an ending uncomfortably reminiscent of that of 2010’s vapid brain-teaser “Inception.” For the most part, however, McQueen sticks to his hands-off approach, and allows his actors to do most of his work for him—and it is this instinct that ultimately makes Shame the excellent film that it is.
Mulligan, of course, delivers a tremendous performance (as if we expect anything less from her), tempering her signature innocence with a host of sinister insecurities that occasionally explode onto the screen. It is Fassbender, however (most known for his portrayal of a young Magneto in last year’s X-Men: First Class), who steals the film, delivering an agonizing and nuanced performance that perfectly encapsulates the misery and isolation of chronic sexual dependence. The result: a tragically beautiful film that searches for, and ultimately finds, redemption in the darkest of places.
Shame will be screening this Sunday, April 29, in Harris Cinema at 2:00 p.m. Woody Allen’s classic romance, Annie Hall, will be showing on Friday, April 27, at 6:00 p.m.
Nonfiction reading brings laughs to library
“We really liked them! We were really impressed,” exclaimed several audience members at the Craft of Creative Nonfiction reading on Wednesday. The reading, which was held in Burling Library, featured writing by the students of Professor Ralph Savarese’s Craft of Creative Nonfiction class. Professor Savarese collaborated with Laureen Cantwell, Term Research and Instruction Librarian, to put on the event. Seventeen students presented short pieces of writing of varying forms, ranging from memoirs to travel articles, all of which were written for different assignments over the course of the semester. Winsome Eustace ’12, reads from her nonfiction essay regarding cheating in card games, computer games and relationships. Photograph by Joey Brown
“The class breaks the idea of creative nonfiction up into a bunch of subgenres,” Savarese said. “So there is the subgenre of memoir, the subgenre of the travel essay (so you heard some travel essays tonight), there’s the subgenre of literary journalism, the subgenre of the lyric essay, the subgenre of the profile. … The idea is that they read models from each of these subgenres by professionals and then they construct assignments derived from those models about their own experience.”
The students wrote about a diverse array of topics. One student wrote about her father and his forays into the career as a health product salesman, while another student wrote about his unintended experience as an American tourist at Machu Picchu. “I thought the one about video games and cheating and card games really had both an interesting message and an interesting lens on the topic,” Cantwell said of the piece that Winsome Eustace ’12 wrote. “I also thought the woman who told the story about Nanjing was pretty interesting,” Cantwell continued in refrence to the piece presented by Professor Meehan, Philosophy. “It was emotional; it was obviously something that is very close to her life.”
The audience was sizable, with over 40 students and faculty in attendance. The otherwise hushed rooms of Burling echoed frequently with laughter at clever wordplay or the relatable, awkward experiences of pubescence.
“It’s one thing to be funny in the real world,” Savarese said. “It’s much harder to be funny on the page. Writing is an art. Creative writing is supposed to be heard, there’s got to be an audience. But more important is that they try to revise these final pieces for the portfolio. Hearing yourself read a piece aloud gives you access to the piece that just reading it to yourself does not.”
Improv Goes All Night Long
Many Grinnellians are familiar with pulling all-nighters, but few can maintain their sense of humor throughout one. On Friday, members of Grinnell’s improv troupe Ritalin Test Squad (RTS) began their traditional 24-Hour Improv Marathon, in which RTS members played improv games in front of an audience in Younker lounge from 9 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday without stopping. Improv members refuse to surrender to the passage of time. Photograph by Avery Rowlison
Though the event was initially created to raise money for charity, 24-Hour Improv is now primarily a way for troupe members to bond and test their own stamina.
“It’s mostly a traditional thing,” Alex McConnell ’12 said. “I saw it as a prospie, which would have been Spring 2008, and it had gone at least a couple years before that.”
Despite the physical and mental toll, 24-Hour Improv has become an important troupe experience.
“For some reason it’s kind of a bonding exercise and a rite of passage for the members of the troupe,” Margaret Allen ’12 said. “I mean you really see someone’s true colors at 4 a.m.”
“I think it’s also just one of those fantastical tasks that people make themselves do just to see that they can,” Allen continued. “I mean it is exactly like a marathon, only for acting. There is no better time for us in our entire lives to do something this completely ridiculous, but also fun.”
The novelty of 24-hour improv is in that troupe members are truly invested in improvisational skits for 24 hours. “We don’t stop. We don’t stop,” Allen said. “There was a time period where we were all too tired to even stand up, it was like 4 a.m., so we did a radio improv game sitting on the couches with our eyes closed but not sleeping. There was a time where we played a game that was just like, genital puns, and we did that for about an hour and a half. That was also really fun.”
RTS members have to be creative in working food, drink, and rotating mini-naps into the show.
“We continue acting during [our] meals,” Allen said. “We do this thing called a ‘business luncheon’ where it’s a business meeting and you’re having lunch. This year our business luncheon was at a local coop. All of these people were characters that are the biggest hyperbole of someone who’s like vegan, local foods, all of that.”
Not surprisingly, 24 hours of a high-energy task such as improvisational acting can be rather draining on one’s mood. “I think the biggest thing that’s important for the troupe to communicate to other people is that if we treated you like a douche bag, … if we were ‘unkind’ or ‘insensitive’ or ‘rash’ with them, or unappreciative, we were just sooo tired and beyond any point of having manners that, … forgive us for our obscenities,” Allen said. Still, troupe members appreciate participating in the event each year.
“It’s a pretty unique event, honestly,” McConnell said. “There are other schools where troupes do marathons like this but I don’t know of any that do 24 hour marathons. … It’s a cool thing that we’re able to do here because we have the kind of support that we do, and I’m very thankful for that.” 99 musicians 1 tap dancer
Three of Grinnell’s top musical groups—the Grinnell Jazz Ensemble, the Grinnell Oratorio Society and the Grinnell Singers—will be performing three of Duke Ellington’s best pieces this weekend. “Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts,” a combination of the jazz legend’s religious concerts, premiers on Friday, April 20th at 7:30 p.m. in Sebring-Lewis Hall.
Bassist Christopher Johnson of Ames, Iowa and soprano Grinnellian Graciela Guzman ’11, who majored in anthropology but is pursuing a career in music, will be featured as soloists. A tap performer from the University of Iowa, John Cumming-Meininger IV, will also be performing.
“It’s a really special and wonderful opportunity for the choirs,” said Professor John Rommereim, who is the director of the Oratorio Society and the Singers. “They don’t often get to collaborate with the jazz band, so it’s a great thing to bring together the band, the choir, the soloist, and in this case also a tap dancer. In my experience, this is the only time I’ve been able to perform a choral piece with a tap dancer.”
Rommereim will be directing the portions of the show most difficult for singers, while Assistant Professor Damani Phillips will be directing the Jazz Ensemble. Learning and performing Ellington’s pieces together has proven to be a rewarding experience.
“A couple of sections are spoken in rhythm,” Rommereim said. “The challenge is to get a choral reading kind of effect, when people speak rhythmically but expressively, so it is a convincing effect. It’s a different mode, but it’s very fun. The text of the piece is just so clever and refreshing.”
This weekend will not just be difficult musically; it will be organizationally challenging, as well. On Sunday, the groups will take the show on the road to Des Moines for a performance at St. John’s Lutheran Church at 4:00pm. Combined, there are over 90 members to move, as well as musical equipment and a tap stage. The effort has proven to be a logistical challenge, but the choirs and band anticipate a warm reception.
From Fishmonger to Hamlet
James DeVita has a background as diverse as his one man show, “Acting Shakespeare”. After dropping out of college twice, DeVita saw Sir Ian McKellen’s original play by the same title and was inexorably drawn into the world of classical theater. Twenty-five years later, DeVita is a professional actor and tours with his production narrating his own journey into performing Shakespeare’s work.
In your performance you talked a lot about wanting to get to know Shakespeare. What would you say your relationship to him and his work is? I’d never liked Shakespeare, I thought his work was boring and it made me feel stupid because I thought that everybody else understood it and I didn’t. And when you see a play and think ‘Oh Shakespeare is boring, I don’t like him,’ usually it’s not Shakespeare, it’s the actors performing it. And I’ll be the first to say that I’ve been guilty of that, too. Once I realized that I could understand his work, it opened a whole world of language. And his work is almost like learning a different language at times and after a while it’s not as much hard work but it takes active participation—you have to really listen.
You also talked about wanting to be honest with the audience. How do you juxtapose honesty and acting in a performance, it seems almost oxymoronic… And it is but that chase, the challenge of going after that is what excites me. It’s like trying to marry the best of 20th century contemporary acting with classical texts. There’s a lot of technique—a lot of study and voice work and speech work and poetry that goes into it. Marrying the technique with that level of authenticity is hard. And somewhere in the middle is where the magic happens.
Apart from Shakespeare, what do you work on? I love contemporary works as well… I just finished a stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird. Six months of the year though, I’m working on classical texts and when I work at other theatres I tend to like to do something contemporary so that I’m not just seen as a Shakespearean classical actor. I’d say that I enjoy classical texts the most and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to make a living out of it. I tell young actors that there’s a whole world of regional theatre and a life in the arts is not just in LA or New York.
You seem to just have chanced upon theatre, how did that really happen? The first thing I ever wanted to be was to be a writer. I wrote journals in 6th grade, before it was cool. That’s the only inkling that I had some desire to express something. I dropped out of college twice and thought I wanted to be a fisherman. But I loved books and I loved movies. And for some reason I found myself in a community college and met a few people and I then I remember seeing a show for the first time and I remember wanting to do that. But I acknowledge chance and good fortune. There was a lot of that.
You seem to have persevered through a lot of rejection letters, what was the process of continuing to follow your passion like? It wasn’t just perseverance. There was a level of ignorance in there as well. I know I did hard work, but I didn’t know that I couldn’t apply to these [top acting] schools and I didn’t know that I couldn’t write a book. I was silly enough to think I could and I kept trying and I did. I’m kind of an advocate of ‘you don’t always have to know how to do what you want to before you start it.’ Just start it. If you hit a wall, ask for help. I got rejected from a lot of schools and it was devastating—I’d found a passion and all these schools kept on saying ‘no.’ I just kept on trying, I guess. I have some kind of a bug, if somebody tells me that I can’t do something I think ‘alright, I’ll prove to you that I can.’ In some weird way it’s worked. There’s been a lot of good fortune. I’ve been blessed with great teachers
What advice would you give to aspiring writers/actors? I think nothing’s for naught. I think you should just keep moving forward. I started writing really bad poetry and I showed it to someone that I trusted and she told me that my poetry was juvenile but that my prose was promising. I like frank teachers. It saves time. It may hurt a little bit at first but it’s great. Also, it sounds trite, but to follow your heart. I have found that the things I have chosen in life which seemed like a better business decision even though I didn’t really want to do them turned out to be bad decisions. Stay with what you’re passionate about, and reach out for help.