The Brattle Street Chamber Players are some of the silliest and most serious musicians on campus—and that’s the only way they’ll have it. They’re informal to the last: they rehearse in the Quincy Bullitt room, they have no conductor, and they claim to get most of their work done the week before the concert. But if they don’t take themselves too seriously—arranger Lucien Werner ’13 is credited as “Luc Skywalker” in the program, and violist Nora Murphy ’12 halfheartedly insists that “it’s not like we try to be aggressively strange”—they do take their musicianship seriously. Every member HAR spoke to was thrilled to play together with such talented musicians—and to be in a group that “makes fun of ourselves and everyone we know, because the music is serious, but there’s no reason we have to be.”

Brattle is democratic and informal. There aren’t really any official positions—members step in to do what needs to be done. Repertoire is chosen by the group as a whole on the “I really want to play this!” principle—which is possible because, as Jeremy says, “everyone’s played everything,” and the group can sight-read through a lot of pieces before choosing. Most amazingly, Brattle has no conductor: for this 14-member group, this means that the ability to communicate is prized most of all when accepting members into the group.

Ideally at least one person in rehearsal knows the piece well and can help guide the others. But sometimes, as with the new compositions commissioned from student composers each year, nobody knows what’s going to happen. And always, rehearsals are punctuated by a flurry of talking—within sections, between sections—whenever there’s a pause, as members propose musical choices and come to a common understanding. Sometimes it seems like they understand each other instantly, as anyone who’s been to a Brattle concert can attest.

What we can’t see at concerts is how much work goes into making them possible, beyond simply rehearsing the music. Ying and Murphy both emphasize the challenges of finding suitable repertoire. Their ideal repertoire is “artistic, but accessible,” or more “scholarly” work made fun and accessible through the group’s expression. But there are hard limits: Brattle is too big to be a double quartet, too small to be an orchestra, and has an odd distribution of instruments—including a bass—besides. Hence one major reason why several Brattle players describe the student-composed pieces they commission every year as one of the greatest rewards of Brattle, besides the fun of a productive collaboration: these pieces, written specifically for Brattle, play to all their strengths and are written for their unique instrumentation.

One of the most ambitious arranging projects in Brattle’s recent memory was Werner’s arrangement of sections of Bach’s Art of Fugue for the group—the totally zany brainchild of double bassist David Miller ’11. There were problems: the folio was hard to read, things had to be cut because they didn’t start rehearsing early enough. But if it was certainly an eye-opening experience for those at the spring concert, it was even more exciting for Brattle. Ying recounts how at one rehearsal, Harvard music professor Christoph Wolff, one of the world’s experts on Bach, came in and “opened our eyes to different modes of articulation on the notes and how to carry the line”—something that may seem an obscure technical improvement, until you hear its effect on Brattle’s wonderful and unique interpretation of Bach. But there was music geek fun to be had at every rehearsal—Ying recalls the group’s delight whenever they would stop and notice, “hey look, an inversion!”

These musical jokesters carry their fun into concerts, with their infamous program notes and their hope that audiences will get all they’re trying to do. This spring, the program notes were written in the form of a fugue: things were repeated, fonts were changed, and the last line was chopped off in the middle because Bach died before he finished the piece. Program notes are designed for the musically initiated—beware of reading any of them at face value. Brattle musicians hope their audiences will catch on to their playfulness, like when, Ying laughs, they played a “big chord like a gun, then a tempo change going 50 clicks faster than any recording I’ve ever heard” during Schubert’s String Quartet in C Major. But they have broader ambitions too—Murphy hopes that their audiences will expand beyond friends of the musicians into “the arts community as a whole.”

That goal is already being realized. Brattle has worked with many other student groups over the years, including the Bach Society Orchestra, HRO, and the Holden Choirs, bringing in broader audiences through each. This spring they hosted Columbia’s fourbythree, a group like Brattle that also includes winds, in a joint concert full of innovative arrangements from both groups. There’s a kind of rivalry between the two—they are mostly old high school friends, and Brattle players jokingly worried fourbythree was going to show them up as frustration at rehearsals ran high. In the end, it was an all-around success. Ying remembers it as by far the most exciting concert he’s ever played in, and he’s played in a lot. But still, not all that excitement was for the love of the people and the music: the playing around never ends with Brattle. Ending our interview, he says, “it was great, there was so much foot stomping that we rained dust into Music Room 1 on all of fourbythree’s stuff.”

–Katie Banks, Harvard Art Review Editor-in-Chief

For more about Brattle, visit their website or read our fall concert review. Their next concert will be Friday, November 4, 2011 at 8pm in Lowell Lecture Hall, featuring a program of Mozart, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and an original composition by Jorge Ballesteros ’13.

It’s been difficult for the Art Review writers and editors to maintain full schedules of academics, rehearsals, and writing. We feel very strongly that it’s important to provide reviews of Harvard student work done by students themselves involved in the arts at Harvard. But rehearsals get in the way, a show takes over your life–as shows at Harvard do–and the publication has trouble staying afloat.

The Art Review will be taking some time this year to regroup, reflect, and figure out how to best fulfill our original mission and support, feed back  to, and celebrate student work in the arts at Harvard. There will be few or no regular reviews this year, but in the meantime we are working with the Office for the Arts and the Freshman Arts Board to provide more complete, student-friendly guides to the arts here–formal and informal. We will be spotlighting a few groups, and if you have an idea for an art project that you want to get students together for, we’re still your advocates and publicists. Get in touch with us at harvard.artreview [at] gmail.com, or with me, HAR’s editor-in-chief, at katiebanks17 [at] gmail.com I look forward to seeing what you’re up to, and to helping you however the Art Review can.

–Katie Banks, Editor-in-Chief

Having drawn his inspiration from the realm of theater and commedia dell’arte, Watteau (1684-1721) developed a unique style in painting, for which the French Academy of Arts created a special category: the fête galante. The Wallace exhibition illustrates the evolution of the artist’s style, showing his early works together with some of the most sophisticated later compositions of fêtes galantes. Although Watteau died young of tuberculosis, his art had a significant impact on generations of artists, mostly due to his friend, Jean de Jullienne (1686-1766). An important art collector of the time, Pierre Jean Mariette, explained that Watteau discouraged Jullienne from pursuing an artistic career: “dans sa jeunesse, on avoit voulu en faire un peintre. Watteau, son amy, l’en dissuada, et luy rendit un grand service [in his youth, he wanted to become a painter. Watteau, his friend, persuaded him not to, and granted him a great service].”[i]

Jullienne nevertheless became a prominent figure in the arts scene, as patron and amateur engraver. By collecting tens of Watteau’s paintings and hundreds of his drawings, Jullienne developed one of the most important Watteau collections of the time. Furthermore, Jullienne started a remarkable enterprise of engraving Watteau’s entire oeuvre, employing numerous engravers and obtaining royal privileges for the printing and distribution of the copies. The result of the project was the Recueil Jullienne, a unique compendium that remains one of the most important scholarly sources on Watteau, besides the artistic merits of the prints. As works of art, the engravings and the etchings of the Recueil alter Watteau’s originals in various ways, reflecting Jullienne’s interpretation of the artist’s oeuvre. One of the most innovative aspects of the Recueil was the inclusion of print reproductions after both drawings and paintings, thereby working against the contemporary prejudice that drawing is only preparatory—and thus inferior to painting as a medium.

At the same time of the  Wallace Collection double exhibition the Royal Academy of Arts in London organized an exhibition of drawings by Watteau in the Sackler Wing of the galleries. As the Wallace Collection underlined in its press release, the double exhibition Esprit et Vérité “complements Watteau’s Drawings: Virtuosity and Delight at the Royal Academy of Arts.”[ii] In the opinion of Ewa Lajer-Burcharth, Professor of Fine Arts in the Department of History of Art and Architecture at Harvard, “the conjunction of the Watteau drawings show and the paintings exhibit at the Wallace made one realize how fantastic, definitely productive it would be to have an exhibition combining the two modes of the artist’s work.” [iii] Watteau related his drawing and painting in a highly personal technique, transferring elements from one medium to the other. For instance, he would insert figures from the same drawing in several painted compositions and draw in a painterly manner. He is well known for the three crayons technique; the artist would use red chalk, black pencil, and white chalk on the same paper. The delicate aspect of the white chalk over the more dramatic use of red chalk and black pencil creates a complex texture and a poetical atmosphere in Watteau’s drawings. Some of the figures drawn in this technique are also present in the artist’s canvases. This technical particularity of the artist’s oeuvre and mode of working served as a significant connection between the exhibitions of the two London institutions.

The exhibitions of the Wallace Collection, free and open to the public, were contextualized in a series of talks and workshops, led by the curator of the exhibition and the appointed new Director of the Wallace Collection, Dr. Christoph Martin Vogtherr. The events included lectures on Jean de Jullienne as collector and connoisseur, on Antoine Watteau and his oeuvre in the Wallace Collection, and on their friendship and collaboration, as well as drawing workshops in the manner of Watteau. Two beautifully illustrated catalogs accompanied the double exhibition: one on Watteau by Dr. Vogtherr and one on the collection of Jean de Jullienne, coordinated by Dr. Vogtherr in collaboration with Jennifer Tonkovich, Curator at the Morgan Library and Museum (New York), Andreas Henning, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen (Dresden), Léonie Marquaille (Paris), and Xavier Solomon, Dulwich Picture Gallery (London).

The main purpose of the exhibitions was to “provide an opportunity to present new research on the Wallace Collection’s Watteau paintings and view them in the context of more recent developments in Watteau studies.”[iv] According to Dr. Vogtherr, this interest in staging exhibitions around works from the institution’s own collection is a guiding principle of the Wallace Collection. [v] Together with the paintings there on loan from other institutions, the show made it possible to look at Watteau’s oeuvre in an analytical manner and to draw interesting parallels among the artist’s favorite themes and periods of artistic development. For example, Professor Lajer-Burcharth found the ability to compare differently sized renderings of the same subject “most instructive.”[vi] The exhibitions combined two of the Wallace Collection’s main curatorial interests: the focus on French art, and the notion of art collecting and the history of collections (an emphasis explored by the institution in its previous displays of other collectors and collections).[vii] The exhibitions created a dialogue between the oeuvre of Watteau and the collection and cultural activity of Jullienne, thereby highlighting their relationship as central to the flourishing of arts patronage and dissemination in the 18^th century. Dr. Vogtherr notes that a central aim of the exhibition has been to show how collecting history and practices can talk to the art of a certain period.[viii]

My incentive to visit the Wallace exhibitions was my undergraduate honors thesis at Harvard, which focused on the special relation between authorship and collecting in the previously described compendium of prints, known as the Recueil Jullienne. In my view, the Recueil has an aspect that speaks to modern and contemporary notions of the author: the complex ways in which Julienne’s supervision is made visible in the compendium. His name is never shouted and yet the project is always referred to in connection to his agency. Thereby, as collector and engraver, Jullienne mirrors Watteau in a re-creative process. In line with this argument, the double exhibition at the Wallace Collection magisterially illustrates how collecting is intimately connected to the cultural production of a particular artist and period. The selection from the corpus of works by Watteau, on the one hand, and the selected works from the corpus of Jullienne’s collection, on the other hand, traced a parallel between an artist’s oeuvre and a patron’s collection.

Some of the highlights of the exhibitions were the works by Rembrandt, Claude-JosephVernet, and Greuze which belonged to Jullienne’s collection, and some of the most representative fêtes galantes of Watteau, such as Les Champs Elysées and Voulez-vous triompher les belles?. In the exhibition, the inclusion of pieces by Old Masters (like the 17^th century painting of Rembrandt) together with paintings by Jullienne’s contemporaries (like the 18^th century work of Vernet) is emblematic of Jullienne’s collecting interests and practices. As Dr. Vogtherr explained, the show created a stylistic and thematic cross-section of the collection of Jullienne, by showing his main areas of interest and combining old and contemporaneous art objects on the same wall. Also, the exhibition creates an instructive juxtaposition of Rembrandt’s work, such as The Good Samaritan (1630), and Watteau’s canvases, depicting figures in fashionable costumes, all from Jullienne’s collection, thereby highlighting the transition from 17^th century religious and mythological scenes to the early 18^th century focus on the reality of contemporaneous society.

The curatorial choices in the Jullienne exhibition of Esprit et Vérité were guided by the Album Jullienne from the Morgan Library and Museum in New York, one of the key works in the show. One of the walls in the 1^st room of the Jullienne exhibition was a blown-up version of one of the watercolors in the Album, which depicts the arrangement and display of Jullienne’s collection in his house in the Gobelins neighborhood of Paris.  Jullienne’s cousin and legatee François de Montullé compiled the compendium in the 1750s, during Jullienne’s lifetime. Its watercolors present the plans of his apartments in Paris, 42 plates showing elevations of the walls in the apartments and in the cabinets, as well as a list of 367 paintings and drawings from Jullienne’s collection.[ix] Lent to the Wallace Collection and exhibited for the first time, the Album would have benefited from a greater visibility and prominence as an object.

If the exhibition had underlined more the personal and professional relation of each of the paintings to their collector, the personality of Jullienne and his role in the 18^th century art world would have been even better articulated. Although the exhibitions were conceived as a cross-section of Watteau’s corpus of paintings and of Jullienne’s collection, as well as a slice of material expression of their friendship and collaboration, I join the captivated visitors who would have wanted to see more objects on display.

This inspiring double exhibition of the Wallace Collection belongs to a series of cultural events dedicated to Watteau and showing an increased interest in the activity of Jullienne (see the concomitant drawings exhibition at the Royal Academy in London and the excellent 2010 exhibition on the Recueil Jullienne at the Louvre in Paris). Taking a closer look at the fête galante and at the practices of collecting and display in the 18^th century works against the stereotypical readings of the art of that time as frivolous or mannerist and recontextualizes it as a cultural response to the contemporaneous sociopolitical context of commoditization and privatization. After having seen the show, I hope this “Watteau year” continues in its scholarly re-evaluation of the early modern notions of authorship, collecting, and artistic collaboration, for which the relation between Watteau and Jullienne is a perfect starting point.

–Sonia Coman ’11 is a recent graduate in History of Art and Architecture from Harvard and a 1st year PhD student in Art History at Columbia.

[i] Ph. de Chennevières and A. de Montaiglon, eds, Abecedario de Pierre Jean Mariette(Paris: J.-B. Dumoulin, 1851-1860), vol. III, 15

[ii] The Wallace Collection, Esprit et Verité: Watteau and His Circle, Press Release, retrieved on 05/31/2011 at URL http://www.wallacecollection.org/collections/exhibition/90, p. 1

[iii] Ewa Lajer-Burcharth, personal communication, 06/13/2011.

[iv] The Wallace Collection, Esprit et Verité: Watteau and His Circle, Press Release, retrieved on 05/31/2011 at URL http://www.wallacecollection.org/collections/exhibition/90, p. 2

[v] Christoph Martin Vogtherr, telephone interview, 06/08/2011.

[vi] Ewa Lajer-Burcharth, personal communication, 06/13/2011.

[vii] Christoph Martin Vogtherr, telephone interview, 06/08/2011

[viii] Ibid.

[ix] Frederick Adams, Ed., Fifteenth Report to the Fellows of the Pierpont Morgan Library, 1967 & 1968 (New York: Pierpont Morgan Library, 1969), 111.

The opening number, “What is to be done,” showed impressive choreographic potential on the part of Jun Shepard ’14. Hunched petit allegro and frenetic hand movements complemented the music’s rapid dissonant chords, making for a unique and strong show opener. However, the addition of a video component seemed entirely unnecessary, the unclear images on the projector distracting somewhat from the interesting movement onstage.

Conversely, mixed media significantly added to Halimeda Glickman-Hoch ‘12’s and Irineo Cabreros ‘13’s  “…for dappled things,” in which a live cellist and pianist accompanied and interacted with the dancers onstage. Powerhouse male performers Cabreros and Tabare Gowon ’12 displayed agility and strength as they launched themselves to-and-from the floor. Dancers’ swaying arm and darting finger motions mirrored those of the musicians beautifully.

Veteran HRMDC choreographers Julia Havard ’11 and Patrick Quinn ’10 once again delivered pieces that served as the glue for the varied program. Havard’s sensual, raw style shone in “Nothing to Undo,” in which thrashing movement and photographs strewn onstage depicted pained relationships and memories. The almost hip-hop movement complemented Jenny Zhang ’14, whose strong dancing and stage presence could not be missed. But Havard’s duet, “The last two dodos,” was even more powerful, with its stripped-bare lighting and simple black curtain backdrop. Havard and Lina Lavitsky ’13 made clever use of their bodies, finding unique places to connect in their trusting partner work.

Quinn’s “Retox,” reminiscent of his past works, featured a large cast, pounding techno music, and dizzying patterns and lights. The mock-club scene onstage, combined with the repeat of the word “insane” in the music, was at times overwhelming, and the over-usage of fouette turns highlighted the uneven technique of the dancers. However, the overall effect was powerful, and left the audience stunned when the lights subsequently rose for intermission.

While intense themes and assorted technical components strengthened some pieces, they added confusion in others. Performers in “Fear of the Park” told an over-the-top tale of murder, with frighteningly cheerful costumes and cheesy expressions. The intention to be comical was somewhat unclear, and the piece felt out-of-place amongst the show’s cutting edge choreography. “L’asphyxie du soi” had thought-provoking moments of virility, as dancers hissed and screeched like animals, engaging in thrashing, anguished movement. Overall, however, the motif of red light and the dark mood were more confusing than enlightening.

In guest choreographer Jodi Leigh Allen’s “Crossing the Line,” a work in progress, dancers depicted strength in fluidity and played with invisible forces, leaving viewers wishing to see more. Another notable piece was the rough-and-tumble duet “What Happened Between 3 and 5,” which incorporated a bare mattress onstage and original music by Jesse Wong ’12.

The most powerful portion of the 3pm show, however, was the final company improvisation, in which HRMDC showed off its strengths. Performers interacted as though they could read one another’s minds, almost magically producing spontaneous moments of poignancy. A triumphant handstand by Paige Martin ’11 as the music climaxed represented the pinnacle of the company’s energy. Lasting at least a minute, the effect of the handstand reflected that of “With Intent:” risky, shocking, powerful, and of course, purposeful.

–The Harvard Art Review Dance Board

This article has been edited with the correction that Tabare Gowon is Class of 2012, not 2014. – 6/3/11

Guest choreographer Boyko Dossev’s “Bolero” began with solos tailored to individual strengths, coupled with haunting, repetitive music. But it lacked coherence at certain moments, especially when the dancers flaunted their jumps during an across-the-floor section. Nevertheless, from the simple toe-tap motif onward, this raw dance remained tight in its intensity and togetherness. Elizabeth C. Walker ‘s ‘11 promenade a la seconde in her solo was particularly stunning.

In a light, romantic duet, “Have You Ever,” Merritt Moore ‘11 and Kevin Shee ‘11 demonstrated admirable technicality.  A lovely string of lovestruck lifts and holds, the pas de deux had everything except choreographic movement.  Even with the couple fluttering across stage, the two seemed constrained by the stagnant nature of their choreographed relationship.

HBC drew from its past, present, and even beyond the Harvard community – notably, Harvard alumnae Larissa Koch ’08-’09 and Ashley A. Chung HLS ‘12.

Koch’s “A Better Half, Held” was an interesting exception to the night’s more standard choreographic moves.  It inverted traditional lines, creating more angular figures.  Starting from an almost cliché series of formations, couplings, and plots, Koch surprised in her ability to build something innovative out of understandable movement.

Chung should be noted both for her choreography and her performance in her new work, “Your Ex-Lover is Dead.”  Though slightly drawn out and melodramatic, the most powerful segment was a seven-person machine, a Pilobolus-type creation that floated upstage with eerie, incomprehensible purpose.  This “subtle kind of epic,” as the piece was described in the program, concluded the night with evidence that in the individualized ballet world, the whole may be more than the parts.

Despite a performance of choreographic ups and downs, “Contours” truly brought together its stars and rising talent. Jun Shepard ‘14 wowed all with her enthusiasm in “Untitled”, while Florence Kuhl’s ‘14 performance in “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” was stunningly poised.  With its league of talented seniors and up-and-coming freshman, HBC showed diversity and versatility, performing both classics and premieres.  HBC has something for everyone.

–The Harvard Art Review Dance Board

Amidst the craziness of pre-frosh weekend and Yardfest, Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown’s “Parade” was performed in the New College Theater.  Known for its powerful, beautiful music and its sad, painfully true story, “Parade” is a musical that tugs at the heartstrings while remaining consistently entertaining throughout. This production, directed by Josh McTaggart ’13 and musically directed by Sam Schoenberg ’13, accomplished some of its aims but was altogether unremarkable.

The setting is a snapshot of post-civil war Georgia, and the story follows Leo Frank (Elliott Rosenbaum ’12), a Jewish factory owner who is wrongfully accused of the murder of Mary Phagan (Mary Gabrielle Prezioso ’13), a young factory worker. While many subplots involving politicians, other suspects, and townspeople work together to create a colorful and diverse picture, the tale rests on the volatile but never-failing relationship between Leo and his wife Lucille (Amelia Ross ’14).

The strengths of the production lie in the musical direction and certain individual performances. The pit was enjoyable and nearly flawless. In a world where orchestras are often criticized for overpowering singers, Schoenberg should be commended for keeping the volume at a reasonable level and paying attention to his actors every step of the way.

Ross’s performance was the most memorable.  Her simultaneous command of her singing voice and her character was enticing and inspiring, infusing the character with a sense of compassion in an often alienating show. She seemed to effortlessly balance the task of portraying a real person with an objective while remaining a musical-theater version of that character. Also notable was Jonathan Stevens ’14 as Tom Watson – the power and rich tone of his voice combined with a consistent sternness made for a believable and chilling reverend. As the desperate, conniving reporter, Adam Conner ’14 injected an energy into the show that was very welcome in an otherwise non-comedic story.  Phil Gillen ’13 also stood out in the courtroom scene as the ruthless conductor of a brutal, unjust trial.

While his singing voice was strong and suited for the role, Rosenbaum’s portrayal of Leo Frank did not match the polarizing nature of his character in the story. His vocal affectation was consistently distracting, and there seemed to be very little arch to his performance. Because of his consistently pitiful demeanor, a song like “It’s Hard To Speak My Heart,” which is designed to be touching and moving, lost a lot of its emotional poignancy. Similarly, “Come Up To My Office,” a number that calls for a transformation of Leo into a devilish, disgusting caricature, failed to strike a scary tone. At the same time, Rosenbaum was not fazed by Leo’s difficult range, and his singing is to be praised.

Another slight drawback of the show was that Christopher Simmons ’11 was asked to play multiple black male roles in the show. His timid performance as Newt Lee was both strong and touching, but when asked to portray the unabashed, alpha-male Jim Conley, he did not fill these shoes as gracefully. While actor availability makes this issue difficult to solve, this instance of double-casting made the show hard to follow.

On the whole, the show seemed to unfold rather slowly. Perhaps the multitude of stories and characters to develop made the pacing difficult to maintain, but some things dragged, especially in the second act. A lack of movement in parts of the show didn’t help. The little dancing that there was, while fitting, was not particularly exciting. Other drawbacks can be traced back to problems with the NCT as a space. At times, even when the pit was not loud, it was difficult to hear the actors’ words (this was especially true when actors ventured to the second story of the monumental set, designed by Madie Hays ‘13).  The vertical shape of the audience was also an obstacle for some. Anise Molina ’14, for instance, who played Frankie Epps, had a very strong singing voice, but he undercut his dedicated performance by not looking up and addressing the whole audience.

The show could have benefited from a larger chorus. After all, this is a show about community. It asks the question, how can a group of people rise up to collectively murder an innocent man? Defense of a group identity is at the core of Parade, especially given the post-Civil-War context in which Brown and Uhry frame the musical. Leo became a symbol of the north’s exploitation of traditional southern values. A larger, more powerful community on stage could have enhanced that message and moved the audience to understand that struggle and the shocking psychology behind the horrific events of the play.

At the same time, for a cast of 18 people, the ensemble was exceptional. This was especially evident in the number “Where Will You Stand When The Flood Comes?” – a piercing, angry cry than began with individual characters questioning the town and ended with the entire group questioning the audience.  Additionally, the ending of the play was powerful, and this part of the story was told clearly. When the flashback of little Mary Phagan reentering Frank’s office reveals she only uttered a sweet “Happy Memorial Day,” one large, sad exhale could be felt among the crowd.

While there were some memorable highlights, this was not the most memorable or entertaining version of the unforgettable story of Leo and Mary, as it struggled to tell a troubling and challenging story that would be historically accurate, emotionally engaging, and dramatically sound all at the same time. A production like this at Harvard is no doubt a monumental undertaking by all involved, and the fact that it was produced at the level it was is a testament to the undying commitment of theater people at this school.

–The Harvard Art Review Theatre Board

The two-act sketch comedy show ran in the Loeb Ex and represented the collaboration of at least ten writers and a versatile cast of eight.  The majority of its twenty sketches take inevitable, universal occurrences of life—job interviews, house hunting, diet struggles, book reports—and shed new light on them, instantly creating a strong camaraderie between actor and audience.

Head Writer Ben Smith ’12 and his team of writers produced a concise and quick script, which came off like polished improv, rather than mini-plays sprinkled with jokes.  As a result, the balance of actor-writer contribution was ideal: each actor’s creativity could shine through, while the script provided a solid and truthful foundation for comically exaggerated character choices.

The writers’ expertise was most evident in “Book Report,” depicting a schoolboy giving a report on a romance novel he found on his teacher’s desk, and “Singles Bar,” in which we witness a match of one-upsmanship between two men hitting on a girl, then the retraction and reversal of their claims once she is revealed to be pregnant and emotionally unstable.

Ryan Halprin, ’12, gave a standout performance, keeping the audience engaged with his remarkable versatility, and getting laughs even when playing minor characters like the Waiter in “Diet Plan.”  Zack Wortman ’14, is also particularly comfortable in front of an audience, and his pairing with Charleton Lamb ’11 in “Cops” was a highlight of the night.  Although some actors were given fewer opportunities to demonstrate their versatility, the cast had no weak link.

Despite a very simple set, many sketches were heavily dependent on props, and designers Tony Oblen ’14 and Rachel Stark ’11 provided the cast with props that truly helped create character: huge stuffed animals, several food items, and a wheelchair, among others.

In spite of all the laughs, the final sketch of the evening tied the show together poignantly.  Each actor re-entered as one of his or her characters, all to comment on the death of a biker (fatally hit by Lamb, playing a cab driver, at the beginning of Act 1).  Even as the biker is given a rather irreverent funeral by the rowdy group, the “circle of life” moment is tangible—“Sphinx” encourages us to value the characters in our own life and leaves us no option but to laugh at life’s organic oddities.

The major conflict of the show begins with a tense scene between Becca and her rather irresponsible, but enthusiastic, younger sister Izzy (Rachael Epstein ‘10), who reveals to Becca that she is pregnant. Izzy’s news is not met with enthusiasm, and the audience soon find out that Becca’s four-year old son has recently died in a tragic car accident. Both Becca and Howie have found it incredibly difficult to cope with their loss, the chief root of their marital issues, though one might determine that Howie is much closer to moving on than is Becca. Despite constant attempts at assistance from her mother, Nat (Georgina Parfitt, ’13), who went through a similar time of grief after the suicide of her 30-year old son, as well as offers of help from the rest of her family, Becca finds herself feeling desolate and depressed. When seventeen-year old Jason (Galt MacDermot, ’14), the driver involved in the accident, contacts the family, the plot takes a drastic turn. Throughout Rabbit Hole one wonders if Becca and Howie will ever be able to reconcile with one another, if they will be able to forgive Jason, and if they will be able to move on.

The play is serious and sad throughout. As the main character, Kerr had the very difficult job of expressing such extreme emotions as despair and anger in so many different ways and at length. Her portrayal, reflecting intense commitment, did not leave her audience disappointed.  Her partner Rosen, however, failed to make the same bold decisions, leading to a less developed character. Parfitt’s character works wonderfully with the show in providing on-point comedic relief when necessary while still being able to handle the tension. She brings a very charming personality to—quite literally—the kitchen table.
Speaking of the kitchen table, much of the action takes place in this quaintly portioned-off area. The set, which extends past the first row of seats, consists of three beautifully painted levels (bedroom, living room, and kitchen) designed by Jessica Zuo ’13 and Zheng Yang Kohzy ’12. The first thing one notices about the set is the little boy’s name, Danny, painted in capital letters across the wall of his room.  It is preserved as if waiting for his return, mirroring the false hope of his mourning parents. The nightlight on his dresser stays lit throughout the entire show, serving as a constant reminder of what is not there. Additionally, the show incorporated a lot of music from the likes of Regina Spektor, which helped move the audience from mood to mood effectively and efficiently–doing its bit for the moving effect well-performed, well-produced story had all around.

–The Harvard Art Review Theatre Board

The story was centered upon vapid princess Sari M. Notsari (Ben Moss ’13), who is forced by her evil stepmother, Queen Latikah (Ethan Hardy ’14), into an arranged marriage with a “slumdog millionaire” named Pooch Yermoneywhereyermouthis (Matt DaSilva ’12). Sari, however, desires to elope with an Arabian slave boy, Kareem Inyourpants (Ryan Halprin ’12), and hilarity ensues in this comical homage to Indian culture.

The cast of 12 dedicated male undergraduates (6 of whom performed in drag) was incredibly strong across the board. Some standout performances were from Moss, who stretched his voice to commendable heights, and Hardy, who demonstrated comic flair and an undeniable stage presence. Brandon Ortiz ’12, who played a vulgar incarnation of Mary Poppins, was memorable for his outlandish, but effective, character choices. Jonathan Stevens ’14 (as Vishnu Werehere) demonstrated great vocal talent and performance ability in the role. Kyle Dancewicz ’11 (as Tilda Cowscomehome) was riotously funny, and uncannily convincing as a Swedish milkmaid. The comedic trio of Alex Willis ’14 (as Pariah Carey), Tony Oblen ’14 (as Lucinda Hips), and Charleton Lamb ’11 (as Shiva Metimbers) did little to advance the plot of the show, but was undoubtedly a fun distraction.

Although the story is not meant to be taken too seriously, it is evident that the production team was one of consummate professionals. Professional director Tony Parise made efficient use of the New College Theatre’s space and helped bring life to the impressively comedic writing of DJ Smolinski ’11 and Gus Hickey ’11. The pair’s book was rife with gloriously politically incorrect jokes and puns.  At times the humor went too far and was not as clever or comedic as expected, but on the whole they did produce an entertaining script.

The score of senior composer Adam Gold’s did not yield many memorable songs, but it was cleverer than the script and undoubtedly and well composed.  Highlights of the score included, “Mystery Repeats Itself,” a full company patter song in the style of Gilbert and Sullivan, and the title number. “Mystery Repeats Itself” demonstrated both lyrical finesse and the commendable diction of the performers. “Kashmir If You Can” was a satisfying play on the traditional Broadway love ballad that worked effectively in the show as a whole. The music direction, by Alisa Bucchiere, was exact and thorough, contributing to the overall high performance quality of the show.

Kashmir If You Can was certainly not for the easily offended, but it was an endlessly entertaining experience for those who enjoy watching men in drag take comical pokes at pop (and Harvard) culture. Underneath all of the absurdity of the show ultimately resided an unwavering professionalism and dedication to performance, making the show an enjoyable and worthy investment.

–The Harvard Art Review Theatre Board

The over-the-top frenzy of the opening improvisational number, “Way Much,” was a loud and colorful way to engage the audience quickly. From the darkness of the theater, we heard a cry – “GO!” – and dancers haphazardly clambered over shocked viewers with flustered shouts of “excuse me!,” scurrying onto the stage after having hidden nonchalantly in the audience. “Way Much” began before the curtain came up: some of these dancers, fully dressed and made-up, mingled with entering show-goers, asking for private accounts of the first time they fell in love.  The touching recordings then became part of the upbeat music, and blended well with the hokey, “flock” group improvisation and prom-night outfits.

In ‘RE+,’ dancers interacted with one another to convey the mundane motions of quotidian life, as well as a strong sense of pointed hardship, in heavy paralleled movements. In the first scene, the partnering movement of Christian Rivera ’13 and Tabare A. Gowon ‘12 seemed to defy gravity. While everyday props and spoken words throughout the piece overwhelmed the audience, the performers’ confounding inner battles somehow called upon our own lives, with clear social and political messages (all prototypical marks of choreographer Keith Thompson, performer with the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange). Any lack of technique on the part of the dancers was hardly distracting, and their performance quality and commitment to their actions resulted in a deeply moving experience for the audience.

As the curtain rose on ‘Two and One,’ we saw Kevin Shee ‘11 sporting yesterday’s jeans and Whitney Fitts ‘12 in a pinstriped summer dress.  The dichotomy between the fantasy and reality of love was evoked as the couple floated though each other’s arms.  The dancing was effortless, choreography seamless, and emotion palpable. Contributing to that emotion was the tactful marriage of classic and contemporary, which granted the motion a raw, human quality. Above all, the lifts, turns, and embraces elevated the piece’s effect from subliminal to sublime.

The second showing of “Solitary/Solidarity,” after its premiere in “Traces Of…” last December, was a marked improvement in execution (see the HAR review of “Traces Of…”). Among the standouts bringing the work to a new level were Natalie Cameron ’11, whose performance evinced both her technical progress and transformative growth as an artist, and Megan Murdock ’14, whose bounding leaps imbued the piece with an arresting intensity and energy.

Next was an “Elegy” for all innocence lost. The piece opened swathed in all white, with an aerial silk “cocoon,” lace dresses, and a large, white screen, displaying images of a washed beach and blanched memories. Lauren Simpson GSE ’11 seemed to play the part of protector, first seen showering a caring maternal eye on her “larva” Samantha Yu ’12, who performed with strength and fluidity. The work seemed somewhat disjointed, and the messages of mourning difficult to grasp. The mirror-like props were slightly comical, and the aerial work, while impressive, seemed to be inserted just for its own sake. Overall, we applaud the choreographer’s ambitious multi-media essay and performers’ talents, but wish the themes and props had been better integrated to serve a more insightful and cogent purpose.

“Gamble Away” could be described as cute, edgy, saucily flirtatious, and you-got-it-flaunt-it sexy. While it was somewhat unpolished, the overall effect was quite enjoyable. Additionally, the piece gave the audience a well-deserved break from the desperate search for some sort of message or ulterior meaning in every piece: “Gamble Away” allows one to appreciate dance as simply dance. While it could be conceived as commercial at times, the raw talent and impressive technique allowed us to sit back and admire the athleticism and simple beauty and fun of dance. Next to other pieces full of complex concepts and storylines, this piece was a pleasurable “palate cleanser.”

Our first thought in “sprangsprungspring” was Gap commercial–we were half waiting for the pink flamingos and synchronized swimming. But we’ll give it this: it was joyous, movement for the sake of moving. It also played off the tongue-and-cheek pun of our extravagant Cambridge winter and our heinous fever for spring. And it was a good way to end–Peter Pucci’s comic work closed this year’s Dancers’ Viewpointe the way it began, unpresumptuous and easy-going, its felicitous cheer leaving the audience in high spirits.