Culture

‘Significant Other’ bittersweet and real

I saw TOOP’s production of “Significant Other” with a friend who had just come from a bad date, which made the familiar story of college pals fumbling through relationships less on the quirky side and more on the familiar. The play, about four friends who love each other but don’t always like each other, was […]

Agnès Varda continues to live in cinema

Few people have ever embodied an art movement more than Agnès Varda did the French New Wave. Her first film, “La Pointe Courte” (1954), is considered by many to be the birth of the genre and her last, “Faces Places” (2017), came half a century after its heyday, but Varda’s entire career represented its naturalistic, […]

UR student Maddy Wary stars alongside Ben Affleck in Netflix film

Maddy Wary seems like your average college student, aside from having her own IMDb page and having acted alongside Ben Affleck. A first-year at UR, Wary recently starred in Netflix film “Triple Frontier” withAffleck, Pedro Pascal, and Oscar Isaac. The movie was directed by the Oscar-nominated J.C. Chandor and was filmed mainly in Hawaii, where […]

Model, activist Nyle DiMarco on embracing Deaf identity

Nyle DiMarco never once wished he could hear. Ever since 2014, DiMarco has been active in the public sphere and is best known for being the first deaf winner of two famous competitive reality shows: “America’s Next Top Model” and “Dancing with the Stars.” But instead of his good looks and talent in modeling and […]
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James Joyce’s ‘The Odyssey’: PKT edition

My vagina. My vagina. My vagina. Now that that's out of the way, I went to Phi Kappa Tau this past Friday and experienced the most true and embryonic form of Dionysian mirth. If you poke a hole into an egg's yellow yolk, yellow yolk from within doth floweth. Upon entering the PKT house, the […]

ToddX brings tales of Meat Loaf, nudity, and more

From Buzzfeed to Broadway lighting, the first ever ToddX brought an array of alumni from the entertainment industry to Todd Union in a rapid-fire 24-hour showcase of discussions, workshops, and masterclasses. Organized by Nigel Maister, Artistic Director of the UR International Theater Program, ToddX kicked off with a panel discussion featuring five of the speakers. […]

Indulgence underdogs come out on top

After practicing 18 hours in a week and staying up till 2 a.m. to perfect formations the night before, the day of  Indulgence’s spring show had arrived. The costumes, lighting, and guest performers were ready. Indulgence — even if its dancers didn’t feel like it — was ready.    The show’s theme was the movie […]

ROC Players’ ‘Bright Star,’ syrupy sweet and hard to resist

If you had described the ROC Players’ performance of the bluegrass musical “Bright Star” to me, I would have hated it just by listening to you. “It’s nostalgic, folksy, feel-good, and sweet,” you’d say. I’d say it sounds like it’s hollow, simplistic, and dumb. “It’s old-timey and fun, and it’s got Southern charm,” you’d say. […]

Reliving childhood playtime at the Strong Museum

Until Friday, I’d never been to the Strong National Museum of Play, and I’m a senior. I went for College Night, which is composed for college students to enjoy. As I walked to the museum I wondered why I was doing this. That changed when I got there — just circling around the perimeter revealed […]

Not Vanilla: Award show season standouts

Well, reader, we’re finally done with awards season. I have mixed emotions about this. I’m glad I’ll stop being constantly deluged with press releases containing the same stories about the same six movies. But I’m sad that the time of semi-mandatory spiffily dressed celebrity appearances is over. I wanted to go over some of the […]