From Twitter’s Jomny to MIT‘s Jonny
Happiness, grief, love, life, and death are all subjects people have grappled with over the ages. Imagine how overwhelming such concepts would be for an alien visiting Earth, tasked with the job of observing humans. Such is the premise of Jomny Sun’s graphic novel everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too. Sun’s alien, together with a ghost, an uncertain owl, a lonely tree, and a host of other characters, explore topics from imposter syndrome to community to the creation of art, issues that Jomny — or rather, Jonny — has good reason to think deeply about.
‘Love, Simon’ tries too hard to be a chick flick
'Love, Simon' was difficult to watch and far poorer than the book it was adapted from. While I’m happy that Hollywood is diversifying content, addressing current issues, and promoting a culture of acceptance, I’ll have trouble recommending this movie to anyone.
The most beautiful thing in the world
Horrific, touching, and deeply beautiful, Weissman’s production brings to life Rajiv Joseph’s play with such wonderful magic that it will mesmerize you from start to finish.
‘Oh the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear’
Think of a modern, raunchy rom-com, or every time a novel was censored for mature content, or go to the past and think of Voltaire’s Candide. And now think about opera, the soprano’s voice echoing through the hall, the audience’s impeccable suits and dresses, and the richness of the orchestral music. Put the two together, plus an overt confrontation against capitalism, and we have 'The Threepenny Opera.'
Raid a tomb, fire a bow
Tomb Raider goes wrong in many obvious directions — it has an uninspired story, miscast lead, tedious dialogues, and action scenes better suited for a limping horse.
More foolhardy than fated
Paulo Arrais’s and Misa Kuranaga’s Romeo and Juliet chases an immature infatuation to its fateful end. With strong overtones of innocence and gaiety, their supposed tragedy is robbed of its weight.
‘Villain, I have done thy mother!’
A kingdom divided, three daughters estranged, and a madwoman born in the midst of it all — MIT Shakespeare Ensemble presents Queen Lear, a telling story of the titular queen’s tragic downfall after she divides her empire among two of her three daughters.
The million bright sides of life
We have seen tragedies and comedies, but Every Brilliant Thing is a tragicomedy that frames a tragedy through a comedic lens by pairing Krstansky’s outstanding acting with Macmillan’s unbridled optimism.
Photographing whiteness
Claudia Rankine’s ‘The White Card’ bares the hypocrisy of a white family as they host a black photographer over dinner before the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Despite its promising premise, the play suffers from shallow characterization and forced dialogue, dulling what otherwise could have been a compelling narrative.
Contemporary comparisons with the Boston Ballet
The triple bill showcases three of today’s most prominent choreographers — Jorma Elo, Justin Peck and William Forsythe — each faced with the challenge of bringing shape to sound through a non-narrative work. This grants us the rare opportunity to compare and contrast their unique takes on George Balanchine’s classic charge, to “see the music, hear the dance”.
A movie with distasteful humor, violence and not many redeeming qualities
‘Gringo’ combines a story full of drugs, corruption, and action with an all star cast to somehow create a movie that is not equal to the sum of its parts.
Synth, swamp, and soul
The Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMI) connects student and alumni musicians with students studying management to give aspiring professionals a taste of life in the music industry. Hoping to be the next St. Vincent or Passion Pit, two of BPMI’s more notable alumni, five musical acts were chosen from over 300 submissions to perform at the Sinclair.
‘Art is a part of our community. It’s already here’
I’ve sat down with Sarah Quinn ’17, a recent Course 18 graduate who has recently left MIT to become a hip-hop artist, to talk about her experience here and her journey to become the artist she is today. Just take a moment to absorb that.
I need every instrument you got!
Alan Gilbert conducts the BSO in Sibelius, Debussy, and Adams.
‘I’d love to see that magic raw’
Both acts will play at Club Passim next week, a fact I was indifferent about — being a for-the-most-part concert naysayer — until I heard their music.
In defense of Area Four
MIT students might say that A4 is too pretentious or expensive, but this pizza enthusiast says it’s worth it for their perfectly proportioned pie.
Imagine a world where mechanical pencils are advanced technology
Chris Babu ’97 graduated from MIT with a mathematics degree and worked on Wall Street as a bond trader for 19 years. But since then, despite being told he was crazy to not stay in finance, he’s changed his career to a novelist.
Lily and Amanda aren’t horsing around with murder
The two female leads are distinct from each other, but the chemistry between Cooke and Taylor-Joy makes their friendship work, and ultimately reveals that they are not as different as the film fools you into believing.
Exploring both sides of the spectrum
If one thing can be said of the play, it is that 'Orlando' is one of the first modern attempts to examine gender. However, it does so by beating you over the head with its discoveries.