Posts from — October 2008

Not too often can I honestly say something has moved me in such a way that I will live my life differently.  This was how I felt as I walked out of the Barrow Street Theater after viewing Yvonne Latty’s “In Conflict.”  Going in, I was expecting just an average play out on by Temple University student actors.  I was pleasantly surprised to have been proven wrong.  I didn’t have any “conflicts” with this hard-hitting off-Broadway production.

From the minute the play began, it was evident that these students weren’t average actors.  Each one had a unique originality and talent for the character being depicted.  In other words, when Yvonne Latty found these students, she assembled the perfect group.  Emotion and passion rushed through the stage with each delivery of the accounts of the Iraq War.  During the talkback after the performance, I was shocked to learn that the actors’ only means of preparing for their roles were listening to vocal recordings of the actual veterans.  I found it amazing that they could portray these men and women so realistically without actually meeting them.  The actors even had a few surprises offering the audience a tasty treat to nibble on during the performance.  Although, all of the actors showed obvious talent, one actor had a profound effect on me in particular.  Damon Williams’ portrayals of Jamel and Herold were simply amazing and left me asking the question, “Where else will I see this rising star in the future?”  As evident as it was, casting wasn’t the only success off Broadway production. [Read more →]

“Irena’s Vow” is an original play with a controversial theme and a grim tone.  The main character and protagonist of the play Irena, played by Tovah Feldshuh, does a spectacular job of both narrating and acting out her plight during the Holocaust.  Irena, already witnessing so much death as a young woman, makes a promise to herself to protect the lives of thirteen Jewish refugees.  She has the responsibility of preserving these lives as well as her own in the midst of the bloodiest slaughtering in world history.  Irena is mostly seen avoiding Strumbannfuher Rokita, played by John Stanisci, throughout the play, being that he could easily be mistaken for Adolf Hitler’s clone.  Although this personality was obvious because of his stereotypical Nazi upbringing, Stanisci could have done a better job bringing the character to life truly becoming the crazed lunatic Rokita was in real life.  Irena develops an odd relationship with the other main character of the play, Major Rugemer, played by Thomas Ryan.  Proud of his rank in the German military, Rugemer wouldn’t be caught dead helping the “Jew vermin” escape to freedom.  Ryan portrays the lonely, grief-stricken general to perfection depicting both the crazed Nazi side as well as a sensitive one.  The love-hate relationship between Irena and Major Rugemer proves to become very interesting as the course of the play develops raising many eyebrows. [Read more →]

Irena’s Vow is the compelling true story of a young woman who survived the horrors of Nazi Germany. The heroine of the story Irena Gut, is just a young girl when she has to suffer through the ordeal of the Hitler’s reign. The play blends comedy with a very grave and solemn topic to effectively relay a story that is both gripping and exciting. The story is enhanced by the set and the performance of the main character but, it is hindered by the performances of others. [Read more →]

As I descended to the BPAC theatre I was anticipating a great show. I loved the script of Irena’s Vow and I was anxious to see how the actors would bring it to life. The audience of the play was mostly students of Baruch College, and elderly people. I am wondering if this is because the middle aged generation are not interested in the Holocaust, or they just do not have time to attend performances like the elderly people do.
It is interesting how Irena goes from playing an old woman in her 70’s to playing a young woman around 20. She does this by first having her hair up in a bun, and then letting it loose. I might have thought that the director would want to have two different actors play her. However, Tova Feldshuh, who plays Irena, makes both parts seem plausible. [Read more →]

www.in70mm.com

There was much excitement about the reappearance of the classic musical, “South Pacific”. One may wonder why a show from so long ago would be popular in this day and age. Young and old flocked to Lincoln Center to watch this show. More than just the catchy tunes must be attracting viewers to the show sixty years later.
The scenery designed for the musical displayed skillful craftsmanship. This skill was portrayed in the scene with the captivating blue waves with islands in the distance, which created a realistic impression. The props and costumes could have used a little more oomph. The way the actors coordinate the changing of the scenes without the aid of a curtain is unique.
The musical depicts natives who have been living on islands in the South Pacific with no intruders for hundreds of years. Suddenly they find white naval officers, seabies, marines, and nurses living among them. The military men are restless because the fighting has not yet begun. [Read more →]

It is easy to overlook the things we take for granted, to take advantage of, to accept without question. Often, as human beings, we do not realize what we take for granted unless it is taken away from us. For me, I realized that I took my family for granted because I only realized how precious they were when my family was torn apart. [Read more →]

“What is the difference between solitude and loneliness?” I asked my friend Hayley, catching her off guard. “Umm, you choose solitude?” She answered in the form of a question. It was spring and the two forms of singularity had been on my mind since my four-hour bus ride from New York City back home to DC. To me, loneliness implied pain, and solitude; peace. I wasn’t sure of a concrete conclusion yet, however, and I wanted another’s input. Her answer threw me for a loop, as I’m sure my question had done to her. [Read more →]

“Hello. My name is Yuliya,” I introduce myself to you. You quickly glance in the direction that this simple greeting came from and see a strange composition of green eyes, an average nose, full lips, high cheekbones, and pale skin. You see my face and immediately associate my name and who I am with this face. However, I warn you to proceed with extreme caution for things are not always what they seem. My face, the mask I present to the world, tells nothing about who I truly am. In fact, it is a master trickster, leading people to conclusions that are most often false. [Read more →]

Just Me

There’s not much more you can say about me than you can about the average teenager attending college and living with his family on the outskirts of New York bordering New Jersey.  I was born in a small Pakistani city, where I stayed until I was about two.  We moved to the country’s capital afterwards, stayed there for three years, only to settle back in my birth city.  It was then that we immigrated to the United States, a transition that, as a student, proved fairly easy.  Having studied in a school based on Canadian standards back in Pakistan, grasping the English language didn’t prove difficult.  Also, those same schools were rigorous and had given me enough of a standing that education did not prove to be a challenge for nearly four years.  It was then that I found algebra, the most difficult and exciting subject for me, even today.  At the end of the day, all other classes took second seat to math, which still doesn’t come easy to me. [Read more →]

My name is Christian Iezzi and at age 14 a rather traumatic experience helped me look at my life in a new way. While on vacation with my family in Florida I had an incident in which a slip on a boat caused a debilitating injury to my right leg; my kneecap popped out of its socket. My first reaction upon seeing that my leg was now badly mangled was panic, as I wondered if I would ever be able to walk again. My second reaction was how just seconds ago I was physically able to lead a perfectly normal life. This experience certainly changed me and how felt about life. Before this happened I felt physically impervious to anything and I took everything for granted. [Read more →]