This past Wednesday all the Macaulay students attended the Broadway play “The Heiress”. This was the first play I have ever been to and it was really a great experience. I am very grateful for the opportunity. The play was based on Henry James’ “Washington Square”, and although it was very similar to the novel, it had some noticeable differences. The most important difference was the dramatic ending, in which Catherine leaves Morris outside, banging on the door and begging for her to come back. I thought this was much more suitable for the play since the ending of the novel was rather dry. Other minor changes I picked up on were the trip to Europe taken by the doctor and Catherine only lasted six months instead of twelve. Also Mrs. Montgomery visited Dr. Sloper at his house instead of hers.

The novelty of watching actors perform live, flawlessly on stage was incredible. The cast did a fantastic job of portraying the characters. My particular favorite was Lavinia Penniman. The actress brought out her nosiness and dramatic nature very well. Catherine was also played superbly. The actress portrayed her to be even more awkward and shy than I imagined her to be after reading the book. Morris and Dr. Sloper were also excellent. I really felt bad for Catherine after her father had insulted her and Morris had abandoned her. It takes good acting to bring out emotions in people, and a lot of the audience was laughing throughout the play, including myself, at Catherine’s timidness and Lavinia’s lines. I noticed a lot of lines that came straight out of the book, and for that and other reasons I am glad we were introduced to the story before we saw the play. It definitely enhanced an already good experience.

This Wednesday I went to an opera for the first time in my life and it was a very interesting experience. The Metropolitan Opera House was a beautiful place that really took me by surprise.  I was in awe at the sights around me. Everything was very high class and formal. The story of “Turandot” was compelling and enjoyable. At the start, I felt a little confused and uninterested because it was very foreign and puzzling due to the language barrier. After I turned on the English subtitles, the play was much easier to understand and follow, and I became captivated. Although, looking back and forth between the chair and the stage was difficult. I was taken aback by the power and talent of the opera singers. Their endurance was truly admirable. The orchestra was also phenomenal! Seeing their live performance was truly amazing. I loved the rendition of “nessun dorma”. I had a refined appreciation for it after hearing Luciano Pavarotti perform it twice in class. I’m glad I had the opportunity to attend an opera, although I’m not sure if I would go to another for my own pleasure.

In class on Wednesday, we discussed how two polar opposite subjects such as religion and science can be united through art. Dr. Liu’s lecture before we visited the art exhibit was very interesting and I found his ideas to be applicable to my own life. He posed an interesting point: a few hundred years ago it was plausible that one person could be an expert in all fields of study and seemingly “know everything”. However, today that is clearly an impossible feat, a lifetime can be spent studying one thing. He said that many people feel trapped in one particular interest or passion, but how that should not be the case. He discussed his passion for astronomy, physics and other fields of science, yet also for art. I have always been very interested in science when it comes to academics. Recently I began to play the guitar and create my own music and art. The idea of finding a balance resonated well with me, and my appreciation for all kinds of art has increased. The lecture also made the art show much more enjoyable and understandable.

In this class session we discussed a particularly interesting topic found in Ways of Seeing, and that is the image of Men vs. Women. We determined from looking at a picture of Robert de Niro, that a man is capable, and always has been, of presenting himself in whichever way he chooses to the public without facing harsh judgement or discrimination. De Niro looked scruffy and tough, with slightly disheveled hair, and attire more on the casual side although he was attending an important event. Despite his appearance, no one mistook him for a sloppy man or a bum, because of his status in society. However, a woman celebrity would not slide by unnoticed had she not been looking the best she could at an important public event. This is an example of the prejudice society holds and the its difference in judgement towards men and women. We then discussed style and what it means to have style as an artist. Style in art often represents what is useful and popular in a time period. On a more personal level, style acts as a reflection of personality. Edward Hopper has a particular style that I greatly enjoy. I view his style to be centered on America and her values, tradition and culture. He painted many pictures while America was at war, and its people in unity, and also during periods of immigration. In this era many people came to America in search of the American dream, and cities were overflowing with middle to low class workers. This is possible inspiration for many paintings including “Nighthawks”. In his painting “American Landscape”, he captures an image of an American farm very well. It is most likely located in middle, rural America. The work has a dreary tone to it, as it lacks color and is overcast with lots of black, possibly to say he is not very fond of farm life. What is incredible about the picture is its timelessness. There is no telling when the image was created, because the same scenery could exist today. The painting “New York Interior” does a fantastic job capturing the essence of a classic city home. I imagine the girl in the work to be a dancer based on her muscularity. It is possible she just returned home from a long night of work representing the theme of the working woman, which can also be seen in Nighthawks. Edward Hopper’s style is centered around realism and America and its people. I think he is a strong supporter of the working class since he himself belonged to it for a period of time, and he embodies that support in his work.