Awakenings

“Blind Mouth Singing,” a riveting play constructed around a family’s struggle; a tug of war back and forth between where you are and where you want to be, who you are an who you want to be. A mystifying, yet compelling play written by Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas, and its beauty compounded by a magnificent cast from the National Asian American Theater Company (a non-profit organization). The Baruch Performing Arts Center stage is skillfully transformed into various things, from the deepest corners of a person’s mind to the rooftop of a house right before our very eyes. Given the meticulous directing and interpretation of the play, the director Ruben Polendo creates an ever shifting world, soon to be turned upside down as the tempest (foreshadowing omen) draws ever closer. (more…)

“My greatest opposition, I faced in myself… if it’s for you, then it’s for you.” – Angela Brown. If you believe that you can and strive to achieve your goals, then anything is possible. Who is any better an example to support this claim than the operatic star, the lead singer of Aida, Angela Brown. She is living proof, that dreams are for anyone, and that they can, in fact, come true. (more…)

Dan Hoyle’s one man show “Tings Dey Happen” featured a surprising mix of elements including a political message, surprisingly accurate Nigerian accents and simplistic stage design. Hoyle had a great, avant-garde idea in writing and performing the piece, however actual execution left much to be desired. (more…)

Imagine, stepping into a performance hall; the grandiose aura that exudes from the stage. You venture to glance upwards, and you notice another spectacle – the spiked chandeliers that suspend from the ceiling begin retracting upwards. The lights dim, the curtains part with a magnificent flourish. The scene is sublime; there stands two monoliths, protruding from the wall of an ancient Egyptian Temple. But where are all the people? Suddenly, the orchestra begins to play; the overture starts with a singular violin solo and eventually builds on a steady crescendo until the entire orchestra is seemingly in a state of orderly chaos. Then all comes to a grinding halt, the orchestral music dies off, and so it begins. (more…)

Being New Yorkers, we have become accustomed to many things; namely, irritable taxi drivers, a MacDonald’s/Starbucks on every corner, the occasional homeless dozing off on a park bench, etc. In light of this, I pondered for days and days trying to hatch a unique, original idea. One morning, I set out on an epic journey all around New York City accompanied by my trusty camera and a mind full of plethoric ideas. The only problem, there was no aim; I was searching for an inspiration. But then it dawned on me. While walking passing a Starbucks with a friend, she jokingly exclaimed “DUDE! You seriously can’t walk a single block without seeing a Starbucks! (Laughs) You want some coffee?” At that moment, I had been enlightened; I had finally found my sense of inspiration. (more…)

Pubescent German school children explore their budding sexuality and the hardships of dealing with adult problems in the musical production of Spring Awakening. The combination of teenage angst, sexual curiosity, and misplaced desires put on a provocative and at the same time evocative show. (more…)

Scrunched up wads of paper littered the bedroom floor. Uncapped acrylic paints and paint brushes submerged in murky water adorned the work space. This is the scene of genius and invention. This is the foundation for a future filled with art and other things of wonder. Just look at the computer desk, with its matte white surface filled to the edges with figures, sketches, and doodles in pencil and crayon and you will see that an artist exists somewhere in the picture. (more…)

Abstract art is a genre that can be daunting. Because the images do not necessarily depict something concrete or obvious, one may feel overwhelmed in interpreting the images. Upon entering the Abstract Expressionism exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it is easy to understand how one may feel this way. With a little patience and the help of the nearby piece descriptions, one can appreciate the open ended nature of abstract art. (more…)

The subject of war has always been a sensitive one. There are many young people who have bought into the idea that war is a romantic thing: you go away to be soldier, a fighter, and return home as the victorious hero. War, in fact, is far from romantic. As exemplified through images that photographers Robert Capa and Gerda Taro have captured, war is an atrocity. (more…)

My theme for the Street photography Project was storefront displays and I concentrated on mannequins. When living in New York City, it’s easy to sense the commercial air of the environment, especially when it comes to fashion. We wear different types of clothes to display ourselves in a way, which may be unique from others. Sometimes, we want to blend in, and other times, we want to stand out.

Whatever the reason, our clothing plays a huge part in how we are perceived, whether we like it or not. It is no wonder store-fronts, especially those businesses dealing with clothes wear, spend huge amounts of money and time setting up their displays. The storefront is almost like the “clothes” of the business. In order to attract people, the display must catch the audience’s attention. The audience itself is important. Something that may be appealing to one person may not be so interesting to another. Some storefronts display their mannequins in casual clothes to attract people interested in shopping for “every-day” wear while others drape their mannequins in stylishly sparkling clothes to interest the New York City’s party-loving youth. In any case, everything must appeal to the senses of the customer and every display must “sell.” (more…)