Category — Blurbs

No set, no costumes, and actors reading from the script. Does this sound normal? Is the producer just not prepared? Audience may have these questions about a reading of “A Doll’s House” if they did not know it was a reading. The fact that it is a reading may make the audience think that the performance may not be good, but this is not true. The reading was absolutely excellent. The actors flipping through the script may distract you at first but as soon as you get used to that, you will be able to focus on the amazing acting. Because there is no set, you can focus solely on the actors, which is very beneficial in getting absorbed in the story. The reading does not have all the scenes of “A Doll’s House”. It focuses on the story of Nora Helmer, her husband Torvald Helmer, his subordinate at work Nils Krogstad and Nora’s friend Christine Linde. Nora had illegally borrowed money from Krogstad to save her husband’s life and later Torvald tries to fire Krogstad but Krogstad threatens Nora to make her stop her husband. The story is very dramatic and although it is not all of “A Doll’s House”, it is organized well so the play seems like the whole story. If all readings were like this I would attend one any day!

Located on a small street between Bleecker Street and West 4th Street, Cornelia Street Café embodies romantic atmosphere with superb food and relaxing atmosphere with various performances. Great food with entertainment: what more can a New Yorker ask for? My friends and I had an opportunity to enjoy a great dinner-I ordered grilled pita with amazing hummus- and savor the rest of the night with songs and desserts. Tonight the Café hosted Songwriters In The Round, which consisted of Ann Klein, Diego Costa, Sherman Ewing and Ruth Gerson. What a night! As each songwriter joyfully performed their piece by playing guitar and letting their souls sing, I felt lucky to be in a city where arts are rooted deeply into our culture. So to all the art and food lovers, visit Cornelia Street Café tonight to fill your belly and immerse yourself into the performance of the night!

You might expect an exhibit of pieces from pre-WWI Berlin to be a gloomy collection of dark, depressing works indicative of the impending war—at least, that’s the idea I had in mind as I walked towards a sign labeled with “Kirchner and the Berlin Street” in chunky block letters. I was definitely in for a surprise. Kirchner’s pieces are loud and bold, a riot of paint splashes and striking brush strokes. His subject matter is enticing enough in of itself; he chose to paint Berlin’s underground prostitutes, portraying them as sensual, mysterious creatures who were more than just nameless pieces of flesh. They are portrayed in fancy dress, with haughty smiles and arrogant poses. The paintings are exciting and slightly unnerving, grim and dark in a noirish way. The historical background of the pieces only serves to make them more memorable. At a time when Europe was about to descend into war, it’s incredible to find that artists were still able to create such awesome pieces of art, pieces that revealed a side of society most people never see.

The nightmare of war haunts the soldiers: some are eternally plagued by the horrifying images and some just lose their memories as they struggle to return to their normal lives. Directed by Ari Folman, the animated documentary “Waltz with Bashir” is a story of a soldier who lost his wartime memories-memories of Mr. Folman himself. As Ari strive to regain his memory through the memories of other Israeli soldiers, the audience witnesses what actually happens during war: tanks smash houses and cars, towns are destroyed, and civilians are murdered. He also blames the followers of Bashir Gemayel, the Christian militia leader whose assassination resulted the massacre at Palestinian refugee camps. The highlight of this movie is a shocking ending that shows the actual wartime footage. The movie might be too depressing for the American society; however, the value of “Waltz with Bashir” cannot be underrated. This movie brings reality into our superficial Hollywood based entertainment-a wake up call to our ignorance to past and current tragedies.

At first, I had my doubts about these limited edition “urban designer toys” my friends collected. We’re talking about collectible vinyl figures whose value ranged from $7 up to $20,000 depending on the artist and limited quantity available worldwide. The new exhibit “Uninvited Guests” at myplasticheartnyc on the Lower East Side showcases works by well known toy artist, Kathie Olivas, from her new Scavengers series (aka Misery Children). The rather dreary name fits the line of toys perfectly because although they have a certain cute quality about them, they also have a tainted or corrupted appearance that gives off an air of rebellion and ambiguity. I almost felt drawn to these toys because not only do they bring back reminiscent memories of my own childhood they also possess a certain adult-ness about them: satirical, ominous and sometimes, disturbing. Most of the collection revolved around a cross between the constant of the series, children, and animals, or strange creatures. Although Kathie Olivas’ bring about a somewhat disturbing feeling, one eventually learns to appreciate the story, or theme the artist tries establishing through her custom toys and prints. The exhibit was definitely worth the visit and it has even drawn me into a world of urban pop art and even, believe it or not, “designer” toys.  While I hope nothing will ever possess me to splurge on a $10,000 toy, i’ll definitely be following with the new trends and series the artists come out with.