Erica X Eisen
Burning with "Desire"
From the moment Blanche (Ema H. Horvath ’16) stepped onstage and looked around with incredulity at an apartment ironically situated on Elysian Fields Avenue, the production, directed by Sayantan Deb ’14, crackled with energy, anger, and suppressed hysteria, transfixing by the sheer force of the actors’ charisma.
River Charles on the Rise
The River Charles Ensemble, a relatively new campus orchestra distinguished by its lack of a conductor, proved coordinated and musical in this past Friday's concert. Though the performances weren't perfect, the group proved capable in its ability to self-correct and work together, even without the direction offered by a conductor.
Revived, "Raisin" Shines in the Sun
Throughout the three-hour play, the cast delivers a dynamic performance that traces the characters’ evolution and never flags in its vitality. The skilled cast leaves the audience with a searching portrayal of the cost exacted from those who dare to rise above their circumstances.
Finding Lost Memory in Eurydice
Bersin’s production of “Eurydice” gives viewers a tender and multi-faceted portrait of love and loss, and though Ruhl’s script focuses on the pain of losing one’s memories, the cast delivers a performance not to be forgotten.
"Metamorphosis": Kafka's Classic Takes the Stage Sideways
"Metamorphosis" opened as the Samsa family’s morning bustle was interrupted by the flash of a beetle silhouette, hinting at the change that had taken place. With a creative take on portraying Gregor’s transformation and a set that channeled the creepiness of the Kafka’s original story, the production at Paramount Center Mainstage had a powerful aesthetic design.
Breaking the Barriers
Despite the perceived divide between the arts and sciences, innovators at Harvard find success in fusing the two together.
DHO's 'Cinderella' Updates a Classic
The plot of Jules Massenet’s opera “Cinderella” is essentially the same as that of the Disney movie everyone grew up ...
'Next to Normal' a Resounding Success
With more than 30 songs, “Next to Normal” is almost entirely music. Instead of the songs being broken up by chunks of action, they often directly follow each other and even interweave as the focus shifts from one character to another. It’s a tall order, but this cast handled it with the style and grace that is usually associated with a professional production.
Harvard Students To Mentor High School Seniors
The Harvard College Writing Program launched a new collaborative mentorship program with East Boston High School this fall, designed to give college-bound public high school students a taste of college life and spark their interest in higher education.
Brattle Street Chamber Players Start Strong
The Brattle Street Chamber Players played their fall concert
'Medea' Falters Due to Inconsistent Acting
The play’s grand speeches and demand for intense performances proved too much of a burden for the largely weak cast, resulting in a play that drowned in its historicism, unable to gain much emotional purchase in the present day.
'Wreck-It Ralph' Should Have Checked Itself
"Wreck-It Ralph" is a movie that seems to assume that throwing enough money at something will somehow lead to quality. In that sense, the only thing that’s missing is a Romney 2012 sticker.
This Weekend In Arts: 10/26-10/28
There are so many shows, performances, and galleries in and around Harvard Square that sometimes it's hard to know where ...
Uneven Acting Stifles 'Wordplays'
A lopsided cast failed to redeem the play’s repetitive script, resulting in a production that lagged where it promised to crackle with wit.
