Monster Art History Lecture

          This past Thursday, I attended an art history lecture titled, “Are the Monstrous ‘Races’? Representing Difference in Medieval Art” and it was presented by Asa Simon Mittman. This lecture revolved around the subject of monstrous beings and ethnicities and how they were perceived in the old days and its connection to how we perceive race today. Mittman based his lecture off of a few different definitions of race, each of which he analyzed and provided examples for. One of the definitions of race he provided defined it as being based on physiological differentiation like distinguishing hairstyles and/or clothes (Bartlett). Another defined race as being a structural relationship that is impermanent and unstable (Heng) and a third defined race as being physically discrete, inherited, and meaningful (Blackburn). He used these definitions to help emphasize his point that these beings tend to be so close to us that we have trouble finding the contrast. This therefore, led to his pondering of the question of whether these beings can even be described as monsters or a different race for that matter.

            Another point that Mittman emphasized revolved around the idea of the unknown. In the context of this presentation, the unknown is the East and this unknown is always on the move. It starts out as Persia, then moves to India, and then to East Africa. Mittman brings up the idea of orientalism and how this idea has a large role in this theme of the unknown and that the “West” always believes that they know everything and this mindset is what leads to issues such as genocide.

            What I took away from this lecture, is that by looking at Medieval art, you can understand how many views and opinions of the world have been shaped. By looking through the lens of monsters, it can be easy to understand how different beings are catalogued by their features almost instantly. It brings up the concept of what the “norm” in society is and how it was set in society in older times. Essentially these monsters are setting the standard for what people should base their judgements off of and this idea is very relatable to contemporary society.

            Overall, I would have to say that although I enjoyed the overall message of the lecture I had a very hard time following it. The way in which Mittman presented was as if he was reading a very long speech and he did so in a very quick manner with very little time devoted to pausing and discussing certain concepts. There were many times throughout the lecture that I felt lost or confused and there were many times that I wanted clarification of an important point that I feel I never got. It felt almost as if Mittman had a time limit he wanted to keep to and this caused him to rush through the presentation as a result, but the content was nonetheless very interesting and thought-provoking.

An Hour's Worth of Narration

An Hour’s Worth of Narration

           

            As a writer, I appreciate a good transition.  A good transition in my mind is something that goes from A to B with an “ab” in-between.  Transitions help move along stories smoothly so the audience can focus on the story as a whole as opposed to many juxtaposed chapter chunks.  In theater, transitions are used in a literary sense because of the structure of the show and a physical sense because of what happens onstage.  These physical transitions could be a shift in the lights (i.e. focusing one on side of the stage or a total blackout), a rearrangement of the set, or a “distraction” to the audience to disguise the stagehands setting up for the next scene.  Elon’s production of The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman chose to use historical and biographical context of the show and Hellman’s life to transition.  While I appreciate the risk they took with this, I do not think it benefitted the production.

            Hellman’s play had few set changes, but the ones that were there were long.  To hide the stagehands resetting for the next scene, director Kirby Wahl had the schoolgirls talk about how the scandal at the heart of the play was based off of Miss Pirie and Miss Woods’s scandal in Scotland in the early 1800s.  The schoolgirls also discussed the major political events around the time the play was written (i.e. Great Depression, banning of homosexuality onstage in New York) and Hellman’s background before and after writing the play.  Typically, these tidbits of useful information are found in the Director’s note inside of the program.  (Contrary to popular belief, yes, people read them.  Or, maybe it’s just me.)  I would have preferred them there, honestly, because the narration grew old on me after the first two transitions.  Yes, I understand that homosexuality was taboo when the play was first performed, yes, I understand that Hellman was accused of being a communist because of her writing, and yes I can therefore conclude that her subject matter which made her a famous voice of theater led to suspicions of her being a communist.  I was able to put two and two together before the next transition, and that disturbed my flow of the piece.

            Fortunately, the cast’s performances were top notch (especially Bonnie Flaherty’s interpretation of Rosalie) and I very much enjoyed watching the play itself.  I just felt like the director did not trust us to absorb the contextual circumstances of the play, so it was constantly drilled into the audience’s heads every transition.  While this did not make me deem the play totally unbearable, I would have enjoyed it more with different transitions.

Dancing in the Landscape

The weekend of parents weekend, I had the opportunity of participating in and attending the Elon Dance Company’s annual site specific dance concert, Dancing in the Landscape. This concert was held on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon behind the Performing Arts Center and it was overall a really unique experience. It was unique in the sense that I have grown up dancing in studios or on stages where the audience is usually seated in front of you and the dancers are the sole focus. In this situation however, the audience is standing wherever the dancers are not. In other words, for this performance the audience could be either standing in the center of the grass watching the dancers move around them, or they could be standing on the patio watching the dancers in a more traditional manner.

Another interesting aspect of this performance is the fact that the dancers themselves are competing with nature for attention. In a traditional setting, as I mentioned before, the dancing is really the only thing to focus on. For this site specific performance, anything in the surrounding environment, small or big, like a duck in the pond or people just passing by, is another distraction that can easily draw the audience’s attention away from the dancing. Therefore, with this type of performance it is especially important to keep the audience very captivated and intrigued and I feel that this performance accomplished that for the most part.

I took part in the first piece of the performance and it was captivating in my opinion, because it was so different than the typical dance performance. It was a piece based on improvisation so only a framework of the dance was laid out ahead of time and most of the content was thought of by the dancers right on the spot. It also focused largely on highlighting the environment so the movement performed drew the audience’s focus to a different aspect of the environment each time. For example, at one point the dancers were performing in the planted shrubbery next to the Performing Arts building, and at another point they were performing on a bench in front of the lake so the audience was able to get a new perspective of the space while watching the dancers. By the end of the piece, after following the dancers around, the audience had made a full 360 degree rotation.

The third piece of the performance was more along the lines of traditional dance, yet it still had its quirks. This piece was composed of African dance inspired movements but the soundtrack was techno and thus created a very interesting atmosphere. The space was used very effectively as the dancers formed all sorts of geometric patterns and shapes and it was overall a very appealing dance.

The only aspect of this performance that bothered me was that the concepts behind the dances were more abstract than usual, and this in combination with the distracting environment I felt made it easier for the audience’s attention to be drawn away from the dancing. I felt that there were many times throughout the concert that I saw various audience members’ eyes wandering about or people murmuring to each other most likely because they were confused as to what was going on. Even as a participant I felt that the concepts needed to be introduced and explained more so that the audience could be more engaged and invested in the performance. Aside from this however, I feel this event was executed very well and was a perfect event for parents weekend. 

Collage

During Elon’s parents weekend, I had the opportunity to perform and attend each of the four “Collage” performances, an annual event for Elon University’s Music Theatre Department.  A sort of revue performance, the show consists of a diverse spectacle of numbers directed, choreographed, and even arranged by Elon students. 

From opening to closing, the show ranged from high energy dance numbers to more serious, meaningful ballads.  Because of the venue, Yeager Recital Hall, the show had an intimate feel due to the resonance of the hall and the interspersed performers within the audience.  Each class of Music Theatre majors had a piece of their own, which showcased the growth of the performers throughout their four years at Elon.  Although all class numbers were well done and impressive, the maturity of the latter years was apparent throughout the complexity and depth of the numbers. 

My only complaint would be the overwhelming nature of the “inside jokes” within numbers.  With the department of performers sitting in direct sight of the audience, distractions were presented when students in the audience would laugh or applaud at times that were perplexing for those who had not seen the show before.  As a performer, when fellow classmates improved or changed something from show to show, or when friends did exceptionally well, it was tempting to express my entertainment.  Seeing and speaking to audience members, I realized that this is distracting and pulls their attention from the show.  It is important to allow audiences to see a show for what it is, without help or distraction from other performers.  

As mentioned before, the range of numbers was diverse.  From character acting in “Take Back Your Mink”, to scatting in “Brotherhood of Man”, and to the relaxed Judy Garland/Barbra Streisand standard “Get Happy/Happy Days”, each number in collage showcased its performers in what seemed to be their most comfortable style.  Aside from the men’s number, which seemed slightly under-prepared comparitively, all pieces were strong in delivery and left audiences laughing, applauding, and even crying. 

It was apparent through the numbers, the senior speeches, and the finale, that there is a familial sense throughout the department.  The show radiated support and understanding throughout the classes from performer to performer.  It was an inspiring sight to see and refreshing to pick up on the deeper values that the show made apparent: love, support, and unity.  These are values that are more or less, few and far between in our daily lives.  It was an excellent reminder of how peers should treat peers, and how influential a supportive environment can be for a high-level of growth and development.  

The Children's Hour

On Friday, October 4^th I attended Elon University’s main stage production of “The Children’s Hour” written by Lillian Hellman and directed by Professor Kirby Wahl.  A work that first debuted in 1934, the play told the story of the fatal consequences of a string of lies initiated by an angry little girl fed up with the life at her all-girls boarding school.  Blaming her unhappiness on a mischievous accusation of a lesbian affair between her two female headmasters, the boarding school goes up in ruin, taking the relationships, livelihood, and futures of the teachers down with it.  Illegal on stage and off at the time, the mention of a lesbian affair, or any homosexual topics proved to be quite controversial.  Interestingly almost 80 years later, this topic is still in fiery debate.  With such a rich, and provocative plot line, there are a multitude of critical elements to maintain in modern productions like that of Elon’s in order to pay respect to Lillian Hellman’s original work. 

Unlike many other theatrical productions, Director Kirby Wahl chose to present this controversial material in a unique fashion, using narration to begin and end each act or scene.  The audience was given a serious presentation of the historical contexts and background behind the given material by an ensemble of schoolgirls.  The serious nature of the presentation allowed the narration to support the ensuing seriousness of the play, instead of distracting from the plot.  The schoolgirls were seen around the stage throughout the production watching the play with solemn, almost unchanging expressions, which focused the audience to the intended action on stage and served as a link between past and present.  The presentation of this play was unique and took a risk that seemed to support the audiences understanding of the important principals and morals that Lillian Hellman originally intended for this work.  It was informative and academic in structure, but just as emotionally enticing as the play itself without the narration.   The play did run very long due to the added narrations.  This aspect had an apparent effect on the audiences attention and interest, and if done again, would be a critical note to pay attention to. 

It was my opinion that the overall production of the play itself was successful.  The gravity of the controversy was very tangible throughout, and the actors who specifically played the characters of Mary Tilford, Amelia Tilford, Rosalie Wells, and Lily Mortar provided beyond excellent performances that portrayed raw emotion, truth, and strong objectives based in the historical contexts.  I felt that the two actors portraying the headmasters of the school, did not pull me as deeply into the story as the afore mentioned characters, however their performance was still extremely intriguing.  Touching on topics such as homosexuality, dishonesty, bullying, family responsibility, depression, and suicide, this work riveted audiences and in a sense, left them inspired to keep the reality onstage from ever happening in their own lives or their own world.  The production did not contain any personal bias, which also allowed the audience a vast freedom of thought on the controversial topics.  It told the story of human emotions and consequences, something that everyone could relate to even though the main themes may have been at the center of controversy.  

Steve Wozniak - Event 3

Steve Wozniak - Fall Convocation                                                     10/3/13


     On Thursday afternoon I attended Fall Convocation in Alumni Gym, headlined by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer. Wozniak spent an hour and a half describing his growth from a curious adolescent to a highly esteemed computer engineer, but other than learning about his life story, I did not get much out of his talk. While Wozniak used the rhetorical appeal of pathos in an attempt to make the audience sympathize with his introverted personality, I thought he came off as arrogant and self-indulgent. Wozniak described himself as a young "prodigy" who gained many of opportunities because of his extraordinary intelligence. The fact that he thought so highly of his intellectual abilities especially bothered me because he did not provide constructive advice for the rest of us who are not as exceptionally smart. I found myself growing more and more frustrated as his talk progressed because there was no real message or theme, but rather a description of how successful and prosperous his life has been. I also did not like the way he ended his talk, saying something along the lines of, "Okay, I think we're out of time. Back to you, Leo!" He did not sum up his ideas, and he did not offer any advice for college students. I found myself questioning why I had wasted an hour and a half of my time listening to his talk.

     The only thing I took away from Wozniak's speech was something that he very briefly touched on, the importance of having an element of fun in whatever you do professionally. If you are not doing something you genuinely enjoy, it is a waste of time and energy that could be better spent doing something else. Wozniak explained that because he had fun with his job, he was more motivated to be productive, ultimately helping him reach success. I think this is important for college students to consider. Often people choose majors that promise wealth, instead of opting for majors that they are genuinely interested in. I think it is important to find something you are passionate about and pursue it wholeheartedly with no regrets.

Fall Convocation-Steve Wozniak

Fall Convocation

On October 3^rd, I attended Fall Convocation featuring Steve Wozniak. I was quite excited to hear what he had to say because technology is so prevalent in today’s society. Also, I am going to be looking, as of now, at the impact of technology in regards to the teaching of handwriting, so the topic is actually relevant to my potential research.

            Wozniak organized his presentation in chronological order based on his life. He began with discussing his childhood and how he was a very inward person. This forced him to believe in his own self and trust in his own thinking. He spent much of time learning about computers from the information his father, an engineer, had on hand in the house. Even though he was only in elementary school, he realized that everything could be understood if one could understand simple math. He used clear and logical thinking to figure out the more complex topics adults had difficulties understanding.

            He made the point that his father let him understand and learn things for himself. He would guide Wozniak in certain aspects, but still allow him to think for himself. Through this parenting style, he was able to come to his own conclusions without his father forcing his own values upon him. Wozniak used this same parenting style with his own children, allowing them to make their own decisions.

            His childhood consisted of exploring with various types of electronics and building his own products with his friends. Wozniak earned his HAM radio license because he found the information to receive it. This self-motivation allowed him to work hard to develop his own concepts and keep himself out of trouble, even when he was pulling pranks on a consistent basis. Throughout his school years, he would pull pranks, but since he didn’t want to be caught, he made sure he was never put in that situation. I found this interesting because I would have assumed such an independent, inward person would have not bothered with pulling pranks. I found his entire persona and attitude very infectious, which didn’t seem to match his description of himself.

            He continued to teach himself about computers by reading books and magazines from a supposedly locked place. He was surprised it was always unlocked since they were some of the smartest people in the world, but he took advantage of it. He realized there is always a better method to do things and fewer parts is always better. With this new knowledge, Wozniak realized one has to work with the parts that are available and you need to make it in the cheapest manner possible.

            Once in college, Wozniak continued his trickster ways while taking advanced computer classes and excelling. He worked to pay for his education and continued to work on building actual computers. He meant Steve Jobs and they bonded over their pranks in school. They quickly bonded and became best friends. When working on new technology, security was not often a high priority. Jobs always wanted to sell their new inventions. Wozniak touched on the fact that one should always build in an element of fun into whatever one is doing. This makes life more interesting and work doesn’t have to be work.

            Looking for a job to pay for his fourth year of college, he was hired by HP on the spot to work on the handheld scientific calculator as an engineer. He loved working there and thought that was how he was going to spend the rest of his life. I found this fascinating because I had never considered the fact that someone from Apple could have possibly started worked for a rival company. After lots of work and other projects, the Apple One was created. This is the point in time when the technical guys were becoming successful because they were very important in the scheme of things. They were on the verge of a technological revolution. They ended up simply giving out the first version they created. I found this confusing because all Jobs wanted to do was earn money, so clearly Wozniak won that battle. The Apple Two used color but turning numbers into actual visible colors. They basically created their own language for this computer that was completely different from others.

            Jobs returned from college and wanted to create their own company, but Wozniak didn’t want to cheat on HP. He proceeded to beg the company to make the personal computer, and they continuously denied him, but let him keep his job. They continued to work on the computer and they knew they had a hot product. They started their own company and continued to develop their product. The computer had eight slots to allow for growth and expansion instead of the two slots Jobs initially fought for. Eventually, the company went public and they kept their products secret from others. Products such as the IPod, ITunes, and the IPhone allowed the company to succeed.

            Wozniak thinks that technology needs to become more human like. He compared an IPhone to an actual human: it has a sense of hearing, sight, touch and direction. This is the direction we are heading with these new technologies. Though it was a long-winded way to reach this conclusion, I completely agree with what he was saying about technology. Though our overreliance on these technologies is concerning to me, I think it is going to be hard to slow down this transition to a completely technology driven society.