Arts

John Steinbeck’s words will touch the hearts of Ohio University students as the School of Theater puts on its production of “The Grapes of Wrath.” As Steinbeck says, “Maybe all men are one big soul that everybody’s a part of.”

Grey and goateed, Sandy Plunkett has seen his share of superheroes, helped them in their adventures and even helped them create their own supervillains. Explosions and laser beams are nothing new to him; flight is an old talent.

As intricate pen and ink drawings evenly align the crisp white walls of the Trisolini Gallery, Laylah Ali’s "Drawings from the Typology Series" challenges viewers to alter their perspective on identity and race.

The Lost Flamingo Company has once again brought provocative entertainment to the masses of Ohio University, with its sixth annual production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

The Ohio University School of Theater presents its production of “Blue Surge,” a play that includes themes such as social inequality, class struggle and sexuality.

Picture this: On a trip to New York City, you are passing by the famous New York Stock Exchange, camera in one hand, subway map in the other. On the steps sits a man reciting the Antoine de Saint Exupéry novel, "The Little Prince."

In a world where every stone has been overturned and every corner of the map charted, certain distant lands still captivate the imagination of unsuspecting individuals, and for local amateur photographer Ben Lachman, that place was Myanmar.

As colorful illuminations project from the ceiling and sculptures emerge and blossom from their display on the floor, the School of Graphic Design’s exhibit "Instant Messaging" is a perfect escape from the reality that many of the art pieces satirize.

Gracefully leaping and spinning across the stage, the students, faculty and guests who dance and choreograph for the annual School of Dance Spring Concert might make their movements look effortless. However, hours of hard work and dedication are required.

They can be found everywhere — knitting in class, playing ukulele on college green or working away at sewing machines into the wee hours of the night. No matter where they are found, local DIYers are certainly proving one thing: the "do it yourself” arts and craft movement is exploding in Athens.

“Earth and Sky,” a Lost Flamingo Company production, introduces Sara and David, a young couple in love who have known each other for only two months. When David turns up dead, Sara is determined to find out why.

The Ohio University School of Theater production of “Knock Me a Kiss” takes place in the swingin’ scene of the Harlem Renaissance, setting the stage for love, lust, loss and spirit. Catch a kiss or two May 7-10 and May 14-17, free for OU students.

The Lost Flamingo Company once again brings “Short Stack” to the top of the heap for a night of student-written, student-directed and student-performed theater. Get your fill 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Mitchell Auditorium.

It’s two in the morning. I’ve done it again. Unable to sleep, I am accompanied by only the soft whir of my laptop and the reaffirming shopping cart symbol, letting me know I have three items in my basket.

Selections from Ohio University’s collection of prints are on display through June 29 in an exhibit titled "Portfolios and Suites from the Print Collection" at the Kennedy Museum of Art, located in Lin Hall at the Ridges. 

For her thesis project, senior Kat Primeau decided to perform a one-woman play that resonated with her. “My Name is Rachel Corrie” tells the story of an American peace activist in Palestine who was killed by a bulldozer in 2003.

Ohio University’s Lost Flamingo Company prepares for its production of “The Pillowman,” a twisted tale that will amuse, disgust and do anything but lull the audience to sleep with sweet dreams.

Recycled fashion hits the catwalk this Saturday at 6 p.m. at ARTS/West with the second annual Project ReUse Fashion Show, a benefit for ReUse Industries, followed by an after-party at Casa Cantina.

It’s that time of year when students have snowball fights and attend the Winter Dance Concert, or at least they should. This concert features professional work by faculty members and guest artists from Paris and New York.

When stepping into Room 506 on the fifth floor of Seigfred Hall, one is immediately struck by the calamity enveloping the room and the slight scent of paint in the air. Avery Blair-Wilson would have it no other way.

The stage often serves as a blockade between the audience and its performers, creating intangibility within a performance. This Friday at 7:30 p.m., however, the Dance Alloy Theatre strives to break that fourth wall at Ohio University with its show “Fragile."

Ohio University School of Theater prepares for the Wednesday debut of "Spring Awakening," a scandalous coming-of-age story about teenagers' sexual frustrations, which consume their curious minds.

Twelve years ago, musical theater was changed forever when Jonathan Larson created a new type of musical using rock, pop, R&B and salsa instead of the traditional format, while tackling tough themes like AIDS and drug abuse.

Never before has Ohio University played host to a plate-balancing, chair-climbing, Chinese-rooted phenomenon quite like the Golden Dragon Acrobats, who will be presenting a Cirque du Soleil-esque performance at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12 at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.

A soundtrack of eerie radio airwaves, the projection of photographic still frames pulsing hypnotically on the wall and murky darkroom lighting all contribute to Union Arts’ most recent exhibit: local artist Jeffrey Lovett’s photography project, "Searching."

 After wracking my brain for New Year's resolutions, I decided that one would be to take risks with fashion.

 

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but it's freezing outside.

And wet.

Oh, what is a fashionista to do?

An array of fascinating, mysteriously inspired artwork is displayed throughout the Ohio University Art Gallery. The man behind the intriguing pieces, artist Terry Rosenberg, gave voice to his brush strokes as he spoke Tuesday evening here on campus.

“The Producers” began as an idea in Mel Brooks’ head for a play that was transformed into his first hit movie 40 years ago. It was also originally called “Springtime for Hitler,” but as can be imagined, that was hard to get produced.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, and beyond that, society has little reliance on any other medium to sustain itself on a day-to-day basis. What a daily dose of creativity will do, however, may be surprising.

The Lost Flamingo Company's “Arsenic and Old Lace,” showing at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9 and Saturday, Nov. 10 at Mitchell Auditorium, is a dark comedy about the Brewsters, a family on the edge.

Starting October 23, 2007, going through the 25th and with a special show on Halloween, the Lost Flamingo Company's production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” will be performed at The Union. The doors open at 9 p.m. and the show starts at 10 p.m.

While it’s no Gotham City, the back room of Donkey Coffee and Espresso may feel a bit different lately. Beginning last Thursday, Sandy Plunkett of DC Comics opened his art showcase at Donkey.

Those looking for some hot heat in the thick of fall quarter need not look any further. A bit of “Betty’s Summer Vacation,” showing Oct. 17 to Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. in the Elizabeth Evans Baker Theater at Kantner Hall, is sure to hit the spot.

Stroll "Barefoot in the Park" Friday, Oct. 12, at 8 p.m. in the Baker Center Theatre with the Lost Flamingo Company to witness a classic Neil Simon romantic comedy and a few of Ohio University's finest student actors.

The Seabury Quinn, Jr. Playwight Festival will arrive on campus on May 24-26. The festival will contain staged public readings of OU MFA plays, guest playwrights and the studio production of "Real Girls Can't Win!"

Anthony Rapp, best known for originating the role of Mark Cohen in the musical "RENT," paid a visit to Ohio University on May 17 to give a free lecture, answer audience questions and sign books.

MediaStorm.org manages to capture raw human emotions and present them in a blatantly beautiful way through various photojournalism media. Talented journalists create these masterpieces and present them for the public's benefit.

The Actor’s Movable Theater in Athens will present the play “Impossible Marriage” by Beth Henley at ARTS/West Theater April 20 and 21 at 8 p.m.

"Happy slapping" sounds like a ridiculous, made-up word. One might not even think that it’s a real action. The Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English defines happy slapping as "an unprovoked physical attack on an individual, recorded by an accomplice with a camera, especially a camera phone." Someone should make a movie about that…or write a play.

The Lost Flamingo Company will serve a heaping pile of comedy mixed with a side of drama in their latest production, the ambiguously plural “Short Stack(s)," at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Mitchell Auditorium.

In simple terms, it’s a play about the lives of four people. “Closer,” however, delves deeper into the psyche of adults and explores the complicated world of lies and infidelity surrounding the main characters.

It is hard to encompass the importance of masks in African cultures in a two-room gallery, but “Behind the Mask” comes close. Instead of including art from all over Africa, the exhibit focuses on masks from Central and West Africa.

Illstyle & Peace Productions popped and locked their way to Ohio University this weekend. While their talent and positive messages were hard to ignore, the expectations of a high-energy dance performance were hardly met.  

One of the most attention-grabbing events for the Grand Opening of Baker Center this weekend is a performance with the Earth Harp, a 150-foot-long harp currently stretched between the center’s second and fifth floors.

Columbus-based Webcomics Drew and Natalie have created three Web sites that some students are visiting as often as they log on to Facebook and MySpace.

As part of the School of Art’s “Forging Connections” event, Hillel presents “A Selection of Prints by Ed Bernstein, Cima Katz and Deborah Waimon” set to show from Sept. 8 to Oct. 3.

Through July 30, the Kennedy Museum of Art is showcasing the work of celebrated photojournalist and Ohio University alumnus James Karales.

Until Sunday, April 9, the Ohio Valley Summer Theater will be presenting “Greater Tuna,” an outrageous comedy about the residents of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas.

In 1987, the Ariel Theatre in Gallipolis was a mess of crumbling plaster and a home for stray pigeons. Now, it functions as a bustling center for performing arts.

Through March 10, the Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center welcomes a traveling folk life exhibition from the Smithsonian. “Inspirations from the Forest” explores ways that nature inspires artists in their work.

Last Wednesday, Feb. 16, it wasn’t uncommon to see students walking down Morton Hill, singing to each other about “525,600 minutes.” The tune is a favorite song from the musical “Rent,” performed at MemAud that night.

"The Fourth Sister,” one of Janusz Glowacki’s most popular plays, will be performed at Ohio University this week. The dark comedy tells the story of a family searching for ways to hold itself together in post-communist Moscow.

Although “Rent” debuted when many Ohio University students were still in grade school, the recent national tours and success of the new movie have formed a fan base for the musical, which will hit OU on the fourth stop of its national tour.

When the average art enthusiast hears the word “art," he or she might imagine Michelangelo’s “David” or the “Mona Lisa.” “Smoke and Mirrors: Photography and Performance,” an exhibit at the Ohio University Art Gallery, digresses from such traditional art forms.

You may have heard of Ireland’s “Riverdance” or England’s “STOMP,” but America’s own “Blast!” will rock Ohio University this Thursday for one of the last stops on its national tour.

Ohio University’s Performing Arts Series will soon present 11 diverse shows for this season, including the “New Shanghai Circus,” “Cats” and “Rent.”