This week in Street...

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 6, 2014

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE

Freshman One-Act Festival HARRISON BLACKMAN Staff Writer

KASSANDRA LEIVA :: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

THE FORMAT, AND WHY Shakespeare’s plays have five acts.

Movies have three acts. “Waiting For Godot” has two acts, and not much happens in either of them. One act? No problem — just ask Theatre Intime.

Starting tonight, continuing tomorrow and concluding on Saturday, Theatre Intime is presenting the Freshman One Act Festival, otherwise known as “OAF” (because “FOAF” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, according to Intime General Manager Wesley Cornwell ’16).

This year’s festival is Theatre Intime’s 14th, featuring four one-act plays completely produced and performed by freshmen. The plays themselves are selected from professional collections in Firestone Library. According to Intime Archivist Ben Schaffer ’11 (currently a

Princeton Ph.D. candidate), Intime’s first OAF took place in the December 2000 season, immediately following renovations to the Hamilton Murray Theater, known to Intime insiders as “I2K.” (Theatre Intime has a knack for coming up with humorous acronyms.)

While the festival originally ran in December, it was moved to February to immediately follow Intersession in the 2003-2004 season. This schedule has remained unchanged for the past 10 years.

It takes into account the broader theater seasons of other groups and sophomore and upperclassman participation in Bicker and other club activities at the start February. “Freshmen need something to do,” Schaffer said.

And OAF gives freshmen a lot to do.

Each selected one-act play usually runs 15 to 20 minutes long and is overseen by its own director and stage manager. A production team supervises all four one-acts. All directly involved are freshmen, and though some have worked with Theatre Intime and other Princeton theatrical groups before, for others, this will be their stage debut. “I’d never acted before,” said Ellie McDonald ’17, one of the stars of Garth Wingfield’s “Please Have a Seat and Someone Will Be With You Shortly,” directed by Julianna Wright ’17.

“The whole thing was a challenge.”

This isn’t to say that the novelty of an allfreshman production demands an unapproachable learning curve. “There’s a nice balance between experience and inexperience,” Props Manager Rachel Xu ’17 said.

Moreover, the festival serves to integrate freshmen into Theatre Intime, much like Princeton University Players’ annual “Sex on Broadway” show brings new performers into PUP. “OAF primarily serves as our way to let freshmen introduce themselves to the theater community, whether that means showing off long-established skills as an actor/director/designer or trying something new for the first time,” Annika Bennett ’15, one of the Intime Community Liaisons, said. “It’s also a fantastic way for theater kids in the Class of 2017 to meet one another.”

But how does the One Act Festival develop from four directors’ visions into a complete four-part production? The answer: it’s a process.

HOW IT WORKS

First, the Theatre Intime board forms an OAF advisory board made up of sophomores to oversee the process and serve as advisers to the freshmen. Once selected, the advisory board solicits applications for directors and the production team in mid-October. Once directors are chosen, each sets out to choose a play for the One Act Festival. “One day before break I was in Firestone Library for four hours and explored 16 anthologies until I came away with three to four contenders,” Wright said, referring to her pre-

ferred one-act plays.

Afterward, the directors submit their top choices for review. Around the same time, the board pairs stage managers with directors, keeping compatibility in mind. Auditions for acting roles take place the week after fall break. An audition session typically lasts 20 minutes per person, with five minutes reserved for each director. However, every director may observe the entire process, so as to see each actor’s full range.

When it comes to casting, each director submits an ideal cast list.

Since actors and actresses can’t be in more than one play, the issue of overlapping roles has to be resolved by the directors. The unique process of four directors haggling over the same pool of actors may sound like a Theatre Intime version of draft day, but the result is usually not so cutthroat. “This year we were done in five minutes,” Wright said.

Rehearsals started after Thanksgiving break, taking up 90 minutes every day, a regular schedule that builds confidence and camaraderie in the Theatre Intime program.

KASSANDRA LEIVA :: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

KASSANDRA LEIVA :: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

Thursday February 6, 2014

The Daily Princetonian

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Freshman One-Act Festival cont’d CHALLENGES One of the unique aspects of the OAF is that directors have to make do with a lot less, and not just because the plays are short and the casts are small — each act must rely on a production budget of zero dollars and zero cents. Of course, Theatre Intime and the University theater department’s resources are at the director’s disposal, with many props, lights and the Hamilton Murray Theater available for use.

Sometimes it can be beneficial when resources are limited.

According to Costume Designer Katie Awh ’17, “Inspired choices come from necessity.”

The freshman production team must be creative and resourceful in addressing the various challenges that arise. “It’s very rewarding to find solutions to problems, and there’s something gratifying [about that],” Xu said.

KASSANDRA LEIVA :: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

THE PLAYS With four plays in one show, it’s worthwhile to discuss what you’ll be seeing onstage at OAF — and how the plays’ themes can unintentionally intersect. Garth Wingfield’s “Please Have A Seat and Someone Will Be With You Shortly” involves a pair of strangers in a waiting room who have to “break down all the walls,” according to Matt Blazejewski ’17, who plays David in the production. Nadia Diamond ’17 will direct Jane Anderson’s “The Last Time We Saw Her,” starring Anam Vadgama ’17 and Erik Massenzio ’17. It chronicles the interaction of Vadgama’s character confronting her boss, played by Massenzio. David Ives’ “Sure Thing,” directed by Richard Peay ’17, promises to be a lighter affair. According to Stage Manager Marni Morse ’17, it’s “not that deep” and skews “cute and funny.”

Morse is an Opinion columnist for The Daily Princetonian.

Lindsay Price’s “Wait Wait Bo Bait,” directed by Alana Jaskir ’17, features an ensemble cast of six players. According to Awh, the characters in this one-act are “not distinct characters themselves,” but “caricatures” written to demonstrate a point, as they

explore the concept of waiting. In fact, all four one-acts in this year’s festival feature themes of waiting. “It’s all about waiting — waiting for the right time, the right person or just for the sake of waiting,” Blazejewski said.

This thematic unity is not intentional, but rather the product of coincidence. “It just so happens that we have the overarching theme of waiting,” Cornwell said. Last year, the OAF covered themes of loneliness, love and comedy, so this year’s thematic unity is something of a novelty.

The Freshman One Act Festival has had its share of ups and downs as well. A ‘Prince’ review from 2010 called the festival “a mixed bag.” “It depends on the directors, actors and the scripts that they chose,” Cornwell said. “Some really shine, and some are weaker.” Regardless of potentially uneven performances, however, the One Act Festival is always a big draw for freshmen looking to see their classmates begin their theater careers.

On the topic of waiting, McDonald said, “In a more subtle way we’re all just waiting for our debut.”

KASSANDRA LEIVA :: SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER

New semester,

“NEW YOU” KRISTEN COKE Staff Writer

T

he wonderful thing about being a Princeton student is that January 1 isn’t the kickoff day for the start of our new year. In actuality, since the 1st is still pre-finals period, our year is far from over. The lack of studying we have done over winter break usually heralds in a stressful reading period as a result of the required reading we blatantly did not do. So we ignore the idea of trying to go to yoga class more often or finally trying quinoa in the dining hall, instead to binge on late meal fries and coffee into the wee hours every day of reading period. However, we promise ourselves that with the new semester will come new commitments, better habits and the official beginning of our “fresh start.” So after an Intersession spent hibernating and reconnecting with Netflix, we come back to campus motivated to conquer a new semester. Well, that’s the intention. But it always seems to go a little something like this ...

DAY 1 You wake up a full hour before class and reflect on how much better your outfit is as a result. You get breakfast from the dining hall and applaud yourself for eating the most important meal of the day.

You applaud yourself for actually saying “Good morning” to the card checker as opposed to mumbling incoherently. You literally pat yourself on the back. You arrive five minutes early for 10 a.m. lecture, brighteyed and bushy-tailed, laptop out, Word document ready to go.

You find a gym buddy and schedule a friendly dinner date.

After classes, you actually follow through with both of those

plans. Then, you do homework in Firestone before coming back to your room and going to sleep at a reasonable hour — for Princeton standards, at least.

DAY 2 Second day of classes, let’s do this! You didn’t make it to breakfast, but who needs breakfast anyway? You opted for more casual classroom attire (read: yoga pants), but you’re still on time to lecture, sitting chipper with your laptop open.

However, this time you allow your notes to mingle with some familiar friends, namely Facebook and your email. After all, you can still manage both taking notes while checking up on everyone’s Intersession albums.

Detour to Frist after classes, but just to pick up grapes and a water (Food Gallery Grill, be gone!), and you successfully limit yourself to 30 minutes of chatting.

WEEK 2 Okay, so maybe you were a few minutes late to lecture, but nothing important really happens during that time besides general announcements, which you can clarify with any of your friends in the class. You look around the lecture hall for a friend but find no one. You wonder whether your friends have dropped the class. You wonder whether you have friends. You nervously scroll through your News Feed to gather the whereabouts of your friends, friendly acquaintances, OA group. You refresh Blackboard relentlessly to find the crucial class updates you have missed. Count on no one but the Internet.

You cycle through your Internet tabs which have now expanded to include whatshouldbetchescallme, Twitter and HuffPo (you’ll open a Word document if anything really impor-

tant is said). You vaguely hear something mentioned about an essay. You open up your calendar to write down when said essay is due and feel satisfied about scheduling an electronic reminder one hour before it is due. You reward yourself with a bit more Facebook time for how proactive you are. You notice people moving and realize lecture is over. You debate going to office hours but somehow end up at late meal. You tear into a beautifully greasy chicken finger, vowing to go the gym tomorrow (or maybe the day after that).

WEEK 3 So, you only made it to 40 percent of your classes this week, but post-curve that has to be at least an 80 percent.

Would have been a 90 percent at Harvard. You research transfer applications.

Lecture is probably not going to be that informative anyway.

Plus, you now have an excuse to spam your residential college listserv for “new friends” who have hopefully started attending lecture more regularly than you. You haven’t seen the inside of Dillon for a while but your ever-tightening jeans say you have definitely seen the inside of Frist. Whatever, tomorrow (and every day from here on out) can be a sweatpants day. You get the calendar update that says there are 24 hours before your paper is due. You feel a little bit better when you realize that in reality it’s 25 because you were ambitious when you set that reminder. You look over at your desk to find the books you are researching, embarrassingly buried under your dirty yoga pants WEEK 4 Sigh. You’ve fallen back into the same routine. Oh well, there’s always next semester.

The Daily Princetonian

BORING PERSON T

OF A

CONFESSIONS

Thursday February 6, 2014

It was a Monday. The air was bitingly cold, yet my eyelids continued to droop despite the frosty sting.

I had two classes down and two more to go, with only a short lunch break in between. Something buzzed in my gloved hand.

“Getting food. Where are you?”

It was a text from my roommate. I picked up my pace.

I entered the Rocky dining hall with a vague sense of dread. My roommate was probably still getting food, and I doubted I could find her inconspicuous JanSport amid the masses of unfamiliar faces in forest green quarter zips.

To my relief, I spotted a friend, A, with none other than my roommate’s backpack in the seat opposite him. After exchanging a brief greeting, I hurried off to the servery.

When I returned, however, it was not to A and my roommate alone but our friends B and C as well. My hope of cramming in some reading dwindled into a pathetic little flame, which was swiftly extinguished when acquaintances D and E plopped their bags down next to us. I saw the weight of my growing social anxiety reflected in the scowl that my roommate sported; we both had gotten very little sleep and only had about 20 minutes left to eat.

“Have you guys ever heard of coronation chicken?” asked D. “It’s Britain’s national dish made for the Queen’s coronation in 1952 that includes precooked chicken, mayonnaise, curry powder and raisins. It’s atrocious,” he laughed, “but it was like, the only thing I ate on my flight back from my inter —” “Dude, you want to talk about atrocious?” interrupted A. “Over the summer in Ecuador, all I ate were the guinea pigs from my host family’s farm.”

“Woah, that’s so extreme … ” my roommate said weakly.

“Like Doritos,” I said. Nobody

LIN KING

Associate Street Editor heard me, or perhaps they did me the courtesy of pretending not to hear.

“That’s just brutal,” said C to A. “Over my summer in D.C., the secretary who was in charge of the interns’ lunch loved shawarmas.”

What the hell are shawarmas?

“I love shawarmas,” gushed E. “That’s not even worth complaining about. My startup decided to do this banana detox together, so we just ate 30 bananas every day, and nothing else whatsoever.”

A few minutes in, my roommate and I had completely renounced any pretense of participation. Eventually, however, our silence was noticed. Gradually, I felt the force of every gaze falling on our rigid faces.

“Guys, I have something to tell you,” I said at last, quietly.

My roommate shot me a look of alarm. “I’m sorry it’s come to this, I really am. But I — I’m — ” “Lin, no!” cried my roommate. “ — I’m a Boring Person.”

A deep silence blanketed the table. My roommate’s eyes darted wildly among the faces of our acquaintances, trying to salvage the situation. Unfortunately, she, too, was Boring.

“Haha,” said B optimistically. “… Ha?” “HAHAHA!” shouted my roommate aggressively. I kept a meek expression on my face.

“You can’t be serious,” said C incredulously. “Everyone here is Interesting.”

“What’s your Witty Reaction Time? The most it can be is like, what, 0.8 seconds?” asked D. “This semester, on average, 1.21,” I admitted.

An uncomfortable thickness clung to the air, like when someone reveals that they’re PDF-ing Bridges at a table of engineers. “So you’ve been falling behind a bit,” said E at last. “I’m sure you do tons of Interesting things on a day-today basis.”

“Well, I’m behind on Game of Thrones, Suits, Arrested Development and …” I lowered my head.

“And I never finished season one of Breaking Bad.” There was a gasp. B had grabbed

A’s hand; C swooned with a flourish (as all truly Interesting people are wont to do).

“Sometimes, when I run out of things to check on the Internet and I don’t want to read anything too serious like the news, I check my high school email accounts and then … LinkedIn.” “Okay, this has got to be a joke,” announced D with finality.

I sighed and took a deep breath. “I only go out once a month — on a Friday. I’ve never eaten outside a dining hall. I only ever eat one type of cereal — unsweetened corn flakes. I fall asleep at 11:30 p.m. and wake up at 7:30 a.m. every day. I only speak one language. I come from an upper middle class family of a single ethnicity. I grew up in New Jersey. I’ve never presented at a science fair or won a spelling bee. I don’t plan on pursuing any certificates. I’ve never been on a safari in any African country. I read “Are You Smart Enough to Work for Google,” and I wasn’t.

All my political views are moderate. I’ve never worked for a start-up. I don’t even really know what a start-up is. On each of my birthdays, all my Facebook wellwishers have only ever written “happy birthday” because there is literally nothing else anybody has to say to me.”

An eternity seemed to pass (please note how Boring that metaphor was).

“Wait, wait, I know!” A cried suddenly. “You must know a pun, right? Puns are Interesting. Tell us something punny.”

“Hm,” I said. “Okay, a man walks into a bar. He said ‘Ou — ’ ” “Stop!” A shouted. Each of the Interestings had expressions indicating varying degrees of shock and even distaste. D appeared slightly nauseous.

“One more thing,” I breathed, barely audible now. “My only extracurricular activity is writing for the ‘Prince.’ ” My roommate covered her face, ashamed of our association. C stood solemnly and pointed a finger to the exit. “Get the fuck away from us,” she said.

ASK THE SEXPERT

This week, she discusses missing the Pill.

Dear Sexpert, I went on the pill about a year ago when I started dating my boyfriend. I’m usually really good about taking it at the same time every day, but I’ve been slipping up for the past couple of weeks.

I’ve forgotten to take it several times and missed more than one pill in a row once or twice. My friend said that it’s fine to miss a pill as long as I make up for it by taking two the next day, but is that really effective? What if I miss a few in a row? If I do miss a bunch of pills, should I be using backup protection, and for how long?

— Forgetful

Dear Forgetful, You’re not alone in forgetting to take the pill occasionally — it’s harder to remember than it seems!

The risk for unwanted pregnancy depends on what type of pill you’re taking. The hormones commonly contained in birth control are progestin and estrogen, both of which are responsible for preventing ovulation. Although most women take combination pills, which contain both of these hormones, some take progestin-only pills. If you are taking combination pills, clinicians at Sexual Health and Wellness Services recommend using a backup birth

control method, such as a condom, a female condom or a diaphragm, for seven days if you miss two or more consecutive pills anywhere in a pack. If you miss taking one pill, you should be fine without backup, as long as you take a pill as soon as you remember and then take the next pill at the usual time.

Progestin-only pills are a different story — you really do need to take them at the same time every day! If you take the progestin pill three or more hours late, it is recommended that you use a backup method for the next two days. Make sure you know what type of pill you are taking — if you are at all unsure, ask your healthcare provider or make an appointment with Sexual Health and Wellness Services at University Health Services to figure it out.

That being said, these guidelines only speak to the risk of pregnancy, not the risk of STIs. Even if you take birth control pills regularly, they do not protect you from STIs. If you have a single sexual partner, and you both tested negative for STIs, you may not require additional protection against STIs. However, if you have more than one partner, you can reduce your risk of contracting an STI by using a barrier method, such as a condom.

Condoms are available for free from most RCAs and Peer Health Advisers, and are distributed by UHS at

McCosh Health Center.

If you continue to find a daily schedule of birth control pills difficult to maintain, you may want to consider switching to a different form of hormonal birth control.

There are many highly effective options that do not require daily action such as the Depo-Provera shot, NuvaRing, birth control patches and IntraUterine Devices. Again, none of these hormonal methods provide protection from STIs. Remember that while the efficacy of birth control pills relies on your using them correctly, other birth control methods such as IUDs and birth control implants (e.g. Nexplanon) do not, as they are inserted by a healthcare provider.

The “best” method depends on each individual, so be sure to speak with your healthcare provider or see a Sexual Health and Wellness Services clinician at UHS to discuss which birth control method (or combination of methods) is best for you!

— The Sexpert

Interested in Sexual Health? The Sexpert is always looking for members of the community to join the team of sexual health educators who, along with factchecking from University health professionals, help write these columns. Email sexpert@dailyprincetonian.com for more information and questions about sexual health. Don’t be shy!

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introducing:

Wintersession

his Intersession, Princeton students had a third option beyond going home or staying on campus and hibernating for a week. The USG turned Intersession into Wintersession, offering 53 courses taught by a variety of instructors, including fellow students, graduate students, faculty and alumni, ranging from dance workshops to photography classes to introductory Esperanto. Over 1,300 undergraduate students enrolled, as well as over 100 graduate students. Beyond classes, the USG also planned social events, including a game night and a movie screening.

The classes were intended to provide those remaining on campus with activities and some form of structure during their break.

U-Councilor Katherine Clifton ’15, whose campaign platform included the idea of Wintersession classes, explained her inspiration. “Many of the colleges that I was looking at had something like a ‘J-term’ in January or had extra classes offered in between first and second semester, and I thought that was a really cool idea,” she said. “I didn’t feel as though Intersession was being

NINA WADE Staff Writer

used to its fullest potential.”

Clifton also felt that the classes helped to bridge the gaps between undergraduate and graduate students, one of the goals of the USG. “This is one great way to do that,” she said, “as a number of courses are taught by graduate students, so they’re able to meet undergraduate students interested in their fields.” Clifton took a class teaching introductory close-up magic, taught by an economics graduate student. The teacher had been a fan of the subject but had never been able to teach it. “And now he’s able to connect with 30 undergrads,” she said. Undergraduate students were also able to expand their circles and meet people interested in the same subjects as they were.

Wintersession had been a long time in the making. The USG spoke to student groups, the administration and alumni to see if they would be interested in teaching classes. Then they tested the waters of the students themselves. In late November, a survey was sent to the student body to gauge interest in teaching over Intersession. “When we finally put it out there, we made a Google form to request a class and got a great response

MARY HUI :: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

from students,” Clifton said. “We reached out to a lot of groups, but then also people came and reached out to us.”

Raghav Gandotra ’16, who had no other plans for Intersession, offered to teach a guitar class.

“Guitar’s pretty important in my life, and it felt nice to give back,” he said.

Andrew Hahm ’17, who taught “The Asian-American Experience,” was encouraged by the Asian American Students Association to teach the class. “It’s a subject I have some degree of personal investment in,” he said.

“I was encouraged by some people in AASA to use these classes as an opportunity to learn more.”

The class was designed to be a discussion on the meaning of an Asian-American identity, and Hahm felt the result was thoughtprovoking.

The planning process had been ongoing since September, but winter break quickly became crunch time for the USG. “Initially, we projected 200 students would participate in this,” Clifton said. “It was more than six times that.” They had to arrange for the fewest number of overlapping classes, as well as ensure that classes weren’t overenrolled and that the teacher was not overextended.

For freshmen who had never experienced Intersession without these structured courses, the week-long break seemed unimaginable without Wintersession.

Clifton’s freshman ’zee group, to whom she pitched the courses, thought it seemed wholly natural to campus culture. “They couldn’t fathom the campus without having something where you could meet other students and learn new things and relax, but also have something to do,” Clifton said.

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 6, 2014

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IN DEFENSE OF really cold weather ZOE PEROT Senior Writer

Y

our nose aches. Your fingers are numb. You trudge quickly between buildings, hoping to limit your exposure to the outside world as much as possible, staring at your feet to keep from slipping on the icy paths, head bent into the bitter, vicious wind that scours your cheeks. Welcome to winter in New Jersey, although this winter seems to have been particularly — some might say unnaturally — cold. Thank you, Polar Vortex.

“It’s time for it to stop, time for warmer temperatures,” you complain to your roommates. But wait ... perhaps you’ve missed the merits of the arctic imposition.

First off, in focusing so much on your feet as you walk along, I think you’ve overlooked just how fashionable everyone looks in the winter. Those big, puffy coats definitely give guys an extra layer of macho muscle. Of course, I don’t need to explain how sexy everyone looks in sweatpants and sweatshirts. I mean, yum-my. Wildly patterned fluffy hats adorned with pompoms and tassels frame the face nicely. Snow boots say “I’m hard-core,” and “I’m in touch with my more primal ancestors. Winter doesn’t

scare me.”

Michael Kors or Rachel Zoe could tell you all about just how high-fashion fur is, so bring on the collared jackets and dead rabbits. If you don’t have any, find yourself a frozen squirrel. I’m sure there are plenty around to craft your own fashionable yet functional accessories — scarves, mittens, earmuffs or, if you’re an enterprising young Princetonian, a full fur coat.

If you aren’t feeling sexy in your multiple layers, though, or happen to worry about those extra holiday “friends” you gained eating goodies, it’s okay. Don’t feel guilty about having already broken your pact with Dillon Gym to visit every day, because there’s no need to exercise actively. Want to know why? Shivering.

That’s right. The longer you spend walking miserably from your room to the library, between classes or huddled pathetically in your room at your desk, the more calories you burn just by shaking, chattering your teeth and bouncing up and down to keep warm. Shivering is the new Prancercise. So Brrrrrrr(ing) it on!

Perhaps the references above to the library, desks and studying have caught your attention. It’s a new term, and a new

Daily Princetonian: How did you first become involved with BAC|Drama?

Warren Rieutort-Louis: The thing that sparked my interest was BAC|Drama’s successful production of “Aida,” the musical, last year. I had always wanted to direct a musical, and when I saw that BAC was looking for a director for its 2014 show, I jumped on the occasion!

DP: How did BAC|Drama decide on producing “Children of Eden?”

WRL: BAC|Drama is dedicated to producing shows that, amongst other things, explore the themes of culture and race, tradition and heritage — many of which are reflected in “Children of Eden.”

One of the people who proposed the show is Reena Glaser ’14, my assistant director (director of “Aida” last year), who absolutely loves this musical.

DP: How long has the company been rehearsing? What has the process been like?

The Upperclassman Bicker Survival Guide:

Xanax and Caffeine Pills

All students fail to revalidate their proxes.

Chris Christie redirects traffic through Elm Drive.

LIN KING :: ASSOCIATE STREET EDITOR

you. Having seen your grade-deflated transcript on SCORE, you’ve resolved to work harder, work longer, work better.

But it’s hard. Luckily though, the cold weather makes studying desirable. Think about it. You walk past Firestone and see

the warm glow of lights through the windows. You see people without jackets on, and you think, “Yes. That should be me. I want in!” Even the name is inviting. Fire. Oh, yes. Yes, yes. And ta-da.

Your fear of Firestone has been eliminated, and you now see it as a safe haven, a warm cave in which to ensconce yourself and hibernate (working diligently, of course) for the next few months.

I’ll leave you with one final thought.

February is here. Dreaded Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. And honey, the cold is only to your advantage when trying to heat up your love life. Use the ice as an excuse to “slip” and grab your crush’s arm or hand as you walk along.

No need to let go. Prove how masculine and strong you are by walking outside without a jacket or gloves (you don’t have to do this for long, just long enough ... ) And if you already have a significant other, then it’s a great excuse to huddle closer, snuggle up, and cuddle — penguin style.

Disney’s “Frozen” said it best, “Let the storm rage on. The cold never bothered me anyway.” That’s right; it doesn’t.

And if it does, well now “Let it Go” is stuck in your head, so there’s that going for you.

DP: Describe your experience directing this show.

WRL: This has been such a roller coaster ride! As an electrical engineer, I had never done anything like this before, but supported by my wonderful assistant director and production team, I’m so proud of what we’ve put together. It’s a show that transports us from moments of joy and beauty, to sadness and desolation, sometimes through joyful and quirky pieces; creating these contrasts effectively is challenging but so much fun. When putting together a show, it’s remarkable how much comes together in the last two weeks of rehearsals: set, choreography, pit, etc.

DP: What has been your proudest achievement with regards to this production?

WRL: Aside from getting impossibly entangled and stuck inside a giant stone (come see the show to see what I’m talking about!), I think my proudest achievement is us bringing together this group of people from so many different horizons. “Children of Eden” is somewhat

unusual in that it is written in a way that almost all 14 cast members are on the stage at the same time, with a chorus of ‘storytellers’ leading us on the journey through the show.

DP: Why do you think this show is relevant to Princeton students?

WRL: “Children of Eden” tells a beautiful story, for people of all faiths or those without faith. The themes of the curiosity of youth, hope and creating our own path in life are ones that resonate with all of us.

DP: What are the highlights of the show?

WRL: It’s a show of so many contrasts that it’s impossible to pinpoint single scenes. I’d say, as a challenge to the viewer, try to spot as many parallels between Act 1 and Act 2 as you can! Do we repeat the mistakes of previous generations?

Or is there hope that we will outgrow them and become better as the centuries pass? To quote a passage from the play: “From this day forward nights won’t seem so black, From this day forward we will never look back.”

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, Street Editor Emeritus

Wednesday: PTENS voted most beloved notification system, above Reichling’s black bear sightings

J. Crew sale.

Collective student crash after Luminate high.

articles you didn’t read this week

NYC Mayor De Blasio drops grou ndhog on Groundhog Day, groundhog wr eaks wintry vengeance on Northeast

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Implementation of full-time Wintersession.

HEADLINERS AND HEADSHAKERS with

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Goldman interviews.

Q&A Warren Rieutort-Louis GS, director of BAC: Drama’s Children of Eden WRL: Auditions took place end of October and rehearsals started beginning of November. We have such a dedicated cast and team — putting together a full-length two-act musical with over 40 scenes and songs is a wonderful challenge, and one that everyone embraced wholeheartedly. By December, we had completed Act 1 and then the development of Act 2 was completed over Intersession, interwoven with finals and term papers!

DP: Could you summarize the plot of “Children of Eden”?

WRL: “Children of Eden” is based on the first few chapters of the Book of Genesis, detailing the creation of the Earth.

The first act richly explores the creation of the world, the Garden of Eden and the expulsion of Adam and Eve into the wasteland. Act 2 portrays the story of Noah’s Ark and the deluge. Whilst the plot is based on a story of faith, many more themes are explored: personal freedom versus authority, the quest for selfdefinition, race, love and relationships between the generations, all with a beautiful musical score.

TOP TEN Reasons to cancel classes

LIN KING :: ASSOCIATE STREET EDITOR

Street spoke with Warren Rieutort-Louis GS, the director of BAC|Drama’s “Children of Eden.” The musical will run for four performances this weekend.

STREET’S

STUDENTS BRAVE ICY RAIN, DROPPING TEMPERATURES IN SEARCH OF PERFECT INSTAGRAM SH OT

Monday: PTENS beats out library overdue notices for title of most hated notification system

The Underclassman Bicker Survival Guide: How to Make That One Time You Met Geena Davis Overshadow Your Crippling Personality Flaws

Forbes construction maze envelopes entire campus.

The opening of the Chamber of Secrets.

Susan Patton sponsors all-day speed dating.

Shirley stages a coup.

CAMPUS PICKS EVENT PSEC’s Welcome Back Celebration CAMPUS CLUB, Thursday, 10 p.m.

Three words. Mac & cheese truck.

Two more words. Gorilla Gorilla. One word. Go. It’s the first week back, and classes are a rude awakening after about a month of a weird vacuum state of finals and relaxation, cramming and comatosing. The Princeton Student Events Committee knows that if anything can coax you back, it’s mac & cheese.

Add a little music from Princeton’s own “Gorilla Gorilla,” plus some foosball and Xbox, and you have yourself a nearly functional student. If this isn’t enticing enough, how about the promise of an “Array of Desserts”? What does that entail? How much is an array? How many different types of desserts must be included to constitute an array? There’s only one way to find out.

EVENT AASA’s Café Night CAFE VIV, Friday, 8 p.m.

Looking for a way to unwind after your first week of classes? Stop by Cafe Viv to check out the Asian American Student Association’s Café Night, sponsored by the Carl A. Fields center. Café Night is a night celebrating Asian-American performers on campus. It will feature members from Stand-Up Princeton, Songline slam poetry, Princeton Pianists Ensemble and many solo artists. Plus, there will be free food … what’s not to love?

THEATRE Henry V

CLASS OF 1970 THEATER IN WHITMAN COLLEGE Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.

Sunday, 2 p.m.

“Prince Harry” is all grown-up in Shakespeare’s “Henry V.” Come watch as the Princeton Shakespeare Company spins a tale of conquests of the heart and of the sword. Shakespeare pits the honorable British against the villainous French as heroic King Henry leads the charge. Directed by David Cruikshank ’16, PSC’s rendition of this Shakespearean great will not disappoint.

EVENT Innovation Launch Party CARL ICAHN LABORATORY ATRIUM Sunday, 1 p.m.

Ever wondered what your Nobel laureate professors even got famous for? Perhaps stared curiously at a conspicuously humming machine in lab? Innovation, a student-run, semiannual publication dedicated to presenting current scientific research at Princeton in more accessible terms, is ready to bring you answers. Join Innovation’s celebration this Sunday with food, drinks, free copies of the first issue, demos from science-focused student groups and a talk by Dr. Andrew Zwicker, physicist and Head of Science Education at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Still have questions? Check out Innovation’s website and virtual publication at innovationmag.org.