Street 2.26.15 - Princeton on TV

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 26, 2015

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PAGES DESIGNED BY LIN KING :: STREET EDITOR

PRINCETON ON TELEVISION This week, Street speaks to three undergraduate students who have experienced the spotlight of national television under a variety of circumstances, from game shows to news media to office supplies.

TERRY O’SHEA

TAL FORTGANG

DANIELLE TAYLOR

MAYA WESBY

Contributor

C

Staff Writer

“I

ATEGORY: Princeton Celebrities.

ANSWER: This current student is a trivia cham-

pion.

QUESTION: Who is Terry O’Shea?

Last year, Terry O’Shea ’16 represented Princeton in legendary trivia show Jeopardy!, earning the title of first Ivy Leaguer to achieve first place in the show’s college championship, fame for Princeton and a fortune of $100,000. But while these facts are known to the greater Princeton family, not many know about the arduous training and comprehensive selection process required to even be on Jeopardy!, much less become one of the show’s champions.

Indeed, the road to becoming a champion is paved with online quizzes.

“When I was a freshman, I took an online diagnostic test that thousands of college students around the country take,” O’Shea said, describing the process of preparing and being selected for the show. “I did well enough on that to qualify for an interview during freshman spring in New York with people from other colleges. I’m not really sure why they chose me from the pool of candidates.”

The diagnostic test was made up of fifty questions from various categories.

O’Shea prepared for the test and the show by reading a lot of Wikipedia pages, storing away random facts from her daily life and using a website that archives all the questions that have ever been asked from the show. These archives, O’Shea said, helped the most during her preparation.

“I went through about five episodes’ worth of questions per day for a long time,” O’Shea said. “It went quicker than actually watching the show.”

The “contestant coordinators” of Jeopardy! called O’Shea in November of her

COUTESY OF TERRY O’SHEA ‘16

Terry O’Shea ’16 with “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek in the 2014 College Championship. O’Shea also competed in the Tournament of Champions last fall.

sophomore year, and she went to Los Angeles during reading period in January to film the episodes for the College Championship, which aired in February 2014. O’Shea won four episodes (quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals game 1 and 2), beating 14 other college students from around the country. Because O’Shea won the College Championship, she was invited back to compete in the Tournament of Champions in the fall of 2014, where she faced adult champions.

“At first it was very intimidating,” O’Shea said. “But after I got to know everyone, I realized they’re all super intelligent and also very nice and welcoming.

And I liked that the college winner from the year before was also there, so I wasn’t the only one who was 20 years old.”

The show filmed five episodes per day, and the contestants would take breaks after every round of the show. During the two-day College Championship, O’Shea filmed the quarterfinals the first day, and then the semifinals and two-part finals the next day, with only one halfhour break in between the semifinals

and finals.

Though she spent some time with him on set, O’Shea said that Alex Trebek, the host of Jeopardy!, does not interact that much with contestants.

“Meeting him didn’t seem real,” O’Shea said. “Plus, we don’t get to really hang out with him. We just shake hands and share our anecdotes with him for a few minutes, and then he goes offstage.”

O’Shea said she found the whole process of being on the show terrifying at first, but was much less nervous by the College Championship finals. After winning the College Championship and moving on to the Tournament of Champions, O’Shea won the quarterfinals before finishing second in the semifinals. Despite coming up short of the ultimate Jeopardy! title, O’Shea had still gone above and beyond what she had imagined achieving.

“My goal was to get into the semifinals of the College Championship, and once I did that it was like I had exceeded my expectations,” O’Shea said. “At that point I knew I could go home and still be proud of myself, no matter what happened.”

CHARLIE BAKER fused by the unfortunate end of his snowman, only to find his little sister Staff Writer continuously pressing Staples’ trademark “Easy” button and causing mayhem all around the house. teenage boy is buildMost people would pass over this ing a snowman when a Staples commercial without giving it high-priced electronic item a second thought. For Charlie Baker ’17, abruptly collapses on top of however, seeing himself as the aforeit. The boy looks around, visibly con- mentioned teenage boy was “definitely a surreal experience, to see my face pop up on the screen,” Baker said.

This Staples c o m m e rc i a l, part of Staples’ holiday campaign during 2009 and 2010, is the first of four commercials aired on national television in which Baker has had COUTESY OF CHARLIE BAKER ’17 a role.

Charlie Baker ’17, then aged 13, starred in a commercial Baker’s actfor Staples that aired in the holiday season of 2009. ing career offi-

EDRIC HUANG

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cially began in the seventh grade, when he told his parents that he wanted to act professionally. A native New Yorker, the resources around him were abundant, allowing Baker to immediately start auditioning. Baker learned early on, however, that the actor’s life is one of patience. “The day-to-day reality of being an actor is not what one might expect — you have to go on a lot of auditions and callbacks before you actually book a job,” Baker said. “I was auditioning all the time, which basically made professional acting an afterschool job for me.”

Baker continued to audition as he entered Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, a prestigious performing arts school in New York City. Shortly after, Baker booked the Staples commercial, which aired constantly for three months. His acting resume has expanded since to include commercials for Verizon, Nickelodeon and Comcast, booking one commercial per year throughout high school.

“Although they barely involve any serious acting, commercials were ideal for me in high school, because they never shot for more than a day, so I never had to miss very much school,” Baker said. “I

“The whole thing lasted, I don’t know, a few days, maybe a week. And there were a couple of nights in there where I felt really, really overwhelmed, like, ‘I just don’t want to deal with this anymore.’ But I realized this is just something I’m going to have to live with ... It’s just something I have to embrace, and I’m not embarrassed about what I wrote.”

Fortgang does not shy away from the conversation his article started. If given the opportunity, he would have accepted more interviews to shed light on the conversations he sparked. Going on TV was an opportunity to “put a face on some writing that, you know, people could really get nasty and smear,” he said. “But you put a human face to it, and you show people that you’re not such a terrible person — hopefully they might rethink the hardline of their position,” he said.

He did say, however, that he’s had second thoughts about the tone of his piece.

“I probably would have softened it, a little bit. Anticipating that, I don’t know, a few hundred people might read it, I kind of threw in a couple of cheap jabs,” he said. “Had I known that I was going to be on Fox News, I probably would have changed the tone, made it a little bit more professional. I know that for the future.”

And would he want to be on TV again?

“Sure,” he said, “hopefully talking about something completely different ... People refer to me as ‘privileged kid.’

I hate that. That’s one thing that I wrote about.” He added: “I’m not defined by this one topic. So, if something I write is as successful as that piece, but possibly on a completely different topic, I’d love to do that again.”

At the end of the day, Fortgang is the average Princeton student — he likes to hang out with his friends, skip class (occasionally), go to the gym and is a mega-fan of broomball. He plans to major in Politics.

t was good, but it was overwhelming,” Tal Fortgang ’17 said, describing his brush with fame. On April 2 of last year, Fortgang, a freshman at the time, wrote an article in The Princeton Tory titled “Checking My Privilege: Character as the Basis of Privilege.” What followed was a media frenzy of radio show interview requests, op-eds with counter-arguments and plenty of emails with positive feedback. Fortgang’s viral piece also landed him appearances on Fox News for the whole country, perhaps the world, to see.

“It was a real taste of the big stage,” he said. “And so that comes with its perils, but also it’s pretty exciting.”

Fortgang’s journey to the small screen began with an email that asked for him to come into the studio. He agreed to the request, and before his appearance the studio called him to discuss the themes they’d be touching on and prime him “to get the right talking points.”

For the first interview, he said that he was essentially in “a dark, empty room with one really nice camera.” But for his second appearance, there was a panel of hosts, with one of the hosts asking him all the questions. “It was very simple; I got to look at [one of the hosts], which was a lot easier than looking into a space,” he said.

Being on national television can be a nerve-wracking experience, but Fortgang prepared himself: “I was just thinking, ‘Okay, don’t sound too sophomoric and don’t say anything completely horrible and stupid.’ I’m sure plenty of people think that what I said was horrible and stupid, and that’s fine; they’re entitled to their opinion, but I didn’t want to dig myself any kind of hole that I hadn’t already dug.”

However, Fortgang was in good hands. “[They] took very good care of me.

They let me know exactly where I needed to be at all times,” he said. “Everyone was always offering me a cup of water, if I needed one. They’re very hospitable.”

He was shocked, he recalled, by the fact that the hosts from Fox Business shows recognized him. The national COUTESY OF FOXNEWS.COM attention, however, was over- Interviews with Tal Fortang ’17 on his op-ed in “The Princeton Tory” were broadcast on Fox News in the spring of 2014. whelming. didn’t want to have to be pulled out to go shoot something more time-consuming than a commercial.”

Baker’s experiences have only inspired him to go further. While he feels “a little strange about having been in commercials rather than more real acting work,” Baker is content with his decision to focus on academics and come to Princeton, while still gaining professional experience.

“I got to join SAG-AFTRA [Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists], which is the union for screen actors. That’s definitely been a perk, because I get access to work-

shops with casting directors, and I get DVD screeners for a lot of the big movies during awards season. The main perk is that I have professional experience and a real handle on auditioning, so when I get out of school I’ll be at somewhat of an advantage.”

Upon graduating, Baker hopes to work in the film or television industry. In the meantime, he’ll have to deal with friends occasionally finding his commercials online. “A few of my best friends found one last year and posted the link on the Princeton Class of 2017 Facebook page, which was funny,” Baker recalled.

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 26, 2015

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‘THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED’ PACKED WITH ELEGANT WIT CAROLINE HERTZ Senior Writer

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e’ve all met our fair share of legendary divas, but the characters in Douglas Carter Beane’s The Little Dog Laughed make Miranda Priestly look like a strawberry shortcake. Beane possesses a particular linguistic talent that he shares with satirists like Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw: the gift for making spoiled, greedy people seem compelling — not because of how they spend their money or with whom they sleep, but because of how they talk.

Even when they’re despondent and desperate, the characters in Theatre Intime’s production of The Little Dog Laughed express themselves with a crackling lyricism that most tonguetied mortals can only hope to possess in their actual lives. The most sparkling riffs belong to Diane, an unrelenting shark of a movie agent portrayed excellently by Katie Frorer ’18. Frorer’s brisk and rapturous problem-solving speech in the second act brings down the house.

COURTESY OF THEATRE INTIME

The story goes something like this. Mitchell (Nico Krell ’18) is a semi-famous actor who embarks upon a semi-secret relationship with Alex (Cody O’Neil ’15), a male prosti-

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ‘The Little Dog Laughed’ Pros: Fantastic individual

performances, beautiful language Cons: Weak central

relationship

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: tute. Said relationship almost blossoms into something serious. The problem is, both men are squeamish and reluctant when it comes to iden-

tifying as gay. Not to mention, Alex kinda sorta has a girlfriend, Ellen (Abby Melick ’17). Making matters worse, the cunning and savage Diane has good reason to believe Mitchell’s “slight recurring case of homosexuality” could threaten his budding stardom and her skyrocketing career. Thus, everyone is on a journey to claim their own bit of happiness — and not everyone can win.

This play is about the hardship that comes with accepting gayness as a part of your identity, rather than something you do accidentally, in the dark, on nights when you’ve had too much to drink. It’s about the violent internal battle that plagues you when homosexuality (suddenly, alarmingly) moves from verb to noun. Strangely enough, however, this production is not driven by the men in said gay relationship — it’s driven by the two women whose lives are rocked by Mitchell and Alex’s affair. Though I would have liked to see a few more vulnerable moments from Frorer’s Diane, it’s hard to find fault with her pitch-perfect portrayal of unadulterated ambition — the kind that makes people forgo sleep, ethics and personal lives.

Such intensity burns those who get too close to it — but, as channeled by Frorer, at a safe distance, it is the perfect wattage for filling a theater with incandescent light.

Melick, too, is luminous as the vivacious Ellen. Her Ellen is doe-eyed and shallow, with a lyric wit and just a touch of viciousness. In particular, Melick shines in a

scene that includes an abstract dramatization of Ellen and Alex making love. As O’Neil stands in place and intermittently murmurs sweet nothings, Melick steps out of the scene and delivers a tragically frank monologue on the experience of making love to a man who turns out to be just the tiniest bit absent from the whole process. “It’s like they’re running into your arms,” she says “but if you get a good look at his eyes you can sometimes see that he was just plain running, and you, poor roadkill, got in his way.”

Directed skillfully by Jack Moore ’15, this is a deftly executed production that satirizes artists’ capacity for self-deception. Its only weakness is the central relationship between Mitchell and Alex, which unfortunately at times feels forced and superficial. Both Krell and O’Neil

COURTESY OF THEATRE INTIME

deliver fine moments as the emotionally scarred, survivalist male escort and the actor tormented by the stigma of his sexual orientation.

However, their repartee can feel hollow and lethargic compared to the captivating interpersonal connections found elsewhere in the play.

And, regrettably, since this relationship is meant to be the heart of the play, these faltering moments have a larger-than-usual detrimental impact upon the pace and energy of the play as whole.

But don’t let that discourage you.

This production is jam-packed with wit and tragedy — and its scathing critique of showbiz packs a wallop.

Come see this play where the cow jumps over the moon, the fork runs away with the spoon and the little dog laughs her way all the way to fame and fortune.

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 26, 2015

THIS SIDE OF:

FIT TIPS how to choose greek yogurt

ST. DANGER

NICOLE BUNYAN

DOUG WALLACK

Staff Writer

Contributor

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stumbled into playing in a band. I’d been a good distance runner in high school, and the extent of my extracurricular plans for freshman year was to try out for the cross country team. I spent much of the summer before that year training to make the coach’s 5k standard. But he suddenly left Princeton and his replacement told me only the day before classes began that they wouldn’t be taking walkons. So I drifted around a bit aimlessly for a few months of my freshman existence, not really knowing what to do with myself.

That December, my friend Maxson Jarecki ’16 invited me to come listen to him and a few friends play music. One night, I went down to the practice room in Bloomberg where they were set up. Maxson and Conor McGrory ’16 were playing guitars and trading off solos and Kenny Hulpach ’16 was laying down the beat on the drum kit. Things sounded pretty good. Someone handed me a bass, I started playing along with them and things sounded even better. Soon enough we decided to form a band. We called ourselves Moxie, and played together for about a year. When Moxie fizzled out, Conor, Kenny and I eventually got back together to write new music in our current configuration as St. Danger.

I’d never really written music before college, and on some

level I believed that it was strictly an innate ability. I remember reading, for instance, that Tchaikovsky only had to incline his head to one side and melodies would come to him, fully formed. Paul McCartney wrote “Yesterday” in his sleep.

I certainly didn’t have access to that wellspring of inspiration, so I didn’t let it bother me.

I was surprised and pleased to realize that it didn’t have to be that way. When we write a song (and it is usually a collaborative effort), it does start with some little nugget we’ve come across by chance or inspiration — but that’s it, just a riff or chord progression or lyric.

We work outward from there in a very deliberate, almost empirical process, seeing what works and what doesn’t, gradually building until we have a whole song. This comes with an amazing sense of discovery and vitality that I rarely find elsewhere.

For me, playing with St. Danger is an activity that stands a little apart from the prevailing culture of Princeton. The ethos of the university, made explicit from the very first moments of opening exercises, is something along the lines of: We are Princetonians, we are participants in a grand tradition and leaders of the future, and you’re damn right we embody excellence.

This is all well and good, but I think the competitive spirit

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that comes along with it encourages many of us to play to our strengths in a lot of different arenas. For instance, to stand above the wretched masses of McCosh 50 in introlevel econ classes, it’s wise to have taken the A.P. equivalents in high school. If you want to make even the club soccer team, you’d better be pretty good at soccer already. In a very general way, we respond to these dynamics. On the one hand, this means that Princeton students tend to see a lot of success in their endeavors. But on the other, playing it safe like this means that many of us feel a bit reticent to try things we don’t already know.

Conor, Kenny and I have each been playing music for a very long time, but none of us have played our current instruments for much more than three years.

Conor came to the guitar from the bass. I did the opposite. And Kenny played piano for years before he ever touched a drum kit.

We’ve bumbled along, taught each other and figured things out. This is an ongoing process, but it’s been very affirming and gratifying to see our progress. I think this is largely possible because — purely through messing around, and without meaning to — we created a really good space for experimentation.

No one’s gunning for our spots. No one’s watching us.

And sometimes that’s a great way to be.

D

o you ever look back on your childhood and wonder how you went through each day without a particular food? That’s how I feel about Greek yogurt.

(And peanut butter, now that I think of it.) To be honest, I wasn’t even a huge yogurt fan growing up. Unless they were sugary individual packets like “Tubes” or “Minigo,” I wasn’t really interested in some fruity goop.

I can’t actually remember the first time I ate Greek yogurt. I suspect it was sometime in freshman year after I learned why protein was important. For the past three years, this creamy, proteinrich substance has become one of my staple foods. In fact, at one point I was consuming so much Greek yogurt that I had to research how much Greek yogurt was “safe” to have in a day. I found an article that claimed that eighteen ounces of Greek yogurt was permissible per day, the equivalent of three individual Chobani containers.

Since then, I’ve very much taken this claim to heart, often enjoying up to three containers of Greek yogurt daily, and frequently hoarding containers in my backpack … I mean my fridge. The times at which I consume the yogurt vary: Sometimes I’ll have two at breakfast and one at lunch

or sometimes one at each meal. However, although this foodie phenomenon has been popping up absolutely everywhere, it is still necessary to be aware of a few things when selecting your own Greek yogurt in order to reap its health benefits.

FAT 0% vs low-fat. Nonfat dairy products have been all the rage in the past few years. Thankfully, recent research has shown that certain kinds of fat are actually beneficial to your diet, especially when consumed in moderate amounts. So in the event you actually prefer low-fat Greek yogurt to nonfat, don’t be afraid to go for the creamier version. Not only will it keep you feeling satiated, but the fat actually helps you absorb calcium. If you don’t like the taste of dairy fat, try eating your yogurt alongside some nuts, nut butter, avocado or eggs. One of my favorite ways to eat plain yogurt is to mix in some peanut butter and slice a banana on top for a filling breakfast. If you need a little extra sweetness, try adding a drizzle of honey on top!

SUGAR Sugar is arguably the biggest issue when comparing different varieties of Greek yogurt. In a world where processed foods are common and our taste buds have become almost insensitive to sweet-

ness, I am saddened to say that the health food community is no exception. Many companies over-sweeten their Greek yogurt, sending the sugar content sky-high. Choose plain yogurt, and add your own fruit or mix-ins. By doing so, you can choose less sugary, more natural options and also exercise portion control! If you’re in a pinch and don’t have this luxury, choose a Greek yogurt that’s not blended (such as “fruit on the bottom”) and don’t mix in the fruit. I find that most varieties have enough f lavor and are sweet enough on their own without the added fruity f lavor, so I rarely mix in the fruit on the bottom.

PROTEIN Most varieties of Greek yogurt are fairly similar when comparing protein content and vary mostly by fat content. Plain 0% fat varieties will have more protein (and less sugar) than low-fat or full fat, but I don’t find this difference significant. However, if you’re selecting a higher fat content yogurt with added sweetener over a nonfat plain variety, the amount of protein could vary from eight to 20 grams per serving — a huge difference! Bottom line: Try to choose a Greek yogurt that contains upwards of 10 grams of protein per serving.

Well, it’s time for my afternoon snack: Greek yogurt!

COURTESY OF ST. DANGER

From left to right: Conor McGrory ’16. Kenny Hulpach ’16 and Doug Wallack ’16 performing as St. Danger.

weekly glimpse at campus fashion

THREADS

ASK THE SEXPERT This week, she discusses HIV prevention.

Dear Sexpert, I heard UHS is offering a drug for students at risk for HIV. What exactly qualifies as “at risk” and how safe/effective is this drug?

Signed,

— Curious & Careful

Dear Careful, You’re right that Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, is now being offered at UHS for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

PrEP is a prescription pill designed for daily use by people who are HIV-negative and at substantial risk for HIV exposure. PrEP is a combination of two drugs, tenofovir and emtricitabine. If used correctly and consistently, it has been shown to reduce risk by up to 92%.

There are several situations that can qualify a person to be considered at substantial risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend PrEP for anyone who meets any of the following circumstances: • is in an ongoing relationship with an partner who is HIVpositive; • is not in a mutually monogamous relationship with a part-

ner who recently tested HIVnegative; • is a gay or bisexual man who has had anal sex without a condom or been diagnosed with an STD in the last six months; • is a heterosexual man or woman who does not regularly use condoms during sex with partners of unknown HIV status, who are at substantial risk of HIV infection (e.g., people who inject drugs or have bisexual male partners); and • has injected illicit drugs in the past 6 months and who has shared injection equipment or been in drug treatment for injection drug use in the past 6 months.

If you fall into any one of these categories, or feel that you may benefit from PrEP, schedule an appointment with Sexual Health and Wellness Services to discuss with a clinician whether this could be an option for you. It’s important to keep in mind this is solely a preventative drug for people with ongoing risk of being infected with HIV and is not recommended for those who have had a single incidence of potential, high-risk exposure.

Additionally, this is a drug that needs to be taken on a daily basis. Like birth control or other daily-prescribed drugs, irregular use will decrease its effectiveness. Anyone pre-

scribed PrEP should return to their health care provider every three months for consistent HIV monitoring and follow up. PrEP is not 100% effective at preventing HIV acquisition and does not protect you from other STDs. Precautions should still be taken to reduce your risks, including using condoms with every intercourse, getting HIV tested with your partner(s), practicing less risky sexual behaviors (e.g., oral sex while using a barrier method), reducing your number of partners and/ or sterilizing injection equipment or joining a substance treatment program.

Best of luck and be safe,

— The Sexpert Note: all guidelines, statistics, and qualifications are provided by the CDC and more information can be found at http:// w w w.cdc.gov/ h iv/ basics / prevention.html 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 fact-checking from University health professionals, help write these columns. Email sexpert@ dailypr incetonian.com for more information and questions about sexual health. Don’t be shy!

JULIA SHIN :: CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Name: William Aung Year: 2018 Style summarized? My style is probably best described as Experimental Yuppie. What I mean by that is there is a lot of nonnorm core things I do like a big hat or a beret of course, but I try to keep those weird pieces one at a time.

Where are your clothes from? I get my clothes online most of the time. ASOS, Urban mostly. More expensive pieces come from some New York boutiques.

The Daily Princetonian

Thursday February 26, 2015

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PUP’s ‘Hair’ shines despite small tangles CAROLYN BEARD Contributor

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e’re all one,” boasts the howling Woof (Dylan Blau Edelstein ’17) at the top of PUP’s colorful production of “Hair,” directed by Cat Andre ’17. Following a tribe of friends through sexual revolution, drug experimentation and dissatisfaction with the status quo, this rock musical is hardly a “safe” choice of production. With a script notorious for its lack of character arcs and its absurdity throughout, all too often “Hair” falls from a united piece of social commentary to a disjointed, drug-induced musical revue.

While keeping all the moving parts of “Hair” straight is quite a challenge, it is a challenge that, with a few exceptions, PUP’s production overcomes.

One of the strongest components of the production is its vibrant set design (Miles Carey ’18). Myriad rugs cover the stage and a clothesline of draped clothes forms a patchwork background. The cloth at center stage is a bohemian sun tapestry, symbolic of the astrological and spiritual movements that brought

life and meaning to the time. Ensemble members adjust and add to the clothesline throughout the production, effectively transforming the theater from a blank stage to an intimate space. Hardly a traditional proscenium, the Class of 1970 Theatre in Whitman College provides a unique opportunity as a threesided black box. Floral garlands extend from the stage onto the railings and into the audience, effectively encouraging the audience to become “one” with the tribe.

Claude (Allen Hernandez ’16) drives a compelling narrative, wrestling through his personal dilemma with vocal strength and lucid characterization.

Jeanie (Cameron Platt ’16) is a standout performance; with a voice suited to the score, she brings energy and talent to the ensemble. Similarly, Sheila (Melanie Berman ’18) seems at ease with her character, using moments in the background to develop her relationships. Most outstanding are the unforgettable performances of Margaret Mead (Ryan Gedrich ’16) and Hubert (Andy Hunt ’17); their perfectly timed comedic relief and effortless dia-

COURTESY OF KLAUS HOLSTING

logue make the moment dynamite.

Unfortunately, some of the most promising talent on stage is underused in the production. Allison Light ’18 lights up the stage, Abby Jean-Baptiste ’18 brings a commanding and skilled presence and

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ‘Hair’ Pros: Standout performances,

innovative choreography and movement

Cons: Spotty vocals, occasional

confused direction, poorly timed technical cues

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Kat Giordano ’18 carries outstanding vocals; however, in “Hair” these actors are hardly adequately featured. Luckily for the Princeton theater community, they will have many more opportunities to take the stage.

Besides the set design, the other technical components of “Hair” are a mixed bag. The onstage band is remarkable, notable for their era costumes and wigs, pre-show warm-up and the vocal solo of the guitarist (Lachlan Kermode ’17). The costumes (Margaret Wright ’17) appropriately depict the counter-cultural movement without relying on flower-power stereotypes.

While the light design (Marc Decitre ’17) sufficiently operates within the confines of the grid at the Class of 1970 Theatre, the often poorly timed cues detract from the immersive experience of the production. Overuse of strobe

lights, coupled with overpowering sound effects, indicates that, though often with good intentions, the multimedia component of “Hair” needs a bit of refining.

The direction of the production — naturally challenging — is perhaps the most polemical aspect of the production.

Numerous moments are brilliantly directed (Cat Andre ’17) and choreographed (Adin Walker ’16 and Selah Hampton ’17). The clever use of space and motion involves full exploration of the theater, aisles and all. Compelling stage pictures align with strong vocals at parts, as in the dance sequence at the top of the titular song, in which ensemble members move as one in a multi-level embrace, mirroring the sun tapestry found just behind the actors.

Other moments of inspired movement include the scene in which three pairs of parents chastise Claude for his shenanigans, the hallucination sequence (an update of the infamous musical theatre dream sequence) and the final combat scene, which is cinematographic in its innovative use of repetition — clearly the shining jewel of the production.

However, some songs are disjointed, often because of too many moving parts detracting from the unity of the story and the ensemble. The opening number “Aquarius,” with patchy vocals and unwarranted choreography, is underwhelming. The space often works against the production; at points the ensemble bunches together during group numbers, overuses the space behind the audience and relies on clichéd choreography.

And although moments of angst and anger often seem abrupt, all in all the production brings a breath of life to a story all too often seen as merely a medium for a musical revue.

Though hardly a perfect production, PUP’s “Hair” transforms the challenging score and script into a living, breathing, cohesive production, boasting many moments of remarkable direction and unity.

Behind the scenes of

“This is Princeton: Black Lives Matter” JOY DARTEY Contributor

E

very year, the Performing Arts Council (PAC) of Princeton University, together with the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students (ODUS) work in conjunction to produce “This Is Princeton” (TIP), an annual performing arts showcase that spotlights the rich arts culture on campus. Last semester, the two organizations decided to give TIP 2015 the theme of “Black Lives Matter,” in honor of the recent activism on campus. As a result, the Fields Center is also sponsoring the event this year, and the PAC has selected an Artistic Advisory Committee of undergraduates for the first time.

Given the theme of “Black Lives Matter,” the support of the Fields Center, which sponsors many cultural events on campus, has been integral to the planning process.

In addition, the Artistic Advisory Committee, which is composed of students in various performing arts groups, has been inf luential in spreading the word on campus.

Naimah Hakim ’16, the member of the Artistic Advisory Committee responsible for pitching the “Black Lives Matter” theme, said that she had reached out to the PAC Board

because she felt “moved by the recent surges in campus activism and national activism related to the Black Lives Matter movement.”

According to Hakim, she was most interested in how the performing arts community could use art as a medium to promote dialogue on an important social issue. “We have two projects that are going on: one was rooted in getting art leaders to talk about why art is important to the world, and the second part was the idea of putting on a show where people could create art that spoke to a theme,” she said.

Organizing the show was not without its challenges. Committee member Kovey Coles ’15 explained, “The theme of ‘Black Lives Matter’ was a very daunting task ... One of the challenges was figuring out what kind of tone we wanted to convey in the show, because ‘Black Lives Matter’ can be interpreted in many different ways.”

According to Coles, many events themed “Black Lives Matter” come off as melancholy. “But I believe it’s more complex than that, and that’s what we’re trying to show,” he said.

Rather than dictating a somber tone, the organizers decided to leave room for the performers in the show

to set different moods to the theme.

“We wanted to choose something that was going to spur creativity without limiting people,” Hakim said.

All the members of the Artistic Advisory Committee are involved in arts groups on campus, and therefore all contributed to identifying which student groups were well-equipped to speak on this year’s theme. Committee member Nonny Okwelogu ’15 revealed that this was also initially a challenge, as the organizers had to ensure that the selection of student groups was racially and socially diverse. “I think it was important that we had inclusion in the show, because we’re trying to fight against the idea of exclusion,” she said.

To get over this obstacle, PAC and the Artistic Advisory Committee held “office hours” in January, where they invited individual artists and different arts groups to pitch their ideas and to raise any questions they had on the event’s theme. According to Hakim, “We marketed ‘office hours’ for artists to ask us questions and talk through the meanings of racial sensitivity and political art — what they looked like with the different genres, bodies and voices.”

One of the Committee’s goals is to

keep the conversation on the “Black Lives Matter” campaign alive, because the movement is still relevant despite having started months ago.

“We don’t label ourselves as activists per se ... but we wanted to keep attention to the [campaign], because it started a little while ago,” Committee member Lorenzo Laing ’16 explained.

“But this is something that’s not just a fad, this is something that’s life,” he said.

The organizers are looking forward to the collaborative pieces involving groups that wouldn’t normally perform together. This is the first time that spoken word has been included in “This is Princeton,” and it is also the first time visual arts has been included in this event’s history. In TIP 2015, art forms such as slam poetry, videography, photography and sculpture will be incorporated to express one theme. The showcase, which has yet to take place, has already sparked a lot of enthusiasm and generated many conversations on campus.

“You don’t have to be a loud person to be an activist, and the performing arts is another way to show that,” Laing said.

The event will be held on Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. in Richardson Auditorium.

HEADLINERS AND HEADSHAKERS headlines you didn’t read this week DAILY PRINCETONIAN STAFF

Students collect signatures for petition to end the petition to end bicker Queen Noor of Jordan ’73 wins Woodrow Wilson award, apparently embodies as queen the democratic ideals of Woodrow Wilson Smith to leave U., become president of small, liberal island nation known as Swarthmore

EW LAUNCHES, UNDERGRADUATE LAW REVI LAW SCHOOL R FO S AN PL NO S HA L IL ST U. Neither News nor Notes: Cornell hosts Ivy League Vegan Conference, Brown students: ‘Why didn’t we think of this first?’

asles case; Dining halls close in response to me is is how temperatures hit near-record lows; th Ma the world ends, with a cold walk to Ro

STREET’S

TOP TEN

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Things to Petition

Dining hall closings.

Pequods.

2 4

Video Reserves that you can’t watch off campus.

NBody.

Friday classes.

6 8 10

The R3.

Midterms.

Beast.

Keyst...one Light.

Winter.

CAMPUS PICKS EVENT: PACE CENTER PRESENTS ‘POETIC JUSTICE’ OPEN MIC infini-T Cafe and Spice Souk Thursday, 8 p.m.

Are you passionate about social justice and civic engagement? Are you interested in hearing, seeing and witnessing what your peers have to say about social justice? Tonight at infini-T, the “Poetic Justice” Open Mic will offer an opportunity for group performance, solo performance and personal reflection. Slam poetry group Ellipses and a cappella group Umqombothi will be performing. At the end of the show, there will be an open mic for any in attendance to share an respond to the night. There will be a variety of food and drink including sweet potato chili, cupcakes, chai tea and many herbal teas.

Be a part of the conversation.

DANCE: NAACHO PRESENTS “JUNOON (FEVER!)” Frist Film & Performance Theatre Thursday and Friday, 8 p.m.

Saturday, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

If you’re one of the lucky ducks who has yet to come down with a cold, the flu or measles this winter, then you’ll really want to go to “Junoon,” Naacho’s spring semester show. “Junoon” (it means “FEVER!”) will feature a number of different dance styles, including bollywood, classical, fusion, raas and bhangra. Even if you have already come down with something, this is the kind of fever you’ll want to get again from what promises to be a sick show.

EVENT: PRINCETON CARIBBEAN CONNECTION PRESENTS “TASTE OF CARNIVAL” Fields Center Friday, 9 p.m.

Dance the night away at “Taste of Carnival,” presented by the Princeton Caribbean Connection with the hopes of bringing Carnival to you. The night opens with a live performance by the Higher Levin Steel Pan Band, followed by a Samba routine by the Princeton Ballroom Club. At 11:30 p.m. a guest DJ will take over as the after party begins and Mas Flow performs their best. With live bands, great Caribbean food and tons of dancing, you’ll get to learn about Caribbean history by immersing yourself directly in what the Caribbean does best — party!

COMEDY: ALL-NIGHTER WITH ELIOT LINTON EPISODE 4 Frist Film/Performance Theatre Friday, 11:30 p.m.

You know the drill: All-Nighter host Eliot Linton ’15 and co-host Jake Robertson ’15 are going to say and do things that will make you chuckle heartily, do “Late Night”style interviews with people doing rad things and tell you to please welcome talented students to the stage. In this month’s episode, the people doing rad things are activists & CPUC Task Force members Brandon Holt ’15, Naimah Hakim ’16 and Destiny Crockett ’17 and also grown-up guest Tim Vasen, director of the Program in Theater. The talents are the honey-voiced duo Baker & Goods and bringer of “big ditties” Alex Morton ’15.