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Arts
November 8 , 2016
“The Trench” brings soldiers back to life JESSICA RICKS Staff Writer
“The Trench,” a student-directed play set during World War I, explores the struggles of a soldier as he deals with the pain of being away from his family and the difficult life in the trenches. Director Bridget Lindsay, along with close friend and stage manager Billy Goheen, first saw the play performed years ago at their high school. “It really struck me and sat with me for a while,” Lindsay said. “The message is so universal and powerful. Anyone can identify with it. I felt like this was the time and place for it to be told.” Performed from Nov. 2 to Nov. 5 in the Ruth Marder Studio Theatre inside the Center for the Arts, the show began with evocative imagery of soldiers lying still on the ground against a foggy set of torn and bloody canvases and a band playing mellow music in the corner. When the lights dimmed and the
music stopped, the soldiers stood up and began to tell the audience with poetic vigor about the hard life of a soldier and introduced the main character, Bert, played by Rusty Hrabe, a young man who worked hard to be accepted into the army and left behind a pregnant wife. He befriends a young soldier named Collins, played by Tim Neil, and together they venture through the hardships of war. Everything takes a turn for the worse when Bert receives a letter from home that says his wife died in childbirth and bombs start going off in the trenches, leaving everyone dead but him. Then, he’s approached by a demon to take on three quests to cope with his loss and the person he has become during the war. “For the play itself the best part was being in a piece about human experiences,” Neil said. “The cost of war is too great to comprehend, and the cost of life can’t be overstated.” Originally written as an epic poem by Oliver Lansley, it was
Courtesy of Jay Herzog, Towson Department of Theatre Arts
Bert (Rusty Hrabe) poses amongst zombie soldiers of World War I in an adaptation of “The Trench.” transformed into a theater production with the actors reciting the original poem to go with the acting. According to Lindsay, the entire process of putting together the play was a creative one. All of the action was actor-generated through activities, exercises and brainstorming. “I loved watching the show from start to finish,” Goheen said. “It was just an idea on the first day. We were seeing how much we
could get to work and from there and watch it grow. The best part for me was working closely with the production team and seeing it come to life.” Audiences appreciated how much work was put into the play, from memorizing all of the lines of Lansley’s poem to the dynamic work with the set. “It was really impressive,” sophomore family studies major Rachel Sklar said. “There were a lot of
words. It was 45 minutes of nonstop speaking. There was a solid set with lots of pieces moving around. They did a lot with a little.” At its heart, “The Trench” is a story that everyone can relate to. “I would like people to take away that everyone has their own story,” Lindsay said. “There is always a light at the end of the tunnel. As long as you press forward, you’ll find your purpose.”
“Sweet Transvestite.” McDiarmid joked that walking in heels was not as difficult as he thought it would be but still challenging. His character was flamboyant and had to get intimate with Brad, played by freshman Daniel Rosen. “I like the challenge of the costume and making sure I was comfortable as the character,” said McDiarmid. The show involved a lot of interaction with the crowd. An actress in a gray hoodie rode through the audience on a scooter. Before the show began, ensemble members flirted with members of the crowd by sitting on their laps and chatting. Janet, played by sophomore Madelyn Dominiski, and Brad had a sex scene at the feet of the audience members in the front row. During different scenes audience members heckled and made interjections, which are known as “call outs.” Every time Janet’s name was mentioned in one of the songs the audience would yell “slut,” and in another scene Janet said, “But my lips were hungry,” and someone yelled “which ones?” in response,
which caused the audience to laugh. “We can definitely hear the heckles and sometimes they’re brand new, so it’s f**king hilarious,” Jennifer Yarmis, who played Magenta, said. During an intermission, Parker Durham entertained some of the audience by sticking a nail up his nose and then pulling it back out. Actors Anonymous president Becca Altschul directed the show. She previously acted in “Rocky Horror” with Actors Anonymous in 2014, which inspired her to direct this year’s production. “It was the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had,” Atschul said. “I got to be around the 20 most talented people I’ve ever met. I don’t have words to describe how beautiful this was.” After the actors took their final bows, they started dancing and singing the “Time Warp.” Members from the audience rushed on stage to join them. “The leads were really funny,” heckler and local high school senior Emily Granger said. “10 out of 10 for entertainment. It was a lot of fun to watch.”
Learning to design TU actors “Time Warp” again the handmade SARAH VAN WIE Staff Writer
Towson art department faculty welcomed artist and designer Aric Snee to campus Thursday to deliver a lecture about his work prior to a faculty exhibit opening in the Holtzmann Gallery. Snee is currently working for a company called Holmegaard located in Denmark. He received his masters degree in sculpting at Alfred University, and has been working with glass blowing for 15 years. Snee’s lecture, titled “Design the Handmade,” gave the audience insight into his educational background and work experience. Snee also talked about his idea of art design, craft and form, then discussed how he incorporates his views into his work. To wrap up the lecture, Snee presented the audience with a few of his designs and finished products that have gone viral and on the market. “I never thought of [art] like that,” junior Collyn Mangini said.
“The way he talked about design was really cool.” One of Snee’s designs is a self-watering flower pot called the “Gaia.” This product holds an hourglass shape. Water is placed in the bottom portion of the pot and the top holds the plant. A nylon wick in the middle of the pot connects the water to the plant’s soil to ensure the right amount of water is delivered to the plant. No parts of the pot ever need to be replaced. All that needs to be done is adding water to the bottom of the pot. “I’m taking 3D Process course with professor Lundak and she encouraged our class to come out and learn about our discipline,” senior Corey Dunning said. Another design by Snee is called “The Selfie Arm.” This product is a redesign of the world wide known gadget, the selfie stick. The Selfie Arm is a literal, realistic clay and fiberglass arm, with a slot at the end to hold a phone in place. Snee claimed the design was meant to be a joke. He posted his design online and it went viral within 24 hours.
LAUREN MCMILLAN Staff Writer
Paws Café was standing room only on Friday for the Actors Anonymous’ production of cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” For the uninitiated, “Rocky Horror follows main characters Janet and Brad as they explore their sexuality during a night in the house of mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Throughout the night, they meet all sorts of zany characters and fall into all kinds of adventures. The musical comedy horror show infamously combines insight, intrigue and campy flair. Members of the group showcased their singing and dancing talents on stage while wearing feather boas and fishnet stockings. The backdrop was painted with the words “Don’t dream it, Be it.” When Joshua McDiarmid, who played Frank-N-Furter, came on stage in a black crop top, tight black shorts, fishnet knee highs and heels, the crowd erupted in cheers and laughter. McDiarmid danced across the stage and posed as he sang