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Articles by Grayson Lee
No. 19 Harvard Men’s Water Polo Beats RV Brown and MIT
By Grayson J. Lee and Uy B. Pham No. 19 Harvard men’s water polo swept its first two matches in the final round of conference play this weekend, tying its season-high of 21 goals in a game during its rematch against MIT. With its two victories, the Crimson (13-12, 6-1 Northeast Water Polo Conference) remains in strong competition to challenge No. 6 Princeton, currently undefeated across its seven NWPC games, for the first seed in the conference championship.
Spring StorySlam features eight powerful senior storytellers
Victoria Yin / Herald Sarah Marion ’19 (above) was one of the eight performers in this year’s Spring StorySlam, hosted by the Brown University Storytellers. The event aimed to provide community and a space for students to share their stories. Eight seniors performed dramatic tellings of their own true stories in this year’s Spring StorySlam, an event hosted by the Brown University Storytellers club.
Students unveil compositions at Fermata’s spring concert
Tiffany Ding / Herald In Fermata’s largest concert, performers showcased music from student composers, which included solo pieces, ensemble pieces, sound recordings and video in a variety of genres. Student composers took center stage Monday night, filling Grant Recital Hall with sounds ranging from classical to jazz to electronic. During Fermata Composers Collective’s annual Spring Concert, 22 students presented pieces that had been months in the making.
Sock and Buskin play explores identity, technology with complex structure
Courtesy of Kym Moore The play was written by Japanese playwright Toshiki Okada and translated by Aya Ogawa, the translator of over a dozen of Okada’s works. Several different actors portray the show’s two protagonists at the same time, which Ogawa noted made translation difficult. Sock and Buskin’s show will run at Leeds Theatre through Sunday, April 14.
Alum studies medieval puppets, cyborgs
Tiffany Ding / Herald Oing, a University alum, discussed the relationship between humans, puppets and cyborgs in the context of the late Middle Ages. The worlds of medieval Christianity and science fiction collided in a lecture by Michelle Oing ’07 last Thursday evening. During the event, titled “The Medieval Cyborg: Performing Objects in the Late Middle Ages,” Oing examined the usage of puppets in medieval liturgy and compared them to cyborgs, or fictious figures that are part-man part-machine.
Ballet masterclass unites people of different backgrounds, levels
Courtesy of FirstWorks Jillian Davis, company member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, taught a master class last Wednesday as part of the Artists and Scientists as Partners 2019 Symposium. Last Wednesday, Jillian Davis of Complexions Contemporary Ballet led students and community members with mixed levels of dance experience through a ballet masterclass.
‘Firefly in the Light’ depicts youth’s search for fame
Courtesy of Liam Bendickson Shayna Toh ’20 began writing “Firefly in the Light,” a pop-rock musical, when she was 17 years old. Toh previously shared the musical with audiences in New York and Singapore. Production Workshop presented “Firefly in the Light” last weekend, an earnest pop-rock musical composed, directed and written by Shayna Toh ’20 that probes “the many competing life options which await every young and older person,” according to the show’s website.
Nandita Das shares motivation behind ‘Manto’ biopic
Grayson Lee / Herald Nandita Das and Lakshmi Padmanabhan PhD ’18 discussed “Manto,” which follows a controversial writer amidst the partition of India and Pakistan. “A story humanizes the other. … Suddenly you see that unknown, and it’s a person,” said Nandita Das, director and writer of the 2018 biopic “Manto,” last Thursday evening at the Center for Contemporary South Asia’s screening of the film.
Visiting professor presents philosophical argument for universal love
Tiffany Ding / Herald Meghan Sullivan, professor of philosophy at Notre Dame, argued for the moral obligation to love everyone during an event hosted by Veritas Forum and Ethical Inquiry. Brown Professor Nomy Arpaly offered a rebuttal. Although the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” is often considered impractical, Meghan Sullivan, a professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, sought to defend universal love, or the “love imperative,” at a forum last Friday evening.
Fusion dancers perform in 36th spring show
Courtesy of Vincent Po Fusion, a student dance company, performed in Alumnae Hall for their 36th Annual Spring Show this past weekend. The show featured several styles of music and dance, including modern, hip-hop and jazz. Despite a small fire during their final performance, Fusion Dance Company presented a stylistically diverse and unceasingly energetic 36th Annual Spring Show last weekend.
Archeological Illustration Club promotes observation, drawing skills
Every Thursday, the Archaeological Illustration Club meets at the Joukowsky Institute to meticulously draw ancient and contemporary objects. Archeological illustration is the process of observing and drawing items in detail, a skill often used on archeological digs.
Documentary chronicles life of late playwright Maria Irene Fornes
Courtesy of Jennifer Lapinel Spincken “The Rest I Make Up” highlights the life and artistic career of late Cuban-American artist Maria Irene Fornes. Last Sunday, the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts hosted a screening of “The Rest I Make Up,” a documentary chronicling the life of the late Maria Irene Fornes, a Cuban-American avant-garde playwright, and her struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Trinity Rep. stages gruesome, modern ‘Macbeth’
Courtesy of Trinity Rep This modern staging of “The Scottish Play” draws influence from an essay on dismemberment, images of death and even modern club music. Trinity Repertory Company is performing “Macbeth” until March 3. Trinity Repertory Company’s production of “Macbeth,” running from Jan. 31 through March 3, is a gloriously gruesome and thrilling performance, presenting a characterization of baseness all too applicable in today’s political world.
Exhibit invites viewers to consider what makes a ‘good life’
A pop-up exhibit titled “How do we live a ‘Good Life?’” used the paintings, photography and poems of 16 artists from Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design to attempt to answer the event’s title question Wednesday. “There are many definitions for happiness, … (but) I still continue to wonder how I can make myself happy,” said Shinyoung Lee ’21, who attended the exhibit.
Touring puppet musical inspired by Native American stories
Courtesy of Richard Termine “Ajijaak on Turtle Island” featured animal puppets, dancing and songs to share the story of a young crane completing her first migration. This story originates from traditional Native American folklore about the environment and teaches audience members to protect natural habitats. “Ajijaak on Turtle Island” captivated audiences last week at Moses Brown School with soaring kites, graceful puppetry and a heartwarming story about family and nature.
Collaborative exhibit reflects on biodiversity in Providence
Artistic and scientific history collide in “Entwined: Botany, Art and the Lost Cat Swamp Habitat,” an exhibit at the John Hay Library that examines biological diversity in Providence. The exhibit depicts the biodiversity of the Wayland and Blackstone neighborhoods in East Providence, previously known as “Cat Swamp,” by featuring botanical illustrations of wildflowers from the Rhode Island Historical Society and specimens collected by the Brown Herbarium.
‘Free Solo’ offers slow-burning thrills
“Free Solo,” a National Geographic documentary, is a film that examines the fear and motivation behind incredible human achievement, against a backdrop of stunning natural landscapes. The nerve-wracking film chronicles the journey of Alex Honnold, a famous U.S. rock climber, as he prepares to “free solo” El Capitan, a mountain face in Yosemite National Park. Free soloing is rock climbing without any ropes or equipment at heights where falling almost inevitably results in death.
Photo exhibition chronicles archeological excavation
The photo exhibition “Light-Writings: Koutroulou Magoula 2017-2018” at the Joukowsky Institute for Archeology and the Ancient World features the people, materials and processes of an archeological dig. Last summer, Yannis Hamilakis, professor of archaeology and modern Greek studies, and six undergraduate students from Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design traveled to central Greece for four weeks.
“Next to Normal” grapples with mental illness, grief
“Next to Normal,” running Nov 1-11 at the Stuart Theater, features a raw and moving story delivered by outstanding student actors. Sock and Buskin’s latest show revolves around Diana Goodman, a woman who struggles with bipolar disorder and grief. The curtain opens on her, and audience members are immediately aware of the intricacies of her relationships with her family: supportive husband Dan, overachieving daughter Natalie and manipulative son Gabe.
Photo, sound exhibition creates immersive experience
Photographs of trash, animal carcasses and picturesque views were displayed at the opening reception of “Traditional Terrain,” a photo and sound exhibition by Luke Moldof GS. Based on the theme of bridges, the show featured sounds of traffic humming, trains rumbling and bridges creaking — as well as slideshows and videos — that supplemented the photos mounted on the walls. Initially, the photos in Gallery 221 in List Art Building did not appear to have much in common.
Lecture contextualizes South African colonial literature
Professor Isabel Hofmeyr opened her lecture Monday evening by taking the audience underwater. At the start of her talk, she detailed the dumping of books deemed unacceptable by the British Empire’s custom houses into what she termed “Davy Jones’ library.” Hofmeyr asked attendees to join her in imagining such a dumping ground — the ocean floor three miles off the coast of Durban Harbor in colonial South Africa — as littered with detritus, decomposed books, unused rifles and broken jewelry.
‘Bulrusher’ chronicles search for family
In Leeds Theatre’s production of “Bulrusher,” race, family and forgiveness are seen through the eyes of an earnest and confused young woman as she struggles to discover herself. The coming-of-age play was written by Eisa Davis and is directed by Sarah dAngelo, assistant professor of theatre arts and performance studies.
Artist's music responds to police brutality
On Monday afternoon, the room fell silent as composer and performer Courtney Bryan played a recording of “Sanctum,” which she composed as a response to police brutality. Some attendees of Bryan’s performance at Orwig Music Library closed their eyes in attentiveness as they listened to the 12-minute-long musical composition.
Sculpture exhibit blurs lines of nature, technology
The only thing eerier than Providence’s chilly weather is finding a sculpture that appears to mimic its stormy mood. That’s exactly what patrons of the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts found in David Bowen’s scupture exhibition, “Observers and Creators,” last Thursday. Bowen’s installations generally explored the interactions between nature and technology. The three sculptures showcased tensions between artistic agency and art’s ability to exist independent of its creator.
‘The Bookshop,’ while heartfelt, struggles with pace
“The Bookshop,” a film adaption of Penelope Fitzgerald’s original novel, echoes the leisurely pace of the book itself. The film’s plodding nature allows for a fully developed storyline, but struggles to retain the viewer’s attention through the duration of the movie. At times, the plot wanders and the film drags, and even borders on soporific; however, the crawling pace of the film is at times an asset, and gives prominence to the scenery and characters’ emotions.
Grad student journal to foster LGBTQ+ community
This September will see the release of the inaugural issue of Undone: A Legacy of Queer (Re)imaginings, a new journal created by graduate students that “encourage(s) community building and community development among queer and trans graduate students” at Brown, said Je-Shawna Wholley, the assistant director of the LGBTQ Center and the managing editor of the journal. The journal will be published annually online, said Majida Kargbo GS, one of Undone’s two editors-in-chief.
Six sophomores win Mellon Mays Fellowship, research opportunities
Last week, six sophomores from the University were awarded the Mellon Mays Fellowship, which seeks to increase the representation of minorities among higher education faculty, said Asabe Poloma, associate director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program at Brown and assistant dean for international students. Fellows will have the opportunity to conduct original research over the next two years under the supervision of a University faculty member, she added.
Fellowship tackles racism in medicine
The Brown Advocates for Social Change and Equity fellowship, a program led and supported by the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at the Alpert Medical School, is in its inaugural year.
Womxn’s series promotes inclusivity
Throughout March and April, the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center will host the 2018 Womxn’s History Series, “Remixing Storytelling: Gender, Media and Creative Expression,” which seeks to welcome marginalized identities and “amplify voices that haven’t been heard on campus,” said Giselle Flores Alvarado ’20, one of the series’ progammers.
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