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Show Pick of the week Mumford & Sons, Sigh no More, March ;'i 2. eview Benjy Davis Project: Lost Souls Like us March 2. Swindlers receive their just desserts in local performance [^JESSICA BURNHAM Culture editor How much money would you pay to witness two self-absorbed womanizers receive a well-deserved comeuppance? This is the experience currently offered at Hale Center Theater in Orem in their stage production of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" showing through April 24. The production, which is based on the 1988 comedic film, follows the debonair Lawrence Jameson, played by Dave Tinney, and the dimwitted Freddy Benson, played by Brett Merritt, as they battle it out in a game of schemes and cunning. The combined talents of these two performers makes for a marvelous production. After sharing a train, the two disembark in a small town along the French Riviera and eventually realize that they are both in the professional leaching business. Thereafter small-time crook Benson begs the seasoned Jameson to instruct him in the ways of refinement and large-scale manipulation. "Teach me, mold me, make me your slave," Benson says ."Know your limitations Freddy, you're a moron," Jameson replies. Satire connects audience to the works of a master ( although he reluctantly takes him on as a student in order to torment and therefore get rid of him. Realizing that their styles are incompatible and that the town isn't big enough for the both of them, they set their sights on rich heiress Christine Colgate, played by Hailey J. Smith, deciding that whoever succeeds in extracting $50,000 from her first will have the right to play the town solo. The production was brilliant in every respect. Whether it be the acting, singing, dancing or costumes and the overall natural chemistry, it seemed too big for the stage on which it was set. It was simultaneously intimate and theatrically engaging. Presenting hilarious circumstances at every turn, the script was performed expertly by the obviously talented cast. Each song showcased impressive vocals while the each actor truly embodied the personality of their character. Tinney has been involved in theater for the past 20 years as a performer, director, choreographer, writer and teacher and among other pursuits is currently teaching in the theatrical arts department at UVU. Merritt has been acting since 1998 and has his hands in many projects including professional writing and improvisation. He co-founded the Thrillionaires Improv Theatre who perform regularly at the Covey Center for the Arts. Smith has a BFA in acting from BYU and also cofounded the Thrillionaires Improv Theatre. She has been involved with performances such as "Little Shop of Horrors," "As You Like It," "Little Women" and many more. The production was perfectly cast and excellently performed. Whether you are a theater enthusiast or not don't miss the opportunity to see this brilliant performance. Based on the popular 1988 film, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" centers on two con men living on the French Riviera. The first is the suave and sophisticated Lawrence Jameson. The other is Freddy Benson, a bumbling small time crook. After meeting on a train, they find that the small, French town where they disembark isn't big enough for the two of them. They make a deal: thefirstone UNDSEYLINGE .'. Culture editor Culture writer Assuming each show can be done in an hour and a half, watching all 36 of Shakespeare's plays would take 54 hours. But in the time of one performance, the "Quick and Holey Shakespeare Company" can perform not only all of the standard works, but pay tribute to the the Apocrypha and the sonnets as well. Directed by pre-med and theatre student Jordan McMillan as his senior project, the show was performed with only three actors. Robbie X. Pierce* Justin Stockett and Joshua Michael French performed as themselves, a group of students informally presenting the plays. They played all of Shakespeare's characters, using a dummy and audience members to occasionally fill in other parts. The tragedies were presented very humorously. "Othello" was performed as a rap, while 'Titus Androdicus" became a cooking show. The actors were' * consistently able to perform as a wide range of characSee SHAKESPEARE* B2 Amazon.com larious battle of cons ensues that will keep audiences Jamie . JAMII euuui laughing, humming and CulTHI PURSUIT guessing to the end! lum: The Pursuit. March 2. azon.com DVD Pick of the week • w : ieview H Featuring Dave Tinny, Brett Merritt and Hailey Smith, this local production features two swindlers who ultimately receive their just desserts. Where the Wild |i Things Are, March 2 ; | African club promotes cultural awareness on campus JESSICA BURNHAM r to extract $50,000 from a young and beautiful heiress, Christine Colgate, wins and the other must leave. A hi- • i: With the collective desire to celebrate the beauty and resilience of African culture, over 500 people attended African Cultural Night put on by the UVU African Club on Feb. 20. Including food, music, singing, dancing and fashion shows exhibiting traditional clothing from each region, the night was full of vibrant diversity. UVU, BYU, BYU Idaho, LDS Business College and Utah State University were all in attendance, giving East, West and Central all photos COREY DUNCAN/UVUReview Africa representation. "Most of the countries in Africa got their independence in the '50s and '60s, thus 2010 marks the beginning of a fiftieth anniversary for most of the countries," said African Club President Gloria Kajo. "Africa has gone through a lot in the past, but it has being able to come out strong and uphold its most precious and cherished possession: its culture." The club was originally founded and recognized in 2007 by Leonard Bagawa and Amanda Jack. Having gone through the hardships of adapting to American culture, they both saw the need for an organization which would cater to the specific needs of African students. "We thought that Africans could get together to help each other overcome mutual challenges. Hav- • ing a shared culture and background would help them to understand each other better than foreigners, and also understand why they were asking particular questions," Bagawa said. "We thought we could help new students with the basic experience we already had. I also thought that we could be a help to each other emotionally and psycholog- ically as well as socially." Never having coordinated an event of this magnitude, the club put countless hours into preparing each detail of the evening. With one vision in mind, responsibilities were delegated to committees whose combined efforts made the night a great success. Guests dined on Nigerian fried rice, Kenyan Samosa and egusi soup with eba while watching performances inspired by Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali and Congo. Cultural exposure such as this plays an important role in educating our culturallyisolated local community. "Promoting cultural diversity on campus is very important because it helps to eliminate ignorance from our society and it creates peace and harmony among people and their cultures," Kajo said. The night was such a success that the club is planning to make it an annual event. Make sure to support the African Club next year by taking advantage of what diversity Utah does have to offer. The beautiful African culture must be experienced, not merely read about in novels ; and textbooks. Theatres Pick of the week Alice in Wonderland, March 5. ^< Brook- [\ lyn's: ;S Finest- ! March 6. "• The Secret of ^ Kelts, March 5. ^', |