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Show Friday, September 26,2008 HE SIGNPOST ARTS <# ENTERTAINMENT activities end with a tragedy Lecture explains story of 'Medea' and adaptions from the play Ancient Greek play ends Greek celebration By Kent Dunn correspondent The British Pixies? By Matt Winters music director KWCR Some bands tell you a lirtle bit about themselves before you even open the case using the cover of the album, the name of the band and the label that the band has chosen to release their music. Johnny Foreigner is one of those bands. I knew it would be something different just by the name of the band; it was going to be foreign. The band is a three-piece from the bowels of England led by a dual scream/sing dynamic of boy/girl vocalists, similar to Los Campesinos on the late Pixies. The music can be described as a searing mix of post punk, pop and even the occasional singer/ songwriter moment, all played quickly and with a lot of pep. Their U.S. debut "Waited Up 'Til It Was Light" is such a fun record, one that you move to in a sweaty basement, preferably full of booze. Although it is fun, it still has a feeling of dark that only youth can feel. "Get off before the ship goes down/get off before the ship sinks,"-is the chorus of lead track "Lea Room" and it shows the James Dean "die young" ascetic to a T. The music bounces and drivesover this almost apathetic emotional core, complete with a wavering keyboard line. The best lyrical moment comes at the end of "Eyes Wide Terrified" with "Your life is a song/But not this one." Sharp stuff. The record is definitely something different, something foreign if you will, but it is a rewarding and invigorating listen. Johnny Foreigner's new record "Waited Up 'Til It Was Light" came out July 22 on Nettwerk Records. Comment on this column at wsusignpost. com. 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A M U |R| 2.40 0 159.40 RIGHTEOUS KS.L (R) 12 SO • NIGHTS W RODANTHE 3 25 7.36 1005 |PG-13]12.20250 5.20 WOMEN, THE (PG-13) 74510 13 12.45 330 7 30 10 10 • GHOST TOWN [PO-13] 12103507 15045 m laffiUWMffOTKIITJ N W CREDfT CARDS ACCEPTED • NO PASSES-MO CLASSIC 5UPERSAVERS 6. The Signpost Tragedy took center stage Wednesday night as Euripides' "Medea", a Greek play, was performed in the Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts at Weber State University. Nearly 200 people were in attendance at the Garrison Choral Room of the Performing Arts building. Quite a difference from the 25,000 people who witnessed the play in Greek amphitheaters in Ancient Greece. James Svendsen, an associate professor of languages and Literaturefromthe University of Utah, began the night at 6:30 with a livened lecture describing who the character Medea really is and what makes her tick. The audience was asked if they knew who Jason and the Argonauts were in mythology. Less than half raised their hands. "In Ancient Greece, everyone knew the stories of Jason, the Argonauts and Medea," Svendsen said. "It was ingrained in their culture." In introducing the play, Svendsen focused on the opening line of the play, "I wish it had never sailed, the good ship Argo." The play takes place after the mythology of Jason retrieving the Golden Fleece with Medea's help. They have since borne two children and much time has passed. As the play begins, Medea's servants are full of sorrow over the reaction of Medea due to Jason wedding another woman. Medea and her two sons have been banished and exiled by the king, Jason's future father-inlaw. From this point, Medea, played by Erica Richardson, takes center stage and cries to the Gods for justice to be done. "Medea is a very similar character to Achilles and Odysseus," Svendsen said. "She revels in pride and is concerned with her reputation. She takes herself a little too seriously." Jason, in the play, is seen as a haughty warrior. He decries women and belittles them by saying that they never want to be happy. "It's natural for a woman to be upset," Jason said in the play. . , departments at WSU worked together through several lectures and performances. correspondent The lecture was titled "Perspectives on The Signpost Medea in Literature" and was held in the Faculty and students Hetzel-Hoellein room on the thirdfloorof the attended a lecture last Stewart library. Monday afternoon The play tells the story of Medea, a detailing Weber State mythological Greek witch who helped University's play, Jason (of the Argonauts) retrieve the Golden Euripides' "Medea", Fleece. He later betrays her and the tragedy and its impact on begins as she seeks revenge on those around literature. Jason. The lecture, The lecture was split into three sections, presented by which were covered by professors from the Robert Hogge of English department. The first speaker was the WSU English Diane Krantz, who spoke on Medea's effect d e p a r t m e n t , on medieval literature, especially Geoffrey continues WSU's Chaucer. Greek Festival, "The women Chaucer chooses for his which began on work 'The Legend of Good Women' were all Sept. 15, . and renowned for their wickedness," Krantz said. finished with Chaucer described Medea to be a good the production woman because she was so poorly treated by of Euripides' Jason. "Medea" on " By making Medea a sympathetic character, Wednesday. Chaucer robs her of her power," Krantz said. The festival The second speaker from the English emphasized department was Donna Cheney. Cheney art, science focused on drawing parallels between Medea and history. and the renaissance literature of Shakespeare's S e v e r a l "Titus Andronicus." Euripides' story of revenge contains many murders, most committed by Medea herself. Medea's brutality is only mentioned or done off-stage. "Titus Andronicus," which has a similar story of a vengeful witch, shows the acts of violence on-stage. "The Greeks are at least tasteful, with murders only being made mention of. Shakespeare is not as tasteful," Cheney said. Susan McKay, the third speaker, explained the use of Medea's story by French authors. Pierre Corneille interpreted the mythology surrounding Medea in a work he authored in 1635. "Corneille's Medea is a jealous woman scorned," McKay said. "Two themes of his play are'becoming Medea' and the other characters 'being aware of what she is capable of."1 By Kent Dunn He, too, is concerned with his own reputation. "I'd rather be sung about than sing." Jason said, establishing liis vanity. Candice Rounds, a WSUjuniormajoring in English, said she thought the play was fantastic. "It is obvious that Medea is suffering at the end of the play," Rounds said. "She was not completely victorious in her revenge." This play is a good example of not messing with the "fairer" sex. It shows what justice a woman betrayed can accomplish. "Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn," Rounds said. This play will continue to show at the Pioneer Memorial Theatre in Salt Lake City. For details check www. theatre.utali.edu. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com. T^; - See Adaptions page 5 5 Greek comedy the 'Daily Show of its time Aristophanes' comedy 'A Seperate Peace' compared to comedies of today utilized character-identifying props, including a turban, sash and plumed correspondent I The Signpost helmet. The chosen reading, "A Separate A diverse group of about 20 Peace," was written in the third students and community members year of the Peloponnesian War. gathered to hear the eighth year of the Aristophanes' motive in this play is to Greek Readers Theatre celebration vocalize the common citizens' desire of Aristophanes' comedies in Stewart for relief from the miseries of war. He Library. Weber State University's creates two contrasting characters Department of Performing Arts Greek to compare the joys and comfort of Readers' presented Aristophanes' "A peace with the misery and labor of a Separate Peace" on Tuesday Sept, 23. war. Caril Jennings, the producer of Dicaeopolis is a citizen who creates the series, gave a short introduction a separate peace with enemy Sparta to the reading. She prepared the for himself and his family. He builds audience for Aristophanes' irreverent an enclosure around his house, his humor. peace and his free market, while war "If Aristophanes was alive today, I harasses everywhere outside the rest think he'd be writing for South Park," of the country. Lamachus, the leader Jennings said. of the war party, returns from war After the play, returning cast with a broken head and crippled member Robert Fudge, a WSU foot. philosophy professor, said he Lamachus' struggles with the war preferred to compare Aristophanes are constrasted with Dicaeopolis' with the "Daily Show." He said the good fortune and happiness. issues he addresses always seem to An underlying comparison to be pertinent and do not need much current foreign affairs is apparent. "tweaking" to be made current. Thescriptwasalteredto include direct The audience looked excited references to current issues. The play as the seven cast members came included references to weapons of single-file to the front of the room. mass destruction and stolen barrels The cast was dressed in black and of oil. The names Sparta and Iraq By Brittany Jackson seemed to be interchangeable. "You denounce her for a lantern wick?" Dicaeopolis said. "That wick could be a weapon of mass destruction," a government official responded. Cast member and WSU senior Andrew Nadon said his favorite part of Greek Theater is playing multiple characters. Nadon was the only student in the seven-member cast. "It's important to keep Greek Theater alive," Nadon said. Jennings hopes to present all of Aristophanes' work in WSU's Greek Readers Theater, she said in a press release. "That means I only have four more years and this project will be complete," Jennings said. "Then, I'll just start recycling the scripts." The cast included Fudge; Luckey Heath, former Music Theater professor; Joe Glidden, Professor Emeritus of WSU Philosophy Department; Vicki Ramirez, WSU English Department; Jan Hamer, WSU English Department; Jennings; and WSU student Andrew Nadon, a senior musical theatre major. Caril Jennings introduces events for Greek week. Weber Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com. State University's Greek Festival started Sept. 15 and ended on Sept. 24. Upcoming events North Star Akombo Musical Gypsy Story "North Star" is an exhibit at the Shaw Gallery in the Kimball Center for the Visual Arts. The exhibit has a drivein movie theme. Inside the exhibit is a large screen showing a 13 minute movie. The movie features pictures from around Ogden as well as clips from old movies. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 11-5 p.m. and Saturday 12-5 p.m. Weber State University Department of Performing Arts faculty member David Akombo will be having a Recital. The recital will be Thursday Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Carrison Choral Room. Akombo will be accompanied by Don Keipp, Mark Maxson, lyier Hess, Steve Sequin and others. Urinetown: The Musical, a political and sarcastic play, directed by Jim Christian will be playing at Eccles Theater in the Val A. Browning Center. The play starts Oct. 3 and runs until Oct. 11. The cost is $5.50 to $8.50 per person. Peery's EgyptianTheater presents "Samarabalouf," a trio from France. The trio plays original music with their music is inspired by Django Reinhardt, a Gypsy Jazz star. Tickets range from $12$15. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Auditions for the Weber State University Story Telling Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 4 starting at 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. The auditions will be in the auditorium of the Main Weber County Library at 2464 Jefferson Ave. For more information call 801-394-4591. |