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Show FROM BOUNTIFUL TO M ost U students will use their spring break to escape to a locale with warmer weather, but the Utah baseball team has work to do. The Utes will be traveling to Arizona to take on the Wildcats in a three-game series this weekend, their conference opener. Arizona comes into the game on a six-game win streak, including a series sweep of Portland. Last season, the Utes lost the series to the Wildcats. Utah will have to rely heavily on its defense to control the games due to Arizona's batting average, which is tops in the Pac-12. However, Utah's offense is just starting to get the ball rolling and the players know how important it is to give their pitchers some leeway during these games. "It's very important," said junior Cody Scaggari. "We're all about sticking with the process. As long as we are doing things the right way, discipline and everything that we do, it's going to pay off. The momentum is very important as long as we keep playing as well as we can play." Scaggari also contributed a lot of the season's success to the pitchers, as they have been the most consistent aspect of the team thus far. "They've done a really good job all year and as long as they continue to do it, I think we're going to be pretty successful if the offense keeps doing what we did last weekend,' Scaggari said. The Friday night starter will be junior Bret Helton, followed by junior Dalton Carroll on Saturday and freshman Jayson Rose on Sunday to close out the series. Carroll said the biggest factor for the Utes from here on out is health. The team had a scare last weekend when junior Wyler Smith went down with an injury, but after examination the injury wasn't as serious as initially thought. "I think the main thing is staying healthy and feeling what we felt after this series. What it is actually is to go out and compete all nine innings and finish off a game is the biggest thing. Especially going into [conference] play, if we can win those last innings, I think we'll have quite a few successful games and series,' Carroll said. Carroll said last weekend's opponent in Kansas posed a lot of the same problems for the Utes as Arizona will on Friday. He said their hitting is similar if not better than the Jayhawks'. Utah head coach Bill Kinneberg said the resiliency will carry them through the rest of the season and that no matter the outcome, they are going to give it everything each and every single game they play. "This team is never going to back it irr,' Kinneberg said. "They've worked way too hard.They've got a lot of character.There is no quit in them. That is not going to happen. If we don't win another game the rest of the year, [on] the last game of the season, they're going to play hard': Friday's game between Utah and Arizona is slated to start at 7 p.m. MT. i.smith@chronicle.utah.edu @ISmithAtTheU • C • • BY BERNIE GARCIA /STAFF WRITER ynthia Fleming is a pioneer in her own right. One of many Utahns to leave home for Broadway, she transfers that experience to her newfound love, the Salt Lake Acting Company. The Daily Utah Chronicle caught up with her at the Salt Lake Roasting Company and got her story. Bernie Garcia: Can you give us some of your background growing up in Bountiful? • • • • • • • ■ Red Rocks head down to Georg a EDITOR n her fourth year in the program, Georgia Dabritz is getting used to the jokes. The Utah gymnastics team has faced the University of Georgia at least once each year since 1983, and the longtime rivalry has caused Dabritz some groans during her time at the U, but also some smiles. "There's always jokes about that': Dabritz said referring to the team with which she shares a name. The Utes will continue their rivalry with Georgia on Saturday in Athens, and even with the obvious jokes that come when the two teams face off, it's provided some memorable moments for Dabritz. During a meet in her freshman season, a sign appeared in the Huntsman when the Bulldogs came to town that read, "Utah has the only Georgia worth cheering for "That is one of my favorite things about this rivalry,' Dabritz said. The last time the Utes traveled to Georgia, the senior had to almost abandon her name entirely. "[Utah co-head coach] Megan Marsden was like, 'I can't call you Georgia, it's "Peaches" all weekend:" Dabritz said. Even her nickname comes from Georgia, as her Utah teammates coined it based on the Georgia peach and did so before she even reached campus. "I get here, and they were like, 'We already have your nickname picked out:" Dabritz said. It's common for the Utes to pick nicknames for future teammates. For example, when Haley Lange was set to head to Salt Lake, the Utes already had Hailee Hansen on the squad, so they had to find the new Haley another name. Usually the team isn't terribly original and just plays off the gymnasts' name, as Lange ended up being simply called, "Lange:' Other Utes who have received the nickname treatment are Maddy Stover (Mad Dog), Baely Rowe (Browe) and Kailah Delaney (Dabritz says there are too many to count). Even some fans have gotten in on the fun of nicknaming the gymnasts. Freshman Kari Lee said two fans have taken to calling her Bruce, in reference to Bruce Lee. "Because of the karate, and he kicks butt': said Lee. During the preseason Utah co-head coach Greg Marsden had his own name for Lee: Leroy. But now the freshman says she pretty much responds to anything. • ■■■■■■■■ BY RYAN MILLER /ASST. SPORTS PHOTO BY CHRIS AYERS • Cynthia Fleming: Back then, it was called the bedroom of Utah; I don't know if it is still called that. My mom was Miss Utah in 1950, my dad worked in radio after attending the U. He met my mom when she won the pageant, and the rest is history. Dance wasn't as popular as it is now. I was tall, gawky and pigeon-toed and my mom enrolled me into a strict, traditional ballet program. I have nothing natural in the arts but my ability to work hard. Roland Butler at the U and "Sweet Charity" inspired me, and then I knew what I wanted to do. By the time I hit high school, dance was cool and I could do my thing. I transitioned that into roles at Pioneer Theatre Company, and it took me to a level of professionalism that really prepared me for my transition to New York City. We mimic that same level of professionalism at Salt Lake Acting Company so people are prepared for the theatre world. I wish I hadn't left school so soon though, and I moved to LA to study with Roland DuPre. After a while, my mom wanted me home unless I landed something. Then "A Chorus Line" came along and held auditions in LA. I didn't think I would get it on account of being "too tall." There were 150 girls that day and then 150 a day before. I was honestly pretty ■■■■■■■■ BY IAN SMITH /STAFF WRITER PHOTO BY KIFFER CREVELING 111 relaxed because I really didn't think I would get it. Then it was down to eight people and I passed all the dance steps. They asked me to sing and I thought, "Shit, that is it. I am done." Then I went to the piano and they asked me to sing a piece of Cassie's part which is the personification of who I am. I just wanna rehearse and work very hard and that is Cassie to a T. I honestly think that is the best I ever sang that verse. I was the only one hired, and that started my eleven-year career in "A Chorus Line." BG: We have a mutual friend in Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote "A Chorus Line:' How was your interaction with him? CF: When "A Chorus Line" was closing, there was this huge renewal of interest in the musical. Actors, politicians and celebrities of all kinds would come for the closing nights and once again, it was the biggest show in NYC. The house was always packed. At this point, I was playing the part of Christine, (you have to be versatile with roles). So Marvin came through and gave everyone in the cast these amazing champagne flutes. He gave our cast a general congratulations and then singled me out. He told me, "You played Christine exactly how I wrote it." That is my favorite Marvin Hamlisch moment. BG: Was New York City intimidating? CF: I must say, I have been very lucky. When actor friends of mine move out there, I can't give advice because after living in LA, I had a show waiting for me when I got there. I instantly had friends who showed me the DIN ell ropes — the subway, where the cool spots were to hang out. I had it easy, honestly. I can't imagine going out there without that. BG: What made you decide to come back to Utah? CF: During that time in NYC, I was a witness to the AIDS crisis. People were dropping left and right, the best man at my wedding passed away at the height of when this was going down. People stopped kissing each other on the lips because we weren't totally sure about what was happening. My gay friends were trying to become straight out of fear. My friend Alex (our dance captain) wished he wasn't gay. There were these strapping young men who looked like they were 80 years old before they died. People were lying about being sick and moved away from the feared stigma. I just couldn't handle it. I didn't know how to mourn and then I would just cry on the weekends. The whole theatre scene would have been so different. I left because it was just too hard to watch that. BG: What can the average person do to promote the arts? CF: Just show up. Attendance is so key. But also share the experience by word of mouth or through social media. Make it a ritual; it can almost be like a drug, but without the nasty side effects. Once theatre gets into your blood, you can't get it out. b.garcia@chronicle.utah.edu @ChronyArts bloodshed with refinement while still portraying violence with the gravitas it merits.This ephemeral visual stimulation is accompanied by protean music that still haunts me, making for a sensory response that echoes across the film's breadth. Without a well-defined central plot, "Timbuktu" can feel a little slow and unfocused at times. Many characters' emotionally suppressed reaction to tragic events might be culturally authentic, but the understatements undermined the power of certain scenes for me. Layla Walet Mohamed's performance as Toya, the herdsman's daughter, was a notable exception. Although lead Ibrahim Ahmed suffered from this stoicism, his portrayal of the slow deterioration of Kidane's emotional restraint during the kangaroo court trial scene easily makes up for potentially missed opportunities. I have never felt more keenly aware of the linguistic and cultural gap between a cinematic production and myself than I did during "Timbuktu." As with all foreign language films, much of the script's nuance disappears in transcribing the dialogue to English, but based on this movie's subtitles, I got the distinct impression that much more is lost in translating "Timbuktu" than usual. This further intensifies the culture shock this film evokes, and this unshakable sensation is part of what I enjoyed most while viewing it. "Timbuktu" opens a window to a world that few of us could begin to imagine. The lives of the characters within this film taste so complexly foreign that I doubt I will ever identify all the contributing spices. But now that I have experienced that singular tang, I intend to savor all of Sissako's films. I recommend "Timbuktu" to students of culture, would-be travelers and explorers of the span of the human condition. Catch it at Broadway Centre Cinema while you still can. s.stafsholt@chronicle.utah.edu @ChronyArts AT'S A WRAP "Timbuktu" exposes viewers to cultural gap T BY STEVE STAFSHOLT /STAFF WRITER ii When Peaches, Mad Dog and Bruce head to Georgia this weekend, they will be looking to do something that has only been done once in program history — finish a regular season undefeated. If they accomplish the feat, don't expect them to be too excited, though. "In the grand scheme of things, our mission and our goals are something beyond that': Megan Marsden said. "Winning every meet only tells one part of the story because so much is based on score, so the good news is we have had some nearly record-setting scores, and that's something I am more proud of, because that's what it will take to contend with the best:' The meet is set to begin 2 p.m. MT on Saturday in Athens. r miller@chronicle.utah.edu @millerjryan 8 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2015 } imbuktu" is a Mauritanian dramatic film that depicts the aftermath of a jihadist takeover in a Malian village. Recently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, this movie approaches its controversial subject with tact and honesty. While their inhumane acts remain unequivocally condemned, director Abderrahmane Sissako humanizes the members of the fundamentalist regime as much as the local population. This candid account of events constructs a profound statement on justice, cultural identity and religious power dynamics. This film is impartial to the point that the protagonist is not a certain character per se, but is instead the collective consequences of the newly established authority on the village as a whole. Numerous story lines characterize the ramifications unique to each villager, namely changes in customs elicited by various bans or violent punishment for alleged disobedience. This notion is complemented by themes of globalization and contradiction woven into the study of the selfproclaimed Islamic Police who bend sharia law to fit their devices. "Timbuktu" is visually entrancing. Sofian El Fani, who was also the cinematographer for "Blue is the Warmest Color,' utilizes his unique eye for color, movement and unconventional close-ups to compose shots of rare delicacy. Defying the trend of emphasizing gore for shock value, "Timbuktu" handles 9 |