Opera opposites attract
Tonight, the Tufts Opera Ensemble shows that this common saying applies to more than just your love life.
With co-directors Carol Mastrodomenico and Steven Morris at the helm, the TOE will perform the works of two different composers from two different musical and ethnic backgrounds, blending the sounds into an antithetical synthesis that will sway even the staunchest opera critic.
Both works are one-act operas, but the similarity ends there. The first, Ralph Vaughn Williams' "Riders to the Sea," is the tale of a grieving Irish woman tortured by the loss of her son to the rough waters of the North Atlantic and by her desperate attempt to save her remaining child from a similar fate. On the other hand, Gian Carlo Menotti's "The Telephone" pokes fun at suburban America, as the hapless Ben's plans to propose to his girlfriend Lucy are persistently thwarted by Lucy's ringing telephone.
With such polarized themes, TOE's program is appropriately dubbed "Dark and Light: A Night at the Opera," and it will be held in Alumnae Hall tonight at 8:00 p.m. Admission is free.
A merry man's play in the making
It's a modern day Robin Hood tale with a twist: Robin Hood is female. And homeless. And running her steal-from-the-rich-give-to-the-poor operation out of an abandoned urban churchyard.
Begun two years ago for a class, "Churchyard Motel" has since become senior theater junkie Marc Frost's thesis project. The play draws heavily on Frost's own experiences as well as on the work of German playwright Bertolt Brecht. The result is a dramatic production whose archetypical characters do not attempt to create the illusion of reality until these seemingly cookie-cutter characters challenge their archetype roles.
In the spirit of his play's commentary on popular "cultural myths and fairytales," Frost invites the public to help shape and polish his raw script tomorrow night with a "bare bones" reading in the Balch Arena Theater at 9:00 p.m.
In exchange for the audience's helpful feedback and reactions, Frost thinks that the reading's attendees will receive a three-fold benefit from their participation in his creative process.
Said the playwright, "I would hope that people come and see the play and that they think a little bit, that they laugh and enjoy it, and most of all that they gain or regain an interest in theater."
This oasis is not just a mirage
As final projects and papers start to pile up, take the time to wind down at Cousens Gym this Wednesday between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m., where Health Services will host their 2nd Annual Spring Oasis wellness fair.
According to Nurse Practitioner and Health Services staffer Janet Mozes, the gym will be hopping with licensed health care professionals and campus groups providing consultations, therapies, and demonstrations.
Spring Oasis is what Mozes calls a "treat for students" who desperately need to "relax and revive," according to the program's motto. While research shows that college kids are far unhealthier than their working counterparts, Mozes acknowledges that the "vast majority of students here are very savvy and know how to take care of themselves."
However, she also said, "There is definitely a priority on academic performance at a place like Tufts," especially during spring finals. "A lot of [students] are just pressed against the wall, and when it comes to their bodies versus their academics, they usually go with the academics. But you can only go as far as your body will take you."
So stop by on Wednesday for free massages, healthy snacks, acupuncture demonstrations, yoga classes, and relaxing arts and crafts. "We want to make you smile," says Mozes, "which is, of course, a big part of wellness."
--compiled by Kelly Rizzetta
