Upon entering Christian Tomaszewski's exhibit, "Hunting for Pheasants," at the Tufts University Art Gallery, the viewer is assaulted by color. Large vertical bands are painted on all the walls of the Remis Sculpture Court, making the room seem like a giant television testing pattern, and this visual overload is the precursor to a show no less confusing or surreal.
At the Boston Opera House, "Dirty Dancing" fans are greeted by an empty stage that sharply contrasts with the ornate venue's red plush seats and intricate gold-laced columns. But as pairs of dancers flood the stage, a resort in the Catskill Mountains during the summer of 1963 suddenly comes to life.
It's tempting to compare "Confessions of a Shopaholic" to "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006). Both chick flicks, based on books, center around aspiring journalists involved in one way or another in the fashion world. But comparing the two would be like comparing Claire's and Cartier. "Confessions of a Shopaholic" is essentially a fairy tale for the fashion crowd. The film succeeds as a mindless comedy but does not soar as a fabulous book-turned-film fashion fix like "The Devil Wears Prada."
Whenever the music industry begins to take itself too seriously, a crusader of hilarity can be counted on to keep conventions in check. The Lonely Island, following this long line of jesters such as Weird Al and Spinal Tap, is no different. It targets hip hop and electro, genres ripe for comedic parody, but neither the songwriting nor humor holds up over the album's running time, despite a few gems.
A manual on how to be a better lover, "How to Treat a Woman: The Art and Science of Sex Whispering" has arrived fresh off the press, just in time for the bed-romping of Valentine's Day. Thomas Paine, M.D. (a pseudonym) touts his book as a step-by-step guide for young men in how to become a "sex whisperer." The book begins, "The mission of a sex whisperer is to give a woman the gift of an orgasm (it is taken for granted that the sex whisperer will have one)."
Not many can afford a trip to Suzhou, China, also known as the Oriental Venice. "Gentlemen of Suzhou," an exhibition of Chinese paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), gives visitors a virtual tour of what the Garden City of China looked like during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.), at the same time that Europe was experiencing its Renaissance.
In anticipation of his latest horror film, "Friday the 13th" (2009), The Daily sat down with star Jared Padalecki. Padalecki is known for his work on the TV series "Supernatural" as well as his role in other horror films like "House of Wax" (2005) and "Cry Wolf" (2005). He headlines in the latest film in the "Friday the 13th" slasher-horror series, which reboots the franchise and almost summarizes the first four films into one. Padalecki's character, Clay, is a lone traveler looking for his missing sister, Whitney (played by Amanda Righetti). After the police find nothing, Clay does some searching on his own. He travels into the woods near Camp Crystal Lake with some new friends, only to find a faster, stronger maniacal killer named Jason Vorhees (Derek Mears). The film opens tomorrow. Tufts Daily: Have you seen the finished movie yet? Jared Padalecki: I have not. I might be the only member of the cast and crew that hasn't seen it yet because I shoot "Supernatural" in Vancouver. Every time they have a screening, I'm out of the country. I actually saw 20 minutes of it in New York on Saturday. TD: What did you think of the first 20 minutes? JP: Oh, it's badass. I'm not just saying that because I am in the movie, but I am really excited to be a part of it. I think I had a smile on my face the whole time. I was saying to myself, ‘This is cool; this is scary,' and the audience seemed to be loving it. It's better than it needs to be. TD: How do you think this film is going to separate itself from the rest? JP: Jason got a little cheesy toward number 12 of the installments … it was like "Jason Goes to the Moon" (referring to Jason X) or "Jason Shops at Target." It started out scary and then ended up kinda campy. That's fine; it has its time and place, but I don't think that time and place is with Jason Vorhees at Camp Crystal Lake. So the guys who put together the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" [(2003)] remake, "The Amityville Horror" [(2005)] remake and "The Hitcher" [(2006)] remake are also behind the "Friday the 13th" [(2009)] remake. You'll notice how they tried to make those films sexy and new while still paying homage to the original film, and that's what they did here … made it for a new generation almost. TD: Did you get a chance to work with [producer] Michael Bay on the set? JP: Yeah, he was there, but he wasn't there for all of it … He has a hundred million projects in the works. But we really worked hard with Andrew Form and Brad Fuller, who were the on-set producers, and I am sure they were on the phone everyday multiple times with Michael Bay. He did show up for a few to check up on things and make sure they were going well. TD: How much creative influence did he have? JP: I think he had a tremendous creative influence. I know that every costume, every line change and set change and idea change ultimately goes through him. He takes a very active part in movies that he is involved in. It was really impressive and cool for me to see. That's how he got to where he is. TD: What did you do to prepare for your role, and how did you pretend to be scared when you knew what was going on? JP: Well, for my role, I was filming "Supernatural" until April 28, and I was on set April 29. So there was really no time to change over. So I tried to familiarize myself with the script the best that I could and get a sense for what the director is doing and what the editors are going to do and what kind of movie they are making. I don't want to play it cheesy and campy and then everyone else plays it real … I want to know what type of movie I am making. I really just tried to play the reality of the moment and just make my character as real as possible. TD: Is Derek Mears [the actor who plays Jason Vorhees] a method actor? Is he Jason on set when the camera is not rolling? JP: No, not at all. In fact, one scene we were filming on top of a bus where we have a fight and the camera messed up or something, so in the middle of the take before they called "cut," we just started dancing, like having a dance-a-thon on top of the bus. It was five in the morning, and I was all beat up, and I was having a dance party with Jason Vorhees on the top of a bus. It was kind of a fun little moment that I get to laugh about. TD: What was it like working with the rest of the cast since they are around your age? JP: It was really fun since we are all a young, hip cast and everybody had a lot of different things to offer. One of the more important things is that we all have an equal part, and we all have to carry this movie to success. If one guy or one girl does a crappy job, then the viewer will be like, "Ah, I'm watching a crappy horror movie." Everyone was nice, and we had fun; we went out drinking together every now and again. TD: Did you ever get recognized while walking around in Austin, Texas after filming? JP: Yeah but people in Austin are really cool about it. There weren't really any screaming fans; someone would just come up to me and go, "Hey dude, I'm a fan. What are you doing in Austin?" Everyone was really nice and relaxed. TD: What was the most enjoyable part of being in the movie? JP: Well, I am a fan of the franchise and a fan of the genre, so it was a big deal. Also, my character goes head to head with Jason at multiple points in the movie, so it was really cool having grown up watching this series and now actually being a part of it and being on set fighting Jason. TD: What's it like filming a death scene? JP: That's a trick question. I'm smarter than the average bear, brother.
When most people think of opera, they don't think of America. Most recognizable Western operas were written a very long time ago in Europe, and only a select few were written in English. It is perhaps largely because of this fact that most Americans view opera as an inaccessible art form. What does a Midwesterner know about the Paris of "Tales of Hoffmann" or the average Southerner care about the Rome of "La Tosca?" The Tufts Opera Ensemble hopes to change students' conception of the art form as it opens its second full-scale production tonight in the Distler Performance Hall of the Granoff Music Center with a performance of an American opera. "Our Town," the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Thornton Wilder, is an iconic American production. Following the lives (and deaths) of some of the inhabitants of the fictional New England town of Grover's Corners, "Our Town" is famous for its simplicity and insight into American life. So how does this show translate into opera? "It's maybe not a show you would conventionally think of as an opera," said junior Jenna Reece, who portrays the town busybody, Mrs. Soames. "At first it would seem odd to mix opera, a kind of ornamental media, with ‘Our Town,' the most famous minimalist play ever written. But the music and the story really work the two together really well, and it's a fun show." "Our Town" The show, composed by Ned Rorem with libretto by J. D. McClatchy, is a faithful adaptation of its parent play, cutting characters and plot only where necessary and often leaving whole lines intact. Rorem was asked to compose its music because of his status as an iconic American songwriter, one who would be able to make the play accessible to the general public. The music is largely recitative with simple, easy-to-understand lines that move the story along. Written by a composer primarily famous for his songs, though, there are some melodies worth remembering. "There are some really good moments in the piece," Carol Mastrodomenico, the opera's director and a lecturer in the department of music, said. "Some duets especially are very pretty. Once you've listened to the music a few times, you also start to pick out some really clever themes, such as these three transition chords that Rorem uses throughout to denote passing of time or emotional development in the characters. It's very interesting." Mastrodomenico has also capitalized on several moments in the score by adding physical touches or meetings of the eyes synchronized with effective chords. These moments add beautifully to the show by relating the feeling evoked by the music to gestures that appear in everyday life. Though most of the music in the opera is newly written, Rorem also incorporated some traditional church hymns into his score. These hymns set the tone for the dramatic moments in the opera, such as the wedding between George and Emily, and manage to blend in seamlessly with the rest of the new music. A modern classic "Our Town" has also infused new life into an old classic with additions to the script using modern technology. For the first time ever, a projection screen will be used on the Distler stage. Throughout the opera, scenery and information will be projected behind the actors, with the words entering into a dialogue with on-stage proceedings. It is an innovative move, one that is different enough to be compelling yet doesn't compromise the intended simplicity of the story. The lighting in the space has also been changed to add drama to the show while making the small stage seem larger and more open, as the original set was supposed to look. The Tufts production of "Our Town" is exciting because it is the Boston-area premiere of the work. Written three years ago, the rights have only recently been released, and it's a tremendous opportunity to practice a classic art form while working with fresh, new material. Finding a dynamic Many of the students in the production have never sung in an opera before and have found the experience both challenging and compelling. "I've done a lot of music theatre, and working with [student theatre organization Pens, Paint, and Pretzels] in the past," senior Jonathan Carlson said. "But this is my senior year, and I thought, you know, why not? This is the first time I've been in an opera, and it's been really interesting." The cast is moderately large, and the group's camaraderie is definitely perceivable. The silliness and comfort the cast members display with each other in the dressing room translates to beautifully acted relationships on stage that are a pleasure for audiences to watch. The range of class years also makes for an interesting, diverse production. "The great thing about the opera, this year as well as last year," Mastrodomenico said, "is that the underclassmen seem very excited by it. We do have more seniors than we did last year, but ... it's a really a big draw for underclassmen and the new students." One of the freshmen in the cast, Bryana Marrero, decided to audition to experience something new at Tufts. "I did a lot of choir and musical theatre in high school, but this is the first time doing an opera," Marrero said. "I came to one of the open houses during orientation, and I saw the opera as one of the ‘things to do' in the music department. I thought it would be a really good opportunity to get involved." Engaging with the audience Underclassmen aren't the only people at Tufts excited to participate. Many voices from the faculty and administration — including Provost Jamshed Bharucha and Dean of Undergraduate Education James Glaser — will also make appearances in cameo roles. This continues a tradition started last year when University President Lawrence Bacow and his wife Adele made appearances as inebriated sailors in the production of "Dido and Aeneas." A spike in interest from the student body in the opera program has allowed three of the larger roles to be double-cast, and the Tufts Opera Ensemble has been able to expand the scale of its first production last year. Though the physical constraints of the hall do not allow for a large number of musicians, it is still able to accommodate the 22-piece orchestra written for the show and comprised almost entirely of Tufts undergraduate students. Conducted by Steven Morris, who is also the musical director for the opera, this orchestra will be larger than that of last year's production by 17 pieces. Room to grow Because this year's production is much larger than last year's, the cast has been rehearsing three days a week since the beginning of the school year. This dedication to the program shows up clearly in the acting but also in the production's behind-the-scenes activity. Student costume design, for example, has been a source of professional yet affectionate discourse among the cast and its directors. The Tufts Opera Ensemble has been establishing itself as an exciting and innovative program in the music department, and "Our Town" has proven that the quality and enthusiasm behind it is not going to disappear soon. "Our Town" opens tonight and will run through Sunday. Tickets are on sale now at the Granoff Music Center Beelzebubs Box Office and are $10 with a Tufts ID and $7 without. Tickets for tonight's show are cheaper, however, including only $1 with ID. Come down to Granoff to experience a New England classic infusing new talent and technology with an old art form.
After over two years away from television, Will & Grace's Eric McCormack has returned to prime time in TNT's "Trust Me." But although he might be trying to use the show to move himself beyond "Will & Grace," odds are good that it will go down as nothing more than a footnote in his acting career.
Last week I weighed in on most of the Oscars. I also happened to anger a lot of Internet-land by saying that Heath Ledger did not deserve his inevitable award and was only receiving it since he is no longer among us. Internet-land readers promptly responded that I could not insult his acting as he was dead. I felt that they only proved my point. Now onto the big five, complete with my unscientific odds of them winning. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (2008) is 160 minutes long and features no conflict whatsoever (aging backwards is a premise, not a conflict, people). All this movie has to offer is a script that tells and does not show, rampant with clichés and completely ignorant of any complications involving race in the first half of the 20th century, and acting more wooden than my floor. In my eyes, even "The Dark Knight" (2008) is more deserving of the Oscar than this load. Even so, this is currently the picture most likely to win. It is bland, inoffensive, epic and pretty. It has the most nominations and a good, life-affirming message of the triumph of the human spirit and the joys of love, family and unity. Odds: 5:1. "Frost/Nixon" (2008) feels like the ultimate fifth-candidate movie. It's the "Good Night, and Good Luck" (2005) of this year, if you will. It's a reasonably well-made film about an important time in history, making it palatable enough for younger viewers to appreciate while maintaining some cinematic integrity. But is it particularly amazing and memorable? Can you imagine anyone ever using this film to teach anything important about the history of film or how to make film? Hell, can you picture it having overly astounding DVD sales? Not really. But it's good and has all the makings of an "important" movie. I would be much less outraged with this film's nomination had there been not so many snubs this year. But hey, it's not like it's going to bring home the Oscar. The only way it could is if the badness of the competing films overwhelms voters, leaving this placating, decent movie victorious after the struggle. Odds: 20:1. "Milk" (2008) is the only film that I would have nominated and the only one I can comfortably see receiving the title of "Best Picture." It's brilliantly acted, powerful and at times even a bit daring in terms of style and content. Would every film admit that its "saintly" protagonist hooked up with random strangers? However, it talks about homosexuals (shhh), which can make its chances of winning go one of two ways. Either we'll see a repeat of "Brokeback" (2005)/"Capote" (2005) and the Academy will be afraid to support such a controversial subject matter, or the case will be: "Dear Gay Community, we're sorry for 2006. And that whole Prop 8 thing. Please accept this little gold statue as a token of our regret." Odds: 12:1. "The Reader" (2008) must be the result of a mix-up. "The Wrestler" (2008) is an all-around powerful film worthy of an Oscar nomination, while this is a middling one that is only notable for a singular, strong performance. Kate Winslet is astounding in this film, portraying a morally gray character that excites both sympathy and disgust for feeling such sympathy in audiences. The rest of the film ranges between being boring and artificial. The other main character in "The Reader" rivals "Slumdog Millionare's" (2008) in terms of being the most undefined, un-compelling protagonist in an Oscar-nominated film. Whenever Winslet's character was not onscreen, I found myself checking my email on my Blackberry. The film itself feels too much like it was made for the sole purpose of snagging an Academy nomination. It has the tired montages of "tense moment of heightened cutting between events as violins swell" and "inspirational scene as protagonist accomplishes something as a single speech plays in the background." Thankfully, this movie is too controversial and possibly even too bland to fit the Academy's tastes. Odds: 30:1. "Slumdog Millionaire" still makes me feel under-whelmed, and I saw it before the inconceivable hype broke out. Again, we have a very pretty film and some nice direction. The premise is clever, if not a bit gimmicky, and more reliant on coincidence than the complete works of Charles Dickens. However, I found it hard to be "the feel-good movie of the year" when I could not give two craps about any of the characters. They essentially all fell into the categories of "nicest people in the world," "meanest people in the world" and "meanest people turned nice" except for the host, who is also the only decent actor. The big question, though, is if it will win. I say no. While there is a decent chance that the Academy may want to appear diverse and give a token Best Picture to a foreign film, I doubt that they will. The Oscars are a mess of masturbatory self-congratulation on Hollywood's behalf. Do you really think that, even for a year, they would self-congratulate anyone other than themselves? If there were any year that they would, this would be it, but ultimately I think the answer will be "No." Odds: 7:1. Will I be right? Will I be wrong? Only 11 days will tell.
"Lie to Me," one of FOX Network's new mid-season shows, is centered on a detective agency where the employees are trained to tell when someone is lying. Starring Tim Roth as Dr. Cal Lightman, the show is part crime thriller and part office drama, with the rest of Lightman's staff playing integral roles in each episode. Truth be told, despite Roth's best efforts, there is nothing that makes this show stand out among other crime shows. Lightman studied the psychology of faces and gestures for nearly twenty years in order to better understand how and why people lie. Along with his partner and friend Dr. Gillian Foster (played by Kelli Williams), he left the government to open his own independent firm for solving crime. The duo teams up with Eli Loker (Brendan Hines) and Ria Torres (Monica Raymund) to solve the usual crimes dealt with on TV procedurals, such as rape, bribery, political misconduct and murder. The solutions to many of the cases are usually not obvious, with twists at the end that make them interesting and easy to watch. The show features adequate acting, decent dialogue and intriguing plot lines. Some similarities in content to "The Mentalist" on CBS could turn many viewers away though, as well as the fact that Simon Baker will probably draw more female viewers than Roth. But Roth's acting ability is certainly not in question after last summer's turn as the villain in "The Incredible Hulk" and his career-making roles in Quentin Tarantino's films, "Reservoir Dogs" (1992) and "Pulp Fiction" (1994). In this show, he stands above the rest of the cast, balancing Lightman's crime-solving intelligence with a light-hearted humor, mindful of the fact that his occupation is quite an odd one. It isn't usually possible for one great actor to carry a television show though; great television requires a joint effort from every member of the cast. Unfortunately, the rest of the actors in "Lie to Me" don't measure up. The characters are somewhat intriguing, though, especially Hines' portrayal of Loker, a man who practices what he calls "radical honesty," in which he says anything and everything that comes to his mind. The dynamic between Lightman and all his employees is interesting — with room for development in future episodes. Specifically, the relationship between Lightman and Foster is noteworthy because it draws on a deep shared history, and early on it is revealed that Lightman knows Foster's husband regularly lies to her. TV veteran Williams (from "Men in Trees" and "The Practice") provides a foil character for Roth's tough, cynical Lightman. With a theme of lying, the show could easily become a moral soapbox about the virtues of honesty. However, "Lie to Me" maintains the moral gray area that makes for good television. Many of the plot twists include some lesson about the necessity of lying — sometimes for protection of others or for the capture of criminals. At one point, Lightman even coerces a witness to lie for a polygraph test in order to catch a rapist. There are also many cover-ups and lies told within the firm, especially between Lightman and Foster. Lightman hides some dark secret about a case in the past, and Foster seems to be an expert at lying to herself about her personal life and her feelings for Lightman. The show raises some questions about the entirety of human interaction, implying that people should pay more attention to body language and facial expressions: It suggests that people rely on words to discern meaning, but people are actually usually lying for one reason or another. Many people will probably be skeptical of Lightman's techniques, but the producers have somewhat solved this problem by showing examples of historical figures who lied and their expressions and gestures at the time. For example, Richard Nixon's speeches are used to demonstrate a man who doesn't believe a word he's just said. The psychology behind the show seems to be well-researched, and the technology used to solve crimes differs from other similar shows. Even so, there seems to be something missing that keeps it from jumping to the realm of great television. Everything about "Lie to Me," besides Roth's acting and the few questions it raises about the complexity of human interaction, drips with mediocrity, almost as though it is nothing more than a mish-mash of other crime shows.
Postcards may seem like a modern concept, but images created as souvenirs have been sold for centuries. "Visions of Kyoto," now at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, brings together a variety of woodblock prints originally sold to tourists in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cheap way to remember their visit to the ancient city. The exhibit is part of a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Boston and Kyoto, and features woodblock pictures that were first commonly used to produce images comparable to a postcard of a sun setting over the New Jersey shore. However unglamorous their early purpose was, woodblock images have certainly evolved over the centuries. "Visions of Kyoto" is an examination of the Japanese art of woodblock prints or ‘ukiyo-e' and its evolution, which in many ways parallels the evolution of Japanese society. Made using an efficient multi-step process, woodcuts were easy to produce and replicate. "Visions of Kyoto" examines the changing perception of the city through this popular medium. No one artist is featured in the exhibit, and the images span from the late 18th century up to the mid-20th. The passage of time as seen through these images provides insight into the changes in the medium and the society the pictures are portraying. The exhibit itself is set up as a series of mini-cycles, one on each wall. The walls hold a number of images on a single topic in chronological order, providing a miniature evolution of the view of that topic. One wall features a series of woodblocks portraying fashionable Kyoto women. The first three images are from the early 19th century and show elaborately dressed courtesans. In one image by Yashima Gakutei, three courtesans lounge about drinking tea; great attention is paid to their robes, which are intricately decorated. The attention to the traditional robes gives an air of nostalgia to the piece, perhaps heralding the opening of Japan to world trade in the middle of the century and marking the time in which certain Japanese traditions would begin to fade. Though beautiful with their simple lines and bright colors, the pictures give the feeling of mass production. Since different artisans carried out each part of the printmaking process, early wood cut artists were distanced from their work and had only a minor impact on the final product. The generic faces of courtesan beauty in the three previously mentioned images attest to a lack of concern for the image's originality and a greater focus on simple aesthetic appeal. The print in the middle of the cycle is by the artist Domoto Inshu from the late 1920s. Two women carry baskets on their heads and appear to be struggling amidst a treacherous-looking landscape. As opposed to the first three, which had a rather mechanical, reproducible style, this one has a quality more closely associated with watercolor. Artists began carrying out the entire process themselves around this time, so Inshu had a lot more control over the piece. The picture is more dynamic and appears to demonstrate recognition of the artistic value of the woodblock medium, as opposed to its commercial possibilities. The final piece is "Maiko, Kyoto," by Saitô Kiyoshi. It is an image of a Maiko, a geisha girl who is in the process of being trained. Made in 1961, the print is a highly abstract image of the girl. Although the artist is using the traditional woodblock medium, he draws attention to the separateness of the applied colors to flatten the composition. The face of the girl is not even included; it is hinted at only by an area of white underneath her black hair. In this way, the final piece in the cycle is just as much a non-portrait as the earliest images. Kiyoshi uses this detachment to examine the dehumanization of all women who played this role in a very modern, global way. The artist not only seems to be examining Japanese traditions, but also seems to be questioning whether such ideals work in contemporary society. "Visions of Kyoto" shows a transformation of the woodcut medium in Japan from a way to mass produce nostalgic images which glorified the traditional Kyoto to a way in which artists examine Japanese traditions in a global context. The opening of Japan to the world meant not only an opening of ideas, but also a broader audience for artists' ideas. Woodblock proved a practical medium to advance Japan's artwork, even through periods of modernization.
Dolphin City doesn't try to be a flashy firecracker band, but instead grabs listeners' attention in their own way. Made up of Tyler Ellis, Kevin Bleitz, Eric Scullin and Drew Morgan, the young four-piece outfit from Newport Beach, California surprises with a developed, lush sound that bands usually only find after years of playing together.
They are the people we idolize. They live lavish lifestyles, wearing million-dollar bling, hosting exclusive and wild parties and cruising around in the most expensive rides. They are the current titans of the music industry: rappers.
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA) will host a free screening of the animated film "Grave of the Fireflies" (1988) Wednesday at 7 p.m., which will be followed by a panel discussion featuring some of the leading authorities on anime. The event is free and open to the public.
From the moment she sprints out of the front door with her banana-colored raincoat and purple hair, the titular heroine of "Coraline" makes one thing clear: It won't be easy to keep up with her. Coraline proceeds to lead us through deep woods with Tim Burton-esque trees, a wondrous, blooming garden, a miniature circus performed by mice and into the depths of a spider's web. All of this just happens to take place in 3-D.
It's official: They've emerged from the garage. "Love, Hate And Then There's You" (2009), the latest from the Von Bondies, sees the band dive headfirst in the direction of the catchy TV theme song "C'mon, C'mon," leaving a bit of its soul behind. Though certainly upbeat and fun upon first listen, the album isn't accessible enough to make a big splash, nor is it nearly quirky enough to satisfy garage-rock aficionados.
Imagine, if you can, a group of ordinary people with inexplicably extraordinary powers. They are as flawed as any of us, with tragic back stories and plenty of baggage. They are forced against their will to choose sides in an epic battle of good versus evil. They are even fighting against themselves! Who are these hardscrabble heroes? The mutants in "X-Men" (2000)? The heroes from "Heroes?" The vampires from "Twilight" (2008)? No! They are Pushers, Movers, Watchers, Sniffers, Bleeders and Stitchers -- obviously. "Push" takes place in an alternate reality where people go by these names based on what superpower they have.
Tufts' Africana Center hosted an evening of dance, music and spoken word on Friday night to kick off Black History Month.
In the past year, a red, white and blue image of President Barack Obama has become nearly synonymous with the word "hope" and an iconic symbol of his campaign. Now, its creator is getting a chance to share the rest of his work with the world. Shepard Fairey's first museum exhibition, "Supply and Demand," opens today at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (ICA).
