Odessa Gaines is a junior studying cognitive and brain sciences and minoring in film and media studies. Odessa can be reached at kayla.gaines@tufts.edu.
On March 29, J-Hope of BTS dropped his second official album, “HOPE ON THE STREET VOL. 1.” The album is made up of six tracks and was released alongside a docuseries on Amazon Prime Video. The release of the “HOPE ON THE STREET” project comes over halfway through J-Hope’s military service, a duty all Korean male citizens must fulfill.
In late February 2024, TikTok user @reesamteesa posted a 50-part series spanning over six hours about her experience meeting, dating, marrying and divorcing a pathological liar. The massive playlist called “Who TF Did I Marry?!?” has gained over hundreds of millions of views and Tareasa Johnson, known as Reesa Teesa, has gained national attention for her story.
This weekend, Tufts’ Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies opened their spring production of “Twelfth Night.” The 2018 musical adaptation of the Shakespearean classic, with music by Shaina Taub, is a tale of love, mistaken identity and grief.
“Becoming a Man,” now playing in its world premiere at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, is a deeply personal coming-out story written by P. Carl, based on his 2020 memoir of the same name. Chronicling Carl’s experience embracing his identity as a transgender man, “Becoming a Man” asks the question: “When we change, can the people we love come with us?” The play’s non-linear narrative gives audiences a glimpse into Carl’s life both pre- and post-transition, as he struggles to preserve his relationship with his wife, Lynette, and find his place in the world.
“Walking Backwards” is an original play written and directed by Tufts sophomore Rowan Cunningham. The two-act show ran as a staged reading in Paige Hall on Feb. 15 and 16 and tells the story of found family, growth and all that comes with being a queer and transgender person moving through life. (Note: Cunningham read as Rose for the performance of this review).
“John Proctor is the Villain,” currently running at the Huntington's Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, tells a story that feels timely and timeless all at once. Set in a one-stoplight Georgia town in 2018, Kimberly Belflower’s play tells a story for the present moment that draws inspiration from Arthur Miller’s classic drama “The Crucible” (1953). A coming-of-age story for a new generation, “John Proctor is the Villain” explores the ins and outs of friendship, power dynamics and the patriarchy in a hilarious and moving production.
The five-member K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE released their second full-length album on Jan. 29, titled “2.” The group, consisting of Soyeon, Minnie, Miyeon, Shuhua and Yuqi, debuted in 2018 and has consistently put out hit after hit since then. So, does “2” continue their rise in the industry?
TWS, the South Korean boy band, recently made their debut on Jan. 22 with their mini-album “Sparkling Blue,” following the pre-release of their single “Oh Mymy : 7s” on Jan. 2. The PLEDIS Entertainment-backed group is comprised of six members: Dohoon, Shinyu, Youngjae, Kyungmin, Jihoon and Hanjin. The members were officially announced a month before their debut in a series of videos and shorts on the YouTube channel of HYBE LABELS, PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT’s parent company.
Playing now through Feb. 4 at the Boston Citizens Bank Opera House, the touring production of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” is a dazzling display of performance. Based on Baz Luhrmann’s beloved 2001 film, the stage adaptation premiered just blocks away from the Opera House in 2018 at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre before making its Broadway opening in 2019 with stars Aaron Tveit and Karen Olivo. The stage production expands on the movie’s jukebox musical score, combining more than 70 songs to create an eclectic lineup of pop hits.
With the start of a new semester at Tufts comes a new wave of theater performances on campus. From the theater department to Torn Ticket II and Pen, Paint, and Pretzels, we can expect a semester full of art and passion.
