Arts and Entertainment
‘The 39 Steps’ leads to wild ride
by Maggie Phelps, Central Hardin High School
“The 39 Steps” tends to be a production that most people are unfamiliar with. The Alfred Hitchcock inspired play usually implies that it is a show relating to thrillers and horrors. However, this could not be farther from the truth.
HSJI Feature and Opinion writing class attends the July 13 performance of “The 39 Steps” at Wells-Metz Theater. Photo used with permission of Kris Brown.
Indiana University Summer Theater (IUST) brings the production to life at the Wells-Metz Theater from July 7-30. The cast and crew has worked diligently to produce their interpretation of the show, especially during moments of hardship. The team was able to persevere through illness on staff and a delayed opening in order to deliver a memorable performance.
The book was published in 1915 and the movie adaptations followed in 1935 …
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Down on Skid Row
By Brooke Mantone, Sherman Hall, Lianna Levine, and Paola Santos
“Gee, it sure would be swell to get outta here/Bid the gutter farewell and get outta here/I’d move Heaven and Hell to get outta Skid/I’d do I don’t know what to get outta Skid Row,” eerily sings the male protagonist Seymour Krelborn of the musical, “Little Shop of Horrors,” in its opening number.
Through the musical direction of Terry LaBolt, Indiana University Summer theatre has put on Howard Ashman’s musical rendition of “Little Shop of Horrors.” The show runs from July 5 to 28 in the Wells-Meltz Theatre. Although the actors dazzle on stage, it is essential to know this production is no easy feat. Behind the scenes, dedication and creativity have made its success possible.
For instance, the renowned talking-plant, Audrey II, comes to life thanks to the puppeteer, Michael Bayler, a …
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Arts and Entertainment Students Getting Psyched about Psychics
by Alissa Firestone and Kelsey Pease
Tucked away on the top floor of a cooking supply store, Goods for Cooks, is a true example of the magical and unique treasures you can find in Bloomington’s busy hub, Kirkwood Ave. Scott Kellogg Tarot began all with just a single deck of cards that was given to his wife, Karen Knight, as a gift. This deck didn’t mean much to either of them, until, Kellogg decided to take a deeper dive into the world of Tarot.
It was 1988, when he happened upon this deck of Tarot cards at his wife’s house. He began looking through the cards and observing each piece of art, noticing that there were some similar to Dungeons and Dragons, a game he had been playing since 8. It was at this very moment, Kellogg had become instantly fascinated. He …
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An urgent need to repurpose
By Brooke Mantone, Sherman Hall, Lianna Levine and Paola Santos
To read our article on sustainable clothing efforts in Bloomington and see our photo collage, click below.
To learn how you can be more sustainable and become aware of current efforts and crises, check out this Padlet.
To learn more about Bloomington vintage stores, take a look at our Canva!
Little Shop of Wonders
Sitting in the soft, cushiony seats surrounding the “thrust stage”, the audience for Indiana University’s production of Little Shop of Horrors was in great spirits; they appropriately roared with laughter at Audrey’s crazed, nightmare-of-a-dentist boyfriend Orin Scrivello, and squirmed with fear at Audrey Two’s sinister, human-like persona in the form of a monstrous plant. The audience seemed pleased – but probably did not see the show on the same mechanics level as Wicked or The Phantom of the Opera.
However, what the audience does not see is the intense and agonizing lengths that the actors behind these beloved roles go to behind the scenes, just for a smile. Upon speaking with some of the people behind the craft, a multitude of surprising behind-the-scenes secrets were revealed.
Michael Bayler, a third-year MFA student at IU, is the talent behind the wise-cracking plant …
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The 'Persuasion' of black box theater benefits
History is one of the most compelling subject to study. People are always longing to go back and relive the glory of what was. In particular, the period of British history where King George III fell and the regency of British royalty and people of esteemed class has continuously struck the chord of curiosity with people of all ages whether it be with the fairytale-like ball gowns or the never-ending parties.
I myself had a chance to be a part of this time period. Though I don’t own a time machine. And I certainly wasn’t born during this period. Instead, I saw the Indiana University’s Summer Theatre production of “Persuasion,” adapted by Jennifer Le Blanc.
As the multifaceted and ever intertwining love lives of the Elliot family played out, thanks to the black box style of theater, audience members took their place on …
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Q and A With Actress Ashley Dillard
Ashley Dillard is an actress based in Bloomington. Some people may recognize her face from around campus, where she just completed her masters of fine arts degree at IndianaUniversity, or from her performances in the community. But for others don’t know her well or realize what it takes to be an actress, here are five things to know about the local actress.
Her first taste of acting was in a school play about where she was Martha Manta. She even made her own costume for this performance.
She always knew that she wanted to be an actress, but “I got a distracted somewhere along 10th 11th grade because I really liked to cook, so I thought I might want to be a chef, and we had a professional chef come in and said that chefs have to work a lot of long …
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WFHB Radio Proves it Cares About the Community
The WFHB radio station is the first station in Bloomington to be community based, accepting volunteers starting in 1993. This particular radio station has also started a non-profit organization in the past which was just the beginning of WFHB showing how much they care for the people of Bloomington.
The WFHB has a radio station has an hour-long segment they do regularly called “BloomingOUT.” BloomingOUT revolves around two radio hosts speaking with people who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community about topics that are relevant to the LGBTQ+ community itself. Subjects spoken about can range from being “out” while involved in sports to concerns involving the government making decisions that could affect the community.
WFHB also has ¡Hola Bloomington! which is news, public affairs, and music all in Spanish. This incorporates Latin and Hispanic culture into news that is otherwise difficult …
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Firehouse Broadcasting: A look inside the WFHB station
One of the small broadcast studios inside the station, where volunteers go on air for their segments. “I’ve never been in a radio station that’s so easy to operate without preparing,” said Cindy Beaulé, volunteer coordinator at WFHB.
WFHB, Firehouse Broadcasting, is Indiana’s first community radio station located in the streets of Bloomington. With an endless list of programs available for audiences to listen to, WFHB has something for all audiences. However, taking an inside look into the WFHB studio, I discovered some fun details most listeners may not know about life in the studio.
The station is located in a building, which was formerly the old fire station, hence the name Firehouse Broadcasting. In 1959, the town of Bloomington decided to convert an old garage into the second town fire station, which had 46 members. When the building …
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Persuasion review:
“Persuasion” at the IU Wells-Metz Theatre is a play based on the book by Jane Austen. I was privileged enough to see it recently. The performance was absolutely beautiful and realistic, but the only thing that I wish could have been different was the way that the cast would switch off from British accents to American accents it was confusing because right after they would switch from narration to their main parts in the play.
One cast member in particular who showed a good example of switching roles was Anne (Ashley Dillard) when she switched roles from narration to her main role. She would do a great job with automatically switching her facial expression and body language.
In our society today there are many issues that people still face that have been going on …
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