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Literary fun!
Today's installment of the Guild House Writers Series features Wolf
Knight, a three-time Ann Arbor Poetry Slam champion, returning to
read his poetry after a two-year absence. And you can aim high too -
there will be an open mic session following Knight's presentation! Just
go on down to Guild House, 802 Monroe St., at 8:30 p.m. to join in the
wild festivities.
Monday
November 4, 1996
5A
1W ESTY
EVENING OF INDIAN.,,\4Ai
4
11th Annual IASA Cultural Show thrills Hill crowd
By Eugene Bowen
Daily Arts Writer
Diversity is a trademark characteristic of
lia. From the more than 300 million Hindu
deities to the once-mighty Mogul Empire to
internationally revered humanitarians like
Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa, an
immense harmony of different languages, reli-
gious beliefs; political affiliations and forms of
entertainment unite to create the melodious bliss
known as the Indian nation.
That same bliss must have been packaged and
shipped overseas to Hill Auditorium some time
st week. Because Saturday night the 11 th
mnual Indian American Student Association
Cultural Show - coordinated by Megha Sata
and Neha Patel and featuring more than 300 par-
ticipants - delivered the joys and sorrows of
India and Indian America to an overflowing Hill
audience.
Song and dance were the staples of the cultur-
al show fare. Opening the
night was the original
composition "Kalyan," a \ RE
musical expression of love
sung by Anita Aysola and C
danced by 12 women in
bright blue with red head-
dress. Another beautiful
performance by 15
women, "Marathi Dance," is a traditional
Maharashtra dance. Yet nothing could compare
to the contrasting "Bharata
Natyam" and "Raas."
A blissful ambiance surrounded
the six women dancing the
"Bharata Natyam." Their move-
ments were perfectly synchro-
nized, constantly metamorphosiz-
ing from the slow and languid to
the flurried and hectic, then back
again. The bells the dancers wore
about their ankles accentuated the
ever-changing pace of their move-
ments.
The upbeat "Raas" was complete
with stick tossing, twirling and
throwing, as well as dancers
bounding joyously from one end of
the stage to the other. The all-white
worn by the men formed a perfect
background against which a ram-
paging sea of colorful effects
caused by the women dancers' garb
"i could be seen and felt.
T MYERS/Daily Something beautiful could cer-
vities. tainly be felt as the primarily
Indian-American audience sung the Indian
Anthem, "Jana Gana Mana." And Rupa Mehta
and Ashu Tyagi were more than deserving of the
rousing applause they received for their flawless
singing of the "Star Spangled Banner." Mehta's
VIEW
IASA
ultural Show
Hill Auditorium
Nov. 2, 1996
tures, which have
opera-quality soprano
voice was buttressed
solidly by Tyagi's inter-
changing alto / bass
accompaniment.
One theme of the
night's event was the join-
ing of India's Eastern and
America's Western cul-
both influenced the lives of
Indian American University students, many of
whom are first-generation Americans. Various
dances like "Where I'm From" and "Indian
America" brought out the diverse influences of
Indian and hip-hip sounds. Also celebrated in
these dances were a variety of other non-
European cultures that have shaped American
life. Dances such as the butterfly and tootsie roll,
as well as stomping and clapping similar to that
used by historically black fraternities and soror-
ities in their stop shows, modeled many modern
African American dance movements. And Latin
American salsa dances were periodically placed
into the fabric of traditionally Indian dance
movements.
Also contrasting the Indian and the American,
the cultural show featured two fashion shows -
the first dedicated to the richly colorful garb of
India, and the second focused on American
clothing.
But more than anything else, this cultural
show was a tribute to parents. Speaking to
Indian parents with a message that applies
equally well to parents of various backgrounds,
IASA President Ranuka Kher proclaimed,
"Since all the parents are too humble to, I'm
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
Indian song and dance marked IASA's 11th Annual Cultural Show on Saturday.
going to tell you about yourselves. We all know
about the American dream.... (Parents) are that
dream come true."
She reminded the parents and grandparents
that because of all the suffering they overcame
on behalf of their children, "we will never have
to work as hard as you did."
But it was primarily the night's four emcees.
Rahul Shah, Ashish Goyal, Atul Rustgi and
Darshan Desai, who brought out the different
experiences of Indians in America, a land far
from the Indian homeland geographically and
even further culturally. They performed a
number of skits that were humorous (an
Indian's first visit to Taco Bell), serious (cul-
tural differences between Indian parents and
their first-generation Indian American .chib
dren) and sentimental. (a young Indian
University student writing to his parents back
home in India).
The I I th Annual IASA Cultural Show was no
doubt an amazing experience for those who
attended. The variety of song, dance, skits and
fashion shows offered a glimpse of the traditions
of India, as well as a better understanding of the
struggle many Indian Americans are constantly
going through in trying to hold on to their her-
itage while simultaneously seeking , the
American dream. The cultural show was certain-
ly more than just entertaining comedy and extra-
ordinary dances; it also provided a great deal of
learning and understanding.
Sophomore Bejal Shah dances during the IASA festiv
Tension, horror are
bn the rise in
creepy 'Bad Moon'
Provocative Saroyan
drama hits Arena
By Prashant Tamaskar
Daily Arts Writer
"'Bad Moon" begins deep in the
ngles of Nepal, when a photojour-
nalist and his girlfriend are attacked
by a half-human wolf, who ends up
fatally mauling the woman. Ted
(Michael Pare), the photographer,
kills the beast, escaping with only a
nasty bite.
Two months after arriving home in
Washington state,
Ted contacts his
sister Janet RE
gariel Heming-
'wy) and her son ,
Brett (played by N
Macaulay Culkin
clone Mason
Gamble) and
invites them to visit. Although they are
happy to see him, Janet and Brett notice
something wrong with Ted. Their dog,
Thor, also behaves strangely toward his
incle. But Ted assures them that he's
It a little down on his luck and that
he'll be fine.
A couple of weeks later, after five
people are killed by a large animal in
the woods near his home, Ted decides
to take up Janet's offer to stay at her
place for some time. Everyone is
happy that Ted is living with them
except for Thor, who constantly barks
and growls at Ted. And slowly, Janet
also begins to get suspicious of her
U
brother and his nightly jogs that last
until daylight.
Janet has every reason to be con-
cerned, as it is revealed that, at night,
Ted turns into a werewolf. Yet
although Ted knows that something is
going on (because he often wakes up
covered in blood), he cannot recall his
nocturnal experiences. Both the pho-
tographer and his family are left try-
ing to find the cure to his problem
before a highly
probable tragedy
VIE W strikes.
Unlike most of
Bad Moon the films of its
** genre, "Bad
Moon" primarily
At Showcase focuses on the
psychological
ramifications of a person's metamor-
phosis (in this case turning into a
werewolf), and the way that it affects
loved ones. Ted is burdened by the
duality of his existence, and, not sur-
prisingly, his relationship with his
family suffers.
Ted views his sister and nephew as
potential saviors, but he is faced with a
confusing dilemma. His family's love is
the only thing that keeps him going, but
in bringing a sense of meaning to his
life, he puts them in jeopardy. The ulti-
mate price of their concern for Ted may
be their lives. This predicament dis-
tresses the main character throughout
the film.
Along similar lines, although the
story's climax features the standard
physical confrontation between good
and evil, the gratuitous blood and gore
scenes are not only infrequent, but
they are also relevant in establishing
the plot. Director Eric Red does a fine
job of moving away from the campy
atmosphere that plagues similar
movies.
Unfortunately, the refreshing focus of
the film is obscured by an obvious fail-
ure to execute its purpose. The passion
required to successfully carry out what
should be poignant sequences is nonex-
istent. Moreover, the characters are par-
ticularly dull and surprisingly underde-
veloped, with trite, uninspired dialogue.
Sadly enough, the most polished part is
given to the Old Yeller-like wonder dog,
Thor, whose incessant barking is only
slightly more tolerable than the inces-
sant whining of his 10-year-old human
friend.
Adding to the mess are the low-in-
number, but high-in-stupidity scenes
featuring Ted as the werewolf. At
times, his makeup is menacing, but
more often than not it manages to be
comical. And the movement of the
werewolf is rigidly mechanical, mak-
ing the beast seem more like a puppet
than a high-tech product of computer
animation.
Borrowing some from the 1993
movie "Wolf," this film not only
squanders an intriguing perspective on
a familiar topic, but it also wastes the
talents of the underrated Mariel
Hemingway - whose low-key perfor-
mance as Janet is extremely convinc-
ing - and the little-known Michael
Pare.
Serving as just another example of
the lack of quality in the horror film
genre - which would fade into obliv-
ion if it weren't for an occasional finan-
cial success like "Interview With the
Vampire" - "Bad Moon" is a stodgy
work that has its moments, but amounts
to little in the end.
Only Mariel Hemingway's dog, Thor, knows that "Bad Moon"'s Michael Pare is in
desperate need of a career.
By Christopher Tkaczyk
Daily Arts Writer
William Saroyan's "Hello Out There"
is as thought-provoking as it is enter-
taining. It is an awesome play to
encounter - especially when it is per-
formed by exceptional actors, as it was
this weekend for Basement Arts.
Director Cadi Sutter continued
Basement Arts' excellence by present-
ing this one act play about a male drifter
held in jail in
Matador, Texas, RE
for the rape of a RE
local woman. In He
his solitary cell,
he calls out to the
world, "Hello out
there!" His des-
perate cries for help are answered by a
girl who works as the jailhouse cook
and cleaner. And the play focuses on
their relationship even as the husband
of the raped woman returns to seek
revenge on the drifter.
From the opening of the play, the
audience could tell it was in for an
exciting experience. Mark Gmazel (the
prisoner) not only seemed trapped
inside his cell, but also inside his
lifestyle. Desperate to break out of his
cage, Gmazel's shouting and pleading
with the girl made the audience mem-
bers feel as if they were trapped inside
the cell with him.
Heather Guglielmetti played the role
of the teenage girl to perfection. Her
awkward youthfulness added to the
immaturity and inexperience of the
character. Her response to the prisoner's
promises of love and money epitomized
E1
the stereotypic romantic teen-age, girl
who lives her life from the pathetic
pages of trashy romance novels.
Matt Witten's performance as the hus-
band proved once again that he is an
actor with major talent. One memorable
trait of Witten's character in this produc-
tion was the emotional reaction he had
by drawing his gun whenever the priso-
er told him something that he didr't
want to hear. This simple-minded Texas
husband could be
V i EW the symbol of the
American male,
o Out There very willing to
defend his honor
Arena Theater whenever some-
Nov. 1, 1996 one speaks
unwanted truths.
The play's scenery was simple. The
chicken-wire cage helped the presenta-
tion by allowing the characters to circle
around it while exchanging words wvith
the prisoner. Since this play was pre-
sented in the round, the cage coufd'be
seen the same way from any angle. This
allowed the audience to acknowledge
the many different views one can feet
for the prisoner's situation.
While the play is for the most-'poat
about the way in which love can be used
as a tool for personal gain, it is ,also
about the way in which false love can
be instigated in almost any situation -
even within a lonely Texas jail cell.
Although it is highly unlikely that the
prisoner and the girl found love within
the confines of his cage, it is quite-cer-
tain that each of the characters ,had
either gained or lost knowledge ofWhat
love truly means.
I _________________________________________________________________________________________________
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