The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Friday, March 28, 2014 - 5
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, March 28, 2014 - 5
Students rehearse at the Yellow Barn.
Student produced
'Nights' premieres'
MARX BROTHERS
I still can't hear you.
Timeless Marx Brothers
still dynamic, hilarious
Raw and rustic
Yellow Barn frames
student written story
By KATHLEEN DAVIS
DailyArts Writer
Just off West Huron street - a
few blocks from campus - lies a
small wooden building painted a
cheery shade of
yellow that looks Doing
better suited forW
rural Mid-Mich- White
igan than down- Nights
townAnnArbor.
Inside this space Sunday, 9 pm
appropriately Saturday,
named The 9pm
Yellow Barn, a
handful of Uni- Friday,
versity students 10:30 pm
have been tire-
lessly perfecting The Yellow Barn
the original play Free
"Doing White
Nights," which
is preparing for its debut thisweek-
end.
Whatsets "Doing White Nights"
apart from the myriad of shows that
grace Ann Arbor each year is that
from beginning to end, the play has
been completely student run and
organized. "Doing White Nights"
is the collaborative final college
project between long-time working
partners Music Theatre and Dance
senior Ellie Sachs, who directed the
play, and LSA senior Jacob Axelrad,
a former Michigan Daily arts con-
tributor, who wrote it.
"DoingWhite Nights"is first and
foremost a story of the friendship
between two best friends, Mike
and Aaron, both UM seniors tak-
ingacross-countryroadtrip. How-
ever, trouble strikes whentheir car
breaks down in a deserted Ohio
cornfield outside of civilization. To
make matters worse, Mike, who
has recently been released from
a mental hospital , has run out of
his medication. The pair must sur-
vive the battle against cold, hunger
and Mike's inner-demons as their
friendship takes the ultimate test.
Axelrad and Sachs started con-
ceptualizing the play last summer.
The script was finished by January
and the casting complete by early
February.
"This is probably (the play)
based most on my own experi-
ences because I've never written
about people who are directly my
age or anything so personal," Axel-
rad said. "Seeing everyone come
together with different skills and
expertise to make this vision that
was originally an idea I had on
paper is pretty awesome."
Many of the students working
on the show have previously col-
laborated with Sachs and Axelrad.
Because of limited funding by the
University, the play has been sig-
nificantly funded by a Kickstarter
project.
"JacobandIwerereallycommit-
ted to doing the show on our own
and doing it within the city of Ann
Arbor, much like we would be if we
were trying to do our own work in
New York, Chicago or LA," Sachs
said. "You've got to do it yourself,
you've got to find the venue, you've
got to findthe people and you've got
to make it work."
"It's been a challenge but so
rewarding when the pieces come
together, and you've got be a go-
getter," Sachs added. "You've got to
go out and get it done, and I think
it's good practice for what the
future mightlook like for us."
As a venue, The Yellow Barn
adds a perfect ambiance to the set-
tingof the story. The barn's raw and
rustic, yet cozy interior allows for
significant creative liberty from the
show's art director, Music, Theatre
and Dance and LSA senior Mada-
lyn Hochendoner, while also letting
the audience use their imagina-
tions.
"This is a wonderful space to
have, and you've got to be self-moti-
vated. As much as Ellen is a good
motivator, there's only so many
times she can tell you to do some-
thing," Hochendoner said. "You've
got to be willing to collaborate and
go out on your own and be the one
to do the research bring the stuff
and get excited about it."
Hochendoner previously
worked with Sachs in various class-
es during their time at the Univer-
sity. Being from Ohio, the cornfield
setting appealed to her and drew
her to the project. Hochendoner
has also dealt with mental illness
personally through family mem-
bers with bipolar disorder and
schizophrenia, and took that expe-
rience into the shaping of her work.
The decorative cornstalks that are
present on the set throughout the
play differ aesthetically based on
Mike's state of mind, and Hochen-
doner incorporated pill bottles and
other trinkets where she thought
tasteful.
The play's small cast and crew
has allowed the group to.become
close knit and supportive of
each other's artistic talents. An
actress in the production, LSA
freshman Anna Garcia, was dis-
covered by Sachs after an improvi-
sational comedy show in February.
Although she's done theater for
most of her life, this is her first the-
atrical production at the Univer-
sity.
"Ellie is so talented when it
comes to directing, she has such
a clear vision," Garcia said. "The
show is going to be great and a lot
of that is due to her."
Garcia is playing the role of Ali-
cia, the deceased sister of the char-
acter Mike who appears during the
character's hallucinations. Alicia's
entrances bridge moments of real-
ity and reconstructed memory
with tap-dancing interludes from
the 1980s film "White Nights", the
play's namesake. The various artis-
tic mediums and subtleties with
which the play takes the audience
between the inner landscape of
Mike's mind and the realities of the
cornfield, showcase the distinct
creative talentsbehind the play.
"Just being a part of (Doing
White Nights), I feel cool just to be
involved," Garcia said. "I'm sur-
rounded by all these people with
these great visions who just exude
talent. I'm just proud to be here for
the ride."
By GRACE PROSNIEWSKI
Daily Arts Writer
Are you in need of a good laugh?
Yes, yes you are. Because between
the soul-crushing despair of this
never-ending winter and the sick-
ening realization that participation
is 20 percent of your grade in that
classyou've never said aword in,the
world can often seem likea humor-
less place.
So allow me then to introduce
you to misters Groucho, Chico,
Harpo and Zeppo, better known
to the world as the Marx Brothers.
The kings of comedy during the
1920s and '30s, the Marx Broth-
ers' special brand of anarchic and
improvisational humor catapulted
them to stardom and ensured
comedic relevance for generations
to come.
Now some people will imme-
diately assume black-and-white
films aren't funny. Luckily for the
rest of us, those same people aren't
inclined to pick up a newspaper. So
let's begin.
Sons of Jewish immigrants,
the brothers grew up in a relatively
poor section of New York City's
Upper East Side. Coming from an
artistic family, the brothers were
encouraged to develop their musi-
cal skills and eventually began per-
forming vaudeville. Success there
led to shows on Broadway and
eventually major motion picture
deals. It was in the early vaudeville
performances that they created and
perfected their individual stage per-
sonas. ~
Groucho, instantly recogniz-
able by his trademark greasepaint
mustache and eyebrows as well as
his glasses and cigar, always played
the fast-talking, wisecracking man
in charge. With his biting one-
liners and off-the-cuff innuendos,
Groucho exudes the most modern
of comedic sensibilities of the broth-
ers. Take his line in "Duck Soup"
about Margaret Dumont's charac-
ter: "Remember men, we're fight-
ing for this woman's honor; which
is probably more than she ever did."
Chico, known by his exagger-
ated Italian accent and Tyrolean
hat, played the dim-witted con art- Broadway musical of the same
ist, usually partnered with Harpo. name. "The Cocoanuts" is probably
Much of Chico's humor comes from the hardest of the set to get into, as
unintended word play and puns production wise it shows a bit more
from his accented pronunciation. age than the later films and con-
He was also a talented piano player tains far more musical and dance
and often shares musical numbers numbers. I would save this forlater
withHarpo. viewing.
Harpo, known by his reddish The next film, 1930's "Animal
curly wig, usually played the crimi- Crackers" is my personal favorite
nal associate of Chico. In the films, Marx movie. Again, an adapta-
Harpo remains completely silent, tion of a Broadway show, "Animal
using only a horn or another prop Crackers" takes a satiric look at
to communicate. As you can guess, high society. Not only does it up the
Harpo was a master of physical comedic value of the musical num-
comedy and sight gags. Impressive- bers, itcontains Groucho's "Strange
ly, Harpo could play six different Interlude,"themostrandom,hilari-
instruments, including his nick- ous breaking of the fourth-wall
namesake,the harp. ever.
Zeppo, who only appeared inthe 1931's "Monkey Business" is
brothers'firstfivemovies,nevercre- great, but might be a bit intimi-
dating for first-timers, as there's
essentially no plot. It is however,
emblematic of the brothers' disor-
After 70 years derly,anythinggoesstyle ofhumor.
I 1932's "Horse Feathers" was one
the brothers of their most popular films, satiriz-
ing higher education and Prohibi-
remnain a tion. Mainly revolving around a
rivalry football game, the commen-
com edy staple. tary about college athletics is still
spot on. And the actual game is hys-
terical. Chico's directions as quar-
terback: "Hey diddle diddle, the
ated a persona quite as hyperbolic cat and the fiddle, this time I think
as those of his older brothers. Usu- we go up the middle. Hike!" Which
ally cast as an assistant to Groucho, is actually depressingly similar to
Zeppo filled the role of the romantic Michigan's offensive play calling
straight man, despite being known lastseason.
as the funniest brother offstage. Their last Paramount film, 1933's
But don't feel too bad for Zeppo. "Duck Soup" is undoubtedly the
He became a multi-millionaire and Marx Brothers' best. A scathing
engineer and moved next-door to look at dictators and authoritarian
Frank Sinatra. Of course, Sinatra governments, "Duck Soup" came
ended up having an affair with his out the year Hitler rose to power
wife. All right, I guess you can feel a and remains politically salient
little bad for Zeppo. today. It contains some of their best
To begin your exploration of bits, including the oft-parodied
Marxism, I would highly recom- "mirrorsequence"inwhichHarpo,
mend starting with their earliest dressed as Groucho, pretends to be
works, the films done with Para- his reflection.
mount Pictures that include Zeppo. As with all comedy, seeing is
While "A Night at the Opera" and believing, so take a few hours off
"A Day at the Races" have their and watch some Marx Brothers'
moments, the true chaotic essence films. I guarantee you'll join the fan
of the Marx Brothers is in their first club. And with that Ileave you with
few works. the immortal Groucho, "I don't
Their first film, 1929's "The want to belong to any club that will
Cocoanuts" was based off their acceptme as a member."
RC Players present 'God Pan'
Student directs focusing on in this play and leads everyone. around him to idea of magic realism, which
the thing we're trying to get rediscover the darker times in is the idea that something
a new twist on a at from a variety of angles their past." in the play is surreal but the
is the idea of memory," said To really display the unique characters treat it as normal
classic play LSA junior and director R. qualities of memory, the RC life," Rewald said. "So the
Tristan Rewald. "We're using Players employ different way they will appear in the
ByREBECCAGODWIN animations and we're using media formats. Some of the performance is the characters
DailyArts Writer film to convey (memory), so will definitely be seeing these
it's absolutely a multi-media memories and so we've worked
Great theater is the result of production." Play a s them into the script."
a core concept that performers Memory plays an integral J "'pJ- For Rewald, this is his first
and directors add personal part in the play, which tells with time directing a play and with
touches to. For the story of a young man i memory the experience has come a
the RC Players, The Great named Jamie, who is told by via multimedia series of challenges, but he has
a theater group an old friend that he may have found the most difficulty in
based in the God Pan been sexually abused in the displays. developing the 16mm film for
Residential past. The show continues as the show, which must be sent
College and Friday and Jamie tries to figure out what away to be processed.
housed in East Saturday 8pm the truth is while dealing with "It's a medium that is slowly
Quad, Amy Sunday 2pm distant parents and a newly characters' memories are going away so places that
Herzog's play Keene Theater pregnant girlfriend, recreated using 16-millimeter develop it are closing left and
"The Great God "We as the audience don't film that will be projected in right," Rewald said. "And we
Pan" provides Free know if this is the truth. the theater while others are can only send it at certain
an opportunity Jamie himself can't tell if depicted through a variety times because the school
to add some new twists to an this actually happened or of animations that have been sends it in bulk and so sending
already dynamic piece. not," Rewald said. "And so created- for the performance. it on our own is massively
"The biggest thing we're his quest for the truth kind of "This all goes alongwith the expensive."
WE LIKE TWEETS
AND WE DON'T
CARE WHO KNOWS.
@MICHIGANDAILY