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Wednesday, September 17, 2014 - 5A
0 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, September 17, 2014 -
EVENT PREVIEW
Pussy Riot to speak
at Michigan Theater
Russian protest
group to participate
in Penny Stamps
Lecture Series
By GILLIAN JAKAB
Daily Community & Culture Editor
Patriarch Gundyay believes
in Putin / Would be better, the
bastard, ifhe believed in God!/ The
Virgin's belt
won't "Punk Prayer"
replace
political Penny Stamps
gatherings / Lecture Series
The eternal pussy Riot/Zona Prava
Virgin Mary
is with us in Thursday Septembe
ourprotests! 18, 5:10 pm
These The Michigan Theater
are some of
the lyrics Free
from Pussy
Riot's "Punk Prayer," performed
by five masked faces in Cathedral
of Christ the Savior in Moscow
in March 2012. They criticize,
among other things, the lack of
separation between the Russian
Orthodox Church and Putin's
increasingly totalitarian govern-
ment. The Pussy Riot members
brought their message of rights
for Russia's marginalized -
women, LGBTQ, youth - up from
Moscow's underground scene and
into view of the world. But they
did so at a price.
Nadezhda (Nadya) Tolo-
konnikova and Maria (Masha)
Alyokhina, two of Pussy Riot's
members, were among those
arrested for the performance
and were sentenced to two years
of prison on charges of "hooli-
ganism" and disrupting public
order with a religious hate crime.
Amnesty International and many
other human rights organizations
decried the prosecution as sup-
pression of free speech and politi-
cally motivated. The women's
trial and imprisonment under
harsh conditions gained inter-
national attention and an out-
pouring of sympathy from artists
around the world.
Vigilance and pressure from
the international community may
have contributed to the Pussy Riot
members' early release in Decem-
ber 2013, though some said it was
because the expiration of their
terms would have coincided with
the Winter Olympics in Russia.
Having endured the horrors of
Russia's prisons and legal system,
Masha and Nadya have founded
Zona Prava (Justice Zone), a
prisoner's rights NGO that offers
advocacy and aid to prisoners, and
MediaZona, a media forum that
reports on issues of prisons and
legal systems worldwide. :
The rockers-turned-revolution-
aries are publicizing their experi-
ences and aims in aworld tour that
includes a stop in Ann Arbor. This
Thursdayeveninginthe Michigan
Theater, University organizations
The Penny Stamps Distinguished
Speaker Series and the Weiser
Center for Emerging Democracies
are co-presenting the Pussy Riot/
Zona Prava members' lecture
"Punk Prayer."
In curating the Stamps series,
Chrisstina Hamilton - direc-
tor of visitor's programs at the
Penny Stamps School of Art and
Design - tries to choose speakers
that reflect the issues of concerns
and interest on campus and in the
classroom. The lineup is created
via nominations from throughout
the University, but the particular
invitation to Pussy Riot and Zona
Prava members Nadezhda Tolo-
konnikova and Maria Alyokhina,
was a whim of Hamilton's own.
Hamilton was in New York this
past spring when the two Pussy
Riot members gave a public inter-
view on Randall's Island orga-
nized by London's Frieze Festival.
The interview was conducted in a
room that allowed only 100 seats
and left many disgruntled femi-
nist punk enthusiasts on the outs.
"When Iwasthere, I saidto the
organizers: please put me intouch
with them because I actually
have a 1,700 seat theater," Ham-
ilton said. "Obviously they want
to speak to people about what
they're doing; I can give them a
much more public voice and venue
in order to do that."
The Michigan Theater is an
icon in a city steeped in the his-
tory of political activism and
influential artist communities.
Though the scale and methods
of protest at the University have
shifted since the 1960s, students
today grapple with issues of iden-
tity through publications such as
The Michigan Daily's "Michigan
in Color" series and "What the
F," and voice their passions for
social, economic and political
justice locally and globally. Pussy
Riot's words, their credibility
rooted in deeds, will find a warm
reception here.
"Russia's in the news con-
stantly right now," Hamilton
said. "The fact that these young
women were able to stand up to
Putin, be in prison, and ... have
garnered this international
attention, gives them a lot of
power."
Masha and Nadya are harness-
ing this power to shed light on
the oppression of feminist and
LGBTQ communities in Russia,
the consequences of dissent, and
the brutal Russian penal system.
"A lot of the people who are
going to come obviously know
something of the story of what's
happened to them up to this
point, but I think it will be very
excited to hear about what their
plans are now that they've cap-
tured the world stage, what are
they goingto do with it?"
Though they are rock stars on
the metaphorical stage of world
politics and media, they will not
be performing in the musical
sense on the stage of the Michi-
gan Theater. Right before coming
to Ann Arbor, Pussy Riot joined
many punk bands at Riot Fest
Chicago, not on the lineup to play
a concert, but to give a panel dis-
cussion.
"They won't actually be per-
forming," Hamilton said. "I asked
them about it when we were dis-
cussingthe whole thing and their
response was: they don't perform
they're activists. They would
perform if there were a reason to,
as they have done."
"I'm looking at it mre as
the context of the moment that
they're performing in, which in
some ways makes it more punk
rock than any punk rock," she
added.
In the field of performance
studies, some scholars would
disagree with this distinction
and tend to define performance
as a public practice, analyzing
"performances" spanning the
spectrum from religious rituals
to Shakespeare on a proscenium
stage. Though Pussy Riot did
not achieve its fame by merit of
their music and performance art,
the group's genre of conceptual
art amplifies and articulates its
political message.
In their interview on the Col-
bert Report, Nadya and Masha
say they've come to America to
"look at American prisons, to talk
to human rights activists, and
to learn from their experience."
They explain that it presents
a middle ground between the
inhumane prison system in Rus-
sia and the mostly pleasant con-
ditions of the prisons they visited
in the Netherlands. On campus,
Nadya and Masha will get to
learn more about the American
prison system when they meet
with Lisa Greco, the Prison Cre-
ative Arts (PCAP) events coor-
dinator and Washtenaw County
Youth Center Director, as well as
Carol Morris, a local artist who
works with women in prison and
youth in detention and treatment.
They willitour the facility and dis-
cuss the work of PCAP.
"Performing" or not, the only
way to experience the power of
Pussy Riot is live, and this Thurs-
day's Penny Stamps lecture is one
of a select few opportunities in
the U.S. to do so.
COURTESY OF OPRAH
Oprah poses for a picture with fans outside of the Palace in Auburn Hills.
Opral hosts weee
eveunt in Auburn H ills
By EMILY BODDEN
Daily Arts Writer
LastFriday,Ifoundmyselfstuck
in afternoon traffic and swearing
loudly while driving to "Oprah's
'Live Your Best Life' Weekend" at
the Palace ofAuburn Hillswith my
mom. I had gotten distracted after
my only Friday class and left cam-
pus an hour later than I intended.
My mom had already called, tell-
ing me in a sharp tone to hurry
up. I wasnot overly enthused to be
there, and after we finally arrived
at the Palace (and paid a steep
$15 for parking), I trailed after
my speed-walking mom to the
entrance of O Town.
Every attendee was sent a QR
code connected to their names,
seat numbers and e-mail address-
es. Once the code was scanned,
the information was transferred
to a wristband you wore for the
entire weekend. As we visited the
sponsor booths and participated
in activities, staffmemberstapped
our wristbands, allowing them to
instantly transmit pictures, cou-
pons and information sent to our
email. The technology and helped
optimize the attendee interactions
all weekend - an ingenious way
to facilitate engagement in real
time. Additionally, the wristbands
were programmed to flash various
LED colors throughout the event,
including when the DJ started an
arena-wide dance party, and when
SoulCycle held a 15-minute arena-
wide workout. Very, very cool.
To fit into the Oprah-loving
demographic, I wore my best
"momfit." A momfit is exactly
what it sounds like, any outfit that
you could easily imagine at a local
PTO meeting. Surprisingly, my
assumptions were a bit off. The
crowd at the event did consist pri- One group of note were the women
marily of middle-aged women, but who tailgated in the parking lot
many older and younger women with mimosas at 7 a.m the second
were in attendance as well. Over morning. Oprah read their tweet
the course of the two days, several on the screens, gave them a shout
jokes were made at the expense of out for their enthusiasm and then
the small number of male signifi- actually joined them in the parking
cant others in attendance. lot for lunch.
Oprah is intelligent, funny and A message of female empow-
warm in person. Along with what erment was woven through the
I loosely estimated as 9,000 other entire event and the speakers
people in attendance, I felt like I were chosen by the positivity of
could easily become Oprah's new their messages. Elizabeth Gilbert
best friend. Evenfrom the top bal- (author of the New York Times
cony (my mom evidently does not bestseller "Eat Pray Love") went
love me enough to buy me $500 on an extended rant about how
floor seats), I could tell that O is the fact that epics are male-cen-
caring and genuine, with a unique tered is bullshit - women are
ability to empathize and connect worthy of starring in epics, too.
with her audience. Author and motivational speaker
Iyanla Vanzant was fabulous
while explaining how we need to
A com munity learn to be honest in examining
our life stories and be proactive
striving for self- about not feeling like, or speak-
ing like, victims. The resound-
accepancelife ing message was that women are
stronger, more capable and more
empowerment. deserving of self-love than they
usually give themselves credit
for. And throughout everything,
Oprah continued to promote her
It was an overwhelmingly message that "you can."
friendly crowd, and the women Aside from the incred-
in attendance seemed to bond ible speakers, this community
freely with those around them. of thousands of women striv-
The event had a hashtag, #LifeY- ing for self-acceptance, mental
ouWantDET, that was aggregated and physical betterment and
on a mobile app, and chosen tweets life empowerment was -incred-
and pictureswere projected on the ible. Oprah has built an empire
screens in the arena. Let me be the because she understands the
first to say that I was surprised not importance of making every-
only that so many middle-aged one feel like they are heard,
women have Twitter accounts, they matter, and they are a part
but that so many middle-aged of something bigger than them-
women seem proficient using said selves - even the grumpy college
accounts - my mom was positively kid tryingto blend into the crowd
giddy after a picture she made me with her momfit. Sadly, however,
tweet flashed on the arena screens. no one won a car.
Potential in 'Red Band'
FOX's newest show
centers around
terminally-ill teens
By EMILY BODDEN
DailyArts Writer
"Skeptical" may be an under-
statement for how I felt going into
FOX's newest show, "Red Band
Society." Rid-
ing the wave
from summer
hit "The Fault Red Band
in Our Stars," Society
"Red Band
Society" cen- Wednesdays
ters around at 9 p.m
terminally-ill FOX
teens who live
in a hospi-
tal during long-term treatment.
According to the show's produc-
ers, the series is reminiscent of
cult-classic "The Breakfast Club,"
following kids at pivotal points
in their lives who create unique
bonds in an unlikely place.
The decision to use Charlie
(Griffin Gluck, "Private Practice"),
a young boy in a coma, as the nar-
rator is an interesting choice,
though not entirely convincing in
the premiere. While it's definitely
a bold decision by the producers,
having a narrator in and of itself
seems outdated, as it was a key
technique used in '90s sitcoms.
With time, however, the perspec-
tive of an omniscient narrator in
a story with so many intertwining
plots may provide more fluid sto-
rytelling. But the producers will
need to utilize his position with
certainty and decisiveness early
on in the show.
"Red Band Society" 's com-
mitment to delivering inspira-
tional moments is reminiscent of
the once great, early seasons of
FOX's "Glee." The series negoti-
ates the line between sweet and
cheesy with finesse, and even
when it uses Coldplay as the
background music for a montage
of touching moments, it did not
come off as cloying. That is say-
ing something. The attachment
to characters and the effective
editing allows viewers to over-
look such a cliched music choice.
With Octavia Spencer ("The
Help") starring as Nurse Jackson
(or as her coffee cup proclaims,
"Scary Bitch"), coupled with the
producing power of Steven Spiel-
berg's Amblin Television, "Red
Band Society" is full of promise.
Or at the very least, the star pres-
ence gives weight to the series.
While some moments pro-
duced actual laughs, some of the
one-liners in the first episode
elicit groans. But as is common
with many new shows, the first
few episodes are about finding
chemistry and working out the
kinks. With a show trying to
strike a balance between being
sincere and entertaining, this
may take some time. But if the
series can continue to channel
"Glee" in its prime, a hit could be
born.
With new episodes, "Red Band
Society" will hopefully continue
to look at the idea of the "true
self." In a monologue, Leo (Char-
lie Rowe, "Pirate Radio") talks
about how sickness makes you
even more yourself than before.
This idea of body detachment
from soul and personality is not
one often touched on by main-
stream television. The concept
of self over physical body has the
potential to contrast with the
many image-based messages that
American society is bombarded
with.
"Red Band Society" revisits alot
of elements from proven hitshows,
but if it remains true to its original
components, there lies tremen-
dous potential for a touching yet
entertaining show.
Do you need an outlet for your ardent
opinions on popular culture?
JOIN THE FILTER, THE DAILY ARTS BLOG.
E-mail jplyn@umich.edu to request an application.
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