The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
the b-side
Thursday, November 5, 2015 — 3B

By MARIA ROBINS

-SOMERVILLE

For The Daily

Five family members gather 

around a makeshift dining room 
table, angrily snapping open 
pistachios 
and hurl-
ing scowls 
and swear 
words 
across the 
tabletop. 
Direc-
tor 
Greg 

Strasser, 
a 
School 

of 
Music 

Theatre 
& 
Dance 

senior, 
pauses his 
actors 
to 

ask:

“Have you guys ever watched 

an episode of Spongebob?”

The cast evolves into cartoon 

mode immediately. The scene 
swells and the scowls deepen. 
The pistachios begin to fly 
across the table and dramatic 
calamity ensues.

No, they’re not rehearsing 

a sitcom, or an angry cooking 
show.

The University’s student-run 

theatre group Rude Mechani-
cals is preparing to bring Nina 
Raine’s “Tribes” to the Men-
delssohn Theatre. The con-
temporary play centers on the 
experience of Billy, a deaf man 
who has grown up integrated 
into a chatty British-Jewish 
family. When he meets Sylvia, 
a woman who grew up in a deaf 
family and is slowly going deaf 
herself, he must grapple with 

the complexity of his identity and 
the tribes to which he belongs.

Alongside the quick-witted 

and crude family banter, “Tribes” 
illuminates the harsh realities of 
a group divide between the deaf 
and hearing communities.

“What is my motivation for 

being in this tribe if I’m in it?” 
Strasser asked the cast mem-
bers. “Almost every single time 
it comes down to survivability 
— what increases my chances to 
survive … it comes down to, is my 
tribe going to help me survive?” 

SMTD senior Blair Prince, an 

acting major who plays Sylvia, 
spoke on the diverse nature of 
preparation.

“Every day is a new surprise,” 

Prince said. “What I love about 
this process is that we have dif-
ferent ways to approach each 
scene, each moment … some-
times we do really physical 
exploration, like we might take 
out the text and walk through 
it and expand it, making it as 
big as possible or we might do 
something where we sit down 
and talk about the text and real-
ly get in depth.”

Throughout 
the 
process, 

Prince and the cast members’ 
exercises have ranged from the 
intense to the absurd, but they 
have never stopped being help-
ful.

“There was one time where 

we did a scene as a soap opera. 
It’s a very dramatic moment in 
the show, so to do it as a soap 
opera was just out of this world, 
but it’s just one of those things 
where you’re not watching your-
self anymore, you’re just in it,” 
Prince said.

During rehearsal, the actors 

engage in a physical warm-up, 

where they recite tongue twist-
ers at various speeds to work on 
diction as they move through the 
space. The exercise evolves into 
an impromptu game of tag, where 
the cast is unafraid to jump over 
each other, shriek, laugh or slide 
to the ground.

The cast has also been work-

ing with American Sign Lan-
guage Coach Erica Watson in 
preparation.

“(Learning sign) has been 

really fun. It feels empowering. 
It’s another form of communi-
cation that is so visual,” Prince 
said. “It opens up those facul-
ties — like how do I use my face 
to ask a question or to say that 
I’m angry?”

Of 
her 
character 
Sylvia, 

Prince said “she’s kind of hav-
ing this surreal, very awakening 
experience where she is losing 
part of her identity, so it can be 
scary … she’s experiencing the 
question of what’s next.”

Sylvia is not the only charac-

ter who experiences an awaken-
ing in “Tribes.”

“I wrote in my director’s note 

that I believe that Billy was 
dead until he met Sylvia,” Stras-
ses said, “because she was his 
access to the group of people 
that helped him flourish.”

Amid themes of loss and pain 

that characterize those who live 
in limbo between communities, 
the Rude Mechanicals illumi-
nate the identities of characters 
who have lived lives in the dark 
and, in finding each other, open 
the clear channels of communi-
cation that both human beings 
and quality theater require.

“Tribes” will play at the Lydia 

Mendelssohn Theatre on Friday, 
Nov. 6 at 6:00 p.m.

Sleepless comedy 
from Red Eye 

By MATT BARNAUSKAS

Daily Arts Writer

“It’s pretty crazy, we don’t know 

much, but there’s a gourd, there’s 
definitely a dildo, Barbara Strei-
sand and there’s a shark,” said LSA 
sophomore Emily Smith.

A producer for this semester’s 

Red Eye Theater, Smith sat down 
for an interview with The Michi-
gan Daily on the morning of Oct. 
31 with co-producer and LSA 
sophomore Molly Leonard, both of 
whom are in the Residential Col-
lege.

“The shark and the dildo go 

together, Barbara Streisand and 
the gourd go together. But I don’t 
know what happens in either of 
(the skits),” Leonard said, elabo-
rating on her co-producer’s state-
ment. 

At the time of the interview, 

both were about halfway through 
the 24-hour gauntlet of theatrical 
creativity that is Red Eye.

Formerly known as Kamikaze, 

Red Eye is run by the RC Play-
ers, a student-run theatre group 
at the University based in the RC 
but open to all students. For Red 
Eye, the group of students writes, 
practices, produces and performs 
two one-act plays, all in a 24-hour 
period. The long-standing tradi-
tion has a well-developed format.

“For the most part, the general 

structure pretty much stays the 
same,” Smith said. “It’s a pretty 
specific schedule that you need to 
stay on track to get two original 
scripts written and locked and 
produced in 24 hours. But I’d say 
this year we included a lot of new 
members, so that was different. 
In the past, it’s been a lot of board 
members who would participate, 
and this year it’s a lot of new faces 
and freshman that we’re really 
excited about.”

Smith and Leonard chose two 

teams of writers, who are com-
prised of eight writers in total. 
They come from a pool of appli-
cants and are chosen based on 
their writing samples and compat-
ibility with the other candidates, 
according to Leonard. 

Smith and Leonard continuous-

ly lead into each other, elaborating 
on eachother’s responses as they 
describe the creative processes 
that take place over the course of 
Red Eye, emphasizing the collab-
orative aspects.

“So we do ‘Minute of Me,’ where 

each actor goes on stage and talks 
about things that they have never 
done on stage before that they 
would like to do, or characters 
they would like to portray. Then 
the writers take notes on that, 
and after that they break off into 
rooms. Then the writers just start 
making an outline and start writ-
ing,” Smith said.

As the writers develop their 

plays, the actors take part in games 
and exercises to prepare for the 
fast-approaching performances.

“We usually do a lot of improv, 

and then this year we also did a 
lot of character building exercises 

with different scenarios, differ-
ent movements and working with 
a specific movement and what 
emotion that evokes,” Smith said, 
describing the actors’ activities for 
the night.

“It’s not uncommon for writ-

ers to run into the auditorium, the 
Keene Theater, at like two in the 
morning, go up to an actor and be 
like ‘Are you cool with this? What 
do you think of this?’ and then run 
back out,” Leonard said.

While participants aren’t forced 

to remain awake for the whole 
period, both Smith and Leonard 
acknowledged the strange allure 
of Red Eye, which kept them up 
well into the earliest hours of the 
morning and would continue to 
drive them through the rest of the 
day.

“You’re just so excited and so 

exhausted at the same time and it’s 
such a weird mix,” Leonard said.

This unique energy manifest-

ed itself throughout the night as 
indicated by the stories Smith and 
Leonard recalled.

“So all the actors bring in a prop 

to use during the show and one girl 
says, ‘I brought a unicorn horn’ 
and pulled out a strap-on and just 
put it on her head,” Smith said.

“This was a violently purple 

strap-on,” Leonard said, adding to 
the image.

“I was honestly expecting a uni-

corn horn,” Smith said. 

“I was a little disappointed that 

it wasn’t a unicorn horn, after the 
initial shock of like, ‘Oh, that’s a 
penis.’” Leonard said in agree-
ment.

“That probably defined the 

night,” said Smith, finishing the 
story.

That night the performances 

began at 8 p.m. Amid a small the-
atre packed with a festively cos-
tumed and eager-to-participate 
crowd, Smith and Leonard intro-
duced the product of their 24-hour 
endeavor.

Beginning with a play that fol-

lows the behind-the-scenes esca-
pades of a celebrity charity ice 
skating competition, “The Rinkon-
venient Truth,” the distinctive 
enthusiasm that Smith and Leon-

ard discussed earlier in the day 
becomes apparent.

Flubbed lines are entertaining 

additions instead of frustrating 
mistakes as the audience watches 
senator and presidential candi-
date Duncan Deez Nuts square off 
against the ego of Barbara Strei-
sand and the universally beloved 
Al Gourd, pun completely intend-
ed.

The 
madcap 
plotting 
and 

absurd humor is something that 
can only be dreamed up dur-
ing the long, sleepless hours that 
Red Eye enforces on its writers 
and casts. But enthusiasm never 
wanes as actors emphatically 
react to the unspoken speech of a 
gourd.

This continues with “I Know 

What You Did Last Shark Week,” 
where a group of actors bringing 
“Jaws” to the stage find them-
selves beset by the vengeful spirit 
of a murdered cast member. Play-
ing out like a Red Eye from hell, 
egotistical actors clash with an 
obsessive director as forces from 
beyond the grave pick them off 
one-by-one. The only calming 
force is that of “the third best 
medium in Long Island,” Donna-
tella D’Guido, who uses a strap-on 
to communicate with the dead.

Consistently crazy and surpris-

ingly clever at points, the plays are 
bolstered by their casts’ energy 
and commitment to the inherent 
ridiculousness of their roles. It’s 
a collaborative performance that 
can’t be seen every day, as Smith 
and Leonard indicated in the 
interview.

“There’s nothing else like it, 

honestly,” Leonard said. “People 
are like, ‘Yeah, it’s like pulling an 
all-nighter,’ and it is but A) you’re 
not doing your homework and B) 
you’re pulling an all-nighter, but 
with 25 other people.”

Looking back on the event that 

had kept her up for more than 
24-hours, Smith had this to say 
about her time as a co-producer: 

“It’s really kind of just surreal 

and absurd, but just so much fun. 
I mean, you really can’t describe 
it. It’s just such a unique experi-
ence.”

VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily

LSA sophomore Annie Cohen performing at Red Eye Theater.

MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW

 Days before the release of 
the infamous “Hotline Bling” 
video, an underappreciated 
L.A.-based 
producer 
and 
rapper 

named Bus-
driver 
sent 

out a tweet 
saying 
that 

“hip hop is 
the 
driv-

ing business 
innovator 
in 
popular 

culture.” 
Less 
than 

two weeks removed from his 
speculation, I’m afraid Drake 
and Travis Scott have proved 
him right. We all saw Drake’s 
out-of-place 
self-promotion 

last week, but what makes it 
any different from Kanye and 
Travis stumbling around the 
woods draped in Yeezy Season 
1 (the day after the release, no 
less)?
 Well, a lot of things. It’s no 
secret that rap is becoming 
increasingly 
corporate, 
but 

there’s a difference between 
advertising and using multiple 
avenues for artistic expression. 
While “Hotline Bling” was 
effectively a “now in-stores” 

service 
announcement 
for 

OVO clothing, the beige suede 
that covers ‘Ye and Scott here 
serves as an extension of that 
Orwellian/post-apocalyptic 
world they communicate with 
their music. It even takes place 
in the woods; they’re running 
from something. The “separate 
but equal” doctrine need not 
apply to fashion, music and 
video when they can work 
in tandem as channels for 
expression.
 For example, Yasiin Bey’s 
appearance 
is 
completely 

unwarranted, but his masked 
prancing adds to the hellish 

nature of a video titled “Piss 
On 
Your 
Grave.” 
Kanye 

literally raps his soul out. 
Though Travis spends most of 
the video hiding behind ‘Ye, at 
least his generally pissed-off 
demeanor doesn’t contradict 
the song. Instead of inciting 
me to open a new tab and cop 
some basic-ass sweater, they 
held my attention and gave 
me a glimpse into a world I 
had previously only visited 
through music. The video isn’t 
so much a “visual aid” as it is 
piece strong enough to stand 
on its own. 
— SHAYAN SHAFII

GRAND HUSTLE

A

Piss on 
Your Grave 
(feat. 
Kanye 
West)

Travis Scott

Silenced ‘Tribes’

TRAILER REVIEW

 This time, it’s personal. At 
least it seems that way, based 
on the trailer for “Spectre,” in 
which Dan-
iel Craig 
portrays 
the iconic 
super-spy, 
James 
Bond, for 
what might 
be the last 
time. The 
“Spectre” 
trailer 
gives brief glimpses into the 
intrigue Bond will pursue in 
Mexico City — a man masked in 
the style of a Día de los Muertos 
skeleton, a sniper on a roof, a 
potential local love interest. 
Most enticing, we get glimpses 
and snippets of Christoph 
Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds”) 
as Oberhauser, who claims to 
be “the author of all (Bond’s) 

pain.”
 The trailer gives previews 
of the plot without giving too 
much away, hints at the vil-
lain’s motives without revealing 
them, and even gives us some 
classic Bond humor, when he 
japes that he visited Mexico 

City for a “long overdue holi-
day.” Expectations are high for 
“Spectre,” especially given the 
critical success of “Skyfall.” But 
if the film is as good as the trail-
er, there should be no problem 
living up to those expectations.
— CONRAD FOREMAN

A-

Spectre

MGM and 
Columbia 
Pictures

Nov. 6

MGM AND COLUMBIA PICTURES

Tribes

Lydia Mendels-
sohn Theatre

Friday, Nov. 6 and 

Saturday, Nov. 7 

at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 8 

at 2:00 p.m.

Students/Seniors $7

Adults $9

EPISODE REVIEW

 Throughout its past season, 
“Black-ish” has established 
itself as a show that isn’t afraid 
to address 
some of the 
more dif-
ficult ques-
tions about 
race. While 
its Hallow-
een episode 
isn’t as sharp 
or pointed 
in its social 
commentary 
as the season 
premiere (which tackled the use 
of the n-word), it does use the 
holiday to discuss heavier family 
relationships.
The episode’s two primary 
sources of conflict arise when 
Dre’s (Anthony Anderson, “Guys 
with Kids”) cousin June Bug 
(Michael Strahan, “Brothers”), 
who used to beat him up as a 
kid, visits at the same time as 
the kids’ cousins, who steal their 
candy on a yearly basis.
 It’s in the discussion of the 
relationship between the cous-
ins and their Johnson counter-

parts where this episode falters. 
While the questions it brings up 
involving the class differences 
between Dre’s family (who 
“got out of the hood”) and their 
poorer cousins are worthwhile 
— and it should get credit for 
discussing them — the show’s 
answers felt rushed and under-
developed. June Bug’s reasoning 
behind his actions (protecting 
Dre’s future) only comes out in 
a discussion between Dre and 
his mother. What could actu-
ally be a powerful moment gets 
lost in a 30-second scene where 
the only meaningful aspect is 
a smile from Strahan. Maybe 
the writers were worried about 
Strahan’s acting ability, but they 
should have done more to help 

build the sequence’s signifi-
cance.
 On a positive note, the com-
edy does get mileage from Hal-
loween. Having the Johnson 
family dress up as the Obamas 
(complete with a Secret Service 
agent and the dog Bo) led to 
hilarious moments involving 
Junior (newcomer Marcus 
Scribner) “protecting” Dre, and 
Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross, “Girl-
friends”) questioning which 
Michelle Obama outfit to wear. 
(Plus, it let Anderson break out 
his Obama impersonation.) 
Ultimately, this is what ground-
ed an episode that tried to make 
a larger point, but didn’t quite 
give it the necessary time.
— ALEX INTNER

ABC

B

Black-ish

Season 2, 
episode 6

ABC

Wednesdays

at 9:30 p.m.

EVENT PREVIEW

