2B — Thursday, March 17, 2016 the b-side The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SHORT FILM REVIEW In his Oscar-nominated short film “Ave Maria,” director Basil Khalil finds room for humor in a exploration of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. The short follows an Israeli family who, while racing home for Shabbat, crashes their car into a statue of the Virgin Mary outside a convent. The family must enlist the help of the convent’s nuns despite their initial reservations. “Ave Maria” doesn’t take itself or its subject matter too seriously, and it’s wonderful. The rule-driven lifestyles of both the Jewish family and the Christian nuns are tackled with humorous reverence. One scene, in which a man has to ask a mute nun to dial the phone for him and hold it to his ear because he cannot operate machinery on the Sabbath, showcases the film’s delicate humor. Likewise, the final shot — the family driving home in a Palestinian car with a neon Virgin Mary strapped to the roof — is ridiculous yet heartwarming. “Ave Maria” sets high expectations for a 15 minute- long film, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark. It wants to achieve so much — social commentary, satire, humor, heart — that it doesn’t allow itself to breath. At times, it feels like Khalil is checking things off a bucket list, moving from a scene that screams “humor!” to a scene that screams “heart!” without allowing his scenes time to be both. Still, “Ave Maria” is beautifully shot and charmingly funny. The film is full of hope, and the belief that deep down (sometimes really deep down) people are innately good. - MADELEINE GAUDIN B Ave Maria Incognito Films By MARIA ROBINS-SOM- MERVILLE Daily Arts Writer “In Ann Arbor, they call it the Big House,” an actress says. Add- ing a regional twist, she provokes a flood of laughter. They’ll call it a cooch, snatch, box, hoo-ha, lady bits, muff, biscuit, pudendum, tuna town and honey pot, among others. Yet although approxi- mately 50 percent of the world has one, it’s edited out of every- thing from polite conversation to Supreme Court debates. “The Vagina Monologues,” written by Eve Ensler, was first performed in 1996. Ensler inter- viewed various women about their relationships with their vaginas and compiled the inter- views into a project that seeks to explore the taboo subject. Students for Choice will pres- ent its fourth annual production of “The Vagina Monologues,” featuring Ensler’s original work, with some adaptation and addi- tions including a preface of origi- nal student-written monologues, on their own personal experi- ences pertaining to the topic. Rachel Beglin, an LSA sopho- more cast member, said she thought the show helped open up healthier dialogue about sex education. “I grew up in Arizona with abstinence-only sex education and wondered why didn’t my mom teach me this? Why didn’t a teacher teach me this? Why didn’t anyone give me a link, a pam- phlet, anything?” Beglin said. LSA senior Lizzie Stewart wrote her own monologue about her experience as a queer woman. “My monologue is about the effect that an unwanted sexual act had on my sexual identity and my process of figuring out what that is, and I think it’s important for people to know that it’s okay to not know,” she said. “The Vagina Monologues” has faced criticism in the past for its lack of inclusivity and represen- tation of both non-heterosexual women and women of color. LSA senior Irene Syriac plays an asexual character in a mono- logue written by a close friend of hers who is asexual. “My character says in the monologue, ‘You never see asexual characters anywhere,’ so I think it’s good exposure,” Syriac said. “If I want the audience to get anything out of this, it’s a remind- er that the word ‘vagina’ is not a swear word.” Although many of the mono- logues focus on discovery of peace with one’s body or a kind of awakening, not all of the stories are so hopeful or enlightening. For instance, Music, Theatre & Dance sophomore Mackenzi Anthony’s monologue touches on violence toward transgender women. “My story is not so much about acceptance. I talk about how they killed my boyfriend for dating a transgender woman, and that’s intense,” she said. The women working on the show have engaged in self-reflec- tion and personal storytelling to more accurately understand the show’s strength. The secrecy and shamefulness associated with the experience of having a vagina can be alienating and overwhelming. “Seeing ‘The Vagina Mono- logues’ for the first time I thought, ‘Oh my god, everyone else is just as confused as I am! Everyone is just as angry and worried and scared as I am’ and I’m just like, ‘Why do we have to feel this way about our genitalia?’ ” Anthony said. Director and LSA junior Angelle Antoun hopes that “The Vagina Monologues” will open up the floor for further discus- sion about feminism and diversity through its candid and multifac- eted approach. Antoun acted in “The Vagina Monologues” last year and understands the need to appeal to a diverse audience. “That’s been the issue I came in expecting, and it has been a challenge and something that I’ve been working very hard to ameliorate about the show so that it can speak to a number of women,” Antoun said. In preparation, the women shared their own stories about their experiences of overcoming obstacles in their womanhood. “We thought it really brought us closer as a cast, not only because we knew those things about each other, but because sharing those sorts of stories can be very difficult,” Antoun said. “Having those other women giving nothing but respect and support to the other women there was a really wonderful feeling.” Antoun also said the group wanted to perform a show that will engage the community beyond women. “These are not issues that women talk about in day-to-day life (openly) … when you go to shows like this there’s this fear that it’s going to be man-hating and angry feminism and this show isn’t that at all. I think that men that go to it will come away with the idea that yes, feminists can be angry, but not so much at men as at the system and come away with it more willing to be part of the fight,” she said. In addition to opening dia- logue about experiences that are usually pushed aside, “The Vagi- na Monologues” seeks to support movements to reduce sexual vio- lence against women. All of the proceeds will be donated to the SafeHouse Center and the V-Day campaign. There will be a talk- back panel to debrief and further explore the implications of the show on the following Monday at 8 p.m. in the Earl Lewis Room in Rackham Auditorium. “The Vagina Monologues” will moan, bleed, cry, argue, joke and ponder with the intention of let- ting you know that the women brave enough to share their sto- ries have no plans of shutting up any time soon. ‘Monologues’ break taboos at Rackham COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW By DANIELLE YACOBSON Daily Arts Writer Our story begins in London circa 1871, when contempo- rary fashions of lung-restricting corsets deemed breathing for the weak, and bustles plumped up even the most conservative behinds. Artist James McNeill Whistler, hired by a wealthy Eng- lishman who was tickled by every- thing porcelain, transformed the Englishman’s ceramic-filled liv- ing room into an aesthetic master- piece. Gold peacocks danced on Parisian blue walls in what came to be known as “Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room.” In 1904, American art connois- seur Charles Lang Freer bought the room and installed the paint- ings in his Detroit home. After his death, the gold and blue murals were taken to the Freer Gallery in Washington D.C., but many still consider the room a Detroit historical landmark. Today, a new Peacock Room, a women’s bou- tique, can be found in what used to be the living room of a 1920s luxury hotel, embodying the glamour of the original space and Whistler’s art, all with a spunky twist that Detroiters exemplify oh so well. “When you think of a peacock, you think of showing off,” founder and storeowner Rachel Lutz said. “You think of pride, and that’s what I want women to feel in my store.” Carrying sizes 00 through 26, the boutique features styles to dress everybody, carrying a diverse range of silhouettes, forms and proportions so that no woman is left behind. “Just because you see some- thing in a fashion magazine doesn’t mean it would necessar- ily translate to your body,” Lutz said. “We don’t go after a specific demographic. We just go after women who want to feel great about themselves and want to express their style. We’ve had three generations of women come in at the same time and each walk out with a dress.” The Peacock Room stands out by abandoning traditional brand labels and focusing on design and good fit instead. It’s the place to spice up any wardrobe, perhaps with something a bit riskier that flatters both the body and spirit. “The only real criteria I have when finding my finds is asking, ‘What would get you a compliment from a stranger?’ ” Lutz said. “We really try to de-emphasize labels and boxes on people. Instead, we try to emphasize unique finds.” The store’s treasures include their vintage pieces, which make up about 10 percent of the merchandise. They’ve carried everything from micro-beaded handbags well over 100 years old to jewelry lines made from antique French molds. “I love the thrill of the hunt,” Lutz said. “We take pride in the fact that you never quite know what to expect when you walk in, so maybe your best finds are here, and you just don’t know it yet.” For many, shopping victories in large department stores come few and far between. Instead, trips are fruitless pursuits that leave fashion-hopefuls discouraged and underwhelmed. Even Lutz, who owns a successful and flourishing boutique, dislikes shopping and the fashion industry. “Shopping has gotten all the pleasure out of it,” she said. “Instead of going into a nice bou- tique, we push grocery carts down fluorescent-lit aisles and there’s no one to serve you.” This frustration is left out of The Peacock Room equation, where the emphasis is placed on providing a personable shopping experience that doesn’t adhere to the parameters established by designers or merchandisers. “Style is the expression of your- self, and fashion is merely the renewal of that process,” Lutz said. “It doesn’t have to come from a runway or a magazine, so take con- trol of your own style.” A scarf doesn’t have to be a scarf; it can be a head wrap, a table runner, a beach towel. The possi- bilities, Lutz says, are endless, as long as you see the garment how you want to wear it and not how someone else wants you to wear it. “Detroiters, by nature, are risk- takers,” she said. “I think that translates into our style. You see women that are more willing to experiment with color and tex- ture, who aren’t wearing what someone told them to wear but making it their own.” Ultimately, The Peacock Room seeks to instill confidence in the shoppers who visit their store. Women have bought dresses for first dates with men who became their husbands, and for opera per- formances that colored a defining moment in their career. Each time, The Peacock Room played a part in creating that special experience. “A woman came in the day of her mother’s funeral and I was really touched that on such a pow- erful and hard day in her life, she found my store as her sanctuary,” Lutz said. “It was a really hum- bling compliment.” A trip to The Peacock Room is more than an average session of retail therapy. It’s emotional cleansing, confidence building and a reminder that there is no mold for beauty. “It’s not just a store, it’s a confes- sional,” Lutz said. STORE PROFILE IN The Vagina Monologues March 18 & 19, 8 p.m. Rackham Auditorium $5 presale, $10 at door INCOGNITO FILMS By ANAY KAYTAL Daily Arts Writer Detroit has long been wiped of many of its historical, boom- era anachronisms. Generations have come and gone, and with them, legendary sites and rel- ics of Detroit’s record industrial growth and world status in the 20th century have left without a trace. Among them, Detroit’s legendary J.L. Hudson Compa- ny had an especially important place in Detroit’s history, helping foster much of the city’s former glory. The Hudson’s department store (formerly on the streets of Woodward and Gratiot) stood at a towering 29 stories. For the majority of its existence, it was the tallest retail space in the world, and for the entirety of its existence it was the second- largest department store in the United States by square footage — only bested by Macy’s Her- ald Square in New York City. At its peak in the late ’50s to early ’60s, it boasted 12,000 employees and 100,000 customers coming through its doors every day. Hud- son’s was a cultural behemoth at a time when the United States was experiencing vast societal transformations. As important as it was for Detroit, it was equally important for merchandising and fashion for all of the United States. “You could go to Hudson’s and get everything on your shopping list,” Sally Gell, former Detroit resident and Hudson’s shopper, said. “It had everything imag- inable.” Gell used to frequent Hudson’s during the store’s peak, recounting how it was the quint- essential destination for all types of goods. The store was often peddling up to 600,000 items from 16,000 different vendors from across the globe. Humble Beginnings Born in England, but a product of years in Ontario and Michi- gan, Joseph Lowthian Hudson and his family lived a meager lifestyle, putting bread on their table by selling personally craft- ed clothes wherever they lived. While living in Michigan, Hud- son quickly became a helping hand in his father’s small cloth- ing shop in the town of Ionia, Mich., learning the textile trade while helping run his father’s enterprise. However, what was a stable stream of work for his family came to an abrupt halt after the Panic of 1873 plagued much of the country. With shut- tered textile mills and a dearth of customers, Hudson was thrust out of the business and forced to declare bankruptcy. His father died soon after. In a bout of ambition, Hudson brushed himself off and trans- planted his family from Ionia to the then bustling city of Detroit. With what small funds and sup- porting creditors he had behind him, he established a store- front in the old Detroit Opera House — the humble precursor to Hudson’s vast department store empire. Finding himself immediately successful thanks to Detroit’s meteoric growth, Hudson paid off the creditors from his previous bankruptcy and moved his store to a larger, grander location. After years of sustained success, what became the J.L. Hudson Company (col- loquially “Hudson’s”) made its eventual move into the famous J.L. Hudson Building on Wood- ward Avenue in 1946. It didn’t take long for Hudson’s to quickly embed itself in Detroit’s local culture, its name famously being synonymous with Christmas shopping and the latest in haute couture. Making Its Name Known On the back of his business’ success, J.L. Hudson quickly established himself as one of Detroit’s leading culture patrons. Hudson sponsored Detroit’s first Thanksgiving parade, pav- ing way for Detroit’s long and beloved annual tradition of America’s Thanksgiving Parade, the second oldest parade of its kind (sharing that title with New York’s own Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade). Hudson’s fireworks display quickly became a part of every Detroit family’s Fourth of July celebration. Hudson opened up satellite storefronts and shop- ping malls all across the Detroit metro area — Southfield’s loca- tion being among the most note- worthy for providing parking for 10,500 cars and having 53 store- fronts (including a Hudson’s location) — all the way back in 1954. Detroit flourished in the early part of the 20th century, largely due to businesses like Hudson’s and their presence in the city. Hudson’s was “more than just a department store … It was one of a kind,” Gell said. In addition to creating one of the most noto- rious retailers in the country, Hudson leveraged his success toward Detroit’s own well-being. Arguably, Detroit reached its peak thanks in part to the contri- butions of men like Hudson. “Hudson’s was the place to work and shop in the 1950s,” Elsie Vasich, a former patron of the store and resident of the Detroit metropolitan area, said. Vasich’s sister was once employed at Hudson’s Detroit location. “Many women wanted jobs at department stores like Hudson’s, because the work and pay was quite good.” Of the shopping experience, Gell said. “It was very comfort- ing for anyone who wanted to shop there.” Hudson’s embodied an approach toward shopping that has been long forgotten by U.S. retailers. On the graces of the experience, it crafted for its shop- pers and employees alike, Hud- son’s became the quintessential destination for elegance, class, reliability and service — acting as both a cultural and commercial cornerstone of Detroit during the height of its existence. End of an Era Stripped away for parts — such was largely the essence of Hudson’s’ demise. With the rapid growth of suburban communi- ties in Metro Detroit in the ’70s and ’80s, Detroit’s population began dwindling. Those who were wealthy enough planted themselves in the various afflu- ent communities on the outskirts of the city. Changing waves in Detroit’s demographics versus those of the outerlying sub- urbs led to the eventual closure of Hudson’s flagship store in Detroit. With the closure of its Detroit storefront came the disappear- ance of Hudson’s fundamental identity. As time went on and the retail industry became saturated with extraordinarily successful nationwide enterprises, compa- nies like Hudson’s couldn’t keep up with competitors and conced- ed to closure and consolidation with larger corporations. After a series of corporate hand-offs, Hudson’s former Detroit store- front was demolished in 1998; additionally, what eventually became Macy’s, Inc. gutted and swallowed what Hudson’s prop- erty was left. To some extent, Hudson’s fall from grace was cruel foreshad- owing for what was to come for Detroit. People who once called Detroit home ended up fleeing at the slightest indications of trouble; Hudson’s felt as if it was only logical to follow suit. The domino effect of demographic shifts swept Hudson’s, along with everybody else, away from the city. As much as Hudson’s was a part of Detroit’s strength as a city, its end was also one of many symbols of the city’s even- tual undoing. It’s vital to remind ourselves of stories like Hudson’s. After being blighted with its fair share of misfortune, the grand stories and characters associated with Detroit’s glory are slowly dwin- dling. Though Hudson’s had as unceremonious a send-off as a cultural staple could, the legacy of J.L. Hudson and his stores mustn’t go forgotten. With recent rising tides in Detroit, remembering the indi- viduals who made Detroit the city it once was, and the city it’s once again trying to become, is important. How fitting is it to revitalize a city without taking into account the culture and his- tory that made the city as grand as it used to be? Is blanketing a city with a completely new iden- tity the same thing as reviving it? No matter how you feel, reading the stories of individuals like J.L. Hudson is earnest fuel for the betterment of Detroit. A look at Detroit legend Hudson’s