4B — Thursday, December 8, 2016
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

The adult prequel to the 

famous story of “Peter Pan,” 
the Tony-award-winning play 
“Peter and the Starcatcher,” 
will be performed tonight at the 
Power Center. With more music, 
more tech and more 
collaborations, 
the University of 
Michigan’s Theatre 
Department 
is 

prepared to take 
the 
audience 
on 

a 
new 
kind 
of 

journey. 

The story beings 

with 
an 
orphan 

named Boy, soon to 
be named “Peter.” 
He and a few other 
orphans 
set 
sail 

on the ship titled 
“The 
Neverland.” 

On this voyage, Boy 
meets Molly, the daughter of 
the Starcatcher Lord Aster. He 
and Molly discover a mysterious 
treasure chest which they soon 
learn cannot fall into the lap of 
evil pirate captain Black Stache. 
 

“This story involves rich and 

fabulous characters,” director 
and School of Music, Theatre 
& 
Dance 
professor 
Gillian 

Eaton said in an interview. 
She said the original story of 
Peter Pan was written among 
other “outrageous stories of 
adventures” that all involve 
“children and danger.” With 
300 individual props, a small 
pit orchestra and an intricate 
set, this has been one of the 
most demanding performances 
the theater department has put 
on.

“We 
are 
the 
Theater 

department, not the Musical 
Theater 
department,” 
Eaton 

said. But as a play with musical 

scores, it became “a wonderful 
challenge for the actors.”

One of the stage managers, 

LSA Senior Jacqueline Saldana, 
added that cross departmental 
collaboration 
is 
an 
intense 

accommodation they have had 
to incorporate, especially among 
lighting, props and costuming.

 With new opportunities 

for the actors 
and 
a 
tech-

heavy 
show, 

Peter and the 
Starcatcher can 
be 
considered 

a “simple, old 
fashioned story 
with 
modern 

technology,” 
assistant 
student director 
Marty McGuire, 
an 
SMTD 

Sophomore, 
said.

For 
cast 

members 
the 

experience of preparing for this 
performance has been unique 
for several reasons:

“This is different from any 

other show I’ve done while at 
Michigan. It’s an opportunity to 
explore something new with my 
classmates, and it means a lot to 
be able to create this exciting 
world with them.” said David 
Newman, an SMTD junior who 
plays Lord Leonard Aster

“The best part about Stache 

is that he sometimes cares more 
about proving to the audience 
that he’s the ultimate villain 
over the other characters on 
stage, breaking the forth wall 
like it’s his job,” said SMTD 
junior Jeffrey Fox, who plays 
Black Stache.

“Everyone 
(the 
cast) 
is 

always engaged in enhancing 
the audiences experience of the 
story we are telling,” said SMTD 
senior Sten Eikrem, who plays 

Robert Flacon Scott.

“Molly’s deep duality is what 

makes her so enjoyable to play. 
Her faith in humanity and 
her youthful ignorance is still 
very alive.” said SMTD senior 
Kourntey Bell, who plays Molly 
Aster.

“Playing Peter has been an 

amazing 
experience,” 
said 

SMTD junior Brooks Inciardi, 
who plays the Boy/Peter. “I’ve 
been thrown around, dropped 
off mountains and flown. J.M 
Barrie, the author of ‘Peter 
and Wendy,’ said it best when 
talking to a group of actors 
before opening their play for 
the first time: ‘All you need is to 
adorn yourself with the spirit 
of a child.’ That is what I do 
every night and what I hope the 
audience will leave with.”

In 
our 
interview, 
Eaton, 

McGuire and Saldana got to 
the root of why this show puts 
itself in its own category. They 
discussed childhood adventure 
–– that feeling of living life 
on the dangerous side. Eaton 
looked out to the set stage and 
asked, “Remember how you 
would dream of flying?”

And 
I 
did. 
Smiling, 
I 

reminisced about the time I 
asked my Mom for a Wendy 
nightgown for my birthday, and 
then another one for Christmas. 
She would ask me why my room 
was so clean, and I told her that 
I wanted it to be spotless for 
Peter Pan when he came to the 
window. 

The inner child in me lit 

up as the actores more deeply 
discussed 
this 
performance, 

the concept of taking chances 
and the reason why Peter and 
the Starcatcher is performing 
here on campus. It is made for 
the audacious kid that is still 
deep within all of us, itching to 
experience one more journey 
while we are still young.

Prequel to ‘Peter Pan’ 
flies into Power Center

ERIKA SHEVCHEK

Daily Arts Writer

Flashy high-tech play from SMTD to open this Thursday

Senior thesis ‘White Snake’ will slither 
into Walgreen, your heart and your soul

Enduring love story sheds light on urban legends and emotions alike

A classic legend that renders a 

story of love, courage and truth 
will travel from ancient myths and 
traditional oral storytelling to an 
adaptation set for the stage at the 
Power Center.

This weekend, School of Music, 

Theatre & Dance Senior Gregory 
Strasser directs Mary Zimmerman’s 
“The White Snake” 
as his senior thesis.

“The 
White 

Snake” 
tells 

the 
story 
of 
a 

serpent spirit who 
transforms 
into 

human form as a 
beautiful 
woman 

and travels to the 
mortal world with 
her friend Green 
Snake. Eventually, 
she falls in love and 
the play embarks 
on a journey of 
romance, exploring our inherent 
desire as humans to give and receive 
love. White Snake, played by SMTD 
junior Shenell McCrary must find 
the strength to seek something she 
has never before found — someone 
who accepts her and loves her fully 
for who she is.

“It is a timeless romance, because 

the entire play is about being seen 
for who you truly are,” Strasser said.

“The White Snake” originally 

premiered 
at 
the 
Oregon 

Shakespeare Festival in 2012 and 
later at the McCarter Theater in 
Princeton. It is an adaptation of an 
ancient Chinese legend, but has 
been reimagined for the American 
stage. As the story has evolved 
over time and moved through 
different places, the characters 
have changed, but the fundamental 
theme of the importance of love is 
woven through every piece of this 
tale.

“What the playwright has done 

in this particular adaptation is 
show that she wants to honor all 

the different interpretations of 
‘The White Snake,’” Strasser said. 
“Throughout the play, the narrators 
will pause the action and they’ll say 
‘that’s one way the story could have 
gone, but here’s another way the 
story could go too.’ ”

The play’s visual landscape forms 

through the characters’ creations, 
rather than a complex design for the 
set, costumes and props.

“We are trying to find as many 

things to touch into the magic 

of 
theatricality, 

without 
having 
to 

rely on the magic of 
technicality,” Strasser 
said. 
“Everything 

we are trying to do 
is generated by the 
actors.”

How much the cast 

has managed to create 
is remarkable.

“Together, 
the 

ensemble has built 
a boat, a cloud, a 
labyrinth, a thousand-
hand goddess, two 

gigantic snakes; choreographed a 
battle between the elements; and 
found a way to physicalize a forest 
and a storm,” Strasser said.

He explained that these creations 

have emerged because he has taken 
a step back and has left the actors 
with the opportunity to create, the 
product of this freedom has been 
incredibly rewarding for Strasser 
and the cast. Beyond the visual 
elements of this show, they grapple 
with complex themes and questions 
that Zimmerman’s script offers.

“There’s actually one really 

magical line in the play that I think 
sums up the author’s intent really 
well, which is ‘all forking paths 
lead to the same destination,’” 
Strasser said. “You can make so 
many different choices in your life 
that no matter what, at the end of 
the day you’re going to reach the 
destination.”

Strasser’s decision to direct 

this play for his thesis came from 
traditions of his childhood, as 
this Chinese legend was one of 

his bedtime stories. When he 
shared this with his mom, who 
is an immigrant from China, 
her response sparked Strasser’s 
analysis of a central question in this 
piece: who has the power to tell this 
story?

“She said, ‘You know you have to 

use Chinese people in it, because it’s 
a Chinese story.’ I wasn’t totally in 
agreement with that,” Strasser said. 
“I understand if you’re going to tell 
a story from a certain perspective, 
especially if it has racial identity as 
a major theme of it, then you better 
cast it that way. But in this case, 
racial identity isn’t the theme of 
this show. The theme of the show is 
love. And everybody can experience 
love.”

Strasser’s inclusion of different 

identities and voices has helped 
him preserve the fundamental 
truth of this play: that love 
is available to all. This story 
showcases its beauty in many 
forms. The cast emphasizes that 
everyone has the right to tell a 
story and everyone has the right to 
hear a story. This piece unites all 
people through these differences.

“The reason I love this play is that 

it demonstrates the universality 
of human spirit, which is that we 
want to be loved and we want to be 
truthful about how we are loved,” 
Strasser said. “You don’t need to be 
Chinese to be that. You don’t need to 
be anything to be that. That is just a 
human thing.”

Overall 
Strasser 
said 
his 

directing experience was both 
rewarding and exciting, including 
experimentation 
with 
different 

ideas and perspectives and an 
honest look into some of the most 
beautiful and painful aspects of the 
journey to find love.

“There are so many people who 

are so afraid of being seen as who 
they truly are and I think it’s the 
most courageous thing that you can 
do to come out and say: ‘Love me 
and take me as I am,’ ” Strasser said. 
“And it’s even more courageous for 
the person to respond and say: ‘I do 
love you.’ ”

BAILEY KADIAN

Daily Arts Writer

“Peter and the 

Starcatcher”

Dec. 8 @ 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 9 & 10 @ 8 

p.m.

 Dec. 11 @ 2 p.m.

$28/$22 General

12$ Student

Power Cent

Versatility and the jack of all trades

In our daily devotion to reach 

greatness, we as a culture, have 
come to realize we cannot be just 
one thing. The world is no longer 
satisfied 
with 
one-dimensional 

beings 
who 
offer 

mastery in just one 
area out of the vast 
dimensions composing 
our world. There has to 
be more to us than just 
one feature. We have to 
be good at our craft, but 
also knowledgeable in 
the areas surrounding 
it and complementing 
it — even in areas barely 
related to what we 
know.

The process of becoming well 

rounded emerges in stages; you 
start at one place and gradually 
prepare to take on more, little 

by little. It’s kind of like learning 
a language; first you get the 
grammar 
down, 
sentence 

structure, then vocabulary. Then 
you 
move 
towards 
adopting 

the 
conversational 

elements of language 
and 
start 
learning 

about 
the 
culture 

surrounding 
it. 

However, one language 
isn’t enough. Now that 
you’ve gained fluency 
in one, it’s time to 
move onto the next. Be 
well-versed in many 
languages 
so 
that 

you can display your 

versatility. 

You’re not just working towards 

becoming the best writer. Or the 
best singer. Or the best actor. Dancer. 
Musician. Director. Producer. You’ve 

got to be working towards acquiring 
a wide range of skills.

Resumes have to offer bits and 

pieces of what compose the whole. 
If I want to be a great writer, I 
have to learn how to become a 
great editor, a great reader and 
a great critic. The etymological 
history of this term dates back to 
1764, as “well-rounded” was to be 
“symmetrically 
proportioned.” 

One aspect of us can’t weigh too 
heavily on the other parts. It’ll 
offset the balance. It’ll force us to 
admit we can’t do A, B and C. Only 
A. Yet, it seems that isn’t enough.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, a name 

you’ve probably heard nonstop 
lately, provides a beautiful example 
for what a well-rounded person 
really looks like. He is referred 
to as an actor, rapper, composer, 
playwright and writer. Miranda 

does all of this and does it well, 
offering the paradigm for a well-
rounded artist. Best known for 
his lyrics and music for “Into 
the Heights” and “Hamilton,” 
Miranda’s 
artistry 
displays 

dimension. While doing many 
things, each aspect of his holds 
immense value.

Sometimes in the process of 

taking on too much, we wear 
ourselves thin and the value of 
each part starts to dwindle. In this 
way, we become beings who do a 
lot of things, but each at a subpar 
level — not the best or even close to 
the best. 

We’ve become a people who 

have to acquire more than one 
skill to prove we can do the thing 
we claim to know best, the best. In 
this process, we learn it requires a 
willingness for each of us to jump 

into anything for the sake of gaining 
deeper knowledge towards what 
originally provoked our passion.

There is a distinction worth 

making between what exists as a 
choice and what we force ourselves 
to do to become more dynamic. 
Sometimes one path leads to 
another and you may discover 
that your interest in singing may 
lead to an interest in playing an 
instrument. Either way, there is 
a choice whether to divert or not 
from familiarity. The expectation 
has already been set. Our culture is 
just waiting for us to reach it.

As students, we see this type of 

thinking play out in almost anything 
— careers, jobs, internships — we 
want to offer more than the person 
next to us and it is vital towards 
developing our craft.

Agent Leslie Barany writes in 

a letter to aspiring artists: “Stop 
aspiring and start doing. This will 
keep you very busy but it can’t be 
helped. In my opinion, this is how 
you might, possibly, have a shot at 
becoming a good artist.”

We have to be motivated to 

know a lot about what surrounds 
us in our artistry, the fields outside 
of our specific studies and even the 
people around us who are different 
than ourselves.

To become a well-rounded 

individual, we have to start doing. 
Greatness is not purely expertise 
in one area, but it is appreciation 
and knowledge of everything 
surrounding it. In this, you can 
tap into a new level of richness and 
beauty towards what you already 
know and love — offering more to 
your pursuit while understanding 
all that surrounds it.

Fashion in the time of President-elect Donald Trump: 
the politics of dress and identity in today’s day and age

The role of the fashion industry in our national political discourse

On Nov. 18, women’s clothing 

designer Sophie Theallet released 
an open letter on her Instagram 
denouncing 
Melania 
Trump, 

the future first lady. Theallat, 
who designed many of first lady 
Michelle 
Obama’s 
stunning 

gowns 
throughout 
President 

Barack Obama’s administration, 
wrote that President-elect Trump 
campaign’s values and actions did 
not align with those of her brand.

In addition to Theallat’s letter 

about Melania, attention to Ivanka 
Trump’s 
own 
collection 
has 

increased. Some claim her brand, 
which promotes strong women in 
the workplace, is contradictory to 
the words and actions of her father, 

the President-elect. In response 
to this, a California-originated 
campaign 
#GrabYourWallet 
is 

urging 
customers 
to 
boycott 

Trump 
brands, 
as 
well 
as 

pressuring retailers to remove the 
brands from their shelves. Over 
200 million people have tweeted 
with the hashtag, and Shoes.com 
and Bellacor have both dropped 
the Trump name from their 
merchandise.

These 
recent 
happenings 

represent 
the 
much 
larger 

sentiment of the fashion industry 
throughout this past election. 
Much of the fashion industry, 
including Vogue Editor-in-Chief 
Anna 
Wintour 
and 
designer 

Diane von Furstenberg, supported 
Clinton and fought for her win. 
With Donald Trump taking office 
soon, fashion’s relationship with 

politics just got that much more 
interesting.

Upon 
reading 
about 
these 

new forms of protest, I began to 
wonder about the relationship 
fashion should hold to politics. 
Theallat 
herself 
noted 
that 

involving her brand with the 
recent election may not be a smart 
move business-wise. However, 
she also noted that it was a 
family business and she wanted 
to promote what she believed 
was the right thing. But patrons 
of fashion pushed back, arguing 
that style and politics should not 
intermingle and remain separate 
in their individual worlds.

Why shouldn’t brands, and 

designers, 
take 
a 
stance 
on 

these issues? Furthermore, as 
consumers, how do we continue 
to connect style with candidates 

with whom we don’t necessarily 
agree? Does an opinion, popular or 
unpopular, control our willingness 
to buy from that brand?

Frankly, it is not uncommon 

for brands to take a stance in 
current 
affairs, 
and 
fashion 

almost always plays a role in 
any overtly-public phenomena. 
We cannot pretend that the two 
worlds do not coexist, and that 
the everyday brands we touch 
and care about don’t influence 
us immensely. First ladies have 
often been under the scrutiny 
of the public and media: Jackie 
Kennedy, Hillary Clinton and 
Michelle Obama have all drawn 
attention as fashion symbols of 
their times. Furthermore, people 
relate certain styles to politics, 
such as the pantsuit that has been 
synonymous with Hillary Clinton.

ISOBEL FUTTER

Daily Arts Writer

“The White 

Snake”

Dec. 9 @ 7 p.m. & 

11 p.m.

Dec. 10 @ 7 p.m.

Walgreen Studio 

One

Free

BAILEY 
KADIAN

COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN

STYLE NOTEBOOK

COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW

