THE ITHACAN

Strong voices carry upbeat musical

By Isabel Galupo, Contributing Writer • April 27, 2011

An animated sperm swims off screen for a moment, returning with a bouquet of flowers and a gentleman’s bowler adorning its head. Satisfied, the egg in question accepts her gift and the two quickly unite.

Play addresses tricky subject matter

By Lucy Walker, Staff Writer • April 6, 2011

Many coming-of-age stories include moments of fishing, shame, summer camp or sexual molestation — but typically not all at once. The dangerous, true tale told in “The Tricky Part” brings them all together in a narrative about the lifelong effects on one boy forced to grow up too early.

Dysfunctional duo tackles apocalypse

By Lucy Walker, Contributing Writer • March 10, 2011

“boom,” a modern tale complete with cursing, Ramen noodles, Craigslist solicitation and many failed sexual advances, reverts back to the story of Adam and Eve while attempting to prove the power of evolution.

Dual talents combine to deliver fluid operatic performance

By Matthew R. Reis, Staff Writer • March 1, 2011

Opera had only been around for 10 years when Claudio Monteverdi debuted “L’Orfeo” to an Italian audience in 1607. As one of the earliest opera’s still performed today, Ithaca College’s goal was to make this centuries old classic appeal to a modern audience. With the combined talents of theater and music students, the college gave…

Brilliant vocals enrich strong acting

By Megan Devlin, Assistant Accent Editor • January 27, 2011

From uplifting beginning to powerful end, a nonstop wave of vibratos tunefully tells of an unusual love triangle in a contemporary fashion. Sung in its entirety, the 85-minute operatic performance of “Bed & Sofa” brings to stage a story once considered socially ahead of its time but is now brewing laughter and compassion for its…

Cast’s performance puts play in gear

By Megan Devlin, Staff Writer • December 8, 2010

With lights descending upon the doo-wopping trio whose harmonic tones resound, and an electric ray of pinks and greens that beams around center stage alluring viewers, the mesmerizing opening scene of “How I Learned to Drive” braces the audience before the heavy performance unfolds.

Musical dazzles despite weak concept

By Aaron Edwards, News Editor • October 27, 2010

For almost 14 years the Broadway revival of “Chicago” — the jazzy musical by Fred Ebb, John Kander and Bob Fosse — has invited audiences to a world where scintillating sinners wear their buckle shoes and get away with naughty things. The revival, which was darker than the original “Chicago,” set an unshakable image of…

Electra’s raw emotion shines in play

By Aaron Edwards, News Editor • October 6, 2010

Before the lights go up on Ithaca College’s production of “Electra” by Euripides, the faint echo of a rock scratching against a dull blade reverberates through the theater. It sounds eerie, almost barbaric.

1930s premise echoes in modern day

By Aaron Edwards, News Editor • September 9, 2010

There are only a handful of plays that stay viable throughout generations. After a few decades, even the most venerable classics wear out their welcome or lack the timeliness that made them great in a bygone era. But Noel Coward’s 1930s romantic comedy “Private Lives,” which opened Saturday at the Kitchen Theatre, still packs a…

Seniors shine in timeless love story

By Aaron Edwards, News Editor • May 6, 2010

To end the Ithaca College theater season with a show about nothing may seem like a random choice. But Shakespeare’s comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” is a fitting note to end the year on after the department’s array of edgy, contemporary pieces.

Kitchen Theatre disregards fourth wall

By Aaron Edwards, Acting News Editor • April 29, 2010

Some theatergoers consider the “fourth wall” a necessary facet of contemporary theater. This invisible curtain between the audience and the actor creates an illusion that the former is looking into the world created onstage, but when the fourth wall is stripped down, conversations can go deeper than they ever would have before.

Students capture Argentinian terror

By Michelle Skowronek, Accent Writer • April 15, 2010

Viewers didn’t know the second flight of stairs in Friends Hall would lead them to a theatrical world filled with blood, terror and torture Sunday. But then again, a play based on the brutal “Dirty War” in Argentina suggests nothing less.