3 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(05/07/20 10:02am)
Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” this year’s spring faculty production, was supposed to make its debut in Wright Theatre last Thursday, April 30. When the college canceled in person classes and evacuated students, one question lingered: how would spring productions continue? The team rose to the occasion, adapting the performance to an online format. The innovative production of “Julius Caesar,” directed by Professor of Theatre Cheryl Faraone, took place on Zoom this Monday evening, complete with sound effects and screen names indicating the characters each student actor was playing.
Garnering a total of 310 viewers — almost as many as Wright Memorial Theater seats at maximum capacity — the production appealed to a wide audience. Some cast members were excited that the transition to an online format allowed family members all around the country to watch their performance. I joined the webinar around 7:28 p.m., and promptly at 7:30, the show began. Our screens opened with nine faces on a Roman feast, with Mark Antony (Becca Berlind ’21) about to begin a ceremonial run. The audience was immediately thrown into the beginning of the play. Without the rise of a curtain or the brightening of lights, we abruptly found ourselves watching a scene in Ancient Rome, all while staying in our own living rooms.
Once adjusted to the setting, the dialogue flowed smoothly — so smoothly, in fact, that it felt like we were watching a recording of the cast all together in the same room. The color scheme was subdued; most cast members sported a black or white outfit against a neutral, mostly dark backdrop. The cast was entirely female, a gender bending of the usually male-majority ensemble. Subtle makeup and tied-back hair were important to the gender swap, but also contributed greatly to the minimalist aesthetics of the production.
What was immediately clear when watching the production on Zoom was the heightened importance of facial expressions of the actors. Instead of striking sets and costumes, the audience was met with brightly lit faces against neutral backdrops. Thus, each line had to be delivered with precision, or else meaning could be lost. The webinar format also presented challenges; many scenes involved the presence of several actors “on stage” (on the screen) while only one person was delivering a monologue. Because each actor was the same size on the screen, it was pertinent that any time she was onstage an actor remained completely focused and in character.
Wynn McClenahan ’22, who played the role of Julius Caesar, said learning active listening and appropriate facial reactions was key.
Of course, the climax of “Julius Caesar” involves the violent demise of the title character, stabbed to death by his fellow statesmen. Right off the bat, I was curious as to how the production would go about portraying this critical scene. In this production, Brutus (Madison Middleton ’22.5) and Cassius (Emily Ma ’21) both turned and made quick, jabbing motions away from the camera. The audience immediately saw Caesar react to being stabbed.
A scene intended to be so brutal lost all of its physicality. Instead, the actors' faces conveyed the intensity of the scene, coupled with a good deal of imagination on the part of the audience. Unfortunately, the online format made it so the transition between scenes wasn’t always entirely clear. Mostly, the appearances — and subsequent disappearances — of actors’ faces communicated these changes, in lieu of changes in scenery.
McClenahan said that while virtual backgrounds of the original set were considered, using them would have made things too complicated, as Zoom virtual backgrounds are not compatible with a lot of computers.
McClenahan said that when the college announced that it was closing, everyone in the production still wanted to do the show. At that point, they hadn’t started working on staging yet, and were still working through the script. Moving the production online was still a viable option, however, as there was enough time to figure out logistics and rehearse in the new format.
While the production was ultimately a success, McClenahan said there was a steep learning curve with Zoom. One key challenge was that the organization of screens on Zoom was different for each actor. The actors had to learn how to hide their own screens on Zoom, as acting while seeing their faces is not ideal. The decision to use a neutral background for the production, McClenahan said, was very much a deliberate decision, a “make it work moment” when the cast had to be flexible and adapt to their new medium.
Technical logistics aside, the camaraderie among the cast and crew during tech week is what McClenahan said she missed the most. In-person tech week is not only when all the pieces of the show come together, but when the cast and crew bond. During virtual tech week, the cast got on Zoom every night at 7 p.m. to rehearse.
Because the cast and crew could only communicate through online means, stage manager Brianna Beach ’23 and Devon Hunt ’23 gave the actors their cues through GroupMe.
“It was extra hard to go from an experience when you’re with a bunch of people to now you’re just in your house alone trying to tell your family to be quiet,” McClenahan said. “And it was kind of hard when you’re offstage, to not just completely go offstage and watch TV or something.”
For McClenahan, however, the nightly rehearsals helped create a daily rhythm, a grounding force during such an unsettling and hectic time. “You had to consciously think, I’m going to sit here and be in this moment,” she said.
(10/31/19 10:00am)
The Mad Taco and other retailers were welcomed to Middlebury by a large and hungry crowd last Saturday at the Stone Mill’s soft opening, which showcased the multi-purpose space’s new cast of restaurants and retailers. Middlebury residents and college students alike headed down to Mill Street for the Vermont taqueria’s much anticipated opening. By 5:30 p.m., the restaurant was abuzz with activity.
While there has been a lot of commotion around the arrival of The Mad Taco, the restaurant is just one of the new tenants of the new Stone Mill complex. The Stone Mill, formerly owned by Middlebury College, was bought by Mary Cullinane and Stacey Rainey of Community Barn Ventures in January of this year. The two transformed the building into a multipurpose space that now features The Mad Taco, The Arcadian To-Go, Dedalus Wine Shop, the interior designer Slate Home, Lost Monarch Coffee, a coworking space and Airbnb units.
The Mad Taco is located on the bottom floor, which used to house Storm Café. One of the employees at The Mad Taco, Nate Davis, said that there were moments when they were not sure the restaurant would be ready for the soft opening, as the space is not completely finished. After a few more finishing touches are put in place, The Mad Taco hopes to hold a grand opening on a to-be-announced date in the near future.
“We want to have a place for everybody to have fun,” Davis said. He said that the opening was successful, even with very little media promotion.
The menu at Middlebury’s Mad Taco is the same as the one featured at the taqueria’s original Waitsfield location. A variety of chicken, pork, beef and vegetable tacos are available, including smoked pork belly, a favorite of the Saturday crowd. The tacos are served on a double wrapped soft shell and are generously stuffed. A wide selection of burritos, fajitas and sandwiches are also available, alongside an impressive collection of homemade hot sauces, ranging from mild to very hot, as well as a full bar stocked with lots of Vermont IPAs.
Davis explained that Cullinane and Rainey approached The Mad Taco during the planning stages of the project about the possibility of being part of the complex. The two had been big fans of the location in Waitsfield, Vt.
On the ground floor of the Stone Mill, Cullinane and Rainey were manning the register at the Public Market, a collection of small stands representing various local businesses. The featured stores include Slate Home, which sells a range of homegoods from soap to coasters to kitchen supplies. The Slate Home team designed its own space to have a modern and slightly industrial feel.
The Vermont Book Shop and Dedalus Wine Shop also have stalls at Public Market. Dedalus Wine Shop was in the middle of a tasting on Saturday evening, an event which will occur regularly, according to Rainey. Lost Monarch Coffee is also a part of the market, with a seating area to grab a coffee and pastry.
The market also features a stall curated by Cullinane and Rainey called the Stone Mill Collective, which showcases the entrepreneurial ventures of Middlebury students and alumni.
When speaking about their goals for the space, Rainey and Cullinane said that they wanted to provide a multipurpose space where visitors can “grab a present, get a coffee, and head to work upstairs.”
“I really wanted to dive into the community and provide another spot for people to gather,” Rainey said. She and Cullinane have lived in Middlebury and been business partners for several years.
The opening welcomed a wide range of people from the Midd community, including students, families and retirees. When asked about what demographics she had hoped to see, Rainey said that she was thrilled with the variety of customers who came through the market on Saturday. “That’s the special part,” she said. “There’s been a lot of students who’ve been through the building. Families, some older retired folks, tourists. It’s been across the board, which is what we wanted.”
Rainey is also excited to bring more Vermont businesses to Middlebury.
“While it would be costly to have a full store up on Main Street, having a stall here gives these businesses an opportunity to test the market and expand their platform.”
The Public Market is now open Wednesday through Monday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. The Mad Taco is open daily from 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., and will close on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and July 4.
(10/10/19 10:03am)
“People are obsessed with Middlebury” — even and especially after they leave the college, according to Professor of the Practice Erin Davis. As a co-producer of “Midd Moment,” along with Juliette Luini ’18.5 she’s encountered a fair number of Middlebury fans. “For a lot of alumni ,” she said, “this is a real part of their identity.”
The first episode of “Midd Moment” was released on Monday, Oct. 7. “Midd Moment” is a new podcast hosted by Laurie Patton in an effort to connect with the Middlebury alumni community. In the brief introduction to the podcast, Patton explains that many alumni are interested in “a direct link to the Middlebury community.” The podcast features a different guest each week, including professors, alumni and other people with connections to Middlebury. In addition to Middlebury Magazine, the podcast is another outlet for alumni to connect with the Middlebury community. “When you’re not here anymore or on one of Middlebury’s campuses, directly participating in Middlebury, they miss it,” Davis said.
Davis explained that the podcast aims to “continue to give people access to the stuff that you miss once you leave Middlebury.” When asked about student interest in the podcast, she said that it is geared toward alumni so she is uncertain how current students will respond to it, but hopes that they will listen to it and see what they think.
According to Davis, something she has taken away from producing the podcast is how much the college has given so many alumni. “There’re just people doing really cool stuff, who went to school here,” Davis said. “It’s really made clear to me what Middlebury has to offer. It’s an incredible springboard.”
Producing “Midd Moment” was a humbling experience, Davis said. As a Professor of the Practice at the college, Davis sees students pushing themselves academically “to the limit every day,” but hopes that they will develop skills that help them make a difference in the world.
“[Podcasts] have the potential to make you feel connected, to make you learn something new, or to feel something new by the time the podcast ends,” Davis said. She hopes that this will ring true for “Midd Moment” as well.
When planning the podcast, Davis said that they were considering how to make it more appealing to current students, yet it did not seem like an effective way to engage with them. The production team threw around ideas such as interviewing students, but those ideas all “felt false, like old people trying to appeal to young people,” Davis said.
Davis said that the producers of “Midd Moment” want to be representative of the diversity of alumni career paths. They tried to find a diverse group of alumni to talk to about their current endeavors and how the college has impacted their work. One of the interviewees, Bianca Giaever ’12.5, found success immediately after graduating, and now, several years later, continues to develop her voice in the film and radio world. Koby Altman ’04, the general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers, spent years coaching after he graduated from Midd. Another alumna, Julia Alvarez ’71, has been publishing successful novels for over 30 years.
The first episode featured Environmental Studies Scholar in Residence Bill McKibben. McKibben, one of the world’s leading environmentalists, opens the episode by saying “I’m not convinced that there’s any institution in the world that’s produced more people doing more interesting things in the environmental world than Middlebury.” President Patton and McKibben discuss the college’s environmental initiatives, including the Energy 2028 plan and the college’s plan to divest completely from fossil fuels. Patton asks McKibben what he thinks needs to be done to change people and institutions to actively and effectively combat climate change and hey discuss the importance of individual responsibility and group action. According to McKibben, the key to effective action is in “individuals deciding to become a little less individual and joining together in movements large enough to make some difference.”
“I hope it scratches the itch that alumni feel to be reconnected to Middlebury,” Davis said. “So I hope that they can read the magazine and feel connected, I hope they can listen to the podcast and feel connected, I think it’s just another way for people to connect.”
This season of the podcast features 11 episodes with different guests each week. The podcast airs on Mondays.