The document summarizes the Mount Holyoke College Orchestra and their recent performances. It also provides a summary of the theater department's upcoming production of "Brave Smiles", which explores lesbian culture through pre-1980s literature and cinema. The play follows the lives of five adolescents at an orphanage for girls and how each meet tragic ends related to their sexuality. It satirizes the stereotype that lesbians in media before 1980s always met unhappy endings. The production aims to both entertain and critique this notion.

1. 6 A&E
Bringing great music to life Brave Smiles: not just What’s
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December 4, 2008 Mount Holyoke News
BY EMILY CHOW ’12 “Orchestra has definitely changed
another lesbian drama Haute
CONTRIBUTING WRITER my attitude about music, and helped BY KATIE FRICK ’10
me grow in so many ways that are BY SALLY O’DOHERTY ’10 If you’re a lesbian then MANAGING EDITOR
During the spring of 2000, Lisa CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Utzinger ’02 and Sara Curtin ’02 col- applicable to everyday life,” says there’s a good chance your Bad gift givers. We all know
laborated with each other to co- Marquez. “I think now I am so much life is full of tragedy. At least them—the aunt who always gives
found a creative outlet. It was to be more confident in myself and I know that’s what mainstream films and theaters have por- you socks or the cousin who pres-
an outlet where music-loving stu- if I work hard enough at something trayed over the past fifty decades or so. It is this absurd ents stinky body mists. Unfortu-
dents could express themselves; for that’s challenging, I can get it.” notion that has become the satirical standpoint for the nately, we must all deal with that
a small community of people to con- Despite the orchestra’s relatively theater department’s latest production, Brave Smiles. potentially awful gift giver. And
nect and bond as an organization young age, they have already per- Written by The Five Lesbian Brothers, Brave Smiles let's face it, there isn't anything
over one common ground: their pas- formed with an impressive list of en- explores lesbian culture through the lens of pre-1980s lit- more disappointing than having
sion for music. This small commu- sembles such as the Boston erature, theater and cinema. Brave Smiles spans several forked out half your paycheck for
nity of people is now known as the University Choral Society, the WPI decades and continents as each of the girls eventually a beautiful gift, twenty minutes
Mount Holyoke College Orchestra. Men’s Glee Club and the Polytechnic meet their various tragic ends. They do so in a variety of worth of gift wrapping and an
According to director and conductor Institute Symphony Orchestra. In ad- ways including suicide, accidents and illness. hour coming up with the perfect
Eric Benjamin, the orchestra pro- dition, the orchestra has also played Jack Zaryckyj ’09, who plays Babe, said that the play holiday greeting to find yourself
vides “the College with immediate alongside several prominent artists satirizes lesbian culture. “Every lesbian in every movie rewarded with a gift which pales
access to the emotionally thrilling and conductors, such as S. Mark Ali- before the 1980s, even before the 1990s, died or went in- in comparison to your own.
and intellectually stimulating world apuolios, Mara Bonde, Stacie Pirozzi, sane or had some horrible thing happen to them.” This And so I'm sure I don't have
of symphonic music.” Meredith Hansen Skinner and Craig idea of lesbians doomed to endure unhappy lives then die to tell you that it's even worse
The orchestra has come a long Hanson. tragic deaths, one by one, is thoroughly explored in the when you are that bad gift giver.
was since its early days. The orches- So far this academic year, the play. Just think back to the last gift you
tra is comprised of approximately 40 Mount Holyoke College Orchestra The play follows the lives of five adolescents who gave. Did the recipient grimace,
students and although the orchestra has already pulled off two successful meet at the Tilue-Pussenheimer Academy, affectionately scowl or forcibly smile when they
is open to Five College students, the performances, the first being the referred to as “T-Puss,” an orphanage masquerading as a saw it? If so, this guide is for you.
bulk of the orchestra members are recital during Friends and Family girl’s school. “These sixteen-year-old girls are shut up in And seeing as how our holiday
from Mount Holyoke. The orchestra Weekend in late October, where an orphanage with nothing to do but each other,” gift budgets are shrinking, these
usually puts on five to six perform- Beethoven, Mozart and Debussy Zaryckyj said. recession-conscious gift ideas are
ances per year, catering to both on pieces were performed along with a Directed by guest artist Brooke O’Harra, a New York all $25 and under.
campus and in the local community new work done by Eric Benjamin. City based director and a co-founder of The Theatre of a
events. According to Benjamin, Their most recent performance was Two-headed Calf, O’Harra was excited about producing a
pieces performed during the con- the third annual “Chronological Con- play about women by women. “I wanted to do a play that
Delicate Initial Necklace
$18
certs are chosen based on the cert,” bringing audiences on a har- was mostly women—not cross dressing everybody and I Long doubled chain
group’s technical capacities and the monious trip through four centuries wanted to get a sense of the women here [at Mount necklace, one chain
need for a balanced selection from of Western music in the duration of Holyoke],” she said. O’Harra says the progression of each detailed with a tiny
the symphonic repertoire. Chosen roughly an hour. “There is a sense of character offered a challenge for the actors. “The age charm, the other
pieces are usually a combination of pride being in this prestigious organ- range is interesting. We start with sixteen year old girls topped with a vintage-
ization,” said Professor Benjamin, and then see them in their forties and fifties. It gives the style penny-sized pen-
typically well-known classics that
$25
actors different things to play.” dant etched with
both players and audiences recog- “along with the special gratification
cursive initials.
nize and less familiar works of tradi- that comes from holding great music Sarah Turshen ’09 plays Miss Philips and said that the
urbanoutfitters.com
tional and non-traditional orchestral in your fingers and bringing it to show is about anyone who has ever dealt with life’s chal-
music. life.” lenges, “The title of Brave Smiles kind of says it all. You
Being a member of the orchestra just have to buck up and keep going.” The cast of eight
plays multiple roles and Turshen said that has created Retro block iPod speakers
takes hard work and dedication. In The Mount Holyoke Orchestra is
Circus
These fun speakers
addition to personal practice ses- performing Sunday, Dec. 7, at the an- some technical challenges for the cast and crew. “There
runs off your iPod’s
sions, there are two ensemble re- nual Christmas Vespers at 4 p.m. and are really quick costume changes, costumes coming off, energy so you can
hearsals per week. But as Schuyler 7:30 p.m. in Abbey Chapel. de-wigging, other costumes been thrown on and actors plug this compact
Marquez ’11 explains, it is a enjoy- back on stage all in the same scene. It’s absolute mayhem mini dock right into
able and beneficial commitment. back stage, but it’s hysterical.” your iPod and rock
The play creates something that runs beyond mere out anywhere.
entertainment. “The show’s super smart. The writing and fredflare.com
back
the directing…it’s just plain beautiful as well,” said
e
Zaryckyj. “You’re watching a critique of something and
om
at the same time being genuinely entertained.” Fashion Origami
Can’t buy your friend a
The gen- real wardrobe? Then
Brave Smiles opens Thursday, Dec. 4, buy an origami one!
pop land- e r -
ey’s
in the Rooke Theater and runs This gag gift goes the
scape fun- a t e d
through Dec. 7. The opening night fashionista route with
damentally violin
n
performance is free to Mount this stylish kit featuring
$12
changed in work in the 120 sheets of colored
Holyoke students and costs $3 for
c
2006 with Justin bridge. paper with a full-
the remaining performances.
Timberlake and “Mmm Papi” is color 28 page in-
Timbaland’s playfully by far the most silly struction book on
e x p l o s i v e track on the album and how to make tiny shoes,
FutureSex/LoveSounds. probably the most lovable. dresses, hat, and more!
it
Everyone’s still playing catch- It’s reminiscent of girl group
up, including a Miss Britney pop songs of the 1960’s — as is a
Br
Oak Jewelry Stand
Spears, who has emerged from a very worthwhile bonus track, “Amne- A gift of sculpted and enameled
massively dramatic year looking repen- sia.” While thickly nostalgic, they’re still branches extend to hold
tant. undeniably Spears—she launches into her earrings, bracelets
Not that Spears’ efforts have been at all bad; trademark yowl mid-“Mmm Papi,” part orgasm or any pretty lit-
$20
she, and the pop machine bubbling behind her, pro- and part tomcat. But it’s wildly, freely loose. “Let’s tle things.
duced one of the top ten pop songs of the year in 2007 with make out!” Spears instructs, as incessantly upbeat as an aer- urbanout-
“Piece of Me” from the Blackout album. Now she’s back with fitters.com
obics instructor. “There’s no pressure, play all day!”
Circus, which isn’t radically different from Blackout in any signif- It’s the song that rightfully should have come before her
$25
icant way—but it is slightly better. Call it a do-over album. final track, “My Baby,” a truly terrible ode to her children and
There are very strong songs in the mix; “Womanizer,” the how their breath makes her cry. However, the track that actually
first single, is not one of them. The song will drone on, babbling precedes the song about her children’s tiny hands is “Lace and
repetitively, until you succumb to something resembling not en- Leather,” a dominatrix anthem with a downright skanky electric
joyment, but acceptance of the inevitable. guitar. It’s an unfortunate and very, very funny choice.
Broadway Paper note kit
One of the strongest songs is the title track, especially if you can Pieces of this album will appeal to a broad audience: Indie snobs The perfect gift for the
block out Spears’ encouraging “Huh, yeah, let me see what you can will want to listen to “Rock Me In,” as it’s guaranteed that Of Montreal stationary savoir: a
do,” a line she’s inserted, tic-like, into easily a third of the songs she’s (and, gee, probably several other indie bands) will be covering it within quaint letter writing
ever recorded. It’s a very recognizable Spears, singing, “There are only the month. Fans of Skype sex can replace their former theme song kit stocked with
two kinds of guys out there/ Ones that can hang with me, and the (maybe your boyfriend’s a little tired of *Nsync’s “Digital Get the essentials.
ones that are scared.” Yes, we know—we’ve heard about Down”?) with the bonus track, “Phonography.” Don’t let the fact b ro a d w a y p a -
both of these men in previous albums. that it’s been shuffled off the album fool you: lyrically, it’s the per.com
Another memorable song, “Shattered Glass,” is piece de resistance of Circus. “I can follow all your commands/
thematically similar to Alanis Morissette’s “U But there will be no talk of adding you to my plan / I’ll keep
Oughta Know” except Spears isn’t eager to rehash you connected ‘long as you understand / That’s how we
memories of fellatio in a movie theatre. It’s anger lite: should keep it, Mr. Telephone Man.” I Am Not A Paper Cup
“My face is going to haunt you all the time,” she chirps Here’s why those absurd, toss-off lines work: pop is an by James Burgess
over a synthesizer. incredibly inauthentic form of expression—everything’s An eco-friendly alter-
Her diva self bounces right back from heartbreak, sexy and lovable all the time. It occupies an airbrushed space. native to disposable
$20
though, with a really great track later in the album. “Un- What redeems pop is an ability to giggle at itself, to cups, this double-walled
sual You” is an love song, with breathy wailing and a beat have fun within the form, to use those synthe- porcelain version with a
pliable silicone lid keeps
eerily mimicking the heart as heard through a stethoscope. sizers and tone correctors to tap into an essen-
beverages hot and does-
It’s not ground-breaking, but it’s a reminder that Spears tial joy. The performance behind Circus isn’t n't burn your hand.
has the best in the industry in her corner—you sense them quite there, but I think we’re getting close. momastore.com
here, sweating over the incoporations of the computer- BY ANNE DERRIG ’09