spectator and sport

While reporting on the Area 4 Neighborhood Pride Day this afternoon in Cambridge, I watched (and shot) a basketball game between a Cambridge youth team and a Medford one. The girls watching from behind the fence were from a high school team up next, and after learning a few names and asking them about the game, they let me snap some photos of them observing the boys. Once I went through the photos today, I realized I was just as interested (if not more) in capturing the female spectators as I was in the male athletes. Juxtaposed, they give a neat sort of teen girl/guy interaction from afar. The fence in this case acts as a barrier between the genders as well as between spectator and athlete. Don't want to make too many leaps, but this might be something to explore?

shakespeare gets silly

To mock or not to mock? For the Orfeo Group's production of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)"-or as they like to call it, WOWSA-there really is no question. Mock on.

I saw the show last Friday, an hour-and-a-half production that encompasses all 37 of Shakespeare's plays. While some are simply mentioned, others like "Romeo and Juliet" and "Hamlet" are performed in full...well, sort of. The comedies are condensed to make room for more parody of the tragedies (which are, as the actors tell you, way more fun anyway). Ever seen Hamlet done backwards, in fast forward? Can you imagine Othello as a rap? What about Titus Andronicus as a cooking show?

The hilarious trio of Daniel Berger-Jones, Gabriel Kuttner and Risher Reddick use their shabby costumes and graffiti-covered set to have a whole lot of fun during the show. I found myself laughing so hard during some parts that I was tearing up. Among the best moments were: Reddick in a purple wig pretending to throw up on my sister, a clever Henry Louis Gates Jr. reference, and an actor taking a seat next to one audience member to eat some brownies from her picnic bag.

The humor of WOWSA appeals to adults and kids alike, and audience participation (and targeting!) keeps everyone engaged. They've extended their show (for this weekend and the next) at the Publick Theatre in Brighton, and the laughs are cheap (15 bucks, free with a student ID on Fridays, and free for all on Thursdays).

more zd+jgl love

This video for "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" from Zooey's musical venture She & Him with M. Ward is uber-adorable and features costar Joseph Gordon-Levitt from (500) Days of Summer. Who knew these two had such slick (and sometimes silly) moves? Directed by Marc Webb, the video is what Deschanel herself calls "a nice complement to the movie."

(Thanks to CS for showing me this one!)

Also, if you can tear yourself away from Deschanel's indie charm, you might find that the Him of She & Him produces some great stuff on his own. Here's one:

better than the brady bunch

Went to a concert for the first time in months and manohman was it an experience. A new find recommended by my housemate, we caught Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at TT the Bears in Cambridge.

A folk-rock band from L.A., the Zeros are a pleasant throwback. The ten members packed themselves onto the (very small) stage-what a feat! It became clear from the first song that the Zeros are just one big, happy hippie family, the accordion player in a sort of trance and lead man Alex Ebert prancing around shirtless with his messy hair flopping over into his eyes. My only major complaint about the show? It should have been done in a field, with circle dancing and flower crowns.

My two favorite songs from the lineup were their hit "Home" (Jade Castrinos' voice opposite of Ebert is lovely) and the bouncy "Janglin." Listen for yourself!

My housemate described the concert as "creative chaos" and I think the phrase fits the band. Band isn't even the right term. As one of the musicians states in the LA Times, "We're a kind of art troupe that plays music."

It's also worth taking a look at this bizarre video (part 1 of an eventual 12) that represents Ebert confronting the middle name given to him by his father, a Native American word that means "devil." Apparently that's his father chanting in the beginning, presumably holding little drooling Alex. Creepy.

vanishing venice

This National Geographic article, "Vanishing Venice," is worth a look. Newman's descriptions of Venice as a sort of paradox, balancing between water and land, "fairy tale" and "tourist trap" are poetic, accurate, and so well-written. Newman really captures the inevitable love affair that results from seeing the city. The feature is full of metaphors that try to describe the fantastical theatrics of Carnevale and nostalgia for the city's gilded past. It's a bit long (9 pages), but stick it out to the end and you'll hit the modern-day Romeo and Juliet story that really pulls together the theme: "Beauty is so difficult." Newman's piece tugs desperately at Venice, very aware of the aqua alta that threatens to destroy it.

I was excited to see that Jodi Cobb's accompanying photos include one of the drag show in piazza San Marco (which I went to! the emcee was a drag version of Queen Elizabeth!). I never did get close enough to take any pictures. My own attempt at capturing Venice can be seen here. Rich colors, costumes, and textures galore. Here's to hoping we can hold on to that beauty as long as possible.

summer mixtape

Way to go Grooveshark. This embedding playlists thing is very cool. Here are some songs I'm listening to right now. Some older, some newer, but all fresh (and summer-sounding) to me.

living, comically

So thanks to an online comic strip recommendation (thanks KC!) I've started a new little project. The comic, American Elf, is a daily thing done by artist James Kochalka that chronicles his everyday life. Family, friends, and his hometown of Burlington, Vermont are featured in the drawings. I'm still kind of adjusting the punchline-less quality of most of them, as his tidbits from daily activities are usually nothing stellar. It's this banality that actually makes his stuff intriguing, in a weird sort of way. After all, life isn't scripted and not every day is exciting or unusual. I'm trying to embrace American Elf's style by starting my own very simple comic journal/sketchbook, which I'm calling "Living, Comically." It's been a neat way to record some of the small moments of each day, and I have a feeling it'll be entertaining to look back on if I actually keep it up (check out a sample below!). Recording life in pictures is fun. Try it!