Mount Hood

Composed by one, played by many

Zoe Strickland, Editor-in-Chief

Many years of music study and a working knowledge of three instruments led up to music composition major Jessica McCutchen’s senior music recital. McCutchen, who plays piano, violin and flute, has spent the last four years honing her composition and music playing abilities.

The pieces performed during the recital span McCutchen’s time at Western — from “Reflections,” the solo piano performance that McCutchen first composed in 2013 and revised in 2014, to “Antumbra,” written in 2018 — the newest solo piece from McCutchen.

Of the eight pieces performed during her June 1 recital, McCutchen’s favorites are “Antumbra” and “The Marionette.” The latter was performed with McCutchen and Dr. Carlos Velez on flute, and music major Emily Delziel on piano.

“‘Antumbra’ is a piece about transition and seeing where life takes me,” said McCutchen, who also performed the piece at the “Elegant Evening of Piano Music” event on May 2. “It’s a solo piano piece, so it’s me and the piano telling a story. It’s about leaving this place I’ve made a home and leaving people I love to go off and chase my dreams.”

“‘The Marionette’ was written out of frustration due to the lack of technical challenge in pieces I was playing in ensemble classes,” McCutchen said. “Instead of festering over something I had no control over, I went home and wrote. Getting to perform it with my flute/composition professor, Dr. Velez made it more special.”

While the recital both began and ended with a McCutchen as a solo pianist, that’s far from what was displayed in the duration of the evening. The bulk of the recital consisted of compositions that were also played by numerous students throughout the music program. For some pieces, like “A Life to Remember,” “Dawn” and “Derailing Circus,” McCutchen was among those playing. However, pieces like “Procrastination Waltz” and “Knock Knock Go Away,” were solely played by her peers.

“Hearing my compositions being played by others is the strangest feeling,” said McCutchen. “It’s like someone saying your thoughts, which can be beautiful or it can be heartbreaking. I invest so much time and effort composing a piece. I make sure what I write has a purpose. When I give it to a performer, it’s like I am giving them a part of myself to share with the world. Hearing someone else articulate your thoughts and your emotions is overwhelming and beautiful. It’s sharing who I am through other people.”

As for what’s next for the graduating musician, she plans to continue her education: “I plan on getting my masters and doctorate. I really love school.”

 

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Photo by: Zoë Strickland

Western takes a trip to the primal

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

Vampires, film and dance collide in “Why Cross Chaos,” the newest theatre production put on by Western’s theatre and dance department. The show will open on May 30.

The devised play, which is guest directed by Portland-based director and choreographer Jessica Wallenfels, takes place on three planes: the ‘real world’ in 2027, where immigration has been made illegal and people are trying to resist oppressive forces that keep them in refugee camps; the primal, where characters go to escape the real world; and the in-between, where characters drift between the real world and the primal. The primal world is where Les Vampires, a vampire gang, come in — they’re thieves and murderers who are portrayed in the play as masked dancers, most often performing the Apache dance. Apache, a dance similar to a waltz, involves hair pulling and slapping and serves as a visual representation of the aggressive 2027 world.  

“In our production, almost everything is a dance,” said Wallenfels. “There are choreographed, unison-style dances and there are scenes with very few words, where the interactions between the characters are danced.”

Though the play is based on the 1915 serial series “Les Vampires,” directed by Louis Feuillade, the formation of “Why Cross Chaos” was a collaborative effort between Wallenfels and the cast. The collaboration began at auditions, where auditionees had to watch an episode of the series and come back with an original response to what they had watched. After the 12-person cast was chosen, small groups of people were assigned different parts of the series to watch and report back on.

“(Wallenfels) gave us the frame of gut-hits and questions,” said A.J. Saddler, senior BFA in acting major, who plays Maz, one of the characters tasked with tracking the gang. “So, if there’s something that really got your attention in the episode or something that hit your gut or questions about certain plots … or questions about how we might be able to utilize elements of the movie into our play, even though we don’t know the plot or anything. We would make lists.”

From there, they would decide what parts to pick out and highlight in the production.

“What makes ‘Why Cross Chaos’ unique to me is that it is a piece entirely made out of collaboration,” said junior theatre major Phoebe Thompson, who plays Delphine. “And with that, it is a very absurd piece that has a lot of factors to it.  It’s one of those shows that will impact everybody individually.”

“I love that it reflects every single person who’s worked on it, from the actors, to the assistant directors and dramaturg, to our assistant choreographer and designers,” noted Wallenfels. “There are pieces of text that one actor brought to an audition, which show up spoken by another actor in a completely different context in the show. Overall ‘Why Cross Chaos’ has a voracious, go-for-broke spirit that is kinetic and visceral. It is ridiculous at many points but came from a very serious question: How can I make impact in a world so full of chaos?”

In addition to being a take on “Les Vampires,” the play also comments on social issues, like gender representation and stereotypes.

“We didn’t go in saying ‘hey, we want to comment on America’ … As we went on, we ended up getting into more and more conversations about, for example, Irma Vep in the movie not really falling into the stereotype of women that they may have based back in 1915 or now,” said Saddler. “We ended up getting into this conversation about gender and gender norms and ‘how could we break that, how could we not portray typically masculine, typically feminine’ … through the writing process I think it was a conscious decision to be able to comment on society.”

The play works against these social norms by having Vep portrayed by multiple cast members, as well as including relationship subplots with people of any gender.

“Why Cross Chaos” is a multi-layered play that uses bits of comedy to lure viewers into the horrific world originally created by Feuillade.

“I think that this is a very somewhat different take or approach to theater that (Western) has taken in the past few years … it may not be a typical play that you may see at Western, but I think that if you jump in and go along with us, you’ll be pleasantly surprised,” commented Saddler.

“Why Cross Chaos” is playing in Rice Auditorium from May 30 to June 2. Tickets are available at the box office. Those who are looking for more information can contact the box office at 503-838-8462.

 

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

 

Review: “Tracyanne & Danny”

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

“Tracyanne & Danny” is the perfect album for a calm summer’s day. The songs are dreamy, carefree and border on sounding old fashioned. Though listening to the entire album at once may make listener’s eyes heavy, the duo has a select number of tracks that pick up the beat. While the album is good, I don’t think I’ll be listening to it in its entirety again. Rather, I’ll add a few songs to my listening library and move on.

“Tracyanne & Danny” is the first album from Camera Obscura frontwoman Tracyanne Campbell and Crybaby’s Danny Coughlan. The duo presents a sound that listeners of each individual artist’s other work would expect; Campbell’s unique vocals join with Coughlan’s overall calm musical stylings to create a beautifully retro-sounding array of tunes.

Though most of the album has a more relaxed sound to it, tracks like “Alabama” and “Cellophane Girl” bring up the tempo.

“O’Keefe” is my personal favorite song on the record. A duet with the slow percussion, piano and harmonica make the track sound bittersweet — like it should play during a break-up scene of a foreign romantic film.

While Tracyanne & Danny is a collaborative project, Campbell and Coughlan work as separate entities — individual songs are primarily sung by one artist or the other, with the opposite adding in backing vocals. By doing this, the artists give each other space on the album to embrace their own sounds. For Campbell, this means songs like “Alabama,” which could be something straight from Camera Obscura’s discography. For Coughlan, this means his slower, dreamy, acoustic sounds, like those found in “Deep in the Night.”

“Tracyanne & Danny” is the perfect album for fans of Campbell and Coughlan’s other musical ventures, or for people who enjoy She & Him and Elizabeth & the Catapult.

 

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of: www.tracyanneanddanny.com

Review: “Solo: A Star Wars Story”

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

“Solo: A Star Wars Story,” is its own movie. Yes, it follows along with the linear plot of, and connects to, the larger Star Wars universe — something us fanatics love. But the characters — new and old-droids — Wookies and warp speeds into the next galaxy make it original and a worthwhile ticket.

I had expectations — don’t we all, when it comes to Star Wars — that were mostly met. Alden Ehrenreich, who acts as Han Solo, was someone I honestly didn’t care for when I watched the trailer. However, I set my expectations low prior to my viewing and the only thing I looked forward to was how he would portray his version of Solo. His embodiment was exceptional. I’m glad I wasn’t too much of a fan of the warm charisma that Harrison Ford invested in Solo and, although that performance won’t ever be matched, Ehrenreich holds his own quite well.

Donald Glover is the exception and best actor in this movie. As Lando Calrissian, captain of the Millenium Falcon, Glover exceeds Billy Dee Williams’s past performances of Calrissian. This is unfortunate because Williams was the original who personified Lando, but Glover did such a phenomenal job mirroring Williams’s acting — and eventually bringing his own flavor — that I’ll give him the benefit. One thing I looked forward to was the chemistry between Glover and Ehrenreich. This didn’t match the chemistry between Ford and Williams exactly, but the pair clicked.

Of course, these two on screen would not be if not for their quarrels over the Millenium Falcon, like in past films, and I’m so satisfied they got into the backstory of their constant negotiations over the beloved light-speedster.

And let’s not forget about Chewbacca and Solo’s relationship. Kudos to the filmmakers for including so many highlight moments in their relationship. It was awkward when they first met in a mud-filled jail confine, but that’s the beauty of their pairing — something die-hard fans have always loved about the franchise.

I’ve always loved Star Wars films, but the major thing that annoyed me was the constant unnecessary CGI makeover that was dominant in the prequels of the last decade. Everybody prefers sock-puppet-Yoda over the computerized version and so I’m thankful “Solo” retained the classic looks of weird looking creatures and droids.

I will continue to love Star Wars movies like “Solo” as long as they keep reinventing. “Solo” gives a new look while still maintaining the old-fashioned Star Wars we know and love.

 

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of: starwars.com

 

Review: “Deadpool 2”

Stephanie Blair | Copy Editor

Let me start by saying that I liked the last Deadpool film — I really did — but I felt immediately upon seeing it that it didn’t have the potential to be a good series. I also knew that Marvel would make it one anyway and so, over two years later, here we are. I went into this film with low expectations and they were met exactly.

I could spend a lot of time complaining about how mediocre this film is, even though I can already feel my friends’s angry tweets being typed out as I write this. So, instead of going on at length, I’m going to quickly run through my biggest problems with the film and then we can move on to the enjoyable bits. Here we go.

The first 20 minutes or so of setup were insufferable. The title sequence was funny as I realized what they were referencing, but quickly became overdone. The plot, overall, was simple, dumb and was almost asking for a cop out ending — which it then gave. Any instance of visual humor, rather than a funny line, was ruined by characters in the scene heckling the moment. The biggest laughs in the showing I attended went to gags that were simply call backs to the biggest laughs of the first movie.

To be honest though, it’s still fun. It’s the same brand of humor, with slightly different twists. The new characters aren’t very fleshed out, but I want them to be. The soundtrack is excellent, making it a tradition of the Deadpool films, now. Simply put, it’s not as good as the first film — but if you liked the first one, you’ll like the second.

There’s nothing groundbreaking here, like there — arguably — was in the last film. There just isn’t. But if you like light body horror, penis jokes and ‘80s tunes, you’re in for a good time.

 

Contact the author at journalcopy@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of: www.foxmovies.com

Review: “Electric Light”

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

It’s been three years since singer-songwriter James Bay released his debut album, and I’ve been anticipating his second since I finished listening to the first. “Electric Light” is good, but it’s nothing special. In his second album, Bay seems like he’s trying to reinvent his sound, but does so in such a miniscule way that the changes just seem like slightly overproduced missteps. While the album almost succeeds in showing a different side to the artist’s music, an overall lack of continuity is its downfall.

When it comes to music, I love a good connecting storyline — and Bay’s sophomore release seemed like it was going to deliver. “Electric Light,” in a way similar to “Camp” by Childish Gambino, uses interludes of dialogue to introduce the listener to the story that the album is trying to tell.

The first track, aptly named “Intro,” consists of nearly a minute of dialogue between Bay and a woman who’s playing the role of his significant other. The conversation comes back halfway through the album with “Interlude,” another minute-long track. While this framework acts as the set-up for a musical story, the album itself fails to follow through. I was expecting the last track to sum up the record in a similar conversational way, but it ended on a bittersweet musical note that housed Kodaline-levels of sadness. Though the attempted storyline seemed like it was aiming for somewhere great, it failed to get there.

The first single released and fourth tune on the album, “Wild Love,” is destined to be one of the songs of the summer. “Wild Love” relies heavily on autotune, nearly to the point of sounding like Bleachers. However, the majority of the song remains low-energy and squanders the pop potential it appears to be aiming for. It isn’t until the track is almost over that the sound drops into a danceable beat.

Bay’s debut album, “Chaos and the Calm,” was released in 2015 and was a solid record — his powerful vocals and intensely romantic lyrics resulted in three Grammy nominations. While “Electric Light” still houses the same strong sound that was displayed in “Chaos,” the at-times-overproduced quality of the songs took away from how much I enjoyed the album as a whole.

While I dislike Bay’s overall sound reinvention, I do have to commend him on the powerhouse that is “Stand Up.” The song begins with layered vocals, but quickly turns into a softer, choral interlude, eventually building up to a climax of boisterous percussion and violin, ultimately winding down to a calm finish that borders on lackluster.

“Just for Tonight” is the song that’s most reminiscent of the artist’s previous releases; the tune feels like it’s reaching into Bay’s singer-songwriter roots, but ultimately winds up relying too heavily on choral voices.

Though I’ll probably stick to listening to his first album, it seems like “Electric Light” is Bay’s way of coming into his own sound. The album plays more with autotune, voice layering and different genres. However, the failed continuity of the record makes it seem like Bay was throwing pasta at a wall and hoping it would stick — if the organization was better, I think the reinvention would have been more successful.

 

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of: republicrecords.com

Dedication illuminated through dance

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

One by one, the audience shuffled to their seats and waited in anticipation for the art they’d soon witness. After some time, the lights slowly dimmed to full darkness. With a hush that consumed the room and the sweeping of a curtain, it was time for the show to begin.

The 2018 Spring Dance Concert took place from May 10-12 in Rice Auditorium. Showcasing the work and dedication that went into 10 different performances, audience members showed up and supported the art that their friends, family and peers had worked to perfect.

The show displayed the work of students, alumni, and the Rainbow Dance Theatre, as all worked together to put on the two and a half hour production.

From the eyes of a viewer, what was seen was nothing short of phenomenal. Opening with a performance titled “Last Light,” choreographed by senior Andrew De La Paz, audiences saw animalistic forces charging after the dying light presented by soloist senior Alaina Meyer. Ultimately, the piece showed that no matter how hard the force attempted to steal the light from her, she would not surrender.

This piece set the scene for the rest of the concert; from then on, audiences were able to see more dark material, with visuals that would send shivers down one’s spine and had perfectly chosen music to match.

These dance performances didn’t shy from tackling controversial topics, such as the stereotypes surrounding different races brought to light in “One,” choreographed by senior Tunya Dhevaphalin.

“Each piece told a story,” explained dancer sophomore Noah Nieves Driver. “Whether it be one of determination, grief, or just for pure entertainment … (each was) full of everyone’s heart and soul.”

Art was exhibited within each performance; the set designs, the lighting that flawlessly reflected the mood of the piece, the film used in choreographer Kristie Lauren’s “Chalk, Chalkboards, and Classroom Covens,” and even the painting produced on the spot by Professor Gregory Poulin in “Men Dancing: the Painter,” choreographed by dance professor Darryl Thomas in collaboration with the dancers — all left the audience in awe.

Behind the curtain, what made the production of this art possible can be seen.

“A lot of preparation went into the Spring Dance Concert,” said dancer sophomore Maria Krueger. “We put five months worth of rehearsal time in, with practices twice a week for two hours each practice.”

Krueger was a part of two performances: “Last Light” and “False Hologram.” She added that, on top of the work she and the rest of the crew put into the pieces, there were also “two previews during that time, where the dance facility overlooked the dances and helped students perfect their pieces.”

With numerous dancers involved, choreographers, costume designers, lighting designers and more, the hours on top of hours and immense passion put into the production was evident.

Following the final piece, “The Garden of Earthly Delights,” choreographed by Valerie Bergman and professor Darryl Thomas, both a part of the Rainbow Dance Theatre, the show came to a close. As the faces of each performer made their way to center stage to take a final bow, much of the audience gave a standing ovation to show their respect and admiration towards everyone involved.

Driver noted that as he was taking his bow, he felt “sadness that the run is over … and happiness to finally have free time again.”

“It felt amazing to perform these pieces, to show off five months of hard work,” added Krueger.

As the lights brightened the room and the audience made their way down the rows and out of the auditorium, those involved in the show were greeted with the smiling faces of all of their supporters, waiting to congratulate them on the work they had done.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photos by: Paul F. Davis

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