“Frost/Nixon,” new Lily Allen CD reviewed by intermission...

page 3
inside
“The Fray” CD reviewed; intermission attends Cantor artists’ workshops... page 4
Jose Limon memorialized in production; StanShakes shakes up Verona.. page 5 FRIDAY
“The Wasteland” is confusing; intermission analyzes...page 6-7
NYC Fashion Week kicks off with economic recession in mind...page 8-9
Clothes that motivate exercise; Ruth’s Chris restaurant a top eatery...page 10
2.20.09
Artist Lykke Li captures audience hearts at Fillmore...page 12

intermission
stanford’s weekly guide to campus culture
VO LU M E 235 . ISSUE 3
a publication of the stanford daily

steve lesser

ALSO INSIDE

“ T W O G E N T L E M E N N Y C F A S H I O N

O F V E R O N A ” W E E K

StanShakes puts on another Fashion Week kicks off in New

winning Shakespearian play with York for the F/W 2009-2010
Verona, but set in the 1920s. season.

...page 5 amanda zhang ...pages 8-9 style.it

PAGE 2 he past couple of years have been rough on
OSCAR PREDICTIONS
T Hollywood. First, there was the infamous
writers’ strike, and, as of late, the seemingly
never-ending Screen Actors Guild (SAG) negotia- Best Supporting Actor:
tions (think writers’ strike—but with the actors Josh Brolin in “Milk,” Robert Downey Jr. In “Tropic
instead). To make matters worse, the U.S. economy is Thunder,” Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt,” Heath
certainly not helping. Doom and gloom aside, the Ledger in “The Dark Knight,” Michael Shannon in
81st Annual Academy Awards is still on course this “Revolutionary Road”
year to celebrate the best films of the year. My Pick: Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight”
When looking at the slate of movie nominations, Reason: Although I am personally a huge fan of Robert
the first major difference we have noticed this year is Downey in “Tropic Thunder,” this one has got to go to
the variability in the number of films nominated for Heath. Anyone who has seen “The Dark Knight” will
each category. In case you haven’t noticed, the Oscars know why.
are all about Hollywood politics. Each year, as the
famed award show approaches, movie studios churn
out their top-notch Oscar-worthy films in the hopes
of garnering enough attention to nab a nomination.
allmoviephoto.com
This basically results in an orgy of films that bom-
bard our theaters with so much Hollywood buzz and Best Director:
stardom we can hardly keep up. It is this annual film Danny Boyle for “Slumdog The 81st Annual Academy
smattering which makes this year so different. Millionaire,” Stephen Daldry Awards is set to air live on
Blame the economy, Hollywood’s internal politics or for “The Reader,” David Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5:00 p.m. on
a combination of the both, but the truth of the mat- Best Picture: ABC. Hugh Jackman is slated to
Fincher for “The Curious
ter remains that the industry is turning out fewer “The Curious Case of Benjamin host.
Case of Benjamin Button,”
films this year. Now is this a bad thing for the Oscars? Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,”
Ron Howard for
Not necessarily, as fewer films means the nomina- “The Reader,” “Slumdog For a complete list of this year’s Oscar
“Frost/Nixon,” Gus Van Sant
tions are not as spread out across the board, as was Millionaire” nominations, visit: oscars.com.
for “Milk”
the case in the 2007 Academy Award nominations. My Pick: “Slumdog Millionaire”
My Pick: Danny Boyle for
That year, the films up for Best Picture were “No Reason: This film is probably the
“Slumdog Millionaire” — k y l e E VA L D E Z
Country for Old Men,” “Atonement,” “Juno,” most original and unique of the
Reason: Same reason as Best contact kyle:
“Michael Clayton” and “There Will Be Blood.” But bunch—not to mention it has it
Picture kedemon@stanford.edu
nominations for the categories of Best Director and ALL. “Milk” is a close second.
Best Actor/Actress came not only from the above-
mentioned films, but also from such films as
“Sweeney Todd,” “La Vie en Rose,” “The Diving Bell allmoviephoto.com
CORRECTION
and the Butterfly” and “Charlie Wilson’s War,” just to Intermission would like to make a
name a few—and believe me, there were plenty more Best Actor: correction to last week’s issue. The
films in the other categories. Richard Jenkins in “The Valentine’s Day playlist article was
This variability in films is curiously absent in Visitor,” Frank Langella written by Paul Craft not Annika
this year’s lineup, which means the truly great movies in “Frost/Nixon,” Sean Heinle.
will have better chances of sweeping up awards. Penn in “Milk,” Brad
FRIDAY
Doesn’t it just make sense for a movie that wins Best Pitt in “The Curious
Picture to also win Best Director? You would think
that categories like this would easily go hand-in-
Case of Benjamin
Button,” Mickey Rourke 2.20.09
hand, which is why this year’s award show is turning in “The Wrestler”
out to be a more intense competition — because My Pick: Sean Penn in
nearly all of the movies nominated are stellar. In “Milk” BONE TO PICK?
short, this year’s Oscars are turning out to be all Reason: It’s been a
about quality over quantity. tough year for gay
With the state of the award show now in check, rights, and Sean Penn’s
it’s time for one of my favorite hobbies . . . Oscar pre- recent role is both pow-
dictions! For the sake of brevity, I’m only going to erful and politically rel-
evant. allmoviephoto.com
focus on the top seven categories, which include Best allmoviephoto.com
Picture, Best Animated Film, Best Actor/Actress, Best well then, email us!
Supporting Actor/Actress and Best Director. Now
Best Supporting Actress: intermission@daily.stanford.edu
Amy Adams in “Doubt,” Penelope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Best Actress:
keep in mind: the predictions below are my personal
Barcelona,” Viola Davis in “Doubt,” Taraji P. Henson in “The Anne Hathaway in “Rachel
selections, and they are done by not just who I think
Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Marisa Tomei in “The Getting Married,” Angelina Jolie
will win, but who I think deserves to win. Enjoy!
Wrestler” in “Changeling,” Melissa Leo in MANAGING EDITOR
My Pick: Amy Adams in “Doubt” “Frozen River,” Meryl Streep in Joanna Xu
Reason: Call this one a gut feeling . . . “Doubt,” Kate Winslet in “The LAYOUT EDITORS
Reader” Kairen Wong
Best Animated Feature Film: My Pick: Kate Winslet in “The
“Bolt,” “Kung Fu Panda,” “Wall-E” Jin Yu
Reader”
My Pick: “Wall-E” Reason: Kate Winslet has always COPY EDITOR
Reason: Pixar has always dominated this cate- been an Oscar favorite, yet she has Samantha Lasarow
gory, and this year is no different. “Wall-E” is never actually wonan award. Her
entertaining and thought-provoking.
DESK EDITOR
latest performance in “The
Annika Heinle
Reader” is definitely good enough
for her to finally make that
PHOTO EDITOR
allmoviephoto.com image.net acceptance speech. Amanda Zhang
FiLM REVIEW

The film of a generation! But not exactly ours...

image.net
very now and then, a film gets released that speaks to a after Nixon’s resignation, the story begins with its focus on film prides itself on top-notch acting and characterization.

E generation and tackles specific moments in history that

rocked us to our very core. “Pearl Harbor” (2001) hit the
WWII generation, while “World Trade Center” (2006) had an
impact on ours. Although these films are made to be universal-
ly appealing to the public, the fact of the matter remains that
they have larger impacts on those who lived through the events
in the film. Enter “Frost/Nixon,” producer/director Ron
Howard’s latest flick. Adapted from Peter Morgan’s stage play
by the same name, “Frost/Nixon” takes us back to the 1970s to
recount the clash of minds between recently resigned Richard
Nixon and popular talk show host David Frost in a series of
exclusive, one-on-one interviews.
The big issue at stake here is the fact that the majority of
us college folk were not even born when Nixon was president,
let alone when these Frost interviews took place. Does that
mean that this film will be totally uninteresting to those
belonging to the iPod generation? Thankfully, that answer is a
big no, as Howard is able to brilliantly craft this political peri-
od piece into an intense silver-screen showdown. Howard con-
tinues to excel as a director, and it shows, with “Frost/Nixon”
touting five Oscar nominations, including Best Director and
Best Picture.
Nominations aside, I would be lying if I said that I was
immediately in this film from the get-go. Political dramas are
not my personal favorite, especially ones about historical
events that occurred before my time. Biases aside, I was pleas-
antly surprised to find myself quickly intrigued by the premise
of the movie, as well as its characters. Taking place three years
hot-shot talk show host David Frost, played by Michael Sheen.
Boldly looking to make an even bigger name for himself, Frost
sets his goals quite high by requesting to have a series of inter-
views with Nixon, in the hopes of confronting him about the
legendary Watergate scandal. Nixon, played by Frank Langella,
accepts the interviews on the assumption that he will easily
best Frost.
I will warn you now: If movies that are all talk and no
“action” are not really your thing, then “Frost/Nixon” might be
a tough one to swallow. In its defense, right away, the inter-
views between Frost and Nixon become so much more than
simple Q&A. Nixon views these interviews as a way for him to
publicly outwit his opponent, show his intellectual savvy and
re-launch his political agenda. This feat comes naturally to
Nixon, as we quickly discover that he is not one to be taken
lightly at all. Frost, who began this escapade on a whim, quick-
ly realizes that his life and career may very well depend on the
outcome of these interviews.
The opposing forces of Frost and Nixon then proceed to
clash in four interview sessions, each with their own topic of
focus. As previously mentioned, these interviews transform
into a battleground where slings and arrows are questions and
statements. Most of these verbal weapons belong to Nixon, as
he easily shows his mastery and skills with the English lan-
guage — skills which makes me wish I had joined a debate
team. It is also in these scenes where Langella truly shines and
proves the merits of his Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a
Leading Role. Langella is not alone in his endeavors, and the
Frost’s growth as a talk show host and a person is perfectly
portrayed, and the range of subtle emotions that Langella is
able to pour into his character as the fallen president actually
pull at people’s heartstrings.
When it comes down to it, though, the only “problem”
that I see with this film is its overall appeal. As far as film tech-
nique is concerned, one would be hard-pressed to find any
serious flaws in “Frost/Nixon.” But no matter how good it is,
most of this will mean very little if people have no interest in
seeing it. No matter how good the movie actually is, I honest-
ly cannot imagine it striking a chord with the general masses,
particularly among those who were not around when Nixon
was the center of attention. To sum it up differently, this film
is not going to attract blockbuster numbers, but for the people
that do end up seeing it, they will find an intelligent, historical-
ly relevant story about defeat and redemption.
*This concludes Intermission’s Oscar Best Picture reviews!
Looking for reviews of “Milk” and “Slumdog Millionaire”?
Visit www.stanforddaily.com
— k y l e E VA L D E Z
contact kyle: kedemon@stanford.edu

“It’s not you, it’s Lily Allen”...

t’s now impossible to separate Lily Allen’s

I
public persona from her music. Her new
album, “It’s Not Me, It’s You” came out
over a week ago after years of tactless, overly
informative public statements and more than
a few scandalous photos. Her current image is
nothing more than then a shrill chorus of
“The Daily Mirror,” “The Sun” and “The Daily
Mail” headlines. In Britain, she is now a major
star and, in America, minor but constant
tabloid fodder.
Allen’s tumultuous journey through fame
is the central theme of her sophomore album,
“It’s Not Me, It’s You.” Where the first album
had the naïve optimism of a young girl who
made it big via MySpace (she, indeed, is one of
the most successful alumna of the MySpace
music era), “It’s Not Me, It’s You” is weighed
down by the confusions and concerns of
celebrity. Even when Allen’s lyrics address
something seemingly non-fame-related —
say, her love life — an informed listener can-
not help but think of the latest photo on a
yacht with a muli-millionaire, older British
man.
It’s all enough to give up on her
. . . but then there is the music.
Allen’s new album is an
eclectic, glossy, synth-pop rich
collection with textures and
hooks. Her first album —
“Alright, Still” — was built on a
foundation of breezy ska
rhythms and laidback atmos-
pheres. Allen’s second album,
however, is a more muscular affair
— polished production, stronger backbeats,
faster paces and none of the airy touches that
defined the popular hooks of “Smile” and
“LDN.” Indeed, the new Lily experiments with
electro-clash, (“Back to the Start”), Eastern
European folk (“Never Gonna Happen”) and
even country (“It’s Not Fair”).
Allen compliments the excellent music
with her famously sharp — and characteristi-
cally British — wit and charming voice. She has lillyallen-fans.com
a penchant for wordplay and droll zingers (“I
| continued on page 12 | friday february 20 2009
courtesy feb. 2009, fashion magazine
3
MUSiC REViEW

The Fray: more of (almost) the same

Let’s start off with the first track,

C
atchy intros — check. Piano ballads —
check. Issac Slade’s emotional crooning —
check. Angst — double check, starred and
underlined with red ink.
Three years and some odd months after
their breakthrough, those elements are widely
prevalent in The Fray’s self-titled album released on
Feb. 3. With the commercial and fanatical success of
“How to Save a Life,” the Denver-based band with
frontrunner Isaac Slade has produced a new album
that emulates the same pop/rock characteristics of
their first.
Released in late November last year, their
first single, “You Found Me,” sounds like a response
to the first album’s “How to Save a Life.” In The
Fray’s attempts to appease their anguish, the unpre-
dictability of difficult circumstances and disap-
pointment are common themes associated with
“You Found Me” (“You got some kind of nerve tak-
ing all I want”).
“You Found Me” is a song clearly indica-
tive of the rest of the 10 tracks on the
album. There are many more minor-key
melodies, heavier guitar riffs and
piano breakdowns than their previous
smash success. While the band tries to
evolve its sound by incorporating
these components, their experiments
with more melancholy lyrics and rock-
laden tracks deviate only slightly from
the last album.
“Syndicate.” It begins with an appealing piano intro,
which then progresses to the overlay of Slade’s
vocals and guitar riffs. By channeling their new
approach, The Fray utilizes upbeat tempos and
more rock-like themes in the track “Say When.” In
“We Build Then We Break,” The Fray begins with an
energetic bass introduction in a style similar to The
Killers. Of all the tracks on the album, this one pro-
duces the most original and different sound — and
Slade’s distinctive vocals contribute to that authen-
ticity. This aggressive track parallels the only rock-
oriented song on The Fray’s first album, “Little
House.”
The slower tracks of the new album focus
more on the sentimental themes of heartbreak and aol.com
despair. In the dramatic piano ballad “Never Say While this album tries to tread new waters
Never,” Slade touts his vocal prowess by shifting into by trying to utilize more rock elements and dramat-
falsetto after wretchedly singing, “Don’t let me go.” ic, slow-tempo outbursts, The Fray produced an
His emotional crooning appears again only in the album that can serve as a marginally modified ver-
final track, “Happiness.” sion of “How to Save a Life.” In track two,
An acoustic guitar “Absolute,” The Fray poses the question, “Is this all
accompanies Slade and we get?” Fortunately, if all you want is an enjoyable
his depressing lyrics: reiteration of more of the same, then this self-titled
“Happiness damn near album will keep Fray fanatics and casual listeners
destroys you, breaks your satisfied.
faith to pieces on the
floor.” An uplifting choir —d.j. ABUY
assists Slade near the end contact d.j.: djabuy@stan-ford.edu
to provide an optimistic
conclusion to this track.

Cantor installation artist works with students

n 1884, thirteen years before the Waterston said. “Memorial Church,

I
ksenia galouchko
invention of the typhoid vac- Memorial Hall, signs in the Quad
cine, a boy from California died that bear the boy’s quotes—all are
of typhoid fever in Rome at the age signifiers of the scale of the Stanford
of 15. The child’s body was trans- family’s mourning that transcends
ported back to California as time and lives on. I became interest-
Americans across the country ed in their display of grief and its
lamented the loss. consequences, and in such a way the
The boy, whose death was fol- exhibit was born.”
lowed by such outrageously intri- When asked whether he had ever
when displayed together in the cen-
cate and vast memorial services, was done an installation like this before,
tral element of “The Art of Splendid
none other than Leland Stanford or worked in the “mourning” style,
Grief.”
Junior. The scale of his funerals in Waterston said he had never created
Waterston started his partner-
San Francisco was unprecedented a mourning parlor prior to “The Art
ship with the Cantor Arts Center
by the standards of the time —and of Splendid Grief.”
ings that deal with spirituality and assistants. two years ago, when Cantor was
The New York Times reported on However, as an intellectual who has
the afterlife. I, along with a number of other looking into having more contem-
the public’s reaction with the head- extensive interest in Theosophy and
The installation will also display Stanford students, attended the porary art programming at the
line “California Astonished: its focus on the spiritual internal
commemorative portraits of workshop and had the opportunity museum. Waterston, whose paint-
Extraordinary Display over Young self, Waterston has paintings that
Stanford Jr. and materials from the to assist Waterston in creating the ings have been greatly influenced by
Leland Stanford’s Corpse.” speak of realms which go beyond
Special Collections Archives of materials for the exhibit’s design pioneers of abstractionism, such as
Leland Stanford Jr.’s death — and those immediately visible to
Green Library that had never been and constructing elements of the Kandinsky and Kupka, thought he
the pageantry surrounding it — was humans. The eight works he created
displayed before. This installation, show’s decoration, such as standing was a good fit for this mission and
a great source of fascination for for the Cantor exhibit are influ-
which will open in April, is titled Victorian mourning wreaths, made successfully applied for a chance to
Darren Waterston, a San Francisco- enced by his perception of spiritual-
“The Art of Splendid Grief: Darren entirely of black crepe paper flow- display at the museum. After exten-
based artist. Waterston had earlier ity, and life transcending death.
Waterston and the Afterlife of ers. Waterston was extremely friend- sive research of the materials from
applied for a partnership with Meanwhile, as I reflect on the medi-
Leland Stanford Jr.” ly and dynamic in teaching us how Special Collections Archive and the
Cantor to display an installation in tating process of painting dozens of
Waterston held a number of work- to paint black paper butterfly forms Cantor collection, he became inter-
which he would incorporate his Morpho butterflies, I look forward
shops in which he invited Stanford and a number of other projects. ested in the extent and extraordi-
own art into Cantor’s existing col- to next Thursday’s workshop with
students to help him create the Participating in the workshop nary scale of the funeral services for
lection. Ultimately, this idea Darren Waterston, when the “Art of
materials for the exhibit’s design required no prior experience and Leland Stanford Jr., which included
matured into the concept of turning Splendid Grief ” will be coming to
and decoration. The sessions con- was accessible to students of all skill a good deal of commemorative art.
the Cantor gallery into a Victorian life right in front of my eyes.
sisted of two workshops, both of levels. Personally, while I was paint- “Stanford as an institution, which
mourning parlor and inspired the
which were laid back and allowed ing the butterflies, it was mesmeriz- was founded as a tribute to Leland
artist toward the creation of paint- —ksenia GALOUCHKO
plenty of room for personal interac- ing to think of the visual effect that Junior, is unique because of its
memorial function, which is still contact ksenia:
hundreds of these hand-painted
4 intermission
tion with the artist, who was
approachable and attentive to his “Morpho” butterflies will produce visible all over the campus,” ksgal@stanford.edu
José Limón memorialized for the younger gen.
hen I was a young child, Dinkelspiel Auditorium, I was over- emphatically differenti-

W
there was a program
called “Reading
Rainbow” that was designed to
make picture books more interest-
ing. Omar, the friendly host, would
read books to me while still frames
of the illustrations accompanying
the story flashed by the screen. Kids
these days are much luckier.
Making Books Sing is a per-
formance company based in New
York City that aims to “empower
children to experience literature and
theatre as vehicles for their imagina-
tions and learning.” Using children’s
books that are socially relevant and
politically — as well as historically
— aware, the company stages musi-
cals to help children become
immersed in the beauty of the arts.
In honor of its West Coast
debut, Making Books Sing has creat-
ed a new musical based on the chil-
dren’s book “José! Born To Dance”
by Susanna Reich, illustrated by
Raul Colon. This story tells the tale
of José Limón, the world famous
modern dancer and choreographer.
To celebrate the hundred-year
anniversary of Limón’s birth,
Stanford Lively Arts produced a
musical as part of its Limón
Centenary Celebration. This partic-
ular program focused on children’s
knowledge and understanding of
this incredible human being.
When I first walked into
whelmed by the number of children
who had dressed up for the theatre
and were being told to settle down
by their parents and grandparents.
The excitement among the kids was
palpable — it was evident they
couldn’t wait to see the book they
had all read performed on stage.
The show begins with a very
eager actor, portraying José Limón,
introducing himself to the kids in
the audience. He asks the crowd,
“How many of you are from anoth-
er country? How many of your par-
ents or grandparents are from
another country?” Many cute little
arms spike into the air. The theme of
immigration—and the melting pot
that is the United States— is reiter-
ated throughout the entire sixty-
minute fast-paced musical.
The musical reflected the plot
of the storybook almost page by
page. With virtually no set and
props except some new costumes
and one pianist visible onstage, the
play relied on the story, along with
the song and dance, to capture and
keep the attention of an audience
that notoriously has a short atten-
tion span. Furthermore, with a five-
member cast, the actors were enor-
mously flexible—every actor, except
for the actor playing José, played
multiple roles. With this came the
challenge of exceptionally fast cos-
tume changes and the need to
jin zhu
ate between characters
in order to make it sim-
ple for the young audi-
ence to understand.
The actors were all
enormously talented,
and each had a distinct
and powerful voice.
The original score,
written for the musical,
was very simple and
makes use of basic
melodies and repeated
hooks. Each actor per-
formed his or her song
with vocals straight
from Broadway. The
modern dancing was were reserved for the school chil- copy of the beautifully illustrated
also beautiful — it was wonderful to dren and their teachers in the local picture book — given to every fam-
see such an art form, generally area. This is very evident in the style ily of ticket holders — and watching
reserved for dance aficionados and of the dialogue; José often asks this simply constructed yet beauti-
others knowledgeable on the sub- asides to the children in a very fully executed musical, I am unlike
ject, have an impact on children. childlike manner. Lines were often to forget the story of José Limón. It’s
The simplicity of the piano, com- repeated as well. definitely a much more exquisite
bined with subtle yet powerful Making Books Sing, while truly and memorable experience than
movement of the dancers, all com- kid-oriented, has created a beautiful watching an episode of Reading
bined to illustrate the beauty of staged work with the production of Rainbow.
Limón’s lifework. “José Limón: The Making of an
However, song and dance aside, Artist.” The New York Times wrote, —annika HEINLE
this show was designed almost “The production’s economy of contact annika:
exclusively for an audience of chil- means is part of its pleasure . . . just
dren. Making Books Sing has an anheinle@stanford.edu
unpretentious use of basic melody
extensive repertoire of other pro- and rhythm to tuck aspects of
grams, all designed to target ele- Limón’s story engagingly into the
mentary school children and their nervous system.” This show did
teachers. In fact, the majority of the exactly that. After reading the free
performances scheduled at Stanford

The Gentlemen of Verona spice up the 20s

he Stanford Shakespeare Company added another successful per- creating a more intimate atmosphere.

T formance to their repertoire with the opening of “Two Gentlemen of

Verona,” one of Shakespeare’s earlier and lesser-known works. Set in
the 1920s, the play tells the story of two gentlemen whose trials and woes of
love test the strength of their friendship.
Valentine (Phillip Bowen) and Proteus (Philip Balliet), the two titular
gentlemen of Verona, form the central friendship in the play. Valentine, in
search of the exciting courtly lifestyle, embarks to Milan, closely followed by
Proteus, who leaves behind his faithful lover Julia (Geeta Persad). In Milan,
both friends fall in love with the same woman: the beautiful Silvia, subject
of some of the most famous lines of the play — “What light is light, if Silvia
be not seen?” This conflict of love draws a temporary wedge in the two gen-
tlemen’s friendship and sends both of them (along with Julia and a bevy of
humorous supporting characters) on a rollicking journey through the
tribulations of love and loyalty.
The Stanford Shakespeare Company traditionally sets its plays in dif-
ferent eras to add an interpretive twist — “Two Gentlemen” draws on the
richly visual setting of the roaring twenties. However, since the performers
stay true to the original dialogue, there’s little room for incorporating the
setting into the action. Instead, the company manages to infuse the produc-
tion with the ambiance of the decade through music and costumes. The
Elizabethan getups are replaced by double-breasted pinstripe suits, flapper
dresses are replaced with jazz music and the play’s band of banished outlaws
is portrayed here as circus sideshow freaks — bearded lady included.
The set design, though simple, was very evocative of art-deco style —
including checkerboard steps and a standing panel reminiscent of the art of
Piet Mondrian’s squares made of primary colors. The company also made
creative use of the space within the Elliott Program Center by separating the
audience into two sections and placing the side stage exits behind the seats,
Audiences have come to expect excellent acting from StanShakes, and
their production of Two Gentlemen delivered without fail. It goes without
saying that the two leads handled their heavier and more serious parts
extremely well, but at points the smaller comedic parts came close to steal-
ing the show. With impeccable timing and clever interpretation of the text,
the company brought Shakespeare’s words to life with universal appeal.
For example, Speed (Mary Glen Fredrick) and Launce (Aaron Berg),
the two gentlemen’s servants, tossed around witty banter with ease, and
Thurio (Alex Connolly), though a small part, was performed with such
over-the-top hilarity that audiences laughed even when he wasn’t speaking.
Julia’s particularly amusing reaction to a love letter, though expressed in
Elizabethan English, sounded just like a girl today giggling over a text mes-
sage — a humorous testament to the timeless quality of Shakespeare. And
last but not least, the live dog (Charlotte) made her Shakespearean debut
with flair and irresistible charm as Launce’s dog, Crab.
The play carries its thematic weight gracefully as well. “Part of the joy
of working on a lesser-read play like this is finding the similarities and
themes that carry throughout all of Shakespeare’s works,” wrote show direc-
tor Joe Camp in the program notes. The play’s thematic elements are famil-
iar — friendship, honesty, trust — but they have an almost modern feel to
them despite its history. Silvia, defying society’s passive roles for women,
takes action and refuses Proteus’ love because she doesn’t approve of the
way he abandons Julia; Valentine and Proteus reconcile at the end despite
their competition for Silvia — an early example of “bros before hos,” or
“lads before ladies” as the case may be, perhaps?
The company worked hard to bring these age-old themes into the mod-
ern world for today’s audience, and on that level the production delivers on
| continued on page 11 |
friday february 20 2009 5

ome vaguely batty literary critics of the early 20th
S century maintained that the integral ‘meaning’ of a
poem was contained only in its sounds, rhythms
and intonations. So if you read a book of the Aeneid in
the original Latin to an English-speaking child, the kid
would ‘get it’ through sound alone. While these devotees
of Sound Theory were obviously off the deep end, per-
haps they did have a point about the evocative power of
sound.
If not for the power of sound, for instance, why
would readers keep coming back to T.S. Eliot’s “The
Waste Land” (1922)? It’s hard to imagine a more
inscrutable poem, and yet people love it. You’d have to
have a double Ph.D. in English and Classics to really tan-
gle with Eliot’s prize-winningly obscure references, but
that doesn’t stop laypeople from gushing about the
poem’s ineffable beauty.
So perhaps sound, if not clarity, is key, both in “The
Waste Land” and in director Michael Sack’s multimedia
production “The Waste Land: or pay no attention to the
man behind the curtain,” which runs this Thursday
through Sunday at 8 p.m. in Roble Studio Theater. While
it’s packed with vague gestures toward The Symbolic, the
show’s real power comes from its intense sound-palate
and its other successful efforts at mining the potency of
6 7
intermission
The Waste Land: Give all attention to the man behind the curtain
sensory experience. Strategic uses of dance, film, light,
shadows and stage-shaking beats comprise this produc-
tion’s high points.
This 75-minute multimedia piece is the third install-
ment in the Drama Department’s five-part series of dra-
matic works inspired by “The Waste Land.” The last two
productions in the series seem to have riffed mostly on
the content of Eliot’s classical references, from which
Sack’s piece also draws. But the show nods, too, to other
elements in Eliot’s five-part poem, including a card-play-
ing episode and the female typist (give Eliot a quick read
before you see this show so you’ll be able to nod knowing-
ly). Present are what seem like representations, through
sound, dance and light, of Eliot’s manic poetic voice.
According to the program, the show “investigates the
theater as a place of both revelation and concealment,”
and the production styles itself is more of a thoughtful
response to Eliot’s poem than a faithful evocation of it.
New materials are woven in, including fascinatingly doc-
tored, disorienting footage from “The Wizard of Oz,”
dubbed in French. And the recurring homage to Oz actu-
ally does make sense — as it turns out, the film was ded-
icated to Ezra Pound, the Modernist poet who was Eliot’s
editor (and a full-time anti-Semite). And the ‘man behind
the curtain’ theme works elegantly, too, reiterating the
fear (present both in “Oz” and Eliot) that whatever seems
sacred may well be illusory.
Needless to say, this show isn’t centered around dia-
logue or a narrative arc, so it’s not the sort of thing for
theater-goers of the Andrew Lloyd Webber persuasion, or
for anyone desiring a relaxing evening. But art isn’t always
meant to be relaxing. At its most intense, Sack’s produc-
tion is a literally painful attack on the senses — even I, of
youthful constitution, was at one point writhing in my
seat, my eyes and ears assaulted by pulsing images of Judy
Garland, strobe lights and a hellish sound-palate wrought
to fever-pitch. But this well-rendered intensity is emo-
tionally stimulating and certainly reflective of Eliot’s own
pained confusion.
The production’s vivid sensory world benefits from
Michael Ramsaur’s impeccable lighting and Erik Flatmo’s
striking set, which makes clever use of several layers of
white scrim, creating a hazy, shadowy stage-world. And
Michael St. Clair’s sound design opens up a magnificent
world of its own, though some soft jazz toward the end
seemed ill-placed. But the choreography, by Robert
Moses, is perhaps the show’s strongest point; in constant
motion, the dancers collide and separate, alternating
between languid beauty and manic bursts of energy.
When the full ensemble of dancers appears together, the
Eliot-esque feeling of a tragic inability to communicate
is palpable.
This production merits attention and respect as it
manages to hit home without trying too hard. Eliot’s
greatness derives, perhaps, from a constant confluence
of confusion, meaning and beauty — even if you can’t
see, at first or even fifth glance, what Eliot “means,” there
is still an undeniable aesthetic power that provides con-
stant stimulation. In its best moments, Sack’s produc-
tion achieves that Eliot-esque synthesis.
But in its not-best moments, the show suffers from
an addiction to symbolism that is neither pleasant nor
scrutable. After one scans the program, complete with a
three-page-long director’s note, it’s clear that a lot of
meaning is behind the production. Whether intention-
ally or not, the show seems to take retro cues from
French New Wave cinema and Swedish filmmaker
Ingmar Bergman — a hooded figure appears in Sack’s
production who looks and poses like Death from
Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal.” And I can’t imagine any-
one more meaning-fraught than Bergman.
which the audience is encouraged to grapple with and
enjoy beauty, are commendable. I can’t say that this
show delivers any coherent “message” or that I “got” the
intention behind the piece, but to each her own — at
While I do like Bergman, I sympathize with the any rate, this production is certainly something to talk
popular complaint: I don’t get him. As the British come- about.
dy duo French and Saunders once said of Bergman, “We
can pretend to understand it, then read a book about it —ruth MCCANN
later.” That’s how I felt during the symbolic moments of contact ruth: ruthmccann@stanford.edu
“The Waste Land” — I was always supposed to be dig-
ging for the deeper meaning, though I had few clues
about how to do so. What was I to make, for instance, of
a trio in mouse masks who entered a woman’s room,
cleaned it, watched the woman write with lipstick on a
mirror and then disappeared under a black curtain
while what looked like a life-size model of the
Hindenburg inflated on stage left? How should one
respond to being bludgeoned over the head with
inscrutable profundity?
I was clearly frustrated by these moments that
seemed to bully me into symbolic submission, but I still
very much admire the aforementioned high points in
which gently-suggested symbolism is accompanied and
enhanced by sensory stimulus. These moments, in
steve lesser
friday february 20 2009
 New York Fashion Week
about.com

ew York Fashion Week, the first of the four major fashion weeks, did not begin
N with its usual roar. The preeminent buzz leading up to February, when fall col-
lections for 2009 are shown, was shadowed by talk of the recession and news of
the many designers who chose cheaper options than to show at the tents in Bryant
Park. Nonetheless, fashion editors and celebrities alike gathered Feb. 12 to start off
the new season. Shows this week were characterized by toned down silhouettes, neu-
tral colors (excluding Marc Jacobs, of course), safer trends than usual and a greater
appreciation for ethnic models.
BARBIE TURNS 50
RECESSION CHIC To celebrate Barbie’s 50th anniversary, Mattel threw
It’s no secret that luxury fashion gets hit hard by recessions. A typical fash- her a runway show featuring outfits from fifty differ-
ion show in a Bryant Park tent costs between $300,000 and $600,000. ent designers. The show was divided into four seg-
Accordingly, many high profile designers — including Vera Wang, Monique ments: a video tribute and three runway shows, one
Lhuillier and rising superstars Viktor & Rolf — have chosen to host small futuristic, one modern and one classic. The looks
presentations in showrooms for buyers and editors rather than set up an were hardly ground-breaking, but altogether they
entire show. were a respectful homage to an American icon.
Hard times are also evident in the trends we are seeing on the runway Rachel Roy added sequins to Barbie’s original black
this week. Most of the collections have gone the safer route. With a few glar- and white bathing suit, Diane von Furstenberg
ing exceptions, designers used limited color palettes with lots of black, gray offered up one of her signature wrap dresses, and the
and beige. Makeup was on the light side, often just a brush of copper on the gowns from Marchesa and Monique Lhullier, fit for
lids. Trends have not changed much from last season’s collections—shoul- princesses, were crowd favorites. Other designers
ders are emphasized, cutouts are everywhere and boots are thigh-high. included Alexander Wang, Michael Kors, Nicole
Model castings have also leaned toward the conservative—girls are classical- Miller and Calvin Klein.
ly pretty rather than eccentric or alien-esque.
Most glaringly, many designers known for their gowns stuck to mini dress-
es, an odd choice considering the Academy Awards are on Sunday and star-
lets are looking for something attention-grabbing and glamorous. Rodarte,
known for their finale of three successive gowns, only showed mini dresses.
Max Azria didn’t design a single long dress for Herve Leger, Diane von
Furstenberg showed only one and Matthew Williamson, red carpet extraor-
dinaire, cut down to three. Are floor-sweeping gowns too expensive to make?
Or are they inappropriately extravagant in our economic climate?
Regardless, I’m still loving the shorter lengths.

MODEL PROFILES
Catwalk Queen
Casting directors played it safe this week—and
Sigrid Agren was the star. Her large brown eyes, blond
hair and simple features fit into every show. This season,
casting directors shied away from models with uniquely
flawed looks that once stunned crowds and helped
-them stand out. Instead, they tended towards more tra-
ditional-looking models with even features and light
tans, like Sigrid, Anna Jagodzinska, Anna Selezneva, and
“Jac” (Monika Jagaciak). They have also been paying
attention to ethnic models such as Sessilee Lopez,
Lakshmi Menon, and Jourdan Dunn, who had the
honor of both opening and closing Oscar de la Renta’s
show. Gone — or at least diminishing — are the days of
AFRICAN FASHION COLLECTIVE
pale, ethereal models with baby doll faces.
In an effort to dispel stereotypes about African fashion, ThisDay
So far, Sigrid has opened Marc by Marc Jacobs,
and Arise magazines sponsored the African Fashion Collective,
Ruffian and Diane von Furstenberg, and closed BCBG
which was comprised of Xuly Bet (by Mali’s Lamine Badian
Max Azria, Donna Karan and Carolina Herrera. She
Kouyate), Tiffany Amber (by Nigeria’s Folake Coker), Momo (by
both opened and closed for Max Azria, and walked a
Nigeria’s Fati Asibelua) and Stoned Cherrie (by South Africa’s
number of other runways as well.
Nkhensani Nkosi). Model superstars like Alex Wek, Liya Kebede,
One of the major themes in this season’s fashion show was Tyson Beckford, Lara Stone and even Grace Jones walked at the
8 cutouts, as can be seen in this dress from Preen’s F/W 09- show. This collective, combined with Vogue Italia’s All Black Issue
intermission 10 line. last July, might help pave the way for a more diverse runway.
kicks off at the tents
MARC JACOBS
One thing we’ve learned to expect
from Marc Jacobs is to never expect
anything. You think you know
what’s coming, but you don’t. Last
September, his theme was sophisti-
cated vintage Americana. This sea-
son, it’s clubbing in 1980s New York.
Hair was styled into wild pom-
padours, and clothes featured bright
colors and shoulder pads. Perhaps
he was inspired by his recent collab-
oration (for Louis Vuitton) with
Stephen Sprouse, a designer known
for his neon colors, graffiti prints
and punk references. Some critics
thought the collection was too
much of a throwback and that Marc
didn’t live up to his full creative
potential. Nonetheless, he certainly
stood out in a week of reserved, self-
conscious collections.

RODARTE
Some people thought Rodarte’s collection last September
was just a rehash of last February. The same could not be
said for this season, which is definitely fresh yet still dis-
tinctly Rodarte. Each look was indescribably complex,
marbled with fabrics resembling washed stones, confined
by heavy knits and finished off with a pair of fantastic
thigh-high boots wrapped in leather. The boots were
courtesy of Nicholas Kirkwood, the footwear equivalent
of Alexander McQueen. The overall effect was unbeliev-
ably futuristic yet somehow still organic. At Rodarte,
fashion is—above anything—art.

tuneville.blogspot.com

MODEL PROFILES
Rising Star
Brazilian-born newcomer Gracie Carvalho is blowing
us away with her angelic features. She has walked
BCBG Max Azria, Herve Leger, Diane von
Furstenberg, Lela Rose, Carolina Herrera, Jill Stuart,
Carlos Miele, Derek Lam, Tory Burch and 3.1 Phillip
Lim. Granted, her look is definitely quite commercial,
but with the economy, we need a face that sells, and
HERVE LEGER BY MAX AZRIA hers will.
Three models fell during the Herve Leger show on Sunday, but with a col-
lection this sexy and surprisingly editorial, who cares? Max Azria must
—amanda ZHANG
have heard people were getting tired of the ubiquitous Herve Leger band-
contact amanda: azhang@stanford.edu
age dresses on every twenty-something year old celebrity; this time, he
experimented with innovative textures and tons of edgy bondage details
such as studs and chains. Everything was skintight, as usual. Some looks
featured sharp shoulders reminiscent of Balmain, a cult favorite French
house that seems to have been inspiring a lot of collections this week from
Thakoon to BCBG Max Azria. The finale was an amazing beaded black friday february 20 2009 9
dress that resembled a disco ball. all photos style.com
Way to keep a resolution: cute workout clothes!
revelsports.com
out!” That may be true, but adequate workout
few pairs of black yoga pants or shorts are all
it takes.
I like workout clothes made out of Lycra
for its stretchy flexibility and its ability to hold
everything in with a snug and flattering fit.
Cotton is also good for breathability.
And looking good at the gym does not
mean you have to go broke! Check out lulule-
mon athletica on University. They are always
having sales on cute and durable tops (trust
me, they last forever!) that usually run any-
where from $19 to $28. Also, the friendly
experts there help you find fits that are perfect
for you. Additionally, Target has a line called
Champion that is good for reasonably priced
and comfortable workout pants and shorts.
Tops for Bigger Busts
If you have more to flaunt, it’s important
that you can support your assets without
being uncomfortable when exercising. It
bras for making your small breasts even small-
er, no worries! Look for sports bras and work-
out tops with built-in cups (they exist!). For
example, lululemon offers removable cups for
all of their tops with built-in bras.
Bottoms for Shorter Legs
Tight cycling pants or shorts are best for
your dilemma. Instead of hiding your legs,
show them off! By showing more of your
stems, it has an effect of elongating them, so
no one will say you have short legs.
Bottoms for Bigger Lower Bodies
For those of you who have bigger lower
bodies with respect to your upper body, I rec-
ommend tight black capri yoga pants, which
have a bit of a flare. The flare is important
because it prevents your thighs from appear-
ing disproportionately big compared to your
calves. The flare oddly has the effect of making

A
ccording to a list of top ten new year’s
resolutions, staying fit and losing
weight are on most people’s goals for
the coming year. I think we have all made this
resolution before — I had never seen so many
bikes parked outside of Arrillaga as I did in
the month of January. However, the number
of gym-goers has dwindled since; it’s mid-
February and maybe some of us have lost
motivation.
Intermission has found a way to get you
back on the treadmill: cute workout clothes!
You may ask, “Does it really matter what you
wear to the gym? You’re only there to work
clothes add so much more to your experience
— you need them for comfort and motiva-
tion. Looking cute is just another benefit. You
should pick workout clothes that flatter your
body type and fabrics that can handle sweat
and all sorts of exercise. Here are a few simple
tips to help you find flattering cuts for your
own body type and stay motivated to main-
tain your new year’s resolution!
Tips for Everyone
Keep it simple. A couple of bright, solid-
colored tops with built-in sports bras and a
might be good to invest in high-support
sports bras such as Champion’s O2Cool
Seamless Racerback Sports Bras ($36), which
has an inner bra that supports your every
move. If you are a busty person, it might be a
great fit for you. Also, you could purchase
some workout tops with built-in bras and
wear them over another sports bra for double
support. Try to avoid tops with deep v-cuts
that might be a bit too revealing for the gym
and, more importantly, have less support.
Tops for Smaller Busts
If you are like me and hate wearing sports
your lower body appear slim and longer.
If you have been lagging on going to the gym,
take this article to heart and invest in a couple
of cute and proper workout clothes. Who
knows? It just may be the new motivation you
were looking for! We still have some time until
we can pull out those sundresses and shorts . .
. so get to work with these tips!
—julie NA
contact julie: jna2012@stanford.edu

Sizzling, sophisticated steaks at Ruth’s Chris

s Parents’ Weekend approaches, this may be the perfect soon received our wine, a California Syrah which, while excel-

A time to be thinking about what high-end meal you’ll

accept from mom and dad in exchange for the honor
of your company. Since there’s a limit to the excitement that
can come from dining in Palo Alto, going into San Francisco
might be an appealing option. And if you want to go all-out
for an epic meal—it’s hard to top a good steak.
Despite being a large chain, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
(don’t you dare call it Ruth Chris’s — the name took the
strange form when Ruth bought Chris Steakhouse) maintains
a strong reputation for excellent preparations of USDA prime
steaks. Located on Van Ness, the San Francisco branch of the
restaurant is not where you’d expect to find a high-end restau-
rant. To complement the low-end location, all the restaurant
staff members wear name tags which, if any tackier, would
resemble a name tag at a discount retailer. It reads: “Hi my
name is . . . ask me how you can save 15 percent on your pur-
chase today!”
Ruth’s Chris unfortunately seemed to subscribe to the
Peter Luger school of honoring reservations by unapologeti-
cally making patrons wait half an hour for a table — even if
said patrons are on time for their reservation. However, it was
also unusually busy during San Francisco’s Dine About the
Town promotion, so this probably isn’t typical. But once seat-
ed at the roomy booth in the corner of an elegantly modern
dining room, the long wait (and cheap name tags) suddenly
lent, was not cheap at $40 for a half bottle. The first food to
arrive was a loaf of bread and the steakhouse salads. Neither
was spectacular, but the bread was soft and warm, and the
salad was well-presented and was a sufficiently light prepara-
tion for what was to come.
Ruth’s Chris takes its steaks seriously; they prepare each in
an oven at 1800 degrees before serving it on a 500-degree plate.
As the steaks leave the kitchen, a dash of butter is added for a
visible and audible sizzle. The ribeye was fantastic, cooked to
the pink perfection of medium rare — the most any steak
should ever be cooked, in my expert opinion. Perhaps the only
reasonable complaint about the ribeye was that the fat was not Ruth’s Chris
quite as well distributed as it could have been — which can be Despite the initial bumpy reception, service was stellar
good or bad depending on personal preference, but unmistak- throughout the meal. Water glasses were kept full, everything
ably made the steak somewhat reminiscent of a New York was delivered in a timely manner, and our waitress constantly
strip. The filet was also outstanding. Granted, it wasn’t as tasty came by to check on us — though she was not intrusive and
as the ribeye, but the filet had an unmatched blue cheese crust never interrupted unless she picked up on a subtle cue that we
and tenderness that could not be beat. needed attention. Even after asking if our steaks were okay, she
The steaks were accompanied by creamed spinach and a followed up the question by asking if they were cooked exact-
hash brown. The spinach was deliciously rich — but not so ly as we had ordered, clearly leaving the door open to send
much that the spinach itself couldn’t be tasted — which is them back if necessary. Our steaks, of course, were cooked per-
exactly how it should be. The enormous hash brown was hot fectly, but the fact that she asked was a good touch.
and crispy, but might have been slightly So, while Ruth’s Chris isn’t perfect in every
on the salty side: it was difficult to stop ON
A S C A LE
O
respect, the flaws are very minor in the
eating it. Desserts to top out the meal the vital stats. grand scheme of the restaurant, and
F
1

9
TO

don’t seem to matter. were chocolate sin cake and bread pud- Ruth’s Chris the food and service allow me to
10...

Our friendly server quickly came by to take drink orders ding. Since brevity is the soul wit, it will Steakhouse unquestionably recommend it as a
and explained how the evening’s prix-fixe would work. We suffice to say that the sin cake lived up to 1601 Van Ness venue for $40-plus steaks.
San Francisco
its name and the bread pudding was a hit (415) 673-0557
10 even among bread pudding’s non-enthu- —theo POLAN
intermission siasts. STEAKHOUSE
contact theo: tpolan@stanford.edu
$$$