By Kassidy Woytek | ReporterSeveral talented Baylor film and digital media students will showcase their best work at 7 p.m. in the Hippodrome Theatre for the 18th annual Black Glasses Film Festival. Dr. Jim Kendrick, an associate professor of film and digital media, is one of the faculty organizers who put together the festival. Kendrick said the festival is a chance to connect Baylor students to the rest of the Waco community through an appreciation for quality films.“Films are a communal experience,” Kendrick said. “They’re made to be seen.”The theater will screen 16 films encompassing a variety of genres, including…
Author: Kassidy Woytek
A comedic cast kept audiences laughing at the opening show of “Noises Off,” presented by the Baylor department of theatre arts Tuesday night. The farcical comedy by Michael Frayn pokes fun at the world of theater itself as the eccentric characters attempt to perform a play called “Nothing On.”This week marks the second time in Dr. Stan Denman’s Baylor teaching career that he’s directed “Noises Off.” He decided to revive the comedy because he said he thinks it’s one of the funniest plays ever written.“I have yet to find anybody, unless they just have zero sense of humor, who doesn’t…
The Jubilee Theatre aims to define its voice in the Waco theater community this weekend with a production of “The Last Five Years” beginning at 7:30 tonight. The musical by Jason Robert Brown explores the failed relationship between Cathy, a struggling actress, and Jamie, a recently successful author.Both characters share their side of the story with the audience, but with a twist. Jaime recounts the relationship from beginning to end, while Cathy begins with the couple’s divorce and works her way backward. The two characters interact only once onstage, singing a duet when their timelines meet in the middle. Cameron…
Blake Adams, also known as the Mentalist, convinces audiences across the nation that none of their thoughts are private. Adams is performing at the Hippodrome from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday and promises an interactive and exciting display of tricks.“What’s great about my shows is everyone is going to get their mind read,” Adams said, “and everyone gets to experience that aspect of the show.” Adams said he combines psychology with the power of suggestion to correctly guess everything from a person’s birthday to details of their happiest memory. In 2009, during a performance at Common Grounds, Adams correctly predicted…
The infamous Pepsi commercial starring Kendall Jenner, released earlier this month, outraged many viewers by incorporating protest imagery and implying that social injustices could be solved by something as simple as offering a policeman a soft drink. The video wasn’t even online for 24 hours before Pepsi pulled the ad with an accompanying statement saying, “Clearly we missed the mark, and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue.” I think it’s a shame that Pepsi felt the need to apologize. The majority of angry responses on Twitter stemmed from the false assumption that the…
Members of more than 25 student organizations showed up to Fountain Mall Wednesday to enjoy an ice cream sandwich from Pokey-O’s and watch their president take a pie to the face. Students who attended Zeta Tau Alpha’s event from 6:30 to 8 p.m. could pay $5 to press a pie into the face of the president of the organization of their choice.Many fraternities and sororities participated, as well as organizations such as the Baylor Chamber of Commerce, student government and the Noble NoZe Brotherhood. Pie-A-President also included a competition, with each participating organization racking up points based on how many…
Two Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers had the idea last semester to combine two of a college student’s favorite things: coffee and candles. Now, Coffee Candles Co. has poured and sold over 600 of their signature candle/ mug hybrids.Little Rock, Ark., junior William Goodrich and Moraga, Calif., junior Tyler Bartis developed the concept on the car ride home from Thanksgiving break. Both finance and entrepreneurship majors, they had a conversation about how they wished they could put into practice the skills they learned in class. “The entrepreneurship program really does a lot to push you to start your own business,” Goodrich…
A local animal shelter is raising money for their spay/neuter fund with a “Spayghetti” Dinner tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Backyard Bar, Stage & Grill. The $25 tickets pay for an Italian buffet, entertainment provided by two members of the Sloppy Joe Band and a donation to Fuzzy Friends Rescue.The Spayghetti Dinner occurs annually, but this year is the first time the event has occurred in such a large space. Brian Brown, the owner of the Backyard, said he is happy to offer the shelter a larger venue because he appreciates that Fuzzy Friends Rescue has a…
Video by Meredith Aldis | Broadcast Intern, Story by Kassidy Woytek Instead of following along with the yoga instructor, many participants of Goat Yoga yesterday chose to take a break from their poses to cuddle with baby goats. The event consisted of four sessions of 100 people each, and each participant received a Goat Yoga tank top as part of the $10 entry fee. According to Indiana, Pa., sophomore Brian Waryck, the Baylor Chamber of Commerce originally only planned to have two sessions of Goat Yoga. When online registration filled up within a day, the organization decided to open up…
The Waco Civic Theatre’s stage adaptation of the Jane Austen novel “Pride and Prejudice” interweaves the theme of self-awareness throughout the romance. The show, which opens Friday and continues until April 9, features several Baylor students and alumni. “Pride and Prejudice” tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet, an intelligent, independent woman of 18th century England who faces pressure to find a suitable husband. Among her suitors is Mr. Darcy, a complex character who makes a terrible first impression on both Elizabeth and the audience. Eric Shephard, director of the Waco Civic Theatre and also of “Pride and Prejudice,” said the…
The five artists set to take the Common Grounds stage in April are a mix of up-and-comers and household names, and tickets are on sale now.The April lineup will begin on Saturday with Houston sophomore Thomas Csorba. The Folk/Americana artist said he focuses on lyrics when he writes because he believes music should tell a story. Csorba released a new album Friday titled “From the Foxhole.” Csorba said the album was inspired by some of the challenges he’s faced trying to juggle a music career while being a full-time Baylor student. ”There are times in life when working hard and…
Tickets for Zeta Zigga Zamma’s fourth annual production of Zing, the unofficial fraternity’s version of All-University Sing, are on sale now. The show, which will be Friday at 9 p.m., will consist of a large variety of acts, culminating in a Sing-style act called “Herculezzz” featuring the new members of the organization.As a Zing chair, San Antonio sophomore John Abiassi helped put together “Herculezzz,” creating the theme, major plot points and some choreography. Abiassi said the new members had a lot of autonomy in putting together the act, so his main role was to “facilitate the creative process.” Abiassi served…
The Baylor theatre arts department explores heavy subject matter this week with “The Amish Project,” the story of a community that found the strength to forgive the gunman who changed their lives.Although the characters are fictional, “The Amish Project” is based on the 2006 West Nickel Mines School shooting in Pennsylvania, which resulted in the deaths of five girls and the injury of five more. Mahomet, Ill., freshman Autumn Hodge plays 6-year-old Velda, one of the victims. She said the play focuses less on the incident itself than the response from the Amish community as they attempt to forgive the…
The Brazos Theatre Group is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with an Irish-themed mystery, “Murder Most Green,” where audience members can interact with actors to try and pinpoint the killer.The show begins with the murder of Patrick Flaherty, the owner of a plant nursery. An eclectic group of his relatives and employees gather to discuss the murder, but it’s up to the audience to crack the case. Melora Roach, who plays Flaherty’s widow, said the show relies heavily on crowd involvement. Audience members will have several opportunities to interrogate each character, and guests can submit their pick for the murderer at…
Even for a Wacoan who’s been to Magnolia Market a dozen times, this weekend’s Spring at the Silos event will offer some unique opportunities to shop, eat and explore the Silos. As always, entry is free, but those attending may want to bring some extra cash for the 75 different vendors and food trucks attending the event.The Spring at the Silos festivities will begin every morning at 7:30 a.m. from Thursday through Saturday with a free yoga class on the lawn. For the rest of the day, visitors can take a guided tour of the Magnolia Market grounds. According to…
Although the new live-action “Beauty and the Beast” film doesn’t officially come out until Friday, one character already ‘came out’ to the public last week. The film’s most recent trailer showed Gaston’s sidekick LeFou dancing with another man, and the film’s director has since confirmed the character’s homosexuality. Many people have reacted by boycotting the film and encouraging others to do the same. Probably the most well known example of this reaction is the Alabama couple that announced their refusal to screen the movie at their theater, citing their Christian beliefs as the main reason behind the decision. In a…
This month’s performances will include big names like Switchfoot and Colony House, as well as up-and-comers like Blue Water Highway Band and Honest Men.
The Waco Civic Theatre’s latest production, “Jackie and Me,” tells the story of a boy who travels through time to the racially-divided 1940s America to meet one of his favorite baseball players, Jackie Robinson. The opening show is on Thursday, and performances will continue every night until Sunday. Anthony Betters, who graduated from Baylor in 2016, plays Jackie Robinson, the nation’s first African-American major league baseball player. Betters said studying his lines as he prepares for opening night makes him feel like he’s back in school. Betters, who played football for Baylor when he was a student, said sports have…
Sean McConnell performs at 7 p.m. at the historic Hippodrome Theatre, showcasing a musical style that he describes as “singer-songwriter Americana soul.” Fans of the singer can expect to hear new music that McConnell has written in the past few weeks. He said he’s especially excited for those attending the show to hear “From the Wrong Side of Town” and “Greetings from Niagara Falls,” which have not yet been released on any album. McConnell said his love for music started when he was a child growing up with parents who were also folk singers. He described a childhood home where…
Thursday marks the 15th Annual Hearts in the Arts Gala, an event dedicated to raising scholarship money for McLennan Community College students majoring in the visual and performing arts. Attendees will go to the opening night of MCC’s production of “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying” and be treated to receptions before and after the show.The deadline to purchase the $75 gala tickets has already passed. However, those wishing to see the comedic musical can still purchase tickets through MCC’s box office at $10 for the general public and $8 for students. Kim Patterson, executive director of the…
Behind the Scenes of All-Univerisity Sing with the “rail dogs”
Boutique on Bagby offers trendy styles at a discounted price
This month, Common Grounds is featuring four artists, three of whom will be performing on the coffeehouse’s stage for the first time. Folk artist John Moreland, who played at Common Grounds in 2015, will be kicking off February’s concert series Friday.Taylor Torregrossa, venue manager and promoter for Common Grounds, said she chose a lineup of mostly newcomers because she felt the venue was in need of some fresh faces. “I felt like Common Grounds was kind of in this rut of bringing the same artists over and over again,” Torregrossa said. “So I’m really excited about this semester because we…
Since the revealing of heartless text messages sent by former Baylor football coach Art Briles on Thursday, I’m glad that I have yet to hear a Baylor student rush to his defense. It’s hard to defend his insensitive, dismissive attitude towards sexual assault survivors when you can read the evidence in black and white. From the conversations I’ve had and the social media posts I’ve seen this week, it seems that the Baylor community is finally united behind the Board of Regents’ decision to fire him. It took us nine months. It bothers me that my friends who publicly decry…
The “Confluence of Earth and Mind” exhibition has transformed the Martin Museum of Art into an enchanted forest showcasing the works of Texas artists Sharon Kopriva and Sherry Owens.Kopriva and Owens are longtime friends who worked independently on their collections but realized that their work expressed similar themes. Both artists express deeper truths about humanity and spirituality by using earthy materials such as leaves, wood and rope. “We’re after some of the same ideas and feelings,” Kopriva said. “Our materials are different, but sometimes our thoughts are the same.” Kopriva said her work represents a fusion of her Catholic upbringing…
The Waco Civic Theatre debuted the play “Almost, Maine,” a romantic comedy that gives audiences a window into the love lives of the citizens of Almost, last weekend.Director Todd Martin likened the play to the movie “Love, Actually,” saying fans of the movie will enjoy a similar style of storytelling in “Almost, Maine.” Each scene presents a new set of characters facing a unique challenge in their relationships. “All the scenes take place at the same time on the same night, and they all deal with different aspects of relationships,” Martin said. “Even though the scenes are not narratively connected…
Today marks what would be Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 261st birthday, and what better way to celebrate than by seeing Baylor Opera Theater’s production of “La Finta Giardiniera?”Professor Octavio Cárdenas, director of the Baylor Opera Theater, said he thinks “La Finta Gardiniera” would be an ideal first experience for someone who has never seen an opera before. “I like making opera accessible to audiences,” Cárdenas said. “To me, opera should be contemporary, so once in a while I like to tweak it a little bit.” Emojis, leafblowers and references to the dating app Tinder are just a few of the modern…
By Kassidy Woytek | Reporter Tickets are on sale for Baylor Theatre’s production of “Dancing at Lughnasa,” an Irish drama that tells the story of five sisters struggling to keep their family together as the world around them rapidly changes. Charlotte, N.C., graduate student Heidi Breeden is directing the play and writing her thesis on the show as part of her master’s program. Breeden said “Dancing at Lughnasa” stuck out to her when she was deciding on a play because the show focuses on the five strong female characters. “I really wanted to have a play where I could cast…
Student Sells T-Shirts to Promote Unity on Campus
Swedish pianist Helge Antoni delivered an unconventional lecture entitled “Socrates’ flute” in Memorial Hall Tuesday afternoon, pausing to play music periodically to demonstrate his main points. “Through music, we can learn many things about life,” Antoni said. Antoni said he chose “Socrates’ flute” as the title of his lecture because the philosopher was a good example of having a passion for life. Antoni told the story of Socrates’ choice to spend his final moments before his execution learning a new song on the flute. “It’s really the most wonderful example of someone who is staying curious until the very end…