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The Dartmouth
June 6, 2026
The Dartmouth
Arts
Arts

Webster's 'The White Devil' premieres today

By Shialing Kwa | November 6, 1997

Unless you're a theater scholar, you probably aren't aware that "The White Devil," a play by John Webster, is a major Jacobean revenge tragedy. Most likely you just associate "The White Devil" with that penetrating facial expression that's plastered on posters all over the campus. The poster promises "a classic revenge tragedy of lust, murder, power and betrayal." So, what's the story behind that intriguing face? The plot centers on Vittoria Corombona (the "White Devil"), a married woman who falls for the Duke Brachiano. In order to ensure that she and Brachiano may be together, Vittoria convinces him to murder their respective spouses; her brother Flamineo is Brachiano's secretary and aids him with his plans. This conspiracy sets in motion a complicated series of events which includes divorce, poisoning, a trial, a wedding, false identity and attempted suicide. Though this plot might sound like an episode of "Melrose Place," Webster based his story on actual events and real people who lived in sixteenth century Italy. He adapted and dramatized history to create this classic example of a Jacobean revenge tragedy.

Arts

Midori, Robert McDonald to perform: Works of Beethovan, Elgar included in violin-piano recital

By Nicole Tsong | November 6, 1997

As a child prodigy, her brilliance on the violin amazed, but for the violinist Midori, musical maturity and expressiveness is what has now captured the spotlight. She was celebrated for her musical prowess as a child, but critics such as William Glackin of the Sacramento Bee in 1996 recognized her mature musical abilities, "Here is a mature artist with all the brilliance that made her famous, now used with passion and control in the service of musical intelligence and personal feeling." Although the world-class musician is only a tender 26 years old, she has performed on stages all over the world for the past 15 years of her life. Midori was born in Osaka, Japan and began playing under the tutelage of her mother at the age of four. Her guest debut with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta in 1982 at the age of 11 launched her career. The demand for her performances range from some of the most renowned orchestras in the world to collaborations with great artists such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Isaac Stern. For a number of years, her transition from a child prodigy to a mature musician was questioned by those who watched her already astounding career, but as Joe Banno of The Washington Post said in 1995, "She shows no sign of squandering that early promise or pandering to the 'greatest hits.'" Although the fears of stunted musical maturity has been debated for a number of years, Midori has taken only one short hiatus in her career as a violinist and has already been lauded with a number of awards, from the Los Angeles Music Center's Dorothy B.

Arts

Fu Manchu's latest, 'The Action Is Go,' is dead on arrival

By Hank Leukart | November 3, 1997

The other day, a friend of mine was listening to Bush when her roommate walked in the room and said, "What is this, Metallica?" That is essentially how I feel about Fu Manchu's first major release, "The Action is Go." Fu Manchu's music is not ultra-heavy, but it is so close that it might as well be.

Arts

Spring '98 provides musical direction for a capella group

By Nicole Tsong | October 29, 1997

J. Carrie Spring '98, this year's musical director of the coeducational a capella group, the Dodecaphonics, has been destined for the spotlight since the tender age of seven. "I sang in a church choir in Japantown, (a predominately Japanese section of San Francisco;) I was the only Caucasian in the group.

Arts

Local Vt. band finds fame on 'Philadelphia' release

By Holly Eaton | October 22, 1997

Sensible Shoes is a Vermont-based blues band whose 15 minutes of stardom came with the release of, "Philadelphia," the tear-jerking story of a outed homosexual which starredTom Hanks, who garned an Oscar award for his portrayal of his character and Denzel Washington. Their song, "yes means yes" had several seconds worth of play in the movie, though the song was unfortunately not featured on the movie's soundtrack. Sensible Shoes's sound on their 1996 debut CD, "Step Off" is a combination of blues/jazz/classic R&B/rock and funk, infused with soul by the lyrics and vocal talents of the lead singer, Jenny May. The twelve original songs penned by producers Barbara Hand and Tim Utt on "Step Off" sound in most aspects original, yet their influences are in some instances clearly heard.

Arts

Geritol Rock: The Rolling Stones build 'Bridges to Babylon': Rock favorite, The Rolling Stones with frontmen Mick Jagger, Keith Richards delight in latest musical offering

By Michael Meikson | October 21, 1997

Did anyone think the Rolling Stones could make a bad album? Could the greatest rock-n-roll band in the world -- who helped to expropriate the genre from its African-American inventors and appropriate it into late 20th century Anglo-American culture, who have been shaping it ever since, who have more money than most of the world's nations combined, whose lead singer's lips are an international icon -- make a bad album?

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