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The Dartmouth
June 28, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth
Arts
Arts

Ninth Street Theater performs diverse blend of drama

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Laurence Olivier never expected his epic version of "Hamlet" to be re-enacted in 10 minutes by a cast of paper dolls. That, however, is exactly what Ninth Street Theater managed to execute flawlessly with its Travelling Toy Theater Festival in two shows at the Hopkins Center last Saturday. Along with "Olivier's Hamlet," the company performed a version of Tolstoy's "War and Peace," a fable entitled "The Ash King," a political anti-handgun piece entitled "Terror as Usual, Episode 8: Guns and Roses." The group also showed a super-8 film by Meredith Holch entitled "My Hero." Ninth Street Theater used the 19th century art of toy theater, which involves the use of paper stages and cutout puppets to enact dramatic pieces. The Festival opened with "Olivier's Hamlet," written by theater members John Bell, Stephen Kaplin, Nessa Rabin and Roberto Rossi, and performed by Bell, Kaplin, Rabin and Michael Romanyshyn. Two members read the narrative, which consisted of an abridged plot summary of Hamlet interspersed with readings from Olivier's book on acting, while the other two moved the paper puppets. The dramatic contrast between Olivier's austere opus and the irreverence with which the players reenacted it, punctuated by various egoisms from Olivier's book, made the entire effect hilarious. They reduced Olivier's fire and passion to a paper cutout: the ghost's voice was projected by speaking through an empty paper-towel roll and Ophelia died by casually being dropped over the side of the toy theater stage. The next piece, a more serious fairy-tale entitled "The Ash King," was conceived, designed and directed by Janie Geiser with a text by Daniel Zippi. "The Ash King" recounted the story of a man who became king after saving his country from a drought by creating an irrigation system.



Arts

Fire guts professor's home

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A fire yesterday morning caused "extensive damage" to Engineering Sciences Professor Stuart Trembly's home on Dunster Street in Hanover. A press release from the Hanover Fire Department stated that the fire started a little before 10 a.m.


Arts

Residents oppose new Jewish center

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At a Hanover Planning Board meeting last week, angry residents of Occom Ridge Road again presented their case against the proposed location of the Center for Jewish Life at Dartmouth. Members of the Occom Pond Neighborhood Preservation Association, a group of about 70 citizens, told the Hanover Planning Board that the proposed Center has too broad a usage to be located on a primarily residential street. Charles Officer, who opposes the Occom Ridge location, said if the building was completely full it would need 74 parking spaces -- 32 more than are planned.








Arts

Haas, Newsam play standards and ballads

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In a heartwarming concert at Faulkner Recital Hall, saxophonist and pianist Fred Haas along with guitarist David Newsam staged an impressive treatment of some unusual standards and ballads. Their repertoire included two Brazilian pieces, two standards, a ballad, a blues piece, and a bebop piece.


Arts

Glee club performs 'A weekend in the country'

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A powerful count pursues his employee's fiancee; three spirits prevent a heartsick young woman from suicide; an engaged woman backs out of her wedding at the last minute; a painter is torn by the idea of life passing him by, as part of him is always consumed in the details of his paintings; and a woman wants someone to make her angry or sad or confused or frustrated so that she knows she is alive. These are just several of the stories offered in "A Weekend in the Country," a performance of Mozart's and Donizetti's operatic scenes and a revue of Stephen Sondheim's work in musical theater. The show was performed by 14 trained voices from the Glee Club, including guest artist Brandon Adams '93, also the choreographer of the program. The unique combination of a classical opera giant like Mozart and contemporary musical theater master Stephen Sondheim proved to be both entertaining and interesting. Though it seems unconventional to combine the two musical genres, the singers handled the diverse musical material with solid control and technique.


Arts

Broadway meets Mozart at the Hop

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Arias of passion and compelling Broadway melodies will be floating in the air this weekend. Fourteen members of the Glee Club present "A Weekend in the Country with Mozart and Sondheim" at the Warner Bentley Theater at the Hopkins Center. The program includes some of the most famous scenes from classical opera as well as selections from the musicals of Stephen Sondheim, regarded as one of the most talented composers in musical theater today. Louis Burkot, conductor of the Glee Club and director of this production, originated the idea of combining opera and musical theater.


Arts

New Hampshire, Vermont compromise on bridge: After months of controversy, the two states decide the new Ledyard Bridge will be 59 feet, 10 inches wide

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New Hampshire and Vermont officials reached a compromise last Friday on the width of a new, $10 million Ledyard Bridge, finally ending a lengthy standoff that threatened the entire project. Leon Kenison, assistant commissioner of New Hampshire's Department of Transportation said, "We hope to award a contract [for the construction of the bridge] next September or October, and I expect it will take two years to construct." Under the terms of the compromise, the new bridge, which will span the Connecticut River between Hanover and Norwich, Vt., will be 59 feet 10 inches wide. New Hampshire officials originally planned to make the bridge 68-feet wide, but after battles with New Hampshire and Vermont residents and Vermont Governor Howard Dean, the two states agreed to the new width. "The Ledyard Bridge is extremely important to the Connecticut River communities and it must be replaced," New Hampshire Transportation Commissioner Charles O'Leary told the Associated Press last Friday after the decision was announced. "We could not accept the possibility of canceling the project," O'Leary said. Kenison said the current bridge is safe to drive on but is deteriorating. Construction crews will build half of the replacement bridge and allow traffic to pass through and then dismantle the old bridge and finish construction on the new bridge, Kenison said. Last year New Hampshire officials planned to make the bridge 68-feet wide, but they reduced this width to 62-feet last Sept., after Hanover residents pushed for a 55-foot span. On Dec.


Arts

'Revels' celebrates 20th year

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While most students returned home over interim, the Hopkins Center hosted "Revels North", a Christmas celebration of story and song, for the local community.


Arts

Coming soon to Leede

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On Friday, Jan. 27, The Dave Matthews Band together with Big Head Todd and the Monsters will perform at Leede Arena.



Arts

Booking big acts is no small feat

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This term the College hosted two giants of the recording industry. The Pretenders played in Leede Arena last month and Natalie Merchant, formerly of the 10,000 Maniacs, performed in Webster Hall last weekend. In the past few years, Billy Joel, the B-52s, 10,000 Maniacs, Phish and Ziggy Marley have performed at the College. Despite this plethora of popular music acts, Hanover doesn't strike one as a cultural mecca, probably because attracting big-name singers is a complicated process involving the coordination of logistical details and a lot of luck. According to Linda Kennedy, the coordinator of student programs and adviser to the Programming Board, the Programming Board can only bring a band to campus if the band is on tour and will be performing in the Hanover vicinity. Kennedy explained that when a band decides to go on tour, agents representing the band try to sell gigs to promoters.


Arts

BUTA stages satire on black life

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The Black Underground Theater Association captivated its audience this weekend at Collis Common Ground with its presentation of another funny and thought-provoking production titled "As Yet 'Untitled" and directed by Natalie Herring '95. As the lights darkened and the BUTA cast took the stage, the audience knew that "As Yet 'Untitled" would be something different.


Arts

Gospel Choir gives spirited concert

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The Dartmouth College Gospel Choir makes you feel so good, it would be almost impossible to walk out of one their concerts not singing or pledging to join. The choir's fun is infectious.