19 The Daily Collegian _P~I~a~ V ~rrvou nd = yg A skewed look at your arts options Picks of the week The good Japanese Animation Festival Check out kitten-brained androids and homicidal robots at the Penn State Science Fiction Society's Japanese anime-fest this weekend. The special effects marathon lasts from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday in the HUB Reading Room. The ugly One Hot Minute The latest Red Hot Chili Peppers release, One Hot Minute, is just one more step down for the peppers. Even with former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, the Pep pers' recent mellowed-out, whimpering sound lacks the energy and funk of the band's salad days. Celebrity dirt NEW YORK Howard Stern has gone too far this time too far even for one his biggest pro- moters Stern's editor, Judith Regan, nixed two doctored O.J. Simpson photos from Stern's new book including one of Simpson suppos edly instructing the shock jock on how to slash the throat of Stern's wife as "beyond taste less." But Regan let one in: Stern's wife, Alison, her neck slashed, her body being run through a meat grinder by Stern as Simp son gives a thumbs-up. Regan said in Thursday's Daily News that the meat grinder photo did not offend her because it was a parody of mili tant, feminist anti-pornography pictures. Regan runs her own book imprint, Regan Books, for Harper Collins. She edited Stern's hugely successful first book, "Private Parts." Stern marveled at Regan's rea soning as he read the story on the air. "The other two were offensive, but the meat grinder one is OK," he said, expanding on the description of the photo to reveal that it also shows a cat eating the meat coming out of the grinder. Stern said he wanted it as the cover of his new book, "Miss America," which hits stores next month, but Regan killed that idea, too. Battle of the Bands Musician magazine is accept ing entries for its 1996 Best Unsigned Band Competition. Deadline for entries is Dec. 31. This year's judges include Steve Winwood, Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard, Juliana Hatfield, Adrian Belew, Matthew Sweet, Jimmy Jam and Pat Metheny. Interested musicians can get more information by calling 1- 800-BUB-7096. Arts Palette If you know of an event to be listed in Weekend Recess or cov ered by the arts staff, stop in at The Daily Collegian, 123 S. Bur rowes St., and pick up an arts palette form. Too Ten Reggae tracks 1. "Boombastic," Shaggy (Vir gin) 2. "`Til Shiloh," Buju Banton (Loose Cannon) 3. "Natural Mystic," Bob Mar ley & the Wailers (Tuff Gong) 4. "Scent of Attraction," Patra (550 Music) 5. "Tougher than Love," Diana King (Work) 6. "Free Like We Want 2 B," Ziggy Marley (Elektra) 7. "Lyrical Gangsta," Ini Kamoze (East West) 8. "The Struggle Continues," Super Cat (Columbia) 9. "A Mi Shabba," Shabba Ranks (Epic) 10. "Here Comes the Hotstep per," Ini Kamoze (Columbia) The Playground is compiled by Collegian Staff Writers and the Associated Press. Expressionism Trio doesn't just play but embraces music By JESSICA TETRAULT Collegian Ms Writer James Lyon's face was as expressive as the music he played on his violin. Each weep ing strain seemed to pull on his features as he moved his bow across the violin's strings. Next to him, Kim Cook swayed to the music coming out of her cello. And behind, Marylene Dosse sat behind her piano with perfect posture, creating grand swells of music to blend with the violin and cello in a performance of the Castalia Trio, Wednesday night at the School of Music Recital Hall. It seemed like the performers were the music, rather than just playing it, their bodies and faces moving to the melodies. "We experience music a certain way. Your audience can't ever experi ence it that way," Cook said after the performance. They played three pieces; the Trio Pathetique in D Minor by Mikhail Glinka, the Trio in C minor, op. 101 by Johannes Brahms and the Quartet in C minor, op. 15 by Gabriel Faure. The crowd held a variety of stu dents and community members. Sula Kaufman, has been listen ing to the trio since its birth in 1991. A personal friend of the trio members, she said they have a rapport that lends them their beautiful sound. This compatibility makes the trio one of the best, said Donald Hopkins, a viola player who accompanied the trio. The way the members adapt to each oth ers' ideas and understand the WPSU's Purple Rabbit gives gays and lesbians a local voice By MARIE PATRICOLA Collegian Arts Writer It's purple. It's a rabbit. But it's not something you can curl up with before you go to sleep on a Friday night. Unless, of course, you turn on your radio. WPSU-FM's "Purple Rabbit" radio show began in 1992 when host and creator Kimberlie Kranich decided that the voices of lesbians, independent women and gay men should be heard over the airwaves. "The main philosophy," Kranich said, "is to give an opportunity to individual artists, including les bians, to speak for themselves in their comedy and their news." The "Purple Rabbit," said Kranich, was modeled after a women's music program called "Sophie's Parlor" that now airs in Washington, D.C. Eisenhower readies for Chandalika By JESSICA TETRAULT Collegian Ms Writer When Subha Maruvada tries to explain how she feels when she dances in Kuchipudi style, words escape her. She can only say she feels blessed to have learned the free-flowing, upbeat dance form. But she has no lack of words to describe watching a performance. Terms like expressive and univer sal come to her mind. And audi ences will have a chance to watch Kuchipudi dance when Chandalika is performed at 3 p.m. Sunday in Eisenhower Auditorium. The Indian form of dance can be called dance drama, said Maruva da, who is responsible for bringing Chandalika to the University. It is like a play put to dance and music, she said, except the dancers don't sing. The play is about a girl who realizes through her societal encounters that she is treated infe rior because of her low position in the Indian caste system. "It's something that can be applicable to every single soul," said Kamala Reddy, the widely respected Kuchipudi dancer who trained her 26-member Pittsburgh based troupe for performance. People have all felt the emotions the dance drama portrays at one point in their lives, Reddy said. "It ecess music makes them perform well together. When they rehearse, each member brings strong ideas about the music. The process is somewhat improvisational. When a certain arrangement works well, they perform it. The trio members are in their fifth year together, usually giving about two performances a year on campus. But they have also taken their act to places like France and Vienna. It is hard for the trio to travel extensively because the teaching load is heavy, said Lyon, who, like Cook, is an associate professor of music. Dosse is a full professor of music and piano. Rebecca Clauhs (senior-music education) said the trio impresses her as an ensemble because the performers work so well togeth er. Theresa Scheer (senior-music education) agreed, saying that each member brings a high level of musicianship to the perfor mance. But Clauhs said it is mostly music students and community members who fill the seats. Because non-music major stu dents aren't exposed to classical music, their attendance at such concerts is low, said Clauhs. "Classical music is a little bit of an acquired taste," said audience member Andy Clark, explaining why few students were at the concert. But he said the trio draws larger crowds than other performers because they have an extensive repertoire. "Penn State's very fortunate to have them here," he said. Kranich said she calls the show, which airs from 9 to 10 p.m. Fri days, the "Purple Rabbit" because of the symbolism associated with the words. "I wanted something catchy something that was a conversation al piece," said Kranich, who added that the color purple is often asso ciated with the gay and lesbian movement. "It has connotations with gay and lesbian rights," Kranich said. "And the rabbit is just odd it is some thing that is not heard everywhere else." The "Purple Rabbit" features music, comedy and news about top ics that are of a concern to the gay and lesbian community. Kranich, who is in charge of running the show, said the issues discussed on the show relate to local and nation al topics. She said she wants to take the local issues at the University Kamala Reddy will bring her Kuchipudi dance troupe to Eisenhower Auditorium Sunday night. Kuchipudi is an Indian dance form sometimes known as "dance drama." reaches out to the heart," she who has been learning Kuchipudi There are five other forms of The dramatic element makes Indian dance Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi different from other Katahak, Katahakali, Manipuri and dance forms such as classical bal- Oddissi. Each dance form comes let. The costumes are also different from a different region of India, from ballet because they are tradi but all are based on an ancient tionally Indian and very colorful. Indian text called the Natyasastra. Dancers also wear a lot of jewelry, "It's a lot of fluid movements. with the women wearing heavy It's very fast, and at the same time metal crowns, Reddy said. • you can get really emotionally involved," Reddy said. "The dancer is basically telling the story with his or her hands, gestures and face," said Maruvada, Cellist Kim Cook performs Wednesday night at the School of Music Recital Hall with the Castalia Trio. The performance was a faculty recital that featured compositions by Mikhail Glinka, Johannes Brahms and Gabriel Faure. and relate them to what is happen ing in the world. The type of music that Kranich plays relates to the issues faced by the gay and lesbian community. "I mostly feature those who are making the music and producing the music, usually lesbians," said Kranich, citing local musicians Hot Mamas and Rene Campbell. "And the music has a message." Kranich's show recently fea tured Phyllis Horne, whose special ty is torch songs songs about people wrongfully treated or abused who still stay with the per son committing the maltreatment or abuse. "She uses the theme and takes it further by saying I deserve better than that I don't deserve to be treated as a doormat," Kranich said. Kranich said Horne takes that theme voicing her opinions Courtesy Kamala Reddy from Reddy for 11 years Reddy has been dancing since she was 7 years old, learning everything she knows from a Kuchipudi master 'in India, said Vempati Chinna Satyam. about violence against women and incorporates it into her jazz music. Kranich featured Ani DiFranco, a singer who has produced seven compact discs through her own record company. Kranich featured a show about National Coming Out Day. People came on the show to talk about coming out and to read poetry about what it means to be lesbian or gay in today's society. "We are presenting our issues in a truthful and affirming way," Kranich said. "The people are speaking for themselves." Kranich includes a multicultural array of opinions in her guest choices on the show. "I also feature women in other countries in Africa and Central America. Their music tell stories of struggles and persecution." Although Kranich said she has Japanese film festival scheduled for Saturday By CJ CALO Collegian Arts Writer Robots will be driven to homici dal insanity and ninjas will be breaking up weddings at the HUB Reading Room tomorrow but don't worry, admission is free. It's all been carefully scheduled as part of the Japanese Animation Festival, presented by the Penn State Science Fiction Society. PSSFS President Adrija Popovic said Japanese animation, or anime, is distinctly different from Ameri can animation in a number of ways. "(Anime) takes animation, which has been relegated in this country to toy commercials, and makes it into a full-fledged, serious and sophisticated storytelling medi um," he said. Popovic said anime isn't just about gigantic robots or science fiction. He said that the anime industry in Japan takes the place of live-action films, which would nor mally be too expensive to produce. "The animation that is being pro duced in Japan is as diverse in con tent and form as what our live action film industry produces," he said. Popovic added that animation in general is a much more fluid media than live-action, because film pro ducers can achieve equally stun ning visual effects on a much smaller. budget. "Do you know how much it would cost to have giant robots tramping Friday, Oct. 20, 1995 gotten a generally good response from the program, she occasionally gets a letter or caller who dis agrees with the topics or dislikes the idea of a radio program focus ing on gay and lesbian issues. "I am focusing on gay and les bian groups because of the recent backlash that has been occurring against the lesbian and gay soci ety," she said. "A lot more negative things are being said. People are speaking things that are untruthful." Catharine Buck (junior-women's studies), social-educational co director for the Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance, said she likes to listen to the show and enjoys the variety of music from salsa to Melissa Etheridge. "(Kranich) supports lesbian and gay concerns so we like her a lot, but we (the LGBSA) don't sponsor it," said Buck. en masse in a live-action film?" The filmfest starts at noon tomorrow with Rupan III: The Fuma Conspiracy, a film that PSSFS Secretary Matthew Smith classifies as an espionage film. Smith (senior-political science), said the festival will feature other types of film genres, such as a stereotypical Dungeons & Dragons type film, sci-fi movies, and even a few sit-corns. A few of the movies that fall into the realm of situational comedy are definitely a far cry from "Three's Company." One film, titled All-Pur pose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, is about a kitten's brain that is implanted into the body of a high tech android. The result is a robot that purrs and rubs up against your ankles, with pantherlike reflexes. Ranma 1/2 is destined for come dy when a young boy is cursed to change into a girl whenever he is splashed with cold water. On a more serious note, Popovic's favorite for the festival is called Patlabor-The Mobile Police. This film depicts a futuris tic society where heavy machinery has been replaced by specialized robots. By showing films that span dif ferent genres, Popovic said he hopes to make people understand animation's possibilities. "I hope that (visitors) can get another perspective on animation and how it can be used to tell seri ous stories," he said.
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