Arts & EntertainmenI'
Decision Height At Its Height This Week
Tishya Robertson, Staff Writer
The curtain opened at
the Studio Theatre last night for
Meredith Ensemble Theatre’s
production of Decision Height,
a play by Meredith Danya Levy
about World War M’s female pilots
in the WASP training program.
Performances of Decision Height
are Sept. 26-30 at 7;30 p.m. and
October 1 at 3:00 p.m. in the
Studio Theatre in Jones Hall.
These civilian women
in the WASP program were not
technically in the military, but
participated to help the men who
were fighting overseas in WWII.
The women left their families and
past lives to learn to fly military
planes. Decision Height follows
the successes and failures of six
female trainees in Sweetwater,
Texas at Avenger Fields.
Senior Theatre Education
major Victoria Mitchell plays
Norma Jean Harris, the motherly
figure of the group who left behind
her teaching position to become
the squadron commander of the
group while her husband was
fighting in the war in Japan. “She
is confident, a know-it-all at times,
and needs to be taken down a
peg or two sometimes” Mitcheil
says. She sees a iot of herself
In her character since she plans
on becoming a theatre teacher,
and Norma Jean is the “confident
teacher” in the play.
Victoria Mitchell has
previously played many awkward
roles where her characters
provided comedic relief, so she
enjoys the new challenge that
is an “emotionai roilercoaster
to say the least.” Norma Jean
experiences a large character arc
throughout the play, and Mitchell
appreciates the dramatic shift her
character experiences. Because
this is Mitcheil’s next-to-last role in
Meredith Ensemble Theatre, she
has been researching extensively
for her major while reflecting on
her time at Meredith, saying “I am
very sad, but I am glad that this is
the show that I am doing my senior
role with because it is all about
sisterhood and the relationships
that form. The end of the play is
their graduation from the program,
so it is relevant to my senior year
at Meredith College.”
Some of her favorite
things about the piay include the
character relationships between
Norma Jean and Eddie, as well as
the costumes. Norma Jean and
Eddie’s interactions as opposite
people evolve throughout the play.
The costumes in the piay reflect
what the
female
pilots
in the
WASP
training
program
wore;
Mitcheii
describes
some of
them as
“Rosie
the
Riveter-
esque.”
She also dons lingerie for a scene
in their living quarters.
Mitchell believes that this
play should be seen by others
because “these women paved the
way for other women in the military
and women’s accomplishments
in general and their story is
sometimes forgotten. They didn’t
get military status untii 1977,
and they were honored with the
Congressional Gold Medal in
2010, so I think it’s really important
that we’re showcasing their lives
and showing how important these
women realiy are.”
Director Steven Roten
finds the play relevant to others,
stating, “Largely, the play is
Photo Courtesy of Michael Fedder.
about the relationships that those
women forge in going through this
experience in serving something
greater than themselves. [The
women] have given up their own
lives, put them on hoid to make
them a better place, and at the
end, though they are changed
forever, return to their lives
fundamentally changed.”
Performances are currently
in full swing, and the playwright will
be giving a talk with the audience
after Friday’s performance.
Meredith students, faculty, and
staff are admitted free of charge.
Generai admission is $10 and $5
for non-Meredith students and
seniors.
Personal Stories: A Review of the Art Department Faculty & Staff Exhibition
Annie Poslusny, Contributing Writer
Are you curious about
what an artist finds inspiration in?
Or what is the point of visual art
anyway?
Currently on display in
Meredith’s Frankie G. Weems Art
Gallery in Gaddy-Hamrick is an
exhibition of the work created by
nineteen members of the faculty
and staff of the art department in
a variety of media. Each piece
represents a personal story of its
creator, and causes you to reflect
on the challenges and significance
of life. A striking piece was that of
Mark Iwinski caiied Opus Magnum.
It is a wood block white ink image
of the center portion of a tree on
hand made indigo kenshi paper.
The cross-shaped canvas is of
the richest, deepest indigo. The
delicate, thin paper Is in high
contrast with the ghostiy white
ink image of the center cut of a
150-year-oid tree. I was struck by
the irony of a 150-year-oid tree
reduced to a tissue-like piece of
paper to create art. Did the cross
like structure suggest the tree
was sacrificed for art? For urban
expansion? Will the art created by
the loss of the tree last 150 years?
I thought about all the years of
history that tree had been a silent
witness to, and now all that was
left was this ghostiy image.
A work which proved to
be both repeiient and attractive
simultaneously was that qf Carrie
Alter, called Appendage. It is a
graphite drawing on banana paper
of an intestine-like form. The
structure intertwines, overlaps
itself, and has three bulbous
projections. The bulbous projection
on top resembles a humanoid
in profile. In its ugliness, i found
fascination. My eyes were drawn
over and around, through twists
and turns, searching for meaning.
The closer I looked trying to
understand it, the more I reflected
on the experience of looking. I
grew comfortable with not knowing
what it was, and reflected on what
it meant to me. The lack of linear
progression, the overlapping.
twisting, backtracking is a lot
like our journey through life. The
bumpy, tangled mess leads us
somewhere. At the end of it all
we wind up on top, owning all our
experiences, whether they are
light or dark, ugly or beautiful.
Ultimately, they are uniquely ours,
and that is what creates meaning.
This exhibition closes on
Sunday, Oct. 1,2017. For more
information, check out the Art
Department’s Gallery Exhibition
page.
Annie Poslusny ’19 is an
Art History major and Studio Art
minor. She is currently a puhiicity
and programming intern at
Meredith College Galleries.
Loco For Alpacas
Carolina Brust, Staff Writer
I
With NC State, Meredith,
and William Peace scattered
around, Raleigh is chock fuil of
cheap restaurants to satisfy the
cash-strapped college student. It
is forever growing with new places
opening up regularly to cater to
any tastes. One restaurant in
particular stands out among the
rest; Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal
Chicken. Formerly known as
“Mama Nori’s,” Alpaca’s is a
Peruvian restaurant with rotisserie
chicken as far as the eye can see.
The home page boasts, “Our all
natural chickens are hormone
free, local and free of all major
FDA allergies (peanuts, tree nuts,
eggs, fish, shelifish, milk, soy and
gluten).”
Mama Nori’s used to
be a househoid name in North
Durham, run under Mama Nori
herself, who is a lovely woman in
person and happy to taik about
her home country. She recently
left the restaurant to her children,
who rebranded and expanded the
business to three new locations in
Durham, Cary, and Raleigh.
One can order a simple
plate of meat, veggies, rice, and
fries (polio saltado) for under
$10. Or one can share an entire
chicken with your suitemates with
two large sides for a little over $16.
If you’re in the mood for dessert,
enjoy some flan (caramel jello)
for $1.95.The food Is flavorful and
authentic without breaking the
bank. The staff is also friendly and
quick to give you your food. The
atmosphere is vibrant and colorful,
always playing Spanish music and
the latest futbol (soccer) game on
their flat screen TVs.
Peruvian food is scarce in
North Carolina, so finding a decent
restaurant in Raleigh is a treat
for any born Peruvians and the
occasional adventurous eater. With
the Raieigh location less than 20
minutes away, it’s perfect for a late
night study session, tailgating, or
a Friendsgiving dinner. Check out
their menu at: www.aipacachicken.
com/menu.html and visit them at
4614 Capital Boulevard.