RANSOM EXPERIMENTAL FILMS SHOWN WITH THREE GREATS

Four outstanding American experimental filmmakers were shown in Railroad Square Cinema, Nancy Andrews, Abbot Meader, Amanda Donta-Ransom, and Walter Ungerer (who showed his films at Siena two years ago, thanks to Amanda). http://www.newenglandfilm.com/node/24004.

Here are a couple of Amanda's videos from youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B_cjLiiZlI & www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUnbB1qsDms.

DENISE DOES MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS

Denise Massman is spending half the summer designing costumes for a production of Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona directed by Will Dickerson for the Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. Hope she sends us some pix.

PEACE THROUGH ART: WHAT MAHMOOD DOES

We are so proud of Mahmood’s efforts and success at peacemaking through art. This is the true Franciscan tradition.
Mahmood discussed Benedictus at three venues in Washington at the end of March. To think that he started Benedictus here at Siena and how it’s toured the country and finished its American tour in a Jewish theatre in Washington with the Iranian Ambassador in attendance, just at the time when we are making initiatives toward peace. At the beginning of April he screened his film on the Iranian Diaspora (he did it here, too) at Berkeley.
We’re going to miss him when he’s in Tel Aviv on sabbatical!

NO DOUBT

Not one of my 60 students in art history had seen the film Doubt. Neither had I, for I was tired of the discussion of priestly pederasty, nasty nuns, etc. Needless to say, I was disappointed last year when the students chose to stage it, and so when I saw the Siena production I was pleasantly surprised and pleased that they could do so much with it. Just shows that art can trump text.




Ralph Blasting's direction led the student actors to present the story in a well timed and articulate way, with strong performances all around. Mahmood Karimi-Hakak's set was properly unsettling, its this sharp raked triangular areas setting up separate platforms that embodied the disunity of the central trio. Rob Thomson's lighting was masterful.
ptc

And from Professor Cindy Bates of
SUNY Empire State College:

The actors did a wonderful job throughout the performance. I especially loved the final scene between Fr. Flynn and Sr. Aloysius. The intensity of the scene was excellently played out and yet, it was also delicately balanced by the wavering line of whether or not Fr. Flynn was really guilty or not. The innocence of Sr. James was nicely balanced with her passionate heart throughout the production. And the actress playing Mrs. Muller brought to life the difficulty of her and her son's situations while also portraying a deep motherly love.

The set, lighting, and costume designs were all wonderful as well. I found the use of the platforms with their odd angles and somewhat severe rakes to be a great choice that helped symbolize the heart of the play. The stained glass windows set the atmosphere while also adding a delicate beauty to the set. I also found it provocative how they resonated symbolically with the heart of the play's discussion about the delicacy of truth and the shattering of a reputation like the shattering of glass.

_______________________________________

Scott Waldman at timesunion.com notes that "it's the location of the stage that makes a play intriguing." He quote Ralph Blasting's take on the theme of the play "as an exploration of how people struggle to make the right decision when the stakes are high and there is a limited amount of information."

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Sunday is music time for the Konye family - John-Kyle, Paul, and Mark - who assemble in Professor Paul's office to serenade our chambers. The shifting focus just indicates their activity, not my poor photography she said, pleading artistic license.

MAKING GLASS BEADS IN NEW CREA COURSE: ART & CHEM

Students from CREA's Art & Chemistry learned to make glass beads under the tutelage the dynamic duo, chemistry professors Kevin and Marina Kittredge. The trick is to keep the glass in the flame, and to keep it moving all the time. 

Some students got perfectly round beads, but all of them made interesting patterns.

Art history posters at Siena's Academic Celebration

MARIA SEGALA ('08) presents a poster on her independent study for a Robert Rauschenberg exhibition, upcoming during Senior Week and throughout the summer, in Foy Hall. Rauschenberg's prints have recently been a celebrated at the National Gallery in Washington. Segala's exhibition features five prints from the Chow Series of the 1970s. Her poster included a burlap panel to evoke the Purina Animal Chow bags from which Rauschenberg generated the series.

KATHERINE LEVINSON ('09) and KATHRYN HAMILTON ('08, not pictured) presented the work of the students of the Siena Class in Modern Art, Spring 2008. The students built the First Siena Sculpture Exhibition in March (booklet exhibited) and are currently preparing an exhibition of Women's Art from Siena Collections for June and July 2008 in the Yates Gallery of the Standish Library.