PTC & BEATLEMANIA

The Beatles won't be in Liverpool at the end of June but Pat Trutty-Coohill will be. She's organized a panel of European and American scholars to discuss philosopher Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka's theories of God. The meeting is at the Liverpool Hope University where they offer a Master's Degree in Beatles' studies.

TRASHION FASHIONS SHOWN BY MISS NY MODELS

The Trashion Fashions students designed for the Spring Green Show will be shown in the Center Court Colonie Center Mall for the Miss NY Meet and Greet on Saturday June 27 at 11 a.m.

Thanks to Cam Hoheb, Chair of the Creative Arts Committee that fund raises for us, who made the contact; as a RISD graduate in fashion design, she recognized the quality of the work. Linda Dockal, Dirctor of Marketing at Colonie Center made the arrangements.

Congratulations, students of Denise Massman and Karen Mason!

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.

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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.