By Cade Anderson, Arts Writer
February 17, 2020
Tucked inside the quaint Regent Street, right in between City Creek Mall and the Gallivan Center, is a local cafe thousands of tourists and residents alike have walked past, but few would recognize by name. When we arrived for dinner one weekday evening, curious and famished, my partner and I had the small restaurant to ourselves. For quiet-seeking introverts like ourselves, the vacancy only enhanced the experience. The presence of harsh white lighting and the absence of music or decoration initially struck me as oddly sterile — almost austere. That said, as soon as our smiling server swung open the back kitchen door and our booth filled with the sweet and savory aromas of authentic Indian cuisine, I wasn’t paying attention to the interior design anymore. The Ingredients Turmeric’s menu is extensive — so much so that it took us a fun few minutes longer than usual just to explore it all. The colorful entrees range from $6 Indian street foods (I want to...
By Kate Button, Arts Writer
February 15, 2020
For the majority of the University of Utah’s Department of Theatre’s lastest production, what lies between a rock and a hard place is literally the titular Floyd Collins. Based on a true story, as a passionate cave explorer in the early 1920s, Floyd Collins (Derek DuBay) spends his time searching throughout Kentucky for the next cave discovery that could ease his family’s economic despair. Mammoth Cave brought unbelievable successes, and Collins wishes to capture the same economic gain to lift his family out of a recession. Yet, as he is trapped during one of his explorations, the Collins family must navigate the media and the commercialization of tragedy, all while Collins continues to wait for rescue 50 feet below his family. While cave exploring proves to be a dangerous endeavor, Collins believes he is constantly on the brink of an incredible discovery, as he always has “the luck” with him. DuBay’s performance of Collins is captivating. Collins’...
By Hannah Keating, Arts Writer
February 15, 2020
“Welcome to V-Season” flashes in red on the homepage of the V-Day organization’s website. The “V” referred to here is not necessarily what we usually associate with the middle of February — there are no Valentine’s cards or red hearts here, only a proclamation to end violence against women and girls across the globe. Instead, according to the V-Day webpage, "The 'V' in V-Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina." This movement started with the production of a play. Published in 1996, Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” is one of the most powerful theatre pieces from the turn of the century. It discusses life through the eyes of a vagina-owning person, documenting sexual encounters, menstruation, body image, consent, reproduction, sex work and more. The play’s impact extends beyond its successful run in New York theatre — Ensler created the non-profit V-Day to promote awareness and raise money across communities with productions of, or readings...
By Arielle Gulley, Arts Writer
February 14, 2020
There are certain television shows that manage to challenge us intellectually, or require large amounts of thought and attention from their audiences in order to fully comprehend the storyline. While those intense political dramas or concentrated murder mysteries are exciting and hold a place in my heart, more often times than not, I can be found watching my ultimate genre of choice — reality television. Reality shows are perfect for any occasion. For the times when you need to fill the silence but don’t want to pay attention to a complex plot, or for when you’re needing some genuine entertainment, one of the best reality shows of our time is without a doubt “Love Island.” The show began in the United Kingdom and has since had spinoffs in many countries, including the United States and Australia. The original is by far the best of them all, though. The show follows a similar layout to most of our favorite reality series. You have strangers living in a villa, brought...
By Oakley Burt, Arts Writer
February 14, 2020
Inhabiting the extremely salty waters of Great Salt Lake are vast numbers of brine shrimp. Measuring about a half-inch long, these tiny crustaceans play an important role in their ecosystem — feeding on green algae in the Great Salt Lake and providing a food source for birds. Brine shrimp may go unnoticed in the everyday lives of most Utahns, but in the new play “Singing to the Brine Shrimp,” these creatures serve an important — bordering on absurd — role in a woman’s journey through the highly competitive world of theatre. “Singing to the Brine Shrimp” is a comedy written by local playwright and Weber State University theatre professor Jenny Kokai and is produced by Plan-B Theatre Company. The play is also directed by Jason Bowcutt and stars Latoya Cameron, Lily Hye Soo Dixon, Jay Perry and Emilie Starr. Born out of a real-life event that left Kokai feeling unsure about her future as a playwright, “Singing to the Brine Shrimp” creates a dramatized version...