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Quick doodles for [THIS] AU

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Well, this scene is finally finished. Now I can work on more scenes for this AU— (trust me, there are many funny and sad things in my head about this AU)

rat-pipe

Uhm, have some fluff after what tricky Tony did

tzitzimitl-eztli

Hey hey!! I LOVE YOUR ART !! can you draw spamton and tenna getting ready for Christmas or small comic about it pls :3

Okay, sorry for the delay in this response, but while I was working on this comic, I made the story much longer, and then I thought, "This is a comic that should be short..." But anyway, here's the special Christmas comic!

yay!

haggz-is-here

Rococo era spamtenna💫💫💖💖

@ciderjacks recreated the swing by fragonard as spamtenna and i was like I HAVE TO DRAW THIS NOW.

I attended a performance of the THET 451 class’ musical theater cabaret. It was immensely entertaining, the theme of the show revolving around classical pieces made before the 1980s. The students all sang with passion and truthful emotion. Each performer was able to perform a solo piece and a duet with a partner. It was a lighthearted event fun for all ages.

#CPSA101 #Music

My visit at the University of Maryland’s Nyumburu Cultural Center was a rich experience. The center is a place dedicated to promoting freedom of exploration, edification, education, and all aspects of growth within the students of UMD. Some things that the center provision include are lectures and seminars, art exhibits, workshops in the dramatic arts, dance, music and creative writing. The pieces of art on display throughout the building are very powerful. They all depict the journey of the African American experience while expanding upon African diaspora.

#CPSA101 #Fine Art

Last night I attended an open mic performance hosted by the diversity troupe, Kreativity. It was a night saturated with all sorts of talent and fun. One minute a guy was doing stand up comedy, the next a girl was reciting poetry. It was a safe space where anyone could come and perform whatever fed their soul, be it folk songs or belty ballads or Korean rap music. The room was so full of love and support, even if an act or two fell a little short, all that mattered was that we all were having fun. Two big highlights of the night were when two women shared two very personal stories with us. One of them shared her coming out story with us. The other shared a story about her best who passed away from cancer in the 3rd grade. It felt so uplifting to be surrounded by people willing to be so vulnerable with one another. In everyday life we’re so quick to put up emotional walls, so this performance was a cathartic release.

#CPSA101 #Literature/Presentation

Last Monday I had the privilege of being able to attend the understudy run of TDPS’s production of the Amish Project. While being a part of the show was a wonderful experience, it was an entirely different experience being an audience member. The story revolved around the tragic West Nickel Mines shooting in 2006. However the play didn’t dwell on the tragedy, but instead invited its audience to join together as a community and embrace joy and forgiveness, a legacy that the Amish girls surely would have wanted to leave behind. The actresses were wonderfully committed to bringing life and light to the show and even with a few technical errors, their energy shined through. I felt thoroughly blessed to have been able to witness such a beautiful piece come to life.

#CPSA101 #Theatre

Art museums have never managed to leave any particular impact on me. Visual art often asks its audiences to analyze, interpret, and come to their own conclusions about the meaning behind the pieces. This can be off putting for people who crave immediate gratification and clarity. People who don’t care to unravel the complex and avant garde. I truly didn’t expect to be enthralled by the boldness of the pieces, intrigued by the unorthodox exhibits, and in awe of the grandiose atmosphere, but that’s exactly what I had in store.

I visited the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA). It’s known as "the only major museum in the world solely dedicated to recognizing women’s creative contributions" to literature and the visual and performing arts.They strive to discover the art of women artists of all periods and nationalities that have been overlooked, to exhibit them to the public, and to give them the acknowledgment and appreciation they deserve. It’s dedicated to assuring the permanence of women in contemporary art by promoting the best women artists working today while at the same time showcasing remarkable women artists of the past. In doing this, they play a hand in reforming the traditional histories of art. The gallery presentations varied from floor to floor; 17th century pieces being on the ground level, 18th and 19th century pieces being on the mezzanine, a special exhibition that opened Sept 30, 2016 called NO MAN’S LAND on the second floor, the third and fourth floor showcasing pieces from the 19th century to present day, and the fifth floor being a performance hall.

I discovered that female art and culture is something that museums are striving to make accessible in every way possible. NMWA advocates for the universal recognition of women artists and does so by making attempts to educate the public, offering countless valuable resources and events that audiences can be exposed to. The museum aims to discover a variety of ways to connect to the public, be it through breath-taking visuals, mental stimulation, or interactive activities. The goal is to enlighten their audiences about the reasons female representation in the arts is vital, worthy, and necessary. By doing this the female contribution to art and culture becomes everlasting.

#CPSAPentathlon #fineart

It isn’t easy for me to articulate just how much I enjoyed viewing “The Wild Party”. I had the honor of being able to see it 3 times and that still wasn’t enough for me. “The Wild Party” displays a multitude of themes that are almost eerily pertinent to the current state of our world. Taking place the “roaring” 1920’s, an age full of music, luxury, promiscuity, and rebellion of the prohibition, The Wild Party takes full advantage of the unrestrained recklessness, spontaneity, and the “wild” impulses of the period. Taking place shortly after the first World War and shortly before The Great Depression, “The Wild Party” is a brief moment of societal prosperity before the world spirals back into chaos. And yet the characters within this fleeting instance of merriment are anything but happy. Abuse, infidelity, rejection, unfulfillment, death, and discord plague our colorful cast. Despite occasional instances of temporary harmony, most of the time, from beginning to end, there is some type of dreadful conflict that the characters are facing. It begins with a fight and ends with a death.

Having seen the show 3 times, I feel like something different caught my eye each night. The first night was based purely on shock-factor by how incredibly talented these students were. Kate’s entrance for the song “Look At Me Now” absolutely took me by surprise, partly because I didn’t realize the back wall contained a door, and mostly because her voice was supernaturally good. The quartet that Queenie, Kate, Burrs’ and Mr. Black sing together was utterly mesmerizing. And of course the final climatic “Make Me Happy” scene. I did not see any of that coming. The gun shocked me, Burrs’ death shocked me, I was on the edge of my seat wondering if Mr. Black was going to be caught by the police. It was a heart throbbing experience. If I had to choose one moment that really stood out to me (excluding all of the unforgettable songs), It would probably be the explosive argument between Burrs, Mr. Black, Queenie, and Kate that happens just before Burrs’ descent into madness “Let me Drown”. I heard this argument being rehearsed before the show even opened and it still had me speechless. The raw emotion was just captured so very well.

#CPSAPentathlon #theatre

I had the privilege of being able to see The University of Maryland’s phenomenal production of “The Call”. Beautifully diverse and thought-provoking, the show offers an intimate view into the lives of a group of people and the things that not only bring them together, but separate them as well. The play’s theme digs deep into the ever looming presence of racial and cultural divide. Indeed, tension is one thing that this play is not lacking, as the character’s individual identities clash again in again. On one side of the spectrum we have a heterosexual white couple longing for a child but experiencing fertility issues, and considering cross-cultural adoption. On the opposite side we have a newlywed lesbian black couple who both have difficult backgrounds and are attempting to live happily in their community. And yet another spot on the spectrum belongs to a compassionate, charitable, and wise man originally from Africa, but was able to come to America to escape the epidemic affecting his home. As these characters both try to teach and learn from each other, sometimes they succeed, sometimes they do not. The constant idea that holds them all back is the thought that: You’ll never know what it’s like to be me.

A personally potent experience I had with the show actually came from the audience. During the kiss between the two married women, the ladies sitting in front of me actually exclaimed aloud in disgust. It was amazing to me, that this show that pushed forward messages about understanding, inclusion, and acceptance, still evoked such a close-minded response from its spectators. Well, I suppose I can’t say it surprised me but it did disappoint me. The fact that they couldn’t look past what they saw on the surface and really take it all in. That is exactly the reason that shows like these need to exist. Just like the characters in the show, people need to be exposed to the things that they find “different” and learn to be more tolerable to their fellow man.

#CPSAPentathlon #theatre

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center presented a piece called Black Woman’s Anonymous, a play exploring the life of the modern African American female, how they are viewed by society, and how they view themselves. It was written by two very talented and intelligent Theater Majors named Whitney Geohagan and April Grace and it consisted of a cast of 5 equally talented actors.

The entire show takes place in the basement of a church where 5 black women have come to meet in order to engage in a cathartic discussion about their lives and their views. They have different ages and backgrounds, they have no names, and are called Woman A, Woman B, Woman C, Woman D, and Woman E respectively. Woman A, my character, is a black woman who works in a predominately white business. She is taunted for her uppity attitude and for “talking white”, but she is proud of the position she got herself to through hard work. Woman B was the main attraction and the highlight of the evening. She was loud, she was blunt, she was authentic, and she said what was on her mind. She lives in Brooklyn but longs to get back to her “African” roots by wearing African garbs such as dashikis. Woman C is the youngest member, only 18, but she is also the only mother in the room. She supports herself and a two year old daughter after her boyfriend left her pregnant. Woman D receives a large amount of criticism from the group for marrying a white man. We also discover that she is unable to have children. And finally Woman E was born in Ghana and had a rough time transitioning from her African background . She is split between loving her origins and assimilating into American customs.

After the show there was a talk-back session, and there was an older black gentleman that attended who said that in the 1980s when he was younger, he did his best to remain under the radar. Often times he was the only person of color in the profession he was a part of. But nothing changed until he began advocating for more diversity in his job. It definitely wasn’t easy, as everyone likes to believes that we are living in a “post-racial” society. But informing others that there is indeed a problem that needs to be solved is the first step towards making life more tolerable, more inclusive, and more comprehensive.

#CPSAPentathlon #theatre

It is always a humbling experience stepping into the Folger Shakespeare Library. Home to the largest collection of Shakespearean works ranging from the 16th century to the present-day, the air just resonates with stories waiting to be told. The architecture is exquisite, with a finely sculpted, white marble interior design. The actual playhouse is modeled after an Elizabethan era, English Renaissance inn-yard theater making the ancient texts being performed all the more absorbing. Written by an unknown author, Helen Hayes award winning director and adaptor Mary Hall Surface reimagined The Second Shepherds’ Play with a goal in mind of bringing “new life to this very old story.” She more than fulfills this goal by implementing bold comedic elements within an otherwise sacred and biblical story. And the cherry on top? A wonderful selection of classical music to tie the tale all together. A portion of the story follows the biblical journey of the three shepherds that followed the star of Bethlehem to celebrate the nativity of Jesus Christ and the very first Christmas. However, what really manages to steal the show is the first act, which revolves around a Mystery-Comedy about the three shepherds going on an investigation for their missing sheep. The two jarringly contrastive tones of the plot are blended together marvelously through live musical pieces gathered from the 16th century and earlier. According to musical director and Folger Consort Robert Eisenstein, there was only one mention of a song in the original play which was first performed around the 15th or 16th century. Eisenstein stays true to the roots of the original text allowing this discovery to greatly influence the music surrounding the performance. The show never loses its light-hearted tone and each dramatic moment is undercut with comedy. The actors maintain committed actions, clear motives, and wonderful expression. The music was lively and story-driven. The puppetry was a delightful integration that added new life to an old tale. Overall, The Second Shepherds’ Play acts as the perfect Christmas present that allowed me to begin the season with high-spirits, good laughs, and fun for all ages.

#CPSAPentathlon #theatre

Photo #1) Mamela Nyamza: Hatched

Photo #2) Upright Citizens Brigade TourCo. featuring Erasable Inc.

Photo #3) Alumni Play Commissions: Manifesting

NextNOW Fest Reflection Questions: 1. What did you see/hear/learn that was completely new to you?

The experience I had during Mamela Nyamaza’s performance was nothing like I had ever encountered before. I rarely go to see live performances that aren’t centered around theatrics or music, and when I do see dance performances they are highly extravagant, trained, and meticulous ensemble pieces. Nyamaza introduced me to a new form of performance, one where emotions are the front and center spectacle. Words were not needed to convey the hurt, the healing, and the journey that we went on throughout the stage.

2. What was your favorite performance/experience? Why was it your favorite?

I have to say having the upright Citizens Brigade make me laugh until I cried was the highlight of my night. Not only because their ability to entertain knew no bounds but also because I have such a high amount of admiration for improvisation skills. They made it look so effortless, but I know it takes an incredible amount of knowledge, wit, and years of training to be able to think that fast on your feet and create great stories on the spot. I knew I was watching geniuses at work however crude they might’ve been.

3. How might one or more of the performances/experiences relate to the Arts Scholars theme of power?

The collection of alumni plays, “Manifesting”, perfectly embodied the theme of power. The first play centered around two young girls coming to grips with not only their sexual orientation, but themselves as people. The power lied in the fact that only you have the ability to define yourself, not the clothes you wear or the thoughts of the people around you. The second play explored a fear that many people face, unfulfillment. A young man who had just graduated college and is working a dead end job goes out for a smoke and sits next to a mysterious woman. He laments how an “expensive piece of paper” that tells the world he should be good at something has done nothing to help him and he fears that he will grow complacent with his disappointing life. The power comes from the mysterious woman’s wise words. That we are all in charge of our destinies and that if we stay determined everything will be ok. The final play is a stylistic piece that plays on the concept of the game “rock paper scissors”. Instead the three words are replaced with: “Black, Woman, Queer, Shoot!” This play is probably the most powerful, it’s message saying that the battle should not revolve around which issue is the most important or the most misunderstood, instead we should all band together as one to fight injustice in unity.

#NextNOW2016

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