Word: though
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Dates: during 2010-2019
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...equally dry wit, and Dunster House Opera’s laconic production of “Herring” appropriately aims more for poised subtlety than madcap laughter. Concise acting makes the plot clear at all times, even when the clarity comes at the expense of a joke (though there are plenty). Humor emerges from the libretto rather than being scaffolded upon...
...sound quieter than they actually are. Given these constraints, sometimes mezzo-fortes in place of pianos might have been more helpful for both the audience and the cast, as the more nuanced dynamic gestures often disappear beneath the accompaniment. Lucid narrative drive compensates for the occasional gaps in audibility, though, and a coherent collective vision of the direction of each scene helps anchor the plot to a regular pace (“Herring,” with apologies to Britten, does tend to saunter rather than walk). Matthew B. Bird ’10, as the village vicar...
...cleverest and most enjoyable aspect of the company’s performance, though, is the carefully maintained attention to the many styles, genres, and works that Britten gleefully ventriloquizes. Flirtation between Sid (James B. Danner ’12) and Nancy (Katie K. Schick ’10) swings into a harsh sort of jazz, sung with appropriate swagger and well-coordinated stage direction that emphasizes the awkwardness of the moment for Albert. Imitation folk songs are sung in a child’s squeal. Mock-Italian quintet singing is delivered with appropriate exuberance. Herring hiccups repeatedly...
These moments seem almost mythical, as they momentarily reduce the world to the eternal struggle of man versus nature. It is impossible to remain uninvolved in this semi-mythic world, even though Toni and Andi seem almost painfully naïve in contrast with Arau, who watches their efforts with a curiously self-interested detachment...
...Peter and the Wolf” by filmmaker Caroline J. Leaf ’68. Leaf’s work is one of the earliest and best examples of the use of sand in animation, as she creates an ethereal, shapeshifting set of grainy black and white characters. Though its graphics appear rudimentary to today’s eye, Leaf’s film remains visually captivating. Leaf constantly recreates her characters’ forms, faces, and even species; in one scene, a wolf eats a bird that later morphs into an alternatively smiling and frowning moon...