Albright AM Fall 2014

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Specificity of color, sleekness of design:the folks responsible for the visual aspect of Albright’s newest work space, Roessner Hall, definitely had art on the brain. Hopefully, the careful aesthetic choices they made contribute to a ‘return investment’ (the building is home to business students, afterall) in the means of educational excellence.

In a word, Roessner’s interior is clean. Neat, symmetrical shapes surround the organic occupants of the space as manifested in the desks, chairs, and stark-white dry erase boards. Nonetheless, most corners are smooth and rounded. Nothing is sharp. The long, geometric red sectional in the building’s lobby is made up of plush, soft-edged cubes- its color is more striking than its edges. Above the sectional, a large red panel bearing the Albright ‘A’ commands attention; underneath the A and throughout the building, similarly flat and bold colors coat the surfaces. Greens, yellows, and (of course) reds dominate the area, contributing to a sense of freshness that entrepreneurs and students alike understand to be necessary in a world that is always changing.

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Specificity of color, sleekness of design:the folks responsible for the visual aspect of Albright’s newest work space, Roessner Hall, definitely had art on the brain. Hopefully, the careful aesthetic choices they made contribute to a ‘return investment’ (the building is home to business students, afterall) in the means of educational excellence.

In a word, Roessner’s interior is clean. Neat, symmetrical shapes surround the organic occupants of the space as manifested in the desks, chairs, and stark-white dry erase boards. Nonetheless, most corners are smooth and rounded. Nothing is sharp. The long, geometric red sectional in the building’s lobby is made up of plush, soft-edged cubes- its color is more striking than its edges. Above the sectional, a large red panel bearing the Albright ‘A’ commands attention; underneath the A and throughout the building, similarly flat and bold colors coat the surfaces. Greens, yellows, and (of course) reds dominate the area, contributing to a sense of freshness that entrepreneurs and students alike understand to be necessary in a world that is always changing.

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This year, Albright’s chapter of Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP) has been given new life by president

Alexis Jenofsky (2017). The organization’s goals include promoting on-campus artists, writers, musicians and performers as well as raising money for the Opportunity House, which is

an organization that provides services to children and their families who are struggling with poverty.

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ASTEP has been active particularly in its numerous “First Friday” open mic events that showcase

student performers and raise money for art supplies at the Opportunity House. They have been wildly popular and featured

musicians, poets, Domino Players, comedians and improvisers from Albright Improv’s Less Than or Equal To and Soviet Purgatory. In

general, ASTEP has been successful at uniting various arts organizations and raising general appreciation for the artists

on Albright’s campus.

The organization also plans to visit the Opportunity House to teach workshops in art, poetry and improvisation in an attempt to enrich the lives of the children there.


Samantha Rushworth (2015), treasurer of ASTEP considers ASTEP successful “because there is much more awareness of ASTEP on campus now, more money is being raised, and we have more volunteers interested in helping with our work.” Rushworth also expressed the organization’s eagerness to continue working with the Opportunity House and the

children there.


In general, next semester will bring a combined spaghetti dinner fundraiser and arts event, several more First Friday performances and workshops with the

Opportunity House. - Anna’le Hornak


ROOP HALL

gushed freshman Ean Ammerman, the brains behind the fabulous event.

Being the only student in the event that previously did drag, Ean took the other gender-bending beauties under his wing to produce an event that drew in an audience that over-crowded Roop Hall. He, along with two other students, presented the idea to the Albright College Thespian Society (ACTS) and the glitz and glamour-filled event was soon under way.

The students who pitched this event wanted it to be both entertaining and benefit a good cause, so ACTS donated all proceeds of the event to the Albright Gay Straight Alliance (GSA). The proceeds were collected in a typical drag-show fashion, the acts collecting “tips” from the audience while they danced down the aisles and through the crowd. According to the performers, they

expected a few tips here and there; little did they know, some of them would have to cut their dance routines short in order to grab the bills flying out of the audience members’ hands!

The show began with Ean (stage name Ambrosia) and Sarah Crake (stage name Ian Tobasco) basking in the spotlight, showing off their glamorous transformations and embracing their new stage identities.

Most subsequent performers adhered to the gender-transformation trend, electing to either alter their appearances and/or perform gender-challenging songs. With renditions of “Today For You, Tomorrow For Me” (Rent), “I’m A Good Girl” (Burlesque) and “Potential New Boyfriend,” it was clear that the performers wanted to emphasize their new gender roles.

“I was so confused the first week here because I kept hearing and wondering why I was hearing it. When I heard it was actually { } Ru Paul

Roop HallI thought ‘I need to do something about this,’”


Additionally, guests at Roop Hall’s Drag Race got a peek at the side of drag not typically seen by the public. Though primarily focused on full-on drag queen glamour, the show also incorporated tidbits of information on gender identification.

Again in accordance with drag tradition, performers at Roop Hall’s Drag Race regularly requested volunteers from the audience. Guests were invited to play games, participate in contests, and ask questions. Nothing like a lap dance from a drag queen to make an audience member feel involved in the show, right?


At the end of the night, the dazzling show left the audience screaming and cheering for more. This remarkable show not only raised awareness, but possibly started a new trend in Albright’s history.

-Lani Panico


PICTURED ABOVE: RACHEL BARKLEY, SARAH CRAKE, RACHEL SPAUSE

PICTURED LEFT: EAN AMMERMAN, NATE ROTHERMEL

BELOW: PERFORMERS LINE UP ON THE ROOP HALL STAGE


MAELSTROM

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MAELSTROMIn this third installment of the Albright-original silent opera trilogy, Charlotte (Rachel Roseman) discovers the truth behind her mother Queen Mira’s (Holly Hoover) tragic romance; all the while, her own impending marriage thickens the plot as endearing Sebastian (Nate Rothermel) tries everything to get her attention...and

eventually, save her kingdom from demise.

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MAELSTROM

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MAELSTROMIn this third installment of the Albright-original silent opera trilogy, Charlotte (Rachel Roseman) discovers the truth behind her mother Queen Mira’s (Holly Hoover) tragic romance; all the while, her own impending marriage thickens the plot as endearing Sebastian (Nate Rothermel) tries everything to get her attention...and

eventually, save her kingdom from demise.

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As Charlotte struggles with this new information, she too finds herself at the center of her own romantic - and political - swashbuckling storm. Prince Vladimir (Devin Palmieri) fights for her hand in marriage, though it seems that is venomous house staff (Ean Ammerman as Ruslan and Tess Adgie as Lyudmilla) have other, hidden motives. Sly hand gestures and subtle, delectably evil glances by the evil trio were reminiscent of classical dramatic technique and were certainly enough to send chills down the spines of every audience member sitting in Wachovia’s

packed theatre.

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Of course, all the while Charlotte’s own family and house staff provides her with support and the audience with much-needed moments of heart-warming love and comedic relief in an otherwise corrupt world. Logan Toomey, Sarah Crake, and John Tallarida reprised

their respective roles of King Ubu, Prudence, and Nicolai from last year’s Vortex.

photographs by John Pankratz


As Charlotte struggles with this new information, she too finds herself at the center of her own romantic - and political - swashbuckling storm. Prince Vladimir (Devin Palmieri) fights for her hand in marriage, though it seems that is venomous house staff (Ean Ammerman as Ruslan and Tess Adgie as Lyudmilla) have other, hidden motives. Sly hand gestures and subtle, delectably evil glances by the evil trio were reminiscent of classical dramatic technique and were certainly enough to send chills down the spines of every audience member sitting in Wachovia’s

packed theatre.

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Of course, all the while Charlotte’s own family and house staff provides her with support and the audience with much-needed moments of heart-warming love and comedic relief in an otherwise corrupt world. Logan Toomey, Sarah Crake, and John Tallarida reprised

their respective roles of King Ubu, Prudence, and Nicolai from last year’s Vortex.

photographs by John Pankratz


Deepen

the IssueArtist of

TessAdgie

Many know Tess as a science guru, always in the lab or tutoring another student. She actively supports the octopi population and the environment; community members know Tess from her work in the Albright garden and at its weekly produce stand. Others may recognize her for her artistic

talents and stagetime.

As a child, Tess’s older sister Kasey, who is deaf, used to watch Sailor Moon, pausing occasionally to draw a scene. One day, Tess sat down with her own paper and pen to scribble along with Kasey. In order to communicate with her older sister, Tess was taught to sign from a very young age, and as a result, Tess became proficient in American Sign Language before she was proficient in conventional speech. Another time, Tess’s mother was teaching her other sister, Kelly, how to crochet a blanket. Curious and ambitious young Tess wanted to play with the yarn too, so she

learned to crochet.

“I only ever started artistic endeavors because I was copying my older sisters,” Tess mocks

herself.

article by Ellie Herman,photograph by John Pankratz,original artwork by Tess Adgie


Tess credits many of her middle school and high school art teachers for their encouragement in her development as an artist, as well. They did not restrict her, often allowing her to tweek projects to fit her own unique style. This made her experiment and gave her the opportunity to find and define herself and her artistic abilities.

Tess’s early confidence leaked into other forms of art, leading to new painting mediums, body art, theater appearances, improvisation comedy shows, musical performances, and

unconventional crafts. Some readers may be familiar with the coffee and ink portraits Tess painted for an AM-affiliated event last year: in a matter of minutes, Tess drew faces of eager Albrightians using a combination of india ink and old coffee. The inspiration for this medium, which she has been playing with off and on for three years, came in the form of a lucky coffee spill onto some of her papers.

“I love the color that coffee makes on white paper, and I use india ink to deepen the color. It’s fun to play around with, and I feel like I’m allowed to be messy and

imprecise and more abstract in my drawings, which I prefer. I love realism in art, but I usually put a very sketchy and abstracted spin on what I’m drawing.”

And Tess does not limit herself to paper.The artist has actually given herself- and a few select others- a tattoo.With the help of a needle and some more india ink (and, of course, disinfecting alcohol - do not try this at home unless you have spoken to a professional and know what you are doing), Tess successfully replicated a DNA strand on her upper thigh.

Deepen

the IssueArtist of

TessAdgie

Many know Tess as a science guru, always in the lab or tutoring another student. She actively supports the octopi population and the environment; community members know Tess from her work in the Albright garden and at its weekly produce stand. Others may recognize her for her artistic

talents and stagetime.

As a child, Tess’s older sister Kasey, who is deaf, used to watch Sailor Moon, pausing occasionally to draw a scene. One day, Tess sat down with her own paper and pen to scribble along with Kasey. In order to communicate with her older sister, Tess was taught to sign from a very young age, and as a result, Tess became proficient in American Sign Language before she was proficient in conventional speech. Another time, Tess’s mother was teaching her other sister, Kelly, how to crochet a blanket. Curious and ambitious young Tess wanted to play with the yarn too, so she

learned to crochet.

“I only ever started artistic endeavors because I was copying my older sisters,” Tess mocks

herself.

article by Ellie Herman,photograph by John Pankratz,original artwork by Tess Adgie


“I really don’t recommend it, but I’m also stupid proud,” Tess says. And who would blame her? She also has two other tattoos, an anchor and a bird, both of great personal meaning. She helped with each of their designs.

Even those who know Tess may have difficulty summoning one stable picture of her, as her hair rarely remains the same color for very long- particularly during finals week. The artist explains that she tends to change her hair color in response to stress, which evidences how much she relies on color to express emotion.

“I love how, at the drop of a hat, I can change my hair color to reflect the season, how I’m feeling, or even just my boredom.”

Does someone so talented really get bored?

In her spare time, Tess plays music: she plays the guitar, the ukulele, the mandolin and the banjo. “Basically anything with strings,” she laughs. Her parents enrolled young Tess in piano lessons, but she hated them, then violin lessons, which she also hated. She didn’t like being taught “the right way” to

play, but when her mom let her strum her little fingers on the strings of her guitar, something clicked.

Today, you too can ‘click’ and play something with Tess. In September, she released her second EP, entitled Beneath the Mountain, on Bandcamp with the help of her boyfriend, Bryan (you might remember him as last edition’s Artist of the Issue… artists of a feather flock together, eh?). She thanks her friends and family for their support in her musical endeavors, but the public response has been totally positive as well. Tess writes all of her own songs, perhaps in procrastination of schoolwork, but ultimately in the interest of therapeutic expression. Songwriting, relatively new in her canon of artistic endeavors, has helped her to push her existing musical skills to new planes. Using multiple tracks, she likes to layer her harmonies on top of each other, though she acknowledges that she is

still practicing this skill (Hint: you can download her EP http://tessieeileen.bandcamp.com/).

High school marked Tess’s initial explorations in the world of theatre. During her senior year, she both stage managed and designed the set for her school’s production of Phantom of the Opera. Originally intending to remain backstage, she spent hours painting the set (which included numerous flat panel backdrops as well as an assortment of several 6-foot tall gargoyles). It was only when a fellow thespian paid her one fateful compliment did she consider the idea of the spotlight: someone told Tess she was funny.

Tess auditioned for a comedy that spring, and landed a role.


From there, it was only too tempting for this young actress to find the stage again. As a freshman at Albright, where theater is no foreign word, Tess played Eunice in A Streetcar Named Desire- a role she was invited to revive at that year’s Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Two years later, she would return to the festival to perform in Albright’s original silent opera Vortex.

Tess also found her way into Albright’s Improvisational Comedy troupe during her first semester. Tess credits both improvisation’s free expression and the great friendships she forged within the troupe to helping her overcome personal struggles her freshman year. She remained very active within the troupe throughout her time at Albright and holds

the title of vice president. According to Tess, she most enjoys games where she gets to be a ridiculous character, especially if she can supply a stupid voice.

Today, you’ll find Tess on the Wachovia stage once again, this time as a part of Maelstrom, which follows Vortex as the third installment of a three-part tale. She plays Lyudmilla, the Bellatrix Lestrange-esque villain of the piece.

Tess says, “Dear lord, is [Lyudmilla] fun to play. It’s all about movement and being expressive without words, which is something I grew up with as sign language as my native language. I dunno. It’s really busy, but it’s really really fun.”

Movement without direct expression is one of Tess’s many specialties. In addition to being able to move her body to show an idea, she is also able to move her fingers: Tess has made an unconventional

habit of weaving unexpected items into new and useful objects. Her passion for sustainable agriculture correlates with her constant desire to reuse and recycle. She strives to finds ways to give old materials, like t-shirts or plastic bags, a new life. Her tshirts turn into woven rugs, and her plastic bags turn into sturdy crocheted backpacks. What she could buy in a store, she chooses make by herself instead. She calls herself a copycat for this. We call her innovative.

At the time of her interview, Tess says that much of her energy is devoted to her role in Maelstrom, though a number of songs are dancing about her head, ready to come out when she’s ready. Additionally, she is preparing to perform a number of acoustic songs at the AM’s Ugly Sweater Party on November 20th.

As for her next step, Tess laughs, “I don’t know. Usually it happens spontaneously. I’ll think of something to make and I’ll fixate on it until I’ve figured it out...it doesn’t always work, but it certainly makes things interesting.”




This photograph by Blanche Helbling captured the strange and impromptu dance party that broke out under the Albright Center for the Arts Mezzanine during the college’s first ‘Art Jam.’ The event, which followed the annual Fall activities fair, was arranged to showcase the school’s artistic organizations and give incoming freshmen a brief preview to their artistic opportunities on campus.

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Albright AM Fall 2014