Around the World in 80 Days

Photo from The Hippodrome's website

The theater might cause some to stray away. Thoughts of yawning and boredom play across minds. But the Hippodrome’s Around the World in 80 Days is not typical theater.

The year is 1872. Train is the mode of travel. India is still British soil. Director Lauren Caldwell turns this into a bizarre setting – colorful drapes stream across the ceiling, adorned by Christmas lights and paper lanterns. Two small fish tanks outline the sides, representing travel by sea. Clocks tick in the background, glowing and spinning fast. This is a place where five actors play 39 characters, utilizing every aspect of the stage, including the audience.

Mark Brown’s adaptation of Jules Verne’s 1873 novel begins much the same: our protagonist, Phileas Fogg, places a wager at his Reform Club. He is a strict, precise man with a new servant: an ex-circus act Frenchman named Passepartout. Phileas rarely falls off schedule and gives Passepartout exact times and directions for when he should complete his duties. This stringency leads him to bet 20,000 pounds he can travel around the world in 80 days. Phileas’ cyclical life and plan begin to haze when it’s reported a gentleman bank robber is on the run; he’s the lead suspect.  A stubborn, clumsy Detective Fix, bearing much resemblance to Inspector Clouseau, follows the duo. He’s convinced by his “sixth sense” Phileas is the robber. His frivolous spending adds to suspicion, ensuring obstacles, missed trains and humorous detours.

Around the World’s comedy doesn’t necessarily come from the situations, but absurdity. Five actors play 39 riotous characters, meaning they quickly adapt their wardrobe on stage for each portrayal. Whether they switched hats or wear stereotypical clothing, laughing commenced. They’re not limited to humans, though. When in India, Sir Francis joins Detective Fix, Phileas and Passepartout. Their train cannot travel any further, so the three go by elephant. The costume? Each represents a different part of the elephant – flopping ears, legs and face. The play relies on audiences’ imaginations and ability to let loose. To represent traveling by train, the actors took out glowing cylinder frames and moved them in a chugging motion. They also hopped on trampolines to depict the shaking, delivering even more laughs.If it weren’t for the actors’ incredible ability to never break character, Around the World would not have been successful.

Dozing off or texting away isn’t an option during Around the World. The unconventional use of imagination brings roars of laughter as the actors walk through the tightly packed aisles, up wooden stair rails and shoot water. It’s a tale of adventure and romance, but most of all, lightheartedness. The play opens today and runs through May 9 at the Hippodrome. Tickets range from $25-30 for general audiences and $12 for students.

- Nicole La Hoz

First person to comment or retweet this wins free tickets to opening night tonight 4/16 at 8pm. 

Defiance @ The Hipp

The Hippodrome’s latest main stage production, Defiance, opened last night with a VIP party with food from Fresco. Over 200 people purchased tickets for the thought-provoking show written by John Patrick Shanley, who also wrote the award-winning Doubt. The small, six-member cast carried the audience through an 80-minute exploration of ethics and race set on a Marine base in North Carolina in 1971, at the tail-end of the Vietnam War. Without an intermission, you’re engrossed in the thought-provoking play until the last line. Sprinkled with witticisms and quips, the show’s small snippets of comedy are as intelligent as the serious discussion it leads.

Under the direction of Mary Hausch, all of the actors give an emotionally-charged performance. Real-life husband and wife David Sitler and Carolyn Popp are perfect as the unthinking career military man Lt. Colonel Littlefield and philosophical, patient wife Margaret. Matthew Lindsay, last seen in the Hipp’s Dead Man’s Cellphone, brings the idealistic Alabamian Chaplain White to life. Ryan George, fifth-year fine arts senior at UF, makes his professional debut as the reluctant Capt. King. His booming voice and strong presence make for a commanding portrayal of a young black officer who wants to fade away in uniform but instead is pulled into a serious situation he would have rather avoided.

“I’m very honored to perform a play that will get people engaged and thinking and excited about seeing theater,” says Ryan.

Defiance runs until March 21. Visit The Hippodrome's Web site for tickets and more information.

-Bridget Higginbotham

Oedipus Complex

The University of Florida’s School of Theatre and Dance kicks off the New Year with a story from years past. The school will start its spring season with performances of the classic Greek drama Oedipus the King at the Nadine McGuire Black Box Theatre. Written by Sophocles, this tragedy chronicles the life of Oedipus, who unknowingly slays his father and marries his mother. The play is directed by Yanci Bukovec and will be performed Jan. 29 through 30 and Feb. 2 through 6. Showtimes are at 7:30pm, and 2pm on Sundays. Tickets start at $13 and can be purchased at the University Box Office. Call 352-273-0500.

—Michelle Profis

Answer the Call

As intriguing as the title is, the Hippodrome's new play, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” offers even more mystery, suspense and emotion. The play mixes both light and dark themes, with an underlying humor in a morose topic. It focuses on the idea of memories and how we capture them in the digital age. Without recording things on paper, where do all of these words go?

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” opens with a woman in a café who becomes impatient after a man’s cell phone continues to go off. The woman, Jean, becomes annoyed and confronts the man, Gordon, realizing he is dead. The cell phone becomes her connection to this dead stranger and her entry into his bizarre family.

All of the characters are eccentric with unique personalities displayed through their interesting costumes. Jean has a bohemian look with a long skirt and gold cape, whereas the dead man’s “other woman” has blue highlights, snakeskin leggings and a visible red thong. The wacky characters give the play life and offer a good mixture of comedy, satire and seriousness. Gordon’s mother (played by Sara Morsey) is one of the most entertaining characters in the play with her contrasting humor and funny lines, like “You’re very comforting; you’re like a small casserole.”

Throughout the first act, the mystery builds because Gordon’s identity and cause of death remain anonymous. His story later unfolds and he delivers a message about how technology and cell phones have destroyed the idea of privacy and life, which is ironic because his ringing phone continues to interrupt Jean’s life. “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” offers a different perspective about death and technology that can be understood by anyone, but it also leaves the audience with an entertaining story and memorable characters that make the play worth seeing.

"Dead Man's Cell Phone" is playing from Jan.6 to 31 at the Hippodrome State Theatre. Tickets start at $12 for students to $30 for the general audience on weekend nights. Call the box office for more information at 352-375-4477 or visit the Hippodrome's site. 

- Lane Nieset

First person to e mail sgranadaob@gmail.com wins two free tix to the show!

GIVEAWAY: Nutcracker Tickets!

We're giving away a pair of tickets to the holiday ballet classic The Nutcracker presented by Dance Alive National Ballet. Get a chance to see INsite cover stars Andre and Carla, plus the rest of Dance Alive's dancers, light up the Phillips Center Stage. The performances are Dec. 17 to 20, and you could get in for free!

To win, e-mail editor@insitegainesville.com (with Subject: Nutcracker) or RT this message on Twitter!

An Evening with William Shakespeare

“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?”

…not exactly. On Dec. 6, curtains will lift and stage lights dim as graduate students from UF's English department perform “An Evening with William Shakespeare” at the Acrosstown Repertory Theater, 619 S. Main St. From scandals to sonnets, “An Evening with William Shakespeare” will reenact vintage Shakespearean literature from old English to the youthful Western world.

“We will be doing scenes from various plays, as well as the sonnets,” says UF professor Sidney Homan, the director. “Scenes of romantic love, distorted love (the Macbeths), comic love (Pyramus and Thisby from a Midsummer’s Night Dream) and the loveless (Richard III).”

The performance includes 11 graduate students from the English department, who are currently enrolled in a Shakespearean literature course.

“We've been working on it all semester,” Sidney said. “We are expecting an audience where ages range from teenager, high school students to the very old.”

Attendees should be prepared for some daggers, poisoned wine and sword fighting during this one-night-only event. And if one thing is for certain, romance will be in the air.

“One audience member called a past production ‘a Whitman Sampler of Shakespeare,’ so if you don't care for one piece of candy (one scene) there are always other and different ones,” Sidney says.

The performance will begin at 8pm and tickets will be available to purchase for $5 at the door.

-Alisha Kinman

Holiday Play season opens at the Hipp

The thespian Christmas season began this weekend with this year’s premieres of A Christmas Carol and A Tuna Christmas at the Hippodrome State Theatre. The former is a classic and a 31-year-old Gainesville tradition, while the latter is a more modern take on the holidays..

On opening day A Christmas Carol was presented first. In slightly more than an hour, Ebenezer Scrooge (longtime Gainesville actor Rusty Salling) was visited by the ghost of his former business partner and the three Christmas spirits who help transform his dark, miserly life into a happy relationship with his community. As familiar as the story is, I couldn't help being moved as I watched Scrooge's transformation.

After the play, much of the cast joined the audience in the lobby for cupcakes and treats provided by Cakes by Jenny Wagner & Co. Some people gathered outside on the steps of the Hippodrome to chat. As night fell, the stately theatre took on a new glow, with holiday lighting illuminating the building’s columns before the evening performance and some nice barbeque from Jim’s Bar-B-Que afterwards.
A Tuna Christmas, which followed later in the evening, is a much darker (and more cynical) comedic view of the holidays. Set in Tuna, Texas, the many characters are played by two actors; as the characters grapple with the disappointments in their lives they attempt to celebrate the Holiday season. Rather than finding redemption, two of the characters find something missing in their lives at the end by “overcoming” their faith.

Both productions present life lessons, although the latter play requires more mature reflection to find the truth. I could see how the characters in both plays were guided in the end to overcome their "shackles"--literal or otherwise.

--Story and photos by John Davisson

Camelot, Canes Boils and Christmas Carols..Oh My!

Thanksgiving might be over, but the family-fun celebrations are just beginning. Starting tonight Gainesville is hosting plenty of opportunities for top-quality entertainment to help you enjoy your holiday weekend and bond with your family. Here are a few of the events we are most looking forward to.

At the Phillips Center tonight, Nov. 27, at 7:30 The University of Florida Performing Arts presents Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot, a musical set in King Arthur’s 12th century castle traces one of the most legendary love triangles in history involving King Arthur, his betrothed Guinevere and Roundtable Knight Sir Lancelot. The production is part of the Friday Night Sights Events - the Harn Museum of Art and the Florida Museum of Natural History will host extended hours until 7pm. Prior to the show, the Phillips Center will be taking new, unwrapped toy donations for Alachua kids.

Tickets are available online and at the Phillips Center box office, 315 Hull Road.

Starting at 9 am, Saturday, Nov. 28, The City of Gainesville is offering some old-fashioned fun at Morningside Nature Center Living History Farm. The farm will travel back to the 1870s as the staff, dressed in full 19th century garb, serve up fresh-made syrup and homemade biscuits. Throughout the day Morningside staffers will cut, press and boil sugar cane into syrup on the spot. The historic integrity is further preserved by the fiddle and open-string instrument sounds that will be the backdrop for the thanks-giving, harvest-welcoming day. During the Annual Cane Boil, the Longleaf Pine Youth Fiddle and Open Band Contest will take place with three different division- Seedling (ages 12 and under), Sapling (ages 13-18) and Open String Band (all ages).

Admission is $2 adults, $1 for kids ages 3-12 and free for children under 3 years-old.

Morningside Nature Center Living History Farm, 3450 E. University Ave.




At 2pm The Hippodrome premieres its annual holiday play, A Christmas Carol, followed by a meet-and-greet with the cast and cupcakes provided by Cakes by Jenny Wagner & Co. This year marks the 32nd production of A Christmas Caro1 in Gainesville and the 20th year the character of Scrooge is played by Rusty Salling. At 7:30pm, A Tuna Christmas will premiere followed by a barbeque provided by Jim’s Bar-B-Que. Local favorite, Mark Chambers traveled down from San Francisco to take part in this year’s production of the screwy Christmas play. All food and treats are free with play admission.

The Hippodrome State Theatre, 25 SE 2nd Place. Tickets available here or by calling the box office at (352) 375-4477.

Holiday Plays at the Hipp

Saturday, Nov. 28, marks the premiere of the Hippodrome’s annual holiday plays, A Christmas Carol and A Tuna Christmas. The theatre is kicking off the season with a double opening day, with A Christmas Carol showing at 2pm and A Tuna Christmas at 7:30pm. After both plays, guests will be treated to food and desserts.

A Christmas Carol is the classic holiday tale of the grouchy Scrooge, who gets visited by the three ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, there to teach him a lesson in kindness. In its 32nd year, this year will be the 20th year Scrooge is played by Rusty Salling, says Kara Winslow, the Hippodrome’s director of development and assistant director of A Christmas Carol.

“A Christmas Carol has been a tradition in Gainesville for over 30 years,” she says. “It’s very special.” Following the play, the cast, including 25 kids, will join audience members to mingle and eat treats provided by Cakes by Jenny Wagner & Co.

At 7:30pm, it’s back to the Mainstage for A Tuna Christmas, a quirky comedy surrounding the members of the Tuna, Texas community and their annual lawn-display contest. This year, the Hippodrome has brought back Mark Chambers, a local favorite all the way from San Francisco to do the play. After A Tuna Christmas, the Hippodrome will be serving up a barbeque dinner courtesy of Jim’s Bar-B-Que. The Cakes by Jenny and Jim's Bar-B-Que foods are free with production tickets.
“This is a fun way to get into the spirit of the holidays,” Kara says. “It’s going to be a great weekend.”

INsite is giving away 4 tickets to both productions. First to e mail sgranadaob@gmail.com wins!

--Stephanie Granada

Puppets Rock the Phillips Center

Last night (Nov. 10), we went to Avenue Q at the Phillips Center. Here's our report.

As the lights dim, the curtains are pulled back to expose a simple set with an orange backdrop. This is life in the big city, where people (and puppets) deal with rent, relationships and finding their place in the world. This is Avenue Q.

The show opens to Princeton, a recent college grad looking for a place to live. The audience roars as the motley crew of puppets and humans introduce themselves and their life-woes in “It Sucks To Be Me.” The puppets are only torsos controlled by a puppeteer in all black, but they look like real people, and they can sing. I’m seated at the top of the balcony, yet I feel like I’m in the front row.

Out of all the characters, Asian-American therapist-to-be Christmas Eve is my favorite. She looks like Ms. Swan from Mad TV with her broken English, funny mannerisms and outlandish costume. I’m perched on the edge of my seat as large television monitors drop from the ceiling with the word “Purpose.” This show isn’t just full of raunchy humor—it has a bigger message. All of the animations are fun and cartoon-like and my jaw drops as they segue into “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist.”

It’s only 30 minutes in and I'm awestruck.

Two Carebear-like bears come on—the “Bad Idea Bears”—and they have definitely stolen the show. In cut childish voices, they convince Princeton and his love, Kate Monster, into doing some not-so-responsible things. An X-rated puppet sex session follows. Soon Princeton’s “purpose” morphs into “propose” and Kate is worried about walking the line between love and a waste of time.

The mood mellows for a few songs and picks back up with “I wish I Could Go Back to College.” A moment of fear passes through me as I realize I don’t have much time left until I’m going to graduate from college. What am I going to do? How am I going to find my purpose ? My fears are placated, however, as one of the show’s morals sinks in—everything in life is only for now.

I am delighted as the characters come out into the audience and incorporate the Gators into a joke. The show ends, and as everyone bows, the audience rises to its feet. I have a grin from ear-to-ear and my hands hurt from clapping so loud. I feel a little more optimistic—even if it’s just for one night.

—Victoria Phillips

MORE: Read our interview with Avenue Q wardrobe supervisor Heather Yerrick

Pan-hellenic Step-off

The stage at the packed Phillips Center quaked with resounding force as UF's fraternities and sororities went head-to-head at the annual Battle of the Greeks 2009 step show on Saturday (Nov. 7). This year’s theme was “Keep the Cameras Rolling,” and with inspiration from some of pop culture’s most well-known movies, TV shows and commercials, comic relief and nostalgia filled the room as the crowd sat on the edge of their seats—despite the Gator football game raging down the street.

In a quest for “the one,” to bring it to “stepping greatness,” Phi Beta Sigma took a trip into The Matrix. Dressed in black leather trench coats and dark shades, Phi Beta Sigma incorporated chairs and a black lights to emphasize the precision and difficulty of the moves. The frat also paid homage to Michael Jackson by dancing to his song “Jam.”

Zeta Phi Beta gave a glimpse of what it takes to earn a “Dove Ladies” jacket with an adaptation of Grease. Wearing black nylon leggings and royal blue jackets with “Dove Ladies” inscribed on the back, the ladies looked like they stepped right out of the late-50s. In a diner scene the women used lunch trays as props while doing intricate steps, and even created a human centipede.

Alpha Phi Alpha poked fun at EHarmony.com with its performance’s theme "getting married." They started the performance with a video showing the boy-meets-girl process, and fast-forwarded to being inside the church once the guys took the stage. In addition to having the groom and groomsmen they also had frat members dressed as bridesmaids, who won the crowd over with a performance of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.”

Delta Sigma Theta brought out its detective skills with an Inspector Gadget-themed performance. Unlike the original clumsy inspector, these ladies' performance was precise and coordinated. In addition to gadgets such as the Go Go Gadget helicopter using four girls, the show had a girl acting as the inspector’s niece, Penny, calling out plans of actions to help the ladies complete the tasks. Another highlight was the human bicycle.

Iota Phi Theta brought a "revenge of the nerds" theme with its reinvention of the sitcom Family Matters, with a focus on the relationship between Steven Q. Urkel and Laura Winslow. With suspenders and thick-framed black glasses, the frat encompassed the essence of Urkel. The occasional pelvic thrust throughout the performance was icing on the cake. The Iotas also brought back the Urkel Robot, who popped-and-locked his way into drawing laughs and the ever-so-cool Stefan Urquelle.

In a voyage to find its way back to the Phillips Center, Alpha Kappa Alpha went into fairytale mode with its "Alice in Ivyland" theme. Dressed in pink and green polka-dot dresses, the sorority gave Wonderland a run for its money. As the women declared their “prettiness” through stepping and dance, the White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat were present, as was the Queen of Ivyland. The human staircase stood out, as one of the members ran up her sisters’ backs.

Kappa Alpha Psi had a "ninja" theme that was led by its version of the legendary Mr. Miyagi. With strobe lights, the frat created a Mortal Kombat battle scene that incorporated stepping with martial arts. Known for its use of red and white canes, the guys took on a challenge by Mr. Miyagi to use them while blindfolded, and without a flaw, the members executed the task, throwing and even swinging the canes within close proximity of one another.

Omega Psi Phi showcased its newsworthiness, literally. It's been said that the frat was “too wild and rambunctious,” so in an effort to show that they had a focused and hardworking side, it made the evening news, using Walter Cronkite to tell the story. As its signature gold boots pounded the stage, with every hop and step the guys took, the crowd was impressed with the members' athleticism. A standout move in the performance was the creation of a human tank wheel.

At the end of the night the eight judges had the last say. The winner in the sorority category was Delta Sigma Theta for its Inspector Gadget routine, and for the fraternities the winner was Alpha Phi Alpha for its EHarmony skit—good luck to them at the regional competition.

—Margaret Francois

Photos by Sarah Hsu

Puppet Show NOT Child's Play

The adult-themed, Sesame Street-inspired puppet show, Avenue Q, will play at the Phillips center tonight (Nov. 9) and Nov. 10. Despite some obvious parallels with Jim Henson's Sesame Street, the show is in no way affiliated with the classic children's show. Avenue Q trails the lives of a handful of young adults trying to find themselves on the rough streets of NYC.

We caught up with Avenue Q’s wardrobe supervisor Heather Yerrick, who gave us the scoop on what being head of wardrobe is all about, and why you will be peeing your pants during this coming-of-age comedy.

What is Avenue Q all about?
It’s a fun and light-hearted show. It’s not your everyday musical — it’s quirky. The story follows a lot of 20-somethings who are just looking for where they belong in the world, why they’ve been put here and what they can do to make their lives better. They’re struggling with jobs, lovers, friends, relationships and paying rent.

Why would someone enjoy coming to see the show?
It’s completely irreverent and enjoyable show with catchy tunes. It’s not like Oklahoma. It’s not another cookie-cutter musical. The show is for them if they have a sense of humor and can laugh at life. If someone wants to enjoy a good solid laugh, Avenue Q is probably the place for him or her to be.

How did you become involved with the show?
I had been working on a Spongebob Squarepants show in Asia with the costume director who would later be hired for Avenue Q.

What exactly does a wardrobe supervisor do?
There is nothing huge about wardrobe with this show. There are only three human characters that change clothes. It’s certainly a smaller show for me, and it’s more about getting the laundry schedule right than anything else. So few people in the world want to hear about day-in and day-out of doing people's laundry.

What is it like working with puppets?
The puppets don’t change clothes, which is nice. We just have several puppets in different pieces of clothing. Rather than running off stage and doing a quick change with a puppet we just switch the puppet. It certainly makes life a bit easier because there is a lot of puppet swapping in our show.

Avenue Q runs at the Phillips Center, 315 Hull Road, Nov.9 and Nov.10 at 7:30pm. Tickets available at the Phillips Center box office and online at Ticketmaster.com.

--Victoria Phillips

"Singin' in the Rain" opens at the Vam York Theatre

No one could forget Gene Kelley's iconic tap dance in the 1920s-set Singin' in the Rain. Now, the light-hearted musical is brought to the Gainesville stage, complete with the vividly colored costumes and the toe-tappin' music everyone loves. INsite got a sneak preview of director Bob Garrigues' adaptation, which truly pays tribute to the original '50s musical comedy.

Don Lockwood (played by Thomas Sanders) is a silent film star who falls for fiesty chorus girl Kathy Seldon (played by Stephanie Kelly). Don is an actor at a major film studio that's looking to create its first movie with sound. The only problem? Don's co-star, Lina Lamont (played by the hilarious Sarah Nessalroade), has terribly squeaky voice.

Even if you've never seen the movie, you'll love the details that make this stage performance seem larger than life, such as short clips of silent movies and the zany facial expressions of actors who aren't afraid to hold back. The signature tap dance even comes complete with a shiny umbrella and real rain.

Looking for the perfect excuse for a night out on the town? Ditch the traditional dinner-and-a-movie night and surprise your date with a theater-and-cocktails night. After this show, we bet you won't be able to resist skipping around in a classic tan trenchcoat the next time a Florida rainstorm hits.

Singin’ in the Rain opens today and runs through Sunday, Nov. 22, with performances Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sunday at 2:00 pm at the Vam York Theater on 16th Avenue. Tickets are $16 and may be purchased in advance at The Book Gallery West, 4121 NW 16th Blvd., in the Millhopper Shopping Center or one hour before showtime at the theater.

College and high school students with a valid student ID may purchase rush tickets for $10 beginning 30 minutes prior to the show if seats are available. For more information, visit http://www.gcplayhouse.org/.

--Allyson Ayers

Take a Trip To Transylvania + Win Tix!

** Win free tickets! See below.**

Grab some garlic and a crucifix, and hope this stage performance of Dracula doesn’t give you nightmares. This one-night-only ballet by Dance Alive National Ballet will be at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, Oct. 30, at 7pm.

“It’s an intense, scary, frightening piece with a broken neck or two,” says Dance Alive resident choreographer Judy Skinner. The ballet features several University of Florida dancers and well-known set artist Margaret Tolbert.

Judy says the performance will coincide with two other events: Dracuween Kid’s Party and the Dracula Halloween Costume Ball. The kid’s party will be at 6pm and awards the child with the best costume and features a tour of the Dracula set. The Costume Ball will be onstage immediately following the ballet and provides a DJ, Bloody Mary’s and Buddha Belly catering. And with all things Halloween-related, Judy says LifeSouth will be accepting blood donations.

“If you’re going to throw a Halloween party, you might as well do it with one crazy setup,” she says. For tickets, visit dancealive.org.

—Kate Ashby
PHOTO: Johnston Photography

We’re giving away a set of tickets to Dracula. Follow us on Twitter to win!

Costumes Galore!

Lime green wigs flying through the air, a man dressed in Shakespearian attire and a girl trying on thigh-high, pleather platform boots—this was the scene at the Constans Theatre today (10/23) as UF's costume department holds its annual costume sale.

Students and faculty shopped starting at 10am (it goes until 3pm) in search of their potential Halloween costumes. One girl grabbed a lacey black dress to use for her get-up as Morticia Addams. Two women, who wanted matching costumes, snatched up blonde wigs and white sparkly dresses. Other customers grabbed individual items such as mullet wigs, feathered boas, angel wings and geisha robes.

“We have a little bit of everything,” says Stacey Galloway of the costume department.

The great assortment of items also came at great prices. Costumes ranged from $5 to $15, feathered-boas and fishnets were $1, shoes were between $5 and $10, and wigs were just $5.

“I just saved a lot of money on my Halloween costume,” exclaimed one happy student.

The costume sale is held every year as a fundraiser for student projects, such as the costume department’s annual educational trip to New York. Each year the sale yields a couple hundred dollars and customers walk out with one-of-a-kind costumes that don't break the bank.

—Ashley McCredie

Hipp play brings audiences face to face with madness

"Every man has something to hide, he wouldn't be a man if he didn't."

So proclaims the head psychiatrist, of Fairfields Institute for the Criminally Insane in the Hippodrome's production of Mindgame - or is he a patient? Are they even in Fairfields? In a play where nothing is what it seems and twists are turning faster than you can say "I got it!" the actors of Mindgame did an excellent job at keeping the audiences guessing through the opening night of the play.

The play follows the interaction between author Mark Styler (played by Tod Zimmerman), psychiatrist Dr. Farquhar (David Sitler) and nurse Plimpton (Sara Morsey)--who seems a bit "off" at first meeting.

Styler, while conducting research for his next true crime best-selling thriller, seeks out the help of Dr. Farquhar, the head psychiatrist at an institution holding the notorious angel-faced serial killer Easterman--a killer that Styler's new book centers around.

The actors are artful in divulging just enough hidden agendas and double meanings; audiences can sense that what they see isn't what they get. Sitler was a standout character; his technique transformed him into the perfect bad-guy-playing-a-good-guy-playing-a-bad-guy.. playing a good guy? Perhaps.

The play is described as a spine-tingling thriller, and although the fear factor is erased by the audiences' laughter over the tongue-in-cheek dialogue, the play is still strictly PG-13 at the very least. The tones of sexual deviancy, murder, gore and sadism make the play better suited for mature audiences. The audience's laughter at scenes of murder and talk of torture pointed either to society's fascination with violence and sex, or otherwise a big inside joke that I missed out on.

The special effects were up to par with the play's mind-playing theme. Two standout effects were the breaking of a wine glass over someone's head (please tell me how they did that), and the smoking scenes. For the sake of authenticity, no one seemed to mind the fact that there was real cigarette smoke sifting through the theatre, not even the 15 year-old-girl in the front row.

If you are looking for a mind-challenging and heart-thumping experience, catch Mindgame playing now through Nov. 8, at the Hippodrome. When you go, keep an eye out for the subtle foreshadowing director Lauren Caldwell inserted into the play. Little things like changing pictures, changes of tone and witty banter make for a fun who-dunnit, why-dunnit experience.

For more information and to get tickets click here.

--Stephanie Granada

Opening Night at The Hipp

The Hippodrome Theatre was abuzz Friday night for the fall season's opening night. People young and old shuffled up the front steps that were decorated by batches of sky blue and white balloons for the premiere of Up.

Set in the 1990s, the play by Bridget Carpenter is a family drama inspired by the real-life "Lawn Chair Larry" a.k.a Larry Walters, a truck driver who took flight in a lawn chair lifted by weather balloons from his backyard in 1982.

Although inspired by Walters' story, Up goes deeper. It's focus is protagonist Walter Griffin, his wife, Helen, and son, Mikey. Walter just can't seem to move on from his glory-days as lawnchair pilot, while Helen begs him to snap out of it. Mikey finally finds a friend -- Maria, a teenage mom-to-be -- and a job even, but he still struggles to find his way.

Up's characters have humor and wit, too, making it all-around entertaining. Opening night ended with a standing ovation.

Check out this behind-the-scenes interview with Dylan Kammerer (Mikey) and Jennifer Smith (Maria).