Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
December 4, 2024

Arts & Entertainment



Witness showcases a mix of laughter, tears

Witness Theater, a Hopkins theater group that produces student-written plays, held its fall showcase last Friday through Sunday in Swirnow Theater. The showcase, produced by junior Renee Scavone, showed off five plays, entirely acted, directed and produced by Hopkins students. Each play was a smooth blend of creative bite and emotional energy, touching on topics both serious and light-hearted.




 COURTESY OF KATHERINE LOGAN
The Dandy Warhols were in action at Rams Head Live on Sept. 27.

The Dandy Warhols crash and burn

When I found out I’d won tickets to see The Dandy Warhols at Rams Head Live! on Sept. 27, I was excited for the show. I mean, what could be better than free concert tickets? Plus, as an avid fan of Veronica Mars (watch it on Netflix if you haven’t already), I went through a period of several months when their song “We Used to Be Friends,” the show’s theme, was stuck in my head.



Book festival offers students a literary retreat

“Don’t get stuck in the Hopkins bubble!” This is a phrase Hopkins students have heard over and over, one that is drilled into many heads during orientation. “That’s not going to happen to me,” most proclaim to themselves internally. Fast forward three weeks and sometimes new students don’t travel farther than the Starbucks on St. Paul Street.


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Natalie Portman wrote, directed and starred in A Tale of Love and Darkness, currently in theaters.

Love and Darkness showcases Portman’s skill

A Tale of Love and Darkness is the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman, who is a triple threat as the film’s star, director and screenwriter. The film is based on the early life of Amos Oz, a prominent modern Israeli novelist. The film depicts his life as a young boy living in Jerusalem with his mother and father during the founding years of the State of Israel. Portman was born in Israel and returned there for the setting of this film, which has a screenplay almost entirely in Hebrew.






Christopher Ricks talks Poems of T.S. Eliot

Acclaimed literary critic Sir Christopher Ricks visited Hopkins to deliver the annual Turnbull Lecture on Tuesday entitled “T.S. Eliot and Matters of Principle,” regarding the importance of principle in both literature and life.


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Dan Deacon performed a rare vocal-only set at Towson’s Embody.

Embody pulls together voices of local artists

WTMD, the radio station associated with Towson University, held Embody, a curated session focused on showcasing the unique vocal talents of multiple acts last Tuesday. The session completely stripped away every instrument besides the performers’ voices. The event was hosted as well as curated by local beatboxer and Tuvan throat-singer Shodekeh.


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iLoveMakonnen, of Atlanta by way of Compton, will be visiting Hopkins on Saturday to headline JAM.

High hopes for the HOP’s new music festival

The HOP will put on its annual music festival, entitled JAM, for the first time on Saturday. The inaugural festival will feature Robert DeLong, Party Favor and D.R.A.M. as openers, and iLoveMakonnen will headline. These diverse performers will take the stage in the Rec Center as a central part of the larger Young Alumni Weekend festivities.


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 Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as the controversial lead in Snowden.

Snowden provides alternative to media narrative

Released last Friday, Snowden, Oliver Stone’s thrilling biopic of the controversial man who leaked thousands of classified government documents to global journalists, is a well-made film with a globally poignant message that is well worth the price of admission.




The Lumineers refine pop-rock at Merriweather

The Lumineers seemed to be genuinely shocked as they took in the sight of the 17,000 people crowded into the seats and lawn of the Merriweather Post Pavilion, reminiscing mid-set over the fact that just two years ago, while promoting their first album, they played at Baltimore’s very own Ottobar. Of course, that was prior to the massive success of their singles “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love” as well as their two Grammy nominations.



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