Cedars, April 27, 2006

Thursday, April 27, 2006 Arts & Entertainment C EDARS The Next Big Squeeze in Xenia Conan O’Brien once said, “If life gives you lemons, make some kind of fruity juice.” Main Squeeze, Yellow Springs’ new juice bar, is a great place to escape from a bad day. Tucked away down a little path off Xenia Avenue, Donna Lynn Johnson serves up quite a variety of fresh juice and smoothie drinks, as well as a few sandwiches that are sure to brighten any dismal or disappointing day. Grapefruits, pineapples, mangos, and other exotic fruits sit in baskets lining the counter, along with local music listening stations where you can sit and preview a CD while waiting for your order. If you’re in a hurry to get to class, though, Vecino’s might be a better option—I waited ten minutes for two smooth- ies. At sixteen ounces and as fresh as they come, these drinks are well worth the wait and the price. Five dollars a piece is more than you might pay at Orange Julius, but you won’t see any frozen drink mix in this place; the staff chop and puree the fruit right in front of you. Take your smoothie outside for a leisurely walk around the bustling borough of Yellow Springs or, if you prefer solitude, sit inside and enjoy the quiet, eclectic atmosphere. The walls dis- play a variety of brilliant colors, complete with vines, a tropical nature scene, and some Asian art. While the front counter area is warmand brightly painted, resembling amore traditional café setting, the small seating area in the back is doused with cooler, calmer colors that allow patrons to quietly reflect on the ancient Asian characters painted on the wall. The tall, dark wooden tables and chairs add to the Asian ambiance, providing an inter- esting contrast to the well-lit front counter area. A lovely addition to the eclectic environment of the Yellow Springs community, Main Squeeze is sure to juice up your day with a cool, refreshing smoothie—the perfect companion for a serene stroll about town. · Heidi Charlton · Staff Writer The Bard, Reinterpreted “Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Ve- rona—er, Miami—where we lay our scene.” Romeo and Juliet , writ- ten by everyone’s favorite playwright, William Shake- speare, was not only a clas- sic cap to this year’s theatri- cal productions, it was also a whirlwind of a love story and a perfect introduction to spring. You know the story. Boy meets girl, boy swears his love under balcony, girl consents, they die, and their death unites their war- wracked families. This tragic love story may have become familiar over the years, but it’s always fun to see a new twist on it. What was unique about Cedarville’s production of Romeo and Juliet was the play’s setting—1930s Mi- ami. Since pumpkin pants are so seventeenth century, director Rebecca Baker opt- ed for a more updated look. “The one thing that this play is all about is youthful exuberance, so we thought of ways to bring it into this century,” said Baker. Donald Jones designed the play in the style of 1930s of Miami, where art deco ruled. Actually, the jazzy, colorful design was one of the most compelling aspects. Simple shapes, combined with hazy beams of light, created a stimulat- ing backdrop for the action on stage. “It makes sense that these two wealthy Italian families—the Capulets and Montagues—would live in a fashionable hotspot like Miami, even with the rest of the country facing the De- pression,” Baker added. Aimee Auclair, the pro- duction’s stage manager, said another purpose of the set was to liven up a classic tragedy. “Many people told me that they initially forgot about the tragic aspect of the play. That’s what we wanted: for the first half of the play to be so much fun that people almost forgot the ending.” The acting in this play was top-notch, resulting in one of the best groups of performers to grace Cedar- ville’s mainstage, includ- ing senior Mike Colletto as Romeo and junior Rebecca Wolff as Juliet. There were twoswitchbladefightscenes, staged deaths, blood, and a climactic gunshot. Another addition to the script was a choreographed dance to the sounds of a live band. The actors seemed to enjoy the dancing, but then, what Ce- darville student wouldn’t. “It was a blast to portray Juliet,” said Wolff. “She’s a 16 year-old girl whose emo- tions are like a rollercoaster ride. I loved it.” “I don’t know how many practices and performances that I watched,” said Au- clair, “but it never got old.” Like any good play, the show did more than enter- tain—which in a tragedy means a tear or two. It left the audience with a mes- sage. “I felt like the play showed that while these two young kids weren’t trying to take on the whole genera- tion,” Baker said, “they did think their marriage would help bring peace. And it did—at their funeral. Not only is it a love story, it’s a social-change-doesn’t- have-an-age-limit story. Those are themes I hoped we would show.” ·Jaimie Teekell · Contributing Writer A “Roaring” J/S Ahead This year’s Junior/Senior banquet promises to bring excitement and memories to- gether as the 1920s meet the last 4 years of Cedarville his- tory for the graduating class. After scores of campus-wide emails, ticket sales are now over and all that’s left to do is get ready for and enjoy the event. 1920s attire will be in fashion, but if that’s not your style, any formal wear will do.The popular women’s look for the time was the Flap- per style: corsets are out and shorter hair, shorter skirts, and makeup are in, with a cloche (tight-fitting round hat) to top it all off. Ironically, the 1920s theme of this con- servative event, which won’t feature dancing, highlights a generation of women bored with “decent” behavior who began smoking, drinking, and dancing at nightclubs. As for men’s attire, “zoot” suits were popular. Fedora hats and suspenders were common accessories in the 20s and will be welcome at this year’s J/S, as well as bag- gy pants (which gained popu- larity in the middle of the decade), Jazz clothing, and anything tweed or flannel. An outgoing male may con- sider the “gangster suit,” as the 1920s was the beginning of the prohibition and gave a large boost to the organized crime community. The event will last from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., starting with a reception for the se- niors. There will be half an hour for mingling, followed by comments fromDr. Dixon. This year’s graduating class will be the last class to have attended Cedarville under Dr. Dixon’s presidency, though only for their freshman year. Given the special occasion, his words should be some- thing to look forward to. After dinner there will be a video presentation, and finally Dr. Brown will share a few words to conclude the event. This will not conclude the night, however, as the Cincinnati History Museum will be open to students. Ru- mor has it that the large main lobby of the museum features the ellipse/foci effect where people standing on opposite ends of the room can speak to each other clearly as if they were standing next to each other. The J/S committee has also listed several ideas for post-JS activities, from snacks to desserts to movies to hanging out in a local café. In keeping with tradition, curfew has been extended so students should have time to enjoy the remainder of the night at their leisure. In any event, the evening should be a night to remember. Visit www.cedarville.edu/js for more details. · Michael “Kerry” Hand · Contributing Writer C EDARS | 5 JOSH WILCOX | CEDARS JOHN HUDSON | CEDARS