by Mason Thomas | Feb 16, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
The Lipscomb Theatre Department opens its spring season with “On the Verge” Friday at 7:30 p.m in Shamblin Theatre. Lipscomb Theatre is no stranger to unique productions, and “On the Verge” certainly isn’t a typical household show name. Instead of drawing a big-name Broadway production from a hat, Lipscomb Theatre chose a show that will give its audiences something new and refreshing. “I think audiences will find a wonderful break from their daily routine that invites them to use parts of their minds and imaginations that get neglected far too often,” said Scott Baker, head of marketing. “I think they’ll get to consider well how to see things from another person’s point of view.” Directed by Evelyn O’Neal Brush, this Eric Overmyer play tells the story of three female Victorian explorers adventuring a newly discovered land. As their journey begins, unexpected developments occur, placing the show’s comedy front and center. “’On the Verge’ stands out to me firstly because of its focus on three distinctly-drawn, strong, independent women who are bucking the conventions and expectations of their day,” stated Brush. “They are capable, empowered, and confident in who they are. They also happen to be hilarious. I think audiences will totally fall in love with their quirks and their strength.” The play features a four-person cast: Emily Meinerding (Fanny), Mary Elizabeth Roberts (Mary), Bekah Stogner (Alex) and JT Friend, who plays a whopping eight characters. Brush described this group of performers as “a true ensemble: they support, encourage, and reenergize each other throughout the whole show.” The production will stay faithful to the original show’s script, but will provide an added...
by Parker Bell | Feb 16, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
A new king of Wakanda is crowned in the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Black Panther” is written and directed by Ryan Coogler (Creed) and stars Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther himself. Boseman first made his appearance in this role in “Captain American: Civil War.” Now his character, T’challa, returns home to Wakanda after the death of his father. Here, he takes over the role of king, a position his father held before him. As king, T’challa presides over a country thought to be one of the most underdeveloped in the world, when in fact it is the most advanced. T’challa does not feel ready to take on this major role, but he does what he must anyway. This is where his internal struggle of identity originates. Lupita Nyong’o plays the role Nakia, a character that left her country in order to work as a foreign aid independent of Wakanda. Her character also serves as an influential love interest to T’challa. The relationship between T’challa and Nakia is one of the most interesting dynamics in the movie. The two have opposing views on how the nation of Wakanda should be run. They balance each other out well, providing dialogue between them in many scenes. The country of Wakanda and its leader face the outside threat of a character named Klaue played by Andy Serkis. Klaue has been smuggling a valuable material called Vibranium out of Wakanda to sell it to anyone willing to pay his price. Vibranium is the strongest material in the world of Marvel and was used to advance the technology and weapons of...
by Cole Gray | Feb 14, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Construction on the Shinn Center will not begin for at least two months due to a storm drain in the building’s planned footprint that must be rerouted, Director of Campus Construction Mike Engelman told Lumination Network. The University originally planned to break ground early last fall, according to a press release from June. Engelman estimated that the building will be completed in July 2019 at the earliest. The release stated that event booking for the center “has already begun with an anticipated opening in the fall of 2018.” University spokeswoman Kim Chaudoin said there are no events booked for the Center, despite the press release. In an emailed statement to Lumination Network, Mike Fernandez, dean of the College of Entertainment and the Arts, said, “We had begun the process of creating a season of offerings.” “We are still excited about these plans but have stretched booking dates to a more realistic opening timeline to accommodate the change in construction,” Fernandez wrote. Engelman said the entire Ezell lot will be closed while the Shinn Center is built. It is unknown how the drain rerouting will affect parking. The current drain sits in front of the Ezell Center, right where the Shinn Center will be built. Junior CEA student Christian Bean will graduate before the Center is completed. Regardless, he said he is excited for his younger classmates who will benefit from it. “Some of our classrooms, right now, are overcrowded, so it is kind of needed,” Bean said. The film production major clarified that this wasn’t a “huge issue,” but that “as the film department grows, it’s going to really...
by Ellen Butterfield | Feb 10, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Lipscomb University’s Department of Cinematic Arts is undergoing drastic departmental changes after over $25,000 worth of lenses, cameras and accessories disappeared from the department at the end of January. Chair of Cinematic Arts Melissa Forte reached out to cinematic arts students on Jan. 30 in an email informing them of the incident, and asking for the return of the equipment so the department wouldn’t need to involve the police. “We are not taking this lightly,” Forte said in the email. “The value of this equipment is very high and the security of the remaining equipment very important.” Since the Cinematic Arts department has existed for only three years, a theft of this magnitude is a crushing blow to their resources. However, this is not the first theft within the department. Both a Mac computer and money from an office were stolen previously, so the department is now altering their checkout policy in order to safeguard against further theft. Students will no longer be allowed to use departmental Macs to edit at night, as they will be kept under lock and key. Further changes have yet to be announced. Lipscomb security was contacted for all key logs and surrounding video footage of the time, but nothing conclusive has yet arisen. The basement of Sewell has yet to be fitted with cameras as the area is awaiting renovation by the theatre department, for the cameras would not only take months to install and connect, but they would cost around $8,000 to install. Security is hesitant because they would only to have to redo the installation with the theatre renovation. Lumination reached...
by Parker Bell | Feb 10, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Lipscomb University welcomed Disney animator Aaron Blaise to speak on his career in animation and the difficulties in his line of work. Blaise is known for his animation work in films like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, Mulan and Brother Bear. Blaise referred to the films that were released in this era as Disney’s second “Golden Age” of animation. Students and members of the public alike were treated with samples of animation and art from the numerous films he has worked on, as well as ones that were never made. Blaise discussed the importance of the persistence of his vision throughout his career. “It’s the persistent vision of wanting to be an artist, “Blaise said. “That’s what has always driven me.” Blaise grew up in rural Florida in the middle of the Everglades in a trailer. He drew early inspiration for drawing from the animals he saw around his home and in National Geographic magazines. Going into college, his ideal career was to be an illustrator or wildlife artist for National Geographic. However, Blaise was hired after a second internship with Disney. There he worked under Glen Keane, the creator of characters such as Ariel from The Little Mermaid and Beast from Beauty and the Beast. He credits Keane as an inspiration. “He’s the reason I’m doing exactly what I’m doing now,” Blaise said. At the young age of 22, Blaise got what he described to be his first big break. He was assigned to animate a scene for Beast in Beauty and the Beast. From there, his career took off. “I never had any intention...
by Lorena Coleman | Feb 8, 2018 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Lipscomb alumnus Glenn Hill is living the dream, literally. The 22-year-old Memphis native received the call of a lifetime when he was offered a position to play in Kelly Clarkson’s band, an opportunity he says was orchestrated by God. It all began with a dream Hill says he had about a year and a half ago, in which he was onstage playing trombone in an arena for an artist. “I did not know who the artist was in my dream,” Hill says, “but I believe God gave it to me to foreshadow what He had planned for me.” Hill, who has been playing trombone since the age of 12, moved to Nashville in 2013 to attend Lipscomb, majoring in finance and minoring in music, but his heart was always set on music. “I minored in music because my parents would not let me be a music major,” he explains. “Ever since my senior year of high school I wanted to do music in some way.” That want was answered in the form of a telephone call last summer, a call that Hill remembers like it was yesterday. “It was Saturday, July 29th around 12:45 in the afternoon. I was at home in Memphis, chilling in the den with my dad. He was taking a nap, and I was reading a book. I got a phone call from an unknown number. I usually do not answer those, so I let the phone ring, and the caller left a voicemail.” The call turned out to be from a man named Leif Shires, a trumpet player in Nashville. Shires had heard Hill was a...
