Arts and Entertainment

Local meets global at the 2020 Houston Cinema Arts Festival

Houstonian movie lovers haven’t been able to gather in front of the city’s silver screens for a while now. But this month, over 40 documentary and narrative films, short film blocks, Q&As, dance performances, DJ sets and workshops will be available to stream right to computer screens — and a select few will light up the night at local drive-ins — from Nov. 12-22 at the 2020 Houston Cinema Arts Festival.

Review: Tiger Sugar Boba is all flair and no flavor

As I soaked in the shadows of the Bellaire strip mall in line, not within sight of the already famous Taiwanese boba shop for hours, frantic thoughts raced through my mind: Shouldn’t I be studying for my midterms? Could my lactose-intolerant body handle this distinctly dairy experience? Isn’t it a little early for the DJ to be blasting Kesha and Pitbull? As neither a boba connoisseur nor line enthusiast, the grand opening of Tiger Sugar was nonetheless a very interesting experience. Frankly, Tiger Sugar undeniably delivered on the aesthetic front, but lacked depth of flavor and choices.   

‘A Kind of Rebirth’ manifests impermanence and repetition at Sleepy Cyborg Gallery

A fusion of photography, poetry and light projection, “A Kind of Rebirth” by Frederica Adriani and Lovett College senior Varun Kataria is the latest installation at Sleepy Cyborg Gallery in Sewall Hall. Printed on reflective paper, Kataria’s portraits cover one wall while Adriani’s poems are projected on them like a cycling Star Wars opening crawl. On view in person and online through Thursday, Nov. 12, the exhibition is the product of a study abroad experience that brought the pair together and their conversations about the idea of growth. 

New Horizons: Bryan Washington talks debut novel and A24 deal

2020 has been action-packed for everyone and Bryan Washington is no exception. For this acclaimed writer and Rice English professor, this year brought about great positive changes. His much-anticipated debut novel, “Memorial,” was published last month by Riverhead Books. Picked up for adaptation by entertainment company A24 prior to publication, the novel’s release made waves in literary and television communities alike. A native Houstonian, Washington published his award-winning short story collection, “Lot,” last year and was appointed Rice’s first Scholar-in-Residence for Racial Justice in July, a title he holds alongside his distinction as George Guion Williams Writer in Residence.

10-11 weekly scenes n screens

Black Art at Rice: A Conversation with Chelsea Sharpe

From performing for world-renowned classical musicians to recording music for Kanye West and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Shepherd School of Music alumna Chelsea Sharpe (Lovett College ’15) has done it all. As she reflects upon key experiences and lessons that have shaped her journey to becoming a professional violinist, Sharpe offers her perspective on the role of music in politics, representation and empowerment. She is currently a fellow at the prestigious New World Symphony Orchestra and works remotely with students from Medellín, Colombia as part of an educational outreach program.  

weekly scenes & screens 11/4

4 veggie friendly restaurants near campus to visit

Living on campus and have limited options as vegetarians or vegans? Trying to live a healthier life? Here’s a list of vegetarian and vegan options around Rice’s campus. With such diverse food scenes in the city of Houston, you're sure to find an option you love. 

Review: Gorillaz’s new audiovisual album is a chaotic masterpiece

In an age where the once-rigid barriers between virtual reality and real life are becoming blurred, Gorillaz’s new album, “Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez,” sits on the precipice of what albums of the future may begin to look and sound like.   

Review: Ariana Grande’s surprise album “positions” seduces and shimmers

Ariana Grande, a quintessential pop star of our current generation, released her sixth full-length studio album “positions,” consisting of 14 new songs on Oct. 30. The pop singer’s recent discography has been a whirlwind of heartbreak, but rather than singing about her heartaches this time, Grande steers the next chapter of her career towards a lighthearted, fresh take. After her two hit collaborations released earlier this year — “Stuck With U” with Justin Bieber and “Rain On Me” with Lady Gaga — Grande’s surprise album generated major buzz from fans and critics alike.

Songs For Quiet Time Pt. 2

Back in April, the Thresher compiled a playlist of songs submitted by students that made them feel more grounded while swimming in the sea of COVID-19 chaos. Now, seven months and a seeming lifetime later, the series is back for a second installment, “Songs For Quiet Time Pt. 2.” We asked the same two questions to those who submitted music: What songs or artists have been helping you get through self-isolation, and how have they helped you do so?  

Forgotten Gems: A conversation with Amanda Pascali on the bittersweet teenagedom of her self-titled EP

I am obsessed with seventeen. It’s the transitive property, really: I’m obsessed with music and music is obsessed with seventeen. Ever since McCartney howled “she was just seventeen” and Hammerstein celebrated “sixteen going on seventeen,” bands from Marina and the Diamonds to The 1975 have celebrated this liminal year. Seventeen is the terminus of the slow death of childhood but prior to the rude awakening of adulthood. It’s when you sneak out of the house or read philosophy or, in my case, listen to Amanda Pascali. 

Rice Opera to hold first ever virtual production

When ground broke in 2017 for the construction of the Brockman Hall for Opera, no one could have predicted that the first show in the new hall would be one without an audience. The new hall, equipped with a three-tiered, 600-seat European-style theater, the first of its kind according to the Shepherd School of Music’s website, amongst all U.S. conservatories and universities, will be completely empty for its pre-recorded and lip-synced showing of the little-known chamber opera: “Der Kaiser von Atlantis.” 

10/28 weekly scenes & screens

Painting the town: Houston muralist GONZO247 spearheads new campus mural

This week, another prolific Houston artist is making their mark on Rice’s largest canvases in the next installation of the Moody Center for the Arts’ season of “Creative Interventions.” Through the week of Oct. 26, internationally acclaimed Houston-based graffiti artist GONZO247 is joining forces with Rice students, alumni and community members to create a mural in celebration of Owl Together, the first combined celebration of Homecoming & Reunion and Families Weekend.

R2’s new Open Mic blog provides accessible outlet for student creativity

In a normal year, October would find R2: The Rice Review, Rice’s award-winning undergraduate literary journal, hosting its annual Open Mic Night where students performed a broad range of work. Although the pandemic stalled the in-person event, R2 has come up with a creative alternative in the form of their first year-round Open Mic Online blog. 

ON/OFF to showcase digitally interactive student art across campus

Inspired by the diversity and creativity of on- and off-campus life during a pandemic, ON/OFF is an upcoming student art show meant to be a window into that new mode of living. Organized by eight visual and dramatic arts students, the dual-delivery show will be presented in partnership with Sleepy Cyborg Gallery in nine locations around campus from Oct. 23-31. The show encourages Rice students to contribute their own art over its course. 

10/21 weekly scenes & screens

Seven spooky movies to stream this spooky season

A spooky movie list? In this economy? Though I doubt that anything on this list will scare you more than the horror movie we are currently living through (an exquisite mélange of “Contagion,” “Get Out” and select episodes of “Black Mirror”), these films might get your heart racing just enough to temporarily subdue your existential dread.  

Fun, frightening fall activities you autumn know about

As sweater weather approaches, the leaves might not change color in Houston, but the need for pumpkin-themed activities goes from nonexistent to inescapable. Here’s a list of physically distanced and virtual activities you can do to satisfy that autumn craving while still participating in Rice’s Culture of Care and staying safe.