The ancient Greeks knew the battlefield could leave emotional scars, and they had a distinctive way of dealing with it: They put on a play. Dramas about Achilles and Ajax showed these mythological war heroes suffering from the “divine madness” caused by combat — known today as post-traumatic stress disorder. “Scholars say Greek theater helped […]
Each stroke of white makeup transforms a face. Rather than conceal, it reveals. The arch of a painted eyebrow, the exaggerated smile or frown, say more than a monologue. And the metamorphosis isn’t limited to the actor; it’s in the audience’s mind as well. Enter Eli Simon’s world, where clowning is an art. “Clowning is […]
In the lounge of a UC Irvine Greek house, a dozen students from Alpha Phi and Sigma Phi Epsilon practice a number from “A Chorus Line,” gamely trying to stay in step, sing in harmony and avoid bumping into the furniture. For months, they’ve been rehearsing for “Greek Songfest,” a Broadway-style revue starring more than […]
Pete Case got an inkling that his daughter Allison might be destined for show business when she was only 6. While on vacation in Aspen, the Case family was relaxing in the ski lodge when he heard his daughter’s voice over the loudspeakers. She’d slipped away to join a live band on stage and was […]
One can only imagine what John Lennon thought of the brash UC Irvine student who turned up at his Weybridge mansion one autumn day in 1967. Lennon must have been somewhat bemused by the college kid sporting wispy facial hair and a jacket he’d embroidered with Lennon’s picture, because instead of shooing David Goggin away, […]