On October 20^th I attended the performance of Broadway in the [BIG] Box in Stockton’s Performing Arts Center.  The show consisted of solo and duet artists performing different songs from a wide variety of Broadway shows.  But it wasn’t just like a talent show where the acts have nothing to do with each other; they incorporated it into some sort of explanation of Broadway.  The show had a “host” which not only introduced the acts but interacted with the performers and explained how each acted showed a different dynamic of Broadway musicals.  The show not only had solo and duet acts; the show had an ensemble to catered to the more shy of Broadway fans who don’t want to be in the limelight but want to be a part of the action.  I went to the show because two of my friends were a part of the ensemble, which performed four different songs which included Wicked’s “One Short Day” and Hairspray’s “You Can’t Stop the Beat”.  They did great and they said they had a lot of fun being a part of the show.  I, being not a very good singer but a big lover of everything Broadway, would want to be a part of the ensemble if they ever did a show like this again.  This show was not only a pleasure to watch, but it was also a great opportunity for everyone to get their chance on stage.

My first experience at Stockton’s Performing Arts Center was William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” This comedy centered around the “love war” between Benedick and Beatrice, two people who proclaim their distaste for love, but who are secretly in love with each other. In addition, Benedick’s friend Claudio has fallen madly in love with hero, a sweet young girl. The play follows the developing relationship between these two couples, as well as Claudio’s brother Don John’s attempts to cause trouble between the lovers.  Though the play’s script was kept to Shakespeare’s original dialogue, the setting, props, and characters’ costumes were set in modern times. The play was held in the Experimental theater in the basement of Stockton’s PAC. The theater was small, and allowed the cast to interact with the audience, including wandering and hiding in the midst of the audience. Overall, the play was a lot of fun and kept the audience engaged and laughing frequently. The cast did a wonderful job of adopting the classic script to a modern set, and the performance overall was a great success!

On October 13^th my friends and I attended Stockton’s production of Much Ado About Nothing.  We walked into a small room with a set design that made you feel like you weren’t just viewing a play, you were in the play.  The audience was very close to the stage area and the seating was modeled to look like it was in a garden.  Occasionally, the actors went into the audience or interacted with the audience, which made me feel even more apart of the show.  The show was a Shakespearian play, but with a very modern take.  I was afraid this modern take would ruin the story of the show, but instead it made the show more relatable and enjoyable.  The police characters were modeled after the characters from the show Reno 911, which was very comical and emphasized the point of the characters more.  The police characters were intended to be comic relief and this proved that point even more so.  One of the main characters of the show, Beatrice, was absolutely perfect.  I have read the play and seen it before, but I have never seen anyone play the part as good as her.  She was extremely bitter and sarcastic, which is what Beatrice is supposed to be.  Between scenes modern music was played to move along the show during the breaks.  The modern music was known by the crowd so that added to the enjoyment because you had something to sing along to in between the breaks.  Also, the music, even though modern, always fit the scene that just happened, so it emphasized the play even more so.  Lastly, my favorite part of the show was that they changed Borachio character to a girl, which caused a lesbian relationship to happen during the show, which was a very nice modern take.  Overall, the play was excellent.  I will definitely see more plays here at Stockton.

On Wednesday October 22nd we reviewed the information that we found out about Pop Lloyd in our Life of the Mind class. We learned that he has his own field dedicated to him in Atlantic City which is very close to campus. He was an extremely good baseball player and batted .400 averages multiple times. Pop Lloyd was a highly recognized African American player in the Negro League. On Friday October 24th my Life of the Mind class met at the Performing Arts Center to listen to Roberto Clemente’s son Luis talk about his father. I usually do not like guest speakers because they bore me, but Luis’ story was extremely touching and he reminded us that even though his father was a pro baseball player he was still a person with a heart, emotions, and a family. He was not like the baseball players today that crave fame and money, but he was in the sport for “the love of the game”. He started his own chiropractic practice and he wanted to help people. He taught his sons to do what they loved regardless of how much it did or did not pay. Roberto seems like the kind of athlete that I would love to meet and spend a day with just to get to know him as a person. He was born in Puerto Rico and he made sure that he gave back to Puerto Rico by volunteering and donating baseball equipment to poorer nations in South America. Unfortunately he died in a plane crash on his way to an earthquake relief in Managua. This man ended up sacrificing his life for the charity work that he wanted to do. Luis carries out the same principles in life because he did play baseball at one point but now he goes around from place to place speaking about the difference his father made in the game of baseball and in people’s every day lives.