As a technically gifted and revolutionary presence in a once-stale genre that inspired both the best and the worst trends of the subsequent decade, it may be fair to say that James Wan is the Rage Against the Machine of modern horror films. As the creator of the Saw franchise (the first of which is […]
Though Jean Genet’s 1947 play The Maids (Les Bonnes) is known as a sadomasochistic, cruel and absurd work, director Stephen Simalchik says he would describe his Offstage Theatre production as playful before he would call it dark. “Something that is only cruel or shocking I wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time on,” he […]
Before a recent Post Sixty Five band practice, frontman Hicham Benhallam sat on a patch of grass outside the rehearsal space and stared into the trees nearby. The muggy June air blurred his vision, so he took off his dark-framed glasses and blinked a few times before acknowledging that there was no relief from the […]
Live Arts community theater will be going through a couple of changes in the next few months. The Live Arts Board of Directors announced this afternoon the resignations of Executive Director Matt Joslyn, who has been with the organization for six and a half years, and Artistic Director Julie Hamberg, who has been there for five. Joslyn will stay on […]
Charlottesville has had an active, if continually changing, gallery scene for many years, but there now seems to be a critical mass developing that could turn our maturing city into a serious art collector’s destination. With the opening of some new downtown art venues there is more reason for art lovers to make a trip […]
Thirteen years ago, four school friends just south of Manchester, England, got together to play music and The 1975 was born. Fronted by the enigmatic Matthew Healy, the alt-rock group lyrically combines notions of upheavals, triumphs, traumas and losses on its latest album, I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet […]
The LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph takes place June 13-19 at various city locations, and includes free community events, exhibitions and outdoor projections, talks by professional photographers and opportunities for aspiring photographers to share their work not only with each other but with the pros as well. We highlight some of this year’s featured photographers, followed […]
Below the poignant, heartfelt cries of singer-songwriters and the ticklish grooves of jam-rockers, there’s a dark undercurrent of guttural sound in local music that’s soon to break like a jump scare in a slasher film. C’ville doom/sludge band Beldam shares a five-part bill with Wanderer, Dogs Eyes, Genosha and Sundrainer for a hardcore show that […]
Domestic roles and social identity form the nexus of Jean Genet’s The Maids, in which sisters in service mock, provoke and plot to murder their mistress. Offstage Theatre presents the spare, fast-paced drama starring Emma Strock (far left), Arrietta van der Voort (left) and Megan Hillary in a site–specific staging at a historic local home. […]
It’s little surprise that The Lobster, the English-language directorial debut of award-winning Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth), has left quite the impression on audiences and critics alike. In its limited release it has garnered rave reviews and generated word-of-mouth notoriety that reaches far beyond its modest marketing campaign. What is surprising is just how comfortable […]