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(02/14/16 8:16pm)
“No pain, no thoughts.” Ensemble members echo this haunting line in Princeton Shakespeare Company’s recent production of Heiner Müller’s “Hamletmachine.” A post-modern, one-act play basedroughly on Shakespeare’s tragedy, “Hamletmachine” was written in 1977 Soviet-ruled East Berlin. The script is a mere eight pages long, giving the creative team the freedom to creatively expand on Müller’s written text. And yet, while the script’s brevity enables the production to take some liberties, we see that the text itself demands to be understood, both within its original political context and as a piece of timeless and stateless theater.In many ways, the play is inseparable from the systematic oppression of its original late-20th century sociopolitical context. Strong Nazi imagery runs throughout: actors goosestep and refer to concentration and extermination camps. Politically charged references to communism and senseless oppression pervade the text. Actors proclaim that “something is rotten in this age of hope”– a twist on the famous line spoken in Hamlet. Similarly, actors call for the fall of “the joy of oppression,” a rather overt attack on the Soviet communist state of the period.Indeed, a ballet of “dead women,” with characters who are identified as Marx, Stalin and Lenin, serves not only to ridicule the historic figures, but also connects the text's political message with its message on gender. This ballet, set to contemporary lyrical music, repeats the phrase, “Thank God I’m pretty.” The ballet features Kathy Zhao ’17 as a particularly strong performer and serves to challenge our understanding of gender roles and expectations. Interestingly, after the scene titled “Striptease of Ophelia,” featuring the fully masked Stefanie Webb ’17, Hamlet decides to become a woman. In challenging our understanding of masculinism and the ethics of war in “Pest in Buda: Battle of Greenland,” we encounter Hamlet as neither a lover nor a son, but instead as a soldier. As Hamlet urges his fellow ensemble members and comrades to join arms in an absurdist rebellion, it becomes increasingly obvious how fruitless his belligerent words and actions are. Indeed, at the end of “Hamletmachine”, the text asks whether everyone might have “blood on their shoes.”In complementing its discourse on gender roles and expectations, "Hamletmachine" fixates on the human body as a sexual being. Claudius beds Gertrude in the coffin of her late husband and watches as Ophelia gives Hamlet a lap dance. In addition to necrophilic and voyeuristic themes, incest appears repeatedly in "Hamletmachine". Actors suggest that Polonius wants to bed his daughter Ophelia and the line “The mother’s lap is no one-way street,” referring to Gertrude’s bedding of two brothers, haunts the play. The obsession with the corporal is not just limited to the sexual. Indeed, themes of cannibalism occur, too, such as when we see the body of the elder and late Hamlet dismembered and eaten.Most successfully and significantly, PSC’s "Hamletmachine" tackles mental health issues, such as depression and suicide. Astutely, in his Director’s Note, T.J. Smith '16 reflects on how, rather oddly, Hamlet’s “‘to be or not to be’ is accepted so blithely.”“Suicidal ideation,” Smith writes, “no matter how beautifully phrased, is not beautiful.”Smith challenges the audience to reconsider how we understand even the most “beautifully phrased” suicidal ideations. Instead of romanticizing Hamlet’s suicidal thoughts, we see him distancing himself from loved ones when he asks his mute friend Horatio, “If you know me, how can you be my friend?” Most poignantly, in a scene titled, “The Europe of the Woman,” we meet four women – “Woman on the Gallows,” “Woman with the Cut Arteries,” “Woman with the Overdose” and “Woman with the Head in the Gas Oven” – each of whom commits suicide. This performance of suicidal acts – hanging, cutting, stabbing and burning – is disturbingly beautiful, moments that force the audience to reconsider how we define and understand even the most “beautifully phrased” and seemingly artistic reflections of suicidal inclinations.Outside of its sociopolitical discourses, "Hamletmachine" features a number of outstanding performances.Sean Toland GS acts as a professor at the University of the Dead, spewing philosophy in English, German, Latin and Greek and throwing books at the young and distracted Hamlet. Webb takes unbelievable risks as Hamlet that are unprecedented in the Princeton University theater scene, including lap-dancing, stripping and full nudity, and is able to make her risks work successfully. Bar none, Fey Popoola '19 gives the most consistent and riveting performance. Her characterization of the cackling, incestuous Gertrude, whose wedding veil and mourning veil are one and the same, who consummates her second marriage when her first husband has not yet been interred in the ground, is nothing short of marvelous. Most notably, Popoola’s characterization of “Woman on the Gallows” is remarkably genuine and her cackling echoes in the theater long after the lights have dimmed.The production is not without its flaws – emotion is at times artificial, blocking off-putting and soundtrack awkward. Yet, by maintaining historical context while focusing on larger themes such as gender and mental health, PSC’s "Hamletmachine" is an excellent rendition and expansion of theatrical post-modernism. It would behoove other student theater campuses to learn from "Hamletmachine," a production that uses theater as a testament to historical movements, as a witness to current social issues and as a medium to promote strong performers.4/5 PawsPros: historically compelling, relevant social issues and strong performancesCons: occasional disingenuous emotions, off-putting blocking, long scene changes and awkward canned music
(02/09/16 7:08pm)
This week, Street considers the history of bicker, the process of admitting new members at selective eating clubs. A glance back at the ‘Prince’ archives reveals bicker’s fascinating and often controversial history. Evolving from a five-week process to the weeklong, co-ed system present today, bicker has seen high and low points over the past century.
(02/03/16 10:58pm)
Princeton University Concerts may be soon approaching its 125th anniversary, but its new concert series nicknamed “PUC125” is all about trying something innovative and experimental that breaks away from the traditional classical concert format. PUC is short for Performances Up Close, as the series presents an opportunity for the audience to sit on the stage with the performers.
(02/03/16 10:55pm)
“The vagina becomes a site for women’s empowerment and individuality among women,” Olivia Robbins ’16 said, in reference to the play she is co-directing with Azza Cohen ’16, Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues.”Ensler, the play’s author, interviewed over 200 women about the female experience and compiled them into her 1996 play. An annual show at Princeton, “The Vagina Monologues” will be performed Feb. 11-13 in Theatre Intime. Princeton’s version of “The Vagina Monologues” consists of several monologues based on and adapted from Ensler’s script. Normally each monologue features one person, but some have two or three people involved.“[The play] offers some, and certainly not all, narratives of womanhood – what it’s like to have a vagina,” Robbins added.Both Cohen and Robbins, the play’s directors, are directing for the first time and many of the cast members have never acted before. However, the majority are not strangers to the stage, since many have previous experience in dance and music.“There's an amazing energy to acting on stage for the first time, and a pure, raw evocation that I am so proud of our actors for creating and sustaining,” Cohen said, in an email statement.Take Dominique Ibekwe ’16 for example: an actress with no previous acting experience, Ibekwe will perform a monologue called “Angry Vagina,” a relatively comedic piece.“It’s been a different experience,” Ibekwe said. “I haven’t actually been around a female-dominated group or environment since I played varsity lacrosse in high school.”Ibekwe is a dancer and a stepper, and belongs to a predominantly male friend group at Princeton.“I’m putting myself in a situation that I haven’t been in a while, and it’s nice to be with other women who think about the same things,” Ibekwe said.Like many of the actresses, the directors are new to their roles, and like all performances there are some obstacles to overcome.When asked about her concerns for the show, Robbins expressed a need to publicize.“The first challenge is to publicize it and make sure we are bringing in a new audience,” Robbins said.To achieve crossover appeal, the directors and producers have invited many fraternities and male sports teams to come see the show, and have asked each actor to bring at least one male friend to the performance.“Men should support women on campus by coming to the show,” Robbins said. “I think they will find it funny and they will find it moving and will hopefully learn something.”“The most difficult part, which is simultaneously the most rewarding part, is the material of the show,” Cohen said. “The script is both inspiring and devastating to read, rehearse and feel the range of female experience.”Cohen performed the opening piece “Hair” herself two years ago. It’s a story where a husband cheats on his wife because she refuses to shave her pubic area, creating a simultaneously hilarious yet serious dramatic situation.According to Cohen, the transition from being on stage to directing the show is a step up by a large order of magnitude.“I think the change from going from actor to director is like going from being a piece of glass to a whole mosaic,” Cohen said.Melanie Ho ’18, a co-producer of the play, emphasized how ticket sales will be donated to Womenspace, a local organization dedicated to preventing domestic and sexual violence.“All the money we raised will be donated to Womenspace, which is another reason to get your ticket and come to the show!” Ho said.In addition to the show’s charitable mission, SHARE peers will host a Q&A session after the show ends. In between monologues, statistics from the 2015 “We Speak” survey on sexual assault at Princeton will be displayed on a screen.“This way, the audience is not just charged to learn about the female experience in theory, but on more immediate, sobering terms,” Cohen said.With passionate directors and producers, a diverse cast on stage, special guests appearing each night, SHARE peers providing more information and hopefully a great turnout in the audience, “The Vagina Monologues” is aimed at stimulating conversation about feminism and gender equality on campus.“You will laugh, you will love our characters, and you will learn about the simultaneity of womanhood,” Cohen said.
(02/03/16 10:50pm)
We thought winter would never come. But then it did. This Intersession, winter came with a vengeance — and serendipitously, there was not a snow day in sight.The forecast for Winter Storm Jonas was announced during the last week of fall finals, alerting students to the first heavy snow of the school year and forcing Floridians, such as myself, to quickly book flights back home before the storm arrived. It came during the one week in which there are no classes — not that the University gives a lot of snow days to begin with. When southern states like Georgia get an inch of snow, everything shuts down, while Princeton students bundle up and try to make it to their 9 a.m. classes by traversing the frozen gothic tundra that used to be known as Princeton University. Now, while most students would complain about having class when Princeton resembles Elsa's ice palace from "Frozen," there are quite a few benefits in regard to Princeton’s lack of snow days.1. Blizzards offer their own brand of workout routine: survival.Was your New Year’s resolution to be more fit and go to the gym? Now you can get a workout without having to use any machinery or, even worse, run. Instead, you can work out your mind and body as you contemplate every single step that you take to avoid slipping on ice, bruising your pride and bottom. Navigating campus like Bear Grylls, you work out your legs as you take careful quick steps around icy patches, or perform your best version of a grand jeté over a muddy puddle (making you wonder if you should audition for Princeton University Ballet).2. Get closer with friends. A lot closer, e.g., "penguin huddle."Not having snow days allows you to get closer to your fellow students, both mentally and physically. The usual chatter of a morning walk is silenced as students trudge through the ice and snow in solidarity, wondering what it is like at Stanford right now. In those moments, there is no separation between students; we are all one force trying to overcome the terrain. Also, as we try our best to walk only in the snow and stay away from ice, we feel really close to our fellow students as we literally walk in their footprints and follow them closely, to the point when body heat is almost shared between a pair. Sometimes even a group of students can be seen huddling for warmth in the manner of emperor penguins, famous for their miraculous tap-dancing abilities — and marching to Morgan Freeman's golden voice.3. Blizzards at Princeton offer, unsurprisingly, research opportunities. Remember to get IRB approval!The first couple days after heavy snow are great to perform psychological experiments. The subject? New students from tropical or subtropical regions. It feels like you are watching a documentary on PBS that starts out with the subjects leaving their natural habitat of a heated room to investigate the cold white stuff in the air and on the ground. For the first day, the subjects will be delighted, making repeated calls of “It’s snowing! It’s snowing!” and will even venture to play in the snow. Those happy days will, sadly, not last for long. By the third day of below-freezing conditions, the subjects will come to the conclusion that snow is just ice. Ice that is falling on your face and into your eyes. And when ice forms on the ground? The frustration is quite apparent on the subjects’ faces, especially when they encounter black ice. Now, next year, when they are warned that winter is coming and the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros face civil war, they will feel an appropriate sense of anticipation and horror.In conclusion: It's for the best, and rightfully part of a comprehensive liberal-arts education.In sum, the University truly has our best interest at heart when we are forced to face a white abyss of ice to make it to our lectures, labs, precepts and independent work. It's just another opportunity Princeton offers its students: the experience of a new Ice Age. It may have been fleeting, perhaps, but it was nonetheless a shocker for the students from the sun belt.
(02/03/16 10:45pm)
“Unfamiliar Street” is a travel series in which we introduce you to streets from all around the world, far from the well-trod gravel of Prospect Avenue.Let’s jet across the pond to one of the most famous streets in London: Piccadilly. All right, maybe this street is not so unfamiliar if you know the famous roads of London, have played British monopoly or listened to the song “Good Life” by OneRepublic where the road is referenced within the first thirty-five seconds of the song. However, unless you’re staying at the Ritz Hotel in London or trying to catch the tube from either Green Park station or Piccadilly Circus station, chances are you don't know that much about Piccadilly. Don’t make the rookie mistake of confusing Piccadilly Road with Piccadilly Circus. As the names might suggest, the first is a straight line and the latter is a circle. Piccadilly Circus is a round, plaza-like space that connects Piccadilly Road and Regent Street.Named after the piccadills, stiff lace collars that Robert Baker sold on the street in the 1600s, Piccadilly, located in the borough of the City of Westminster, is now surrounded by other well-known locations, including Hyde Park and Mayfair. Piccadilly ranks with other famous London streets, such as Baker Street where the fictional character Sherlock Holmes resided, and Abbey Road, associated with the Beatles and their hit album of the same name.If you start at Hyde Park Corner and look to the right you’ll see an impressive stone monument, the Wellington Arch. The Wellington Arch is a hollow victory arch with three floors of exhibits commemorating the Duke of Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon. If you continue walking east you’ll notice that one side of the street is busy with people walking in and out of beautifully designed buildings. The other side of the street is relatively quiet with no buildings because it hugs Green Park. Before crossing the street to Green Park, a Royal Park of London, note that the Brits drive on the other side of the road and remember to look left (and right for good measure). There is much to explore in Green Park, but we will stay on Piccadilly for now.If you continue walking east you will begin to see plenty of business people descending below ground to the Green Park tube station. Everytime I visit London, this tube station is my starting and stopping point for exploring the city. The London Underground is the cleaner, friendlier, more efficient version of New York City’s subway system. Every morning during my stay, I bought a cup of tea from the nearest cafe and hopped on the tube at Green Park to any of the 270 stations around London.A two minute walk from the Green Park tube station takes you to The Royal Academy of Arts, part of the Burlington House, a private mansion now open to the public. The intricate stone architecture now serves as a center to enjoy and appreciate the visual arts through exhibitions, education, debates and other events open to the public. I went to the Jean-Etienne Liotard exhibition which closed on Jan. 31. Starting Jan. 30, however, and lasting until April 20 2016 is Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse, an exhibition to explore to the role of gardens in the evolution of art.Just across the street from the Royal Academy is Fortnum and Mason, the most famous shop on Piccadilly, founded in 1707 by William Fortnum and Hugh Mason. Fortnum and Mason used to be an elite grocery shop until it was converted to an upmarket department store selling everything from luxury teas to kitchen appliances. In Fortnum and Mason, I sat at The Parlour for a glass of champagne and croissants. When The Parlour is closed, you can go to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon on the fourth floor where you can enjoy a spot of afternoon tea.Piccadilly is one of London’s principal shopping streets with many famous shops and hotels, including the Ritz and Park Lane Hotels. With its beautiful architecture both old and modern, buildings that have stood since the 18th century such as Fortnum and Mason and newer buildings, Piccadilly serves as a reminder of London’s rich history.
(02/03/16 10:40pm)
Theater: Lewis Center for the Arts presents Sophocles' "Elektra"Watch one of the world's oldest and greatest plays in a Lewis Center senior performance that breathes new life into a tale of revenge and familial tragedy. Evelyn Giovine ’16 will perform the title character with direction from Alexandru Mihail, co-sponsored by the Lewis Center for the Arts and the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies. See this play this weekend and next.Matthews Acting Studio at 185 Nassau StreetFriday, Feb. 5 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m.*Reading: CWR Lecturer Discusses Debut NovelNext Tuesday, Idra Novey will read and talk about her debut novel, “Ways to Disappear.” Novey is a lecturer in Literary Translation for the Creative Writing department, and has published several books of poetry. Stop by her reading/book signing to celebrate the launch of her first novel! Even more reason to do so if you've never been to the Princeton Public Library — it’s easily one of the best public libraries in the country.Princeton Public Library Common RoomTuesday, 7 p.m.*Dance: Sympoh presents "Floor Display 4"This Saturday, Sympoh will hold its annual winter breakdancing competition, "Floor Display 4," from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Top breakdancers from throughout the area will battle, tournament-style, to DJ Kanton’s great beats for a cash prize. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with a $10 entry fee, but feel free to just watch — it’s free with PUID.Wilson Black Box TheaterSaturday, 6 p.m.*BAC Spring AuditionsPrinceton’s premier hip-hop dance company, BAC, is holding auditions this Sunday. BAC aims to diversify Princeton through various styles of hip-hop, both technical and cultural. If you loved their past show, "The Motive," and you’re interested in joining the purple family, go to the Dillon MPR from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. No dance experience required!Dillon Gym Multi-Purpose RoomSunday, 2 p.m.*BodyHype Spring AuditionsBodyHype spring auditions are this Friday from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. If you love to dance and enjoyed their past show,"Marvel," you should go and have a jam session. No experience necessary!New South BuildingFriday, 9 p.m.*Old NasSoul Open House and AuditionsOld NasSoul, Princeton’s all-male soul and R&B a capella group, has an open house this Friday from 10 to 11:30 p.m. Auditions are Sunday, Feb. 7 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Monday and Tuesday (Feb. 8-9) from 7 to 11 p.m. If you want to have a enjoyable experience, hear about their recent tour to San Francisco or want to become a "Soul Brother," check out their open house and auditions —no prior experience required!Bloomberg Hall 067Friday, 10 p.m.*Wildcats Open House and AuditionsBack from their fall break tour to Portugal, the Wildcats, one of Princeton’s all-female a capella groups, is holding an open house this Friday from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. Auditions are from Sunday, Feb. 7 to Tuesday, Feb. 9 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Interested freshmen and sophomore girls can sign up for auditions on a WASS calendar.Bloomberg Hall 053Friday, 10 p.m.
(02/03/16 10:35pm)
1. Snowed in.
(02/03/16 10:30pm)
Third Wintersession offers many classes to students, "Jonas: The IMAX 4D Winter Experience" among them
(12/16/15 10:59pm)
This week, Street takes a look back on the history of arts at Princeton through the 'Prince' archives, including a salty column by an 1882-era arts advocate and the opening of McCarter Theatre. Key: takeaway: Jimmy Stewart '32 was a sneaky guy.
(12/16/15 10:57pm)
“This Side of”is a series of personal essays in which Street writers discuss the various other roles they take on campus and how these experiences have shaped their time at Princeton.
(12/16/15 10:55pm)
“Unfamiliar Street” is a travel series in which we introduce you to streets from all around the world, far from the well-trod gravel of Prospect Avenue.
(12/16/15 10:54pm)
Dear Santa,
(12/16/15 10:52pm)
Princeton 3D Printing is a student organization that aims to make 3D printing technology available to the Princeton community. To learn more about this fascinating technology and organization, Associate Street Editor Harrison Blackman sat down with Matthew Romer ’18, a 'Print Leader' in the club.
(12/16/15 10:50pm)
Event: Princeton Winter Market
(12/16/15 10:45pm)
1. Nomad Pizza roasting on an open fire
(12/16/15 10:40pm)
Princeton files plan for 446 units of affordable housing, wait, something will be affordable in Princeton?
(12/09/15 10:59pm)
Jill Dolan is a professor of English and Theater, director of the Program in Gender and Sexuality Studies, and, since July of this year, Dean of the College. In this interview, Dean Dolan talks about the importance of arts in academia, the recent activism on campus and gives advice to undergraduate students at Princeton.Daily Princetonian: To start things off, what inspired you to join academia?Jill Dolan: I never intended to be an academic. I wanted to be an actor, so when I went to college, it was to be an actor in this professional theater training program I enrolled in at Boston University. But, that changed very quickly for various reasons, and I became a critic instead. And then after I graduated I spent two years writing theater criticism and then I decide to go to graduate school because what I was really interested in was feminist theater criticism. I just wanted to learn more about it and how to do it, but I was going to be a writer, not a professor. But it turned out when I finished my Ph.D., colleges and universities were actually looking for people in my field. So, I decided to apply to jobs and I got a position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison teaching in the theater and drama department. So it was kind of serendipitous. I never really expected to be an academic, but it turned out it’s everything I love, really.DP: How has the undergraduate experience changed since you were at school?JD: That’s such a good question because I was an undergrad so long ago, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately in relation to the activism on campus. When I was in college, we couldn’t get close to the president of the university. It was just this real sense of him being up here and us being down here. I didn’t even know where his office was, and I feel like now students are more hands-on in terms of their education and the expectation is universities will be more hands-on with them. It used to be more of a transactional relationship I think, except of course for professors and students. But in terms of how the administration relates to students, I think that has changed a lot and, of course, at a place like Princeton that is pretty small, I think it's easier to form more personal relationships.DP: Thinking of your experiences as an educator at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Texas, how is Princeton unique in comparison?JD: You know, at a large state school they tend to draw a lot from the state population. So at Wisconsin, I was teaching a lot of students who came from very small rural communities where there was mostly farming and things like that. In Texas, which is almost the size of a country, it’s such a huge state, it was also the case. There it was people coming from Dallas and Houston and San Antonio, but a lot of people from around the state for whom coming to Austin was coming to the big city. At Princeton, for the most part, students have been to lots of places; they are coming from a lot of different places. Ironically, although it is a residential community, in a way that those two campuses weren’t, Princeton feels more cosmopolitan because people come from so many different places and have so many different views.DP: What defines your style of teaching, or what do you go into a classroom trying to accomplish?JD: I like to go into a classroom with questions rather than answers and with a great deal of curiosity for my subject that I hope to inspire in my students. As a critic, I try to only write about things I like and want to recommend. As a teacher, I like to teach things that excite me and that interest me and that I think students might not find on their own. So for me it becomes about sharing things that I care about and believe in and want other people to experience. Of course I can do that because I teach primarily in the arts. I teach theater courses and performance studies courses. But that sense of trying to inspire people in a way they haven’t thought about before — which I’m sure lots of teachers do — is really my way of teaching.DP: Why do you feel that the arts are so important?JD: I think the arts are so important because they tell us stories about who we are and who we might be. And they give us a place to imagine worlds that we are not experiencing right now, worlds that don’t exist right now, they give us a way to imagine other sets of social relations. They let us think about pleasure and beauty and pain and grief. It’s always been to me that the arts are really kind of an interesting emotional and political laboratory that literally lets us rehearse things together that other aspects of life don’t.DP: How have the arts and your career within them prepared or inspired what you hope to accomplish as dean of the college?JD: I think that being a theater person all those many years and being a critic and someone who has taught in theater departments, I’ve never stopped being around the process of doing theater. You just have to learn collaboration in any art form really. The arts are so much … about seeing yourself in relation to other people and having a common project that isn’t going to succeed unless everyone is doing their best and allowing everyone else to do their best too. That’s what I feel like I bring to this very large portfolio of the Office of the Dean of the College, is trying to bring everyone together to do our best work for the students who are the people who are constituents.DP: Speaking of which, for students who might not have a complete understanding of what the dean of college does, what's a quick description of your work?JD: (Laughs) Very few people do know what my job is actually, or what I do! The elevator speech would be that my office is responsible for the whole undergraduate curriculum, so we have some responsibility for vetting new courses, for putting together the course schedule, for approving certificate programs, working with departmental representatives, anything that touches the undergraduate curriculum. International programs, the Writing Center, McGraw Center are all under the dean of the college, as well as undergraduate research. It’s all about the undergrads and their curricular experience.DP: What has been your favorite moment and one of your toughest moments so far as dean?JD: Well thinking off the top of my head, one of my favorite moments was interviewing Laverne Cox … I felt very keenly that as the person that was interviewing her publicly, I was playing that role [as dean] in terms of trying to facilitate that experience for the undergrads for whom the event was meant. But it just felt great to be in that community of people and hear her talk in such an inspiring way and hear her be really academically, socially and politically acute was wonderful. One of the more challenging moments was being in the president’s office with the activists and really trying to be productive and generative, and make things that would be good for the whole entire campus happen.DP: What are your general thoughts about activism on campus, especially the recent activism related to the Black Justice League?JD: I think the fact that we are having conversations about race, history and belonging on campus is all really important. And we are inspired to do this with a certain kind of urgency because of students making this visible and important and also because of what is happening nationally. I think we are part of a national conversation about all of these issues and it translates in very specific ways at Princeton. We have this myth that Princeton is an Orange Bubble and that we are all insulated by ourselves here, and it’s so not true. This semester has demonstrated the ways in which we are connected to history and how we are connected to what is happening in the rest of the world in really important ways. So that’s I think the good part of it.DP: Have there been other instances of activism over your eight years at Princeton?JD: I guess not to the extent that has happened this year if we count starting last spring, but there has been a lot of agitation. There is an ongoing need for Asian American studies, and students and alumni have been very activist in their desire to see an Asian American studies program be established. I think there has been a lot of activism on the part of LGBT students, especially trans students, about gender pronouns and those types of issues. This is the first time during my experience at Princeton where the activism has been so visible and so public, but I think there is a lot of student agitation on campus. When I came here, people said to me “Princeton is so apathetic, the students there aren’t terribly political,” and I honestly haven’t found that to be true. I think students have a variety of strongly held political opinions and they feel comfortable expressing them.DP: What do you wish students understood better about the administration?JD: I wish one of the things students understood is that academic institutions are very complicated. I’ve never worked anywhere else [other than academic institutions], so I can’t compare it with corporations. But I think because we touch on so many aspects of people’s lives and futures, because we work with faculty and staff and students, because students are here for four years and then we get new students all the time, I think the transmission of information about how things work is really challenging. I think I want students to know that the administration has a lot of good will and they really want to do the right thing and be as transparent as possible. People aren’t trying to mystify anything, it's just an elaborate institution that has its ways of doing things.DP: Shifting gears, as a woman in academia, what are some of the things you have observed or seen change in terms of women in academia?JD: I think partially because I’ve always been in theater studies and women’s studies, I’ve felt gender and race and ethnicity differences a little differently than peers in, for instance, the STEM fields, because the arts historically have been more gender-balanced and also more generous about differences in general. But in my experience as an administrator, there is still a lot of gender and racial imbalance in terms of who really holds these administrative roles. I know it’s changing incrementally so there are relatively speaking more women and more people of color in administrative roles than there were when I started out as a student, but I’m still amazed by how imbalanced it is even though people are working so hard to shift that balance.DP: What are some of your goals as Dean?JD: One of my goals is to get more people to take a sense of agency over their education. Not just their grades, not just their plans for the future, but really how they experience themselves as students on campus. I would love to see us be less about benchmarks of success and more about the pleasure of thinking — of experiencing new things and thinking about how you grow as a person through what you study in the classroom. If I could accomplish a little piece of that, I think I would be very, very happy. I’m also excited about the General Education Task Force work and what we can accomplish in terms of re-envisioning that process and what it means. To me, being involved in what it means to be an educated person in the 21st century is really exciting, and if I can contribute anything to that process on campus I would be delighted.DP: What advice would you give to undergraduates at Princeton?JD: I would really encourage people to think of their undergraduate education as a place to take risk and experiment. Not only with the courses that you choose to take or what you choose to major in, but what you choose to do on campus. My friends at the Lewis Center always said, “Don’t feel like you have to know anything about dance or theater or photography, but give yourself the experience of trying something that is completely out of your wheelhouse.” Take a computer science class not for any reason that has to do with your future career, but because you are interested in what it means to be thinking that way. If I had my education to do over again, I would really try to branch out and experience as many different things as I could. I would push against this notion that you have to specialize and encourage students to have a broader, more varied and more experimental experience here.
(12/09/15 10:58pm)
This weekend, the lights on diSiac’s fall-semester show go up in Berlind Theatre. Street got the inside scoop on “Legend” from president Emily Wohl ’16 and publicity chair Alexandra Loh ’17, who came up with the show’s theme.
(12/09/15 10:53pm)
Princeton Chinese Theatre’s “Timeless Love” is a time-traveling love story that straddles the present and a world on the cusp of World War II. Before the show’s opening this weekend, Street spoke to PCT’s president Richard Hu ’16 and the show’s director Cadee Qiu ’18.