20 Cent Fiction digs into Hamlet’s madness

The Player (Megan Smith) guides Ros (Bill Leavasseur) and Guil (John Softcheck) along their journey throughout Shakespeare’s classic tale of Hamlet.

Ros and Guil watch on as The Player commands her troupe of actors.

DARTMOUTH, Mass. — Tonight marks the opening night of 20 Cent Fiction’s latest production: Tom Stoppard’s classic comedy “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.” For those who are unfamiliar, 20 Cent Fiction is UMass Dartmouth’s alternative production company. They perform the Rocky Horror Picture Show every year, as well as bringing a variety show and other stage productions.

In Stoppard’s play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two childhood friends of Hamlet, find themselves recruited to delve into Hamlet’s madness, with no memory of how they got there. They find themselves constantly running into a troupe of out of work actor’s lead by a mysterious player who seems to know more about Ros and Guil than they do. The events of the play take all of them into Shakespeare’s world of Hamlet up until their very end.

First time director Kevin Bates, a senior member of 20 Cent Fiction, has acted and been an assistant director in the past, as well as holding an administrative position within the organization. He has worked with both 20 Cent Fiction Production Company and the UMass Dartmouth Theatre Company.

The cast includes Professor John Softcheck as Guildenstern, student Bill Leavasseur as Rosencrantz and student Megan Smith as The Player.

“Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead” will be presented in the UMass Dartmouth Main Auditorium. The show opens tonight, Thursday March 6, and closes Sunday March 9. Performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be at 8 p.m. The Sunday performance will be at 2 p.m.. Tickets will be $5 for students, $7 for seniors, and $10 for general admission. Tickets can be purchased the night of the show.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead takes the two main characters through the story of Hamlet, having them delve into Hamlet’s (Chris Cardoza) madness.

Junior Fine Arts Show

Torch Photos -- Allison Reitz

An alternate view of Arruda’s piece reveals a bright greeen illusion of endlessness.

Christina Duarte used acrylic paint in her portrait studies. Her work looks geometric and impressionistic.

The bright red acrylics used by CVPA student Danielle Wallace create an interesting color contrast with the green tiling on the underside of Kevin J. Arruda’s sculpture “The Four Horsemen.”

Students crack up under pressure

Torch Photos -- Allison Reitz

The “We Can Make You Laugh” comedy tour came to campus Thursday, February 28, with their original comedy style.

The first segment offered stand-up acts by Joseph Anderson and Adam Molhagen, which were mediocre at best. Jokes about why we need to wash bath towels left the audience wanting more and a little disgusted at the same time.

The second segment was a game show that challenged students from the crowd to not laugh or smile at their jokes. During this part, the gags included impressions of Napoleon Dynamite and E.T. which were surprisingly very funny, causing most students to fail at their attempts to win the $50 prize.

Shuffling through the sounds of the soul

By Shara Sarnelli

Acoustic guitars, melodic pianos, thundering drums and soothing vocals — it’s time to be introduced to a wide array of music from the sounds of mainstream to underground. It’s time to become enveloped in emotional lyrics and engaging beats.

Ever heard of the band Alexisonfire? Until a couple of years ago, Dallas Green was known as the vocalist for the band. Today, he has been putting his heart and musical skills into a solo project called “City and Colour.” Green’s project consists of songs he has been working on over the years, featuring his gentle voice, his moving lyrics and his acoustic guitar. Check out albums “Sometimes” and “Bring Me Your Love” to further understand why “City and Colour” is a great choice to have playing.

For beautiful, moving lyrics, listen to the indie/rock band from Buffalo, New York called “This Day and Age.” The words illustrate heartfelt stories, each touching upon relevant topics. The piano and guitar lines combine to make the ideal sounds to strengthen the lyrics further. Albums “…Always Leave the Ground” and “The Bell and the Hammer” are worth purchasing or listening to online.

This next band produces the expressive sounds of indie, rock and emo music. “Daphne Loves Derby” is best know for their album “On the Strength of All Convinced,” but has also released a couple EPs primarily devoted to acoustic guitars.

The band takes listeners on a tour through the five senses with lyrics like, “but I still miss your summer perfume. This cold air brings in such a distance to us, such a painful distance.” Be sure to listen to this talented band.

Meg & Dia are two female vocalists who play instruments alongside two male musicians. They became interested in music as children, moved on to playing in the MySpace tent at Warped Tour and are now featured on MTV. This indie rock group delivers a harmonious blend of drums, guitars and vocals. It would be a shame to not listen to Meg & Dia’s latest album “Something Real.”

In 2004, “Ingram Hill” opened the stage for Hanson and released their album “June’s Picture Show.” In 2007, this alternative rock band released their newest album, “Cold in California.” From Memphis, Tennessee, Ingram Hill provides fans with captivating beats and great, southern rock vocals. This band is sure to catch the attention of all listeners.

Bryce Avary is the vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter behind “The Rocket Summer.” The talented Bryce Avary has recently released his third full-length album. Avary’s music is both uplifting and controversial, with an energetic mix of rock guitars and upbeat, pop piano sounds. “The Rocket Summer’s” albums “Calendar Days,” “Hello, Good Friend” and “Do You Feel” are worth listening to more than just once.

“Letter Kills” is signed to the well known Island Records label. Though the band is no longer together, “The Bridge” remains an engaging album that brings many types of rock sounds together. The thunderous drums, the pop-punk vocals and the intense energy have captured audiences everywhere.

Check out at least a few, if not all, of these multi-talented bands.