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The Pioneer Log arts

Laura Houlberg (14) hosts Karma Waves every Thursday at 6 p.m.

Houlberg started Karma Waves in the spring semester of her first year at LC and saw it as an opportunity to further express and share her interests. I see my radio show as my stress-free time during the week. Its my excuse to relax, and it gives me an opportunity to feel like Im in control of something fun, satisfying and creative. The name Karma Waves came from an idea of mine about good things coming in waves, and mygood thing(the freedom of enjoying music with friends) happens once a week for me. Its something I can look forward to, to enjoy and to share. Though Houlberg is a talented poet, DJ, photographer and even short-film maker, she is refreshingly approachable, which filters through into her show. While the show is really cool, it doesnt try to be.Karma Wavespresents itself as a fun, unique way to unwind; a way to relax and discover new, interesting music and art while avoiding any snobbery. Karma Waves airs every Thursday at 6 p.m.

Czech 1, 2: Absurdist Play Increased Difficulty of Concentration Opens Tonight

BY DREW LENIHAN
Arts Editor

March 9, 2012

PHOTO BY DANIEL CALFO

BY DANIEL CALFO
Staff Writer

Laura Houlbergs (14) radio show, Karma Waves, pushes the boundaries of what a typical radio show presents. As a slam poet on Lewis & Clarks 2012 CUPSI team, Houlberg regularly includes spoken word poetry as part of her radio shows featured content. Over the summer of 2011, Houlberg became heavily involved in Portlands spoken word poetry

scene and pays homage by inviting local poets to the Hill to perform their work; local favorites Johnny No Bueno, William Stanford and Chris Leja (12) have made appearances, as well as have performers from other genres such as the a cappella group The Ravine Academy. I try to make the effort to shape the show around positivity and local events and artists, so I like having LC poets and musical artists perform on the show, said Houlberg.

The Fir Acres mainstage production of Vaclav Havels The Increased Difficulty of Concentration will open this Friday and run for two weekends. The show was translated from the original Czech on Havels commission by director and Associate Professor of Theater and Department Chair Stepan Simek, who is one of the leading experts on Czech theater in the US. It took Simek about a month to translate the manuscript before giving it to a theater company to produce in New York City in 2007. After translating it, I had some readings of it with students, during which I listened and made changes, solicited suggestions and so on. Then I sent it out to a company that produced it and I worked with them in rehearsal and made further changes and adjustments. So the actual text only emerged after some workshopping, said Simek. The story takes place in com-

Maggies Wednesday Night Concert Series:

Maudlin Moon

The hero of the play is caught in a world which doesnt make sense. Everything is breaking down around him: time makes no more sense, language doesnt make sense.
munist Czechoslovakia and follows the quickly fragmenting life of Dr. Hummel, a social scientist played by Matt Laurents (12) who develops problems in all facets of his life, including his relationship with his

wife and his mistress, the Czech authorities and most strangely, a dysfunctional form of artificial intelligence named Puzak. The hero of the play is caught in a world which doesnt make sense. Everything is breaking down around him: time makes no more sense, language doesnt make sense. He is a man drowning, and whichever straw hes trying to hold onto seems to be of no use whatsoever, said Simek. The play, a canonized work of absurdist theater, has strong themes of surrealism, illogical and non-linear time frames and is loaded with references to philosophy, political dissidence and satire. It critiques the communist governments of the Soviet bloc, making it subversively politicized. Havel wrote the play in the context of an oppressive government, so the critiques are not direct, but implied. The play is an implied critique of Marxist dialectics. Havel, having written the play in what was then a communist Czechoslovakia, is of course critiquing that view of the world, said Simek. The play also takes influence from philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, who questions whether clear communication is possible. Because the use of language and (its abuse) is very much at the heart of all of Havels plays, and because this particular play uses language exceedingly, the influence of Wittgenstein is quite strong, said Simek. The play is intellectually layered. It can be appreciated as mere entertainment with non-stop, witty laughs. For the more serious theater buff it is an exemplary work of eastern European structural critique. Fir Acres Theatre, Tonight, March 9,10,15, 16 and 17, 7:30 p.m., $5 for students, $7 for staff/faculty

PHOTO COURTESY OF PIOLOG.COM

Maudlin Moon members (left to right) Michael DAngelo (14), Liliana Urbain (14), Nathan Romine (14) and Joe English (14) play the Battle of the Bands in spring 2011.

BY CATERINA ZISCHKE-RINCON
Staff Writer

As midterms come to a close, one of the best ways to relax and unwind is by jamming out to some tunes, especially live music conveniently located on campus. Wednesday, Maudlin Moon, a rock band that incorporates a bit of funk fusion, will perform at Maggies as part of the Wednesday Night Concert Series, which has hosted other student bands throughout the year including Maxs Midnight Kitchen and Gus Griswald. Band members Joe English (14), Michael DAngelo (14),

Nathan Romine (14) and Liliana Urbain (14) have been playing together for over a year now, combining guitar, bass, drums and theoccasionalpiano to create their unique sound. The band was formed gradually, after the four musicians decided they wanted to get together and casually play music, which eventually turned into a regular event. Although the band is fairly new, each member became involved in music when they were much younger. Urbain began playing the drums during elementary school. We were all choosing our instruments for school. I was against

all the other 3rd graders, and I failed everyrhythmtest, said Urbain. However, when the music teacher went around asking what peoples backup instrument choices were, I said I didnt have one, so I somehow got the drums part. The rest is glorious history. According to Urbain, the name Maudlin Moon was strung together from a bunch of random words on dictionary.com. They eventually combined the two because of the alliteration. Maudlin Moon will perform at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, March 14 at Maggies and Friday, March 16 at Queer Prom.

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WRITERS, ILLUSTRATORS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

EVERYONE WELCOME

Monday March 12 @ 5:15 p.m. Thayer, lower Templeton EAT & GREET - GET INVOLVED
NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED