Sunday, January 11

Book review: ‘A Multitude of Dreams’ is a convoluted mess of poor worldbuilding

This post was updated Sept. 4 at 8:23 p.m. Warning: Spoilers ahead. Readers will struggle to stay awake during “A Multitude of Dreams.” A reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” Mara Rutherford’s latest novel takes place in a fictional land ravaged by a deadly disease known as the mori roja. Read more...

Photo: The cover of “A Multitude of Dreams” is pictured. Mara Rutherford’s latest novel is a reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death.” (Courtesy of Inkyard Press)



Award-winning alumnus incorporates storytelling, Indigenous culture in costuming

This post was updated Sept. 4 at 8:13 p.m. Amy Higdon is threading her Native American heritage into her handmade costumes. The alumnus, a costume designer, recently won the Pierre Cardin Theater Honor at the Princess Grace Awards, a foundation dedicated to uplifting artists in the name of Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco. Read more...

Photo: Renderings of Higdon’s costume designs for the campus production of “Into the Woods” are shown. Paul Girard, UCLA’s Costume Studio Academic Coordinator, said her work brought a modern approach to the musical’s traditional fairytale. (Courtesy of Amy Higdon)



Q&A: Emma Seligman shares evolution of ‘Bottoms’ from pure camp to the middle ground

This post was updated Aug. 27 at 11:01 p.m. “Bottoms” is coming to top high school comedies with a bloody twist. The film, which is directed by Emma Seligman and co-written by Seligman and Rachel Sennott, focuses on two queer high schoolers, PJ (Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri). Read more...

Photo: Emma Seligman, the director and co-writer of “Bottoms,” speaks to actresses Ayo Edebiri (left) and Rachel Sennott (right) on set. Co-written by Sennott, the comedy premieres Aug. 25. (Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)


Exhibit “We Will Dance in the Garden Again” reflects hope, familial roots

This post was updated Aug. 30 at 7:37 p.m.  Amid the concrete of Los Angeles, two MFA students are cultivating a garden of their own. Graduate students in fine arts Farshid Bazmandegan and Rachel Hakimian Emenaker debuted their exhibit, entitled “We Will Dance in the Garden Again,” at the artist-run space Guest House this month. Read more...

Photo: On a rooftop, a flag reading, “Who is the winner?” waves behind a pentagon-shaped fountain adorned with sclupted eagles and casts of a head. Graduate students in fine arts Farshid Bazmandegan and Rachel Hakimian Emenaker’s exhibit, “We Will Dance in the Garden Again,” is the first installation to use Guest House’s rooftop. (Courtesy of Farshid Bazmandegan)


Ballet Company at UCLA spotlights dancing for ‘the sheer joy of ballet’

The Ballet Company at UCLA is poised to take center stage. Founded in early 2020, UCLA’s first and only student-directed ballet club opened its doors at the height of the pandemic, with members participating in virtual events over Zoom. Read more...

Photo: Dressed in feathery tutus, ballerinas Kayla Choi (left) and Elise Wu (right) balance on one foot while extending their arms. Co-director of programs Aysha Cunningham said the aim of the Ballet Company at UCLA is to provide an accepting space for all students to learn and practice the art form. (Courtesy of Alex Aljouni)