Susan Goethel Campbell’s “Garden Repairs” traverses the intersection of natural and man-made worlds

Wed, 04/03/2024 - 12:30pm by christopherporter

Not long before visiting Ferndale-based artist Susan Goethel Campbell’s Garden Repairs installation at the U-M’s Institute of the Humanities, I’d shared a photograph on social media of a cluster of snow-dusted daffodils in my backyard, shriveled and hunched over. I’d been struck by how often nature mirrors human gesture; how these flowers visibly conveyed what many of us were feeling that morning, as we pulled winter coats and gloves back out of our closets, just days after walking around in shorts. I’d wondered if the natural world shaped the way our physical bodies communicate emotion, or if this is all, in fact, subtle, visible evidence of our inter-relationship with each other.

Theatre Nova's "the ripple, the wave that carried me home" explores how a family deals with a long fight for social justice

Tue, 04/02/2024 - 10:00am by christopherporter

A social change agent who’s also a parent lives inside a paradox: Though they’re often driven by hopes of making the world a better place for their child, they must necessarily invest a vast amount of time and passion (that might otherwise be spent on the child) into their cause to even have a chance at moving the needle—and that child’s resentment can all-too-easily take root and grow.

The Acting Office: Andrew Otchere turned his University of Michigan studies into the comedy "Becoming BFA: The Showcase Showdown"

Thu, 03/07/2024 - 12:30am by christopherporter

Sometimes the most challenging part of a creative project is figuring out the best means of communicating a story to an audience. 

Encore Theatre's take on Stephen Sondheim’s fairy-tale mashup "Into the Woods" is filled with powerhouse vocals

Wed, 02/21/2024 - 7:45am by christopherporter

It’s fitting that I watched Encore Musical Theatre Company’s new production of Into the Woods with my 12-year-old daughter.

For Love and Money: U-M professor Scott Rick explores how couples navigate finances in "Tightwads and Spendthrifts"

Mon, 01/08/2024 - 9:30am by christopherporter

In my family, I’m the person who insists on setting apart the cans that can be returned for deposit, while my husband says, “What do you get, three dollars? Not worth it.”

Perhaps not. But different philosophies about money, at the macro and micro level, are all-too-common in marriage. I mean, there’s a reason that finances always make the list of “things couples fight most about,” right?

Peak of Success: Nick Baumgardner and Mark Snyder Revisit U-M Wolverines’ 1997 National Championship Season in New “Mountaintop” Book

Thu, 01/04/2024 - 12:15pm by strattonl

Deck Halls the Halls With Boughs of Corn: Encore Theatre's "White Christmas" hits all the right nostalgic spots

Wed, 12/06/2023 - 12:45pm by christopherporter

As a starting point, let’s just agree: White Christmas is pure, nostalgic corn. 

Much Ado: U-M Theatre's "Imogen Says Nothing" bears bizarre and haunting moments

Tue, 12/05/2023 - 3:00pm by christopherporter

U-M theater professor Malcolm Tulip has long established a reputation for bringing challenging, provocative productions to local stages, going back to his days as a director (and performer) at the sadly defunct Performance Network Theatre.

"Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World" Explores the Challenges of Information Overload and Ubiquity

Fri, 11/17/2023 - 4:00pm by strattonl

Kelli O’Hara brings the bright lights of Broadway to the Michigan Theater

Tue, 11/07/2023 - 10:00am by christopherporter

Kelli O’Hara is one of those versatile Broadway stars who shines in every show she’s in.