By Andrew Rowland ‘13
Photo by Libby Lucy ‘15 | The Lafayette
This Monday, the Annual CaPA Spring Showcase, an otherwise adequate event, was marred by a lack of organization.
The Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship program, CaPA for short, provides up to $7500 to students with records of achievements in the arts. The funding is used to develop student skills, making creative projects possible. Every so often, CaPA members showcase their talents and works.
I’ve been to a few of these events and was quite entertained. The CaPA Cabaret last semester provided food, entertainment, and conversation. Monday, CaPA made a not-so-smooth move to the main stage of the Williams Center for the Arts.
When on stage, you have the audience’s undivided attention. No hors d’oeuvres, no chit-chatting, nothing else to distract. In order to hold interest, you have to stay interesting. Every time you falter on stage, the event could derail.
The CaPA Showcase derailed within seconds.
The lack of planning was evident from the moment I stepped in the lobby. I was handed a program formatted like a research paper and was warned that there weren’t many of them. Over the two-hour show, I had to share my program with seven other people. This gripe may be minor, but it exemplifies the thoughtlessness heading the event.
From there, it was all down a bumpy hill:
Un-engaging hosts with little to nothing to say. Performers unprepared to talk about their work—and even to go on stage. Long hiatuses between acts to reorganize the stage. Recorded media that wouldn’t play properly. Recorded media the audience knew to operate better than the man pressing play. (No exaggeration, the audience had to tell the host how to start a film.)
What was irritating is that CaPA is supposed to exemplify the performing arts. They’re no strangers to the stage; they understand the importance of preparation. One hour of dress rehearsal should have solved these problems.
Of course, the evening was not completely without merit. Some the individual works and performances were quite good, like the musical piece written by Anthony Urbano ‘15 and the poem by Elisabeth Burnor ‘14. Others showed great promise but may require fine-tuning, like the play by Lyn Nguyen ‘15 and the modern dance by Ann Lauer ‘14.
Whatever good was on stage was overshadowed by the bad in between. The CaPA Showcase was like having an ice cream sundae with a spoonful of searing hot sauce after each bite. My sense of taste was numbed beyond appreciation for any sweetness.
If CaPA returns to the Williams stage, they better invest in a plan of action—and maybe a director. An hour of rehearsal before the show can prevent two hours of agony during.