Nameless Magazine – it’s the type of magazine you pick up not just because of an intriguing cover. Rather, you pick it up because it functions as a creative laboratory for the visionary minds of UC Davis.

The student-run arts and literary magazine was established in March 2007 by eight students who all met in a creative fiction writing class. With the help of faculty advisor Dr. Andy Jones, they publish quarterly online issues and print a giant annual compilation issue featuring selected works. “We all wondered why there wasn’t a literary magazine at Davis that encompassed how vibrant the art community here is,” said senior English major Jayne Wilson, lead fiction editor of the magazine. “Creativity is nurtured very well here and it wasn’t represented in a way that we felt accurately reflected how vibrant it is.”

The students at Nameless Magazine have worked together to create a more welcoming and inviting environment that showcases anything from art, photography, music, films, fiction and any kind of prose. Undergraduates can submit their work to the magazine, and receive appropriate feedback in return from the editing board. No specific themes or subject matter is being searched for – submitted pieces are simply evaluated based upon their own merits.

“We send our critiques back to the participants,” Wilson said. “We also hold workshops, and they can contact the board if they need further clarification.”

The primary goal of the magazine is to encourage growth and improvement. It also provides creative opportunities for students outside of the liberal arts majors who don’t have time to take writing classes. So why name a magazine with such ambitious goals “Nameless?”

The founding members had originally decided on the name “Karen Magazine,” but soon discovered that it was already taken by another magazine in the UK. During the following meeting, someone concluded, “Guys, we are nameless.”

And that was it – nobody contested.

“The main point is that the name is not important,” said senior English major and lead poetry editor Briony Gylgayton. “It’s all about the people contributing to the magazine and filling that structure up with content. Nameless means whatever you want it to mean.”?

Aside from evoking creativity among their peers through print, Nameless Magazine also takes plenty of pride in their special events.

“We have quarterly workshops hosted by the Poetry and Fiction Board,” said Ryan King, senior English major and head of Public Relations for the magazine. “Everything is student-run, so you are surrounded by your peers; it’s more rewarding and there’s less pressure involved.”

One of the many events that puts a face on Nameless Magazine is Expression Redefined. Held at the Griffin Lounge, the event takes place in the form of comedy skits from Birdstrike Theatre, short films, sculptures and artwork along with any form of creative expression. This year, Expression Redefined will be held on Mar. 9 at 6:30 p.m.

“The magazine comes to life at Expression Redefined,” Wilson said. “We give people a place to hear and see it live. It’s also a great way to network, interact and connect with other artists.”

The magazine also celebrated the release of its most recent issue, “Best of ’08-’09,” at the John Natsoulas Art Gallery in downtown Davis last week. This was the first time Mr. Natsoulas offered his gallery for an undergraduate event.

“We were looking for recognition, and that’s exactly what we got,” King said about the event. “It was astounding, and we even had James Wright’s wife come out to read at our open mic. Some really big names in the Davis community were there.”

With little funding – aside from sales donations and grant funds from the Club Finance Council (CFC) – the magazine still continues to make its mark in the UC Davis’ writing and visual arts scene. Meanwhile, Nameless Magazine is looking for more submissions and contributions from the writers and visual artists of UC Davis.

“It takes plenty of effort to carry on the legacy,” Gylgayton said. “We’d like to expand more into the mixed media, bridging the gap between arts and art history, and even into the sciences.”

For more information about Nameless Magazine or how to attain your own copy, visit their website at namelessmagazine.com.

VANNA LE can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

The UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance is presenting William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by MFA candidate John Zibell.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be playing at the Wyatt Pavilion. Beginning yesterday, performance will run through Saturday at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. showing on Sunday. Student tickets start at $10.

The performance showcases a re-imagined version of the classic comedy. Zibell’s version is a lot darker and more sinister, more focused on the relationships of the characters than providing comedic relief to the tragic circumstances that the women in the play are exposed to, exploring not only their reality but also their fantasy.

This production’s concept aims to bring this play to life through Hermia’s nightmarish dream. It highlights the societal forces of oppression and their internalization into the young woman’s psyche.

“I decided that this wasn’t a happy little romp through the forest,” Zibell said, who also stars as Oberon and Theseus. “The women go through this terrible ordeal and then they come back to be married, and have nothing to say for the rest of the show. I wanted to focus on their realization that once they get what they want; they realize that it wasn’t what they wanted in the first place.”

The idea for this darker tale started when Zibell wrote a 40-minute film adaptation of the play, with only four actors. When the play was set to hit the stage, it was evident that four people were not enough, and two more actors were added. Zibell felt six performers was enough, but as a result, actors end up being double and triple cast.

“It’s really exciting to be a part of a new interpretation of something,” said senior dramatic arts major Allison Minick, who plays both Hermia and Peter Quince in the play. “Being part of such a small and intimate cast was my favorite part of being in this production.”

Moreover, various forms of multimedia add a dynamic twist to the play. The dream sequences in the play will be projected onto white canopies, which line the simplistic set. This transformed version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream heavily relies on these video projections, as well as live video feed and live performances by the cast. The videos allowed Zibell to cut out much of the poetry used by Shakespeare to set up the fairies’ dream world and the natural world of the forest.

“This production has been highly technical, so it’s taken us over six months to stage [it],” said Avila Reese, MFA actor who plays Titania and Hippolyta.

Zibell encouraged the designers for this production to steer away from the traditions of a Shakespearian play and to explore the dreamscape that he is creating for this piece.

“The costumes for this production were difficult to settle upon due to the fact that play begins in the present and has neither setting nor era,” said Kara Branch, a first-year MFA candidate who designed the costumes. “During the initial design meetings that we had, we discussed the idea of cultural cloning.”

This idea of cultural cloning connects with the transformation and conformity themes of this production. Branch explains that Hermia and Helena begin as clones of each other and end as clones of Hippolyta. The two male lovers Demetrius and Lysander become clones of Theseus.

“This has been very tough,” said senior dramatic arts major John Greer, who plays Demetrius, Francis Puck and Ageas. “I have never been part of a show where we spend so much time on improve and blocking. This has been really gratifying.”

“I would highly encourage people to come out and see the show,” Zibell said, “It’s always interesting to see a new adaptation of a classic, especially with a cast as alive and gifted as this one.”

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit mondaviarts.org or call (530) 754 2787, or toll-free (866) 754-2787.

ANASTASIA ZHURAVLEVA can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

If you’ve ever watched music videos on MTV and thought you could make better videos than today’s musicians – here is your chance.

For the first time ever, KDVS is holding a music video contest. From Mar. 1 to May 15, anyone from the Davis and Sacramento area can submit an original music video to KDVS. Winners will receive prizes such as gift cards to Watermelon Music and a feature article in Dimple Records’ monthly magazine.

The contest is the brainchild of senior Matthew Torres, assistant studio technician at KDVS.

“I love music videos, and I always watched them on MTV back when they actually played music videos, and on VH1,” Torres said. “I like the idea of action and of people actually doing things.”

Torres said the idea for holding a music video contest came to him after trying to create opportunities for filmmakers to work with KDVS.

“We’re already working with arts and music,” he said. “We should be stepping into a new realm.”

The contest will also help connect KDVS and the community.

“KDVS sometimes has a pretentious, introverted image,” Torres said. “We want to break that down. This will be a great way of getting connected to the community. There’s a huge music scene in Sacramento, so it can be a contact frenzy.”

To enter the contest, at least one member of the group must be from the Davis or Sacramento area. Along with the video, the group must also submit a short biography of themselves and the band, and label the music genre of the song. Groups should limit themselves to three videos of less than six minutes long each.

Kevin Corrigan, general manager of KDVS, said that every style of music and film is welcome.

“We’d like to stress that we are open to anything,” he said. “Have fun with it. We want to see innovation.”

Planning is underway for an award show in May, and KDVS may set up a YouTube channel or a screening so people can watch the videos, Torres said. KDVS will also air a free commercial during the contest for any business that donates prizes.

Chelsea Wolfe, a Sacramento musician, is planning on submitting at least two videos.

“I started making music videos about a year ago as another way to express my aesthetic, and to make music videos that I felt represented myself and my band accurately,” she said in an e-mail interview. “I also am working on music videos for Agent Ribbons and Mountshout. I work in a kind of lo-fi manner and enjoy editing the best – where it all comes together in a strange vision.”

Torres said he hopes the contest will turn into a yearly event. Even if people have no experience with music videos, he encourages anyone to enter the contest.

“We are open to everyone submitting,” he said. “Whether you think it’ll work or not, submit it.”

For more information about how to submit a video, visit myspace.com/kdvsmusicvideo or check out the KDVS Music Video Contest Facebook page.

ERIN MIGDOL can be reached at features@theaggie.org.

Last Wednesday night at 8 p.m., I had the privilege of experiencing the play, Fuddy Meers, student run and directed by Gia Battista, at the TCS Building.

While the theater space was unconventional, it provided a creative new approach to spatial interaction between actors and audience. The room was empty except for circular rows of chairs and a nice circle of space in the middle of them. This would normally pose a viewing problem as most plays are performed facing forward, but this challenge was incorporated into the production.

Props must go to the props master. Transforming a small stage with a Harry Potter-style trunk as the main prop into three very separate and distinct scenes was undoubtedly a hard task. The actors only had this one trunk to act alongside, as well as various small objects to convey the situation they were placed in.

The play, a distorted and disturbing version of the comical 2004 movie 50 First Dates starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler, told the story of a woman with habitual amnesia. This woman, played by Sarah Stockdale, goes on a wild adventure involving kidnapping, fugitives and a nice chase scene to fully get the whole story behind her disability.

While there are more than just a couple of elements that were admittedly frightening and “scary,” the actors’ performances were flawless. The six-member cast did a fantastic job of bringing the complicated and confusing script to life. This is not an easy feat when you consider how little materials they had to work with – and that includes other actors.

In particular, Alison Stevenson’s portrayal of an elderly woman suffering complications from a stroke and speaking intelligible gibberish for two hours deserves a lot of applause. The character of Gertie must have been daunting, but she did it without a hitch. Funny enough it was from this particular character that the play derived its name, for she pronounced “funny mirrors” as “Fuddy Meers.”

The rest of the cast did a wonderful job, and were all very convincing as the resentful teenager, patient stepfather, slightly deranged convict and psychopathic father/husband.

Overall I thought this was an excellent production, especially sine it is entirely student run and produced. Since I had no idea what to expect, having never heard anything about it before and being a self-proclaimed skeptic, I was more than mildly surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It is always a treat to see the range of talent among our peers.

Unfortunately, it was more than disappointing to see the lack of attendance that missed this intricate piece of performance. As it was the play’s first performance and a Wednesday, these could be excuses for the poor body count present.

Besides the shameful number of attendees, it was a great play and I truly did have a great time. More than anything else, it was a treat to see the amount of talent that such young actors possess, and again I have to congratulate the whole cast for their amazing performances.

BRITTANY PEARLMAN can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

On Feb. 28 at 2 p.m., American history, politics and the music of composer Aaron Copland will come together in “Copland and the Cold War.” The event will be held at the Mondavi Center’s Vanderhoef Studio Theater.

This unique melding of music and history aims to delve deeply into the effect that the Red Scare and communism had on Copland’s music and point of view in the 1950s. The event will combine performances of some of Copland’s compositions by pianists and UC Davis’ Empyrean Ensemble with spoken commentary, film clips and a reenactment of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s interrogation of Copland.

“Copland and the Cold War” is part of the American Piano series, conceived and directed by American music consultant, teacher and author Joseph Horowitz. The program has toured all over the country, with performances at Georgetown and the University of Maryland.

“Copland is a composer who passes through a series of political changes,” Horowitz said. “He holds up a mirror to a series of social and political transformations, including the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, World War II and the Red Scare.”

Copland is widely recognized as one of the great American composers of the 20th century. Active from around 1920 to 1970, he composed popular and accessible classical music for a variety of mediums, including ballet, piano, orchestral pieces and film scores.

However, Copland’s nationalist style changed as a result of events in the American political landscape and his evolving point of view is reflected in his music.

“In the ’20s, he was a modernist, schooled in France,” Horowitz said. “In the thirties, like so many intellectuals in the United States, he was pushed left by the Depression and became a socially conscious respondent to the conditions of poverty and need. He writes this Communist workers’ song, which we’re going to perform.”

After composing patriotic pieces during World War II, including the famous Fanfare for the Common Man, Copland was targeted by Senator Joseph McCarthy and accused of communism.

“He was grilled by McCarthy and Roy Cohn,” Horowitz said. “Essentially, he lied under oath, denying he ever knew any communists.”

At Sunday’s performance, actors Barry Melton and Ari Kellman will reenact Copland’s testimony to Senator McCarthy. Into the Streets May First from 1934 will be performed by members of the Department of Music and Karen Rosenak on piano as an audience sing-along. Excerpts from the 1939 film The City, scored by Copland, will also be shown.

Copland’s works The Cat and Mouse from 1920, Piano Variations from 1930 and Piano Quartet from 1950 will be performed by pianist Karen Rosenak and other members of the Empyrean Ensemble – a group of seven musicians that concentrates on contemporary American music.

Empyrean Ensemble director Mika Pelos said that Copland fits into the ensemble’s aesthetic of new American composers.

“Copland is classic but modern at the same time,” he said.

In addition, UC Davis professor of history Kathy Olmsted will discuss why artists like Copland were attracted to communism and persecuted in the 1950s.

“When [I was asked] to participate, I was thrilled, because it sounds like a fascinating way to make the history of the era come alive,” said Olmsted, who specializes in the history of the McCarthy era, in an e-mail interview.

Music department chair Christopher Reynolds is facilitating the American Piano Series here at UC Davis. He believes Copland’s music is still easily accessible and relevant to today’s audiences.

“If you spend any time in movie theaters, you’re hearing composers who are imitating Aaron Copland. He is the American voice,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds said he is looking forward to hearing Copland’s music performed on Sunday by the program’s talented musicians, giving the audience a chance to experience the power of Copland’s work.

Horowitz and Olmsted hope that the event sheds light onto this little-known aspect of Copland’s life and work.

“Very few people are aware that he was fingered by McCarthy, and very few people are aware of how traumatic and embittering this experience was,” Horowitz said. “He wound up, more or less, abandoning his aspirations as a populist.”

ROBIN MIGDOL can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

When it comes to movies, my opinions are rarely consistent over time. Instead, I often let other opinions change my own.

“What’s the purpose of a critic?” my technocultural studies professor asked his class one day. He says it’s an age-old question, but I’ve honestly never really thought about it before. Clearly, The Aggie’s arts desk has taught me nothing.

A few hands rose, leading to an agreeable consensus – in short, critics are experts. They guide opinions. They let you know whether a movie is worth seeing or not. I didn’t really have anything to add at the time – it was really a rhetorical question anyway.

But now that I’ve thought about it, why bother with critics? Everyone’s going to have their own opinion, so who cares what someone else has to say about something you experience? But people don’t just split on whether they like or dislike for a movie – they vary in the intensity of those degrees.

To me, critics address that exact variance. For that reason, I’ll often change my mind after reading the review. Even if it’s just a little shift in how I thought of something, I’ll gladly accept a critic’s opinion over mine if it’s convincing enough. And it’s not just critics that I regard – anyone with an impressive opinion could potentially change my own.

I usually try to read reviews (for movies, music, video games, anecdotes, anything) after I’ve already experienced whatever the reviewer is reviewing. I’m easily convinced one way or the other when I’m on the fence about something. An opinion that sounds better than mine is a better opinion, and I’ll gladly adapt it.

One critical flip-flop I’ve committed involved the movie “Blood Diamond,” which I kind of liked when I first saw it on the dorm movie channel. I felt vindicated for never buying jewelry for anyone.

Then, over a year later, my roommate Mark told me how much he hated the movie.

“It’s a piece of shit,” Mark said. He elaborated, citing DiCaprio’s annoying South African accent, corny character development and the main character’s annoyingly memorable, punch-me-in-the-face line: “T.I.A. This is Africa.”

His opinion was awesome, and I wanted it. I changed my mind almost instantly. Mark’s not a critic but it doesn’t matter – his opinion was better than mine. I’m fine with it.

I’d like to think I still have some integrity, though. When I saw Shutter Island last weekend, I liked it more than any movie I’ve seen in years. I don’t really care that we’ve seen the story before or that it was predictable. I would intravenously inject the dark atmospheric feeling into my arms, were it possible. The movie practically made you inhale it.

So when someone told me they didn’t like it as much as I did, I almost questioned my opinion of the movie. But then I realized I didn’t care about what they thought. Not because I didn’t like her or because I didn’t respect her opinion, but because I really liked how the ominous opening bass notes sounded like a foghorn. I like my opinion better than anything the disappointed critics are pouring out.

See it if you haven’t.

JUSTIN T. HO doesn’t know what’s worse: Ding How’s food or the fact that their waitress took a picture of the back of his head with her cell phone camera on Monday. Probably the food. E-mail him with your reviews of Shutter Island to arts@theaggie.org. Maybe he’ll change his mind.

Massive Attack

Heligoland

Virgin

Rating: 5

After five studio releases and over 20 years, Massive Attack has never made the same record twice. It’s nothing unexpected from such an iconic figure of the trip-hop genre – and their latest album Heligoland is no exception.

If their first release Blue Lines sticks out as their emergence of trip-hop, the darker and more uncomfortable Mezzanine is by far their most memorable. Hence the dilemma – Massive Attack’s progression can be seen as either maturity or a gradual distancing from their hip hop roots, a trend many find upsetting.

Rather than perpetuate the latter view, Heligoland works out the imperfections of Massive Attack’s shift away from Blue Lines. The album abandons the overly sweet vocal contributions that weighed down their previous 100th Window. It furthers their ominous and gritty development, bringing it closer to Mezzanine’s savory high.

Give these tracks a listen: “Splitting the Atom,” “Psyche,” “Paradise Circus”

For fans of: Burial, Portishead, Gui Boratto

– Justin T. Ho

Artist: Grass Cut

Album: Muppet

Label: Ninja Tune

Rating: 4

Since making their live debut at Brighton’s Loop Festival in late 2008, Grasscut’s Andrew Phillips and Marcus O’Dair have been working on various side projects including their latest release, Muppet. Phillips – known for his work with One Giant Leap and Lo Recordings – and music journalist/radio DJ O’Dair offer a stylistic take on modern classical blended with experimental electronic.

In addition to working on various side projects, the two also performed audio-visual sets at Tate Britain early last year as a part of the Late at Tate exhibitions.

In their Ninja Tune debut, Grasscut mixes dynamic overtones with syncopated beats and ghostly refrains to craft Muppet’s organically anamorphic sound. Drawing from their past side projects, the pair successfully takes the ambient/experimental electronic genre to a mega diff level.

Give these tracks a listen: “Muppet (Nathan Fake mix)”

For Fans of: Daedelus

-Simone Wahng

Artist: Emma Pollock

Album: The Law of Large Numbers

Label: Chemikal Underground

Rating: 3

After The Delgados broke up in 2005, founding member Emma Pollock began to focus on her own career. She released her solo debut Watch the Fireworks (4AD) in 2007. Pollock spent last year in the studio to record her second album, The Law of Large Numbers on Chemikal Underground, the label that she co-founded in 1994.

The Scottish singer-songwriter avoided the melodic approaches of Watch the Fireworks and instead layered unconventional arrangements beneath her smooth, flowing vocals and melancholy lyrics, which helped to create her refreshing sophomore album.

Yet The Law of Large Numbers definitely isn’t expected – her deviating approach sets her off in an entirely new direction. It’s hard to shed one’s comfort zone to appreciate this album, as it’s less accessible to the first-time listener.

Maybe it’s because she’s married to her producer.

Give these tracks a listen: “I Could Be a Saint”, “Confessions”

For Fans Of: Zoey Van Goey, Camera Obscura, Delgados

– Simone Wahng