Start the Flick: The Rocky Horror Picture Show Seen Through the Eyes of a First Timer
The movie theater is a portal to another world. It transports viewers out of their reality and into another using its larger-than-life screen, dark room, and enveloping sound. I’ve seen a lot of great films in my life, but I understand why ‘The Rocky Horror...
Kuumbwa Jazz: Looking Behind to Move Straight-Ahead
The Kuumbwa Jazz Center is my neighbor, but we’re not very close. We barely know each other, and I wouldn’t go to them first if I needed flour or an egg. However, Kuumbwa gives me gifts every other evening. When I’m making dinner in the...
A Night of Remembrance: Dia de Los Muertos at the Quarry Amphitheater
It was a moment of remembrance. People called out the names of their loved ones — names of those who had passed on but were not forgotten. With each name, the audience repeated together, “Presente,” reassuring them of the presence of the spirit of their...
“Never Again is Now:” Remembering Japanese-American Women Activists through New Exhibit at UCSC
A glass kimono sits in the middle of the room, made from 244 frames strung together with copper wire. Each frame contains photographs of artist Reiko Fuji’s relatives and friends, as well as the Japanese American community during their imprisonment. The piece represents around 125,000...
Slug Life Production Board’s ‘Revival’ Brings Quarry to Life
The enchanting voice of Orion Sun wafted through the crowd of students gathered at the quarry amphitheater and up over the redwoods. This was “Revival”, organized by students, for students by the Slug Life Production Board (SLPB). “Revival” took place Oct. 21, featuring pop band...
The Festival of Monsters: A Place To Discuss the Critical Monster Within
The Girl in the Green Ribbon shimmies with a satyr, fiddling with the bow that is keeping her head from tumbling onto the dance floor. Medusa and her sisters dance in the corner, trying not to turn the DJ to stone, while a werewolf howls...
Rainbow Theater Celebrates 30 Years of Multicultural Theater
Towards the end of Ippolito Caradonna’s performance, he pointed his microphone towards the crowd. “¡Ra! ¡Raza! ¡Que viva la raza!” Caradonna chanted. The audience joined him. For a few moments, the room rumbled with the declaration. “Viva la raza” is a Spanish phrase popularized by...
Santa Cruz Open Studios Offers a Peek into an Artist’s Universe
On a brisk, sunny Sunday afternoon, Maylene Rasmussen’s garage bustled with visitors. Rich, textured lacquer paintings — mostly of women — glimmered from every available surface. Rasmussen stood to the side, chatting with attendees and fielding questions. The paintings weren’t the only attraction. In the...
Breaking Barriers: Ambassa’s U.S. Debut Calls Out Caste
Dust rises from the crowd dancing at the front of the stage. They mimic the dances of Arivu, the main performer of the night, chanting Tamil lyrics along with the performers. Students and community members gathered at the Quarry Amphitheatre on October 7 to watch...
Rainbow Theater Celebrates 30 Years: An Illustrated History
This year marks the 30th anniversary of UC Santa Cruz’s Rainbow Theater. For the past 30 years, Rainbow Theater has showcased plays written, directed, and acted in by students of color, providing a safe space for self-expression and creativity. “There was a distinct need for...