Author: May S Ruiz

‘How the Light Gets In’ is World-Premiered at Boston Court Pasadena

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 3 October 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

There are two lines in Leonard Cohen’s song ‘Anthem,’ that go ‘There is a crack, a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.’ The words inspired an original play by E.M. Lewis ‘How the Light Gets In,’ which is currently having its world premiere at Boston Court Pasadena from September 19 to October 28. Directed by Emilie Pascale Beck, the Literary Manager at Boston Court, it stars Amy Sloan and Ryun Yu in the roles of Grace and Haruki, and features Chelsea Kurtz as Kat and Dieterich Gray as Tommy Z.

‘How the Light Gets In’ is an intimate story about four characters – a travel writer who never travels, a Japanese architect who can’t figure out how to build a simple tea house, a gifted tattoo artist who resists the power of his talents, and a homeless girl who lives under a weeping willow tree in the Japanese garden – who live disparate lives that somehow intersect in the most unexpected way.

That peculiar, yet fascinating mix, is enough to pique anyone’s curiosity. Lewis, during a late morning interview, gladly chats about her start in playwriting, her connection to Boston Court, why she conceived this play, and how the four unlikely characters’ lives in ‘How the Light Gets In’ seamlessly blend into each other’s.

The ‘How the Light Gets In’ ensemble | Photo by Craig Schwartz / Boston Court Pasadena

Lewis begins, “I’m from rural Oregon but I went to graduate school at USC and stayed in Los Angeles for quite a while. This is where I became a playwright and I have a lot of friendships and connections to the theatre community here in Los Angeles. I met Emilie then and we’ve wanted to work on something together since. I was involved with ‘Moving Arts,’ a small theatre company in Silver Lake and they’ve done four of my plays over the years – ‘Song of Extinction,’ ‘Infinite Black Suitcase, ‘The Gun Show’ and the latest one was ‘Apple Season.’

While New York is widely known as where theatre happens, there’s a very active theatre community here. There are amazing actors and people who are passionate about creating stories for the stage who often are making a living on film and television. But they love coming back to the theatre because it’s intimate – there’s a relationship between you and the audience. And I love that, especially when the story is so close to me and I can feel myself breathing what they’re breathing. That’s ideal to me as an audience member and a playwright as, I’m sure, it is what actors and directors want.

Playwright E. M. Lewis | Photo courtesy of Tom Sanders Photography / Boston Court Pasadena

Talking about the play that involves people who seem to be in the wrong profession, Lewis describes, “Grace, the main protagonist, is a smart and capable travel writer who loves to read and enjoys what she does. She took care of her parents who were getting older and when they passed away she finds herself, in the middle of her 40s, a little bit isolated. While she has a satisfying career, she’s unmarried and has no family so her life has no meaning to her. When something happens to her, she’s shocked to find out she has no one to emotionally help her with what she’s physically going through.

“The male protagonist is the architect Haruki who lives in Japan but works internationally; he’s been widowed for ten years. His wife was the world to him and when she died, he lost his heart. He poured all his energy into his work and became solitary. While he is prospering professionally, the personal side of his life has been neglected.”

“So these two people find each other at a moment when he is finally, perhaps, maybe, open to the possibility of something new – although he’s not sure that he’s ready for love – and she is in the midst of a crisis, which is really the most terrible moment to come across someone who is lovely and wonderful. She doesn’t feel like herself and is not sure what’s going to happen. Yet, things in this life don’t happen on a schedule or when you want them to, they happen when they happen. So we’ll see whether or not they allow themselves to seize this opportunity. It’s a little love story; I haven’t written very many. It’s quite joyful to have these two characters in my head and in my ears as I was writing the play, and now to see them come to life. It’s really delightful; I think I should write more love stories,” Lewis chuckles.

Continues Lewis, “Tommy Z, the tattoo artist, is a tough character. He owns the shop where he works which is, basically, an abandoned half-demolished building that he bought for a good price. There’s one entire wall missing, where someone drove through. And so he built a wall out of discarded window frames and windows he salvaged from various garbage sites, which created a quilt of light.

“We learn that his life converged with Kat’s at a hospital emergency room. She had been having a rough time – she had hurt herself yet decided to get help. So she finds herself in the ER late one night and takes the last seat, which happens to be beside Tommy, whose brother has overdosed, and not for the first time. They strike up a conversation and a friendship, proving that in the midst of crisis people connect and find each other. Their story ends up intersecting with Grace’s and Haruki’s because Kat has been living under the willow tree in the Japanese garden. While Tommy’s only connection to the garden is through Kat, he gets woven into the tale because his gift as a tattoo artist turns out to be important to some of the other characters in unpredictable ways.”

Choosing her words deliberately, Lewis explains, “The core of the story is that in a moment of crisis, when you are overwhelmed by something that has happened, you are also in a moment of possibility of remaking yourself. Grace who, until that time, has been doing what she’s always done – writing a travel column – finds out she has a health crisis which knocks her off her feet. She’s trying to figure out what to do and how to handle it. And with the help of these strangers who become family to her, she finds her way out the other side and somehow in a better way. Sometimes a catastrophe pushes you to look at your life and see what’s missing, to consider what you want to be, show you a clock that’s ticking, and makes you realize how important it is to do what you want to do right now.”

Amy Sloan as Grace and Ryun Yu as Haruki, the main characters | Photo by Craig Schwartz / Boston Court Pasadena

Asked how she conceived the play, Lewis responds, “Plays are made out of playwrights. What other stuff do we have to make our work from? The story and the characters are entirely fictional but there’s a lot of Grace’s story that comes from me. I had a health crisis about two years ago, which was both shocking and scary, so Grace’s journey mirrors mine a little bit. I began writing the play while I was going through medical procedures and, as usual, it’s writing that saves me. My characters – who dropped into my head – helped me figure out about myself what I have trouble doing. Hearing their voices made me less lonely as I was going through it. And it’s exciting to see that they’re going on stage in a unexpectedly quick time from when I started writing it.”

The genesis of the title, which could be interpreted in so many different ways, helped Lewis craft the play. She reveals, “Titles are really important to me, they’re part of my conception of the play as a whole and what it wants to be. I can’t remember specifically if it just came into my head from knowing the song, or if I was listening to Leonard Cohen while I was writing it, and I went ‘Ah, that’s a great title!’ as sometimes happens. There is a lot of poetry in it. And that image of how the light gets in, for this character, who is in the midst of so much darkness, that’s definitely the central question of the play. Although it doesn’t only apply to her, but to all the characters and in different ways – more literal in some and metaphorical in others.

Lewis recalls that she was present for callbacks during the casting process. “Because this is a world premiere, these characters have not been fully embodied before. It’s so much an ensemble piece so we don’t have to merely consider them as themselves for the characters, but also how they work with each other. There’s a real human connection between each of the characters – one is a love story between Grace and Haruki. And with Grace and Kat, there are tendrils of a maternal relationship. Tommy has his own friendship that’s unique to him but they have to connect with each other. So casting was important and we put people together in different combinations during that casting period.

“I came back again a month ago for our first week of rehearsal. That’s such a golden time for a new play. Everybody’s sitting together – you don’t know each other, you’ve never worked together before – embarking on a new creation. That’s when a lot of fantastic questions arise especially from really, really good actors, about the play and their characters because they are having to figure out ‘Who is this person who I’m becoming?’ ‘What is their journey?’ And nobody looks at your character as carefully as the actors who will be playing them. We had fabulous table work that definitely inspired writing and rewriting during that week and in the time since. Emilie and I have been in conversation via email, sending little tweaks, adjustments, and rewrites.”

“The actors also had to be about the same age as the roles they’re playing because different things happen to us at various times in our life. And this is about four people who are in different places in their journey. An actress who’s 19 years old would not have the physical looks or the experience to act like someone who’s 40, which is Grace’s age in the play. They don’t have to be the exact age, they only have to be as close to that stage in their life.”

Chelsea Kurtz plays Kat and Dieterich Gray takes on the role of Tommy Z | Photo by Craig Schwartz

“What is important to you when casting the roles for your play?,” I query. Lewis responds, “I was mostly the silent partner, Emilie was leading the auditions. But what I was looking for were truth, vulnerability, and connection. You can feel it when someone is just putting on a façade versus someone who’s sharing their genuine self with you, especially in a small theatre. Vulnerability is also essential because the characters go through some things, and face some things about themselves. They have big questions about the universe and what they’re going through. So these have to be actors who are willing to open up and let us in. And, lastly, connection. This is a play that reaches out to the audience and, more and more, as I write, I find myself wanting to include the audience in the story- telling. I think of theatre as the old-fashioned medium – that what we do today is so connected and similar to people thousands of years ago sitting around the campfire telling each other stories. That was an intimate and connected experience and I want to make the kind of theatre that makes us feel that way – here we are in the darkness and sharing something that takes us through that whole emotional rainbow of feelings. Stories that help us ward off the darkness.”

A prolific playwright, Lewis has written about 13 or 14 plays. She states, “Most of them have been out in the world. I’ve been very lucky to have plays across the country and also in Edinburgh and a few other places. My play ‘Song of Extinction’ was at the Guthrie in Minneapolis. I’ve had plays staged in New York although not on Broadway; it was in Manhattan, though. I have been happily writing full time for the last nine years, which is fortunate because, as you know, the life of a playwright is such a roller coaster. Likewise, I do a little teaching here and there; and I also work on commissions. It’s a piecemeal sort of life and it’s uneven. But how lucky am I to be able to spend my life doing what I love and see my work come to life! It’s amazing to walk into a space and see the people who are figments of my imagination and here they are. I get to hug them. It’s very powerful as well as a big responsibility, in a good way.”

“Plays are a different art from poetry or novels.” Lewis elucidates. “Poets and novelists create the whole world themselves. Whereas a play is meant to be embodied and discovered through other people’s arts. And so to let them in helps you find the mood of the play. I love the part of my work that’s in my garret – alone, scribbling, listening to the voices of my characters in my head. But I love the other half of my life just as much – which is when I get to come to the theatre and work with the actors and directors.

“I’m so grateful to have my play premiering here at Boston Court. When I lived in Los Angeles, back when I was a baby playwright and finding my way, I would come to watch plays here at Boston Court. I thought they had the most stunningly beautiful stage and space. I loved the intimacy of the extraordinary design and their choice of plays that were smart and interesting. So to be able to have my play here with these lovely and smart people is a great gift. They take risks in doing new work and they love the business of helping a playwright find their play. Likewise, I have felt supported and challenged in all the best ways.”

As for the audience takeaway, Lewis says “There is a quote from Winston Churchill ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going.’ When we’re in the midst of a catastrophe, we tend to hunker down and not get out of it. I would like the audience to leave the theatre with a sense of coming out the other side of something, different than when they came in. Sometimes, even in the darkest time, you can be propelled into light and possibility that could nev

October College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 3 October 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Cornell University | Courtesy Photo

The road to college

The road to college involves four years of complicated planning and complex scheduling. High school students are extremely busy – homework, extra-curricular activities in art and sports, campus clubs, all compete for their time. To add to that, they have to make sure they get excellent marks in their courses and on the standardized tests. Their GPAs and SAT/ACT scores have to impress college admissions officers to really consider their application.          

I know some parents who enroll their kids in SAT prep courses as early as 9th grade and some independent counselors recommend that students sit for the SAT in 10th grade. However, I feel that taking the SAT this early isn’t necessarily the best course of action – students still have so much to learn and aren’t really ready for this test. Unless there are extenuating circumstances (if the SAT is a requirement for an advanced math course, for instance) that necessitate them to take it, I would suggest waiting a bit. My daughter took her SAT and ACT the summer before her senior year. By then she had accumulated as much knowledge as high school covered.

FRESHMAN

Encourage your children to keep their focus on their schoolwork. By this time, they should have figured out what extra-curricular activities they are interested in pursuing and what sports they want to participate in. Give them guidance as they navigate this new phase in their school life, and support the choices they make.

SOPHOMORE

Depending on your children’s course choices and load, there could be standardized testing required of them. Your children should be taking AP and SAT II exams following completion of the course while the knowledge they gained in class is still fresh in their minds. The best preparation for both AP and SAT II exams is for your children to make sure they understand the subject matter and do well in all tests the teachers give in class. If there is something they don’t understand, they should right away speak to the teacher to ask for clarification or, possibly, find a tutor for additional help. The results of these standardized exams are required for college applications.   

JUNIOR

Your children should be aware that junior year is the last complete year of high school performance that college admissions officers will see. They have to put more effort at doing well and getting good marks.

They should register for and take the PSAT, which is also the qualifying exams for the National Merit Scholarship. It is also a good time for your children to meet with their school counselor to make sure they are taking all the courses they need to graduate and apply to college.

Your children should also be keeping up with their extra-curricular and sports activities. College admissions officers look at several components as they try to assemble an incoming class made up of the best candidates to add to their student body. 

Several area high schools hold College Fairs on campus. This is an excellent opportunity for you to see what the different colleges and universities are offering. Your children will get to meet and speak to admissions officers – usually the same people who will be reviewing your children’s application, reading the essay, and sitting around the table – who will be making their case for your children during the all-important decision-making rounds. They have a say on whether your children get accepted or denied admission to the school of their choice.  

SENIOR

Eighteen year-olds are intent on getting into the college of their dreams. After all, they have spent four years preparing towards this goal. The cost of a college education may not have necessarily been top of mind for them.

However, with the ever-increasing cost of tuition, books, accommodations, and meals, a college education has become very expensive for a lot of Americans. Many parents can’t afford to send their children to college, necessitating children to take on a student loan. Today student debt is at a staggering $1.5 trillion.                        

To help parents and students make informed choices, PayScale, Inc., the world’s leading provider of on-demand compensation data and software, released its annual College Salary Report for the 2019-2020 school year. Using data collected from more than 3.2 million college alumni, it provides estimates of early and mid-career pay for 2,646 associate and bachelor’s degree-granting schools in the United States.     

An accompanying piece to this is a report PayScale puts out in the spring, called College Return on Investment, which details how much it will cost to attend a particular school and the earning potential of its alumni. These two reports are worth looking at when your children make decisions on what majors to take and what schools to apply to.     

Your children should now be in the process of completing the common app, and finalizing their essay topic or personal statement. They should have provided the teachers who are writing their letters of recommendation with stamped envelopes.

Depending on what course your children are applying for, they may be required to send supplementary material (auditions or portfolios) with their application and they need to get those ready. Audition tapes for Arts Performance, for instance, can be uploaded on YouTube for easy access. Your children should check the website of the college or university to which they are applying about supplement material requirements. Your children’s school counselors are also a great resource as they are always in contact with college admissions officers.

If your children’s high school offers interview advice and guidance, they should take advantage of it. Basic information like what clothes and shoes to wear, in addition to how to answer questions, all help towards giving your children confidence. While this is not a professional statement, in most cases, interviewers are not as concerned about the answer applicants give, as they are about their demeanor and how they present themselves. Also, if your children are visiting a campus and an interview with an admissions officer is a requirement for application, they should take the opportunity to schedule the interview at that time. Admissions officers like to see demonstrated interest – a campus visit and interview will be remembered and noted.

Be on top of application deadlines; most schools offering Early Action or early Decision have to receive your children’s application by the 1st of November.  

You and your children should be researching scholarships. Some websites include: CollegeXpress (www.collegexpress.com); Fastweb (www.fastweb.com); Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.ed.gov); National Merit Scholarship Corporation (www.nationalmerit.org); Scholarships.com (www.scholarships.com); Scholarships360 (www.scholarships360.org); Student Aid on the Web (www.studentaid.ed.gov). You should also attend the financial workshops being offered at your children’s high school. Most high schools offer on-site guidance, with specialists who can answer your questions.

Your responsibilities as parents are limited to offering encouragement, guidance, and moral support as your children go through this stressful time. But while you need to let your children manage this process, you should also express your concerns and expectations. Communicate with your child, the counselors, and the teachers when you have inquiries. 

Be there for your children but learn when to get out of their way. Never try to communicate with the college admission officers as it is the surest way to sabotage your children’s chances for admission. Do not be overzealous about getting your children accepted to their dream university; there is a school out there that’s the right place for them. While this may sound hollow now, the counselors at your children’s school and the admissions officers at the colleges, or universities to which your children are applying, are actually the experts at finding the best fits.         

Taking in the Rarefied Atmosphere of Oxford

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 23 September 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Christ Church College | Courtesy photo

Oxford, England, located in Oxfordshire (51 miles north of London), is best known for its university – the oldest in the English-speaking world and, quite possibly, the most esteemed institution of higher learning on earth. There was some form of teaching there as far back as 1096. Unlike at other university towns, the University of Oxford was there before the area was settled in, so the town was built around the school.

The first time I went to Oxford, 29 years ago, it was during the spring and it seemed like the quintessential college town. This time around, however, the atmosphere was as widely different as night and day.

My two young companions and I arrived in Oxford around 2:45 in the afternoon, having left Cambridge on the 13:30 train from London Kings Cross. Immediately, as we alighted, we felt the contrast between the two cities. Whereas Cambridge was calm even with tourists visiting for a few days and kith and kin descending into town for graduation week, Oxford buzzed with incessant activity and teemed with humanity jostling for space. Dozens of tourist vehicles, double-decker buses, taxis, and cars of all models and makes greeted us when we got out of the station. There were people milling every which way and vendors selling all sorts of souvenir items. It was a veritable circus.

It was also an uncommonly hot summer day for England where it’s usually cold and grey. We happened to be traveling there in one of their rare heatwaves. Thankfully, we were already in Oxford when Cambridge registered a temperature of 38.7C (101.7F), the highest ever-recorded in the U.K. (it beat the previous UK record of 38.5C set in Kent in 2003). But it wasn’t that less hot in Oxford either – it was 37C (98.6F).

But the situation only became worse when we got to the Van Brugh, a boutique hotel which was formerly a residence, and we found out it had no air conditioning (a fact they did not disclose on their website)! The building was ill-equipped for the soaring temperatures and the staff was woefully unprepared to allay the situation. The rooms were 32.7C (90.86F) at night and, for security reasons, the windows wouldn’t open more than a few inches. The electric fans and buckets of ice the staff provided didn’t do much to ease our discomfort.

We stayed outdoors sightseeing for as long as possible but there was no escaping the heat. We walked around town with the big umbrellas the hotel kept in every room, for the downpours that are normally expected, and we used them to shield us from the sun. We must have looked ludicrous. However, we saw several Asian tourists who had the same idea – it was like being back home in the San Gabriel Valley. In fact, it seemed like all the tourists were Asians!

This Thai restaurant on George Street has a bathtub for seating | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Happily, Van Brugh is located on St Michaels Street, off of George Street, and is central to all the places we wanted to go. We spent that first day meandering and decided to get an early dinner at Cote Brasserie on George Street as we made our way back to the hotel.

Oxford is a very popular tourist destination, with themed ‘Official Walking Tours’ to fit everyone’s interest. There’s the two-hour tour of the university’s most iconic buildings. Fans of the British detective series ‘Inspector Morse Lewis’ and ‘Endeavour’ can take a two-hour tour of the various locations used in the show. And then there are the ‘Official Harry Potter Highlights Tour of Oxford’ and the ‘Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland Official Oxford Tour.’

Opting not to join any official tour, we set out on our own to see the various sights. Our first stop was Christ Church Cathedral and College – paradoxically the largest of Oxford colleges combined with the smallest cathedral in England. While Christ Church isn’t the oldest college (that claim belongs to University College), it is, arguably, the most prestigious.

Christ Church Cathedral and College | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Christ Church Cathedral’s and College’s architecture, population, and way of life have been a source of inspiration for many authors and filmmakers. Lewis Carroll studied, taught, and lived at Christ Church for 47 years and his ‘Alice’ was Alice Liddell, the daughter of the Dean at that time. In the Dining Hall, on the left-hand wall, the fifth window from the entrance bears portraits of Alice and creatures from ‘Alice in Wonderland.’

The Quad, Cloister, and Hall Staircase have been used in several films. Harry Potter fans will recognize the tops of the Hall Staircase where Professor McGonagall welcomes Harry, Hermione, Ron, and their classmates to Hogwarts. The Cloister is where Harry is shown the Quidditch trophy his dad won when he was a seeker. The Great Hall was replicated in a studio to become Hogwarts Hall.

Christ Church Meadow Entrance. | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

We entered Christ Church through the Meadow and the Meadow Building bordered by the rivers Cherwell and Thames. The limestone path was lined with glorious blooms and made for an extremely pleasant walk, even on this hot and humid day.

The cathedral, which was originally the church of St Frideswide’s Priory, the patron saint of Oxford, was built in 1120. In 1522, Thomas Cardinal Wolsey selected the priory as the site for his proposed college and founded the cathedral as the college chapel (a dual role that’s unique in the Church of England). The choir has been there since 1526 when John Taverner was the organist and master of choristers. It was refounded in 1546 by Henry VIII when he established the College.

According to the Christ Church Information booklet, much of this ancient priory church was rebuilt between 1170 and 1190. The Cathedral used to extend towards the space where Tom Quad now stands but Cardinal Wolsey knocked down three bays of the name to accommodate the College.

The Jonah Window (made in 1630 by Abraham van Linge) is remarkable in that only the figure of Jonah is made of stained glass – the rest consists of small panels of painted glass, showing the city of Nineveh in minute detail. In the North Transept, the St Michael Window (created by Clayton & Bell in 1870) is the Cathedral’s largest. It contains Victorian glass that shows the Archangel Michael leading his army of angels to defeat the devil, who is depicted as a dragon beneath St Michael’s feet. The window also illustrates a scene from Revelation, the final book in the Bible.

St Michael Window | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

What is believed to be either The Watching Loft or a Chantry Chapel, dating from the 1500s, is an exquisite example of medieval woodwork. Not far from the shrine is the Bell Chapel. It has an altar and a free-standing cross carved from its base made in memory of Bishop George Bell who, in 1942, opposed the bombing of German cities. Near the High Altar is the Bishop’s seat, indicating that this is the mother church of the Oxford Diocese.

The Cathedral’s vaulted ceiling is its chief architectural glory. Its striking ribs splay out from 12 stone lanterns which appear to hang miraculously in mid-air. Small interconnecting ‘lierne’ ribs in the center of the vault create eight-pointed stars, forming an image of heaven.

Located in the northeast corner is the Latin Chapel where the shrine of St Frideswide is found. The oldest monument in the Cathedral, it once held the relics of the saint but was smashed when King Henry commanded in 1538 that all monasteries be destroyed. He was then reburied nearby. The fragments of his shrine were discovered down a well and subsequently pieced together over 350 years later.

In the South Transept can be found the medieval Becket Window, the oldest in the Cathedral. It contains a rare panel illustrating the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Becket, who died at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170. He is shown kneeling between a monk and the four knights who murdered him. The panel was defaced in the 16th century in order to protect it from Henry VIII’s orders to destroy all images of Thomas Becket; the original face of Becket is now missing.

The Cloister, like the Cathedral, is part of the original Priory of St Frideswide, which stood here before the college was built. Human remains from the time of St Frideswide (8th century AD) were found in the central plot. The olive tree, a traditional symbol of peace, and the fountain are contemporary additions to the Cloister and mark the threshold of the Cathedral’s sacred space.

Christ Church Cathedral | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

We were sitting in the Cathedral for the 12:00 Prayer when the priest asked everyone present to pray for the poor who are suffering from hunger, for refugees who are looking for safe haven, and for those being persecuted for their religious beliefs. And, lastly, he asked that we pray for Boris Johnson, who had just been elected as the new Prime Minister, so that he may find guidance to do what’s right for the U.K. An Oxonian himself (he attended Balliol College, one of the oldest colleges), Johnson was voted President of the Oxford Union in 1986.

How apt that we should be at this very Cathedral, on the 23rd of July, when my daughter’s English husband (who was her fiancé then) found out that the U.K. may indeed be in dire need of the world’s prayers. That he was soon to be wed and immigrating to the U.S. didn’t come as too great a comfort since his entire family lives in England.

From the Cathedral, we went to Christ Church College, which students endearingly refer to as ‘the house’ because it’s their home when they’re in Oxford – it’s where they live, eat, and study. It has several architecturally significant structures, including Tom Tower designed by Sir Christopher Wren, England’s most renowned architect. It is reputed to be the second wealthiest college after St John’s. It counts William Penn (the founder of Pennsylvania), C.L. Dodgson (whom we know as Lewis Carroll), Edward VII (when he was Prince of Wales), and 14 Prime Ministers, among its illustrious alumni.

The Great Staircase | Photo by Brianna Chu / Beacon Media News

We climbed the Great Staircase channeling Harry Potter and company even as we were cognizant of its greater significance. A door at the bottom of the staircase has the words ‘No Peel’ studded into it – a protest against the Home Secretary, Sir Robert Peel, who in 1829 proposed greater freedom for Catholics. Ironically, Peel was a Christ Church alumnus.

The Great Staircase leads into the Great Hall, the center of college life. It is where the academic community congregates to dine every day and where banquets are held on special occasions. Breakfast, lunch (brunch during weekends), and dinner are eaten there so the hall is closed during those times. We were there right after it reopened after lunch and there were still trays, carts, and signage for beverage choices – traces of the meal which had been recently served – which seemed quite mundane in the backdrop of this resplendent space.

The Great Dining Hall | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

There are two dinner sittings: Informal Hall at 6:20 pm and Formal Hall at 7:20 pm and usually consist of a two- or three-course meal. During Formal Hall the academic community wears gowns, an undergraduate student says a Latin Grace at the lectern, and senior members dine at High Table. Wine, beer, and other drinks can be bought before dinner from the adjacent Buttery.

It is the largest pre-Victorian age college hall in either Oxford or Cambridge and seats as many as 300 people. Overhead is a magnificent hammerbeam ceiling and portraits of famous members, including a few of the 14 Prime Ministers educated at Christ Church, adorn the walls. Because Christ Church is a Royal Foundation, the reigning British Monarch acts as the representative of the Founder and is known as its ‘Visitor.’ A bust of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as well as a portrait of the college’s founder King Henry VIII, can be seen behind the High Table.

As we passed back down the Hall Staircase, we came out onto the Tom Quad, originally called ‘the Great Quadrangle’ because of its grand scale. It is the largest in Oxford, measuring 79.5 x 80.5 meters. It was renamed ‘Tom Quad’ in the 17th century, after the six-ton bell ‘Great Tom’ was installed in Sir Christopher Wren’s new tower.

The Tom Quad – North Corner, the raised walkway around the Great Quadrangle, was meant to be roofed to form an enormous cloister as Cardinal Wolsey envisioned but was never completed. The arch shapes around the walls and protruding bases are all that remain. The new chapel Wolsey intended to build for his college along the north side of the quadrangle was never realized either. For 100 years the north side remained completely open with townspeople and cattle passing by on a muddy lane.

Tom Quad | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

In contrast to the Gothic splendor of Tom Quad lies the classical sophistication of Peckwater Quad. These elegant 18th century buildings lie on the site of a medieval inn, which was run by the Peckwater family. Undergraduate accommodation is available in the symmetrical structures occupying the three sides of the quad. On the fourth side is a stunning library.

With all the tourists moving about it was hard to remember that students live and study there. I can’t imagine how they can actually study, though, with so much activity and noise going on around them.

There is a Christ Church Picture Gallery, which apparently has one of the most noteworthy private collections of Old Master paintings and drawings in Great Britain. But, alas, we were pressed for time and we wanted to see other places so we skipped it.

Oxford’s Bridge of Sighs | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

We walked by Hertford Bridge, a city landmark, which is a skyway that connects two parts of Hertford College over New College Lane. It is often referred to as the Bridge of Sighs although it resembles not the original Bridge of Sighs in Venice but the Rialto Bridge. (Interestingly, Cambridge also has its own Bridge of Sighs). In one scene in the Harry Potter films, Draco Malfoy says to Harry ‘You won’t last 10 seconds’ under a tree. That tree is inside the grounds of New College and it can be seen from the Bridge of Sighs when you look at a certain angle.

You can’t go to Oxford without going to the renowned Oxford University Press. Besides being  the university’s official publisher of all research materials, books, and publications for its academics and students, it also prints more than 6,000 titles globally in a variety of formats. Its range covers English language teaching materials, children’s books, journals, scholarly monographs, printed music, higher education textbooks, and schoolbooks. Its most famous publication, as everyone knows, is the Oxford English Dictionary (or the OED, as it is commonly referred to), the definitive record of the English language.

Inside Oxford University Press | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

We lingered for hours to skim through some of their publications, to marvel at the 20-volumed OED, to buy some books and book bags and, I’m embarrassed to say, to escape the heat.

If you’ve ever been to the U.K. then you would know Tesco, their version of a Von’s or Ralph’s supermarket, except much smaller. I love their jute grocery bags and we stopped there the next day to buy a couple on our way to the Ashmolean Museum. The museum is named after Elias Ashmole, a celebrated antiquary, officer of arms, astrologer, and alchemist. He gifted his collection to the University of Oxford on the proviso that a suitable repository was constructed to house it. It opened its doors on the 21st of May 1683, making it Britain’s first public museum. Originally sited on Broad Street, it was relocated to its present location on Beaumont Street and completely redeveloped in 2009.

According to the Ashmolean souvenir book, it now ranks as one of the world’s great collections of art and archeology with an extraordinary range of objects from prehistory to the present day spanning Antiquities, Western and Eastern art, Coins and Casts. And that assertion is not an exaggeration. Visitors to the museum will be treated to a staggering amount of treasures and wealth found within.

Roman statues at the Ashmolean’s Level 1 | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

On level 1, which explores the past, we beheld displays on Eastern art paintings, India from AD 600, Islamic Middle East, Medieval Cyprus, the Mediterranean world, and Mughal India. Level G is all about the ancient world – the Aegean, ancient Cyprus, ancient Egypt and Sudan, ancient Near East, the cast gallery, China to AD 800, Chinese paintings, European prehistory, Greek and Roman sculpture, India to AD 600, and Italy before Rome.

Level 2 has European ceramics | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Level 2 is where West Meets East – there are 18th century art, arts of the Renaissance, Baroque art, Britain and Italy, China from AD 800, Dutch and Flemish art, early Italian art, England from 400-1600, European art and ceramics, Japan from 1600-1850, music and tapestry, oil sketches, and still-life paintings.

Level 3’s 19th century art | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Special exhibitions are held on level 3 but it’s not usually open to the public so we went to level 3M which is dedicated to European art from 1800 to the present day –19th century art, De Morgan ceramics, modern art, Pissarro, pre-Raphaelites, Sickert and his contemporaries.

We spent several hours there and I can’t say that I was able to take it all in. The sheer number of floors to climb, galleries to enter, display cases to peer into, and captions to read, were mind-boggling. It was also laid out rather weirdly – with some collections which seemed to be misplaced. Additionally, there were so many twists and turns in the museum that it was easy for people to get lost.

Looking down onto the street from a Waterstones window seat | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

From the Ashmolean we headed to Waterstones Oxford where it’s called ‘The Bookshop on the Corner’ because it’s inside William Baker House, located on the corner of Cornmarket Street and The Broad. After all the walking we did at the museum, it was a relief to sit down and read in one of the nooks. I found a great window seat on the third floor, from where I watched all the people and traffic below.

The following day was our last full day in Oxford and we squeezed in several sights. First on our list was the Bodleian Library at Old Schools Quad on Broad Street. The world’s largest academic library, it has six million books and one million maps. We met our tour guide at the Divinity School, which is attached to the Bodleian Library. It is a medieval building and room, the oldest surviving structure, and is used for oral exams and discussions on religion. It served as the infirmary in four Harry Potter films, and as the ballroom where Professor McGonagall taught students how to dance in ‘The Goblet of Fire.’

Divinity School | Courtesy photo

Our guide told us to store our handbags and all or belongings in a locked storage place. We were given earphones so we could hear her because, she reminded us, it is a working library and she had to speak at barely above a whisper. It was such a pity that taking photos was strictly prohibited (any device which could take pictures were kept under lock and key); it would have been such a thrill to have photos of places we recognize from watching Harry Potter movies. In fact, she carried a binder that contained laminated photos of the scenes from the films which she showed us.

She then took us to the Duke Humfreys Library, located above Divinity School. The oldest reading room in the Bodleian, it is divided into the original medieval section, the Arts End, and the Selden End, containing maps, music, and pre-1641 rare books. The books in the oldest part are housed in oak bookcases at right angles to the walls on either side. The ceilings are fitted with panels painted with the arms of the university.

Duke Humfreys Library | Courtesy photo

It was named after Humphrey of Lancaster, first Duke of Gloucester, a younger son of Henry IV. A connoisseur of literature, he commissioned the translation of classical works from Greek into Latin. He bequeathed his collection of 281 books to the University of Oxford upon his death in 1447, a generous donation since the university had merely 20 books (!) at the time. Only three of his original books remain in the library today.

The Humferys Library was used as the Hogwarts Library in the Harry Potter films. In ‘The Sorcerer’s Stone,’ Harry, wearing his invisibility cloak, steals into the restricted section at night to look for information about the alchemist Nicolas Flamel.

The Radcliffe Camera | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

After our guided tour of the Bodleian, we walked to the Radcliffe Camera (Camera means ‘room’ in Latin), also known as ‘Rad Cam’ or ‘The Camera.’ It is a stunning structure designed by James Gibbs in neo-classical style built in 1749 to hold the Radcliffe Science Library. It was named after Dr John Radcliffe who donated the funds to build it and is now the principal reading room of the Bodleian.

We stopped in at Weston Library across the street which houses a large collection of rare and antiquarian books. It also has a souvenir shop where one can purchase Bodleian and Radcliffe Camera mementos.

Inside the Sheldonian Theatre | Photo by Brianna Chu / Beacon Media News

The Sheldonian Theatre was our next destination. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, it was erected between 1664 and 1669, and has been described as one of the architectural jewels of Oxford. It is the ceremonial hall of the University of Oxford where graduations are held and is the venue for other university activities like lectures and concerts. Its most interesting feature is  the eight-sided cupola in the center of the roof which has large windows on all sides that provide breathtaking views across central Oxford.

We then walked to the Oxford Covered Market, which reminded me of the Grand Central Market in Downtown L.A. It is where one can find over 50 independent traders selling gift items, clothing and shoes, fashion accessories, fresh flowers, prepared food, various beverages, and fresh produce and meat.

However, we didn’t find anything we wanted to eat or buy so we strolled to the shopping mall and went inside M & S. I hadn’t been to a Marks & Spencer store in almost three decades and thought it would be fun to see if I still remembered what it looked like. Nothing much had changed since except for the prices, which, understandably have gone higher. We had afternoon tea with Victoria sponge cake.

The Old Bank Hotel | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

For our last evening in town we had dinner at Quod Restaurant and Bar at the Old Bank Hotel on Oxford’s famous High. Formerly a banking hall which was transformed by owner Jeremy Mogford, it boasts a show-stopping onyx bar and a stylish terrace. The delicious food and impeccable service at the Quod are matched only by the impressive and eclectic collection of modern art by young British artists such as Sandra Blow, Craigie Aitchinson, and Damien Hirst that hang on the walls.

It had been a lovely, albeit short, trip to Oxford. And while our visit was marked by extreme heat, it didn’t detract from our enjoyment. It’s a bustling city filled with tourists but when you get inside the colleges, there is that rarefied air you’d expect from an institution as revered as it is. I don’t know that it can ever be replicated. There is, after all, only one university called Oxford.

Pasadena’s Calligraphy Katrina Showcases Distinctive Art

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 19 September 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Katrina Centeno-Nguyen does on-site calligraphy | Courtesy photo / Calligraphy Katrina

Her Instagram followers watch her work her magic online in real time. She writes words – names, dates, places – on a blank space and it becomes a piece of art. All in a span of a few minutes. Her calligraphy pieces grace wedding receptions, Hollywood film openings, Grammy events, and the New York fashion scene.

Katrina Centeno-Nguyen was 19 when she opened her eponymous company, Calligraphy Katrina, 12 years ago. She does a brisk business with a pen bought from an art store, and an immigrant’s determination, perseverance, and work ethic. Her journey is a model for everyone who’s arriving in this country to look for opportunities.

Chatting with me one sunny morning from her home in Pasadena, Centeno-Nguyen talks about coming to California as a 13-year-old, being raised by a single mom, and finding her career in the most unexpected way.

“My parents decided to emigrate from the Philippines – my dad arrived in Pasadena in 1997 and my mom followed in 2000. Unfortunately, their marriage didn’t work out and they divorced soon after. So it was up to my mom to find a way to get me and my sister here.

“Immigrating into the U.S. at that time wasn’t as difficult as it is today but it was definitely not an easy process. As comfortably well-off, highly educated, and widely-traveled as we were when we lived in Manila, we were still technically from a third-world country. We were coming here as dependents so that also meant my mom had to show how her children, who were still in the Philippines, were being financially supported. Propitiously, my grandmother (my grandfather had passed away) had income from their family business and rental properties so she made sure we were looked after.

“In time, my mom had obtained gainful employment as an analyst and had enough resources to cover the expenses for the petition process and the means to support us once we got here. I came here in 2001 and my sister arrived in 2005; my brother was born here.”

Katrina Centeno-Nguyen | Courtesy photo / Calligraphy Katrina

Continues Centeno-Nguyen, “I had finished 6th grade in Manila; I skipped middle school and went directly to 9th grade at Pasadena High School (PHS). That was quite an interesting cultural transition because I had gone to private schools in the Philippines and suddenly I was in a public school. Not only did it have a large population, students were talking back to their teachers!

“Though I have to say that socially, it wasn’t bad at all. PHS was a diverse school and a lot of students were culturally open because they also came from immigrant families. However, I had friends who weren’t necessarily immigrants. I was quite lucky because the classmates I hung out with were very much like me – we were all in the honors program; we mainly talked about school and homework. We studied and worked on projects in each other’s homes and, at the same time, had good, clean fun.

“Maybe my innocence also shielded me because I didn’t really know if bad things were happening. There might have been students who were doing drugs but I wasn’t aware of it. But the friends I had weren’t doing drugs either so there was no peer pressure. The core of our friendship was academics; it was why we became friends in the first place. We were nerds – we played chess and enjoyed physics class. We were also a good mix – some were in sports or arts; and we were volunteering in the same places. It was all about getting ready for college applications.”

Asked which college she went to, Centeno-Nguyen responds, “I actually didn’t attend college. We were still in the process of getting our residents’ visa; we didn’t become green card holders until 2007. Going to college as a non-immigrant was going to be quite expensive. Besides, I had to try to figure out a way to help my mom. While she had a great post, she had to work two jobs to enable her to support three children – in Pasadena, where it’s not cheap. So I took a full-time job as a nanny while I attended Le Cordon Bleu. It was also at this time that I started ‘Calligraphy Katrina.’”

Being a calligrapher was the furthest thing from Centeno-Nguyen’s mind in terms of a career. She relates that she became one by happenstance, “I’ve always had good penmanship and one day, one of my nanny friends saw me writing my grocery list. She was getting married soon and asked if I could do her envelopes. She informed me that I could make money addressing wedding invitations. So I looked into how pricing worked, invested $10 on a few pens from an art store, and bought a couple of envelope packets from Target. That was how ‘Calligraphy Katrina’ started. I began with two fonts and created new ones as I went. Sometimes I’d make an accidental swish and I’d say  ‘Oh, that looks pretty cool. Let’s try that again.’

Centeno-Nguyen’s calligraphy | Courtesy photo / Calligraphy Katrina

Centeno-Nguyen was brought up with a discipline and work ethic that made the transition to life in the United States easier. And it proved helpful when she endured a punishing schedule as she was establishing her business.

She recalls, “After I’d been doing wedding invitations for a while, a stationery store called Paper Source in Beverly Hills started taking notice and they asked me to bring my work there. I was still working as a nanny then. I was also in the night class at culinary school and I was doing kitchen work because that was a requirement. My day commenced at 6:30 when I woke up and I was at work by 8:00. Fortunately, the family I worked for lived in Pasadena so it wasn’t a bad commute. I left their house at 5:30 and I was at school at 6:00, where I stayed until 11:00 pm.

“I squeezed the calligraphy project whenever I had the chance. Sometimes I worked on it when the child I was caring for was asleep; I did readings when he was playing. At times I did the calligraphy after school, before going to bed. That was my hustle in those early days. I also did a few hours in the kitchen during weekends because that was important. I had to balance it somehow.

“It was then I decided to give up culinary school. My mom questioned my decision when I had already paid a lot of money for it. But in the restaurant business, it’s either you own an establishment or you’re really brilliant. I was good, but not that good. To get financial backing, you have to know how to run a restaurant already, which I didn’t have any background on. At that time, too, a lot of restaurants were going under. It just so happened that my work was standing on its own and, because Calligraphy Katrina was my baby, I had a deep personal investment in it.”

Centeno-Nguyen recalls, “Facebook wasn’t as widely used as it is now; there was no Instagram. Social media wasn’t a thing yet. There were wedding blogs but the Internet wasn’t that huge so there weren’t as many venues for my work to be seen by a great many people. So I posted photos on Craigslist every week – that was my marketing. Even back then, people were paying $4 to $5 an envelope. I did it in a platform like Craigslist because I was learning how to run it. It didn’t feel ethical for me to charge someone $3 when I didn’t know what I was doing. But I also disclosed to my clients that I was new at this so they knew coming in that it was why I was charging only so much. It was a learning process for me and my clients were hiring me because they just wanted something handwritten. As my artistry and knowledge evolved, I started increasing my prices. But even now, as my experience has broadened, my prices aren’t as high in comparison to what other calligraphers charge.”

“Soon, I quit my job in the kitchen and as a nanny. The calligraphy work was already gaining traction and I was secure enough to focus entirely on it. Still, I was petrified. Obviously, I didn’t really know how it would turn out. My mom and I would go to Beverly Hills every single weekend. She worked a lot so it became our special time together – we’d hang out there and meet the brides that we got from Craigslist at Starbucks.

“At the time, there were only a few people who could be called calligraphers and they were very old school – very traditional. They were master penmen who belonged to a group and they were leery about me. I was 19 and I didn’t get a formal education on the art so I was the outsider. That’s also part of my insecurity as an artist. I once had the privilege of working alongside a full-pledged calligrapher who saw me as a non-calligrapher because my slants weren’t the right size for Spencerian. But I wasn’t doing Spencerian, it was simply my own handwriting. This is why I work at such great speed.”

Centeno-Nguyen works on a mirror project | Courtesy photo / Calligraphy Katrina

“Not to diminish what they do, because it’s brilliant,” Centeno-Nguyen quickly says. “I wish I had that kind of knowledge but that sensibility is what differentiates my company from others. I do volume and I need to make that work. A lot of calligraphers say what I do isn’t calligraphy because I’m diminishing art. Every day, as an artist, I also have to account for my own individuality. Since I’m not conforming to the standard, am I a real artist? Do I feel like an actual calligrapher?

“Most calligraphers do this for the artistry of it. That’s not to say that I don’t, because I most certainly do. But it’s also my primary means of livelihood and I have to meet deadlines. My evolution as an artist is tied into the success of my company. I want to establish a stable business and a successful commercial venture. I have to look at it as ‘How can I make enough to support my family?’ And because I didn’t have the resources to do so, ‘Will I be able to ensure that my child goes to a four-year university?’ And ‘How is this  going to increase my income so I can enjoy my family?’ When I become financially comfortable then I can think about my artistry.”

If success were to be measured by one’s popularity on social media then Centeno-Nguyen has definitely attained it. People see her working on huge projects involving pop stars and runway models online. She’s on Reddit and has a loyal following on Instagram, which she finds incredible.

Calligraphy Katrina does a brisk business on envelope addressing for corporate clients | Courtesy Photo / Calligraphy Katrina

Centeno-Nguyen explains that how she got into the Hollywood industry was opportune. “In 2008, a new PR company needed 30 envelopes addressed, not right now but yesterday, and calligraphers in the city gave them a timeline of a week for the project. They called me and I said if they delivered the envelopes that morning, I would have them done by the end of the day. My company officially opened in August 2007 and we did one or two envelope projects a week. By January – February, we were already doing corporate work.

“Because of my pricing, which was like air for a PR company with a large budget, they asked me to do more things like place cards. This was also a young PR company gaining their traction, and it was beneficial to them that I was actually meeting their deadline. That PR company then talked about me to other PR companies. The buzz started from my speed – I could work on the fly. It was my ace and, for a long time, it was what made me stand out. And more corporate work came rolling in.”

Mirror projects make up 50 percent of Calligraphy Katrina’s business | Courtesy photo / Calligraphy Katrina

Just like doing calligraphy work happened unexpectedly, working on mirrors wasn’t by design either. Centeno-Nguyen recounts, “We had a client who owned a mirror company and they were thinking of having a welcome sign for an event at the California Club. We discussed different things we could do on a mirror and we came up with a seating chart. They asked if I knew how to do one on a mirror and I said no but I’d figure it out. I didn’t know how I was going to grid it but being a nerd, I used math to measure it. I did it on site in four hours while they were setting up. I used a chalk and it looked really cool.

“This was ten years ago when I hadn’t seen anyone doing calligraphy on mirrors. No one cared for it because they said it was too hard to read. When I created calligraphy work on giant mirrors, though, everyone took note because it was different. After I did the videos, everybody wanted the mirror.”

“The mirrors are popular with weddings so 50 percent of our business comes from that and 50 percent is from corporate,” divulges Centeno-Nguyen. “We recently bought out a vintage store that carried antique mirrors from France when the owner decided to close shop last year because space rental was too expensive. We needed to have a place to store them so we opened a downtown studio. The way I see it, I’ve spent so much money buying them, I might as well have people come in to look at them. I got lucky because my space is a corner office so I get nice views on two realms. But it’s also very distracting because there’s constant activity outside and I want to see what’s happening. So I still work from home and the majority of my pens are here; that’s also because sometimes I write at 3:00 in the morning.”

Centeno-Nguyen at a recent corporate event | Courtesy photo / Calligraphy Katrina

Calligraphy Katrina operates smoothly with a lean staff, according to Centeno-Nguyen. “I have a house manager who’s also my daughter’s nanny, an assistant, and a driver who does all our runs in the city. This is my assistant’s first week – my previous production manager who worked with me for two-and-a-half years moved on to her dream job as a social worker. She was the one who helped me build this company to where it is now. She was with me during a difficult time. I had a tough pregnancy and I was on bed rest for nine weeks. My daughter was born at 29 weeks; she was 2 ½ lbs. and was at the Huntington Hospital for two months.

“We were also in the middle of a move to this house. I worked while I was bed-ridden and, because it relaxed me, I didn’t realize I was in labor. My daughter was born by Caesarean section at 12:03 in the morning after 26 hours of labor. New York is open at 6:00 am our time and I was on the phone taking notes because we were doing a show. It was much later they found out I was in the hospital. But I wasn’t going to miss that call. Giving birth isn’t an excuse; as long as I am awake I can write.”

Centeno-Nguyen’s reputation as a reliable artist who can get the work done fast is the reason she has long-standing clients. She’s been working with LACMA for almost ten years now and Chanel for nine years. On the morning we met, a delivery from LACMA arrived; there were several boxes of Chanel envelopes in the dining room for her to work on.

Twelve years after Centeno-Nguyen bravely took the leap to establish Calligraphy Katrina, she is a mainstay not only in the luxury bridal market, she’s also sought after by corporate clients including museums, fashion houses, The Grammys, and movie companies, among others.

When queried about which projects she enjoyed most, Centeno-Nguyen replies, “The Chanel fashion show was a fantastic gig. We’ve done a few fashion shows like YSL and Moschino and they were really fun, but the Chanel was doubly so because we were in New York for a whole week preparing for it. We even saw the rehearsal; it was like seeing a production come to life. But the most memorable one will always be my first mirror.”

It’s a sentiment shared by most immigrants – no matter how successful they become and how far they’ve come, they look back with gratitude at where they started.

The Huntington Launches Yearlong Centennial Celebration

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 10 September 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

The Huntington President Karen R. Lawrence, announces the name change during the Centennial Celebration launch | Photo by Ryan Miller / The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

The Huntington in San Marino officially launched its yearlong centennial celebration on Thursday, September 5, 2019. During her welcome speech at Rothenberg Hall, Huntington President Karen R. Lawrence expressed how Henry E. Huntington’s vision and legacy will live on in the next century.

“As I look out at you, the leaders of Southern California’s, and particularly L.A.’s, cultural, academic, and civic institutions, Huntington’s presence is demonstrably in evidence,” began Lawrence. “As the Director of our Botanical Gardens Jim Folsom recently reminded me, almost anything can grow in Southern California. He was correct.

“We brought everybody here today to celebrate the extraordinary fertility and vitality of our region – both a U.S. cultural capital and, as Huntington predicted, the leading edge of the Pacific Rim. Had his visionary red car trolley system been equally as durable, many of you, especially the west-siders, would have an easier commute.”

Continued Lawrence, “So 1919 was a very good year for the birth of L.A. institutions – from UCLA to the L.A. Philharmonic, to the iconic Musso & Frank Grill and Fosselman’s Ice Cream. In celebrating our hundredth, it’s not all about us; it’s about all of us. Because neighbors and partners have always been crucial in the life of The Huntington. As we celebrate the trust agreement in which Henry and Arabella Huntington gave their private treasures – at the time the New York Times called the greatest private library in the world, art and art collection, and expansive gardens and grounds – we also recognize that we wouldn’t be here were it not for George Ellery Hale, the renowned astronomer, who helped develop Caltech and who was the founding director of the Mount Wilson Observatory in Pasadena.

“In the Huntington’s archives, we have Hale’s correspondence with Huntington which shows that from 1906 to 1916, Hale politely badgered Huntington to place his private collection in a trust for the use and benefit of the many. As significantly though, he helped convince Huntington, the wealthy industrialist and collector, to see the value of his collection in a different way – more for the research and scholarship it would inspire than for its accumulation. Hale urged Huntington to establish a public institution; he wrote ‘There is now great need of a strong institution of broad scope, uniting all the intellectual interests of this region and the common folks.’ When he was later asked about the worth of his collection, Huntington replied that its value will be determined primarily by what he produces. Although these two men couldn’t possibly foresee what was produced during those hundred years, it’s a testament to their legacy and Arabella’s, that The Huntington attracts 1,700 visiting scholars in addition to over 750,000 visitors from around the world.

“So today we take a moment to acknowledge this Southern California history as well as to think about our future and the ideas that will propel us all for the next hundred years. For a person turning 100, it’s very natural to look back and reflect on the past. For an institution turning a hundred, a centennial is a moment to be like Janus – looking back and forward at the same time. Today we’re celebrating how far we’ve come and reflect on where we want to go. We’re thinking carefully about our mission and what it means to be among the oldest cultural and intellectual centers in this great region, which itself reflects the dynamic demographic evolution of our city, state, and country. We want to broaden our audiences and to focus on The Huntington’s ongoing role in the cultural fabric of Southern California and beyond.”

Lawrence declared, “The name of an institution reflects its relation to its audiences as well as its mission and ethos. In 1919 we began our journey as the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. And, over time, we became more commonly known as the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Today I am pleased to announce a change in what we’re calling ourselves, that reflects both the increased breadth and depth of our art collections and their public purpose. We’re changing our name to The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.”

As Lawrence said this, the name displayed on the screen behind her also changed and was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The change from ‘collections’ to ‘museum’ more accurately describes The Huntington’s mission and programs, explained Lawrence. “Our art collections are more than a group of catalogued objects; they are carefully curated, interpreted, and exhibited for scholarship, education, and the broader public. An added benefit to this change is that we become more discoverable, particularly in online searches. This is important as we work to widen our audiences and accessibility.”

The Hammer Museum’s Director, Anne Philbin, talks about ‘Made in L..A. 2020’ | Photo by Ryan Miller / The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

The Centennial Celebration, a yearlong series of exhibitions, public programs, and new initiatives running from September 2019 to September 2020, kicked off with an announcement of a collaboration between The Huntington and the Hammer Museum on ‘Made in L.A. 2020,’ the upcoming edition of the Hammer’s acclaimed biennial. The statement was made by Hammer Director Ann Philbin alongside Lawrence.

Opening June 7 and running through Aug. 30, ‘Made in L.A. 2020’ will take place at both institutions, providing visitors across the region an opportunity to experience the singular exhibition of contemporary art in Los Angeles. The exhibition, sponsored by Bank of America, will debut new installations, videos, films, sculptures, performances, and paintings from Los Angeles–based artists, many commissioned specifically for the exhibition.

‘Made in L.A. 2020’ is the fifth iteration of the internationally lauded Hammer biennial, and the second to take place at multiple venues. The biennial’s inaugural 2012 edition presented artists at the Hammer, LAXART, the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Art Park, and the Venice Beach Biennial. The 2020 edition seizes on an opportunity to connect an institution on the west side of Los Angeles with one on the east. It is co-curated by Tunisian-French writer and curator Myriam Ben Salah and Los Angeles–based curator Lauren Mackler. The Hammer’s Ikechukwu Onyewuenyi is assistant curator for performance.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Huntington on ‘Made in L.A. 2020’ to bridge the east and west sides of Los Angeles to highlight the works of art created across the region, with an emphasis on emerging and under-recognized artists,” said Hammer Director Ann Philbin. “This expression of our biennial―which spans roughly 25 miles―offers opportunities for discovery and surprise for ‘Made in L.A.’ visitors and gives the curators and artists a new platform for experimentation.”

“Creative collaborations are a hallmark of our Centennial Celebration,” Lawrence disclosed. “We will be engaging with our collections as well as with our audiences in exciting new ways. Joining forces with the Hammer for this remarkable exhibition is a perfect example of what we are setting out to do. ‘Made in L.A.’ celebrates the extraordinary, groundbreaking work of contemporary artists working in Southern California. We are honored to be a part of this year’s exhibition.”

“Los Angeles is the epicenter of the creative economy, with the arts bringing Angelenos together, attracting tourism, generating cultural dialogue, and serving as an economic driver for our region,” declared Raul A. Anaya, Bank of America market president for greater Los Angeles. “It’s why Bank of America invests in the arts and in institutions like the Hammer and The Huntington, and this specific partnership for ‘Made in L.A. 2020’ reflects our mutual commitment to L.A.’s incredibly diverse local artists.”

During the run of ‘Made in L.A. 2020,’ members and visitors to the Hammer will receive passes granting free admission to The Huntington to view ‘Made in L.A. 2020’ in full. There will also be joint programming at both the Hammer and The Huntington during the exhibition.

Looking ahead to the next 100 years, the directors of The Huntington’s three components – Library, Museum, and Botanical Gardens – spoke about the future and how The Huntington’s collections will contribute to their fields.

Sandra Luding Brooke, Avery Director or the Library speaks during The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens Centennial Celebration Launch Event on Sept. 5, 2019, in San Marino, California | Photo by Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging

As the Avery Director of the Library, Sandra Luding Brooke oversees the 11 million items in the library collection. She said, “In 1925 Henry Huntington endorsed a vision for a repository of books and manuscripts of the greatest rarity and value focused on tracing the progress of our English-speaking people. Since then The Huntington’s collection has grown and persisted in more ways than what could have been imagined a century ago.

“Libraries must anticipate tomorrow and try to imagine what future researchers and viewers might want or need to know,” pronounced Brooke. “We must be judicious and imaginative in choosing what we preserve, and be fearless in seeking diverse and provocative voices. Libraries must batten their hatches to protect collections from the vicissitudes that are sure to come – natural disasters, social and economic upheavals, censorship, ignorance, and willful misapprehension. We also want to seize this moment and help our collections speak to current generations because cultivating a love and respect for documented history is the surest route to its survival and, perhaps, our own. So in the spirit of stepping out with optimism into our second century, the Library has made a small acquisition that won’t get on our shelves until just four years shy of The Huntington’s bicentennial. Until then the library’s purchase will be growing in the Norwegian wood. Artist Katie Patterson’s future library is a hundred-year literary artwork of an active indefatigable optimism. Five years ago, Patterson planted a forest of a thousand spruce trees in Norway. This forest will be held in trust until the year 2114 when the trees will be harvested, turned into paper, and provide the stock for the publication of 100 texts, until then held secret, by 100 writers. This little acquisition is a vote of confidence in the future of the environment, of art, of books and the written word, and of libraries. Yes, we are confident our librarian’s successors will not fail to claim The Huntington’s copy of this long-awaited anthology. But between now and 2114, we are equally confident that millions of other texts, images, and objects undiscovered and, as yet, uncurated will cross The Huntington’s threshold to join this great past, present, and future library.”

Christina Nielsen, Hannah and Russell Kully Director of the Art Museum | Photo by Ryan Miller / The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

Christina Nielsen who, when she took the podium and introduced herself, said that for the past 10 minutes, she has been the director of The Huntington’s Art Museum. She started, “Now that we’re a museum I’d like to spend the next few minute considering what that term means. What it meant to Arabella and Henry, what it means today, and what it will likely mean in the future. Henry Huntington, entrepreneur and futurist, proponent of new technologies; Arabella Huntington, perhaps the greatest gilded-age collector you’ve never heard of – together they stand out among the likes of their peers such as Walters, Morgans, Fricks, and Gardners by bringing together objects from the past to actively shape a future. They founded the first Old Master Collection in Los Angeles which included Asian ceramics, Italian Renaissance pieces, French decorative arts, and British portraits from the 18th century, which allowed for connections across time and place. And they put their historic works in conversation with art from their day by placing sculpture on the grounds from artists of their time, including their daughter-in-law Anna Hyatt Huntington. They also gave us a framework for considering how to move forward, encouraging us to continue making connections across time and place, to invest in new technologies, and to share their collection with the public.

“So now the present moment. And might I suggest that, in many ways, the future is now and the future is here. The definition of ‘museum’ is quickly changing, as is the nature of our work. The International Council of Museums just released a new definition of museum as a ‘democratizing, inclusive, and polyphonic space for critical dialogue about the pasts and the futures.’”

“Our collection is indeed a treasure trove to be mined for thinking about making connections across time and place, how trade and exchange shaped objects, lives, and intellectual pursuits,” noted Nielsen. “But which stories do we choose to tell and who tells them? Recent partnerships here at Huntington, such as one with the Vincent Price Art Museum, allowed Carolina Caycedo, one of the great artists in the L.A. area, to produce a new work of art Apariciones/Apparitions which inserts back into the history of our founding narrative people and labor who’ve been lost over time.

“More specifically, ‘Blue Boy,’ our most iconic work, has continued to inspire over time, artists, much more recent than when he arrived in 1921. A young artist on leave from military duty in San Diego came to the Huntington and had an epiphany from the ‘Blue Boy.’ So did a young teenager who would come on visits to The Huntington on Saturday. And so we’re thinking very deeply about how to unlock more epiphanies from our people, in our galleries, and through expanded online resources. How do we share our collections beyond our walls? How do we reach other aspiring artists from South Los Angeles, San Diego, and from other places really far away – like Kansas City, Kosovo, or Kyoto. So in the context of The Huntington itself, what does our art collection mean? This is a multi-disciplinary institution and as the definition of art keeps changing and evolving, I was reminded recently by Jim Folsom that The Huntington itself is the original conceptual work of art.”

Nielsen said further, “This is the hotbed of the artistic world and we are so pleased to be working with the Hammer on ‘Made in L.A.,’ exemplifying what an extraordinary moment this is for our region. But I might suggest that ‘Made in L.A. 2020’ has a really important antecedent and that could be considered ‘Made in London 1770,’ because going back to Gainsborough and his fabulous ‘Blue Boy’ painting, what we’ve recently learned is that in fact Gainsborough, hundreds of years ago, just like the artists in our midst today, was absolutely pushing the envelope of what it meant to be a painter and what the medium could provide. And so I would say it makes absolute sense for us at The Huntington to be working with The Hammer and offering up our resources for artists, writers, performers, dancers, thinkers, in our midst.

“The past is not dead. In fact, as Socrates said, ‘It isn’t even past.’ It’s alive and waiting to be unlocked in the objects in our collection. I can’t begin to predict now how successors of ours a hundred years from now will do that, any more than Henry and Arabella could have predicted us sending rockets to the moon. But they believed in technology; they believed in sharing their collection to the public; and they believed in connections across time and space. I feel that if we hold true to these principles, we will be just fine over the course of the next hundred years. And, in closing, I offer another definition for our museum – that it should be not just a repository of things, but a collection of ideas and a place for sharing them with others.”

James Folsom, Telleen/Jorgensen Director of the Botanical Gardens speaks during The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens Centennial Celebration Launch Event on Sept. 5, 2019, in San Marino, California | Photo by Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging

When it was his turn to speak, Director of Botanical Gardens James Folsom, who noted that he’s the old-timer at The Huntington, stated, “Last year we planted several hundred trees and we intend to plant more this year. We plant trees because during a storm in 2011, 700 trees fell in one evening. We plant because new opportunities arise – wonderful new trees become available. We plant trees because they provide structure to the landscape, which takes years to develop. We plant trees because on the 6th of July last year, the gardens experienced a record-high temperature of 118 degrees Fahrenheit leaving vegetation scorched throughout the landscape.

“We plant trees because that’s what gardeners do – observe, think, plant, cultivate, take our losses, make our moves, plan for change, and invest in energy and resources to create something that would be of worth for future generations. So what is that future, how far is that horizon? For trees, it’s 80 to 100 years – easily to the end of the century. But in all of our actions, even short-term plantings, we should build soil and capacity. Every act can be viewed as an investment. Gardens also plant ideas and inspiration – the beauty and power of life unfolding, the importance of cycles, the value in the glorious smell of fresh water and arable soil. The pay-off in planting is seeing the product of pure physical toil and recognizing the importance of plants as the givers of life and the bases of biodiversity.

“To me, the lessons we learn from gardening are crucial. In a perfect future, I imagine these Huntington gardens and the act of gardening will help form a better world. Fortunately, the structure we need for those lessons exists. The Huntington has collections, displays, beautiful facilities, and staff to see us to our second centennial.”

September College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 5 September 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Bryn Mawr College | Courtesy Photo

The Road to College

It’s after Labor Day and that usually means the end of summer. Classes have begun in mid or late August so your children are settling into the new school year by now.        

Before I launch into the college guide, let me touch on a topic that often times causes family discord. Counselors tell their students to follow their passion when it comes to deciding what to pursue in college. That makes a lot of sense because people generally learn better when they’re studying something they are interested in. However, we also hear about researches that find STEM degrees are the most valuable, with the liberal arts the least valuable, to employers. Parents, anxious about their children’s earning potential, career future, and over-all financial stability then discourage their children from taking liberal arts in college and push their children into the STEM field.

On the other hand, employers also emphasize that they’re looking for applicants with excellent communications skills even when the job isn’t STEM-related. The contradictory information is enough to make anyone’s head spin. The one thing researchers and career advisors agree on is that earning a college degree will pay off in the long run. So whether your children are looking to get an engineering degree or are more interested in the humanities, the important thing is for you to support your children’s choice and help them to be ready for college.                        

My daughter’s high school administrators preached to their students that the college application process doesn’t start until the spring of their junior year and, therefore, they shouldn’t be working on it until then. As our family’s experience belatedly proved, however, the process really begins on the first day of 9th grade. Hence, I advocate that your children start preparing as soon as they get into high school. Doing so makes a world of difference in their college search outcome.

In last month’s college search guide, I said that the College Board is expanding the use of the adversity score to the SAT in an effort to make college admissions more equitable. It had many detractors, however, and the College Board recently announced that it’s dropping the adversity score and will now use what it calls ‘Landscape.’

While it pretty much includes the same factors that were in the ‘Adversity Score,’ the College Board claims ‘Landscape’ is more transparent and provides admissions officers more consistent background information.

In an article published in the Wall Street Journal on August 27, education writer Douglas Belkin, reported that the adversity score (also called environmental context dashboard) was a combination of 15 socioeconomic metrics from a student’s high school and neighborhood.

‘Landscape’ will add six ‘challenge’ factors that provide the ‘summary neighborhood challenge’ and the ‘summary high school challenge indicator.’ The factors are college attendance, household structure, median family income, housing stability, education levels, and crime.

Belkin noted that this is the second time that the College Board has rolled back efforts to reflect students’ socioeconomic backgrounds – it dropped a similar effort 20 years ago due to unfavorable reaction from colleges. And this will most probably not be the last word on the matter. The current admissions process is intrinsically flawed and band-aid solutions can’t make it right.            

I still think that adding ‘screening methods’ misses the point. Every student is different and can’t be lumped under a general category. But admissions officers can’t reasonably learn about each one when they have approximately 30 minutes to scan each application. With ever more American students applying and interest among foreign students to study here increasing, the competition will not diminish any time soon.   

 

FRESHMAN

Instill in your children good time management and organizational skills early on. High school is so much busier than what they’ve been through yet. These skills will help them have a happy, productive, and successful four-year experience.

If your children didn’t develop good study habits in lower and middle school, they need to buckle up and be serious about academics. Encourage them to immerse themselves in the culture of their high school and get involved in various extra-curricular activities that support their interests, and which they can carry on into the next three years.

Your children should find the time to meet with their school’s counselor to map out a four-year curriculum that meets all the requirements for graduating and going into college. Most colleges or universities require: four years of English; four years of mathematics; four years of science with advanced work in at least one of the three disciplines – biology, chemistry, physics; four years of a world language; three years of history, including American and European.   

They should take the most challenging courses they could handle. If their high school offers Advanced Placement (AP) subjects in ninth grade and your children decide to take the course, they have to be ready to take the exams after they complete it. Colleges usually only recognize 4s and 5s to show competency. Highly selective institutions also expect As on AP courses on students’ transcripts. 

Counselors tell their students to follow their passion when it comes to deciding what to pursue in college. That makes a lot of sense because people generally learn better when they’re studying something they are interested in. However, we also hear about researches that find STEM degrees are the most valuable, with the liberal arts the least valuable to employers. Parents, anxious about their children’s earning potential, career future, and over-all financial stability then discourage their children from taking liberal arts in college and push their children into the STEM field. On the other hand, employers also emphasize that they’re looking for applicants with excellent communications skills even when the job isn’t STEM-related. All the contradictory information is enough to make anyone’s head spin. The one thing they all agree on is that earning a college degree will pay off in the long run.                    

SOPHOMORE

By this time, your children should be fully transitioned into high school. They should be picking up where they left off – taking AP courses, working on extra-curricular activities they had identified in their freshman year, playing sports for their school, etc.

Practice exams for standardized tests are given in your children’s sophomore year so make sure they are registered for the PSAT. Taking these tests will help them identify their weaknesses and study for them. Several companies and organizations offer test preparation courses; your children should register to one if they need help getting ready for these exams (ACT: www.act.org; PSAT: www.collegeboard.com; Educational Testing Service: www.ets.org; Kaplan: www.kaplan.com; National Association for College Admission Counseling: www.nacacnet.org; The Princeton Review: www.princetonreview.com)

It may seem too early to do this, but your children can start looking at colleges that offer courses in their fields of interest. Or they can begin considering all possible options, if they haven’t determined what they are thinking of taking in college.

JUNIOR

This is a very hectic, even stressful, time in your children’s high school life. It is also the last complete year that college admissions officers will see your students’ grades and accomplishments. It is a decidedly important year for them; they need to put the effort to show admission officers that they are capable of doing the work and are qualified for admission to the school to which they will be applying. If your children are thinking of applying to universities through early action/decision, their junior year grades and work will become all the more significant.

Aside from the rigors of school, sports, extra-curricular activities, there are standardized tests to take. Your children should be taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) early next month. I would like to remind parents not to put extra pressure on their children as they get ready for the standardize exams – they are stressed enough as it is and a higher than average SAT score does not guarantee admission to their dream university.        

You and your children should be going to College Fairs being held at their high school. They should be gathering information about colleges and universities – courses and diplomas offered; standardized test requirements for admission; deadlines for early action/decision, if being offered, and for regular admission. 

SENIOR

It is going to be a marathon for your children! From the moment they get in the doors of the school, they are going to be putting much of their focus on college applications. If your children are applying for early action/decision, they should have taken all the standardized exams required by the university during their summer after junior year. 

Make it a point to attend your children’s “Back to School Night” because the counselors would most probably be giving parents information about the college applications that would be starting in earnest.  

The organizational skills that I have been talking about since your children entered 9th grade will be put to the test during their senior year. Encourage your children to create a calendar with standardized testing dates, counselor meeting schedules, application deadlines. 

Your children should have a binder with separate sections for each college or university and a log of what needs to be accomplished for each, like: required standardized tests (SAT or ACT, SAT II grades; AP test scores, etc.); writing supplement; how many letters of recommendation they require; application fee; how to send the application.      

Ideally, you and your children have visited the colleges they are thinking of applying to. One of the first things they have to do is finalizing the list of colleges and universities to which they will send applications – eight was the norm when my daughter was applying. However, students now are sending in 12 or more applications. This new normal, though, has only added to the competitiveness of the process. I would suggest limiting it to12 because applying to more schools doesn’t make a university with a 4% admission rate a more reachable goal.  

They should be ready to write their personal statement; they should also have provided stamped envelopes to the teachers giving them recommendations. 

One factor that makes the college admissions process really stressful for parents is the feeling of not knowing what’s happening. School counselors generally only have time to meet exclusively with students so parents feel shut out. However, there are books you can read to help demystify this process. A book I would recommend is called “Getting In! the Zinch Guide to College Admissions and Financial Aid in the Digital Age” by Steve Cohen, Anne Dwane, Paulo de Oliveira, and Michael Muska.

The professional guidance and insight the authors of this book provide will give you the ability to help your children navigate this complicated process. Use the book constructively; do not make it another source of stress for yourself and your children.   

Over the course of writing a College Search Guide, I have also met a few outstanding independent counselors and I highly recommend them should you feel more comfortable getting regular, face-to-face time with a counselor.

Greg Kaplan is a local independent counselor and can be reached at greg@earningadmission.com and his website is www.earningadmission.com. There is a Boston-based counseling group called College Vine, which offers near-peer mentoring; one of their counselors is an Arcadia High School alumna, who is currently a senior student at Cornell.                   

If you are applying for financial aid, be aware that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov) submission date starts on October 1st to align with the college application schedule.   

Research all scholarships available. Some online sites include: College Xpress (www.collegexpress.com); Fastweb (www.fastweb.com); Scholarships.com (www.scholarships.com); and Student Aid on the Web (www.student.ed.gov).

It goes without saying that as busy as your children are when they go through the college application process, they should also get the best grades they are capable of. The colleges to which they are applying will require their first quarter grades if they’re looking to gain admission through  early action or early decision.      

Enjoying the Charms of Cambridge

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 26 August 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

King’s College, Cambridge | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

I love college towns – they’re typically alive with students either hurrying off to lecture, tutorial, or the library, or leisurely heading out for a cup of tea with friends. Mingling with the young crowd are usually tourists with a map in hand, trying unsuccessfully to find a specific site on the ‘Places to See While in (fill in the blank) Guide.’ Inevitably, they would have to ask one of the students to point them in the right direction.

Fortunately, we had a ‘personal’ guide during our visit to the beautiful city of Cambridge, England in mid-July; we definitely didn’t look like bewildered tourists. My daughter and I spent a week in town to attend her fiancé’s graduation (for his second Master’s degree) and he took us around.

Most Americans have heard of the University of Oxford but are not very familiar with Cambridge. These two universities have had rivalries dating back centuries. And while Oxford benefits from name recognition, Cambridge is considered the most prestigious in the United Kingdom. In the last decade the top three universities in the UK were Cambridge, Oxford (both in England), and St Andrews (in Scotland) until this year, when the League Table ranked St Andrews second to Cambridge and ahead of Oxford.

The River Cam | Photo by Brianna Chu / Beacon Media News

A university city and the county town of Cambridgeshire, Cambridge lies on the River Cam, about 50 miles north of London. While it’s better known for its university, there was already a settlement there before the arrival of scholars who were fleeing from the riots in Oxford in 1209 to find refuge. Thus, the university was founded.

The early colleges were established by the church and then by monarchs who wanted to create learning institutions. Surprisingly, for a university that for so long admitted only men, six of the colleges were even begun by women.

Before long, Cambridge became embroiled in religious and political dramas as when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries and when his daughter Mary Tudor got backlash for her religious retaliations.

It was in Cambridge that English military and political leader Oliver Cromwell found many Royalist adversaries during the Civil War (1642-1651). He sent his henchmen to destroy treasures in the colleges’ chapels, which he called Catholic superstitious symbolisms.

Mixed in with these power struggles were riots instigated by townspeople who were fed up with the inequalities between the privileged colleges and their own poverty. (To this day, there is evidence of disparity as homeless people roam the streets – a jarring contrast against a backdrop of opulent buildings.)

As in all college towns, there is a mutual relationship between ‘Town & Gown.’ Students provide income to the universities and tourists are a source of livelihood for locals. Cambridge has approximately 125,000 permanent residents but it welcomes three million visitors annually who come to experience the amazing beauty, culture, and history it offers.

King Cross Station’s Harry Potter Gift Shop | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Our weeklong stay began when we arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport, from where we boarded the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station. Another train ride took us to King’s Cross Station. King’s Cross figures prominently in the Harry Potter books and films because it is from the station’s platform 9 ¾ that students take the Hogwarts Express. The Network Rail has taken advantage of this – it is now a tourist attraction. For 30 pounds, Harry Potter fans can have their picture taken as they pretend to push a shopping cart into the wall. Really.

For 30 pounds Harry Potter fans can have their picture taken pushing a cart towards the wall | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

From King’s Cross we hopped on the GWR (Great Western Railway) for our non-stop journey to Cambridge. We stayed at the Tamburlaine Hotel, which is literally across the street from the train station. I don’t usually comment on the hotel where we stay, lest readers get the impression that this is a paid promotion for it, but will make an exception this time because I’m excited to acquaint you with Tamburlaine.

The Tamburlaine hotel lobby | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

A boutique hotel, the Tamburlaine isn’t huge and impersonal like chain hotels. It looks more like a big, welcoming residence where you’ll want to invite your friends to hang out. Upon entering the lobby on the ground floor, comfortable sofas beckon you to sit by the fire. Shelves stacked with old, leather-bound books complete the warm ambience. This place is just like my own house – there are books everywhere – and I instantly felt at home!

The first floor of Tamburlaine Hotel | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

The first floor (which is actually the second) is a public space divided into several seating areas. One section has a long table which can be utilized for a conference or a meeting; there’s also a corner alcove where a couple can relax in front of some bookshelves. My favorite spot is an armchair next to the window where I sat to alternately read a book and watch people walking on the street level below.

However, I didn’t travel all the way to Cambridge to read a book; I wanted to explore the city. Let me preface this ‘travelogue’ by saying that my two young companions and I had to tailor our sight-seeing around graduation activities that I mentioned earlier. So, if you’ve ever been to Cambridge and are familiar with the town’s lay-out, you might notice that there were times when there was no rhyme or reason to how we went about our adventure.

The city’s lay-out | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

We arrived in Cambridge at midafternoon and we simply unpacked and took it easy. The town center is two miles away, which is quite a trek for Southern Californians (who are notorious for parking nearest to the building entrance because we’re too lazy to walk). Happily, we were in no hurry, so we simply meandered and observed all the fascinating things amidst us.

Brown’s Brasserie & Bar | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Dinner was at Brown’s Brasserie & Bar, a delightful restaurant which faces the Fitzwilliam Museum on Trumpington Road, the main thoroughfare. It’s quite popular among locals and tourists and could get really crowded but we were smart enough to make reservations. Its extensive menu has several options for every diner’s food requirement, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free fare. I always opt for a prix fixe meal because it gives me a tasting of courses at a great price. I would definitely recommend it, in case you visit Cambridge and dine at Brown’s.

The following day we went to the Fitzwilliam Museum to incorporate my companions’ visit with a friend there. Unlike in the United States where museums charge anywhere from $20 to $25 for admission, in the United Kingdom people get in free.

Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Here’s a brief history and description. In 1816, Richard, seventh Viscount Fitzwilliam and keen art collector, bequeathed his library and paintings to the University. He also gave 100,000 pounds to build a place to house half a million treasures of national and international significance, covering Egyptian, Roman, and Greek collections.

Coins, ceramics, and textiles are likewise displayed. Medievalists and artillery enthusiasts will find an impressive array of armors and weapons. The museum has a vast collection of ancient and modern manuscripts – John Keats’s ‘Ode to a Nightingale,’ a valuable series of Handel manuscripts, and autographed compositions by Purcell, Bach, and Mozart. My favorite Gallery is the one that holds various paintings ranging from Rembrandt and Rubens, to Picasso and Barbara Hepworth.

Today the Fitzwilliam is hailed as ‘one of the greatest art collections in England and a monument of the first importance.’ I can attest that the claim is not without merit.

A view of King’s College from ‘The Backs’ | Photo by Brianna Chu / Beacon Media News

Being an education writer, I was interested to see at least one college. Cambridge has a total of 31 colleges but, since we were there on a limited time, we chose to tour only King’s College and Chapel. It was established in 1441 by King Henry VI, when he was all of 19 years old. He also founded Eton School and, until 1873, King’s College exclusively accepted Eton students who were automatically granted a degree without having to take the exams. Many notable personalities graduated from here – Britain’s first Prime Minister Robert Walpole and renowned computer scientist and logician Alan Turing, among them.

King’s has inspired many a poet to sing its praises. And for good reason – it is a magnificent structure! But as grand as it is, the young King Henry’s original plans were even grander, which included a giant lake. No one knows who the architect was, but Reginald Ely was the master-mason who oversaw the work on the building. It is arguably the most photographed Cambridge college.

One of numerous stained glass windows in King’s Chapel | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Construction on the Chapel began in 1446 when King Henry laid the first stone but he never saw it finished – that would happen 90 years and four kings later. It is hailed as one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture.

We didn’t go inside Trinity College but it’s the grandest of all the colleges in Cambridge and if you’re ever there, I hope you get a chance to visit it. It was founded by King Henry VIII in 1546; its chapel was completed by his daughter Mary; and its library was designed, free of charge, by one of the most highly-acclaimed English architects in history, Sir Christopher Wren. It likewise has the lofty reputation of educating 32 Nobel Prize winners and alumni, including Sir Isaac Newton, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and HRH Prince Charles. According to lore, the poet Lord Byron once enraged college authorities by bathing in the fountain in front. There is also a small apple tree on the lawn which is descended from the one whose falling fruit enlightened Newton about the concept of gravity.

St Catharine’s College | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Until his graduation, my daughter’s fiancé was attending St Catharine’s (students refer to it as St Cath’s) and he proudly showed us the college. It was established in 1473 by Robert Wodelark, the third Provost of King’s College. Some of its alumni include John Addenbrooke, who founded Cambridge’s famous hospital, and known film personalities – Sir Ian McKellen, Rebecca Hall, Ben Miller, among others.

While we weren’t able to squeeze in visiting other colleges, we glimpsed several of them as we made our daily walks around town.

Every tourist should see the River Cam, as we did. It has had a major influence on this town for 2,000 years. Cambridge became rich from trading because it was accessible from the sea; small boats used the river as a trade route before the advent of the railway. Today River Cam is the site for recreational activity and the shallow boats which were once used for transporting goods and animals are now utilized for punting.

The Xu Zhimo Garden | Photo by Brianna Chu / Beacon Media News

It is said that all Cambridge seniors punt here one last time before they graduate. It’s so memorable that one King’s College alumnus, Xu Zhimo, who later became a renowned Chinese poet, refers to it in a poem he wrote, ‘Taking Leave of Cambridge Again.’  He is immortalized in a small garden near King’s Bridge. In 2018 a stone of white Beijing marble that displays the first and last two lines of his ode was installed. Stone steps, on which the rest of his poem is carved, wind around the garden and end at a ‘yin and yang’ formation.

Here is a portion of his poem translated:

Softly I am leaving,
Just as softly as I came;
I softly wave goodbye
To the clouds in the western sky.

The golden willows by the riverside
Are young brides in the setting sun;
Their glittering reflections on the shimmering river
Keep undulating in my heart.

The green tape grass rooted in the soft mud
Sways leisurely in the water;
I am willing to be such a waterweed
In the gentle flow of the River Cam.

Called the China-UK Friendship Garden, or Xu Zhimo Garden, it is a tranquil space during the summer months when tourists flock to the area. We lingered there to escape the unexpected heat wave.

Lingering at the Xu Zhimo Garden | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

The River Cam is located in the area to the east of Queen’s Road where several colleges back on to it. Aptly called ‘The Backs,’ it is very picturesque that some claim the view is one of the top ten in England. A portion of it is a field where cows leisurely graze and freely roam, a charmingly surprising sight. Sometimes an entire herd will decide to venture on the path, to the consternation of students who get held up on their way to class, as they wait for the cows to disperse.

Cows freely roam at ‘The Backs’ | Photo by Tom Williams / Beacon Media News

You can’t miss the Market on Crescent Street; you’re bound to come upon it as you wander around the city. For over 1,000 years, it has been a source of food and goods for locals, students, and tourists. From one day to the next, the market has an ever-changing coterie of vendors selling a wide array of items – fruits and vegetables, souvenirs that range from fridge magnets to sweatshirts, freshly baked breads and pastries or fresh from-the-oven pizzas. We enjoyed some blueberries and smoothies and perused the interesting things displayed on the stalls; I bought a few tchotchkes to take home.

We weren’t there in the mornings to see the sellers set up shop but we saw them pack up almost every single afternoon (at 5:00) during our week in Cambridge. It was quite amazing to watch them efficiently load their things – stalls and all – into vehicles of every make and model.

Interspersed between our Cambridge walks was a drive to the cathedral city of Ely, about 14 miles away. A quaint town, it is the 9th least populated city in the United Kingdom. Its most famous attraction is the Ely Cathedral, which predates the town. Built when Ely was a small settlement, the town grew around it.

Ely Cathedral | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

In fact, one can get to the cathedral by walking past a small town square. Local retailers – from plumbing suppliers to stationers, gardening stores to souvenir shops, pizza parlors to cold creameries – dot the periphery while tables and chairs are neatly arranged in the center. I can imagine townspeople gathering there at the end of their workday or after Sunday service. It’s reminiscent of a time before the tech age, when people weren’t merely texting each other.

The central octagonal tower is the most distinctive and celebrated feature of Ely cathedral. Lady Chapel, a large free-standing edifice, is linked to the north aisle of the chancel by a covered walkway. The West Tower is open for those who like climbing heights; tours are held at intervals and are led by guides who tell the history of the cathedral.

From the South Triforium at Ely Cathedral, one can walk up a spiral staircase and visit the Stained Glass Museum on the second level. It has a collection of stained glass windows of national importance from the 13th century to the present.

Oliver Cromwell’s house | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

A short stroll away from Ely Cathedral is the house where Oliver Cromwell and his family lived from 1636-1647. It is a half-timbered building that once served as the vicarage for the nearby St Mary’s Church. It is the only surviving Cromwell residence other than Hampton Court Palace in London. For several years it was a pub aptly called ‘Cromwell’s Arms.’ Today it is a visitor attraction and is the Ely Tourist Information Centre.

Everywhere I go, I end up stopping at a bookstore and Waterstone’s is my favorite one of all. It’s a prettier version of Barnes & Noble and you can find one in all major cities in the U.K. It usually occupies several stories, with each level dedicated to specific book genres. It has nooks, seating areas, and window seats where one can spend several glorious hours of uninterrupted reading.

Being bibliophiles, we made an appointment to visit The Parker Library at Corpus Christie College. It is significant in that it is the only library in Cambridge with a single benefactor, Matthew Parker. He was born in 1504 in Norwich to a prosperous weaver (weaving was a major industry in Medieval East Anglia).

The Parker Library | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Parker was believed to have attended Corpus Christi in 1520 and was elected Bible clerk of the college in 1521. He graduated in 1525 and was ordained as a priest in 1527. Because of family connections in Norwich, he became chaplain to Queen Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII. Among the medieval collections in the library is a volume of autographed letters he assembled and indexed himself, with original specimens of correspondence from prominent  figures of Lutheranism and English Reform – Anne Boleyn, Erasmus, Luther, Melanchthon, Calvin, and others.

As we left Corpus Christie, we espied several tourists taking pictures of a rather strange sight on the corner of Bene’t Street. A more recent fascination, the Corpus Clock never fails to attract a large crowd since its installation in 2008. Conceived and funded by John C. Taylor, it took design engineer Stuart Huxley and a team of 250 people five years to create. It was unveiled by physicist Stephen Hawking.

While it looks futuristic, the Corpus Clock honors the skills of 17th and 18th century clockmakers, as well as six new patented inventions. No computers are involved; the only electricity used is to wind the mechanism and light the LEDs that display the time in hours, minutes, and seconds. Taylor wanted to show how a clock works by turning the mechanism inside out, to reveal the largest ‘grasshopper escapement’ in the world.

The Corpus Clock on Bene’t Street | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

The sinister grasshopper-like creature on top of the Corpus Clock is a ‘Chronophage’ (time-eater) sculpted by Matthew Sanderson. Every 15 minutes it raises its tail threateningly, before finally stinging each hour to death, to the sound of a chain rattling into a wooden coffin. It has an unnerving, irregular movement – sometimes the pendulum will pause and the LEDs flash, slowly at first, then chase as if to catch up. It’s all quite brilliantly deceiving because the clock, in fact, reads accurately every five minutes.

From Bene’t Road, we crossed King’s Parade and went to Ryder and Amies. One of the best known university outfitting companies, it has been serving the university for over 120 years under the management of one family. It is an integral part of university life – providing students with neckties, hoodies, pins, among other things. The windows display a striking array of college colors and clothing. It’s also a place to get all kinds of mementos and I left the shop with a bagful of souvenirs and an empty wallet. Sigh.

Afternoon tea at Fitzbillies is an English indulgence in its finest form | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

We were told that we should never leave Cambridge without going to Fitzbillies on Trumpington Street. This fabulous cake shop and restaurant has been making the city a happier place since 1922. A cup of tea and some sweets sounded like a wonderful idea after a day of sightseeing and shopping. And true to what has been advertised, our tea experience at Fitzbillies was an English indulgence in its finest form.

Students emerge from St Catharine’s, process along King’s Parade, enter the Senate House, and leave from its side door into the Passage as graduates | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

Graduations are held at the Senate House on King’s Parade. Successful students process along King’s Parade from their college, enter the imposing building, and leave from its side door into Senate House Passage as graduates. My daughter’s fiancé graduated at Senate House on the 19th of July. It was indeed quite moving to watch him and his classmates as they emerged St Catharine’s and went through this time-honored ritual.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Trinity Street | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

To celebrate his graduation, we decided to have dinner at The Ivy on Trinity Street. We took a meandering route from our hotel and, walking along Round Church Street, chanced upon the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Also called The Round Church (I don’t know if it was named that because of the street or vice-versa), it is the second oldest building in Cambridge and one of only four round churches in England. The shape emulates its counterpart in Jerusalem. While it has changed much over the years – before the 1800s its tower was polygonal; the shape of its windows has been modified; and, during World War II, the east window was destroyed by a bomb – but the original ring of arches, decorated by curious stone faces, remains.

The Ivy Brasserie on Trinity Street | Photo by May S. Ruiz / Beacon Media News

A sumptuous dinner at the fabulous Ivy was the perfect cap to an extraordinary week in this beautiful city. While Cambridge is home to the best university in the United Kingdom and is a popular tourist attraction, it has retained all the charms and atmosphere of a small town. That magnificent, soaring structures abound only adds to its uniqueness, making for one unforgettable experience.

‘Frankenstein’ Makes a Stunning California Premiere at A Noise Within

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 20 August 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Couture’s rendering of the creature breaking through the lab | Courtesy photo / Francois-Pierre Couture

A Noise Within (ANW) opens its 2019-2020 season ‘They Played with Fire’ with the California premiere of Nick Dear’s ‘Frankenstein.’ Adapted from the original novel by Mary Shelley and  directed by Michael Michetti, it is a stand-alone production from August 11 to September 8, 2019.

Michael Manuel, who was last seen on the ANW stage as Iago in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello,’ stars as the Creature. Playing Victor Frankenstein is resident artist Kasey Mahaffy and taking the role of Elizabeth/female creature is Erika Soto.

Shelley’s most renowned work, ‘Frankenstein’ tells the story of a creature who comes back to wreak destruction after he is cast away into a hostile world by his creator. Dear’s adaptation of the Gothic tale depicts the themes of social rejection, intellectual hubris, and the emergence of good and evil.

Michetti pronounces, “By telling the story from the point of view of the Creature, this highly theatrical adaptation of Mary Shelley’s beloved novel delivers not only the terror we expect from the story, but a surprisingly thoughtful and moving exploration of society’s role in teaching and perpetuating violence.”

Scenic designer Francois-Pierre Couture has been tasked with providing ‘Frankenstein’ the backdrop and atmosphere that reflects Michetti’s vision. A transplant from Montreal, Canada, Couture is the rare artist with a full plate in both the artistic and academic fields.

I chat with Couture recently to find out how he ended up in Los Angeles, what teaching means to him, and why collaboration is what he does best.

Couture says, “When I was graduating from university in Montreal, I went to URTA (University/Resident Theatre Association), which is where students who are looking to go to graduate school for theatre programs have the opportunity to meet representatives from different universities in the U.S. (think College Fair). After presenting our portfolio, we were interviewed by school representatives.

“There weren’t that many schools from New York; I can’t remember if Yale and NYU were represented that year at URTA. But I was really considering going to either UCLA or CalArts – I thought it would be fun to go to the West Coast and explore that region of the United States. At that point I hadn’t been to Los Angeles; the first time was when I visited the schools. In fact, I  went twice because I looked at both schools on separate trips. UCLA offered me a pretty hefty scholarship to cover my studies, including some living expenses. I waited a year to give me time to think about it and, in the end, I attended UCLA and earned my MFA (Masters in Fine Arts).”

Asked what made him stay, Couture replies, “I suppose when you study for three years in a certain environment, it grows on you. I also got in touch with The Actors’ Gang right away and started designing for them and I became their production manager for three years. One thing led to the next – I started working and then I established a career in L.A. In the process, I met people here and it became my little world.”

Besides doing scenic, lighting, and projection design, Couture teaches at UCLA, Cal State Long Beach, and is a full-time professor at East Los Angeles College (ELAC).

Couture relates how he discovered that teaching was also his calling. “About 10 years ago, when I started my grad studies at UCLA, through the Actors’ Gang I found a part-time teaching job at Culver City High School. One of my colleagues, who was also an ELAC teacher, told me about an opening there. So I started teaching at ELAC on a part-time basis.

“Things were happening all at once then – I was studying for my graduate degree, I was transitioning from a full time production manager job for the Actors’ Gang to part-time teacher, and growing my design career. When I got into the academic world, I got pulled further into it. I started teaching at Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount University, Cal State Long Beach, Cal State Northridge, UC Santa Barbara, and UCLA. At ELAC and UCLA I supervise students in their production work and mentor them.”

Couture showing his designs | Courtesy photo / Francois-Pierre Couture

“It’s extremely rewarding to be able to teach someone what you know and show them your process,” continues Couture. “It’s very healthy in many ways because it forces me to understand what I’m doing on an academic and intellectual level. Just like others who work in theatre, I don’t have time to intellectualize what I do because I do shows back-to-back. Going back to basics helps me secure the foundations again. It’s a symbiotic relationship – teaching young people, seeing them grow, and giving them opportunities, especially here in ELAC.

“A lot of our students come from communities who have no access to theatre, who don’t think of theatre as a source of employment that’s desirable for them. So it’s so gratifying to be able to offer all that to young people from varied backgrounds. One of my lighting students is going to do his graduate studies on the East Coast, some are going to CalArts, another is going UC Irvine, and one will attend Cal State Fullerton next year. Many of our theatre students are also doing great things, someone is right now finishing his Master’s in directing at UCLA. In the ten years that we’ve devoted to this program we’ve been able to help our demographics enter a field that was previously underrepresented. ELAC is also the official education partner of CTG’s (Center Theatre Group, which includes the Ahmanson, Taper, and Kirk Douglas) outreach program. That direct relationship is essential to our success.”

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that education outreach and artistic work are rarely done by the same person, I opine. Couture says, “It’s hard; there’s a lot of hours involved. But, far from being the only one working on it, I am part of a big team. And we have an entire faculty working with us to create this outreach. With our strengths and connections in the industry, we’re able to advance this program.”

“Which is the day job and which is the side job?” I ask. “That’s a tough question,” responds Couture. “I’ll have to say teaching is my day job and designing is my night job. During the summer and winter months, I choose not to teach classes and that’s when I cram all the prep and design work. During the school year, I’m at school from 9 am to 5 pm four or five days a week, with pockets of down time. But, of course, during production my hours increase – I wake up at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning to do my day job then go home to work at night. When I’m at the theatre, usually Thursday through Sunday, I work day and night.”

In the last 13 years, Couture has worked as a scenic, lighting, and projection designer. He has received multiple Ovation, LADCC, LA Weekly awards & nominations. Designs include: ‘Invisible Tango,’ ‘A Picasso,’ at the Geffen Playhouse; ‘Everything that Never Happened,’ ‘With Love and Major Organ,’ Boston Court Pasadena; ‘Destiny of Desire,’ Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage Theatre, South Coast Repertory& Goodman Theatre; ‘Jackie Unveiled,’ Wallis Theatre; ‘The Mexican Trilogy, an American History,’ Los Angeles Theatre Center; ‘Metamorphoses,’ ‘Everything is Illuminated,’ Ensemble Theatre Company; ‘Médée’ and ‘Teseo,’ Chicago Opera Theatre; ‘L’Elisir d’Amore,’ and ‘Cold Mountain,’ Music Academy of the West.

Couture recalls the very first award he got, “Charles McNulty, the theatre writer for the L.A. Times, featured me in his column as one of ‘Faces to Watch’ in 2007 when I designed ‘Love’s Labor’s Lost’ at The Actors’ Gang Theatre. It took me about six years working a lot of small theatres doing scenic and lighting projects to build my reputation. To this day I still do between 10 and 20 productions a year and I didn’t get the work that I’m getting now until Charles’s endorsement.

“However, the awards and acclaim don’t affect how I work. The process is so tied to my relationship with the director and the other designers. The risks we take are based on what we’re trying to do with the play and how we want to tell the story. I can’t think about awards when I’m designing because then the pressure is put in the wrong place. If I work well with my co-designers and everybody on stage and I try to be innovative, am true to the play, and give what the play needs, then the award will hopefully follow. The goal is to do good work and do something that the audience will perceive, that will communicate the story. And if we get noticed and are given awards, then that’s wonderful. Awards are subjective in many ways and you’re judged against other people’s work. So if, one year, others also did amazing work and you didn’t win an award, it doesn’t mean you didn’t do good work.”

Shown left to right: Kasey Mahaffy, Michael Manuel, and Erika Soto | Photo by Craig Schwartz / A Noise Within

It was Michael Michetti, Artistic Director at Boston Court Pasadena, who approached Couture to do the scenic design for ‘Frankenstein.’

Couture discloses, “I’ve done about ten productions there; the first show I did with him was for ‘Dinosaur Within,’ in 2011. Michael is a very talented and accomplished director. He and I respect each other’s work immensely; we try to work together but there were always scheduling conflicts. It was really fortunate that I was available to do ‘Frankenstein.’ The design process took about two to two-and-a-half months. Michael and I talked about the play at the outset; then in our next meeting, I came in with more concrete idea designs.”

“I think what I’m good at, and what I do a lot, is balancing reality and abstraction. I often work on complicated plays that have multiple locations and that show emotional content. I try to encompass all the elements and synthesize them to create a design on the stage. I want to think I’m a good collaborator; I love to involve everybody else on the team. Lighting designer Jared Sayeg and I had a lot of conversations about ‘Frankenstein’s’ set and lighting design. We knew it was going to be a big project that involves a lot of work and that it was going to be demanding because it’s a challenging play.”

“So what can the audience look forward to?” I query. “The audience can expect a scenic design that is emotionally charged; that which emphasizes the struggle of the creature, visually and viscerally,” expounds Couture. “We utilized chiaroscuro – light and shadow – that echo the layers and dark corners of all the characters. It’s also a design that people will find surprising, maybe thought-provoking in some ways, as we don’t represent the reality of all the spaces because it’s a very cinematic universe. But it all makes sense.”

ANW’s ‘Frankenstein’ is indeed a stunning first production for this season. Michael Manuel’s superb acting, supported by a remarkable cast and an extraordinary design team, and helmed by a visionary director, brilliantly bring to life Mary Shelley’s much-loved novel. If the audience’s reaction during the opening weekend was any indication, ‘Frankenstein’ could expect a monstrously successful run.

Local Interior Designer Makes Gorgeous Living Spaces

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 13 August 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Jake Galang did the interior and some exterior design on this magnificent Pasadena house | Courtesy photo / Ilustracion by Jake

Owning a house and making it a home is something most of us aspire to. We take great pains to make our abode a place where we can live comfortably and take pride in; where we can hold get-togethers or dinners with colleagues; where our children can invite their friends for playdates and sleepovers.

Jake Galang has made it her mission to help homeowners achieve that goal. The principal for her eponymous company, Ilustracion by Jake, she designs living spaces that are as efficient as they are magnificent. A transplant from the Philippines, she established her firm in 2006 after working in Singapore and afterwards for interior designers in Pasadena. She has since built an excellent reputation among developers in the San Gabriel Valley, with whom she collaborates on projects from the ground up. You probably have driven around town and seen several of the houses she has worked on.

Catching up with Galang on a recent morning, I inquire how she got her name (Jake!), how she got into the business, and what her favorite projects are.

Galang at a job walk in Hong Kong | Courtesy Photo / Ilustracion by Jake

“My birth name is actually Catherine,” Galang discloses. “At first I thought my Dad nicknamed me, but I later found out it was all my Mom’s doing. She was a big fan of John Wayne, who was in a movie called ‘Big Jake.’ The name stuck with her and it was what she decided to call me.”

When I protest that the moniker conjures an image of a robust man while she is a soft-spoken, petite woman, Galang replies gleefully, “But that’s the best part of it – it’s very deceiving! Contractors remember me because it’s an easy name, there are only four letters.”

Asked what steered her towards this career, Galang responds, “Architecture and interior design are in my genes. My grandfather was one of the pioneering architects in Manila and he did his drawings on linen. He passed away when I was very young, but I distinctly remember unrolling one of his illustrations which featured capiz (the outer shell of the marine mollusk found in the shallow coastal waters of the Philippines) windows and Spanish balustrades.

“However, my mother was my biggest artistic influence. She was very creative and was an interior designer back in Manila. I grew up seeing her work on projects and, once in a while, I would assist her on installations. Additionally, she fabricated the drapery – designing and sewing – she used on her jobs. At that time, window treatments were traditional period drapery, like the swags that are used in the White House, and I would help her hem.”

Lighting selection by Galang | Courtesy Photo / Ilustracion by Jake

Galang continues, “I also found product branding and lay-out designing quite fascinating, so when I attended College of the Holy Spirit, I took Advertising as my major. My mother thought there wasn’t much financial stability in that field, though, and convinced me to pursue interior design instead. So I switched majors and consequently earned a BFA in Interior Design.

“After graduation, I worked for an office systems company in Manila which provided furniture for multinationals like Chase Manhattan, Bank of America, Del Monte, etc. I was lucky enough to be sent to Hong Kong and Singapore for seminars. That was when I started traveling. I did some work for Steelcase and Knoll in Hong Kong; after that I went to Brunei to set up a Scandinavian furniture showroom.

“Several friends, who were then employed in Singapore, told me that Singapore was booming and designers were in demand. I thought that would be a good career opportunity and was blessed to be petitioned by an interior design company. I moved to Singapore and worked for Bosgroup International from 1993 to 1998. I designed furniture for Omnia, the supplier for the famous Raffles Hotel; created high-end residential interior design under I&T Interiors; and worked with designer CKT Thomas on public spaces, including Tan Tock Seng Hospital and numerous children’s libraries. Singapore is a multi-cultural, fast-paced country and I learned a lot there. That experience prepared me for what was to come.

“My work took me to the United States where I saw the business was also flourishing, so I decided to stay. I worked as a draftsman at JF Interiors in Pasadena and our projects were mostly renovation and design of old homes in San Marino. We were involved with the Pasadena Showcase House of Design. I remained for ten years and the owner and principal designer of the firm, Janie Fain, became my mentor.”

In 2006, Galang bravely took the leap to establish her own design firm and has kept busy with projects, 90% of which are residential and 10% are commercial. Besides her work being featured in Luxe magazine, Galang doesn’t do any marketing. Clients hear about her by word of mouth and they go on her website.

Adds Galang, “I work closely with Mur-Sol Construction, one of the premier residential builders in Arcadia – designing cabinetry and lighting, and picking plumbing fixtures, stone, and tile for their various developments. I love to work on the interior structure of the house as well. I sketch or draw in CAD, give it to the builder, and inspect if the finished work is done correctly based on my specs.”

Comfortable seating defines this living room | Courtesy Photo / Ilustracion by Kake

Galang isn’t inclined towards any particular style or period. “I get the inspiration for the interior from the architecture of the house,” she says. “I also talk with the homeowners to find out how they live, what they gravitate to, what they need, and what’s important to them. There will always be clients who buy a contemporary style house then want to have a French look inside. The biggest challenge for an interior designer is when homeowners want to combine two aesthetics that aren’t compatible. In that case, I would persuade them to consider a more streamlined look instead of French moldings and panels in the living room, or fish-shaped faucets in the bathrooms. I think that’s the most difficult part of this job – trying to steer clients from making choices that don’t make design sense and still make them happy.

“One of the things I learned in this business is compromise. You realize that just because you think you have this great creative idea, everybody will agree with your vision. There’s a  Confucian saying, ‘How will you learn when your cup is so full,’ there’s no room so it will overflow. When I was younger I thought I knew everything, especially when designing interiors, because I was educated for it. But now that I’m older, I realize that there’s still much out there I don’t know. I’ve learned to be more receptive to other people’s opinions and perspectives.”

The mural for the Khora lobby was printed on chains from Spain | Courtesy Photo / Ilustracion by Jake

Two recent projects Galang completed were commercial jobs in Hong Kong. She explains, “They asked me to design the flagship office for their skin care company in Hong Kong. We used local workers there, but I drew everything here and specified the look for the place. Another one is a creative building. It is a very modern sleek structure so I designed something that looks industrial. For its main lobby, I found a mural made by an artist from Vancouver which I thought would look great in it. I asked her permission to use it and commissioned her, then I printed it on chains from Spain which I found during one of my travels with my family sourcing for materials for my projects. I also integrated my personality into it. Nowadays, with the Internet, everyone’s on their computer and people use Kindle when they want to read. But I still read books, so I put them in as part of the design to evoke knowledge. In fact, the mural itself suggests creativity. If you look closely at head of the person in the mural, you’ll see there are ideas coming out of her head.

“This is my favorite of all the projects I’ve done in my career, thus far. It was such a fun assignment for us! We’ve been doing the same traditional design over and over, so this one was a deviation. Hopefully, we’ll get more commercial work when people see it on my website.”

Galang designs for the way people live | Courtesy Photo / Ilustracion by Jake

Depending on the scale of the project, each one takes anywhere from three to four years to complete. Galang describes, “We just finished a residence at Bradbury which took three years. It has a game room made for entertainment – there’s a two-lane bowling alley and a golf simulator. Farther down, there’s a pool table and a wet bar, and then a wine cellar. The daughter has a playhouse within her bedroom and the son has custom bunk beds because he likes having sleepovers. That was actually a fun residential job, it had all the bells and whistles, and one could be really creative.”

Galang has a streamlined operation, “We’re a small outfit; besides me, I have three full-time assistants who are all architects – Desiree Panopio, Jila Mendoza, Aireen Dizon, and a part-time employee Jophi Elorta. They all love to travel and explore, like me. We sometimes are working on 15 projects in one year but, on average, we have ten to 12 residential jobs that overlap and range in size from 6,000 to 16,000 square feet.

“We, interior designers, are surrounded by so many grand things because of the clients we work with. I personally have a very casual and simple lifestyle. But I share that same way of life with some of my colleagues in the business. We get to design for the super-rich but, at the end of the day, we go back to our humble homes. And, as I’m sure many of us in this career do, I keep redecorating my house. I just couldn’t help it.”

Galang is an unassuming and tiny woman who creates mostly imposing living spaces. But at the heart of her design philosophy is the ultimate goal – to make the people who live in them feel they’re cocooned in a cozy and familiar place.

August College Search Guide

/ May S Ruiz / Leave a comment

Originally published on 1 August 2019 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, and Monrovia Weekly

Yale University | Courtesy Photo

The road to college

I hope your children got the chance to breathe, decompress, and savor the lull because they are now once more face-to-face with the realities of high school life. High schoolers in the San Gabriel Valley confront exceedingly fierce competition. Students here: get perfect SAT scores; have 4.0 GPAs; play varsity sports; are extraordinary cellists/pianists/violinists; are founders of school clubs; are presidents of the school body; serve as officers on several campus organizations. Everyone is so accomplished that it’s a challenge for anyone to stand out. Much has been written in the newspapers about how stressed out these children are. Happily, besides being sleep-deprived, most of them get through the four years relatively unscathed.

Every fall marks the time when the process of getting ready for college application begins, whether your children are just starting 9th grade or are already in 12th grade. The only difference is the pace at which they are working on their resume. They start building all the components that go into their transcript as soon as they get into high school. By the time they reach their senior year, they should have a transcript with excellent grades balanced with an equally impressive array of extra-curricular and enrichment activities.    

You and your children should determine their interests and career goals and see what courses the school offers which appropriately meet those. These should be the guidelines for your students during the four years they are in high school. The outcomes of their work then determine which colleges or universities they should consider when they put together their list of where to apply.

An important factor in the admissions process is the students’ (and parents’) preconceived ideas about where they should apply and what their dream school is. Oftentimes, kids apply to the same dozen or so most-recognizable university names. This creates an unreasonable expectation which, sometimes, leads to unhealthy behavior. There are innumerable institutions that offer excellent teaching; there is a school out there that is the right fit for your child. 

As if the application process isn’t complicated enough, this school year the College Board will begin expanding the SAT adversity score which was tested by 50 colleges and universities this past admissions cycle. In an article written by Scott Jaschik for Inside Higher Ed, he quoted a spokesperson for the College as saying, “This is a tool designed for admission officers to view a student’s academic accomplishment in the context of where they live and learn.”

While the College Board’s intent may be sincere, many doubt the adversity score’s efficacy. In fact, critics of the plan claim it’s ‘a back door to racial quotas in college admissions.’ Still others  say that the recent bribing scandal has demonstrated the lengths at which affluent parents will go to game the college admissions system and an adversity score couldn’t possibly balance the odds.           

In recent years, universities have tried to close the gap in admissions between affluent students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In 2016 Harvard released a study called ‘Turning the Tide: Inspiring Concern for Others and the Common Good through College Admissions.’ It was the first step in a two-year campaign that sought to reshape the existing application process.

I wrote an article that explored Harvard’s report and to get feedback from the local academic community as well as from ACCIS (Association of College Counselors in Independent schools). The high school counselors and administrators I interviewed for the story felt that as noble as Harvard’s intent was, they perceived it as something that just adds another hurdle for students to jump through. They also pointed out that “the extreme selectivity is what created this unhealthy behavior on the high school side” and they should change way they select which students should be admitted entirely if they really wanted to resolve it.    

The spokesperson for ACCIS, Jody Sweeney, said “Until we see that colleges are really recognizing and valuing a student who engages deeply in two or three activities and rewarding that with an acceptance, we won’t be making great changes to our college application process…. We’re waiting to see what impact this report has on admissions selection and their recruitment process. Right now it’s GPA- and SAT-based. We want to get a sense from college admissions officers how they’re going to tweak their process.”

Obviously, not much has changed since. In March this year, at the height of the college admissions scandal, Harvard released ‘Turning the Tide II: How Parents and High Schools Can Cultivate Ethical Character and Reduce Distress in the College Admissions Process.’ It reiterates that ‘intense focus on academic achievement has squeezed out serious attention to ethical character in many high schools and families, especially in middle- and upper-income families,’ which ‘Turning the Tide’ alluded to and was the impetus for them coming up with the study in the first place. ‘Turning the Tide II’ goes a step further by criticizing parents who ‘fail to be ethical role models to their children by allowing a range of transgressions – from exaggerating achievements to outright cheating – in the admissions process.’

San Gabriel Valley is notorious for having very competitive independent and public schools. As much as the parents, these schools want bragging rights for sending their students to the Ivies. But I have yet to meet or hear about parents who go so far as bribing university coaches or hiring someone to take the SAT exams for their children. What we do, however, is ensure that our children are fully prepared for the application process and that they actually earn their admission to the most selective universities – which make for over-scheduled and exhausted teen-agers. If  only we could find a happy medium.                      

Photo by Annie Spratt for Unsplash

FRESHMAN

High school is vastly different from middle school. Teachers have higher expectations from the work students turn in. Your children need to develop their analytical skills as their teachers will require deeper thinking and subject exploration from their papers. They should also have better time management skills to handle the more rigorous course load and extra-curricular activities.

Likewise, there is a big change in campus life – they no longer have a “home room” and they have varying sets of classmates for each subject. One glaring difference is that they now have to make their own choices of courses and activities. Your children need to confer with the school counselor to map out a four-year curriculum that meets the requirements of colleges.

Usually there is a “Back to School Night” when parents get to meet all the teachers. This is a chance for you to see what your children will be learning during the school year. While you will no longer be as involved in their activities as in previous years, find the time to be aware of what’s happening. Some schools welcome, even solicit, parents’ help for certain campus events.

In the first few days of 9th grade, your children will have several things they will be making decisions on, and tackling. I have to add here that high schools send their profile to the college or university to which your children are applying. Admissions officers will know what opportunities were available and if the applicant took advantage of them. I have listed them here with a brief description or explanation:

AP COURSES: Make sure your children choose the AP subjects they will need in the course(s) they will be taking in college. They shouldn’t pile up on APs to pad their resume because they will need to take the AP (and SAT II) exams for these subjects. Some universities only accept 4 or 5 on an AP exam for it to have any merit at all. While college admissions officers favor students who took on challenging AP subjects, they don’t look kindly on low AP grades either.   Encourage your children to take courses they are truly interested in; students who study something they really like generally do well in it.     

CLUBS: Your children should join the clubs they actually want to be involved in; encourage them to participate actively. Ideally, your children would start a society based on their interest or something they feel strongly about. It can be something socially impactful, or it can be a fun club for student members to take a respite from their heavy academic load. In my daughter’s school one student formed a Superhero Club where they go to all the openings of the latest Marvel or DC Comics films.     

ATHLETICS: If your children are into sports and would like to play it in college, they need to start looking into the NCAA requirements now. Several universities offer scholarships for superior athletes and being a standout in a particular sport gives an applicant an edge.

ARTS CLASS: If your children’s school offers art electives, encourage them to take a course.  Usually, in the first year, the grade level dean encourages students to try various classes on offer so they can determine what they really want to focus on in the next three years.        

LANGUAGE: Besides the core subjects – English, History, Math, Science – a world language is a requirement for admission into college. In some elementary schools, students can take Mandarin and Spanish immersion classes. The Pasadena Unified School District, for one, offers French in addition to Mandarin and Spanish. If they continue on, these children will be ready not merely for college; they will be well-equipped for an increasingly global society.   

COMMUNITY SERVICE: Your children should do something they feel strongly about and work it every summer; it shows commitment to the activity they took on. This is going to be an essential component in your children’s transcript. Admissions officers are looking for depth of community involvement.       

SUMMER CAMP/ENRICHMENT COURSE: If your children have a passion for a particular activity, they should pursue a summer program related to it. Guidance counselors in some schools compile a list of the most engaging courses locally, out-of-state, or internationally.   

It goes without saying that all the above activities are merely supplements to good grades in the core subjects. Loading up on extra-curriculars at the expense of grades is definitely ill-advised.  While admissions officers at all the universities talk about their holistic approach in their selection process, a student’s GPA remains a very critical, if not the single most important, component of your children’s college application. 

SOPHOMORE

Your children have fully transitioned into high school, the demands of which were drilled into their subconscious the past school year. They have to put 9th grade behind them and face 10th grade with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

JUNIOR

Hopefully, your kids got a lot of rest this summer because in a few weeks they will be embarking on one of the most hectic years of high school life. Make sure your children confer with their school’s counselor to ascertain they have all the courses required for graduating and for college.  They need to know what standardized exams they’ll need to take for the college application. They should research which colleges and universities offer the course(s) they would like to pursue.

Take the time to attend this year’s ‘Back to School Night’ as it will take on greater significance than previous ones. The school counselors are usually present to give parents an overview of what you and your children will be expecting when the application process shifts into high gear in the spring.  

SENIOR

By this time, your children should know where they will be applying and have visited the schools. They should have taken all standardized exams required for college applications, firmed up their college/university list, researched all kinds of scholarships, lined up teachers to write their recommendations, perfected their personal statement, and learned how to complete the common application. They practically have to have their running shoes on by the time they get in the door of their high school!

COLLEGE FRESHMAN

Are your kids ready to leave their childhood behind? In a few weeks, they will be on a road not traveled. College life exposes them to the real world and I hope you let them practice how to live independently of you during their summer break. Things they took for granted before – eating hot meals without having to turn on the stove, getting clothes laundered weekly for them, rooms being miraculously cleaned – will suddenly be their responsibilities. If their dorm offers catered meals, that’s one less chore for them to worry about; but they will still have to do their own laundry.   

Congratulations, parents!  You have successfully launched your child to college and adulthood. Hello, empty nest syndrome!