“The principle of true art is not to portray, but to evoke” — Jerzy Kosiński
This installment of Rouge18’s “The World Is A Stage” series brings you art that asks interesting questions, pushes the envelope, and defies convention. There were several contenders for each of our categories—beauty, dance, music video, movie trailer, comedy, interview, and long-form content—but only one winner could prevail for the month of June. Keep reading to find out who made the cut!
Beauty: What Beauty Is Like Behind Prison Bars
Refinery 29 takes a deep dive into cosmetology programs in women’s prisons, and how they can help rehabilitate inmates and restore some sense of dignity in a system designed to dehumanize them. The video includes interviews of current and former inmates and even touches on widespread abuse in prison.
Dance: Streb Extreme Action Performs “Slice”
A few years ago I sat in on a rehearsal for Streb Extreme Action Lab, and was mesmerized. This dance company is like no other, and they practice a form of dance called Extreme Action. This dance style includes death defying stunts and falling face first on to mats like it’s no big deal. Streb’s philosophy is to feel what it is to fly; part of flying is landing, not being too precious with your body, and allowing it to feel all that flying and falling entails. This particular performance is not for the faint of heart, as dancers push physics and their bodies to the limits in a performance appropriately titled8 “Slice”.
Music Video: APES**T by The Carters
There wasn’t even a question of which music video to feature. Beyoncé and Jay Z released a joint album and graced us with this beautiful video shot in The Louvre (casual).
Movie Trailer: A Star Is Born
I’ve been reading about this movie for what seems like years (because I’m a film freak who is always reading about films before they even begin production) and it’s finally coming out in October. Bradley Cooper makes his directorial debut directing himself and Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born, a remake of the tragic love story. I’m always down for films about musicians, so I can’t wait. To hold us all over until October, here’s the trailer.
Comedy: Sexually Enlightened R&B Song
College Humor puts a spin on classic R&B to bring you Sexually Enlightened R&B Song. Naturally, this music video is hilarious, but it’s also kind of a good song (with a solid message to boot).
Interview: Wrongly Arrested At 16
The Skin Deep is a YouTube channel that hosts a series called {THE AND}, where two people sit face to face and answer questions wirtten on a series of cards. This particular episode of {THE AND} features David and Adama, two people who became friends as David was filming a documentary about Adama’s wrongful imprisonment by the US government at age 16. The relationship between these two is truly touching, and if you want more, I highly recommend watching their documentary Adama.
Long Form Content: Wentworth Miller at the Oxford Union
Wentworth Miller (of Prison Break) speaks candidly with the students of Oxford University about mental health, race, and his career. This one’s a bit of a tearjerker, but it’s also offers some good laughs.
“The World Is A Stage” is a monthly series on Rouge18 highlighting art and performance of various sorts for your viewing pleasure.
