Arts & Entertainment

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay once asked, “To what purpose, April, do you return again?”

On April 24, for the third time in a year, both Decorah residents and Luther students were treated to a conspicuously atypical Midwestern artistic hullabaloo. Thirty people performed in front of a crowd of nearly 130 at a poetry slam at the Elks Lodge, hosted by the ArtHaus, a newly-opened center for the arts in downtown Decorah.

Puppets, including a beautiful swan, a six-foot tall bird and deep-sea creatures, came alive in the hands of the cast during the world-premiere of “Camille’s Carnival,” which opened this past weekend under the direction of Professor of Theatre Jeff Dintaman and Justin Madsen (‘09).

Irish band An Dochas charmed Luther students in Marty’s on April 17 as SAC Diversity’s final event for the year.

An Dochas, Gaelic for “The Hope,” combines the traditional Irish sounds of Uileann pipes, bodhran, fiddle and mandolin with modern vocals and drums. Their lively sound had students clapping, shouting and dancing along.

As both a dog-trainer and a practicing Buddhist, Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion Scott Hurley combines two important aspects of his life when discussing animal rights.

The Midwest met the West coast and Australia last Saturday as The Hush Sound and Lenka shared the stage for the SAC Concerts spring show. The Regents Center proved a little too large for the smaller-than-usual crowd that attended the concert, but both groups kept the audience entertained.

When Maia Elgin (‘09) wrote a poem honoring her grandmother’s death in the third grade, she never expected to surpass 132 other college poets to win a first prize award of $500 at an international convention.

Located on the edge of campus, the Storre Theatre building is a place many students have only heard of.

This changed a few weeks ago when students flocked to Storre to a see a production of “Godspell” and many were turned away.

Exploring the complex themes within technology and relationships, Luther’s Theatre/Dance department will present “so tech, so savvy” in Studio II of the Center for the Arts on April 3 and 4 at 9 p.m.

As part of PAC’s Center Stage Series, Diavolo performed for a sold out audience March 17 in the CFL. The group kept the audience members on the edge of their seats with its mystical dancing and stunning acrobatics.

Next week, various campus organizations comprised of musicians, athletes, volunteers and thrill-seekers will hit the road for Spring Break. No matter the destination, students have been anticipating this long-awaited break from academics to travel with friends.

Has the new Facebook got you down? Are you tired of checking your Norse Mail every five seconds, only to find nothing new? And Lord knows those Charlie the Unicorn videos have gotten old. Cheer up and check out some of these Web sites.

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Decorah community members and Luther students and faculty came together in the Center for Faith and Life on Mar. 10 at 7:30 p.m. where the Performing Arts Committee presented the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players’ performance of the comic opera, “The Mikado.”

Since Luther only puts on a musical every one or two years, students like Justin Madsen (‘09) are taking the initiative and directing their own productions through SPIN Theatre. Madsen’s Theatre/Dance senior project, “Godspell,” will be performed this weekend by thirteen Luther students.

Tonight, March 12, is yet another SAC Cinema movie night hosted by the Viking Theater here in Decorah. This month’s selection offers a wide variety of choice for any movie-goer. Whether you’re looking for a chick-flick, explosions or just some old-fashioned Nazis, SAC Cinema will not disapoint.

Valkyrie - 9:15 Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2 hrs