Karissa Schaefer, Staff Writer, Living Arts
Latest from Karissa Schaefer
Originally from Canton, Massachusetts, Rosie Darling grew up singing, messing around on the piano and guitar, and obsessing over Taylor Swift.
There’s a delicacy to Darling's voice—like a soulful...
Not long after their first 15 North American shows, stand-up comedian Cara Connors will return to the stage on June 9 at The White Bull Tavern in Boston’s Faneuil Hall for the second leg of their tour,...
After consistently having Disclosure as a top artist since middle school, I can finally say the dream of seeing the DJ duo in concert has been disclosed and the anticipation was worth the wait.
I jumped...
I grew up dancing in recitals and competitions, yet over the course of two decades, I have never been to a professional dance show—until now, and I was not disappointed in the slightest.
Alvin Ailey...
The Cutler Majestic Theatre transformed into the storybook fairytale of “Into the Woods” for this year’s Emerson Stage’s spring musical.
The three-hour-long show held three performances this...
From Los Angeles to Skidmore College to right here at Emerson, Jimmy’s Traveling All-Stars’ eventful spring semester filled crowds with laughter at every possible turn. As their last show nears, the...
Professor Lauren Shaw’s Photo Practicum class will showcase their exhibit “Metamorphosis” from April 19-27, featuring diverse individual projects that a small group of students has been dedicated...
Emerson Urban Dance Theatre presents their spring show “Vices and Virtues,” featuring an eclectic mix of heavenly and sinful student choreographed dances.
Held Friday, April 8 at 6 p.m. and 8...
From narratives and documentaries, to experimental and animation, Emerson returns for its 21st annual Film Festival on Mar. 30, featuring 10 films from undergraduate and graduate students alike.
Showcased...
Drawing success from its short film category that’s seen more than 7,000 shorts, Kickstarter’s third annual month-long celebration Long Story Short brings creative stories to fruition and helps artists...
Left with no set or costumes for their Boston opening night on Mar. 18, it was up to the cast of “Freestyle Love Supreme” to make the show go on without a hitch using their humor and creative musical...
Tyler, The Creator hit Worcester’s DCU Center on Mar. 3 with his “Call Me If You Get Lost” tour—well Tyler, what’s your number because five Bostonians got lost.
A nearly two-hour rail ride...
Two-time published author and Emerson alum LaTanya McQueen ‘06, who received her MFA in creative writing, has been named a 2022 creative writing fellow for the National Endowment for the Arts.
The...
As part of the business of creative enterprises senior residency capstone class, four seniors are partnering with Boston Music Project nonprofit to promote their local school music programs.
The 501(c)(3)...
Berklee College of Music continues to commemorate African American artistic legacies this month by hosting the Berklee Legacy Award Concert Thursday Feb. 25 at 8 p.m., with special performances, featuring...
Vibrancy, love, and community—these are just some of the words to describe Emerson Stage’s production of “As You Like It.”
Director Eddie DeHais has transformed the classic Shakespeare comedy...
There’s a reason I write about living arts and not sports, so the real celebratory moment on Super Bowl Sunday for me was the halftime performance, not the actual football game between…what teams?
Well,...
While college students are already trying to navigate the complexities of their romantic life, HBO Max takes it a step further with their new reality dating show My Mom, Your Dad, making these students...
The Girlie Project is back Feb. 4 with another staged performance—this time, with their own comedic read-through of the classic musical “Grease,” uniquely titled “Grace.”
Since senior visual...
New student organization Makeup Atelier, created by two first-years in the business of creative enterprises major, is the most recent addition to Emerson’s artistic institute.
President Elze Remeikyte...
Bright Lights Film Series recently announced their spring-2022 lineup, returning to in-person screenings on Jan. 27 for Fanny: Right to Rock.
This season features 12 films, each premiering every Thursday...
The chances of spotting an Emerson alum in the entertainment industry are high, and the 2022 Sundance Film Festival—taking place Jan. 20 to 30—is no different.
Among the many alumni with featured...
Seventeen is an age that resonates with many—an age full of friendships, appearances, and emotional ups and downs—and that’s no different for Laura Leigh Abby ‘07, the creator of a new podcast...
A disco ball, blinding colorful lights, and a non-stop flow of dancing and R&B represent the perfect concoction for DJ Kaytranada’s Dec. 9 set at Boston’s House of Blues.
This concert was...
Labeled as “humor for the culturally refined” and promising to subvert expectations—Eggplant Emoji Volume 1, a new collection of comedic short stories from an Emerson alum, was released last month.
The...
“Iphigenia,” an opera inspired by the Greek myth of the same name, will be making its world premiere at the Cutler Majestic Theater on Nov. 12 and 13, transforming the traditional tale to fit a contemporary...
The Tony Award-winning musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” which chronicles a real-life recording session with rock ‘n’ roll legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins,...
Most people are familiar with the classic story of “Annie”—an orphan girl who is selected to live with rich man Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks who eventually adopts her. But how about this: instead...
In 2011, I vividly remember using my iPod touch voice memos to record WILLOW’s “21st Century Girl” off YouTube. I’d repeatedly replay it, singing along while on my trampoline. Now, 10 years later,...
After 18 months of Zoom screenings and discussions, Emerson’s “Bright Lights Film Series” hosted its first in-person event since Mar. 12, 2020 on Oct. 8 with a screening of “Maɬni–towards the...
Three Emerson alums, two of whom had won previously, took home trophies at the 2021 Emmy Awards on Sept. 19 for their behind-the-scenes work in television.
Randy Barbato ‘82, Joe Celli ‘91, and...
Two Emerson alumni—who graduated the college nearly 30 years apart—found themselves collaborating in Sony’s casting department to bring Fox’s reboot of the 1970s show “Fantasy Island” to life.
While...
After 18 months of only using Zoom, student organizations are once again filling theaters, staging scenes for film sets, and collaborating with each other to create art. The true on-campus experience can...
In 2020, Anum Hussain ‘13 launched Below the Fold, a free daily newsletter determined to catch stories that fall in between the cracks of mainstream media outlets. Below the Fold aims to do just as the...
One of my favorite ways to connect with people is through music. During my first year at Emerson, I discovered so many great new songs that are part of my daily playlist now, many of which I first heard...
College students, often overwhelmed by the pressures of schoolwork, social life, and on-campus extracurricular commitments, not to mention jobs, have increasingly turned to weed as an outlet for their...
A group titled “Free Literature” (Serbest Yazın in Turkish), made up of students from Boğaziçi University in Turkey, have been protesting for educational freedom for over 70 days. To expand their...
Although spring in New England is typically a long, dreadful month with no break, the warm weather springing up in Boston over the past few weeks allowed students to get some much-needed fresh air. Now,...
Since the COVID-19 lockdowns began about a year ago, we’ve been given a plethora of TV shows to binge on streaming platforms. Whether it was a show returning for a new season, a brand new series, or...
With the COVID-19 pandemic came the closing of movie theaters everywhere. This changed the way people consume movies, going from sitting in front of the big screen with a huge bucket of warm buttered popcorn,...
The New York Times’ “Framing Britney Spears” Hulu documentary was released on Feb. 5, of this year, yet Britney Spears has remained in a conservatorship since January 2008. Devoted fans are pushing...
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Raya and the Last Dragon” takes viewers on an epic journey through the eyes of lone warrior, Raya, as she tracks down the last dragon to help her stop an evil force...
A public school teacher and a former Marine turned to socialism due to their financial struggles in a documentary directed by Yael Bridge. The Big Scary “S” Word documents the American socialist movement...
Gen-Z follows Miley Cyrus through it all. From living a double life on screen as Hannah Montana to a Tiktok trend where fans do whatever Cyrus comments. Throughout her career, fans appreciate her authenticity...
Video games have been around since the 1950s, bringing forth old-school classic computer games like “Tennis for Two” and “Spacewar.” Since then, video games are continuously proving to be the newest...
Decorating, family time, movies, shopping, and holiday food are just a few hallmarks of the holiday season. But in a normal year, no one has to account for a global pandemic while mapping out their December...
This year, Emerson Mystic, an organization dedicated to anything “witchy,” offered a dorm-safe alternative to the traditional Samhain bonfires and celebrations. Students put their creative skills to...
Come December, Emerson students will be able to read about a medieval woman who fights societal constraints in the name of friendship and a love story in reverse—each written by fellow students handpicked...
Six months after the pandemic shuttered its operations, Emerson Contemporary, the college’s visual arts platform, is back with a new blog and in-person exhibit. Emerson Contemporary’s fall theme is...
Fall is typically the peak semester for fraternity and sorority life on campus, who usually welcome a new member class through recruitment events. But this year, as yet another consequence of the COVID-19...
While working a lighting call on “Follies” in the Cutler Majestic Theatre, Greg Crafts ‘03 remembers being pushed to the edge of the top balcony by a ghost.
“I literally felt a hand in the...
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