Karissa Schaefer, Staff Writer, Living Arts
Latest from Karissa Schaefer
February 14, 2023
Originally from Canton, Massachusetts, Rosie Darling grew up singing, messing around on the piano and guitar, and obsessing over Taylor Swift.
There’s...
June 8, 2022
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...
May 19, 2022
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...
May 4, 2022
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...
April 20, 2022
The Cutler Majestic Theatre transformed into the storybook fairytale of “Into the Woods” for this year’s Emerson Stage’s spring musical.
The...
April 20, 2022
From Los Angeles to Skidmore College to right here at Emerson, Jimmy’s Traveling All-Stars’ eventful spring semester filled crowds with laughter at...
April 13, 2022
Professor Lauren Shaw’s Photo Practicum class will showcase their exhibit “Metamorphosis” from April 19-27, featuring diverse individual projects...
April 6, 2022
Emerson Urban Dance Theatre presents their spring show “Vices and Virtues,” featuring an eclectic mix of heavenly and sinful student choreographed...
March 30, 2022
From narratives and documentaries, to experimental and animation, Emerson returns for its 21st annual Film Festival on Mar. 30, featuring 10 films from...
March 23, 2022
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...
March 23, 2022
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...
March 16, 2022
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...
March 3, 2022
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...
March 2, 2022
As part of the business of creative enterprises senior residency capstone class, four seniors are partnering with Boston Music Project nonprofit to promote...
February 23, 2022
Berklee College of Music continues to commemorate African American artistic legacies this month by hosting the Berklee Legacy Award Concert Thursday Feb....
February 23, 2022
Vibrancy, love, and community—these are just some of the words to describe Emerson Stage’s production of “As You Like It.”
Director Eddie...
February 16, 2022
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...
February 16, 2022
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...
February 3, 2022
The Girlie Project is back Feb. 4 with another staged performance—this time, with their own comedic read-through of the classic musical “Grease,”...
February 3, 2022
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...
January 26, 2022
Bright Lights Film Series recently announced their spring-2022 lineup, returning to in-person screenings on Jan. 27 for Fanny: Right to Rock.
This...
January 20, 2022
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...
January 20, 2022
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...
January 9, 2022
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...
November 18, 2021
Labeled as “humor for the culturally refined” and promising to subvert expectations—Eggplant Emoji Volume 1, a new collection of comedic short stories...
November 12, 2021
“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...
October 28, 2021
The Tony Award-winning musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” which chronicles a real-life recording session with rock ‘n’ roll legends Elvis Presley,...
October 28, 2021
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...
October 21, 2021
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...
October 14, 2021
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...
September 30, 2021
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...
September 23, 2021
Two Emerson alumni—who graduated the college nearly 30 years apart—found themselves collaborating in Sony’s casting department to bring Fox’s reboot...
September 16, 2021
After 18 months of only using Zoom, student organizations are once again filling theaters, staging scenes for film sets, and collaborating with each other...
September 9, 2021
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...
May 24, 2021
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...
May 1, 2021
College students, often overwhelmed by the pressures of schoolwork, social life, and on-campus extracurricular commitments, not to mention jobs, have increasingly...
April 15, 2021
A group titled “Free Literature” (Serbest Yazın in Turkish), made up of students from Boğaziçi University in Turkey, have been protesting for educational...
April 5, 2021
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...
March 17, 2021
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...
March 9, 2021
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...
February 28, 2021
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...
February 23, 2021
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...
February 7, 2021
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...
January 31, 2021
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....
January 20, 2021
Video games have been around since the 1950s, bringing forth old-school classic computer games like “Tennis for Two” and “Spacewar.” Since then,...
December 22, 2020
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...
October 31, 2020
This year, Emerson Mystic, an organization dedicated to anything “witchy,” offered a dorm-safe alternative to the traditional Samhain bonfires and...
October 28, 2020
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...
October 14, 2020
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...
October 6, 2020
Fall is typically the peak semester for fraternity and sorority life on campus, who usually welcome a new member class through recruitment events. But...
September 24, 2020
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...