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I CONTACT US ROBERT BRUSTEIN >A^ ' ROBERT BRUSTEIN: Theatergoing Story ideas? Questions? Comments? is a communal act, movie going a E-mail us at gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com solitary one.” , _:_____ —___ ... ______ _ . , .. .... ,,, . .. _ --- Peanut-butter: More than just jelly’s other half BY CARRIE GIVENS THE HAMECOCK Are you in need of a new night time snack? How about trying a flutter-nutter? Just put melted marshmallow and peanut butter between two graham crackers. It’s guaranteed to be messy, but since November is peanut-butter lover’s month, don’t let the gooey factor curb your enthusiasm. Peanut butter is a versatile treat enjoyed by many. As peanut-butter lover Lauren Saleeby, a first-year bi ology student, points out, it is quite tasty on celery and graham crack ers. Saleeby also adds that even though she loves peanut-butter cook ies and peanut-butter ice cream, her favorite is “the peanut-butter-and chocolate combination in peanut butter M&M’s and in chocolate peanut-butter cheesecake.” Another peanut-butter connois seur, second-year psychology stu dent Moriah McCarthy, guiltily ad mits that she sometimes “just eats peanut butter with a spoon.” Although McCarthy is not a fan of peanut butter and chocolate to gether, she does enjoy the healthier snack of peanut butter on apples and on celery. Some students prefer a simple peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. First-year physics student Mary Kathryn Keane says, “I love peanut butter, so practically any concoc tion works for me, but a plain peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich is always good.” Walking down the peanut-butter aisle of any grocery store, the aver age peanut-butter lover can easily be intimidated by the variety of peanut-butter choices available. First-year exercise science student Mary Lohman swears by natural or ganic peanut butter from Rosewood Market. She says not only does it taste better, “but it is no-sugar-added and has no hydrogenated oils.” Whereas Saleeby faVors smooth Jif peanut butter, McCarthy buys crunchy Publix peanut butter. Keane adds that although she likes smooth peanut butter, “anything peanut butter will do.” Peanut butter was first intro duced to the American food market in 1890 by a St. Louis physician. An excellent source of protein, it was introduced as an easily eaten food for the elderly. Peanut butter gained popularity at the 1904 World’s Fair, and Peter Pan and Skippy began producing it in the 1920s. Over the years, peanut butter has become a staple in many American households. Currently, nearly half the peanuts in the United States go into the production of peanut but ter. Peanut-butter-and-jelly sand- i wiches were popularized during the j 1940s and Reese’s cups in the 1920s. According to the National Peanut Board, an average child will have eaten over one thousand peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich es upon high-school graduation. And since approximately 550 peanuts go into the production of a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter, that is a lot of peanuts. Try a peanut-butter concoction before Nov. 30. On campus, ZIA Juice’s menu offers a peanut-but ter smoothie, Jazzman’s has peanut-butter-and-jelly muffin and Einstein Bros. Bagels sells peanut butter-and-jelly bagel sandwiches, if you really want to be adventur ous, try a fried peanut-butter-and aanana sandwich. Even the die bard PB&J fan needs a change of pace once in a while. Comments on this story?E-mail !amecockmixeditor@hotmail.com PHOTO BY MORGAN FORD/THE GAMECOCK Peter Pan and Skippy began producing peanut butter in the 1920s after it gained popularity at the World’s Fair. THEATER PREVIEW “Polaroid Stories”combines classic mythology with snapshots of street life to create its own urban act BY HILARY SCHRAMM TIIIC (iAMECOCK Theatre South Carolina’s latest production is not your average play. Instead of iambic pentameter, the script sounds like street poetry. Instead of classical music, the ac tors chose artists such as Outkast, Run DMC and Radiohead to help the audience identify with their characters. Naomi Iizuka’s “Polaroid Stories” is a contemporary and hard-edged play that combines both the ancient Greek characters of Ovid’s “Metamorphosis” and the real peo ple represented in Jim Goldberg’s “Raised by Wolves,” a book of essays and pho tographs that depict homeless youth in the Portland, Ore., area. The charac ters share the names of the classic Greek characters, as well as aspects of their personalities. “The characters create their own mythology' that protects, embraces and makes them beautiful in their own eyes and the eyes of others,” said director and third-year theatre ’ student Craig Miller. “Trusting in a jp: make-believe kingdom and a per sonal mythology based on invinci bility, those unfortunate enough to find themselves living on the streets of America’s urban land scape can dream that they may live to see tomorrow.” This “urban landscape” is strik ingly recreated in USC’s Longstreet Theatre. The audience is seated “The characters create their own mythology that protects, embraces and makes them beautiful in their own eyes and the eyes of others.” CRAIG MILLER •POLAROID STORIES" DIRECTOR surrounding the lowered round stage. The stage itself is a dark, dirty look into America’s slums, and it uses graffiti, metal, rubber and water to accurately represent the play’s environment. Discarded items such as mattresses, newspa per, Styrofoam cups and even an old doll fill the stage area and over flow into the audience’s space, al lowing viewers to join the charac ters in the world of the homeless. The set, costumes and lighting were all designed by students. The script “is inspiring some f amazingly wonderful ideas from the " company and designers that will be come the experience on Longstreet’s stage and in the audi torium,” said artistic director Jim O’Connor. To accurately depict the life of street kids and young prosti tutes, the play infuses the poet ic dialog with profanity and adult themes such as drug abuse. For this reason, O’Connor advises the play is unsuitable for children. “Polaroid Stories” will show in the Longstreet Theatre from Friday, i , Nov. 14 through Sunday, Nov. 23. Curtain times’are 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets, on sale now, are $10 for students; $12 for senior citi zens, military and USC faculty and staff; and $14 for the general public. They can be purchased through the box office at 777-2551. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com ' 1 ■ Place orders early for this holiday’s personalized gifts BY MEG MOORE TilK (i'AMKCOCK No longer solely the signature of polo-wearing preps, mono grammed goods have gone main • stream. Personalized presents are sure to be a hit with both gift givers and receivers this holiday season, but making one’s mark takes planning. Although an assortment of ini tial-emblazoned accessories and shirts can be found at the usual mall haunts, those who hope to or der customizable items need to consider the extra time that it will take for delivery. Many merchants warn cus tomers that it might take a few weeks for their purchases to be shipped because of the personal ization process. With a mere month and a half left until Christmas, those looking to score monogrammed gifts need to start shopping—now. In the past, catalog retailers such as J.C. Penney and L.L. Bean have given customers the option of adding their initials to certain items. However, the oxford shirts and towels that people could choose to have their names em broidered on were not exactly trend-setting. Today, the classic canvas totes from L.L. Bean — monogrammed and all — are en joying a resurgence in populari ty. They were the average per son’s “It” bag this past summer, and, considering the number of people that continue to carry them on the average day, they are still selling. For those looking to buy some thing with a bit more flair, several online retailers are offering fun takes on customizable clothing. Neighborhoodies, located on the Net at www.neighborhoodies.com, sews hometown pride right into its fleece products. Shoppers are able to customize the company’s cloth ing with the names of their fa vorite neighborhoods — or any ♦ MONOGRAM, SEE PAGE 7 TOP 10 These were the top new albums on USC's student radio station from Nov. 2-9. 1. “THE INSTINCT” Denali 2. “AS THE ETERNAL COWBOY” Against Me 3. “A PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE DISMEMBERMENT PLAN” _ Dismemberment Plan 4. “EVERYONE HERE IS WRONG (EP)” The Working Title 5. “CHUTES TOO NARROW” ___TheShins 6. “TINY VOICES" Joe Henry 7. “DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS” _Belle and Sebastian 8. “PICTURES FOUND IN PARAGRAPHS” _ _ System & Station 9. “ROBERT WALTER" _ Giving Up The Ghost 10. “PEARLS AND BRASS” Pearls and Brass Johnny Cash tribute concert celebrates singer’s career BY KARIN MILLER TIIN ASSOCIATED I’HNSS NASHVILLE, TENN. - The late Johnny Cash — a pioneer of both country and rock music — was honored with a tribute fea turing artists and performances as diverse and far-reaching as his own career. Rosanne Cash opened Monday’s show at the Ryman Auditorium by singing her fa ther’s song, “I Still Miss Someone.” It was the first of many Cash songs performed at the former home of the Grand Ole Opry by some of the most influential names in contempo rary music. Willie Nelson, George Jones and Kris Kristofferson sang “Big River,” and Travis Tritt performed a slow, bluesy ver sion of “I Walk the Line.” Hank Williams Jr. sang “Ring of Fire." Sheryl Crow performed “Hurt,” a song about drug ad diction that Cash recorded in 2002. The song, written by Trent Reznor of the rock group Nine Inch Nails, intrpduced Cash to a younger generation of fans. “When he gave his voice to something, he dedicated his voice and his intellect,” Crow said. Larry Gatlin performed a song he said he wrote the day Cash died, with lyrics that in cluded the maudlin phrase “a man can’t live with a broken heart too long.” The song ends on the happy note that the man has joined his love in heaven and “now he’s got a heart and a brand new song.” Actor Tim Robbins was mas ter of ceremonies for the show, which was taped and will be broadcast at 8 p.m. EST Saturday on Country Music Television. Cash died Sept. 12 at age 71 of complications from diabetes. His stepdaughter, singer Carlene Carter, said the family has struggled through a difficult year with the death of her moth er, June Carter Cash, in May, followed soon after by Cash’s death. Last month, Carter Cash’s daughter died of carbon monoxide poisoning. “This is truly a tribute,” she said of the concert. “Jt’s a way for us to celebrate the nujsic they brought to the world.” Carter said her stepfather told her when she was young that it’s better to be one-of-a kind than one of many. “We’d sit on the bus from age 10 on up, and he’d teach me songs,” she said. “He really ed ucated us about music.” Tickets were free and dis tributed by lottery. More than 2,000 people attended the show at the Ryman, which was built in 1892 for church revivals and is still known as the Mother Church of Country Music. “I think that’s what he and June would have wanted,” said Cash’s great-niece Kellye Cash of the ticket giveaway. Ticket winners Morris Franklin and Carmen Haussner flew in from San Antonio, even though they had to be back at work Tuesday. They said it cer tainly was worth the trip. “That was so emotional. I have no mascara left,” said Haussner, 33. Franklin, 36, said the concert ♦ TRIBUTE, SEE PAGE 7 |