Entertainment

BHS drama and stagecraft collaborate on dynamic production of

BHS drama and stagecraft collaborate on dynamic production of 'Urinetown'

The Berkeley High School Florence Schwimley Little Theater was filled with color, song, dance, and applause as the cast of Urinetown performed their second of five shows on Saturday, Feb.

Exhibition attendees admire AHA students’ work.

AHA Art Exhibition shows variety of styles 

Berkeley High School’s Arts and Humanities Academy’s Art Exhibition on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 showcased the AHA student body’s adeptness and dedication toward their craft.

An illustration of different art supplies.

Opportunities for young artists in the Bay

For years, the Bay Area has been a place of artistic opportunity for many budding artists. Yet while it’s common enough to see adults on the local theater stage or sharing their work in galleries, it’s also important to offer these opportunities to young people.

Art classes at private and public schools: Differing experiences

While Berkeley High School is the only comprehensive public high school in Berkeley, there are 148 private schools in Berkeley. Various factors distinguish student experiences in public schools from those in private schools, such as funding, technology, location, and class size.

CREDIT: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Warner Bros. guts movies for tax write-offs, harms industry

Samy Burch has written two feature films in her career. The first, “May December” debuted on Netflix last November, and is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Crunch culture in animation industry impacts work conditions

Animation, as an industry, has faced a lot of change since the early days of shows like “Steamboat Willie.” These changes have manifested due to advances in both technology and, for better or for worse, workplace standards.  The animation and VFX industry is a very lucrative one, currently valued at $181.3 billion with projected growth,

Submissions open for BHS Film Festival

“People should come see the show,” said junior Sophie Jacobs, a member of the Berkeley High School Film Festival Club. “We have a lot of talented people at the school, and our film program is really great.

Redwood Literary Magazine publicizing themselves at the Club Fair.

Redwood Literary Magazine helps student writers find their voice

Redwood Literary Magazine, a BHS student-run organization that publishes short stories and poetry, has just released its latest issue. Redwood publishes a new issue each quarter, offering a safe space for young writers to express themselves creatively.

The cast of "Urinetown" belts out a song together.

'Urinetown': A modern musical, soon to come to the BHS stage

“Urinetown” is a play set in a future world where intense drought has led humans to share a communal toilet, with laws prohibiting individuals from owning private toilets.

Photo of Cord Jefferson.

‘American Fiction’ review

“I see what you’re doing,” Thelonious “Monk” Ellison’s agent says about half an hour through “American Fiction,” a new film from writer-director Cord Jefferson based on the 2001 book “Erasure.” “Good, because it’s not subtle,” Monk retorts.  This is the joke of “American Fiction,” wherein Monk, a Black academic and novelist facing financial

Illustration of a person smoking and holding a gun.

Controversy of the Blaxploitaiton genre

The 1970s saw the rise of an entirely new movie genre, quickly capturing the public’s attention. Movies from this genre began to feature Black casts and protagonists, challenging Hollywood’s history with predominantly white casting.

Illustration of a Grammy award.

66th annual Grammys Awards in review 

The 66th annual Grammy Awards took place on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. With popular comedian Trevor Noah as the host, comedic relief was sprinkled between rounds of surprise, excitement, and disappointment.  Dua Lipa opened the show with the debut performance of her song “Training Season” and then “Houdini” with flashing and psychedelic lights.  Despite the

Looking back on some of the greatest books of the 2023 year

A book that takes place very close to home is “Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed” by journalist and writer Dashka Slater.

Aquaman looking menacingly at his trident

‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ review

Much like its predecessor, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is not good by any traditional standard, nor is it fully “so bad it’s good”. It’s somewhere in-between, filled with genuinely amazing details and hilariously stupid moments.

Philip Halpern shows off his monstera tattoo.

Body art at BHS: Staff and student stories

Tattoos are a unique and permanent show of self expression that both students and staff display at Berkeley High School.  Some tattoos are large, some small, some have color, and some don’t.

Person granted an award in front of a crowd

Diversification in upcoming award shows

The 2023 Golden Globe Awards and Emmys saw historic wins, with Trevor Noah becoming the first Black person to win Outstanding Talk Series and Ali Wong becoming the first Asian woman to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.

Drawing of Percy Jackson characters.

Percy Jackson TV series sparks excitement for longtime fans

The “Percy Jackson” movies are synonymous with disappointment for fans of the franchise. “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”, a popular book series by Rick Riordan, is about a boy that finds out he’s the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.

Illustration of a person playing a guitar while being pulled by strings attached to hands above their head.

Spotify enacts new regulations, harms independent musicians

Spotify is the biggest music streaming corporation in the world with over 500 million users. As of January of 2023, around 48 percent of the U.S. use massive corporations like Spotify or Apple Music to find the songs and artists they love.