Hi everyone! I'm Kabir, an international member of the class of '26, from New Delhi, India. I'm thinking of majoring in Psychology and Film & Media Studies. Outside the classroom, I enjoy watching movies, going on hikes, hanging out with my friends, and going on runs (if you see me on the streets of Hanover, say hi!) In the short while I've been here, I've come to love Dartmouth, so if you're interested in what I have to say, stick around! This should (hopefully) be fun :)
Photo Credits: Rob Strong, Sarah Hughes, Laurie Churba, Ben Scheff, Michael Ganio, Lucy Biberman, and Jamie Nicholson.
This term, I was so stoked and excited, and honestly super lucky, to work as an assistant director on the Theatre Department's adaptation of Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron, a legendary Italian text that details the lives of ten strangers who are trapped in a house during the black plague in 1348, and how they use stories in order to while away the time, and forge close connections.
The play was directed by Sarah Hughes '07, a brilliant mind from Brooklyn — when we weren't rehearsing, we'd talk about all the ways Dartmouth was different for her when she was a freshman 20 years ago. This was the first time I ever worked with the Theatre Department, and I have to tell you all about it whether you're a theatre lover, or like me: an absolute novice.
The Theatre Department is a tight-knit group of faculty and students (some who are theatre majors, others who just took theatre classes and fell in love with the department!) who work tirelessly to maintain Dartmouth's vibrant and strong art scene. Each term, there are a couple of plays put up, each more diverse than the last. This term, other than The Decameron, there's also an adaption of Shakespeare's Richard II, and Katie Orienstein'22 is putting up Pretty Filthy, a take on the adult film industry.
These wide arrays of choices make Dartmouth's art scene unique: it's a treat for students, as well as people from neighboring towns, who patronize these productions and make sure that getting seats are as difficult as The Eras Tour tickets. I wish I'd taken part in more theatre productions last term, but I understand that freshman fall is an intimidating time. I'm so glad that I got introduced to this world.
I know that a lot of people come to Dartmouth with a lot of pre-dispositions about it: to name a few, we think that because it's isolated, there's not much of an artistic vibe. I'm here to tell you, from first-hand experience, that this couldn't be further from the truth! I have friends that go to school at these so-called 'art schools', and even they're shocked by how cool, alternative, and spirited the college's commitment to the arts is.
And here's the best part — there's something FOR everybody! Whether you're a full-blown theatre nerd, or a jock, or someone who's just into movies and TV shows and want to switch it up: there's a show that you can go to on a Friday evening to forget all your worries, and enjoy art the way it is meant to be enjoyed — communally.
So take a chance on D(Art)mouth. I'm glad that I did, every single day.
