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“Only Us: Photographs” - Eric Neudel Interview

On April 18, the Brandeis Alumni Art Gallery opened the show, “Only Us: Photographs by Eric Neudel ‘69,” a unique exhibition that highlights the profound life of Eric Neudel: teacher, filmmaker and photographer. As a teacher at the Brimmer and May School in Newton, Neudel’s work continues through his students, and his return to Brandeis with this show further integrates him into academic life. I had the opportunity to speak to Neudel about his work in the show before the opening, and I wanted to share some insights from the conversation. 

Actions speak louder than words in “Small Mouth Sounds”

To wrap up the 2025-26 season, Brandeis’ Theater Department took audiences on a calming nature retreat in the world of “Small Mouth Sounds,” a play about six people who engage in a week-long silent retreat. As the week progresses, the flaws of six retreatants are revealed, from extreme anxiety to selfishness and lust. I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a dress rehearsal for the show and saw it a couple of days before the first performance. Although it was a rehearsal, the show was impressively smooth, with minor hiccups that could easily be corrected by opening night. Seeing “Small Mouth Sounds” with a smaller audience elevated the experience, as the few people watching the retreatants felt even more connected with the characters and the experience of witnessing the silent retreat. There were even moments when  I paused before laughing at some of the jokes in the show because they felt like they would break the immersion. Thankfully, the director Samantha Richert Boehm broke the tension by laughing as well, reminding the reduced audience that, although some moments were distinctly serious, the show’s comedy is just as prominent. 

We Are the Lucky Dudes: My Mom Is Here Band Review

On the night of April 18, Brandeis kicked off its “Art Never Sleeps” event. This showcase was a 24-hour span where different forms of art were displayed, performed and experienced all around campus. During the live music portion of this event, Brandeis was lucky enough to have a performance by the indie pop-rock band My Mom Is Here, a New York City-based group founded by Columbia University graduates, Sam Seiff and Nick Sare. The band consists of lead singer Samantha (Sam) Seiff, her boyfriend Nick Sare, who plays the keys, their guitarist Stephen Park, drummer Aidan Speckhard and Ryan Darr, who plays the bass. Before their performance, I had the pleasure to interview lead singer Seiff about the band and how the five of them have started to navigate the music industry.

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The UTC’S “Alice By Heart:” A Chaotic Escape From Reality’s Chaos

For the first time in five years, the Undergraduate Theater Collective put on an open-cast musical — “Alice By Heart.” Anyone who auditioned was guaranteed to at least be in the ensemble, which lowers the initial stakes and creates a fun way for people to get involved in musical theater on campus. “Alice By Heart” was a great choice for the return of open-cast. The musical has a wacky yet deep story, following Alice Spencer — played by Erin Morton ’29 — as she attempts to comfort her dying friend, Alfred — played by Tessa Srebnik ’29 — by retelling “Alice in Wonderland” as they hide in a bunker during a Blitz in England. Of course, as with any story a person recites by heart, parts are skipped or altered, and all the characters from Wonderland become quite upset as their world gets altered by this retelling. Through impossibly fast costume changes, mystical lighting, a set that merged reality with wonderland and an excited cast, it did not take long for the audience to go down the rabbit hole and forget about reality for a moment.

A review of SASA Dance Night at Brandeis

As someone who attended South Asian Student Associations Dance Night, having gone to a few of their and Namaskar’s events. The event helps for people who want to connect with others within the same culture but also want low-stakes. The venue SASA chose Cholmondeley’s in the castle had enough space for people to mingle and socialize. Compared to other campus events, SASA clearly wrote where and when the event was, instead of making it confusing. I had not been to Chum’s previously, and I was easily able to find it as a result of SASA’s advertising. 

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Acappellooza: Behind the Mic interview with Emily Confino-Miller ’26

This past Sunday, March 22, eight of Brandeis’ a cappella groups performed in their annual Acappellooza event in Schwartz Hall. Brandeis has many a capella groups, ranging in styles from pop to musical theater. The Justice had the pleasure of an interview via email with Starving Artists’ Public Relations, Emily Confino-Miller ’26. Here is what she had to say regarding Acapallooza: 

Acappellooza a cappella collaboration

Acappellooza, Brandeis’ largest a capella event, was held in Schwartz 112 on Sunday, March 22, at 5:30 p.m. Organized by the Starving Artists a capella group, this showcase was the perfect look into the University’s  music scene. Brandeis currently has eight a capella groups, unique not only in their name choices but also in the genres they choose to perform. Sunday’s show started with Company B, who performed three songs instead of the normal two,  as it was their newbie debut. Company B is Brandeis’  oldest a capella group, established in 1984, performing classics and throwbacks since their origin. Up next was Rather Be Giraffes, otherwise known as RBG. Despite the corny jokes the emcee introduced them with, RBG’s two numbers showcased how cohesive they are as a group. Each member of the group, whether they are soloing or not, gives their all, producing wonderful songs. They first performed “Criminal,” originally performed by Fiona Apple, and soloed by Miriam Greenfield; then sang “Bite My Tongue,” originally performed by Wilt, soloed by Val Boyington ’27. RBG was a tough act for Starving Artists to follow, especially with the emcee’s hilarious hand-off of munchkins to Starving Artists in order to make them "Peckish Artists”. Starving Artists first performed “Dancing With the Devil,” originally sung by Demi Lovato, and soloed by Emily Confino-Miller ’26.  Confino-Miller blew us all away with her performance, seamlessly turning the mic on when it was handed to her. While that might have been an opportunity to flail, Confino-Miller and Starving Artists demonstrated professionalism. 

FreePlay Theater’s “The Aliens”: An Immersive Look at Being Human

FreePlay Theater’s spring show, “The Aliens,” is a story about both reflection and thinking about the future. The show tackled love, loss, friendship, insecurities and desire, all through the lens of two friends in their early 30s, who do not know where to go next with their lives and a high school junior who unexpectedly enters their world. Despite the title, there are no aliens from space in this show — just three people who feel like aliens in their own skin.

Resistance through music

In September 1996, Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, fell under the control of the Taliban. After overthrowing President Burhanuddin Rabbani, the militant group reshaped the structure of Afghanistan’s political and social system, imposing a strict ideology that blended Islamic fundamentalist ideals with Pashtun nationalism. This reconstruction of the government imposed many limitations on the citizens of Kabul, and specifically women who, under Taliban leadership, were stripped of the previous freedoms provided to them. The Taliban returned to power in 2021 after being disbanded due to the United States’ invasion in 2001 post September 11th . In 2002, following the fall of the first Taliban regime, an Afghan band appeared in Kabul, called “The Burka Band”. 

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Road to the Oscars: “Marty Supreme” and “F1”

In the lead-up to the 2026 Academy Awards, many people try to watch all 10 Best Picture nominees to see which movies should be considered the best of the year. However, with how long it takes to find and watch all of the films, it can be easy to miss one and then have no idea why it was nominated for Best Picture. But now, you do not have to worry about missing a nominee: the Road to the Oscars series has arrived! Over the past several weeks, I have been watching and writing reviews for all 10 Best Picture nominees so that you, faithful Justice readers, can hear my opinions about the films and gain some insight into why each movie was nominated.

Road to the Oscars: “The Secret Agent” and “Bugonia”

In the lead-up to the 2026 Academy Awards, many people try to watch all 10 Best Picture nominees to see which movies should be considered the best of the year. However, with how long it takes to find and watch all of the films, it can be easy to miss one and then have no idea why it was nominated for Best Picture. But now, you do not have to worry about missing a nominee: the Road to the Oscars series has arrived! Over the past several weeks, I have been watching and writing reviews for all 10 Best Picture nominees so that you, faithful Justice readers, can hear my opinions about the films and gain some insight into why each movie was nominated.

Road to the Oscars: “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another”

In the lead-up to the 2026 Academy Awards, many people try to watch all 10 Best Picture nominees to see which movies should be considered the best of the year. However, with how long it takes to find and watch all of the films, it can be easy to miss one and then have no idea why it was nominated for Best Picture. But now, you do not have to worry about missing a nominee: the Road to the Oscars articles have arrived! Over the past several weeks, I have been watching and writing reviews for all 10 Best Picture nominees so that you, faithful Justice readers, can hear my opinions about the films and gain some insight into why each movie was nominated.

Road to the Oscars: “Frankenstein” and “Hamnet”

In the lead-up to the 2026 Academy Awards, many people try to watch all 10 Best Picture nominees to see which movies should be considered the best of the year. However, with how long it takes to find and watch all of the films, it can be easy to miss one and then have no idea why it was nominated for Best Picture. But now, you do not have to worry about missing a nominee: the Road to the Oscars series has arrived! Over the past several weeks, I have been watching and writing reviews for all 10 Best Picture nominees so that you, faithful Justice readers, can hear my opinions about the films and gain some insight into why each movie was nominated.

The 2026 Oscars: The Justice Predicts!

This Sunday, March 15, is the biggest night for movies. The 98th Academy Awards, hosted once again by the brilliantly funny Conan O'Brien, are being televised and the competition this year is fierce. 2025 was an amazing year for films, with leaps forward in visual effects, records broken for marginalized communities and overall great stories. Watching many of the nominees across several categories, I have come up with my definitive list of Oscar predictions for 2026, so please enjoy Luke’s —and therefore The Justice’s —official 2026 Academy Awards predictions.