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Where you read it first | Monday, January 27, 2025
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Odessa Gaines

Odessa Gaines is the Daily's Executive Art Editor and is studying psychology and film and media studies. Odessa can be reached at kgaine01@tufts.edu.

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Arts

‘Ain’t No Mo’’ takes flight at the Calderwood Pavilion

By Nate Hall and Odessa Gaines | January 24

“Ain’t No Mo’,” a biting political satire that premiered at Boston’s Calderwood Pavilion on Jan. 10, begins with a startling premise. What if, to solve the problem of racism, the U.S. government gave every Black citizen a one-way ticket to Africa? From this absurd premise, playwright Jordan Cooper has conjured up a no less absurd play, made up of a series of vignettes in which African Americans are forced to reckon with their histories and decide whether to stay or go.

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Arts

All the movies you can’t miss in 2025

By Odessa Gaines | January 15

Hollywood brought us many things in 2024, from musicals to biopics to comedy duos, and 2025 looks to be a similarly packed year. Today, we look forward to what remakes, sequels and new scripts will be finally hitting our screens over the next 12 months.

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Arts

‘A Man on the Inside’ explores community, aging with humor and love

By Odessa Gaines | December 10

Netflix dropped all eight episodes of their new original series “A Man on the Inside,” starring Ted Danson, on Nov. 21. The show follows Charles, played by Danson, a year after the death of his wife. Now a retired engineering professor with a grown daughter, Charles spends most of his time alone. However, when he finds an ad from a private investigator looking for a spy, he soon finds himself undercover at the Pacific View Retirement Community home looking to expose a thief among the staff and residents.

Adventures of an A-Lister
Arts

Adventures of an A-Lister: Letterboxd, green witches, midnight rats

By Odessa Gaines | December 9

At the start of the summer, several of my film friends discovered that not only did I not have Letterboxd, but I also did not have an AMC Theatres A-List membership. I tried to explain to them that I had no clue what Letterboxd was and I did not see enough movies to merit an A-List pass, but my explanations fell on deaf ears. Instead, here I am several months later, with a column about AMC and a Letterboxd account finally made. So, with the end of the semester approaching, I have to ask myself: Was it worth it?

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Arts

‘Wicked’ is reimagined on the big screen

By Odessa Gaines | December 5

On Nov. 22, the long-awaited film adaptation of “Wicked” finally hit theaters. After holding space for “Defying Gravity” and basking in the musical theater glow, “Wicked” is sure to become one of the most memorable movie musicals of the modern day. Complete with fan-favorite cameos, massive ensemble dances and colors that burst out of the screen, paired with a packed cast, impressive vocals and stunning cinematography, “Wicked” is a film for the books.

Best Movies
Arts

Best movies of 2024

By Odessa Gaines | December 4

This year has been nothing less than insane. Every hour there seems to be new breaking news, another exposed politician and, of course, a new movie hitting AMC theaters. From good to bad, scary to heartbreaking and completely ridiculous to hilarious, 2024 was a packed year for movies. So, in no particular order, here are the top movies of 2024.

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Arts

‘Mindplay’ is a mixed bag of mentalism

By Nate Hall and Odessa Gaines | December 3

Note: Nate and Odessa have been writing theater reviews together for four semesters. This is their 16th co-written article. For the first time ever, their opinions on this production were so different that they decided to split this article up into two separate reviews. One of the final productions ...

Adventures of an A-Lister
Columns

Adventures of an A-Lister: Your new holiday favorite

By Odessa Gaines | November 21

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “Red One.”What do you get when you have an evil Christmas witch kidnap Santa Claus (nicknamed ‘Red One’) on Christmas Eve so that a Santa Claus Enforcement Logistics and Fortification operative and a hacker have to save Christmas? Movie magic.

Adventures of an A-Lister
Arts

Adventures of an A-Lister: Go see ‘Anora’

By Odessa Gaines | November 14

When I walked into the theaters to watch “Anora,” I honestly had no clue what I was in for. I did not look at the plot, the themes or even the movie runtime. Instead, I went in with rave reviews from my harshest film friends, a bag of over-buttered popcorn and some old-fashioned faith. Two hours and 20 minutes later, I left the theater with a new front-runner for Best Picture at the Oscars.

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Arts

Boston theater community begins an ambitious project with ‘Sojourners’

By Nate Hall and Odessa Gaines | November 12

On Nov. 6, the Huntington Theatre celebrated the opening night of “Sojourners,” written by Nigerian-American playwright Mfoniso Udofia. However, this was more than just the opening of a single show: In partnership with more than 30 theater companies, arts organizations, universities, and non-profits, the Huntington is staging nine of Udofia’s plays throughout Greater Boston over the next two years. Collectively, these nine plays make up the Ufot Family Cycle, an epic story that chronicles the life of one Nigerian immigrant family across three generations as they navigate their lives in America. “Sojourners,” which serves as the origin story of the cycle, is a remarkable tale of perseverance in the face of adversity.

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