Chocolates, heart-shaped Hallmark cards and talking stuffed animals quipping exclamations of love crowd corporate store shelves to celebrate the beginning of February.
Glue & Scissors Society plans a less traditional kick-off for the month of love Friday, one that looks at the darker side of romance. “Love Will Tear Us Apart” will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Cup as one of its monthly shows. The event name itself distances itself from most other Valentine’s Day festivities.
“The theme title was intended to describe how we as humans tend to place love up on a pedestal, especially during the month of February,” Glue & Scissors Society vice-president and senior creative writing major Elysia Smith said. “But love and relationships are multifaceted and often end in pain...”
Four local bands will play, each performing covers of love songs from bands such as The Cure. There will be free portrait drawing and three student artists will be showing their love-themed artwork. But don’t expect to see flowers and fairytale depictions. Brandon Beeson, junior art major and Glue & Scissors Society art director, said the art expresses anything from desperation to personal intimacy.
“If you want to go to an event that depicts Valentine’s Day with a lovey-dovey, chocolates and hearts attitude, you’re not going to find it here,” Beeson said. “This is more cynical art, but you’ll find more reality in it.”
Likewise, the event description is laden with comparisons of hearts to scraped knees, past romances with scabs. “Love Will Tear Us Apart” takes love from being a fuzzy feeling to being a wounding human condition. The event not only seeks to entertain but, as Smith said, to heal.
“That is why I compared our experiences with love and relationships to scraped knees and scabs. Love leaves marks.” Smith said. “What if instead of trying to heal ourselves on our own, we shared our experiences? This is when expression becomes important, whether it’s artistic, lyrical or simple conversation.”
Beeson said Friday’s event will also parody the tacky aspects of Valentine’s Day and raise questions about love and relationships.
“February is essentially a cheesy, uncomfortable month,” Beeson said. “This is a way for people to think, ‘How do I really feel about Valentine’s Day? Is it romantic? Is it bulls--t?’”
Throughout the night, dramatic readings will satire popular love songs. The audience picks what the poetic performers read or perform a reading themselves. Beeson said he wants to hear a rendition of Rihanna’s “S&M,” hoping that the recital will bring on the theatrical, Shakespearian side.
For junior journalism graphics major Ricardo Lopez, this will be the only Valentine’s Day theme event he will participate in.
“I’ve never been a fan of Valentine’s Day” Lopez said. “When it comes around, if you don’t have a date, it sucks. This at least allows people to come together and have fun no matter what.”
Lopez has never been a fan of the February holiday and finds it to be a “Hallmark card, corporate holiday.”
He said the last time he celebrated it was in sixth grade, where he crafted his own valentines for his friends. However, he got in trouble with his teacher because he wrote a swear word in one of the cards. But for creative outlet Glue & Scissors Society, nothing is off limits when it comes to mocking, recovering from or celebrating love.
The after-party continues the night from 8 p.m.-3 a.m. at Be Here Now, where pink and red hearts will paper the walls along with cheesy prom pictures. Glue & Scissors Society crafted the decorations to mimic a cafeteria dance, or as Beeson describes it, “the Dill Street Middle School Dance,” to represent the more cheesy aspects of Valentine’s Day. There will be a four-band line up and photobooth.
