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Jacob Herr
Bio
Born & raised in the American heartland, Jacob Herr graduated from Butler University with a dual degree in theatre & history. He is a rough, tumble, and humble artist, known to write about a little bit of everything.
Stories (36/0)
The Very Model of A Modern Major Musical
CHAPTER 1: An Oratorical Overture Picture if you will. A musical theatre student receives the announcement of their school's upcoming Gilbert & Sullivan production. If you were this hypothetical student, what would be your immediate assumption of which show it would be, from their collection of works? If the school's theatre department was headed by the choir director, then there's a good chance it may be HMS Pinafore. Or perhaps The Mikado, if the department head is a cultrally, out of touch, bigot. Yet, the most likely show, under any other circumstance, would be The Pirates of Penzance. Even if you've never seen the show before, there's a strong chance that you know a decent deal about it. Besides the show having pirates in it, it's a show that incorporates a lot of physical comedy, as well as a script that seldom takes itself seriously. Furthermore, you may know the show's most famous song. I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.
By Jacob Herr15 days ago in Education
Silent, but Still Golden
Crafted between the late 1890s and the late 1920s, the "Silent Era" of filmmaking represents the birth of the film industry that we know, today, as well as the infancy of the innovative spirit of early filmmakers. These movies relied on visual storytelling, expressive acting, and evocative music to captivate audiences and convey powerful narratives. For newcomers, silent films may seem like a relic of the past; or in some cases, like an experience on par with drinking a particular blend of scotch or glass of red wine for the first time. You may enjoy it at first exposure, but it can become rather difficult to finish. Especially given how vast and overwhelming the catalogue of silent movies is (which is ironic, considering that an estimated 75% of all silent films, produced in the United States alone, are considered lost, today). Yet, the experience can result in new outlooks that are both unique and transcendent of time. This multi-step guide will take you on a journey through the silent era; providing insights and tips to help you appreciate the magic and artistry of these timeless works. For like a tasting flight, your palette for this period of movies will slowly and surely grow on you, over time.
By Jacob Herr22 days ago in Geeks
¿Quién es "El Gallo"?
PART ONE: AN INTRODUCTION Try to remember the kind of September, When life was slow and oh, so mellow. Try to remember the kind of September, When grass was green and grain was yellow. Try to remember the kind of September, When you were a tender and callow fellow. Try to remember and if you remember, Then follow.
By Jacob Herr2 months ago in Geeks
Examining the Excuses
If I were to tell you that the most powerful people on the planet are the one's who don't vote, would you believe me? If your immediate answer is "No", I wouldn't blame you. As a registered voter, myself, I have participated in every election since I became eligible. To me, the act of voting for public officials is one of the most important things one can do in a democratic country, and I see it as my civic duty every November 8th. However, and it may not surprise many when I say this, but a large amount of people in the United States, as well as around the world, don't exercise their right to vote. They are, in essence, voting not to vote. Moreoften than not, you'll hear one of two things in regards to the issue of why people don't vote. Either you'll hear a remark of shock/dissapointment followed by "Well, if they didn't vote, they shouldn't complain." or an excuse as to why other people (or they themselves) refuse to exercise their right and participate. By the time you've finished reading this, we will have went through some of the main reasons/excuses as to why people choose not to vote; as well as establishing some refutations; encouraging others to reevaluate such stances on the matter.
By Jacob Herrabout a year ago in The Swamp
Mark the Sarge's Words
Author's Note: The following is a series of written letters from my 3rd Great Uncle, Stephen H. Herr, to his family, while serving in the United States Army, during the course of World War One. The orginal documents were written by hand and upon my discovery of them, I saw to it that my ancestor's first hand account of his service be translated to an online format, for others to see and learn from. However, because the orignal pieces are over 100 years old, the cursive handwriting was found to be very illegible, at times, and beggining to fade away; along with a plethora of grammatical errors and mispellings. The process of correcting such mistakes and restoring his written words to this medium, was (by no means) easy; however, the deed has been done.
By Jacob Herr2 years ago in Serve
The Politics of "Us VS Them"
A cult of the leader; promising national restoriation in the face of alleged disgrace. If this were an episode of Jeopardy the correct response to this phrase would be "What is Fascism?". In the eyes of the fascist leader, the so-called "disgrace" comes from the political & social outsiders (immigrants, leftists, minorities, women, LGBTQ+, etc.) & they carry out their agendas by means of a hypothetical takeover of a country's media, schools, and cultural instituions. The fascist leader decietfully peddles the necessity of a masculine, charismatic, powerful, and sometimes a very violent response; saying that he will be the ultimate solution. Fascism by it's very nature is right-winged, and rooted in the concepts of ultra-nationalism. Though, it must be made very clear that ultra-nationalism isn't exclusively right-winged. There are a pletora of ultra-nationalist movements of minority groups. There is such a thing as left-winged authroitarianism, as seen with the countrys and governments ruled by such terrible figures like Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Josip Tito, Pol Pot, and the Kim family; who (combining the numbers together) killed people in the tens of millions. There are bad things on the Left. However, not all these terrible things mentioned are fascist. It's a very specific ideological sysytem, and when thinking about it, it must the thought about in it's entirety; never in these particular & seperate parts, here or there. They come as a collective. Dare I say a "ten piece body". By the time we're done here, we will examine each of these pieces to gain a better understanding of the anatomy of fascism. How this extreme system works to only ruin society under the guise of repair.
By Jacob Herr2 years ago in The Swamp
Of Maus & Morality
On January 27, 2022, (International Holocaust Rememberance Day) the news broke of a unanimous 10-0 vote by Tennesee's McGinn County School Board to remove Art Spiegelman‘s graphic novel, Maus, from the shelves of their school libraries & the curriculum of their English/Litrarature classes; due to concerns pertaining to the use of oscene language and depictions of nudity. As someone of German heritage, who was also lucky enough to be exposed to the history of the Holocaust & Holocaust literature throughout my school years & well into college (including Anne Frank's The Diary of A Young Girl, John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Elie Wiesel's Night, & Abbey Mann's Judgement at Nuremberg) I find myself in a state between perplexed, appalled, and offended to learn of this decision. To have a work like this be banned by a school board is the same sort of ignorance that the Nazis themselves are guilty of when they censored and set giant piles of books aflame for the sake of their own political gains; to control the mindset of the general population & regulate what materials and topics were taught to the nation's youth as they develop into adulthood. The same scenario applied to the fields of history & archeology (as discussed in another Vocal piece I wrote, entitled Discomfort & Intolerance). Even today, the fields of history & literature come under scrutiny by political entities, with the controversial teachings of Critical Race Theory. Though, to combat these issues through censorship & legal action, is only the continual cycle of sowing the seeds of ignorance that will only grow into the future harbingers of destruction, and leave us all horribly perplexed; wondering "How could this happen?", "Where did we go wrong?", and "What could we have done to stop it before it came to this?".
By Jacob Herr2 years ago in The Swamp
Lots of Shine, but Lacking in Substance
What words or ideas come to mind when imagining the experience of flying on an airplane in today's time? Perhaps some of the first would be how much the business of air travel has become a giant pain in the ass with expensive prices for everying (your seat, your food, your checked bags, etc.), irritating security measures by the T.S.A & D.O.H.S, the potential of your bags getting lost by the airline, and (depending on the length of your flight) the idea alone of sitting in a giant tube with wings for several hours with everything from runway groundings, to unnescessary turbulence, to being forced to recline your chair, to putting up with screaming babies, idiots who have to use the bathroom every 5 minutes, & fat fucks who can barely fit in their own seat; let alone the walking isle. Personally, based on some of my adventures on commerical airplanes, flying is the 11th level of Hell that Dante Allegeheri found to be so bad and so horrifying that he straight up refused to write about it; but apparently the commedians of the world are brave enough to call it out.
By Jacob Herr3 years ago in Wander
Respecting Mr. Salinger
Imagine yourself, for a moment, returning home after several years across the sea. You've just fought in one of the most vicious & deadliest wars in human history. You've miraculously stormed the beaches of Normandy, just barely survived the Battle of the Bulge, & discovered the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust, as you march your way to victory; all the while, you've been carring a little, hand-written story in your pocket. This short story is no more than six chapters long, and every once in a while, you pull out and rework (time & again) into what will define you as a writer in your own time and beyond. What is this story? The magnum opus of Jerome David Salinger. The Catcher in the Rye. One of the most famous & infamous novels of the 20th century. A story about an idealistically lost teenager who struggles to find a sense of purpose in a world he sees as reeking of shallowness & superficiality. A story which is universally beloved & reviled by audiences galore. Yet, unlike other books of the same era & ilk, The Catcher in the Rye has never made a transition from the page to the screen, since its publication, over 70 years ago. Asking the question of why, is a question about what an author sees in their own material & how much of their passion lies within the text; passion that does far more than simply represent the plot. For it also represents the unrest & raw strength of the author. In this specific case, it represents Salinger's true personality & the workings of his subconscious. By the end of this piece, you'll gain an understanding of not only why The Catcher in the Rye has never been made into a movie, but moreover, why a story like this one is much better off being confined to the written word.
By Jacob Herr3 years ago in Humans
TV Musicals. Go Fix Yourself!
(Honrable mentions to Drew Gould, Khyel Roberson, Mike Reinhart, Richie Berner, Amanda Biro, Daniel Rollock, Stephanie Johnson, Reilly Crouse, Isaiah Moore, Maddie Davies, Nole Beran, Paige Scott, Lindsay Vallance & Beth Maio. Thank you so much for contributing your honest thoughts thowards the cration of this work.)
By Jacob Herr3 years ago in Geeks