Nicolette Robinson spends her days serving up lobster rolls on stage. The UCLA alumna recently made her Broadway debut, starring as Jenna in “Waitress.” The show, currently running at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York, focuses on a waitress who escapes the struggles of an abusive relationship in the kitchen. The first mother and […]
Author Archives: Kaia Sherry
Alumna-owned beauty company spreads Indian concepts of mind-body wellness
Shrankhla Holecek’s products for her brand stem from formulas that have existed for over 800 years. Founded in 2016, Holecek said Uma Oils revitalizes skin care and wellness through the principles of Ayurveda, a system of medicine unique to India. Entirely plant-based, Ayurveda emphasizes balance with the environment, ascribing practical lifestyle and diet guidelines to […]
Alumna Emmy-nominated for unique cinematography for vibrant sitcom
Patti Lee welcomes visitors into the neon-lit world of “Superior Donuts.” The sitcom follows the antics of elderly donut shop owner Arthur Przybyszewski (Judd Hirsch) and his young, optimistic employee Franco (Jermaine Fowler), with visits from a colorful cast of Chicago natives. As the surrounding neighborhood advances into sleek modernity, the donut shop remains a […]
Alumna weaves together comedy, gore in new tale of mob mentality in social media
A double doorbell notification from an app, humorously referencing “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” signals gruesome death in Gretchen McNeil’s new book “#MurderTrending.” Huddled at her desk for nine weeks, the UCLA alumna said she produced a seemingly simple narrative following a teenager wrongly convicted of murder, layering it with broader commentary about the omnipresence […]
Album review: ‘Liberation’
Christina Aguilera’s “Liberation” aims to paint a picture of female empowerment, but leaves listeners with a muddled image instead. Six years after the release of her pop-driven album “Lotus,” Aguilera hearkens back to the R&B and soul influence that characterizes her earlier work, also layering in more modern elements, such as trap beats reminiscent of […]
UCLA alumna’s paintings of everyday life featured in San Antonio gallery
Ana Fernandez and her “chili queens” dish out Tex-Mex food from her San Antonio food truck, Chamoy City Limits. The truck has also become a source of inspiration for Fernandez’s paintings. Although Chamoy City Limits initially began as a simple business venture for Fernandez, the artist and alumna said she eventually began to see a […]
Art organization Graphite focuses on provoking conversation, not specific art forms
Gabe Pine explores a conceptual pairing of love and action movies in his poem “Bonus Round.” The final lines opine, “Action movies are faster now because every action movie rushes home to a love poem.” Pine published his work in May on the online platform for the art organization Graphite. Like much of Graphite’s published […]