By a hare’s breadth

A stolen moment captured the judges' affection in the Magazine's Peeps Diorama Contest.

By Jason Kelly

The bagpeeps and tearful parents were sweet. Court Theatre’s Peep and Bess set was a treat too (see below). But in the end, Lee Pruett’s (AB’99) depiction of the 1996 theft of former University President Hanna Gray’s portrait from Hutchinson Commons (above) gave the Magazine’s Peeps Diorama Contest judges the biggest sugar rush. So much so that we were willing to overlook an anachronism: Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf (2001) had not been published at the time. That aside, the masked-bandit bunnies—and the lookout chick—stole our hearts. All three winners will receive a gift card and a treat box from Just Born candy. Still: one does wonder how Pruett knew enough to recreate the portrait caper in such detail. She didn’t make a peep about that.

Left: The entry from Jim Vanides, father of Aaron Vanides, AB’10, captured parents’ emotions on Opening Day when dean of the College John W. Boyer, AM’69, PhD’75, declares, “Now we must divide.” (We love the tiny tissues.)

Right: The entry from Court Theatre’s Melissa Aburano-Meister; Drew Dir, AB’07; Jennifer Foughner; Brea Hayes; and Allison Rich reveals the high production—and caloric—value of Peep and Bess. (Note the circus-peanut Gershwin brothers.)

See all of this year's entries on Flickr.

April 25, 2011