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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 14 March 2019
Armed with affection, octogenarian is an 'octopus whisperer'

By RODRIQUE NGOWI giant Pacific octopus living
Associated Press in a separate tank.
BOSTON (AP) — Wilson Me- Menashi's eyes twinkled
nashi palmed a squid in his with mischief as he ac-
left hand and extended his knowledged that encoun-
arm into an aquarium tank, ters with octopus have left
watching as a giant Pacific a mark on him.
octopus stretched out arms "I will come back home
to greet him like a friend. sometimes with hickeys all
Freya latched some of her over my arm and my neck,"
2,240 suction cups onto he said.
Menashi's arm, using their So how did he explain them
powers of taste and smell to to his wife?
gather information around "Not too difficult when you
the 84-year-old man known have about 10 or 15 marks
as the octopus whisperer — next to each other," he said.
and the seafood treats he "It did not take too much.
was bearing. She also knew where I was,
"She's just contacting me anyway."
and she's saying, 'You Menashi's volunteer work
come to me,'" Menashi has included designing
said of Freya, a 3-year-old puzzle boxes for octopus as
predator weighing 35 to well as rubbing their backs
40 pounds (18 kilograms). and wrestling their arms, all
Her arms span 14 feet (4 In this Jan. 3, 2019, photo, 84-year-old Wilson Menashi, of Lexington, Mass., interacts with an oc- intended to ensure that the
meters) and pack enough topus at the New England Aquarium, in Boston. highly intelligent animals
strength to kill sharks and Associated Press receive the mental stimu-
other enemies. lation to thrive and stay
But this afternoon's gentle More than 25 years ago, equivalent of about four cannot explain it, but I can healthy.
interaction left no doubt Menashi retired after a years working full time — connect with them," Me- Two decades of working
that Menashi has a spe- career as a chemical en- hanging out with octopus- nashi said, standing in front with the largest members
cial way with the cephalo- gineer and began volun- es, the aquarium said. of the Olympic Coast Sanc- of the octopus species has
pod, whose body includes teering at the New England "I've been able to interact tuary exhibit that is home to not dulled his sense of won-
a large, sac-like head and Aquarium in Boston. He's with them from the begin- Freya and Professor Ludwig der at the animal's adapt-
eight powerful arms. spent 7,800 hours — the ning. I do not know why. I Von Drake, a younger male ability and mysteries.q

Tech and friendship at heart of Broadway's 'Be More Chill'

By JOHN CARUCCI role in spreading word of
Associated Press the musical, which sold out
NEW YORK (AP) — Joe Ico- off-Broadway.
nis seems to have all the Yet beyond its relatable
normal influences expect- themes, catchy tunes, and
ed from a young musical brightly colored staging lies
theater composer. something more old-fash-
The "Be More Chill" song- ioned: The longtime kinship
smith cites Stephen Sond- between Iconis and one of
heim, the songwriting team the show's producers, Jen-
of John Kander and Fred nifer Ashley Tepper.
Ebb, and William Finn as Tepper and Iconis have col-
some of his favorites. laborated for almost a de-
But then there's another cade on musicals, concerts
slightly less predictable and other projects, includ-
source that motivates him, ing "Love in Hate Nation"
too. and "Bloodsong of Love."
"I'm really inspired by 1964 "I've done Joe's shows in like
World's Fair. I just like that basements and barns and
World's Fair. It works its way we're kind of all taking ev-
into my work in strange erything we've learned to-
ways," the 37-year old Ico- gether from all these years
nis revealed in a recent in- and putting it together on
terview. This image released by Keith Sherman & Associates shows the cast during a performance of the 'Be More Chill,'" Tepper said
Fans will instantly feel vibes musical "Be More Chill," in New York. of their collaboration.
from that long ago expo — Associated Press Iconis feels the idea of hav-
with its celebration of the ing longtime collaborators
nascent Space Age and Ned Vizzini, "Be More Chill" gives him the confidence Theatre a week before the is something old, made
the public's first interaction tells the story of an awk- to break out of his shell. show's Broadway opening new again.
with computer equipment ward teen, played onstage Playwright Joe Tracz wrote this past weekend. Befitting "It's funny when people talk
— in Iconis' high-energy by Will Roland, whose life the book for the show. the World's Fair fascination about it, because to me,
musical. transforms when he swal- A youthful wonder was of the show's composer, it sounds like the most old
Based on the 2004 book by lows a tiny computer that evident inside the Lyceum social media played a big school thing. q