NGE Two THE MICHIGAN DAILY CTTm"' k . TO . /TWTA1 T BA1.J 1.~TTh l 'L DAY, MAY2 .1 JOHN CHARLES WEICHER: CUILTURE lBEAT I Conservative 'Tiger' 4> -~-________________ Ends Reign Drama Season's Godot' To Star Hyman, Hartman By BRUCE COLE Now that the summer months are almost upon us, winter theatre throughout the country is rapidly closing its doors. Spon, summer stock will blossom forth in the cultural gardens of America. Along with the conven- tional summer stock productions which are performed on the pros- cenium-type stage, the theatre- in-the-round will open its tents. A relative newcomer to the American scene, the arena theatre will once again, as it did last year, draw thousands of interested and somewhat curious people. View Many Benefits There are many benefits to this type theatre, For one thing it is quite informal, thus the audience need not get dressed up in the sultry summer months, and also as Drama Season Director John O'Shaughnessy said, audiences are. drawn to it because they feel a closer relationship to the per- formers as there is no proscenium which often creates an "invisible barrier." Then again, the audience is freer to use its imagination regarding 'the setting of a performance, since elaborate flies and backdrops can- not be used, otherwise people be-' hind them would not see a thing. However, as O'Shaughnessy cau- tioned, only certain types of shows can be performed in the theatre in-the-round. Attempt Elaborate Production Several arena theatres lately have been attempting to put on very elaborate productions. A few, including one in the Cleveland, Ohio area, has put on opera. Needless to say, the pageantry was not effective and the beauty, of the production was lost. How- ever, the management is forging ahead and will do the same thing thing year. Granted, it was a success at first, and even the second time, if based on attendance but how many of those people going to the per- formance (each one lasted from one to two weeks) were merely curious as to how a theatre-in-the- round could perform such a thing? Uses Modern Dress One thing the Cleveland theatre did was to set the action of the opera in modern times and dress the performers in modern clothes, to appeal to the audience. The management also created a mod- ern plot to go with the opera. One opera done this way was "Tosca." Instead of setting the opera in Rome of 1850, it was set in a city in Russia in the 1950's. Scarpia was a member of the Rus- sian secret police and his job was to catch Cavarodossi, an enemy of the state. All characters were dressed in modern clothes and Tosca .wore a very modern evening gown in the great scenes of the opera. It is something like this which can harm a theatre-in-the-round. Has Immense Possibilities Possibly, the arena theatre is a fad, but it has immense possi- bilities if it learns its boundaries. Only through the conscientious discrimination of the arena the- atre managers in picking produc- tions will they bring in the crowds which will appreciate this new form of presentation rather than being "just curious, who will want to come back for more good fare and who will build up this type theatre in the eyes of all. U 'U -tlzm* "'World, Flesh and Devil' is, a film you must see . . . fas- cinating, stimulating and con- troversial!" -Arthur Sooeth pp, DIAL NO 2-2513 Cleveland NE EPEE TSLED THERE IS NO PAST..TIME MUST BEGIN AGAIN... WITH lUST THESE THREE! lews By ELIZABETH ERSKINE Daily Associate Personnel Director "Some people have a foolish way of not minding, or pretending not to mind what they eat. For my part, I mind my belly very studi- ously and very carefully for I hold that he who does not mind his belly will hardly mind anything else." This quote from Boswell's John- son sums up the philosophy of John Charles Weicher, city editor of The Michigan Daily. It was tacked up on the ubiquitous bulle- tin board by John's desk all year long, where all who came for ad- vice, assignments and help could see it. His natural predisposition to eating is well known to all of his associates, and sometimes causes slight problems when ordering food. For example, a late snack (at 2 a.m.) consists of two orders of french fries and a hot fudge sundae (usually butterscotch, but he "wasn't in the mood") and then reordering, because he was not yet full, a cheeseburger and a vanilla malt. Waitresses wonder but they never forget his order. Learns Hard Way To go along with his eating habits there is always his cooking specialty -french fried potatoes. "I used to smoke up the house every time I made them, because I had the fat too hot, so they would close all the doors and open the windows. I learned to cook them out of self defense-always liked them so I figured that I ought to be able to make them," he says. Other cooking abilities? It is questionable that John will ever be a chef-he is forever asking his roommate, Dan Wolter, "how do you make canned peas?" "Tiger" as he is aptly nick- named has a special taste for sherbet, and can easily down a half gallon at one sitting. "Sherbet and ice cream belong," he growls. "Not to like ice cream is un- American." Never, Never Home How was he as a roommate? "I don't know how he was, I never saw him," his roommate com- mented, "but whenever there was any food he ate it all." As city editor "he was the best in the last five years," Richard Taub, Daily editor (who's Daily memory stretches back just five years), says. "He was never wrong, except when I was right," he con- tinued, Staff members remember Tiger as a real tiger for work, spending most of his waking and sleeping hours at The Daily. Assignment sheets, crit sheets, advice to all, stories to "fill the holes," and generally running the newspaper on the "inside" left little time for his English honors and other courses. Though The Daily demanded much, almost too much, of his life, Tiger "would do it all over again. As a sophomore he transferred from Colgate University, where he was a member of Kappa Delta Rho fraternity (his "fondest memory of Colgate"), and came out for The Daily because he was in- terested in and always had been on school newspapers. "It took about two semesters for it to sink in how much work there was and by that time I was stuck. Once I got working it was just one 18 hour day after another," he grumbled. Remembers Mistakes He was then and still is more interested in the internal aspects of the newspaper as opposed to student politics and outside con- tacts. "What I remember most about i _ i Tiger avidly checks baseball sta-I tistics and stores them in his head each day. He can tell you the very latest in sports news at all times. This, he claims, stems from the summers he worked on baseball statistics and on the Chicago Tribune sports staff. Carries Scars As his right leg will verify, John is not just a spectator -of sports. Earlier this spring in a roaring slide into second base while play- ing on The Daily intra - mural baseball team, he scraped most of the skin from his leg. The scars still remain. Some of John's fans will remem- ber him as the "best looking blond Indian Michigamua ever tapped." Michigamua, "good, clean fun" as Tiger terms it, is worthwhile as long as the members take an in- terest in what the others are do- ing. He feels that the most valu- able thing about it is the contact between groups, especially the ac- tivities men and athletes. John claims that he was not always pessimistic. "Only since 1952," he said. It'smuch easier to be pessimistic, then you're rarely too disappointed. "I always have been sunshine and light," he said brightly. Growls at Girl A favorite story about John is his comment to a girl who owed him 50 cents. He growled, "No, no don't give it to me. Keep it; you'll feel miserable longer." But these trivial things cannot compare with his compensating features. He is an adequate backrubber, Dick Taub claims that he is the best dishwasher in town and he has a sharp but good quick wit. "The real impact of his per- sonality comes after you talk to him. Later you think about what he says and all of his qualities come out," Selma Sawaya said. As for the future - John will continue, at least this summer, with journalism, working on a newsletter in Washington, D.C. -Daily-Allan Winder CONTEMPLATES TAFT- City Editor John Charles Weicher presents a contrast to his companions (one being the author). John has given up his penetrating "hurumph" for more social By CAROL LEVENTEN "Waiting for Godot," the third production of the Drama Season, will open at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. Written by Samuel Beckett, it stars Earl Hyman and Paul Hart- man. "Waiting for Godot" is a tragi- comedy about a pair of tramps who wander down a country road looking and waiting for something permanent to give their lives meaning. * s* * "Summer of the 17th Doll," will open June 1, starring Charles Hohman. The last Drama Season production, "The Happiest Mil- lionaire," starring Conrad Nagel, will be performed beginning June 8. Drama Season productions will be performed from Monday to Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday of the week they are scheduled to appear. Tickets are available at the Lydia Mendelssohn box office. The Ann Arbor Civic Theatre announced the following winners at their awards dinner Friday Organization Notices Congregational and Disciples Guild, "Study Night," for final exams, May 24, 7 p.m., Guild House. * * * Graduate Outing Club, hiking, May 24, 2 p.m., meet in back of Rackham (N. W. entrance). Lutheran Stud. Assoc., annual Senior Banquet - honoring those graduating from the University May 24, 6 p.m., Luth Stud. Center, Forest and Hill., Mich. Christian Fellowship, May 24, 4 p.m., Lane Hall. Speaker: Keith Hunt, "Have You Considered Him?" Sigma Alpha Oota, Senior Farewell Service, May 24, 2:30 p.m., Mrs. Flinn's home. Rides leave League at 2 p.m. night. Best Actress award went to Estelle Ginn. '60, for her appear- ance as "Maggie" in Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Best Actor to Jerrold Sandler, Grad., for his role as Willie in "Death of a Salesman," by Arthur Miller. Best supporting performance awards were given to Tom Leitn, '60, for "Death of a Salesman," and to Mayme Walker, an Ann Arbor resident, for "Visit to a Small Planet." The University Symphony Band, conducted by Prof. William D. Revelli, will present two concerts this week. The first, a solo-ensemble pro- gram to be held at 4:15 p.m. Monday in Hill Aud., will feature instrumental solos with band ac- companiment. Included among others will be work for woodwinds, brass and percussion, presented in solo and ensemble, by Clarke, De- bussy Rossini, Bozza, Prokofiev and Weber. The band will present a student conducted laboratory concert at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday in Hill Aud. Band members from Prof. Re- velli's conducting class will con- duct compositions by Bach, Pau- Chet, Hoist, Gould, Wagner, Cowell and Milhaud. Both concerts are open to the public free of charge. * * * The Ann Arbor Recorder Society will give its annual Spring concert at 8 p.m. Monday in the band room of Ann Arbor High School. Members will perform composi- tion written for the recorder from the 12th to 20th centuries, accom- panied by violincello, flute and piano. The recorder is a medieval wood- wind instrument-a favorite of Henry VIII-and can be played by amateurs with a minimum of practice. It is equally adapted to folk, popular, classic and Baroque works. Compositions by Perotin, Wil- laet, Hilton, Metzger, Woelfi, Bach, Rossi, Loeillet and Fasch will be performed. The concert is open to the pub- lic without charge. * * *- Grethe Krogh Christensen will give a public organ concert at 4:15 p.m. today in Hill Aud. Miss Christensen, a guest organ- ist from Denmark, will play com- positions by Buxtehude, including "Prelude and Fugue in D Major," "Toccata in F Major," "Three Chorale Preludes," and "Chaconne in E Minor." After intermission she will play "Three Chorale Preludes" by Gade; "Passacaglia," by Videroe; "Preludes" by Nielson; and "Te Deum, Op. 56," by Moelier. NEXT: "The Young Philadelphians" * "FABULOUS ... TRIUMPHANT IN EVERY RESPECTS" -Brooks Atkinson, N.Y. Times "AN UNFORGETTABLE EVENING!" -N.Y. World Telegram & Sun. "REMARKABLY FUNNY!" -N.Y. Post responses to stupid comments. the past year, of course, were the mistakes," he said with his usual cheerful attitude. Of his three year stint he remembers "the whole junior year as pretty gruel- ing." Susan Holtzer said, "I'll re- member John as the fastest head- line writer The Michigan Daily ever had. He can count a 3-30 in his head." His amazing ability to calculate the count of a headline mentally almost before it was written will long be remembered, as will his fantastic memory, es- pecially for the historical. John-King or Pope? Ask a question about the Kings of England or the popes and he'll tell you that "the last pope named John was John XXII, 1249-1334, whose real name was Jacques d'Euse." Or if any of you want to know the middle name or initial of any Senator just ask John, one staff member said. Tiger says modestly that he has lost much of this ability since the last election, and that he'd "probably miss 15 or so now." But much as he gets teased about his photographic memory, it, along with his bent for details and eye for catching mistakes, made John a top-notch city editor. Meals Were Bonus A bonus, that came with his job' of city editor, was his association with editor, Dick Taub. They had innumerable meals and talks each week-and still ended up friends. John says that "95 per cent of the time we were as close as two' people can be and not be Siamese twins." And Dick answers, "95 per cent of the time we got along very well, the other five per cent of the time we hated each other." An ingrained part of his per- sonality is his conservatism. In politics John would stand the rest of the senior editors arguing for the "right" side. He remembers* the 1952 convention when he thought Taft should win the Re- publican nomination, as one time when he was really excited. (The times he displays any real en- thusiasm are few and far be- tween.) Knew Where To Go "That was a mistake not elect- ;ng him," he declared authorita- tively, "he was about the one man who's been in politics with a knowledge of where he is going and practical ability, too." He has always been interested in politics, "in the Senate more than anything else," he says. But he has never taken any political science courses because "he is more interested in day to day hap- penings than in theory." "At the age of five," he remi- nisced, "I was the only Republican on the block of all Democrats. It sort of started the whole thing" Since then he has developed his conservative ideas to the point where John says, "I call myself fascist half the time when I'm kidding." Speaks Seriously Speaking seriously about con- servatives he says that he feels that they are pushing toward in- dividual freedom, while the liberals are heading toward a pretty tight state controlled system. Tiger feels that the University is in trouble, "The dollars aren't there to keep us at the top and it doesn't look like they're going to be for a while," he commented. "The University is going to be too blasted big," he says. "I have a feeling its too blasted big now, but you need ;a big place to get faculty and a variety of outlooks." Continuing in his pessimistic way he says that Student Gov- ernment Council is also heading down rapidly. "Any changes I'd make in the SGC plan would be strengthening it and that is not the way the wind is blowing," he explained. Violated Spirit He feels that the Sigma Kappa was in violation of the spirit and letter of the SGC plan. Reversal should not be based on whim or a difference of opinion but like the judicial system should be' based on a review procedure. "But it wasn't when the chips finally got down," he commented. His opinion of activities "de- pends on the mood I'm in," he said. "If I'm in a good mood I like what I'm doing but if I'm in a bad one I can think of a lot of other things to do." Had Other Courses Did he have trouble combining school and The Daily? Tiger feels that one can handle English hon- ors and The Daily provided he has no other courses. Unfortunately, he had other courses. "Honors is a good program," he said. "The in- structors are good people and it is an advantage for 25 people to go through two years of class to- gether." "My counseling at the Univer-I sity was pretty good all the way through, but I feel that I'm the exception," he said. Beside his work in honors, Ti- ger's interest in Greek. stemming from reading Aeschylus and Plato in high school, stands out. He took a year of Greek at Colgate and continued it at the University in his sophomore year. "For sheer work there is nothing like Greek," he said. Takes Grand Tour Following his interest in Greek, he spent almost a week in Greece last summer as part of a 10 week European visit. Athens, Vienna, Brussels Fair and London were the highlights of his trip. "I guess I liked London because everybody; spoke English," he commented. Though a strong home town rooter for the Chicago White Sox, SGC Reading Program' Called. 'Popular Choice' By PEGGY GREENBERG "An estimated 120 people have enrolled already in the Summer Reading and Discussion Program," Roger Seasonwein, '61., said. The area of "A Discussion of Dr. Zhivago" seems to be the most popular choice of the students who have asked that the reading lists for the program be sent to them, he added. An entire week will be devoted to the discussion part of the pro- gram. On Sept. 28 a debate will1be held on "The Relationship of God to Culture," led by Prof. Kenneth Boulding of the economics depart- ment and Prof. Anatol Rapoport of the Mental Health Institute. Seminars Follow Seminars will follow during the week, discussing the reading done during the summer in one of the seven areas. All are concerned with "Problems in American Cul- ture," the theme of the program. "The seminars and debates are open to everyone on campus and are arranged so that tley will be interesting to all, whether or not they have done the reading," Sea- sonwein said A second debate is planned for the week. At present the topic has been set for "Marx and Morality." The Committee is "hoping to get the sponsorship of 'the League for a Hyde Park on the seminar and its topics," Seasonwein said. Bring Together The program is designed to bring the students and professors together in a less restrained at-. mosphere than the classroom. Its purpose, is not to bring student specialists, those majoring in one of the fields covered in the pro- gram, together with the professor specialists, but rather to let the non-departmental major have the benefit of these specialists from a not highly technical viewpoint. The reading list itself will list one book that is required for un- derstanding the area and then give supplementary readings with- in that area for those interested in going further into the topic. Discuss Book Prof. Leslie White of the an- thropology department will dis- cuss his book, "The Science of Cul- ture." Other areas include "Social Security and its Relation to a Free Economy" to be led by Prof. William Haber of the economics department, "Journalism: Its So- cial Relationships" to be led by Carl Lindstrom, visiting lecturer to the journalism department, and "the Individual Within a Mass Society." Prof. Marvin Felheim of the English department will be the faculty leader for "A Discussion of Dr. Zhivago." "Darwin's Influ- ence on Culture" will be led by Prof. Marston Bates of the zoology department. The B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation is pleased to an- nounce its annual Honors Day and Installation of Offi- cers at its building, 1429 Hill Street, this evening, May 24, at 7:30. Prof. Herbert H. Paper of the Department of Near Eastern Studies will deliver the address on the theme: "Honor, Privilege and Opportunity." The awards will be presented by Dr. Herman Ja- cobs, Director of the Foundation. Reception follows the program. Everybody welcome. i 11 :. DALT O2-3136 STARTS TODAY i IT'S A GAY, GORGEOUS, GLORIOUS, LOVESTORY OF A BLUSHING BRIDE . a French hubby with ideas of a romance that will tickle you with laughter. ;, Cliepa rdd Sunday at 8:00 Verdi's LA FORZA DEL DESTINO .f L . .. - .. 1 Continuous TODAY from 1 A. M. ! t, I DIAL THE TOWMN'S NEWEST HITI "WAITING FOR GODOT" L 641 ..Then you'lll luscious love-E hit from M, . I ' ...,' 3.::: ingmar Bergman's love this and-laugh I i i III