PACIE. TWO
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
FRIDAY. DPCEMRVR A. 1 OAS
PAGE TWO TIlE MICHIGAN DAILY
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GROOVIEMOVIE:
SquareRoot' Proves
Radically Different
Pilot Proj ect: Problems, Prospects
I
UNIVERSITY PLAYERS
Department of Speech present
By JOYCE WINSLOW
At The Campus Theater'
"Alan," whispers Jane, biting
her lip, "I've got something to tell
you. I'm eight days late."
"For what?"
"No, you don't understand. I'm
eight days late."
"So? Oh. . .Oh my God!"
"Aan, you promised me you'd
be good."
"I was good, darling, I was
good."
There will now be a pregnant
pause while I explain to you what
is happening in this scene. Like
you didn't know, right?
The scene is from "The Square
Root of Zero," which is radically
different and hysterically funny.
The whole story evolves around
Zero, a beatnik writer. While most
writers do a lot of writing and no
thinking, Zero does a lot of think-
ing and no writing. The result is
the same, though. His characters
make it around the pads he cre-
ates.
Zero and his painter friend Alan
row to a tent resort island in
Maine. Also there 'is the wealthy
Liggett family, who have pitched
an "estate" of tents. Alan falls
for the daughter, Jane; Zero is
left to a dull platonic relation-
ship with Jane's mother, May,
whose husband (Arch) is always
off on his yacht with Nell - a
prostitute on a busman's holiday.
Complications arise. May doesn't
approve of Alan for Jane. Nat-
urally-she's her mother. May
doesn't approve of Nell for Arch,
Naturally - she's his wife.
doesn't really approve of
Naturally. All beatniks smoke
May
Zero.
mar-
ijuana.
The greatest thing about this
wild, wacky film is that it is o
:natural. Characters say things
you wish you had the nerve to
say. And they say things, satir-
.ically, which ybu've heard too
many times before.
For example, Jane, thinking she
is alone with Alan in th6 fore-
castle of the boat, suddenly hears
her father making love to a pros-
titute.
"Oh," she says, distraught,
"Mummy will be furious."
Other examples of great lines:
after Alan learns of Jane's preg-
nant condition, he hides out
among some craggy rocks on the
shoreline. Jane pursues him and
upon finding him cries out, "Alan,
I've made you some sandwiches."
Alan, overcome, proposes mar-
riage. Jane accepts. She then tells
Alan that everything is okay. She
made a mistake about the date.
Poor Alan falls off his rock and
drowns. Jane watches him go
down. "Oh nuts," she says.
Later, at a eulogy on the beach,
Zero .pours out his feelings. "Alan,
was my friend, you know? Like a
friend is a guy who likes you any-
way."
Writer -director -producer Wil-
liam Cannon has lived up to the
promise of his advertisements and
has given Ann Arbor one of the
best films I've ever seen. Chuck
studying for finals for two hours
onie day and see "The Square Root
of Zero." This "grooviemovie"
really grabs you.
(Continued from Page 1)
with a similar complaint adds that
"the ideals are great, but they,
just don't carry them through
enough." Another claims it "has
just boiled down to seeing the
same old faces every day."
In general, though, students
seem to agree that the pilot proj-
ect as a whole is a "good idea.,
One girl comments that "It's a
good way to get to really know
people. I always have people to
walk to class with and to talk
with about my courses when I
feel like discussing points that
bother me. The extra meetings
and meals add an extra 'feel' for
what is going on."
This, says Haber, is the aim of
the project. "We are trying to
combine the advantages of a small
university, where students can be
excited about their courses andR
use of social psychological prin- bers and three residence hall offi- visers-to make the project as ef-
ciples, and cials, has reported to him that the fective as possible-must involve a
3) An approach to the decen- project has been "a great success." great deal more time and money.
tralization of the structural or- Haber disclosed recently that the . .
ganization of the University. committee has recommended thatshortcomingsthe
George Smith, the coordinator the project be "expanded with all Poject's ideals have met with fav-
of the pilot project, says that the possible speed." The possibility of those involved ith it. The pos-
central goal of the project is "to expanding the program to include sibility of expanding the project a
make students like education by the entire freshman class was also costly proposition, has nonethe-
providing a better environment strongly suggested. less met with widespread admin-
for the cultivation of intellectual Haber commented last night istrative support and even en-
pursuits." He says, "We are do- that "whether this expansion can;thusiasm. It would seem that such
ing something new and exciting! take place or should take placerepnemywlsonbigid
in undergraduate education." depends primarily on: 1) Whether response may well soon bring wide
scale enlargement of the program
Many parts of the University the educational value of the proj- to include, in Haber's words, "more4
have an interest in the pilot proj- ect, which this committee states courses, more students, and more
ect, The Center for Research on as being substantial, has in fact'residences."
Language and Behavior and the been established. This needs fur-
Center for Research on Learning ther study,
and Teaching are both involved 2) Expansion of the program
with the project. The French de- requires trained personnel, effec-
partment, the department of so- tive direction, and, unquestionably,
cial psychology and the planners considerable financial support. A
of the residential college are also college executive committee will
HENRY VI,
Part 2-Last time tonight!
Part 3-Dec. 5, matinee
8:00 P.M.-TRUEBLOOD AUDITORIUM
BOX OFFICE OPEN 12.30-8
Parts 1,2,
a
. t
DIAL 5-6290
Shows at 13,5, 7 and 9P.M.
Feature 10 Minutes Later
have someone around to discuss using the pilot project for experi-'
that interest and to stimulate more mental purposes.
independent investigation, with Pilot project students are chos-
the benefits of the large and di- en at random from among those
verse university." who volunteer by checking a blank
"Thus," Newcom adds, "we are on their residence hall application.
trying to create the advantages ofj
residrVnce halls trday.
Gaylord, explaining the "pilot"
the residential college in our resi-
nature of the project, says the
project represents:
1) A "handle on undergraduate
education, a method of stepping
back and getting a new perspec-
tive,"
2) An experiment that makes
This year all students who re-
quested to be placed in the pilot
project were accommodated.
An ad hoc committee under
Newcomb's leadership has recent-
ly investigated the general reac-
tion to the project as a whole as
well as the feasibilities involved
in expanding the program. Ac-
cording to Haber, the committee,
consisting of three faculty mem-
need to be satisfied about all of
these problems before the programI
can be substantially expanded."
He added that a large scale
extension of the program, possi-
bly to combine men's and wom-
en's houses into the same dorm,
would not even be feasible until at
least next year. "The administra-
tive difficulties of scheduling com-
mon courses are quite large. Mov-
ing people around in dorms also
involves quite an administrative
burden."
Further, to schedule effective
and meaningful seminars, and to
hire and train qualified floor ad-
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NEXT WETMISS
Ann Arbor Civic Theatre's production of
Arthur Miller's towering drama
A VIEW FROM THEBRIDGE
Dec. 9-11, 8:00 P.M.-Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
Thurs. $1.50, Fri.-Sat. $1.75
Box Office (668-6300) Ope ns Monday at 10.00 A.M.
# 1
1 !
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TONIGHT at and 9
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tOdd Man Out
# U
Starring
JAMES MASON
I ROBERT NEWTON
Brought to Ann Arbor ;
by Special Request.
ii
IN THE ARCHITECTURE AUDITORIUM
i ADMISSION: FIFTY CENTS
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with
The Dazzling Star
of "The Collector"
lieturn
A Journey Into The Diaholical?
ST AAAl
MAXIMlUIAN S6HIfLSMANiTIIA GGAR NORID IHUIt'1-ERB[RT[f OM
SUBSCRIBE TO BOTH A.C.T. AND PLAY OF THE MONTH
AND RECEIVE AN EXTRA DISCOUNT!
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of the
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