T$E MICHIGAN DAILY
WUOM Produces Tapes
Features Dances Of Six Classical Plays,
U
B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation
1429 Hill Street
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By LOUISE LIND
The University of Michigan
Broadcasting Service (WUOM) re-
cently produced and made avail-
able to a national circuit of edu-
cational radio stations a taped
series of six classical dramas in
modern translation.
"It all began with the initial
broadcast of William Arrowsmith's
modern translation of 'Orestes' by
Euripides on April 24, 1960," Di-
rector Jerry Sandler, producer-
editor of the University broad-
casting service explained.
"Orestes," now available in a
two - record LP edition from
WUOM, was an experimental
"pilot project" that gained them
a grant-in-aid from the National
Educational Television and Radio
Center in cooperation with the
National Association of Educa-
tional Broadcasters, he noted.
Produce Five Plays
The grant enabled them to pro-
duce the five plays from the works
of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides,
Aristophanes and Terence, rep-
resenting a wide range in classical
drama.
The series, now being broadcast
by more than 40 educational radio
stations, was undertaken, Sandler
said, to make those educational
materials available to teachers and
students of the classics which may
not normally be obtained.
"The cost of such a project is
prohibitive for commercial pro-
duction." Because of this built-in
cost factor, "the quality of per-
formance that we achieved might
be called unique to educational
radio," Sandler noted.
"Commercial radio, in order to
enlist the services of this same
talent would have to pay much,
much more," he added.
Casting
Casting 'Orestes,' the first of
the six dramas, with local stu-
dents, faculty members and towns-
people, Sandler then turned to
the professionals and semi-profes-.
sionals who were willing to assist
in the educational project for
nominal fees.
Don Gillis, contemporary Amer-
ican composer, was commissioned
to write the score; Prof. Orien
Dalley of the music school and
music consultant for WUOM con-
ducted the faculty-student en-
semble; and Prof. Gerald F. Else,
chairman of the classical studies
department of the literary school,
was obtained as a consultant to
choose and interpret the dramas.
"We all felt the importance of
any radio organization attempting
such an experiment in serious
drama and we hoped to inspire
other educational radio stations
to undertake like projects," Sand-
ler said.
"Creative radio drama today is
almost a lost art form. It has
March To Speak
On Organizations
Prof. James G. March of the
Carnegie Institute of Technology
will speak on "Some Models of
Organizational Decision" at 8 p.m.
tonight in the Rackham Bldg.
West Conference Rm.
ORGANIZATION
NOTICES
Christian Science Org., Regular Tes-
timony Meeting, Mar. 15, 7:30 p.m., 528D,
BAB.
* s "
Congr. Disc. E & R Student Guild,
Worship Service, Mar. 15, 12:10-12 :40
p.m., Cong. Church, Douglas Chapel.
La Sociedad Hispanica, Tertulia, Mar.
i5, 8 p.m., 3050 FB Speaker: Prof. L.
Kiddie, "Las Universidades Hispanicas
De Ayer De Hoy."
a " "
Sailing Club, Work on Boats, Mar. 15,
7:45 p.m., SAB Workshop.
steadily lost importance since its
Golden Age of the Thirties and
Forties when renowned writers
like Archibald MacLeish and
Stephen Vincent Benet wrote radio
scripts. Most creative radio pro-
ductions in the last decade have
been produced by educational sta-
tions, not commercial.
"But the real justification for
our project was the belief that
there is an audience for serious
drama and that wefelt we could
reach it."
IRolding 'Orestes' rehearsals daily
for over a month, Sandler at 'all
times directed the sessions as he
would have those for a play to
be presented on the stage.
"Every rehearsal was recorded
on tape, and the final broadcast
tape was not merely the last per-
PRESIDENT
VICE-PRESIDENT
Petitions may be picked up in the Hillel
Office daily and evenings.
PETITIONS are due, Friday, March 23, 1962.
INTERVIEWS will be held the week of March 26.
Positions will be announced the week of April 1.
~g'suffa
In old Bavaria when, the beer
tastes extra good, they lift their
steins and sing "eins, iwei
g'suffal" (tastes so good you drink
it up-one, two.)
eins, zweii g'suflcr,
'ORESTES'
... album cover
formance of the play but was a
composite of the best scenes from
all the rehearsal tapes, carefully
edited over a period of weeks," he
explained.
At times, we had all seven
Ampex tape consoles working
simultaniously to cut the best
parts from each tape. When this
process was completed, we had a
master tape to which we added
the musical score and special ef-
fects in a "mixing session," Sand-
ler added.
In actuality then, the taped per-
formance of "Orestes" never took
place as such.
"If the final result is a good
one, if it has a verve, a vitality
uncommon to many radio plays, it
is because this unique approach
was carried through by all mem-
bers of the production," he noted.
Sandler expressed a desire to do
more serious radio drama and add-,
ed that WUOM was looking for-
ward to the nation's reaction to
the six-play series.
In addition to "Orestes," Eurip-
ides' "Iphigenia at Tauris," "The
Birds" by Aristophanes, "Philoc-
tetes" by Sophocles, "Seven
Against Thebes" by Aeschplus, and
Terence's "The Brothers" are
available as part of the six-play
series.
(w i
hii u|, n~hr
GEYER'S ! !4
brewed in the old Bavarian tradition.
DIST. BY ALL STAR BEV. CO., ANN ARBOR
43"' Bros. Brewing C.-Frankenmuth, Mich.
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
N EWMAN CLUB;
Presents
"CATHOLIC VOICES"
speaking on
CURRENT SOCIAL ISSUES
Friday, March 16th:
"Christian Principles and Modern Industry-
A View of Labor"
Mr. Kenneth Bannon, UAW
Director, National Ford Department
Friday, March 23rd:
"Human Relations - The Challenge to the Modern
Catholic"
Justice Otis Smith
Michigan Supreme Court
Friday, March 30th:
"Christian Action in an Urban Society"
Rev. Clement Kern
Holy Trinity, Detroit
Gabrial Richard Center ALL INVITED
331 Thompson 8:00 P.M.
I
ANNOUNCES PETITIONING
OPEN FOR OFFICES
for 1962-63
for the following positions:
SECRETARY
TREASURER
C
THE U OF',M
dance organizations
PRESENT THE
12th ANNUAL SPRING
DANCE
,.CONCERT
4
II plilliuw.
Dial NO 5-6290
4
Ending Tonight
A RIOTOUS NEW TWIST
IN THE ART OF GENTLE
PERSUASION!
Donis DAY
TONY RANDAL.#
ADAM S-JACKOAKIE
JACK KRUISC1EN " " "."" 9
COMEDY PRIZE OF THE
SEASON?!"-Herald-Tribune
* FRIDAY *
WILLIAM HOLDEN
CLIFTON WEBB
r
A
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Lydi
THE
F
ALL
AT
a Mendelssohn Theatre
in conjunctionwith
E CREATIVE ARTS FESTIVAL
RI
.- SAT.
AR. 6A7
8 P.M
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SEATS RESERVED $1.25
TICKETS ON SALE
THE THEATRE BOX OFFICE
AND STUDENT UNION
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