vw M*R PO Rf IA(, 4J! RC's 'Hedda' focuses on liberated life's tensions or"l2' 41 By DAVID WEINBERG There's a standard joke concerning- Residential College drama productions about how the only peonle that come after the Wednesday night show are a small but intimate group of librarians. Tonight is closing night of RC Players' production of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, and if you have the time, I would say not to let it go by. I don't say this without some reserva- tion because the RC performance of the play was not as good as it could have been. I wanted it to be better. But there is something in RC drama which has distinguished it always from any of the theatre in this town. There are no flashing lights, no falling leaves. It's all there, it's all in the people. There's none of the hype of Big Business theatre today which has so drastically removed the sponteneity and the power from drama 'and put shows like Pippin on Broadway. Set in Norway, Ibsen's drama centers on Hedda Gabler, a spoiled aristocratic woman who has married just slightly below her means and vastly below her spiritual needs in uniting with pedantic George Tesman. Tesman is a boring and stupid medie- val scholar who graps nothing about his wife, understands only vaguely that she is someone precious, but who really in the end would prefer to get back to his studies. Why Hedda has married him is never fully explained. Perhaps it's just a mis- take. In her own words, she had "danced until she was tired." And so her boredom, her frustration, her spiritial search for something better, hecomes the foc'is of the play's tension. Ultimately it is just one moment of courage, one moment of beauty she seeks, as the pressure of time makes anything more seem impossibe. It's this one moment which must say all, in- carnate all. Surrounding Hedda is one lecherous judge, a concerned aunt, and Ejlert Lovborg, a writer and ex-lover of Hed- da's and the only other character in the play who seems to function on her level. The RC production I saw had prob- lems. Part of the problem may be directorial: John Reed is a neophyte to RC theatre. One such problem was in energy levels. Paul Zorn (Tesman) has a very good energy level on stage, but he needs to control it more. The character takes on the feeling of being slightly out of his mind, because it's not broken up enough. As a result, moments that need the energy-in this case Julie's use of the annuity and Hedda's burning of the manuscript, lack credibility. Another problem was in indicating. Iledda (Diane Dowling) was constantly grimacing, constantly drifting into the corners of the stage to display her frustration or moon over something. And yes, there were moments of real beauty, real involvement, moments that I was convinced in this production of Hedda. I wish that there were more of them. But it's RC theatre and it's a brand of theatre that's not around so much these days. And that's why, when you have the chance, it's so very im- portant to see it. I I-1F.r 74thFr.ltE{ t Daily Photo by PAULINE LUBENS Fincy that, Hed da! Eighty-four years of editorial freedom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Georg Tesman (Paul Zorn, right) hands Hedda Gabler (Diane Dowling) the precious manuscript of Ejlert Lovborg. The RC Players show closes this evening at East Quad. Saturday, October 19, 1974 News Phone: 764-0552 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104 FOUR DAYS AGO, we used this space to express our support for Student Government Council and the concept of student government. We urged students to vote in this week's SGC election as a gesture of solidar- ity and backing for continuation of a Council that was at last showing some signs of pulling itself together. Since then, another SGC election has gone up in smoke. Only 1273 stud- ents - 3.5 per cent of the campus - bothered to vote. When The Daily learned Wednesday of a gaping loop- hole in the voting security system, Council Election Director Alan Ber- covitz urged us not to publish the story. "If you print that," he said Wednesday night, "there's no way we can finish the election. The story described several unbe- blievably easy methods of thwarting the ID-card marking system and vot- Ing many times. Late Wednesday night, Bercovitz announced: "Due to the problem with the markers, I am postponing the election until Mon- day, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week." It was a hasty, last-minute grab at keeping the election's credi- bility, yet it demonstrated an hon- est concern for legality, and that TODAY'S STAFF: News: Glen Al lerhand, C. Cooles, Steve Hersh, Cheryl Pilate, T o m Preston, Judy Ruskin, Becky War- ner Editorial Page: Peter Blaisdell, Bar- bara Moore, Steve Ross, S t e v e Stojic, David Warren, Sue Wilhelm Arts Paae: David Blomquist Photo Technician: Pauline Lubens man date from SGC was refreshing. BUT THE APPARENT concern evap- orated quickly. Early Thursday, the voting continued as originally scheduled, marker problem and all. Bercovitz claimed the election could still come out clean. He flatly refused to acknowledge his announcement of the voting delay, and would not even explain his sudden belief that the marker problem was not a problem at all, Wednesday night several SGC of- ficials admitted the marker loophole effectively poisoned the election's credibility. Bercovitz' answer? "If The Daily thinks anyone voted twice," he said yesterday, "it is their job to prove it." By CINEMA WEEKEND STAFF THE INFORMER--John Ford's pow- erful depiction of one man's betrayal of another during the Irish Rebellion. Informer is the film that supposedly established directorial artistry in the American film. Ford and star Victor McLaglen won Oscars. **** (Cinema Guild, Arch. Aud., Tue., Wed., 7, 9) PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID -- Sam Peckinpah's crusty west- ern doesn't reach us intact. MGM hatchet man Jim Aubrev edited the film so ioorly - without Peckinpah's permission - that it hardly resembles a film r all. Kris Kristofferson and Bob D0lon are in there somewhere, as is I':kiaimh's basic conce~tion.* (New World, Nat. Sci. Aud., Wed., 7, 9') THE MOTHER AND THE WHORE --Winner of the Best Film award at Cannes, Mother and The Whore is a rather lengthy psychodrama dealing with a voriety of aspects of human sex'vlit. Jean-Pierre Leaud, consider- ahly .-gP I ince his appearance in Truf- fu't's 40 vows, plays the bored hour- geois h'ine man in a film which de- picts the whole sex love aspirations of man as a vision of despair. ***(Cine- ma II Ann Arbor Film. Co-op, Aud. A, Thurs., 7:30) GREED - The two hours of frag- ments left of this eight hour Erich von Strohein masterwork is a sad testa- ment to what commercial cinema can do to art. But even in its slaughtered farm, Greed is a massive epic on the making affair is too obscure to bother with. Unless you're a real Beatlema- niac, pass this one up. The music is great, but the album sounds better. * (Ann Arbor Film Co-op, Aud. A, Tues., in a series that begins at 6) THE KID - Charlie Chaplin made many fine films during his career, but .1c 1in a tonih t - This early Jean Renoir film of his- torical importance reflects the rebel- lious sentiments of the French in 1935. Lange. should prove interesting for all cinema viewers. *** (Cinema Guild, Arch., Aud., Thurs., 7. 9) THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL - Kirk Douglas and Lana Turner per- form adequately in this basically stereo- typed peek at Hollywood's inner work- ings where depravity and destructive- ness reign supreme. ** (Cinema Guild, Arch. Aud., Wed., 9) The ratings - four stars, superb; three stars, excellent: two stars, all right: one star, tolerable; no stars, for- get it. Cinema Weekend Staff David Blomquist (Daily Film Cri- tic); Chris Kochmanski, David Weinberg (Copy Assistants); Da- vid Crumm, Mark DeBofsky, Lin- da Fidel, Cinthia Fox, Linda Kloote, George Lobsenz, Judy Lopatin, Joan Ruhela, Bruce Web- er (Staff Writers) tragic consequences of a lust for gold. It definitely is worth seeing. *** (Cine- mi Guild, Arch. Aud., Tues., 9) REEFER MADNESS - One doubts whether the anti-pot message of this corny film was really taken seriously even in 1936, the picture's year of release. There .re plenty of laughs, sure, and its one-hour length is per- fect for a novelty. But as art, Madness iust doesn't cut it. * (Ann Arbor Film Co-op, And. A, Tues., in a series that begins at 6) MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR - The plot of this Beatles singing and merry- this is one of his most beautiful. Play- ing The Tramp, Charlie has an or- phan left in his care. A very fine of- fering from the master of physical comedy. **** (New World, Nat. Sci. Aud., Thurs., 7, 9) THE GODFATHER - The original stand-out gangster film that vividly de- picts the violence and ruthlessness of the competing factions of the Mafia. Francis Ford Coppola directed: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan star. (New World, MLB, Mon., Tues., 7, 9) THE CRIME OF MONSIEUR LANGE I Students and the Commission Governance are faculty members on to Study Student currently preparing to recommend massive overhauls of the student government system here, and we are forced to endorse their effort. SGC leaves us no choice. It is true that CSSG is a function of the Regents, who may seek to liquidate much of student govern- ment's role. That would be a terrible step backwards for this University. But a student government must ,stand up for its constituency in times of crisis and need. In the late 1960's, the Council proved equal to that tasks Most recently, the crisis has been SGC itself. The Council has been tested and found wanting. IT IS TIME TO look elsewhere for new forms of student leadership. -DAN BIDDLE I BRDE When his partner opened 1NT (16-18 hcps), North, with his 17 pts., knew that the two hands belonged in a slam. But, real- izing that 4-4 fits usually played one trick better than notrurnp, he bid .,dstayman. When South responded 24, North sur- prised the table by bidding a direct 64, which all passed. BOTH VUL. WE 73 9 5 3 J 1() 10 7 1 ST NORTH K( Q J 2 A J 10 A F Q 9 5 2 4-4 tits should play better than notrump. by FRANK BELL_ the dummy, he played the ten when West followed with a low heart. East won his queen and re- turned a club won by declarer's kin,. South continued with a small heart towards dummy's ace-jack t e n a c e, confidently playing the jack when West played small, but East won the king for the setting trick. "Oh well, bad luck partner," East said as he noticed North's frown.s"it took both heart hon- ors offsides to beat us, only a 24 per cent chance." North was right that the con- tract would play better in a 4-4 fit, but South did not take advantage of it. South missed his chance to insure the con- tract against any lie of the cards, as long as trump broke 3-2. Upon winning the opening lead and drawing trump, South should have cashed all of his club and diamond tricks ending in his hand. Now he could lead a small heart towards the board and claim his contract. For, if West plays small, de- clarer just covers with the ten of hearts, and when East wins the trick he will be endplayed. East will be forced to return either a diamond, which gives declarer a ruff-sluff, or a heart into dummy's ace-jack, giving declarer his twelfth trick and his contract. TIL ELAD Up FO 3S1b 6 MONI* 46OR U 13 n~h.4 E EC DOF Th WAflR IST6CCMV1?UP -1R14L WNICR4EVRCS? $ FV6-1 ' 1* jl zl M V* Vi 3 v I 9972 +6 3 4b SOUTH A A 10 9 8 V 7 4 2 A K Q + A K3J8 Polsh ore/hestra: Semi-successful EAST 6 5 4 K Q 8 6 6 5 4 3 6 4 Polish National Radio Orchestra, Bohdan Wodiczko, Conductor, with Roman Jablonski, cello solo- ist. Thursday, October 17, 1974, 8:30 p.m. in Hill Auditorium. Program: Don Juan. . ichard Strauss Cello Concerto in I3 major. Antonin Dvorak Symphony No. 10. Dmitri Shosta- kovich By TONY CECERE When Bohdan Wodiczko gave the initial downbeat in D o n Juan to open last Thursday's concert I had a feeling that it was going to be a bad night. I was only half right. My disappointment grew out of the total lack of sound from the brass section in the Strauss tone poem, especially when compared to this group's rela- tively fine string and woodwind sections. It actually sounded like a prankster had stuffed socks into the bells of the brasses, resulting in a shrunken and very unvirile reading of. a very heal- thy piece. The strings, despite their rela- tively small numbers, played with a full and rich sound. The woodwinds also projected a solid section sound, but Don Juan sounds too much like a eunu.h without an assertive brass sec- tion. The appearance of cello soio- ist Roman Jablonski alleviated the prevailing atmosphere of insecurity. Jablonski perform- ed in an emotional and dyna- mic fashion, pouring a lot of soul into a treacherous concerto, There were occasional problems arising from excessive pow noise, but these did not detroct from the poetry of his perform- ance. Unfortunately, Maestro Wod- Perhaps there was a huddle during intermission: by -omie act of God the brasses daoided that they would start to out out some sound. With this sudien loss of inhibitions a reaiisc equilibrium of orchestral sound was attained, with smashing re- sults. The concert closed with an excellent rendition of a fiend- ishly difficult symphony. Par- ticular mention should be made of the excellent solos on both piccolo and alto flutes, as well as on snare drum. Audience reaction was quick and positive: they gave the group a standing ovation. As an encore the ensemble per- formed a vivacious mazurka from Halka, a modern opera by a contemporary nationalist com- noser named Stanislaw Monush- ko. The Polish National R a d1 i0 Orchestra is a tight and well- disciplined body of musicians with the potential to be a truly virtuoso orchestra. Several things must change before that happens, however. The brasses must mature in their concept of balance, and a new conductor might be more responsive to the needs of the orchestra. For now, they still do good work. The bidding: South West North East 1NT Pass 24 Pass 24 Pass 64 Pass Pass Pass Pass Opening lead: +. South won the opening lead with the king of diamonds. He saw that the contract rested on finding West with at least one of the two missing heart honors, a 76 per cent chance, so he pulled the outstanding trump in three rounds ending in his hand. Leading a heart towards i - - - - I 11 III OVIES on L.V. b) ' A-' iIGJJAI XT Y -xx: