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Page 6-Friday, April 7, 1978-The Michigan Daily
DISCO
Lessons at
DAINCE
SP0CE
314%A S. State
CALL 995-4242
for schedule
and registration
information.
RCP1
By DAVID VICTOR
HE Seagull winged its way into
East Quad Auditorium last night.
The Residential College Players of-
fered a zesty performance of Chekhov's
famous play. Though lacking in a few
areas, the production was handled ad-
mirably.
For most of its participants, The
Seagull is the result of a semester-long
seminar on Chekhov under the guidan-
I
ry ers'
ce of Prof. Matthew Wikander, who also
served as director. The resultant in-
depth understanding of the play and
Chekhov himself was easy to see. There
were none of the long pauses typical of
American performances, but rather an
impelling sense of movement that was
deft and ironic. Costumer Margaret
Gonzales flawlessly portrayed
Russians at the turn of the century;
likewise, the stage props, under
Deborah Knott, were remarkably true
to the period. In short, they induced
what stage manager Nancy Ferguson
termed, "a totality of interpretation."
The high quality of the performance
Metropolis Film Society Presents
INGMAR BERGMAN'S
CRIESAND
WHISPERS
"Bergman, showing his utter
mastery, gives you his eyes with
which to see, and his sensibilities
with which to feel. This great,
beautiful film represents the
purest possible use of cinema
as an art form capable of
probing the human spirit."
-William Wolf
"It stands alone and reduces
almost everything else you
are likely to see to the size
of a small cinder."
Vincent Canby
Friday, April 7 MLB Room 1
Admission: $1.50
Showtimes: 7:00 9:30
Saturday: TARGETS
'Seagull'
is no small accomplishment in a piece
as complex as The SeagulL_ Perhaps
tieing with The Three Sisters as
Chekhov's most difficult play, The
Seagull demands versatility from its
actors. That a play where people con-
stantly work to destroy one another was
labeled by its author as a comedy is the
simplest clue to its complexity. In it, as
director Wikander says, "Chekhov
sympathizes but laughs at the
ridiculous behaviour" of his charac-
ters.
TWO SIMPLY outstanding perfor-
mances deserve recognition. First is
Tony Burdick, as Dorn, the doctor.
While not as -challenging a role as
others in The Seagull, Burdick handles
this Chekhovian alter ego exceptionally
well. He remains detached enough for
The Seagull
Residential College Auditorium, East Quad
April 6-8,1978
Dorn ........... ...........Tony Burdick
Trigorin ......................... Martin Walsh
Nina ..........................Andrea Meister
Knstantin.........................Jeff Wine
Masha ........................ Amy Lynch
Arkadina.... ............Roberta Owen
Yakov..................Steve Greenhoe
Medvedenko . Ben Hohnman
Shamrayev .......... Blake Radcliffe
Pauline ......................... Robin W right
Sorin...... .................John Frank
Matthew Wikander. dhrw-or
impersonal observation, using a vocal
inflection of tolerant ennui. When the
stumbling anger of Peter Sorin (John
Frank) over the resignation of his
estate agent (Blake Ratcliffe) dies
down, Burdick's sigh of, "people are
tiresome" drew applause. Still he
manages to convey a compassion and
warmth for every character he comes
in contact with.
The other outstanding performance
was Martin Walsh's portrayal of
Tirgorin. From his first appearance,
Walsh demonstrates total control of his
role - a famous writer who destroys
the burgeoning innocence of a young
girl for the sake of "an idea for a short
story." On the stage, Trigorin is
traditionally botched; he is either por-
trayed as a despicable masher or a
pleasant celebrity. Walsh shows both
sides. He allows us to like him and yet
there is something sinister in his
uneasy air: a raised eyebrow, a wan-
dering eye, a subtly poking walking
stick. His speech, though projecting
powerfully, also contains an air of
discomfort and distraction through just
the right amount of hesitation to coun-
ter the fluidity of his carriage. He
shows Trigorin trapped in a cruel game
which he sees and dislikes, yet cannot
help.
By contrast, the role of the girl
Trigorin destroys, Nina, is poorly han-
dled by Andrea Meister. While she is
convincing as an uncomfortable actress
amidst the absurd props of the unsuc-
cessful avant-garde play-within-a-play
of Act I, Meister never proceeds any
further. She exaggerates her part
pitilessly. That she does not know what
to do with her hands was painfully ap-
parent in her soliloquy ("How strange
to see a famous actress . . .").. This
poor job continues with only occasional
glimmers of talent until the final scene.
Here, Meister's acting abilities take a
turn for the worse.. Staring in the win-
dow, crying, she becomes sickeningly
maudlin. When she enters and confron-
ts the still faithful Konstantin (Jeff
Wine), she seems too exaggerated even
for parody (which this scene is not).
Wine performs well, yet his despair
seems absurd when inspired by so un-
convincing a source.
A SIMILAR opposition of talents was
evident when Trigorin confronts Nina
immediately after the shooting of the
seagull in the second act. The contrast
in poise is startling; Meister is stiff, her
hands overdone, but Walsh is casually
natural, his hands on a chair or wan-
TONIGHT
Basil Rathbone as Holmes
Nigel Bruce as Watson,
in
THE HOUND OF THE
BASKERVILLES (1939)
7 & 9 p.m.- Room 100
Hutchins Hall (Low Quad)
$1.00 GARGOYLE FILMS
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/ - -
MEDIATRICS presents
SILVER STREAK
Comedy, murder and romance occur on on American train between Los
Angeles and Chicago. With GENE WILDER, JILL CLAY and RICHARD PRYOR.
(Hiller, 1976)
Friday, April 7 7:30 & 9:30 Nat. Sci. Aud.
-AND-
CHINATOWN
A detective movie of the film-noir style, the mood of CHINATOWN is perva-
sive, ominous and shadowy. Set in Southern California before WWII,
CHINATOWN reverberates with the subtle eroticism of a love affair between
JACK NICHOLSON as a detective and FAYE DUNAWAY, his client. (Polanski,
1974).
04
*
dering to his pockets. Meister's actions
draw attention to themselves; Walsh's
do not.
The only other noticeable fault in this
otherwise excellent production was in
he small part of Yakov, the servant
rb1
played by Steve Greenhoe. Greenhoe
neglects the difference between sub-
mission to a harsh aristocracy by the
Russian serf and shuffling, bumbling,
self-conscious subservience. He is not a
bad actor, but his interpretation is in-
sulting.
Outside of this, the rest of the per-
formers were remarkably apt. Amy
Lynch, with perhaps the most complex
role of the play as Masha, started off
somewhat shakily but grew into her
role well. When Trigorin asks if she is
married in the last act, her response,
"ages ago," assumes the weight of the
awful emptiness that is Masha's fate,.
Sulking and sniveling, Jeff Wine's
frustration as Konstantin is quite con-
vincing, as is his love-hate conflict for
his mother (Roberta Owen) in the scene
where she bandages his head. Owen is
particularly good in this scene, meeti*g
the challenge of alternately softening
and springing back to her cruel exterior
with smooth professionalism. Finally,
Ben Kohrman exuded a worried, mousy
introversion as Medvedshenko.
The Seagull is unquestionably one of
the best Residential College Players
productions in memory. Combining
thorough understanding and, for the
most part, fine acting, there seemed to
be a sense of refined polish. Stage
;manager Ferguson feels some of this is
due to "the fact that the bulk of us RC
Players are graduating and this is our
swansong. While this isn't to say that
the people taking over are less
qualified, it does mean we're giving our
best from experience." In any case,
The Seagull, playing again tonight and
tomorrow night, is well worth seeing.
All fungi have several common
characteristics: They do not contain
chlorophyll, instead of producing
eeds as a means of propagation,
hey produce spores and they have
neither flowers nor true roots.
1941
E FALCON
ctive flick starring Bogart in his first
alI Hammett mystery involves a L.A.
evasive dame with a black bird on
EY GREENSTREET (as "The Fat Man")
ART who is as hard-boiled as good
ACE TO FACE
6NIGHT AI OLD ARCH. AUD.
7:OO&9:30 $1.50
April 7
CCA
IITCHCOCK (1940)
young unsophisticate who is swept
oung widower. Taken as his bride to
nd intimidated' by the servants, and
o by the ghost of Rebecca, the first
eige of torment as the plot builds to
sic, Hitchcock's first American film,
rds and won the awards for Best
all- Aud. A $1.50
l's BELLE DE JOUR
Sat., Apr. 8,
special children's mat. 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 8
7:00 & 9:15
Admission $1.50
Nat. Sci. Aud.
ATTENTION FRESHMEN:
INTERESTED IN THEATRE?
UAC SOPHSHOW Needs You To Fill
The Following Positions:
a'~Uss 1 I L 'll L' A IT E3'Liu:.LaiinE1JmiUI!Emo
DAILY EARLY BIRD MATINEES -- Adults $1..25
DISCOUNT IS FOR SHOWS STARTING BEFORE 1:30
MON. thu SAT. 10 A.M. tol 1:30 P.M. SUN. & HOLS.12 Noon til 1:30 P.M.
EVENING ADMISSIONS AFTER 5:00, $3.50 ADULTS
Monday-Saturday 1:30-5:00, Admission $2.50 Adult and Students
Sundays and Holidays 1:30 to Close, $3.50 Adults, $2.50 Students
Sunday-Thursday Evenings Student & Senior Citizen Discounts
Children 12 And Under, Admissions $1.25
HUMPHREY BOGART in
THE MALTES
John Huston's tough, sophisticated deter
big lead role as Sam Spade. The Dashie
private eye who meets a beautiful but
her mind. Featuring MARY ASTOR, SIDN
and PETER LORRE. And, of course, BOG
eggs come.
Sat: Bergman's F
-Director
-Lighting Designer
-Set Designer
-Costume Designer
-Musical Director
-Choreographer
-Technical Director
-Assistant Producer
-Business Manager
CINEMA GUILD
T
Apply by phone to
U bAC Sophshow 763-1107
between 9 & 5 by April 10
TICKET SALES
1. Tickets sold no sooner than 30 minutes
prior to showtime.
2. No tickets sold later than 15 minutes
after showtime.
OFFICE OF MAJOR EVENTS Presents
CIN EI
Friday,I
REBEL
Director-ALFRED H
JOAN FONTAINE is magnificent as the
off her feet by LAURENCE OLIVIER, a y
the family estate, she is threatened a
the evil housekeeper, but especially s
wife. Her life becomes a continuous se
a smashing climax. This suspense clas
was nominated for 9 Academy Awa
Picture and Best Cinematography.
7 & 9:15 p.m. Angell H
SATURDAY: Bunuel
10:30
1:00
3:30
6:30
9:00
1
it
5inf i T1 T.41I~ ~ I~ ~
... Catch it}
11
10:40
1:15
4:00
7:00
9:30
J
NAL
10:15
1:45
3:45
9:15
PG
Ilipiiminci Dint
10:20
i / ifl 'i:. .:...