The Michigan Doily-Tuesday, November 15, 1977-Page 5 Mother Courage triumphant, stu By STEPHEN PICKOVER A FTER HAVING viewed The Act- ing Company's four Ann Arbor productions of two years ago, it was with great and eager anticipation that I awaited their production of Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children. They did not fail me. All aspects of the show, from the technical to the direct- ing to the acting were excellent and fully professional. Mother Courage takes place during the Thirty Years War between the years of 1618 and 1648. Mother Courage is a travelling peddler with three chil- dren.: Eilif, her eldest son, Swiss Cheese, the youngest son and her mute daughter Kattrin. Soldiers are her cus- tomers and war her world. She is a shrewd and independent business wom- an, always looking for the deal, the bargain or the haggle to lower the price. She is tough, authoritative and incredibly resilient as she manages to pick up the pieces and continue her bus- iness after the death of her three chil- dren. Brecht foreshadows the way the chil- dren are to die in scene one. Each child draws a slip of paper with a black 'X' upon it, prophesizing death. The irony of the situation becomes apparent when their mother scolds them, demanding that they stick to their best virtue, and nothing shall happen. SHE TELLS Eifil to be smart, use his head. But, he is smart once too often and kills a peasant woman. Guards drag him past his mother's wagon to see her for the last time, but she is away on a business deal. Swiss Cheese is told to stay honest because he has no sense. However, he refuses to tell the enemy where he has hidden the regiments money. When he finally admits its whereabouts after being tortured, it is too late. His mother could have bought his freedom if she sold her wagon and given the captain the money. She bargains too long, and he is shot by the firing squad. Kathrin is warned to keep silent. However she manages to warn a sleeping town of a surprise attack by the enemy with her loud banging of a MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN Power Center November 13, 1977 Mother Courage............. Mary Lou Rosato Kattrim ......................... Frances Conroy Eilif........................... Judson Earney Swiss Cheese ................. Jeffrey Hayenga Cook ........ ................. David Schramm Chaplain,................... Anderson Matthews Yvette......... ............ Patricia Hodges Directed by Alan Schneider Music and Lyrics by Paul Dessau Written by Bertolt Brecht - $ drum and thus seals her fate. At the time her mother is selling goods in town. While the play shows war in all its human stupidityand savageness, one can't help but notice the business motif as an important theme. Mother Courage loves her children, cares for them and tries to protect them as best she can and yet it is her business which helps cause two of her children's deaths. Yet one can ask, what other choice did she have? If she saved Swiss Cheese's life with all of the money she' had, how would she support him when he came back? She would have no Ensemble entran cing By PAUL SHAPIRO T HE ART ENSEMBLE of Chica- go, displaying the originality and creativity that has brought them to the forefront of creative black music in America, performed to a standing room only crowd at the Michigan League ballroom Friday night Com- prised of Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell on reeds, Malachi Favors - bass, and Dony Moye - drums, the Ensemble played a non-stop 80-min- ute set of explosive, spiritual, and challenging music. Appearing with painted faces and an arsenal of instruments that in- cluded congas, bells, marimbas, shells, harmonicas, gongs, chimes, and whistles, the quartet played with an intensity that was overwhelming. The Art Ensemble eschews conven- tional jazz forms and plays purely improvisational and heavily rhyth- mic music that forces the audience to struggle and ultimately expand its Lideas of what music can be. Constantly changing instruments, the Ensemble often moved toward being a totally percussive unit. They chanted, screamed, danced, and at ~all times were searching and striving toward a newness in their music that See ENCHANTING, Page 7 means of livelihood. Just before her youngest son's death, Mother Courage says "I believe - I've haggled too long" and after Kattrin's, the peasant woman says "If you hadn't gone off to the town to get your cut, maybe it wouldn't have happened." MOTHER COURAGE'S philosophy is one of surrendering to the inevitable, although she does not always follow her preachings, and neither do her children. In scene four she sings "The Song of The Great Capitulation" to a young soldier who is furious at the cap- tain for not giving him a deserved monetary reward. Mother Courage is there to protest a tax penalty she has had to pay. After her song, the soldier leaves parting with "kiss my ass." He has been calmed yet cannot thank Mother Courage for his decision. She also heeds her words, and decides not to bother the officer with her protest. The set for this production was stun- ning. Designed by Mng Cho Lee, its main constituents consisted of a background done in varying hues of gray, a curtain, used as a screen for the slide projections painted in pastel earth tones, and finally the beat up, dingy life supporting wagon, complete with sign, "Mother Courage's Caravan." The musty browns and silvers of the ragged costumes done by Jeanne Button, and the melancholy blue lighting by David Segal combined to give a very moving effect of dispair and sepression. No matter how many jokes were spoken and laughed at, one always had the feeling that this was not a happy time, place, or locale. It was eerie. To aid this uncanny effect was the musics sometimes haunting, wrenching or military. The pieces largely resem- bled Kurt Weill, with whom Brecht col- laborated on such works as The Three Penny Opera and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogony. Like Weill's tunes, Dessaus' are not flowery but ex- tremely realistic and strongly meliflu- ous. THE ACTING was a treat. Obviously strongly directed by Alan Schneider, the timing was exact and the blocking was effective and not even superfluous.. Rosato, as the grand matriarch was outstanding. Her courage was compas- sionate sympathetic as long as it didn't stand in the way of her livelihood. Her pain and grief could be seen behind the tough heartless veneer, as well as her incredible drive to carry on with her work. She has marvellous hand ges- tures, expressive, helpful, and even hysterical. Earney's Eilif was bold, passionate, cruel and marvellously 'executed. His eyes gleamed as he discussed his slaughter of the peasants and his blood boiled with the thought of a fight. Yet, when his mother smacks him in the face and scolds him for getting himself into trouble, he not only accepts it with- nning out a word, but pouts like a five year old. He is still his mother's son. Hayenga portrayed the slow, dim- witted honest Swiss Cheese with vical and physical perfection. His closeness to his sister and his fanatical loyalty were apparent. A homely twenty-five year old mute, afraid of the world, Con- roy's Kattrin gave us the antithesis of their mother. Her facial and physical expressions, especially her sometimes brooding, sometimes horror stricken'. eyes were incewsivle. David Schramm as the cook, Ander- son Mathews as the Chaplain and Pa- tricia Hodges as Yvette deserve special notice. Shramms's coarse but wise chef, Mathew's love stricken pedantic parson and Hodges faded and noble;. whore were admirably characterized1 and acted well. The Acting Company's production is a triumph, and the notion of courage it- self can be summed up by this quote, from Francois de Salignac de la Mothe, Fenelon: "Courage is a virtue only in a porportion as is directed by prudence. Q WIQB and Dave Alan Present SATURDAY-DECEMBER 10-8 P.M. The NEW RIDERS of The PURPLE SAGE and The DAVID BROMBERG Band RESERVED SEATS-$7.50.8 $6.50 Tickets Available at the Michigan Theatre Box Office, Music Mort on State Street, Bonzo Dog Records, and all Hudson's MIDNIGHT TICKET-HOLDERS NOTE: Show Has Been Moved Up to 8:00 P.M. ANN ARBOR'S MICHIGAN THEATRE 603 E. LIBERTY For More Information Call 668-8480 A FULL MOON PRODUCTION Daily P'hoto by ANDY FREEBERC Joseph Jarman playing bass clarinet at League last Friday uns an hums at Ark By BILL O'CONNOR, HE'S A FLURRY of small mo- :ions. His voice is relaxed, spill- ing out dry, anecdotes about his music. While you're still pondering a pun, he's starting the next song. Paul Geremia, billed with Madcat Ruth at the Ark coffeehouse Friday night, gives a fast-paced concert. While some performers stitch a few songs into a whole set, Geremia gave us twelve songs in the first hour. Ac- companying his singing and harmon- ica work with guitars, the program flowed from up-tempo country blues to his own more reflective songs. THIS ERA, set between ragtime and the big bands, was the heyday of Y the delta blues musicians. Most listeners associate the music with southern blacks, but Geremia sees northern whites as' also fitting into the tradition. "Vaudeville and the medicine shows took country blues to all parts of the United States," he said after the concert, "and there was a lot of give and take between black and white musicians. The racist view of the music of the twenties and thirties was mainly due to record companies trying to keep distinct categories of black and white music." The black Southern influence was strong, and Geremia absorbed it well. When he' sings a song like "Dying Crapshooter's Blues," he uses the forceful style of the old blues masters. He gives each song vibran- cy and humor. GEREMIA'S MASTERY ,of the country blues idiom has taken time. It's been more than a decade but his musical directions have remained constant through the years. "I've been striving to acquire a flavor and style since I started," he said. "I never set out consciously in any one direction, but I knew what I wanted to sound like. It was an ideal, and now I'm getting closer to it." Madcat Ruth, an Ann Arborite presently on-tour, opened the even- ing with a solo set. He is a fine harmonica player who utilizes all the: possibilities of the instrument. UNFORTUNATELY, while his harp playing is strong, he chose to concentrate on his mediocre vocal See GEREMIAH, Page 7 THIS WEEK RESIDE ~THF NOVE EAS \ ' . ENTIAL COLLEGE PLAYERS present iE EUNUCH of TERENCE r' MBER 1~/18,19 T QUAD A 8 o'clock PM UDITORIUM admission $1.50 An Evening with Shakespeare, Congreve, Dickens, Chekhov & Coward; starring Nicholas Pennell and Marti Maraden by arrangement with Stratford Shakespearean Festival Foundation Devised by Michael Meyer Proceeds from these performances will go toward Theatre Student Scholarships. Reserved Tickets--5.00 to $3.00 Trueblood Theatre, 8 p.m. Fri. & Sat., November 18-19 The University of Michigan " Professional Theatre Program Tickets at P.T.P. Office-764-0450; and at Hudson's Stores SUNDAY NOV 20th + R.ICK NELSON T E&the STON CANYON BAND Plus the RFD BOYS + 43 two shows, 7and 11P.m. 43 :3. 43 CHANCE3 '43 '3. 6 o aO NEWS FROM THE MAJOR EVENTS OFFICE Most opening acts give a ooncert- audience the chance to look ahead, to recognize a superstar of the future, before the general public jumps on the band- wagon. Not so, at the "America" concert, this Saturday night at Crisler, because we'll be seeing the favorite songwriter of artists like Art Garfunkel and Glen Camp- bell, for the first time in-person. Song- writer Jimmy Webb, on his first national tour, will perform some of his, biggest hits like "McArthur Park," "Up, Up and Away," and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix." With Webb opening for America, hot on the tracks of their new live album, the shtw stands to provide an evening of mellow music. The special effects for the November 5th Earth, Wind & Fire show were developed and desiohed by magician Doug Henning, star of Broadway's "Magic Show'" With a guitarist suspended in mid-air and people disappearing right andleft, the Crisler audience was mesmerized. Columbia Records has just released a new Billy Joel single, "Just The Way You Are," from his "Stranger" album. Since it's probably the best cut off the album, the credit for breaking the single goes to the' late-night disc jockeys who began playing it directly off the album a few weeks ago. Columbia responded to all the enthusiasm by releasing it to all the stations last week. Joel recently sold out the Nas- sau Colliseum (N.Y.) for his December New York "homecoming" concert. He will appear in Hill Auditorium this Friday evening. Tickets for all concerts are available at the Michigan Union Box Office (11:30 to 5:30, Mon.-Fri.). Please call 763-2071 for more information Tidbits: Ann Arbor favorite Steve Good- Artists & Craftsmen Guild presents: Rose SlIvka Speaking on, "The Object as Poet" Tuesday, November 15, 8 p.m. Pendleton Arts Information Center, 2nd Floor of Michigan Union Free admission Mr. Slivka, editor of CRAFTS HORIZON MAGAZINE, brings to a close the "Objects-Insights-Yeats" lecture series co-sponsored by the U-M Theater Department. Viewpoint Lectures presents: John Dean speaking on "Blind Ambition" Wednesday, November 16, 8 p.m., Hill Auditorium $1 students, $1.50 general admission. Tickets on sale at UAC Ticket Central Mediatrics presents: Deliverance A canoe trip turned nightmare. Starring Burt Reynolds. Friday, November 18, 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. Sleuth A super intrigue. Games within games involving a detective- story writer, an unfaithful wife, her hairdresser and priceless jewels. Starring Michael Caine, Sir Lawrence Olivier. Saturday, November 19, 7 p.m., 9:30 p.m. All films in Nat. Sci. Aud. $1.50 admission ZI 39th PREPAR FOR:Year MCAT - DAT - LSAT - GRE GMAT -DCATY- VAT -"SAT NMI,I[tIIII ECFMG-"FLEX-VQE NAT'L DENTAL BOARDS NURSING BOARDS Flexible Programs & Hours a ISadtfferenc ! Soph Show presents: Applause Winner of 1970 Tony Award for best musical. December 1, 2, 3, Mendelssohn Theater. Tickets on sale now at UAC Ticket Central MUSKET: Applications currently being taken for the following Spring show positions: director, choreographer, and designers. Applications and further information available at the UAC offices. If you missed out on CABARET don't miss out in the Spring! I I A ~ r* I --.'--.