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Arts & Entertainment
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Friday, February 18, 1977
Page Five
PLAY LACKS LYRICISM:
Cihekov s
any
'dies
By MICHAEL JONES commercial.
"ALMOST everything h a s There were some scenes in
been destroyed already, which Barton seemed to have
but nothing as yet has been cre- the right feeling for her role.
ated to take its place." In Act Three, when Yelena and
These words, spoken by As- Sonia (Susan Perkov) were
trov in Chekov's drama Uncle speaking to one another in con-
Vanya, focus on the play's ma- fidence, we got a glimpse into
jor theme: decadence which the type of characterization nec-
brings on indolence - the in- essary to carry this play.
ability to act on one's desires THERE WAS a great deal of
or dreams - leading inevitably overacting in this production, a
to despair. thing that, is especially fatal to
t Inthe PTP's current produc- a performance of Chekov, but
tion of Vanya this theme is not on the whole the actors did,
developed to its full potential make a valiant attempt at
For this reason it lacks the achieving workable character-
charm and lyricism intrinsic to izations. Perhaps they were;
Chekov's dialogue.: trying too hard, which might
CHARACTERIZATION is the' explain the presence of so many
chief problem working against different accents popping up
the PTP attempt. George Ax- here and there throughout the
ler's Vanya, while perfectly in- performance.
effectual, does not operate In terms of set, costuming,
through an undercurrent of lights, and make-up this show is
emotional outrage. As a result, very mediocre. The set is con-
Vanya appears as more of a structed well, but it really does
complete bimgler than a sensi- not look like a thirty-eight room
tive and bitterly cynical man;. country state, even if the coun-
Axler does not build the audi- try is Russia. The fighting de-
ence sufficiently towards Van- sign served its pri ary pur-
va's outburst in Act Four, and pose, but was not very interest-
as a result the play loses its ing. And as for the make-up,
the lines penciled in on the
actors faces were very visible
from the audience.
One of the most important
characteristics of this play,
that which gives its beautiful°
lyricism background, was al-
most totally ignored: sound ef-
fects. I missed the sound of the
rain falling, the crickets chirp-
ing, and the scratching of pens
across paper. The only sound
background left in this produc-
tion was, thankfully, Telygin's
guitar playing.
Despite the production's
flaws, the audience on opening
night seemed to enjoy what they
saw. The performance does in-
deed have several good qualities
and, at times, is entertaining.
CINEMA WEEKEND
Friday - The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Arch. Aud.,
7 & 9:05); Hollywood Boulevard (MLB 3, 8:45, 10:30); Reef-
er Madness and Sex Madness (MLB 4, Reefer at 8:45 only,
Sex at 7 & 10:30); plus short, Best of Betty Boop; Romeo
and Juliet (Nat. Sci., 7 &.9:30); Images (Aud. A Angell, 7
& 9); Bang The Drum Slowly (Couzens Cafe., 8 & 10).
Saturday - Bang The Drum Slowly (Couzens Cafe., 8
& 10); Idi Amin Dada (Aud. A,, Angell, 7 & 9); Little Big
Man (Nat. Sci. Aud., 7 & 9:30); The Godfather, Part I
(Arch. Aud., 7 & 10); The Tall Blond Man With One Black
Shoe (MLB.3, 7, 8:45, 10:30); Bed and Board (MLB 4, 7 &
10:30); Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me (MLB 4, 8:45 only).
Sunday - This Sporting Life and Loneliness of the Long
Distance Runner (Arch Aud., Sporting at 7, Loneliness at
9:05); Experimental Film Night (MLB 4, 7 & 9:30); Story
of a Love Affair (Aud. A, Angell, 7 & 9),
All weekend - Network (State, 662-5296); Fun With Dick
& Jane (Michigan, 668-8480); The Cassandra Crossing, Twi-
light's Last Gleaming, A Star is Born, Pink Panther Strikes
Again (and ,again, and again - Briarwood, The Movies,
769-8783); Rocky (Fifth Forum, 761-9700); Face to Face
(Campus, 668-6098).
DailyP hoto by BRAD BENJAMIN
It grows o n SOI *
Yes, it's back, that epitome of the 'hippy' rebel'ion against crewcuts and excess clothing-
'Hair'. It was performed by M. M. Productions last night in the Mendelssohn Theater. But
if you missed it, don't worry. It'll be back Sunday night.
'Networkl combines talent,
wit and breathless pace
realistic medium and becomes
pure farce.,
SMore disappointing than Ax-'
ler's Tanya, however, is Dana
Barton's portrayaltof Yelena.
Barton's interpretation of the
role is nearly contrary to the
character Chekov designed.
Missing is Yelena's decadent
sophistication, her charming!
wit, and her absolute boredom.
Instead we are treated from
time to time with Perkov's
lugubrious Southern drawl,
reminiscent of the lady who
used brand B in that detergent
By DOBILAS MATULIONIS. tionalismt
Network (at the State), is a Other notable performancesc
film which has the magical are given by Robert Duvall ands
cinematic mixture - shrewd, Ned Beatty, both playing hard-
witty entertainment and excel- working, fast-talking business-
lent craftsmanship. What re- men who feel the pressure at
suits is an interesting and mem- the top. All of the, characters
orable movie which quite de- in the film get involved in so
serves its impressive seizure of much hiring and firing and
10 Academy Award nomina- wheeling and dealing that the
tions. viewer is often confused.
Perhaps of paramount, im- Network beautifully cap-
portance to the film's overall tures what life must be like in
superiority is Paddy Chayev-; thressure cokermtmseke
tepressure cooker atmosphere
sky's erudite and clever screen- of a national network. People
play. It keeps the film moving who work there are generally
at a breathless pace, and the faded images (in the film) or!
whole film has an unpredictable ;caricatures of themselves, from
atmosphere. Network resembles? the banal technicians to the{
an absurdist stage play where empty-headed, effervescent tele-
anything can happen and usu- vision personalities themselves.
ally does. By contrast, the in- Even the television viewers are
evitable ridiculousness of the portrayed as mindless sheep
plot - which concerns the go- who do and say as the boob
ings-on at a fictitious TV sta- b di
tion, UBS - is fortunately cov-t t
ered by the smooth stylistic THAT IS PRECISELY the
flair with which Sidney Lumet message of Network - we are
(Dog Day Afternoon), the direc- all being robbed of our free-
tor, and ,his collaborators pre- dom by the media we watch
sent the story. As a result, the (as stated a little too blatant-
viewer laughs instead of feeling ly by Holden's final speech).
insulted. The subtle pun of the whole
The performances are exemp- film, epitomized by Finch's on-
lary, but this comes as no sur- the-air discourse, is lost sim-
prise with a cast like the late ply because we are watching
Peter Finch, William Holden, a movie, not TV. "Turn your
and Faye Dunaway. Holden television sets off right in the
plays a tired and embittered middle of my sentence" insists
news department head, while a frenzied Howard Beale. Un-
Finch plays Howard Beale (Hol- fortunately, since we are watch-
den's friend), a former news- ing a movie, the clever para-
caster dox loses some of its effect.
DUNAWAY is marvelous as Ideally, Network should have
a programming head who, along been a made-for-TV movie; that
with Finch, display a curious! way its quick pace and satiri-
combination of business savvy cal overtones would have fit in
and insanity that contrasts mar- Network, however, loses little
velously with Holden's crusty else of its power by being a
steadfastness and "insane" ra- film. Like it or not, we are, all
television vidiots (to one degree
or' another), so Network's mes-
sage still hits hard.
Live in Ann Arbor
FITO.
SALSA
ROCK
SUN.-WED.
FEB. 24-21-22-23
COVER: $2.00
(STUDENTS 1.001
-- -
VITTORIO DESICA'S 1970
THE GARDEN OF THE.
I FINZI-CONTINIS
This beautiful and touching adaptation of Giorgio Bassani's auto-
biographical novel features excellent acting on the part of Dominique
Sanda, Hemut Berger and Lino Coploicchio. As members of the younger
generation, they seem indifferent to the Mussolini's Destruction of
taly's Jewish Aristocracy. Short: SPHERICAL SPACE by Stan Vander-
beek.
Sat.: THE GODFATHER, Part 1
CINEMA GUILD TONIGHT AT OLD ARCH. AUD.
7:00 & 9:05 Admission-$1.25
1972-
ROBERT ALTMAN FESTIVAL
-PRESENTS-
IMAGE
One of Altman's lesser-seen films, IMAGES is the frightening account
of a woman's violent and sexual visions. A collection of startling visual
images, effectively edited, leave the viewer in a mood both perplexing
and forboding. Susannah York.
CINEMA II TONIGHT AT: ANGELL HALL-AUD. "A"
7 &i9 Adm. $1.25
M_______ ___t TA t/ S.
STARFIRE
DISCO
THURS- FRI-SAT.
FINE DINING
11:30 AM-9:OO PM
DAILY
Diave Spar,pino 5-9p
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"1a
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lours: Tues. thru Sat. 11-4.
Sharon Fry 662-5000
Closed Sure, & Mon,
'"T
-ANN ALI30CI [ELM CC-Cr
TONIGHT in the MODERN LANGUAGES BLDG.
FRIDAY, FEB. 18
HOLLYWOOD BOUL:EVARD
(Joe Dante, Alor Arkush, 1976) 7, 8:45 & 10:30-MLB 3
Playing love homage to B-movies, this satiric compilation of all the
improbable cliches ever conceived by the low-budget entrepreneurs
focuses on the misadventures of four would-be actresses: naive,
big-busted Candy, casting couch gymnast Jill, bruised roller
derby queen Bobbi and queen of the B's, Mary. This funky
movie pokes fun at every part of Hollywood, and includes a cameo
by Ann Arbor's own Commander Co'dy and his Lost Planet Airmen.
"
REEFER MADNESS
(Leo Gasnier, 1936) 8:45 ONLY-MLB 4
Originally titled "TELL YOUR CHILDREN," an anti-marijuana
propaganda film now regarded as ridiculously camp. The weed is
described as "the new drug menace which is destroying the youth
of America!" With MYSTERY OF THE LEAPING FISH, (John
Emerson, 1916) the classic "Cocaine Comedy" with Douglas Fair-
banks, Sr., as detective Coke Ennyday-a parody, of Sherlock
Holmes. Scenario by Tod Browning, supervised by D. W. Griffith.
SEX MADNESS
(Willis Kent, 1936) 7 & 10:30--MLB 4
If you liked REEFER MADNESS, you'll love SEX MADNESS. This
hilarious story concerns the young and innocent Millicent who
leaves for the "big city" and, of course ends up with the dread
social disease. She spends the rest of her days regretting her
promiscuity as the clap makes a shambles of her-life. It's not a
pretty picture folks, but then this picture is dealing with a serious
social problem, that of sexual madness, which could lead to the
total disintegration ofour society if it catches on.
Plus: THE BEST OF BETTY BOOP
Betty, Bimbo and Koko the Clown come out of the inkwell in
outrageous surrealism and unique absurdity.
LORIMAR-BAVARIA presents A GERIA PRODUCTION
"TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING" Starrng BURT LANCASTER
Also starring (in alphabetical order) ROSCOE LEE BROWNE JOSEPH COTTEN - MELVYN DOUGLAS + CHARLES- OURNING
RICHARD JAECKEL -"WILLIAM MARSHALL- GERALD S. O'LOUGHLI'N- RICHARD WIDMARK - PAUL WINFIELD - BURT YOUNG
Directed by ROBERT ALDRICH + Screenplay by RONALD M. COHEN and EDWARD HUEBSCH
Produced by MERV ADELSON Based onthe novel "Viper Three" by WALTER WAGER
Executive Producer HELMUT JEDELE - Music by JERRY GOLDSMITH " Prints by Technicolor
LR.LRESTICTED ;= ,NOW at these theatres: AN ALIED ARTISTS RELEASE f
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