The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 6, 1983 - Page 7

... On cadavers and
other lonely beings
IL ONELINESS. It can strike Still, most successful cures do in-
}Lanyone, anytime. Even in the volve some kind of human ex-
midst of 30,000 similar others. It's pression-, some way of reaching out,
something the University has tried besides the phone system. There's
repeatedly to alleviate (tailgate par- something in you that wants to get
ties, receptions with President out, something real, something im-
Shapiro, etc.), but to no avail. The portant, only you don't know what it
monster persists. is or how to get at it.
You know, the symptoms: What to do? Is there nothing left
listlessness, boredom, hypersen- but to gnash your teeth, read
sitivity, feelings of persecution, in Dostoevsky, and wonder how Mick
tellectual atrophy, genital irritation, Jones gets along with the Clash and
and so on. In conversation the other Annabella Lwin without Bow Wow
person's voice may sound distanced, Wow? (Music swells; Someone runs
as if from behind a large wall. Or, out to Tice's for popcorn).
r'everything may seem nauseously * * *
close, provoking fits of Graffiti. Amazing stuff, that. Read
claustrophobia. You may sleep ex- or written, a few scribbles on the
cessively, missing important mor- bathroom wall can do almost as
ning lectures and lunch engagemen- much to alleviate the effects of a
c.. ts. Or insomnia may drive you to muted consciousness as a quart of
midnight Diag excursions. You may Colt 45. What better way is there to
resort to fraternity parties. Or you let out that primal scream of
may dine at the Union. existential anguish without having
to confront anyone or work too hard?
Graffiti doesn't cost anything,
doesn't do anyone substantive
damage, (apologies to conscientious
S custodians and those with deli'cate
digestion), and provides a culturally
By Ben T valuable outlet for creativity and
personal expression.
One recent East Quad export is
SIn, short, everything. Loneliness easily seen in the ubiquitous sign-on
chooses no favorites and no par- "Lick" pervading our beautiful
ticular method. The -beast lurks campus. Questionable taste, true,
behind study weeks and in grad but someone must be deriving
,j, library carols, among friends and copious pleasure.
, College Republicans; and when it Much preferable are the gems of
strikes, the victim falls silently, wit and higher thought planted
l unless s/he happens to be a com- within reach of the sandpaper rolls.
plainer, in which case annoyed per- Not the crude diagrams, but the
sons may be alerted. linguistic substance. The best
And each year there are those examples are completely individual,
tragic cases where someone is found yet fraught with a sense of shared
in an all-girl dorm, curled on her bed humanity, a single voice crying out
,around a well-worn copy of The Bell in absentia to other equally single
Jar, moaning quietly. In the after- voices.
math, distraught friends claim they The phenomenom is common, and
had no idea, she seemed so spirited, everyone has his or her favorite fin-
so hungry at mealtimes. There is an ds. One recent excursion to the
appeal for potential victims to speak medical school facilities led me to
out, seek help, let the problems this beauty, printed without osten-
come out. University Health Service tation beneath the coat hook: "I
sets up open and confidential coun- , cadaver, but she won't let me."
seling sessions, whose ineffec- What brilliance! What clarity
tiveness a Daily editorial regretfully and relevance! I exited the stall with
bemoans. a grin and proceeded to have a hap-
The problem with counseling py day.
'sessions in certain, specialized cases Of course, graffiti is no panacea
Mis that they necessarily involve for all the ills and spills which grieve
others. You don't want to subject our collective body. But if the shoe
pauvre victims to other people; for fits, deface it. So, be happy, be
these unfortunates, the problem cheery. Pick up a pencil and go take
precisely is people, a shit.
P..,
//
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Eine Kleine 'Amadeus'

By George Adams
N A FITTING tribute to Peter
Shaffer's play Amadeus, mediocrity
vanished from the Ann Arbor stage
Tuesday night, pushed aside by a
delightful, spirited performance of the
Tony Award-winning Broadway smash.
Despite minor artistic inconsisten-
cies and occasionally shallow charac-
ters, fine acting made for a solid ren-
dition of the work at the Michigan
Theatre Tuesday and last night.
AMADEUS tells the story of the
rivalry between two 18th century com-
posers, Viennese court composer An-
tonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart.
Shaffer portrays Salieri, played by
Philip Pleasants, as a generous, courtly

man who despite his congeniality has
limtied musical ability.
Mozart (Deward Hudson), who effor-
tlesly produces music infinitely more
beautiful than Salieri's, is crude,
boisterous, vain, and openly critical of
his colleagues.
The disparity between Mozart's out-
ward appearance and the glory of his
music drives Salieri to destroy his rival
in an attempt to get back at the vindic-
tive God who has so capriciously
dispensed musical genius.
Pleasants is particularly inspiring as
the scheming insanely jealous Salieri.
,The bulk of the tale is told through
Salieri's eyes in the form of flashbacks.
Acting alternately as narrator and
main character, Salieri drives the play
to its violent conclusion, the death of
Mozart.

Pleasnats' Salieri is perhaps the
play's strongest suit. Solid, respected,
royally favored, Salieri is nonetheless
envious of the foul-mouthed and
ultimately destitute Mozart.
God did not grant Salieri the gift of
genius, but his tragedy lies in his ability
to recognize Mozart's greatness, and
with it his own mediocrity. (And so it is
with critics).
Pleasants shows us a tortured,
maniacal Salieri who despite his trium-
ph in destroying Mozart, never seems
fulfilled; his victory serves only to
disturb further his already malignant
psyche, and his periodic pangs of con-
science seem conspicuously out of
place.
As Mozart, Hudson. unfortunately
fails to present an opponent worthy of
Salieri's mind.
Acting at times like drunken Dudley
Moore in Arthur, Hudson's Mozart is
indeed obnoxious, but his ramblings are
almost attractive. The guy is kind of
cute, in an odd sort of way.
Shaffer's script suggests a more
abrasive Mozart, someone for whom we
feel contempt along with our ad-
miration for ability. Instead, Hudson
gives us silliness and romance bor-
dering on saccharinity that makes the
jump to genious a long one indeed.
Mozart gives an inspiring speech on
music in the second act which partially
redeems his character, but even this
cannot approach the arresting
soliloquys of Salieri.
The difference between the two is
best highlighted by their irrecon-
cileable differences in movement:
Salieri is solid, firmly planted on the
ground at all times, while Mozart pran-
ces about the stage, shifting constantly,
dancing even when "standing still."
Aiding the actors through their trials
is one of the most ostenatiously
theatrical scripts in contemporary
drama. The audience is aware from the
first scene that this is a produciton. Not
a subtle rendering of reality, mind you,
but a loud, bright, screaming producitn
which shamelessly flaunts itself before
the perpetually-intrigued - and
amused - audience.
Perhaps most disarming of the play's
dramatic moments comes when
Mozart's wife, played by the toothsome
Mary Jo Salerno, gives two quick folds
to a shawl to transform it into an infant.
A spontaneous r.ound of applause at this
feat seemed completely natural.

The lighting, especially the strong
spotlighting effects, added to the relen-
tless visual presentation, though it was
perhaps too harsh during Mozart's
death scene.
A full-scale production of the play
that amazed Broadway for more than
three years, Amadeus made the
Michigan Theater an excellent place to
spend an evening.
It is nice to be remined just how
satisfying a truly good theatrical
production can be.
,1 ,, ,
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A ^eo o' be''y 761-9700
$2.00 wed. sat. sun. shows til 6 PM
EXCEPT "NEVER" $3.00
ENDS TONIGHT
"THE RETURN Of MARTIN GUERRE" 7:25, 9:30
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Thurs. 7:00, 9:15; Fri. 7:15, 9:30

Philip Pleasants as Salieri towers over Mozart, played by Edward Hudson,
in Alnideus, at the Michigan Theater Tuesday night.

Oriental art show opens at Union

Have you got culture? I mean, real
culture, like, Eastern culture.
If you think so (yes, I really think so),
visit the Union. today and tomorrow. A
two-day exhibition by Marson Ltd., a
Baltimore gallery, offers viewers a look
at original artwork of contemporary
Oriental printers and painters, as well
as older words dating to the 19th cen-
tury.
The exhibition features originals and

reproductions from Japan, China, In-
dia, Tibet, and Thailand. The inclusion
of originals represents a change from
previous poster sales, offering in-
terested buyers more than just a poor
copy of a Rembrandt. There is quite a
bit to look at, and prices start at a
reasonable $5.
The show opens today from 10 a.m. to
5 p.m. and continues tomorrow from 10
a.m. to 8 p.m. This exhibit offers Ann

Arborites a chance to learn that
Eastern art is accessible and not just
something one might bump into at a
museum. -Andrew Baron


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PARTHENON
GYROS
226 S. Min t
~Ji~~ Lberty

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TESTS MAKE YOU NERVOUS?
TEST
WITHOUT
TRAUMA
The Ann Arbor Libertarian League presents noted
psychologist, DR. BETTE ERWIN, author of Test With-
out Trauma. She will be speaking Thursday, October
6 at 7:30 p.m. in Mason Hall Rm. 439.

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OPEN
SEVEN DAYS
A WEEK

Ann Arbor
Carry Out Service
994-1012


Now Serving Liquor, Imported
Greek Wines, Imported Wines,
Imported Beers.

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SPELL #7
by Ntozake Shange
October 19-23

canterburq
332 South'state ann arbor michigan 08IO'4
A BROADWAY PLAY ON CAMPUS I
Tickets are now on sale for the award

Ibft
313665-0606
FOR ONLY $3?
I winning play
U
Theatre Oct. 20-23.
ip discount price of $3 per
8 p.m. shows. Individual
1$5 at the door. All Friday
5.
L IN THE UNION
662-8872 NOW
,nterbury Friends

CVR ANCB

DE BERGERAC
by Edmond Rosta
November 23-27
THE HOSTAGE
by Brendan Behat
February 8-12
LONDON
ASSURANCE
a' by Dian Ronicaii

fl

SUBSCRIBE!
University
Players
Power
Series

which will be performed in the Mendlessohn
Any group of ten or more people are eligible for the grou
ticket for the Thursday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 or1
tickets for those performances are only $4 in advance and
and Saturday at 8 P.M. tickets are $
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS AT TICKET CENTRAL
FOR GROUP DISCOUNT TICKETS CALL
The Common Ground Theatre Ensemble and Cc

wi