Page 8-- The Michigan Daily - Monday, February 20, 1989 BY JILL PISONI As I was leaving the production of The Trojan Women, I repeatedly heard the word "spectacle" being used by those who had also just seen the performance. I'd agree with that de- :w~kription -- Andr6 De Shields' inter- |Oretation of the Euripides play was both unusual and remarkable. After -Nears of hearing the mythology of .tte fall of Troy told from the point .of view of the Greek men (The Iliad), it was enlightening to see it from the Ygposition of the Trojan women. ' The first scene set the stage for what was to come. Three Nereids, the servants of Poseidon, slinked from ,joles in the stage floor, revealing 'fientastic costumes and make-up. The -three-headed god, Poseidon (Norman -grant, Darrious Hilmon, Kabin -Thomas), arose to well above stage . level from the floor, flapping a huge Sand beautiful green tail. This god was y ireeted by Athena, played by a man ''".hristopher Murray). He was painted gold, wearing only the trunk; "part of a military costume, a golden cape that flowed with his move-t ments, and an elaborate battle hel- met. His/her status of a god was reinforced by his height; the actor walked on stilts and his every stept was marked by a boom of music. I Hecuba (Melissa Hart), the queen of Troy, after seeing her sons and husband killed, watched her daughtersI being carried off to Greek ships. Hecuba's grief was apparent in hert voice and her movements. Her grief1 was echoed and intensified by the fe-I male chorus. In the same manner,1 Andromache, wife of Hector, wrapped in the black robes of mourning fort her husband's death, watched the i. murder of her son and was then car-t ried off to marry a Greek leader. The fhacting of the company was r strong and convincing. The voices of athe women projected their anguish1 and shock, as did their body lan-N guage. Their small, precise move-s De Shields' Women a creative spectacle Cassandra (Nanette Muntin) creates the illusion of flame by perform- ing rhythmic gymnastics in Trojan Women. a fuzzy shawl. Her attempt to seduce Menelaus in order to dispel her sen- tence of death was the funniest scene of the show. And Hecuba's con- frontation with Helen showed the depth of the anger and disgust of the Trojan women against the one who caused so much death and sorrow. There are only two criticisms of Trojan Women. One concerns the appearance of a small television screen in the wagon used in the scenes with Hector's child. It seemed to be showing the movements on- stage for the young boy to watch while he awaited his part, but its ap- pearance was distracting. The other is that the actors left the stage in a very convincing portrayal of Troy burning, their sorrows reaching their peak. I empathized with the characters, had grown to like them, and was disappointed that they did not reappear to take a bow for a job very well done. Rap Continued from Page 7 King Jr.'s birthday and the publica- tion of the National Urban League's "State Of Black America Report." Any funds generated from this non- profit recording venture were slated to go to NUL programs related to Black-on-Black crime and literacy. Allen also said that "hip hop is people of African descent reifying [their] lives via steel-strong beats and rhymes," and argues that "those looking for new developments in Black music should quit looking to Wynton Marsalis and start looking to Marly Marl." As Chuck D. told Fresh, "Rap music gives you the news on all phases of life - good and bad, pretty and ugly, drugs, sex, education, love, money, war, peace - you name it." ments conveyed the very depth of their feelings. There were many surprises in An- dr6 De Shields' production. First, there was Cassandra (Nanette Muntin), daughter of Hecuba, whose costuming made her appear to be part of the flame she was supposed to be holding. Her flame was two red streamered batons that she kept moving in an eye-catching manner. Her costume was red, with paint on her legs and arms and also covering her face in both red and white. Her costume, her baton, and her constant movement revealed her as a frenzied and passionate character looking for revenge. The scene of the murder of An- dromache's child was high drama. Andromache built the tension with her long, impassioned speech. This was built up even further as the screaming child ran off the stage, trying to escape the guards, only to be carried back and thrown screaming from one of the highest points of the multi-level set. His disappearance brought silence. Another surprise was the appear- ance of Menelaus (Alex Irvine) as a 20th century film star. An exit door was opened, a man in headphones and flight jacket pushed out a block of steps, and Menelaus appeared to the sound of helicopter propellers. He was dressed in a white suit and cape and dark sunglasses. This blending of new and old culture was a wonderful twist - it added laughter and relieved tension in this serious production. Helen (Courtney Michele Selan), the cause of both the Trojans' and the Greeks' problems, appeared in simi- lar manner. Spotlights flashed and then focused on Helen, dressed as a Marilyn Monroe look-alike, in a long white evening dress and wrapped Tin gling line Poets detail 'twisted,' elbows BY JAY PINKA "'THE garden apples dangle from pinesi Taste buds tingle like goose bumpsl Unflesh of skinned nectarines/ Lemons transmutate into mangos/ with a roll of the tongue. If you lick a fruiti Your mind will grow to contain it." -from "Out of Eden" by Alex Cigale You can expect to fill your ears with sounds as fascinating, though not as comforting, as these, as poets Larissa Szporluk, known for hinting at "the twisted in relationships," and Alex Cigale, centering on "birth, death, and sex," read from their works. Cigale, an M.F.A student and creative writing teaching assistant, "depends on non-fiction, history, and biography," as shown by his present Holocaust poem. The title of his book, Elbow Food, communicates "non-sensical" language, and mocks the serious intimacy of familial ties at the heart of Cigale's work. The poet emphasizes his grandparents (with whom he lived in childhood) as influential figures in his work. "I do have flashes," says Cigale, "not that I've written about them so intensely... I use ambiguity pretty heavily." Cigale's appreciation of the strict language of Seamus Heaney and the passionate free-form of Galway Kinnell hints at his own stylistic juxtaposition. "I'm very formal," adds Cigale, who structures iambic pentameter around rich, often oral-aural imagery, as shown in the above poem. Szporluk, a recent honors graduate in English, won this year's Hopwood for her incestuous slant on father-daughter ties in The Time of Year When Fathers Marry Daughters. "People have said my poems (contain) a lot of cruelty," added Szporluk. The poet explained how her Michael R. Gutterman Award-winning poem, "Some Breaking Conditions," cycles from order to chaos, telling of a daughter driving home, having just discovered her mother's death. "You get the sense that she is going mad... imagines jumping up and down on the body," explained Szporluk. The poet, who also won a Hopwood for "Biblical Grasshoppers," underlines the importance of commitment to developing affirmative voice. "You have to narrow your life," she explained. Szporluk sketched professor Alice Fulton, as a model practicing writer. "She's professional with her writing," said Szporluk, who, like Fulton, enjoys Dickinson's poetry. Szporluk's own "transitional point" occurred in creative writing with Macklin Smith. She emphasized the inspiration Smith kindled. "He's the person I owe it all to... I felt like I could make it if I worked." Szporluk has published poems including "Things," in Fine Madness, "The Girl Is Cold," in Plain Songs, and "Mushroom Bell," in Lucky Star. The three hours she spends writing daily shows her persistence. "This-is the one thing I'm committed to," emphasized Szporluk. ALEX CIGALE and LARISSA SZPORLUK will read at Guild House tonight at 8 p.m. Get a beautiful tan at e n k-lda m5kGPm,wl' TANNING CENTER " Ph. 747-8844 Campus location 216 S. 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