Page 4-The Michigan Daily -Weekend etc. - December 3,1992 All's Wells that ends Wells An evil deed a day keeps death away by Laura Alantas Welcome to the Era of Her Maj- esty Queen Victoria. The Era of the (moderately) successful "Wells" The- ater. Make the acquaintance of the eccentric Theatrical Folk, including the celebrated thespian Rose 'Trelawny. Learn of her Predicament - which keeps her from marrying into the noble Gower Family during an evening of spectacular Drama, Com- edy and Romance. The University Department of Theater and Drama's production of Arthur Wing Pinero's "Trelawny of the 'Wells"'will carry its audience to England's grand days of the early 1860s. Complete with elaborate cos- tumes and a detailed Victorian set, guest director John Neville-Andrews promises to recreate the mood and the values of the era while telling the story of actor Rose Trelawny and her decision to leave the theater. "It's not a romance, a comedy or a drama. It's all of them. It's every- thing," said Stephanie Fybel, a Musi- cal Theater junior starring in the lead role of Rose Trelawny. "This is a very rich play. It's like a diamond, it's multifaceted and has a real vitality," said Neville-Andrews. Much of the vitality originates in the Victorian setting. "From the mo- ment when the audience enters the Power Center, we have tried to im- merse the audience in the atmosphere of the 1860s with the costumes, set and program," said Neville-Andrews. "We want to transport the audience back to the values of that time." During this period, acting was not considered a noble profession. Ac- tors were looked upon as gypsies and vagabonds, among the lowest mem- bers of society. Thus we find the di- lemma of Rose Trelawny, an ingenue in the "Wells" theater company. Rose has fallen in love with Arthur Gower (Aaron Tishkowski), son of noble- man Sir William Gower (Erich Jungwirth). Because of Rose's asso- ciation with the "Wells" theater, the Gower family does not approve of the matrimonial match and will only agree to the marriage if Rose renounces her theatrical life and lives with the fam- ily prior to the wedding. By residing with the Gower. family, they hope to make a "lady" out of Rose, and a suitable match for Arthur. w ORVLS BRowNING plus fine American and European Antique Furniture' 803 N. Main " Ann Arbor 761-9200 Mon. - Sat. 10-6 Stephanie Fybel and Anthony Giangrande in "Trelawny of the 'Wells."' by Melissa R. Bernardo Within the past ten years, American society has become very caught up in the spectacle of the- ater. Look at the biggest hits - "The Phantom of the Opera," "Cats," "Les Miserables," "Miss Saigon"; all shows involving grand sets and costumes, flashy pyrotechnics, and sappy music composed to tug at the heart strings. If none, of these shows appeal to your taste (or yourpock- etbook), take a trip back to Victo- rian England foran escapist, light- hearted comic opera: The Univer- sity of Michigan Gilbert and Sullivan Society's (UMGASS) production of "Ruddigore." "Ruddigore" chronicles the line of the Baronets of Ruddigore, who have been cursed by a witch. "Each reigning Baron must do an evil deed each day or else die a horrible death," cast member Su- san Duderstadt explained. Enter the pure-hearted Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd (David Zinn), the next heir to the baronetcy. He does not want to prolong the reign of evil, nor does he want to perish in in- conceivable agony. How to es- cape this murky fate? He disguises himself as the peasant Robin Oakapple and runs off to a neigh- boring village (the standard Gil- bert and Sullivan solution). Natu- rally, everyone assumes that he is dead. Conveniently enough, while in this village, he encounters the beautiful and virtuous Rose Maybud (AndreaMarkowitz), and begins to court her. However, the nasty Richard Dauntless (Jonathan B. Cogswell) discovers the dis- guised Murgatroyd/Oakapple -. Robin for short - and snitches on him to the current Baron. Why does he do such a reprehensible deed? Because he wants Rose for himself, of course! Now that the current baron knows of Robin's trick, Robin is forced to take up his duty as the baron. Just to recap, Duderstadt sum- marized: "Beans are spilled; Rose will no longer have Robin; Robin has to go off to the castle and be bad." Additionally, when Robin hesitates about doing the evil deeds required of him, the portraits of his ancestors persuade him. "The Portraits come to life, and threaten him with tortures too terrible to be true," Duderstadt added. Duderstadt acknowledged the complexity and inane nature of the plot, but she felt that it was an integral partofGilbertand Sullivan repertory. "If you look at the Shakespeare comedies-'A Mid- summer Night's Dream' - what kind of plots are those? Yet it manages to engage you. In the same way, Gilbert and Sullivan shows have a lot of little twists and turns." She thought for a moment, and then added: "It's kind of like a sit-com, but (we) did it first." Whatis evenmore unique about "Ruddigore" is its supernatural aura. "This is Gilbert and Sullivan's attempt toparody melo- drama," Duderstadt explained. "You have this sort of melodra- matic, haunted-house feel, like an Anne Radcliffe novel."Duderstadt and passing cast members began to rattle off happenings of "Ruddigore": "far off places," "young ladies kidnapped by evil men," "lightning," "thunder," "portraits coming to life," "curses," "castles,"just to name a few. Dud- erstadt added with a smile: "If (the show) were a little later, it prob- ably would have been ladies tied to train tracks." But how does The Gilbert and Sullivan repertory compare to today's musical theater? Duder- stadt thought that Gilbert and Sullivan held their own. "What they wrote was essentially the pre- cursor of the American musical. When this came out in England, it caught on immediately." The first of their operettas to come to the United States was "H.M.S. Pin- afore," which met instant success and paved the way for such hits as "The Mikado" and "The Pirates of Penzance." Duderstadt felt "most broadway shows today take them- selves seriously."In contrast, Dud- erstadt pointed outs Gilbert and Sullivan musicals are just plain "fun." When was the last time you went to the theaterjust for fun, and not to see something? As the UMGASS members often say, "It's cultural. It's fun. And it's a cheap date." RUDDIGORE will be performed at the Mendelssohn Theatre, De- cember 3,4,5 at 8p.m. and Decent- ber S,6 at 2 p.m. For info call 763- 1085. 0 "Rose is hard to characterize be- cause she goes through so many changes during the show," said Fybel. "When we meet her, she is very ec- centric. But Rose learns that that's not what being a human being is all about. She eventually discovers who she is and she becomes a woman. She trans- forms from an overly dramatic person to a very calm, serene lady." Rose's transformation must pre- cede her entry into the Gower family; such unwillingness to accept an indi- vidual highlights the theme of the need for acceptance. "Tolerance is a word we use a lot in rehearsal, but not enough in the world outside," said Neville-Andrews. While the storyline follows Rose's personal development, much of "Trelawny of the 'Wells"' deals with the change in acting style that oc- curred due to the technological change . MULTI COLOR SPECIALISTS " ARTIST ON STAFF - RUSH ORDERS -NEAR U OF M CAMPUS 1217 PROSPECT, ANN ARBOR 665-1771 %FF with this ad. in theaters. During the 1860s, theaters replaced candlelight with gas lamps to light the stages. Before the techno- logical change, "the acting style was very broad," explained Neville- Andrews, so that the actors could be noticed in the dim auditoriums. The manner of acting developed into a more naturalistic style, though, once the actors could be better seen. "The show relates to so many people on so many levels," said Neville-Andrews. "It's a family play which is perfect for the holiday sea- son." With themes of acceptance and tolerance, such a statement rings true. "This is a very delicate piece. Not all the time do you have to do experimen- tal theater," said Fybel, referring the latest University production, "The Birthday Party." With some truly vivid characters and some good old fash- ioned singing and entertaining, Neville-Andrews and his company hope to recreate a charming slice of Victorian England. TRELAWNY OF THE 'WELLS' will be performed at the Power Center December3,4,Sat 8p.m. andDecem- ber 6 at 2:00p. m. Tickets are $14 and $10for reserved seating, $6 students. For info call 764-0450. 0 .91 Moy W"y! 0 1 WITH CHEESE AND PEPPERONI The Michigan Daily is currently accepting applications for Assistant Account Executives 4 Gain valuable experience with an opportunity for advancement. Work for your school newspaper in the Classified Department. Responsibilities include: . servicing walk-in customers * responding to phone sales " managing special promotions * assisting Account Executives - processing classified ads e* M Offer valid for a limited time at participating stores. No coupon necessary. ®1992 Liltle Caesar Enterprises, Inc. 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