ARTS 'Workin' shows hardships of life by Kimberly Gaines_ The lights went down and the actors walked single file out onto the stage. A loud, drumlike beat began and suddenly there was motion in one person, then two, then three until the motions and human- Workin' For A Livin' Performance Network March 19, 1993 made sounds of an assembly line were everywhere, still in the dark. All atonce the actors began chanting! singing "Beat Beatin' to the rhythm of the daily grind. Work workin' to the ground of the assembly line." The song was catchy and the harmony incred- ible. After walking out of the performance, I found myself humming this tune over and over again. Last weekend, Elise Bryant's "Workin' For A Livin"' showed at Performance Network. If you missed this incredible musical don't worry, because it is a work-in-progress. The polished and com- pletely finished vision will probably arrive in Ann Arbor in the fall. Based on the boxk by Elise Bryant, with original music by Dwight Peterson, "Workin for a Livin"' communicated two central ideas: the hardship and reality of blue-collar workers' lives, and the bigotry and discrimination which is very real in the workers' environment. 'Ihe lyrics to these songs contained messages like "(;ivin' your soul to the Company time, Give it up for the almighty dollar sign." This musical was a collaborative effort of two union-based theatre groups, Workers Lives/Work- ers Stories and the Underground Theatre. The stories told in the play are based on the lives of real people that Bryant has met along the way. She wrote some of the parts for specific people who are not profes- sional actors or members of either theater group. Before the show began, Bryant came out on stage to remind us that this was only a reading. The actors would all have their scripts and the musical solos would be performed by Dwight Anderson rather than the characters themselves. She also let us know she would hold a discussion panel afterward to take any criticisms we, the audience, had. While you might think this would be like watch- ing a rehearsal and very boring, this was far from the case! While it was a completely new experience, this preliminary performance was entertaining, funny, heart-warning and sad at the same time. More than anything else, however, it was full of potential. Even if you aren't aregular theater-goer, "Workin For A Livin'" was worth seeing for the ingenious, music of Dwight Anderson alone. His lyrics and melodies communicated perfectly the feelings of the workers. Also, his use of the guitar as both percus- sion and strings was incredibly effective. Actors Henry Fonseca and David CurtisasManny Martinez and Pops Lawton deserve special recogni- tion for their incredibly funny and equally convinc- ing portrayals of working-class men who so easily fit the stereotypes of others. Bryant also acted in her play in a small side part, however her influence was obvious. Her enthusiask and openness to improving her work was evident, and she is hoping to find investors to support the final production. This performance will leave you touched, moved, amused and aware of the working-class lifestyle. It is definitely something to remember as a must-see when it's in final production. 'Dream' of a score Inside Out Leslie Raymond's "inside Out" mixed-media installation at the Matrix Gallery eerily evokes other worlds from the past and outer space. Raymond, a native of Taos, New Mexico, skillfully uses, of all things, pancakes, to create a unique environment that can't be easily forgotten. 1 . 1 i . 1 . i L Famous Film People Lots of famous people graduated from this fine University and three of them are coming to visit. In conjunc- tionwith theFilm/VideoprogramRob- ert Shaye, David Newman, and John Lyons, .will be acting as the National Advisory Committee for the Program as well as holding a panel discussion for faculty and staff, Thursday at the Nat. Sci auditoriam from 4:00 to 6:00p.m. Open to the public, the fea- tured topic is "The State of The Film Industry Today."Don't forget your re- sumes and your Blistex, but you have to wait behind me. A 1960 graduate of the B-school, Robert Shaye is the founder and CEO of New Line Cinema Corp. His independant company is responsable for such cinematic masterpieces as "Nightmare on Elm Street," "Teenage MutantNinja Turtles,"andlighthearted comedies like "My Own Private Idaho," "The Player," and "Roadside Prophets," starring Beastie Adam Horowitz. In 1990 this Renaissance man made his directorial debut with "The Book of Love." David Newman has a B.A. and a M.A. from U of M. With the help of former Esquire magazine co-worker Robert Benton, Newman penned the' famous "Bonnie and Clyde." They also wrote "What's Up Doc?," and "Bad Company." Also, Newman directed aI film in France and collaborated on thej "Superman" films with wife, Leslie. Also heading his own company is B.A. graduate, John Lyons. His casting agency, the appropriately named Lyons Casting, works both in New York the- atre and L.A. film production. He has castfilmslike, "The HudsuckerProxy," " Lorenzo's Oil," and "The Unbear- able Lightness of Being." In addition Lyons helped set up the Mark Silverman Fellowship for Producers at Sundance in memory of the alumnus. by Jody Frank If Jordan Smith can combine law school and theater, why can't his char- acter Brandi (Julie S uzzane Miller) find a theater at Columbia instead of having If You Dare to Dream Schorling Auditorium March 19, 1993 to go to New York? At the age of eigh- teen is Brandi ready to give up the opportunity to go to college to explore her other options? I found her decision to give up everything for an unrealistic theater troupe in New York City a bit extreme. Is college really that limiting? Despite technical difficulties and bad choreography, themusic in "If YouDare To Dream"made up for the faults in the presentation and weaknesses in the storyline. The majority of the music was catchy and creative. In particular, "Get with the Program" was an original way to introduce Brandi to the rest of the theater troupe with the "bio' s in the back of the program." Some other songs that stood out were those of the "Sleazy Director." Beverly Pooley gave a believable and funny characterization of a slimy direc- tor who was ready to give Brandi top roles if she would become his mistress. His was one of the strongest perfor- mances, with great facial expressions and stage presence. NexttoPooley,Millers'perfonance faltered. Her voice was strong and clear, but it was her stage presence and more specifically, her stiffness, that bothered me. Also, she seemed rather static, oc- casionally putting a good amount of emotion into her lines, but mostly show- ing only a lost or pouty look. One of many problematic gestures in the show was Garrett's (Bob Klebcr) over-done arm movement. KlIher seemed bound to his repeated gesture of raising his arms then letting them drop to show his frustration. Of course he had reason to be frustrated, considering this was the point in the show when Brandi found out the truth about the non-exis- tent audience and he couldn't even re- member the lines. I was disappointed as Smith broke away from his previous originality with "The Rusty Nail," a popular pub for the' characters. It was too similar to Cheers - complete with many of the same characters and complaints, in particular one man whose comment about his wife could have come straight from Norm's mouth. The song "No Place Like Home" was only slightly changed from Cheers' theme song. Ready for the second half to begin, the lightswentdownthe curtain opened, the music got underway, and then they started dancing. I was expecting some- thing waltzy and doo-woppy. Instead, I saw what looked like square dancing and an attempt at ballroom dancing that might have worked if it wasn't so slop- pily organized. I couldn't even pay at- tention to the song, I was cringing too much. The only positive aspect of the whole scene was the sword-fight with cool music describing the action, like the music back-up in silent movies. For a show that was still being writ- ten as the performance date drew near and never had a fullrun-through, it was admirable. With some revision, adiffer- ent choreographer and a different cast (besides the few that stood out, namely Beverly Pooley and Katy Homburger, who played Roxanne) the show has potential. by Kim Yaged "Seven plays in seven days." It's Playfest '93. While other students have been writing papers and cram- ming for exams, the students in OyamO's Theatre 420: Playwriting Towards Production have been doing rewrites, rehearsing and all the basic preparations for the productions that begin tonight. This is the third consecutive year that OyamO, with co-coordinator Kate Mendeloff, has instructed the course. The concept is a take-offof the promi- nent Eugene O'Neill Festival in Con- necticutin which OyamOhimselfhas participated and the playwrights work- shop at the Yale School of Drama where Mendeloff and OyamO ini- tially became acquainted. Ihe format of the class is that OyamO chooses seven plays from those submitted to be worked on for the term. There are in-class readings, then casting and rehearsals. OyamO's focus is on the playwriting while Mendeloff works mostly with the di- rectors and actors. Both instructors stress the importance of the collabo- ration process in getting the play from paper to the stage. As OyamO said, "A play isnotaplay until otherpeople work on it, until it's up on its feet ... breathing and crying." In addition, one of the primary goals of the class is to provide stu- dents with an as close to "real life" experience as is possible within the classroom setting. Mendeloff said that OyamO feels the more responsibility and practical experience he can give, the better he is at his job. She also explained that OyamO and she used to try to be "Mommy and Daddy" to the students, but now they mostly trmy not to interfere so that students can leam to work difficulties out among themselves. Again the emphasis is on communication. In addition, the-instructors pride themselves on the freedom they al- low the students. Mendeloff said, "Telling people how to create some- Seven plays in seven days: Playfest '93 thing is not the way to create artists ... You can't dictate an aesthetic. You don't follow some book of direc- tions." OyamO agrees. He is not inter- ested in telling students what they can or cannot write about. "Sometimes I'm just as shocked with what they come up with as they are." Everyone is strongly encouraged to experiment. The productions themselves are minimalistic in that the emphasis is intended to be on the text. To stress this point, the actual performance week of the plays this semester was pushed up. This will allow time for rewrites in the remaining classes after the production. This way, the feed- back given to the playwrights during the discussions, which follow each production, can be utilized. Although this schedule allows for less rehearsal time before the produc- tion, because the productions are done script in hand it allows playwrights to make changes during rehearsals. The final product that makes it to the stage is somewhere between a staged read- ing and a workshop production. Ac- cording to Mendeloff, "[It's] about building the script ... We do not cre- ate something alone." Productions begin tonight and continue throughout the week in the Arena Theatre in the basement of the Frieze Building. Performance tine is 5p.m., except where indicated: Shows are free and open to the public. There will be short discussions following each performance. Monday, March 22 "This Side of the Moon " Tuesday, March 23 "Electra" Wednesday, March 24 "Roornies" Friday, March 26 "Across the Lines" Saturday,March27 "Dancing inthe Shadow of Redorical" 2 p.m. "The Tree House Creed" 7p.n Sunday March 28 "Sunday Chats With Sensible Children" 2 p.m. '4.e. Horovitz berei Morris's show combines diverse influences by Alexandra Beller If you believe in reincarnation, you will probably agree that in his past lives, Mark Morris was a composer, a zookeeper, a standup comic and the . , Mark Morris Dance Group Power Center March 20, 1993 bratty crowned prince of a small coun- try. His dances, such as those in his performance atthe Power Center Satur- day night, have the mark of each life: startlingly precise musicality, quirky, animal-like gestures, obvious and unselfconscious humor and the jaunty, smirking Morris, usually dancing right alongside his company. His musicality- is the most striking aspect of his choreography. He works intimately with the score; his move- ment is linked inextricably with each phrase, often each note. Not only is he driven by the music, but sometimes his movement is psychic enough to antici- pateandpush thesound forward, giving the illusion of simultaneous creation. Quite often, as in the ecstatic and breathtaking finale, "Gloria," set to Vivaldi's "Gloria in D," this technique of music visualization works on an in- tensely beautiful level. The movement and music meet somewhere above the stage, ignorant to the effects of gravity. At this point, the combination surpasses analysis and dissolves judgment. The dance sailson the music; itfilters through the air, past your mind and goes straight into your body. The opener, "Bedtime," performed to three lieder by Franz Schubert, was a wonderful introduction to the company. We were allowed to meet the dancers one by one. They came to us as lyrical, dreamy spirits and gestured not only toward the music, but also towards the text, at times acting out, step-for-word, what was happening in the song. The movement was enchanting and lovely, but was dashed with humor and self- knowledge. His technique did not work as well in "Beautiful Day,"aduet forJoe Bowie and Olivia Maridjan-Koop. There were some gorgeous moments, as when Bowie would "pluck" Maridjan-Koop as a gong was sounded. Yet overall, the dance didn't meet the continuity and flow of the music and, at times, the echoing of the score seemed almost gratuitous. In "Three Preludes,"a series of three solos for Morris, we got a sense of the inspiration behind the technique. Set to Gershwin's"Three Piano Preludes," the dances were witty and cheeky and re- minded us that unlike many of the great choreographers of our era, including Balanchine, Twyla Tharp and Merce Cunningham, no one does Mark Morris like Mark Morris. He doesn't simply dance to the mu- sic; he dances the music as though he were making it, as though his instru- ments were his hands, feet, torso, hips. Gershwin and Morris make the perfect duet: campy, clever and courteous. As fun as it was, the movement at times lacked the ripe sensuality of Gershwin and, although Morris is most definitely a dynamic and effusive performer, the movement was not always as full as one would like to see him perform. He seemed, at times, to be too bound to the music, too committed to the precision of the notes and somehow a bit of the thrill of the mood was lost. a 'AL BARGAIN OR $20 A WEEK S CH I NA tQA RDE N Restaurant i-Ft FI 4-A rii i t's the summer opportunity of your college life-a chance t earn summer credit in virtually any academic area, and to live in Chicago's most sought-after neighborhood, Lincoln Park. Accelerated "Year-in-a-Summer" program in French, physics and calculus-a full year of credit in ten weeks A full range of courses in business, computer science, education, and liberal arts and sciences. Special "Chicago Sequence" courses featuring a focus on Chicago politics, art and architecture, business, literature. A residence hall fee of $t1)-total-for students taking two courses in the June 16 ti pJuly 2l summer session. Residence hall fees for second five week session-July 22 to August 25-at the regular rate of $550. Even with tuition and meals, it's a bargain.