The Michigan Daily - Friday, December 3 1993 - 13 .Gabler' high in drama Hilberry production is compelling yet flawed By MELISSA ROSE BERNARDO Of his play "Hedda Gabler," Henrik Ibsen wrote: "It was not really my desire to deal in this play with so- alled problems. What I principally wanted to do was depict human be- ings, human emotions and human destinies." The subject of "Hedda Gabler" is, in essence, undramatic; it is a character study of a brilliant but destruptive woman. Fortunately, Ibsen structured "HeddaGabler" with subtle ..r .,.n -' n KlfS-' A i .5u I m F LHFi;eviMANCE m REVIEWa'. u 9 r.nF vnrnnllvc ncrlrrr m I Hedda Gabler Hilberry Theatre November 27, 1993 hints of great theatrical potential, and Wayne State University's graduate theater program capitalized on that potential in a compelling -- though by no means flawless - production. The casting of Hedda has always *een a problem for even the most talented directors. Ibsen took great pains in describing Hedda (unusual for Ibsen): "A woman of 29 .:. her face and figure show breeding and distinction ... pale and opaque com- plexion ... steel-gray eyes (which) express a cold, unruffled repose." Hedda is not afenimefatale; she should be striking, but not conventionally lamorous. Jan Waldron fit those de- criptions well. And then there is the matter of playing Hedda. It is important to real- ize that while Hedda is scheming, manipulative, jealous, repressed and vindictive, she is brilliant and calcu- lating; she is a victim of the conven- tions of her society, but she is strong and enduring. Waldron made the com- mon and usually disappointing choice f playing Hedda as a bitch. How- ever, Waldron delivered her lines with enough variation in her voice and her body to justify that characterization. Sometimes that tight little smile was on her face, sometimes it was in her mind; sometimes she got snippy, sometimes she took her time and de- liveredher lines with a calculated assuredness. Save some flawed characteriza- tions, the rest of the cast contributed well to the structure of the show. Your standard Ibsen drama goes like this: Pow! A. Pow! B. Pow! C. Pow! D. It is tightly-woven and steadily but stalwartly moving. Therefore the cast must communicate on the same level. As Hedda's schlep of a husband, Christopher Newman was just right. George Tesman is really clueless - he thinks that a honeymoon is the perfect time to research the Domestic Industries of Brabant during the Middle Ages. Newman carried off well all the "hms," "ehs" and "whats" that end George's every line - all with a goobery smile plastered on his face. Thorsten Kaye was slightly disap- pointing as Eilert Loevborg, Hedda's former love and the man through whom she lives vicariously. Kaye looked the Dionysian hero, with his dark eyes and chiseled profile, but was a little too subdued to be believ- able. Kaye's Loevborg would not have taken a gun from Hedda and promised to kill himself "beautifully"; he would have refused it, and gone off to com- plete his novel. As Thea, the "pretty little fool" whose idea of freedom is flitting from one man to another, Gretchen Alexandra was quite nice at first, but gradually became annoying. She was just a bit too wimpy to be the woman who has such tremendous power over Loevborg. Making up for these flawed por- trayals was PeterToran's Judge Brack, the slimy man who wants his place in Hedda and George's relationship. He wants the same thing Hedda does -- "to shape a man's destiny." For this reason, the exchanges between Hedda and Brack were the best scenes in the production. A great topic of discus- sion amongst Ibsen lovers is the rela- tionship between Hedda and Brack (and George). Some suggest that Brack is sleeping with Hedda, others say that consummated sexual desire would ruin the power struggle that fuels their relationship. This produc- tion left that debate unresolved - the safe and the smart choice to make. The ambiguity was there, and that was exciting enough. The Hilberry did make use of a "handsomely decorated set," as Ibsen dictated. The oriental rugs, rich bro- cades and tapestries, browns and reds combined for a fitting bourgeois look - "Hedda has to do things with style," after all. The furniture was hidden by dustcovers when the lights went up, which Bertha the maid (Roxanne Wellington) proceeded to carelessly remove. (In reality, the maid would have folded the dustcovers, to avoid scattering dust over the room.) One embarrassing hitch was the set of double doors at the back of the drawing room. Hedda would say "I can't bear all that light," referring to the light coming through the doors when the portieres are drawn - but no light was coming through. Director N. Joseph Calarco made the obtrusive choice of accompany- ing many exits with piano music. As if Ibsen wasn't laden with enough melodramatic potential! In perhaps the most powerful scene, when Hedda is burning Loevborg and Thea's manu- script - killing their child, essen- tially - "Moonlight Sonata" played in the background. Any musical the- ater buff will recall the words set to that piece in "You're a Good Man, Jan Waldron and Thorsten Kaye are lovers separated by 19th-century societal constraints in "Hedda Gabler." Charlie Brown," clearly an inappro- priate reference in such a grave scene. Since this is Ibsen and since this is social realism, the flaws cannot go unnoticed. But since this play is a study of Hedda, the flaws in set and direction become secondary to Hedda's performance. In this produc- tion, Hedda got what she wanted; she had power over the audience. HEDDAGABLE? runs in repertory through January 27 at the Hilberry Theatre in Detroit (4743 Cass). Fof specific days, times and ticket prices, call (313) 577-2972. RECORDS Continued from page 12 rows heavily from such seminal janglers as the Byrds, the Who, Big tar and the Beatles. "Antedium" is especially reminis- cent of the Who's landmark 1967 album "The Who Sell Out," which interspersed great pop "radio songs" with commercials, jingles and public service announcements; Sex Clark Five's latest album is 24 songs strong; most of these are short, wacky num- bers such as "Knights of Carumba," "Strum and Drum" and "Ketchup if Wou Can." Many of the songs are cute, poppy jangles that barely last long enough for one to listen to. Three of the songs are truly great: "Feast Days" is based on an irresistible riff that propels the song to new levels of guitar greatness; "World of Wonder" is packed with sweet harmonies; and "Cold and Gray" sounds like a time- less radio classic. Fans ofjangly anglo- *op should take note: "Antedium""is a winner. -- Heather Phares Buzzcocks Tr de Test Transmissions Caroline Considering that the Buzzcocks are some of the founding fathers (grandfathers, even?) of punk rock, Oranking out such great tunes as "Or- gasm Addict" and "Ever Fallen in Love?" back when punk was a move- ment and not a marketing concept, it is amazing not only that they are still around, but that "Trade Test Trans- missions" has as many hits as it does. One would think that the band would be rusty after nearly 14 years out of the studio, but this is not the ase. Songs such as "Innocent," "Iso- Wation," "Last to Know," "When Love Turns Around" and "Who'll Help Me to Forget?" show that Pete Shelley, Steve Diggle and the rest of the crew continue to write classic punk/power- pop songs. Though they seem to have become more of a mod group than a punk rock group, the Buzzcocks are one of the first classic punk groups to 'ow gray gracefully. "Trade Test ransmissions" shows that this band is more than just an influence on the bands of today, but that the Buzzcocks are still creative in their own right. - Heather Phares Eleven Eleven Hollywood Eleven started in the L.A. club scene in the early '80s. Currently, the band is a three piece whose most famous member is Jack Irons, for- merly of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In different incarnations, the band included the late Chili Pepper Hillel Slovak and Flea. "Eleven" is their first release on the Hollywood label, and it has been eagerly awaited. Few will be disappointed by this classy, engrossing collection of rock songs. Eleven is a well-oiled machine that sounds like it has been together forever. Guitarist Alain Johannes and bassist/organist Natasha Shneider share the vocal duties over the ten tracks, bringing a fresh approach to each of the songs. The laid-back, de- ceivingly complicated riffs are coor- dinated well with the vocal melodies. Mike Patton is a major influence on the vocal styles of Johannes and Shneider, but it does not detract from the music because the songs work. "Eleven"is an excellent alternative rock record that is highly reccommended not only to college rock fans, but also to Led Zeppelin and Beatles fans as well. - Gianluca Montalti Aphex Twin On Warner Brothers/Sire Aphex Twin's new four song EP, "On," provides further evidence that this outfit is one of the most experi- mental and inventive bands to be un- fortunately lumped under the unflat- tering category of "techno." Things get moving with the acces- sible but warped ambiance of the title track, in which light sequencer tex- tures are contrasted with an electronic percussion track that is made up of some of the strangest rhythm noises ever heard in dance music or any- where else. However, Aphex Twin's Richard James carefully manufactures these sounds so that they do retain their danceable and somewhat funky qualities. The next two tracks, "Y3-YIPS" and "Xepha," on the other hand, are dance-grooveless electro-bursts of choppy layers of even more strange noises that are too dynamic to call percussion, yet too sharp to call any- thing else. Unlike "On" and the final track, "On (Reload Mix)," these two tracks require quite a few listenings before the initial shock wears off. While this EP is an amazing taste of Aphex Twin's talents, the dynamic experimental qualities give one the feeling that these tracks only scratch the surface of what they are capable of. Hopefully, alot more will be heard from them in the future. - Andy Dolan' Swervedriver Mezcal Head A&M Swervedriver's first album, "Raise," was a a brilliant debut album not only for it's fiery, emotionally charged tunes, but also due to the fact that it worked perfectly as a concept album. From the wind-in-your-face, 150 miles per hour guitar-blast of "Son of Mustang Ford" to the cruis- ing-into-the-sunset ambience of "Lead Me Where You Dare...," "Raise" was nothing less than an au- ral "Thelma and Louise"-style cross country road trip, summed up per- fectly by the line from "Pile-Up," "Just get in the car / and let's just drive..." "Mezcal Head," on the other hand, doesn't quite work as a concept al- bum, but what it lacks in continuity in makes up for with simply great songs. With few exceptions, it burns with every bit as much emotion and hu- manity as "Raise," and takes certain moods even further. Like it's prede- cessor, "Mezcal Head" is lyrically and musically packed with alienation ("Girl On A Motorbike"), introspec- tion ("You Find It Everywhere") and blissful escapism ("Duel," "Blowin' Cool"). Probably the biggest difference between the two albums is due to the departure of bassist Adi Vines. His funky basslines were a key part of songs like "Feel So Real," but Swervedriver have apparently cho- sen to dispose of this element. How- ever, this is more than made up for by the addition of killer guitar/feedback melodies on songs such as "A Change Is Gonna Come," and "MM Abduc- tion." The best tracks on "Mezcal Head" conjure up amazingly vivid emotions and situations. When you hear the opening lyrics and guitar riffs of "Blowin' Cool," you'll feel the cool wind of the last days of summer, see the rainy grey skies and experience the solemn feelings of the beginnings of autumn. In addition, songs like "Never Lose That Feeling," along with its jazzy, Kitchens of Distinction-like continuation, "Never Learn," are the sounds of loneliness and isolation, but with a strange hope for escape and belonging. While "Mezcal Head" is a some- what different direction for Swervedriver, they have managed to prove that their knack for packing as much feeling as possible into their lyrics and blistering guitar waves was no fluke. In fact, "Mezcal Head" sim- ply shows that the band has a pure, true sound that is both emotional and exciting. - Andy Dolan Medicine The Buried Life. American "The Buried Life" is a good title indeed for Medicine's latest offering of feedback-laden pop wanderings. Everything is buried here: vocals, drums, bursts of static, water, guitars and yes, the more-than-occasional hook. Comparisons to the likes of My Bloody Valentine are inevitable as the male and female vocals wander in and out of the haze, but Medicine takes a much more aggressive stance. My Bloody Valentine would not dare push the noise envelope this far. Though not as overwhelmingly sprawling - and thus not quite as addictive-as last year's "Shot Forth Self Living," this album rewards with additional listenings as the hidden touches, such as the strings on "I Hear" make themselves known and the hooks have a chance to sink in. Form plays a more important role here than it did on "Shot Forth" as Medicine moves a few steps away from the epic feedback festivals of '92 and a few steps closer to the three- minute pop song. It is hardly "second verse same as the first" material but the combination of static and struc- ture, noise and harmony, slowly as- serts itself on "The Buried Life" and proves catchy and even hummable. - Dirk Schulze ALOHA ENTERTAINMENT'S ADMISSION $5 Adults $3 Students & Children STATE TIEAT5RE Bargain Mat. 1st Show Daily on State St. at Liberty * 994-4024 A PEPfECT ADDAMS FAMILY WGkLL VALUES Fri.: 4:30 7:15 9:45 11:45 Fri.: 4:30 7:00 9:30 11:30 Sat.: 2:00 4:30 7:15 Sat.: 2:00 4:30 7:00 9:45 11:45 9:30 11:30 Sun. & Weds.: 2:00 4:30 Sun. & Weds.: 2:00 4:30 7:15 9:45 7:00 9:30 Mon., Tues., & Thurs.: 4:30 7:15 9:45 Mon., Tues., & Thurs.: 4:30 7:00 9:30 E'TA KAPPA NU ASSOCIATION Eta Kappa Nu Association, the National Electrical and Computer Engineering honor society, was created to bring into closer union those in the profession of Electrical or Computer Engineering who by their attainments in college or in practice have manifested a deep interest and marked ability in their chosen life work, so as to foster a spirit of liberal culture in the Engineering colleges, and to mark in an outstanding manner those students in Electrical or Computer Engineering who through distinguished scholarship, activities, leadership and exemplary character have conferred honor on their Alma Mater. 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