Buckner's poetics of music...
Richard Buckner, the folk artist
who set "Spoon River
Anthology" to music, will be at
the Ark tonight at 8 p.m. $11.
michigandaity.com /arts

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MONDAY
FEBRUARY 19, 2001

8A


'Rose' returns in
comic trailer park
resurrection tale

Performances shine
in dark comedy 'Visit'

By Rosemary Metz
Daily Arts Writer

Suspension of belief
urged for audiences

is strongly
who see

"Maggie Rose,"
Maggie
Rose
Performance
Network
Through March 4
which challenge

the current play at
the Performance
Network. Yet the
focus for this
work is belief
and disbelief.
Local play-
wright Kim
Carney melds
together the
worlds of trailer
parks, funeral
homes and mira-
cles. This fusion
produces plot
shifts and char-
acter twists
the audiences' pre-

cian, declares that he embalmed her
himself. When Maggie cuts her fin-
ger, however, she drips blood instead
of embalming fluid.
She is immediately touted as a
media personality. Maggie, who is
confused by the events that have
occurred over the three days in
which she was dead, seeks to sort
them out, avoiding the crush of curi-
ous crowds and her money-hungry
family.
The continuing transformation of
Maggie as she strives for a new
beginning is sifted throughout, sur-
rounded by the cacophony of those
who would choose;;to exploit her. In"
the end, Maggie returns to a quiet
place in her childhood, a birdbath.
She sits in the middle of the encir-
cled, empty birdbath, contemplating
her place in the star-filled galaxy,
while she is invited to recite a night-
time prayer with a neighbor's child.
Lavinia Moyer renders a stellar
performance as Maggie Rose. Her
deeply set, wide blue eyes reveal a
sense of shock, perhaps at awaken-
ing from her deathly experience.
Moyer grasps the simplicity and
complexity of Maggie Rose, and a
lesser actress might have not done
such justice to this role. As Maggie
re-enters the real world, she is fright-
ened and unsure of herself. But as
the play moves along, Maggie

Courtesy of Performance Network
Knife-wielding Maggie Rose (Lavinia Moyer) totally freaks out weak-stomached
Reverend Billey (Aral Gribble II) in Performance Network's "Maggie Rose."

viously held notions of faith or reli-
gious conviction.
In a trailer park in Bath,
Michigan, a miracle has occurred,
unfolding before everyone's eyes.
Maggie Rose, a mobile maid, has
been electrocuted while using a
damp cloth over an electric outlet in
the local funeral home. While her
family mourns, she suddenly re-
appears to them in their trailer. She
has been restored to life. Her
employer, Mr. DeLuca, the morti-

becomes aware of her power, and
remains determined not to be
exploited by the people around her.
Her boyfriend Jerry, portrayed by
Mark Rademacher, fills the stage
with his swagger and the presence of
his six-pack. Laurie V Logan, as her
mother Virginia, is the Appalachian
woman in this play. Dressed mostly
in rhinestone-studded shirts, she
mixes her mournful bewilderment
with strong doses of merchandising
for her daughter.
The door to the trailer is also an
important character in this play. The
door serves as a focal point, a transi-
tion between the outside world,
which craves for a glimpse of the
resurrected Maggie Rose, and the
inside world, which Maggie Rose
seeks to preserve at all costs.

The playwright uses the trailer
park stereotype to the hilt. She does
not draw the line between humor and
poor taste very effectively, however.
In the first scene, for example, as
Maggie's mother (Logan) is writing
her daughter's obituary, she asks her
granddaughter to assist her. When
the granddaughter demurs, she
reminds her that she is the one with
the G.E.D. Within this type of
humor, many of Carney's themes are
often obscured or lost.
The final scene is the strongest,
however, combining some of the
naive questioning and humor of
Maggie Rose with the simplest of
designs. With this scene, Carney and
Moyer are able to delicately bring
peace and joy, and the wondrous
spirituality of a life well lived.
Sound Off!
Ifyou have an opinion to share
about today's stories or anything
else Arts-related, go online and
post your rantings on our Forum.
www michigandaily.com/forum
Because you're an elitist who
always has to put in your two cents.

By Autumn Brown
For the Daily
This past weekend a talented cast
of musical theater majors put on a
very interesting play called "The
Visit" by Friedrich Durrenmattin at
the famed Trueblood theater, located
in the Frieze building. The play stars
senior Paul Schaefer as Schill and
Tiffany Helland, also a senior, as
Claire. The
story is an adap-
tation of a
European tale
The Visit set in a small
town called
Trueblood Guellen.
After World
Feb. 15-18, 2001 War II, Guellen
was devastated
and in a state of
stagnant pover-
:': ty. When a mil-
lion a ire
(Helland), orig-
inally from
Guellen, visits the town, the towns-
folk are all too eager to use their con-
nection with her to ask for financial
support. Unfortunately, the price
asked by the millionaire proves too
much for the common folk of
Guellen, as the price is the life of
Schill, whom she had once had an
affair with. When she appears against
him in court, accusing him of being
the father of her illegitimate child, he
brings forth false witnesses and as a
result the woman is condemned to a
life of harlotry.
The play centers around the citi-
zens of Guellen and their decision of
whether to kill the man, discreetly of
course, or refuse the offer of the mil-
lionaire and remain poor.
Meanwhile, the man in question is
naturally in a state of anxiety, as his
life hangs in the balance.

University Productions should be
applauded for its bravery in choosing
an unusual theatrical endeavour, a
dark comedy, especially since "The
Visit" was pulled off with amazing
brilliance.
The burgomaster, played by Logan
Lipton, remained a strong character
as the weasel that wanted what was
best for the town. He especially
shone in the scene in which he gives
Schill a "way out." Schaefer's charac-
ter was not as believable as an unas-
suming storekeeper who suddenly
became courageous and demanded
justice.
On the other hand, Helland's char-
acter was an excellent foil and easily
convinced the audience that her bitch-
iness was not a recent development.
Other outstanding performances were
those of Jeremy Leiner, who played
the part of Claire's pompous, Latino
fiance Pedro, and the "blind men,"
played by Darryl Semira and Toni
Trucks.
The simplicity of the set design
was an appropriate compliment to the
depravity presented in the post-war
European town of Guellen. In a town
as poor as Guellen, basic tables and
chairs were certainly suitable for a
dusty barn, a church, a bar and a gen-
eral store. One especially well
thought-out sequence occurred at the
end of the play when Claire and her
attendants were presented in the shad-
ows against red light. The costumes
were nice, but needed more emphasis
on the particulars of the time period.
In essence, "The Visit" was a bril-
liantly creative enterprise that care-
fully inserted comical elements into a
darkly themed performance. The
individual performances were defi-
nitely greater than the sum of their
parts, and for anyone who is skeptical
about the theater, this play is dedicat-
ed to you.

S

DIA displays African-American art

By Sarah Grimmer
For the Daily
There is a celebration taking place at the Detroit
Institute of Arts, a celebration of Black cultures. What
you will find at the DIA during this month is far better
than anything you could find in an art history textbook.
As you enter the Modern and
Contemporary.Galleries, you'll- find
over 20 19th and 20th century paint- .
ings and prints. 4
The colors are
."-'~ so vivid and the {
images are so
African- eye-catching -.
American it's absolutely
Gallery wonderful.
Detroit Institute You'll find
of Arts abstract;
Through April 30 impressionistic
and realist"
paintings by -.
internationally "
known artists
including Hale'
Benny Andrews, Charles McGee,
Hughie Lee-Smith, Allie McGhee,
Jacob Lawrence and Romere"
Bearden.
Bearden's 1983 painting of acu
woman playing a piano is the work "Front Porch" by Ben
that inspired the 1990 Pulitzer Prize
winning play "The Piano Lesson," by August Wilson.
This colorful and abstract painting is a powerful asset to

the collection.
. If you want to do more than merely look at paintings
and prints, the DIA offers many other options during this
month. You could listen to Miz Rosie tell both creative
African and African-American folk tales on Saturday,
Feb. 24th at 2 p.m.
Last Sunday, there was a lecture on Africa's Legacy in
American Art given by Barry
Gaither, the founder of the Museum
of the National Center of Afro-
American Artists in Boston. le pro-
vided historical perspective on the
impact of African art on 20th centu-
ry African-American artists,
Another noteworthy experience
can be found in the captivating video
shown continuously this month titled
"African American Artists:
Affirmation Today." In this video,
several African-American artists
who are working today discuss their
work and their inspirations.
Whether you are an expert on
African-American culture or just
want to learn more about the amaz-
ing world of contemporary African-
American Art, you should definitely
take advantage of the opportunities
that the DIA is offering to celebrate
African-American culture.
esy of DetroitInstitute of Arts The DIA is located at 5200
y Andrews (1968). Woodward in Detroit. It is open
Wednesday thru Friday from 11
a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5
p.m. Don't miss out.


Sarcasm leads MTV Monday lineup

Melissa Gollob
Daily Arts Writer
MTV's favorite antisocial teenager
and boy band return tonight at the 10
spot for a fifth season. Daria and her

Daria and
2Gether
MTV
Tonight at 10 p.m.

stereotypical crew
at Longdale High
begin new adven-
tures in suburban
mediocrity. All the
focal characters
are back, includ-
ing Daria's artistic
best friend Jane
and superficial
fashion crazed sis-
ter Quinn.
With a musical
premiere already
under their belts,
this season goes

voice of reason in a town that has always
been blatantly about greed and appear-
ances.
"Daria" fans will not be disappointed
with the characters either. All hold true
to their respective personalities, which
makes the show worth turning on
tonight. The show stays true to itself,
especially in its portrayal of dim football
jock Kevin and his ditzy blonde cheer-
leading girlfriend Brittany. The episode
also highlights many of the teachers at
Longdale High, which remind each of us
of the eccentric teachers in our old high
schools.
This half hour melodrama of a teenag-
er too smart for her town puts in per-
spective that our own thoughts of superi-
ority may not be entirely egocentric.
Dariareminds us that most of the people
around us are as stupid as they seem.
After "Daria," the hour of premieres
continue with the second season of boy
band parody "2Gether." This episode
features one of the last performances by
Michael Cuccione who played Q.T.
McKnight on the series. He passed away
on January 13th after he succumbed to
Hodgkin's disease when his lungs col-
lapsed suddenly. The show premieres in
his memory, although it only addresses
his illness briefly. His appearance is lim-

UT
m,

_, -

back to the roots of the show with pure
satirical commentary about social and
political issues surrounding its main
audience of young adults. "Fizz Ed"
focuses on the controversial subject of
commercialism in high schools to com-
bat funding cuts.
This episode provides direct observa-
tions from Daria about the ethics of
advertising in schools. She acts as the

' ~

ited and consists mostly of him lying
down to save his energy. The part will
not be re-cast but a new member may be
added in the future.
The other four members of the fic-
tional boy band continue to avoid their
record label What-Ev records and dis-
cuss at length not being a corporate pup-'
pet. Reminiscent of 'N Sync's battle
with their label, the group decides to.
stay true to themselves and their art.
The episode also acts as a memorial
to their fallen friend. Throughout the
story, Q.T. uses his hands to convey a
message to his runaway band mates
while he is kept captive by the record
label. One hand extends five fingers
while the other holds one up. Chad the
Shy one (Noah Bastian) assumes h
wants them to stick together and fight
the record company. In other words, five
is one.
The writers put a comedic twist to the
meaning but the underlying implica-
tions seem clear. The tribute to
Cuccione reverberates throughout. The
show continues to entertain and making
fun of the world of boy bands. Their rip-
offs of stories based on reality combin*
all the absurdity of the phenomena with
the dilemma that fame and screaming
adolescent girls bring with it.
....... .... ;:::. ...
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''YU R WOR; T
.AAAd~ ~hW~ It'b~*

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G GROU ND

13 .4
1432 Washtenaw Ave.
French Room
(look for sign outside)
8:45 Wednesday evening

I.The center or origin of rapid, intense
activity or change...
2.A college Ministry program involving
discussion, connection with other
students and drinking coffee.
The
C u

we tl

row all kinds of
stacleOsjat you.

Attention CHORAL SINGERS
You are invited to OPEN REHEARSALS of the
Berlioz REQUIEM
with the
University Musical Society Choral Union

tuition isn't one o them.