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The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, May 20, 1980-Page 11
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Secoi
By ANNE SHARPE
I first encountered the famous Second
City theatrical comedy troupe in a
room at the downtown Chicago
Sheraton, and they didn't impress me
at all. I guess I expected too much, but
then, there they were on inational TV.
This is the group with a decades-old
tradition of spawning great comic per-
formers, including Mike Nichols and
Elaine May, Robert Klein, and the lion's
share of past and present Not Ready for
Prime Time Players. The night I was in
Chicago, they did a half-hour parody of
Ben-Hur, in which Ben-Hur, the
f
Te Second
Quebec
MONTREAL (AP) - Quebec voters
decide today whether to take a major
first step toward independence from
Canada, a break that would turn the
"world's friendliest border" into a
question mark for the United States.
Quebecers are being asked in a
referendum to endorse their provincial
government's proposal to negotiate
"sovereignty-association" for largely
French-speaking province.
UNDER THIS plan, Quebec would
have political independence but would
continue its close economic ties with the
rest of English-speaking Canada.
The last two pre-referendum opinion
polls gave conflicting readings. One
taken May 4-9 showed the "no" side
with a 12-percentage-point lead, but a
nd City scores again
Charlton Heston characters talked and overbearing medium of television. It for one sparkling moment in
acted exactly like Curly from the Three works much better on the intimate level act. This sketch called for S
Stooges. I only remember laughing on- of the theatre. Content-wise, Second director of the Boston Syr
ce, when Ben was getting a terrible City skits are still more reminiscent of chestra, to conduct a forun
message from a dying enemy. "Your Nichols and May than Saturday Night Criticism in which each ply
sister and mother," gasped the man, Live; despite its token bawdiness, it complain, solo and ensemb
"arelepers!" isn't ever cruel or offensive, or hell- certain annoying social
"My sister and mother are leopards!" bent on pumping the audience for a cer- "Ozawa" called for memb
squeaked Ben/Curly, in befuddled tain quota of yocks per minute. On- audience to contribute social
alarm. stage, Second City plays with ex-
the second
eji Ozawa,
nphony Or-
m of Social
ayer would
le, about a
problem.
ers of the
gripes.
WELL, Second City TV isn't that
slam-bang funny, but then its charac-
teristically mild, casual, middle-brow
humor isn't suited to the expensive,
perimental theatre, improvisation, and
so forth in a decidedly laid-back man-
ner. The players aren't overly concer-
ned with polish or making everything
work just so. One gets the feeling that
this troupe is a way-station for them;
they're waiting to be "discovered" in-
dividually, like Chevy Chase or Bill
Murray before them, and magically
spirited away to Bigger and Better
Things. Until then, it's playtime for
Second City.
There is more than one touring com-
pany, and the Second City members
that hit the road aren't the same people
one sees on television. The particular
troupe that stopped by the Michigan
Theatre last Saturday night weren't
exactly "giving their all" and theaud-
ience response echoed their perfun-
ctory tone, forbidding any hope of spon-
taneity. The cast was virtually the
same that. came to the Power Center
last fall and their material seemed
familiar also, most notably the
routines about singing cowboys who are
incredibly bored with life on the range
and two doctors sniggering over the
word "rectum" in the dictionary.
The "improvisational" bits appeared
well-rehearsed and a bit tedious, save
AMONG CALLS of "Smoking in
public places!" "Homosexuals!" and
"Democrats!" there came a loud, un-
mistakable shout of "Nude Whales!"
The players looked as surprised as the
audience about this one; nevertheless,
they resolved to do it. "My girlfriend
and I went to the beach for a private par-
ty," shouted one of the players in a
genuinely outraged tone, "when we
were accosted by a NUDE WHALE!"
"Not only that," he screamed, as
"Ozawa" again pointed his baton at
him, "but it was a SPERM whale!" It
was a beautiful moment, despite all the
dull ones. Second city has a raw-edged
charm and excitement that makes it
all worthwhile.
None of the players in this company
really showed any unmistakable "star
quality", although Lance Kinsey
displayed a Charles Grodin-like
capacity for looking endearingly dumb
when the situation calls for it-both as
the "nude whales" man and as a win-
some tow-head in a masturbation sket-
ch. Saturday night's performance may
not have revealed the Face of Comedy
to Come, but it garnered quite a few
laughs and that's a good start.
to decide o
1 separation proposal
negotiate the division of Canada. But the United States in important
Levesque dismisses this as a referen- economic, military and political ways.
survey made a week later and
published Sunday gave the "yes" 40 per
cent to 37 per cent for the "no," with 23
per cent either undecided or refusing to
answer.
Political analysts believe most of this
undeclared vote will end up in the "no"
column.
THE SEPARATIST Parti Quebecois
of provincial Premier Rene Levesque
has stressed that no changes will occur
overnight if it receives the mandate it
seeks. Years of lengthy negotiation
would lie ahead, and the PQ pledges a
second Quebec referendum on any
resulting agreement.
Canadian Prime Minister Pierre
Elliott Trudeau and the premiers of the
nine other provinces insist they will not
dum ploy and says they will have to ac-
cede to the democratic will of Quebec.
The PQ maintains that Quebec can
best develop economically and protect
its French culture only if it gets out
from under two centuries of English
domination.
SOVEREIGNTY FOR this province
of 6.2 million people - five million of
them French-speaking - could affect
Anti-U.S. feelings were partly behind
a PQ platform plank calling for an in-
dependent Quebec to withdraw from
the NATO alliance, just as France did
in 1966. That PQ position was reversed
two years ago, but the party makes
clear it still reserves the right to review
Quebec's membership after indepen-
dence.
Tie Ann Arbor Fin CoopemtiAe Presents at Aid A: $1.50
Tuesday, May 20
TOBACCO ROAD
(John Ford, 1941) 7:0--AUD A
John Ford's adaption of the famous Broadway play about life
in rural Georgia. A tragi-comedy about moral depravity and
social injustice starring CHARLIE GRAPEWIN and MARJORIE
RAMBEAU.
HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY
(John Ford, 1941) $:45-AUD A
Beautiful, moving story of a Welsh coal mining family trying to
stay together. This touching story is filled with incidents which
evoke emotional responses even from the most indifferent
viewers. A "must see" film. Stars WALTER PIDGEON, MAUREEN
O'HARA, DONALD CRISP, RODDY McDOWELL. Academy Award
Best Picture.
-Tomorrow: Luis Bunuel's THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE and PHANTOM
OF LIBERTY ot Aud A.J
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