T irts
The Michigan Daily Friday, June 5, 1981 Page 9

Shaw's 'Misalliance' opens
Summer Repertory season

By LISA CRUMRINE
Greeted by "oohs" and "ahs" from
the audience over the dazzlingly lush
p garden-like set, the 1981 Michigan
Repertory season opened Wednesday
evening in Power Center with the initial
performance of George Bernard
Shaw's "Misalliance," directed by
James Martin. While the show cer-
tainly had its opening night blemishes,
it was, nevertheless, an intriguing and
enjoyable performance.
Shaw's "Misalliance," the first of
three productions to be staged by the
company in the coming month, is a
comedy dealing, for the most part, with
the institutions of love and marriage. A

concurrent theme in the play is tne
ever-present conflicts arising between
parents and their children-in par-
ticular, those conventions and mores
wealthy parents wish to pass on to their
(ofttimes unreceptive) children.
AT TIMES, Shaw is verbose in his
commentary on marriage, women, and
the well-to-do in the England of 1909.
.But despite its richly farcical nature, the
play makes some serious comments on
Shaw's society.
Shaw's plot is intricate; the story
concerns Hypatia Tarleton and her
discontent with the seemingly dull
existence she leads in her parents'

.What s happen in'
MUSIC
Mandingo Griot Society - A hard-to-define musical conglomeration com-
bining elements of West African Mandingo Music, rhythm and blues,
reggae, and jazz. The lead instruments in this band are an electric guitar
and a kora (a 21-string lute-like instrument). Saturday, June 6; University
Club Terrace; 8:00and 10:30; $4.00.
Brides of Funkenstein - Who knows what to expect from these expatriates
of the Parliament/Funkadelic mob! They call their music "Nu-Wave Funk"
but whatever it is, it's almost guaranteed to be fun. Monday, June 8; Second
Chance; opening band, Onyx, begins about 9:30; $4.50 in advance.
Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson - Best known as guitarist for Muddy
Waters, Guitar Junior has played on the same stage with everyone from the
Rolling Stones to the Nighthawks; a dynamic and versatile guitarist. Thur-
sday, June 11; Rick's; about 9:30; $3.00.
THEATRE .
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf
Enuf-An excellent play by Ntozake Shange, performed by an undeservingly
obscure Ann Arbor group. This work almost transcends theatre with its
moving, rapid-fire prosepoetry dealing with the experiences of black
women. Tonight through Sunday, June 7; Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre; 8
p.m. (with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.); $7.00.
Misalliance - At the other end of the spectrum, George Bernard Shaw's
usual fare of witty, erudite, lightweight social commentary. Tonight through
Saturday, June 6; Power Center; 8 p.m.; $3.50-$5.00.
MOVIES
Supershorts - This looks to be a pretty mixed bag, as these things usually
are. Any showing of shorts that includes the films made by Ralph Records of
their roster of artists (including the Residents, MX-80 Sound, Snakefinger,
and more!) has got to be wild, though. The other shorts ("Closed Mondays,"
"The Wizard of Speed and Time," "Pork Lips Now" and so on) will probably
thrill you, if you haven't seen them before. If you have seen them already,
well then, at least they're "short." MLB Auditorium 3; 7:00 and 10:20; $2.00.

home (where all that happens is "'talk,
talk, talk").She searches for a man
with a "clever mind"... and an
equally clever build. Hypatia's hand is
promised in marriage to one Bentley
Summerhays, but we recognize early
that his manner is far too unassuming
to please the energetic Hypatia. Ben-
tley's father, Lord Summerhays, feels
likewise, preferring Hypatia's brother
Johnny (Scott Kaiser) to his own son.
Mr. and Mrs. Tarleton (James Pawlak
and Phyllis Ward Fox) fill out the initial
cast of characters, augmented by a few
surprising additions along the way.
The first part of the play (there are
no. acts per se; Shaw merely suggests
that the curtain should drop in two
places) moves slowly. We sort out the
interactions of the Tarletons and the
Summerhays as we begin to observe
Hypatia's penchant for adventure. The
second half of "Misalliance" perks up
with the unexpected introduction of two
aviators into the Tarleton's
greenhouse.
JOSEPH PERCIVAL and Lina Sc-
zcepanowska are just what Hypatia
has been wishing for: foreign, char-
ming, and bold. Greg Jbara shines as
Percival, exuding style in his obvious
enjoyment of the performance. Lina
Sczcepanowska (M. J. Czernik) is a
daring young woman who epitomizes
what Hypatia longs to be. Czernik
seems slightly awkward, but on the
whole presents an interesting charac-
terization. However, Hypatia's con-
tinual fawning over Sczcepanowska
grows wearying toward the end of the
play.
Dominique Lowell conveys Hypatia's
restlessness convincingly, although her
shrill voice borders on the over-

dramatic, detracting from an otherwise
spunky portrayal.
Joseph Luis Urla makes the most of
the role of Bentley - portraying a
whimpering, cowardish, and, stiffly
aristocratic young man who cries at
most anything offensive - giving us
just what we would ask for from Ben-
tley.
Michael Morrissey creates an aging,
yet domineering Lord Summerhays.
His part offers us some of the more subs
tle and humorous lines in the play, as
Shaw pokes fun at the aging process.
"Gunner" (Tony Kelso) is the last
character to appear in the play and
with his arrival, the play's action
comes to a climax. Kelso plays his role
superbly, bringing the final touch of
hysteria to the play.
Technically, the play succeeds, par-
ticularly with the lavish extravaganza
of the set, replete with dozens of plants
and a pavillion-type ceiling. For some
in the audience, the set alone was worth
the ticket price.
The direction, however, needs some
improvement. The blocking could be
upgraded with a few changes. Impor-
tant lines are given facing the stage,
making them difficult to hear.
With the passing of opening night jit-
ters, "Misalliance" can be considered a
successful theatrical endeavor for the
Michigan Repertory players. If the
audience can live with the "talkiness"
of the play during the first portion, the
comedy will prove immensely en-
joyable the second half. Shaw exem-
plifies dramatic genius and the
Michigan Repertory Theatre mingles
its sparkle with Shaw's work to create
an engaging, professional comedy.