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AR S
Page 8 Thursday, May 19, 1983 The Michigan Daily


'Just Friends':,
macabre humor
'in Urist's pa
bplay
By Ellen Lindquist was one of the first people to read the
play. "Connie related to the main
character, so I rewrote the part with
TUST FRIENDS is a play about her in mind," Urist said.
friends, but not just about friends. Other actors, including Shelly Mc-
It's about how a female contemporary Millan, Ann Whitney, and Ron Miller,
portrait painter in her early 30s, played also contributed to the revision process.
by Constance Barron, deals with suc- "As we were going along," Urist said,
cess. "the actors were terrific and made
"Her troubles are vastly overblown. suggestions and additions. Sometimes
It's almost melodramatic or farcical," it would be just what I was looking for. I
said Jim Moran, producer of this first- could keep the suggestion or throw it
run comedy. out, whatever I wanted to do, since it's
"It's macabre humor. It could be my play.
done as a serious drama, but it's richest "When I felt I needed more objec-
as dark humor," said premiere author tivity because I was working so closely
and director Rachelle Urist, Ann Arbor with the text, I would get another set of
News theater reviewer and native New eyes," Urist said. Moran served as one
Yorker. "For instance there's a death," such set of additional eyes, although he
Urist added, "an accident described in called himself a "third eye" which
vivid detail and it's hilarious." assisted Urist's "two eyes."
Just Friends is Urist's premiere as a Just Friends is set in an Ann Arbor
playwright. The play was originally apartment, but it could take place
read in the fall at the Performance anywhere. "We went out of our way
Network's weekly Monday readings of creating a complete, naturalistic set for
new plays called Works in Progress. this play," he said. "We have normally
Since then, the play has undergone done shows such as Endgame that
several revisions. required only a minimalistic set. The
Constance Barron, a friend of Urist's, See GRIM Page 9
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STARTS FRIDAY!
"THE FILM EVENT OF
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VINCENT CANBY, New York Ti".s
DOLBY STEREO
FRI - 9:10 (G)
ENDS TONIGHTI "COUPE DE TORCHON" at 7:30 9:45
STARTS FRI!
"SMASHINGLY
FUNNY."
-Vincent Canby,New York Times
"GROTESQUELY
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-v -Andrew Sarris, Village Voice
L /. c Zt.s "BRIGHT,
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-Judith cist, WOR-TV (R)
FRI-7:209:30

Bars and Clubs
The Blind Pig (208S. First; 996-8555)
James "Yank" Rachell plays
classic mandolin blues Friday and
Saturday nights at the Cafe, accom-
panied by noted folk guitarist Pat
Webb.

Joe's Star Lounge (109 N. Main; 665-
JOES)
Steve Nardella rocks the house
down Friday and Saturday at Joe's.
Sunday, Resistance Free takes to the
stage with rock electrifying enough to
win Michigras Battle of the Bands,
Mr. Floods Party (120 W. Liberty;
995-2747)
1-2-3-GO! gets your Friday and
Saturday rollin' with rousing renditions
of your latest rock and dance
favorites.
Second Chance (516 E. Liberty; 994-
5350)
Moriah pounds out top-40 rock hits
Friday 'til Sunday-don't miss out.
Del Rio (122 Washington; 761-2530)
Sunday night don't miss your chan-
ce to hear local musicians belt out the
jazz.
Music
Ars Musica
The Baroque Orchestra presents
their last performance of the season
on May 22 in connection with the Ann
Arbor Consort of Voices. The program
will feature selections from six Bach
Cantatas as well as highlights from
the baroque repertoire for chorus and
orchestra. The Ann Arbor Consort of
Voices performed in Ars Musica's
performances of Handel's Messiah
earlier this year. Members of Ars
Musica have just returned from New
York City where they performed
Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. The
concerts take place at 3 and 8 p.m. at
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (306
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N. Division). Tickets are $10, 7, 5. Call
662-3976 for more information.
Eclipse Jazz
Sunday at Rick's Eclipse launches
their Third Annual Summer concerts
Benefit. Footloose will be on hand
with bluegrass and swingin' country;
rockin' raggae by Stolen Legacy will
also be featured, and rockabilly like
only George Bedard and the Bon-
nevilles can do it will top off the
evening. All proceeds go to Eclipse's
free summer concert's fund. 9 p..m.,
Rick's (611 Church). $3 minimum
donation. Call 996-2747.
Theater
Performance Network
Just Friends, a play by Rachelle
Urist, opens for a two weekend run
beginning May 19. The Performance
Network is pledged to produce
original works by Michigan
playwrights such as this one. The play
explores the theme of women and
success by tracing the career of a
New York Artist, played by noted en-
tertainer Constance Barron, as she
makes it big in the art world. Just
Friends, is a comedy in a macabre
vein and is bound to be an interesting
experience. All shows begin at 1 p.m.
at the Performance Network (401 W.
Washington). Call 663-0681 for more
information.
Residential College Drama Depar-
tment
A special preview of The Coming of
the Antichrist, which is being perfor-
med at the University of Toronto this
weekend, will be presented by the
Residential College Players and the
Department of Theatre and Drama.
The Coming of the Antichrist is the
second to last play in the medieval
cycle from Chester, England and
details the last complication in the
dramatic history of God's plan for the
world. The play will roll with pageant
wagon between performances at the
Campus Chapel, corner of Forest and
Washtenaw, and the lawn outside of
the Rackham Building. 4 and 7 p.m.
Call 763-0179. Free.
Etc
Ann Arbor Art Association
Alan Vigland is offering a workshop
on Saturday May 21 designed to
provide participants with detailed in-
formation on his ceramic techniques.
The workshop is a feature of the an-
nual "Clayworks" show which
presents the work of midwest artists
and is intended to demonstrate the
variety in style, structure, and
coloration that is possible with clay.
Artists whose works are in the show
will be available to groups for tours of
the exhibit. For more information,
call 994-8004. Free.
1d OUR OWN!

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