8 - The Michigan Daily Summer Weekly-Wednesday, May 20, 1992
* *N 'All through the five acts ... he played the King as though under momentary
apprehension that someone else was about to play the Ace.'
- Eugene Field, reviewing Creston Clarke's King Lear, c. 1880
'On this bitch of an earth'
Network revives Godot, but the Big Fella's still a no-show
by Mark Binelli
"How does that line of yours
go?" David Hunsberger, director of
the legendary 1983 Performance
Network production of Samuel
Beckett's Waitingfor Godot,as well
as the current revival, asks Malcolm
Tulip, who plays Estragon. "Don't
touch me ..."
"Don't touch me! Don't ques-
tion me! Don't speak to me! Stay
with me!" Tulip quickly responds,
laughing.
Hunsberger, who has directed at
least one Beckett play every year
since 1983, including Happy Days,
NotIandKrapp'sLast Tape, smiles.
"We've all been in relationships
like that," he says. "And then people
say, 'Oh, I can't understand any of
that Beckett stuff.' But I think if
people look at this play, they'll see
true relationships."
Certainly,Beckett'sabsurdworld
has been stigmatized as depressing,
highbrow, fatalistic, even (gasp)
artsy. But in spite of the strange
situations into which his characters
are placed - in the case of Godot, a
barren wasteland, with only a dead
tree and a mound of earth as the set
- at the core of Beckett lie truths
which we can all relate to. Like, for
instance, waiting for something that
never comes.
"People think 'I can't ever un-
derstand that' because they're lead
to believe that it's some kind of
incomprehensible text," says David
Bernstein, who plays Vladimir.
"Some of that, I think, is a misread-
ing."
For example, besides all of the
questions about the existence of a
god and the meaning of life, there's
a great deal of humor in Beckett,
I
who was influenced by vaudeville
and early silent films (Buster Keaton
even starred in Beckett's Film.) Puns
and slapstick abound in Godot, mak-
ing Vladimir and Estragon, the play's
main characters - a pair of tramps
who pass their time together while
waiting for the mysterious "Godot"
- come off like Camus and Sartre
doing "Who's On First?"
"Some people thought it was too
funny," Hunsberger says of the '83
production. "But Beckett was look-
ing in on a production of Endgame in
the middle '60s in London, and the
director came back and said, 'Well,
did you think that we're playing it too
much for laughs?' And Beckett said,
'We have to get all the laughs out of
this muckheap that we can.'
"You may laugh, but it doesn't
changetheoutsideedge," Hunsberger
continues. "They're still stuck on
earth. It doesn't change what's nega-
tive."
The original production was a
turning point in Performance Net-
work history, according to Bernstein,
one of the local theater'sco-founders.
"There wasaperiod in 1983 where
we were seriously thinking of closing
the theater," he says.
But Bernstein and his partnerJim
Moran, pulled off the show, which
was met with positive reviews and
inspired them to keep the Network
alive.
The idea for a revival came during
a 10th anniversary benefit show ear-
lier this year, during which
Hunsberger and the original cast re-
united to perform snippets from the
show. Atthelastmoment,Jim Moran,
who played Estragon in the original
production, had to drop out. He was
replaced by Tulip, the major differ-
ence between the two productions,
according to Bernstein.
"At first there were more refer-
ences to, 'Well, we did it like this,
but ..."' Tulip says, recalling his
first few rehearsals. "And then the
next sentence would be, 'But that
dnon't matto but t did it liko
No, it's not Les Mis, it's just Nellie (K. L. Grismer) and Sweeney (Jonathan
UONI Li l- 'IU1 ' H [lammond) singin' about those delectable 'meat' pies.
this. Not that that's what we're look-
ing for ..."'
But Tulip has managed to adapt r
rather quickly to working with the
veteran cast.9
"There's somethingsowell-writ- by Jason Carroll
ten about the relationship between -IfyouenjoyedSilenceoftheLambs, Alexander was an associate pro-
the two characters," Tulip says. "I you may want to check out the Ann ducer of the original 1979 Broadway
mean, it's quite comprehensive in a Arbor Civic Theatre's production of production. She held firstauditions and
strange, absurdist way. One soothes Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of assisted with the final auditions. "This
the other, the other one refuses that Fleet Street. enabled me to see the wide array of
... They come together and then Judy Dow Alexander directs talent around," Alexander remarked.
realize they're together, so they step Stephen Sondheim's dark, operatic, Today, Alexander works for the Civic
apart ... A whole gamut of things. musical theaterpiecewhichfollowsthe Theatre directing shows and raising
"Now, I know very little about escapades of Sweeney Todd (Jonathan funds for future productions.Alexander
David's private life, apart from a Hammond), who joins forces with a and co-director Jim Posante have tried
couple of little details - his car local pie vendor, Nellie Lovett (K. L. to follow the original Broadway
situation, which money machine he Grismer), to seek revenge against the production's blocking as close as their
can use, and what size his head is, authority figures of London. The sadis- budget and space would allow.
things like that - but I feel a stron- tic, evil Judge Turpin (Charlie One interesting aspect of the show
ger knowledge of him anyway. It's Sutherland) is Sweeney's prime target. that will differ from the Broadway pro-
like we've been through a lot in a Sweeney blames Turpin for the loss of duction is the primary source of music.
very short time, and the eye contact his wife while he was serving time in It will come from three keyboards and
now is completely different than it prison on trumped-up charges. Mean- two power modules instead of a full
was two weeks ago. And I think that while, the "cartoon-like" Lovett uses orchestra. The modules allow the musi-
says a lot for the script." the remains of Sweeney's revenge to cian to switch from full strings to full
make her 'meat' pies. brass by just moving a lever, and the
Inadditiontothishysteria,Anthony score has been updated by the musical
WAITING FOR GODOT opens May (Jeff Willets) is a sailor who falls for director, Jim Nissen, to accommodate
21 at the Performance Network and Todd's daughter, Johanna (Julia these new instruments. "I like it better
runs through May 30, with a private Broxholm). This contrast between hor- than an orchestra ... there's something
showing May 31 for sponsors and ror, love, and wickedness is a strong about the electronic music that's so
members only. Shows are Thursdays, theme throughout the show. eerie ... it's really thrilling," said
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and The legend of Sweeney Todd has Alexander.
Sundays at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $9, been told in England for more than 150 A strong cast makes a stupendous
$7 students/seniors. Call 663-0681. years. Sweeney is a 'bogeyman' to production and Alexander assures that
Englishchildrenandisoftenusedasthe her cast is "excellent." "For a Civic
ultimateparental threattobadchildren. Theatre show, I think ... it has the
The legend and musical poke fun at all strongest talent level of anything I've
Save the LP! of the horrible things that could happen seen in threeor four years," Alexander
DAILY ARTS when someone actually carries their noted. "It's powerful."
0 revenge too far - one reason the play
is popular today. SWEENEY TODD will be performed
WH AT'S
HAPPENING
RECREATIONAL SPORTS
Intramural Sports Program
TENNIS
Entries open: Wednesday, May 27, 1992
Entries close: Wednesday, June 3, 1992
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. IMSB
GOLF
(Friday & Saturday, June 12 & 13, 1992)
Medal Play
Entries open: Monday, June 1, 1992
Entries close: Thursday, June 11, 1992
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.. IMSB
CALL-763-3562-FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
i
.I
at the Power Center May 20-23 at 8
pm with a Saturday matinee at 2p.m.
CW1NA GARDEN
SZECHUAN, HUNAN & PEKING CUISINE
1. RATED No. 1 in Carry Out Service by The Ann Arbor News
2. Selected the Best Chinese Restaurant by the Michigan Daily
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Dinner and Carry-Out Menu
Expires June 15, 1992
RESERVATIONS, 971-0970
MIj
r icxe.)Jfor perf rmancesa se e$ -, IO.
An opening night celebration/fund-
raiser will be in the Power Center Re-
hearsal Roomat 6p.m. on Wednesday,
and willfeature pictures with Sweeney
Todd and English fare . Tickets to the
party are $27. Call 763-3333 for info.
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