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 $7 students/seniors. Call 663-0681. years. Sweeney is a 'bogeyman' to production and Alexander assures that Englishchildrenandisoftenusedasthe her cast is "excellent." "For a Civic ultimateparental threattobadchildren. Theatre show, I think ... it has the The legend and musical poke fun at all strongest talent level of anything I've Save the LP! of the horrible things that could happen seen in threeor four years," Alexander DAILY ARTS when someone actually carries their noted. "It's powerful." 0 revenge too far - one reason the play is popular today. SWEENEY TODD will be performed WH AT'S HAPPENING RECREATIONAL SPORTS Intramural Sports Program TENNIS Entries open: Wednesday, May 27, 1992 Entries close: Wednesday, June 3, 1992 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. IMSB GOLF (Friday & Saturday, June 12 & 13, 1992) Medal Play Entries open: Monday, June 1, 1992 Entries close: Thursday, June 11, 1992 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.. IMSB CALL-763-3562-FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION i .I at the Power Center May 20-23 at 8 pm with a Saturday matinee at 2p.m. CW1NA GARDEN SZECHUAN, HUNAN & PEKING CUISINE 1. RATED No. 1 in Carry Out Service by The Ann Arbor News 2. Selected the Best Chinese Restaurant by the Michigan Daily 1IO/Aff I I /O v i Dinner and Carry-Out Menu Expires June 15, 1992 RESERVATIONS, 971-0970 MIj r icxe.)Jfor perf rmancesa se e$ -, 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. Hairstyling to Please! 6 Barber Stylists-- 4 No waiting DASCOLA STYLISTS opposite Jacobson's 668-9329 3036 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, Mii48104 On b '7 Days A Weak 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. ql. p v I L@jj Lr @jj r(pj I @jj rM I x j