Second half saves Network's 'Moby' I By Mike Galloway Daily Arts Editor How do you put the story of one man's obsessive quest across a vast ocean in search of a giant, elusive white whale on a theatrical stage? Well, in today's Broadway, you'd probably get huge, rotating sets, a mechanical, ani- matronic whale and have a lively musi- cal score. Or you get Orson Welles to write the script and have the dialogue, acting and the audience's imagination provide the rest. Welles'"Moby Dick Rehearsed," put on by the Performance Network, involves no costumes, no scenery and few props, and yet still suggests to the audience that a white whale is being hunted, if done just right. Unfortusately, the first half of the Perfomace Network's production on opening night was inadequate. For the most part, the actors seemed like they were merely reciting lines, and the interactions between them was strained to say the least. Although the Production Network players' second act was a complete tum around and made the play well-worth the money, the first act, and especially' the beginning, is instrumental in-estab- lishing the play's greater depth of meaning. Welles's play begins aith a 19th-cen- tury Skakespearian acting troupe which is taking on a 'ne a script" based on Melville's- Mobx Dick." instead ofl performing "King Lear" The actors go through a dress rehearsal wearing their street clothes and xithout make-up or sets, so before this acting troupe gives the perfor- mance of "Moby Dick," the audience gets to see into who these 19th-century actors are oilstage. Or that's what should happen, but the Performance Network's players didn't pull the first half of the performance JOBS!!!* FALL TERM Apply now at the Law Library-- non-Law Students " Law Students SSL Students Apply in person: Room S-180 in the Law Library's under- ground addition, 8-noon and 1-5, Monday through Friday. AAEOE of. The rest of the show provides con- stant reminders that this is a dress rehearsal. For instance, Pip, the African- American boy who goes mad, is read by a caucasian woman. The Stage Manager often reads prologues to the scene. Finally, the Governor, who is playing Captain Ahab, has not finished leaming his lines and so he carries the script around with hins and reads from it often. Without a good performance of that first scene, all of these things become curious inconsistencies instead of clever reminders that this is a play- within-a-play (to borrow from "Hamlet" criticism) and only a dress rehearsal of one at that. But the second half compared with the first was like night and day (or per- haps better, day and night). The first hint of a change in the quality of the performance came with Karen M. Foran's performance of the young actress as Pip. Foran instantly grabbed the audi- ence's attention, incredibly and con- vincingly portray ing a young black cabin 1 w whose mad visions and ram- blings preordain his oxn death. Rob Sulewski as the (oxernor play- ing Ahab started out as the strongest role in the play (which isn't saying much), and though he was somewhat overshadowed b others at times, his performance gained strength through- out. James Ingagiola. the serious actor play inig the ship's first mate, Starbuck, deserves praise, as does David Woler for playing Ishmael. Wolber was especially good narrating the action for the audience through Ishmael's eyes as Ahab and the crew of the Pequod finally face the great white whale. last but certainly not least. Scott Hoye as the newspaper-toting actor playing Stubbs, the ship's boisterous second isate, xwas a wonderful comic relief And all the play's performances in the second half easily created the illu- sion that these men and one woman were on a ship, hunting and fighting a whale. In fact, the play was pretty damn edge suspensful by its end. The only flaw in the second half was that all the lights in the house were shut off when certain scenes couldn't be acted out (like the whale come up beneath the boat and break- ing it apart). With Ishmael providing commentary on all that was happening in these moments, it would have been better if a single spotlight remained on him to give the audience something to look at. Otherwise, the second half came off with out a hitch. Perhaps the second half, being much more dramatic, was easier to act, or maybe the problems were due to opening night jitters. With an opening half as good as its successor, "Moby Dick Rehearsed" would be a truly praiseworthy and can't miss production. A I 4 I