Sixty-Eighth Year . - EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHGAN Vhen Opinions Are Free UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Truth Will Prevail" STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BLDG. * ANN ARBOR, MICH. * Phone NO 2-3241 Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily ex press the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. 'DAY, MAY 25, 1958 NIGHT EDITOR: ROBERT JUNKER Regents Belt Tihteni efects Starvation Appropriation Year's Pr oductions i Revie By VERNON NAHRGANG Daily City Editor THE ANNUAL presence of Dra- ma Season again signalling the end of the Ann Arbor theatre year, playgoers are looking back with numbness at the dullest, shortest run of plays in several years-and looking ahead with little hope for improvement. Gone from this year's calendar was the block of seven produc- tions previously presented by the Dramatic Arts Center and its predecessor before it. With these plays went the only near-profes- sional drama in Ann Arbor. What was left was often more than competent and once or twice very good indeed-but that once or twice came very fair apart in the long months, The speech department upheld its high reputation with five pro- ductions and three laboratory playbills while Civic Theatre and Drama Season added five more plays each. The Lecture Course presented one drama, the single professional production but for Drama Season. THERE WAS a tinge of irony at the Univer- sity Regents meeting Friday. In secluded peace and quiet, "away from it [," in the north woods of Michigan, a group University governors were hearing reports d making decisions on a methodically pruned idget-a budget which was not being trimmed ven and one-half per cent to gain eficiency, .t a budget which was being cut to save >ney. And yet, out in the world, in the big cities d the thriving suburbs, people were continu- g the cry which began last fall. They were mplaining about the woeful inadequacy American education, the lack of research, e need for teachers, the need for more edu- ted. people, and the upgrading of American ucation in general. National magazines and newspapers through- t the country have shouted in bold headlines .d big stories the problems of the academic >rld. And the heart of the problem in American ucation is a lack of enough money; enough >hey to provide adequate plant facilities and, >re important; enough money to pay teachers gher salaries so that more people will want teach. And the Regents were being forced to prune the budget. First they announced that' the University will have 175 less faculty and staff members next year than this year. "More teachers" has been the cry. Then they announced they would be unable to staff Dearborn Center. Enrollment will be held to zero at Dearborn for an additional year, and -enrollment at Flint"will be held steady. Further, the University enrollment in Ann Arbor will be limited to this year's level. "More trained people" has been the cry. There was a peculiar sense of irony at the Regents meeting Friday. But it was irony tinged with frustration; frustration because there was nothing else the Regents could do. They had to work with the appropriations provided by a state legislature, whose member- ship seems to be typified by one member who recently said, "Education ain't as good as it used to be"; A Legislature which apparently does not understand the goals and purposes of higher education-a Legislature which seems far less concerned about selling the country short'in a time of crisis than about performing the politically expedient. -RICHARD TAUB The total, counting the lab play- bills, was 19 legitimate produc- tions. Add to this the Gilbert & Sullivan shows and a Musket musical and the number seems im- pressive until compared with the totals of past years, which run one-third higher. Most important, however, is that the productions, no matter how many, are varied in subject and well done technically. This sea- son's fare represented the usually wide variety of plays but also equally widespread degrees of technical competence. * * * THE MOST consistently able productions were those of the speech department. The final show, "Love's Labor's Lost" was, all considered, the highpolnt of the season. Fine costuming, good lighting and setting, an excellent play, and actors who played Shakespeare rather than recite him combined to make a memorable production. The large number of strong actors in secondary and character roles insured the overall success. The season opener, "Arsenic and Old Lace," was a spirited produc- tion of the famed American stand- by, followed in December by a slightly uneven but highly emo- tional'production of O'Neill's "De- sire Under the Elms." ANOTHER operatic production with the school of music this year, Verdi's "Masked Ball," brightened Lydia Mendelssohn considerably during February. In March, "Playboy of the Western World" proved a strong production in the hands of the same actors and actresses who had worked in the rest of the plays. The high,, quality of direction throughout the speech department LOVE'S LABOR'S LOST-Costuming was important to this success last month. Richard DeBeck and Nancy Engass arc fitted in their Shakespearean clothing by costumiere Margery S Roommate Report Evasive -Daily-Robert Kanner PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD--Actor Al Phillips makes an important point in one of the speech department successes. THE UNIVERSITY administration and the Residence Hall Board of Governors almost deserve a compliment. While the Board's report on roommate as- signment policy was not as clear-cut as might be hoped for, it certainly placed the emphasis in the right area-the individual. Furthermore they have maintained a dignity fully worthy of the institution which they represent in not being carried away by the bver-sensational charges of the National Asso- ciation for the Advancement of Colored People but at the same time, exhibiting response to student inquiry. The report in itself, however, does exhibit some weaknesses. While it assures the right of the individual to express his preferences as to roommates and to have these preferences hon- ored, it leaves the possibility open that prefer- ences. and prejudices will be assumed where zone exist. The report states "if no preferences are indi- cated, assignments will be made according to interests and living habits expressed in the application." THE QUESTION that must arise is whether or not racial or religious differences will be' interpreted into the "interests. and living hab- its" clause in the actual administration of the policy. Indications on one hand, however, lead to the opinion that the purpose of this clause will not be mis-construed. Such people as Vice-Presi- dent for Student Affairs James A. Lewis and Dean of Men Walter B. Rea have declared that the University would not "foster segregation'" and. would "demonstrate the influence of this philosophy in practical application." It should not be difficult to place trust and confidence in these men. They, along with other administrators, have assumed 'an almost per- sonal obligation to see that this policy is carried out in the manners in which it was intended. , It is up to them to see that a non-discrimi- natory tradition unalterably and permanently established at the University. But why, it may be asked, was this burden and responsibility placed so directly on these individuals? Why wasn't the policy recommen- dation more explicit? Again a basically' sound and commendable dignity on the part of the University must be pointed out. It is not the duty of broad policy to answer individual charges, but to define the area in which all action, for better or for worse, is effected. Consequently, it is not the University's policy that must answer to any subsequent criticism, but the application of the policy. UNFORTUNATELY, one shadow still remains over the matter which limits one's complete confidence in the application of the policy. The survey of actual assignments in the men's resi- dence halls this fall, which was released with the policy report, demonstrated a thorough search for the significant facts. And the facts in some instances were somewhat embarrassing. But, what is important, they were clearly stated and admittedly served as a stimulus for some change. A similar report released for the women's residence halls, however, was presented in an insignificant, if not confusing, manner and admittedly did not promote any change. 'These statistics revealed the percentage of incoming women who indicated a racial or religious preference and, in a separate figure, the percentage who actually ended up living in either a "mixed" or "unmixed" situation. There was no indication of whether or not the individual was placed in the situation which she had requested, there was no person-for- person correlation of these, statistics. One must question, then, if the Dean of Women's office was actually aware of the true situation regarding the fulfillment or un-fulfill- ment of individual preferences. The most vital issue has been avoided. It must be said then that the University ad- ministration and the Board of Governors almost deserve a compliment. -WILLIAM RANSOM STRATFORD, ONTARIO: Festival Time Draws Near- By JEAN WLOUGHBY Daily Staff Writer AS THE legitimate theatre season wearily slides into the summer dol- drums in New York and large metropolitan areas throughout the country, tent theatres, summer stock companies, and dramatic festival groups fortunately spring up to shoulder a large part of the nation's cultural burden. No longer faced with three months of closed curtains and darkened marquees, the playgoer with time for weekend travel and access to a car, can find high quality, professional entertainment available to him almost wherever he goes. Tent theatres and stock companies enjoy a well-established aura of tradition; success in summer stock has long been a part of the great American myth of the stage. The concept of the dramatic fes- tival, however, is a relatively new idea which has gained great pop- ularity only in the past several years. Newport and Tanglewood have long drawn huge audiences for their vast orgies of music, but in the field of drama, the various towns named Stratford in the United States and Canada seem to have lately taken over the fes- tival concept with equal if not greater success. The largest, and by all reports best, of these endeavors is that at Stratford, Ontario. Only six years old, the Stratford Shakes- pearean Festival is well on the way to becoming the most excit- ing andbcomprehensive artsepro- gram' on the continent. Originally simply a summer Shakespearean company, the Stratford foundation first brought name stars to Canada andgdrew audiences with such fine actors as Alec Guinness and James Ma- son. As it became increasingly in- stitutionalized, however, the Fes- tival developed its own stars. Such people as Douglas Campbell and Christopher Plummer have creat- ed wide and solid reputations for themselves at Stratford, the latter now being recognized as the fin- est young Shakespearean actor of the decade. * * * THE PLAYS alone, unfortu- nately, did not draw big enough audiences to make the Festival fi- nancially solvent; other attrac- tions were added to the show. So many attractions (or distractions) in fact, that at least two visits-- probably more-are now necessary for the energetic culture-hunter to take in all the sights and events. Folk music, serious music, jazz, a Moliere play and an in- ternational film pr ogr am all supplement the Shakespearean productions at va r io0us times throughout the summer. To give an example of the qua- lity of these "supplementary" events, the stars and companies announced so far have included Marcel Marceau, the New York Pro Musica, Wilbur de Paris, folk singers Marais and Miranda, and Richard Dyer-Bennet. Produc- tions will include "The Beggar's Opera," Honegger's "King David" and a film premiere of "Old Man of the Sea." The plays, of course, are still the core of the Stratford season. Presented in the striking theatre that was completed at the begin- ning of last year, the productions are sumptuous and elegant in ev- ery detail. The acting is perceptive and almost universally good; the staging is imaginative and effec- tive. * , * OPENING with "Henry IV, part I" on June 23, the Festival de- parts from its ordinary custom of presenting only two plays, and offers "Much' Ado About Noth- ing" on June 24, and "The Win- ter's Tale" on July 21. Plummer' has leading roles in all three plays, and is supported by Eileen Herlie, Frances Hyland, Max Helpmann, Jason Robards, Jr., and others of equal caliber if less fame. Less concentration on "fringe benefits" and ' greater eniphasis upon the drama which is, after all, the main province of the Stratford Festival, might also al- low production of one of the tragedies this year and so com- plete the Shakespearean cycle. season was evident in each produc- tion. So was the competence of several actors whose regular par- ticipation, and activity contributed to the plays' success. Particularly noticeable1were Norman Hartweg and Al Phillips in a great variety of roles. * * * TURNING to the Civic Theatre productions, one finds a" much less ambitious group of popular plays, although here, too, one of them stands out far above the rest: the production of Harriet Bennett Hamme's "Mia Mine," which was deservedly well received. Here alone was the Civic Theatre group able to work with a play that was in its way meaningful and to accomplish a production that was meaningful. More typical of this amateur group, however, were the efforts during the rest of the season. The bill included "Teahouse of the August Moon," "Hatful of Rain," "Guys and Dolls," and "Janus, all fairly recent plays carefully calculated to appeal to the towns- people who seldom go to the play. In each instance, the lack of any real polish in the production, the presence of both strong and weak actors and actresses in close jux- taposition, and the inability of the cast to do more than read the comic lines made for a dishearten- ing performance. MAJOR ITEM 'on the miscella- neous side of the season was "The Rivalry," the pre-Broadway pro- duction which stopped by at Hill Auditorium in November on the Lecture Course, starring Raymond Massey, Agnes Moorehead, and Martin Gabel. The drama was a little too his- torical and much more rhetorical to please much of the audience, but it was typical of the sort of thing which comes around on the dramatic side of the Lecture Course ("The Best of Steinbeck," etc.). Of the speech department play- bills, the one-actd"The Shewing- Up of Blanco Posnet" was good fun for, obviously, the cast as well as the audience. Beverly Canning's "and we have fall the fun" made a brave premiere at another of the minor produc- tions, but was found to have too many problems in the script as well as the acting and in need of much revision. Gilbert & Sullivan's two annual productions were as superb as usual this year and the Musket production of "Kiss Me Kate," if we overlook some bad casting in the second leads, was not intoler- able. * * * NOW THE Drama Season is upon Ann Arbor, near-filling Lydia Mendelssohn nightly with obliging patrons. The opening production, Arthur Miller's revised version of "A View from the Bridge," gave the five-week program a strong sendoff with help from Luther Adler in the lead. Last week's "The Second Man" was much less successful. It seems the Drama Season committee would have learned from the las$ Behrman play, "Biography," of a few years ago, that while this sort of social comedy might have been endurable in the 'recent past, it is no longer. But this week's "Candida," in spite of Nancy Kelly's dropping from the cast, holds promise for Ann Arbor theatre. And Rattigan's two one-act plays, collectively call- ed "Separate Tables," are enjoy- able if done well. "Holiday for Lovers" closes the season. * * * THE FUTURE? Unless the speech department expands its number of productions (Wayne State University does six) or Civic Theatre becomes more'> serious, theatre may be in fornanother slow year. Then agaiif there is always hope for the beginnings of another dra- matic arts group of professionals or semi-professionals. Ann Arbor has proven that it can support such a group as long as it keeps its illusions' of grandeur to a mini- mum. FROM EVOLUTION TO TELEVISION: Speech Department Size and Activity Grows The Wheeled Challenge to Education EDUCATION today has become a real 'chal- lenge to the student in quest of his college degree. Of the many obstacles which stand in the way of graduation, none is so great as the insurmountable barrier of bicycles which stand in front of, on the side of, and in back of the Undergraduate Library. The importance of the library to the student body can be estimated by the huge numbers of students who have frequented it for purposes of studying, snacking, socializing and .. . so- cializing, and by the huge numbers of bicycles parked outside, since its opening in January. However, as the number of students with bi- cycles who visit the library increases, the number of students without bicycles who visit the library decreases. This can be traced to the fact that the bi- cycles, which students insist on parking in front of the library entrances, serve as a "screen," allowing only the nimble-footed track star access to the Hall of Books, while denying entrance to those less athletically inclined._ It is a real problem when the whole cement area in front of the library is a sea of bicycles, with only six parked in the rows of racks pro- vided forthis purpose. The only way to enter the library. in this situation is either to get there before all the other cyclists and park your bike closest to the doors, or else break trail through the mass by knocking down bikes right and left. This unconscious exclusion policy may well affect the over-all grade point average of the University this year, because of 'those stu- dents who are unable to enter the library and who will be forced to go to less quiet places to study and who will therefore 'not study as well and who will then get poorer grades on their examinations 'as a result. This line of sophistic reasoning gains more importance as final examinations approach more closely. ONE OF THE REASONS - and about the only valid one - which students can ad- vance for parking their bikes in front of the library is the lack of illumination provided by the bicycle racks next to the General Library. This lack of any kind of lighting makes it dif- ficult for a student to see to unlock his bike at 10 or 11 p.m. if it is one of the racks. However, an even more important reason is just plain apathy. Much has been said about student apathy in other fields, and it is just as great a factor in the problem of unparked bicycles as it is in student government or any- thing else. The only students who are incensed about the problem are those who must fight their way through them each afternoon and evening, or possibly those who get there too late and find all the cement space occupied and are forced to park in the racks. By JEAN HART WIG Daily Staff Writer IN 80 YEARS the University's Department of Speech has ex- panded fron one room in the old University Hall to two complete floors in the Frieze Building. Back in 1843, the sophomore class inaugurated the first public speaking demonstrations. These 'class exhibitions" featured ora- tions, dissertations, essays and a poem, all written by the speakers. Debates and oratorical contests were the specialties of the follow- ing Literary Societies. Small groups of students delighted in long debates on such topics as: Resolved: That the benefits of novel reading will compensate for its injuries and Resolved: That students. should not form matri- monial engagements while in col- lege. * * FOLLOWING the formation of several short-lived debating clubs in 1860, the Barrett Club presented the first recorded amateur dra- matic performance at the Univer- sity. The play, "Dollars and Cents" was given in 1880. The speech department officially began in 1884, when Thomas C. Trueblood was invited to the Uni- versity by Pres. James M. Angell. For the next three years, Prof. versity, Prof. Trueblood founded the Michigan Oratorical Associa- tion, Northern Oratorical League, Mid-west Debating League and several speech honoraries. As a direct result of his efforts, the curricula expanded from courses in public speaking, de- bating and interpretation of Shakespeare to include play pro- duction, speech science and radio production. According to Prof. Emeritus Richard D. T. Hollister, who taught the first University play production course in 1915, the early departmental plays were presented with simple settings and "used suggestion instead of a pic- torial stage." "In those days the plays made an appeal to the understanding rather than to-the eye," he said explaining why the earliest shows didn't have music or dancing. "I think that the University to some extent has felt more and more the feeling for show business. They want more 'chrome' than dramatic theater." Prof. Hollister estimated that the percentage of students in the. speech department in 1925 was as high or higher in comparison to those enrolled in the literary col- lege than it is today. "In 1925 the department was about as vigorous as one could wish," he said in comparing the function of the old Oratorical Association with the present or- ganization. "I can remember in the earlier days when we had 40 or 50 people entering the Northern Oratorical Contest." Prof. William P. Halstead, a member of the speech department faculty since 1935, has noticed "quite an expansion of speech- courses since 1940, particularly on the graduate level." THE FIELDS of speech correc- tion and speech science have grown tremendously because the state now pays for special speech correctionists in the public high schools, he added. The economic factor also has greatly influenced students to consider radio and television work instead, of the theater, according to Prof. Hal- stead. "I still sense a very strong con- viction among students that thea- ter training will serve them very well in other occupations," Prof. Hayden K. Carruth of the speech department since 1946 said. This new trend is distinctively true of students in the theater who recognize its value for a lib- eral and cultural education, he :..