6
Friday, November 4, 1977
University Daily Kansan
Staff Photos bv ELI REICHMAN
A Girl Named Fred
Finding a suitable princess poses problems in 'Once Upon a Mattress,' but Kelli Murphy, Overland Park pachomesh, arrives from the swamps and passes the test so everyone can
live happily ever after. The production opened last night in the Hashinger Hall Theatre and will continue through Sunday.
Comedy makes play tick
By JANSMITH
Reviewer
A little bit of magic and a lot of royalty adorned the stage when the musical fairy tale, "Once Upon A Mattress" opened last night at Hashinger Hall.
The production is based on the story of "The Princess and the Pea." Performances are scheduled for 8 tonight and tomorrow night and 2 p.m. Sunday.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
seen in 1828, the play is the story of Princess Winnifred, a girl from the swamps who lives in New York.
Agravain, the queen of the mythical kingdom, has said that no one may marry until the prince has done so. Dismayed townpeople hasten to find a princess for the king and try to persuade the prince for the king, but all fail to pass the difficult tests the queen has devised.
The play is not without an element of sex. Lady Larkin and Sir Harry, unable to marry, are expecting their first child Harry. The young father is Dautess and comes back with Winnifred.
ONLY WHEN Winnifred is unable to sleep on 20 mattresses with a single pea under them do the townpeople realize she has the sensitivity only a true princess can have.
The most outstanding performance came from Princess Winnieffred, Kelli Murphy. Overland Park sophomore. Murphy portrays a child who is virginally vinculous throughout the show. Although she is not an admirable singer, she is an adequate dancer and a fine actress. When she sing, she doesn't shout; instead, "happens to me," the audience seems to hang on every word. Her comic
THE KING AND queen, portrayed by Deel Waxman, Overland Park sophomore, and Cynthia Vasil, Newton, Mass., sophomore, gave commendable performance. Vasil is appropriately domineering as she assists the marriage. She is assisted in her devious ways by the Wizard, played by Scott Childers, Kansas City, Mo., sophomore.
timing when trying to sleep on the mattresses was superb.
Waxman, as the mute king, tries to explain the facts of life to his son in pantomime in the song, "Man to Man Talk." The humorous scene was performed effectively.
Both Joni Richardson, El Dorado freshman, and John Rodgers, Agra sophomore, as Lady Larken and Sir Harry, performed well, although their singing was
better than their acting. Their duet, "in a
while," is the best performed song in the play.
THE TALE IS narrated by a minstrel, played by Rod Lathim, Santa Barbara, Calif., sophomore, who says he can tell the true story because he was there. Lathim has a fine voice and good stage presence. His performance adds much to the production.
The costumes, lights and music work well in the show. In fact, the whole production ran smoothly and effectively. Although it dragged in some spots, "Once Upon a Time" had a lot of great appeal to parents, students and children who attended its opening night performance last night.
"Once Upon a Mattress" is a fairy tale for growups as well as children. The production provides a light spot in the KU weekend entertainment calendar.
Arts & Leisure
Philharmonic sagging despite bright spots
By TIM PURCELL Entertainment Editor
The foul weather Tuesday night may have discouraged many to stay at home, but an audience of about 1,000 greeted the Kansas City fans and were in second concert week. Attendance certainly was down from last week's opening night capacity crowd in the 2,500-seat Music Hall in Kansas City and the last impromptu of the season. The weather in some parts—rather ho-ah-hum.
The Philharmonic, under the direction of Maurice Peres, opened with selected Hungarian dances by Brahmus. The hot-blooded 'Dance No. 1' lacked the necessary abandon. The violins, although playing well as an ensemble, simply needed more guns.
The orchestra settled in comfortably in "Dance No. 6." This dance's sudden contrasting moods are also marked by tempo changes. Although the percussion effects were not crisp enough, the section was well balanced. The percussion part of the percussion section's leadership by encing phrases scrupulously when going from one tempo to another.
The familiar "Dance No. 5" ended the Brahms portion. I'm glad to hear that Peres has not succumbed to the practice of overly loud recordings, a cliche too common on budget recordings.
The French piano virtuoso Philippe Entremont was the philharmonic's guest artist for a performance of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major (1917-1921).
This concerto is the great symphonic work of Prokofiev's American period. Entremont, who is renowned for his dazzling technique, brought out all the robust energy he had in his movements as well as Prokofiev's soulful Russian lyricism to the second movement.
The percussive staccato figures of the first movement were powerfully played by Entremont. Similar attacks were needed in the strings to complement the piano texture. As it was, the orchestra was overbalanced by the piano in such sections.
Prokofiev's characteristic groesquerie (mechanical rhythms and dry, brittle chords) was realized cleanly by Entroment.
Throughout the movement there was good agreement on tempos between Entremont and Peres even though there was, amazingly, no eye contact.
The second movement, a theme with five variations, will be remembered for the meditative fourth variation in which the muted violins gave good atmospheric support to the piano. In the last variation the orchestra consistently dragged behind the piano.
Entremont seemed completely at ease in the first few minutes, winding chord pumps sessions in the last movement.
His flashy octaves ended the work and Entremont received what has come to be the official welcome here for a guest artist—mediate and unflinching standing ovation.
The concert closed with one of Dovark's greatest works. His Symphony No. 7 in D Minor (1885), sometimes suggestive of Brahms and even Wagner, is a somber work. The first movement started with texture that was more mildly than dark.
The biggest complaint is not with the violins but with the cellos. The eight-member section played competently, but they just could not put out enough sound. In the second movement were lost and soaring melodies so far as asmere-foze.
The violins seemed to have a fear of this movement; clipped phrase endings were followed soon by bleak climaxes. The winds carried the authority of the climax. The winds were preparing for what came after they were preparing for what came after the climaxes and so they did not give their all.
In the lyrical second movement the violins were most impressive because they played confidently. The third movement, a scherzo based on two tunes played simultaneously in the first movement, was the victim of a raging tempo and the rhythmic complexities were exploited beautifully.
Some graceful woodwind playing, despite pitch problems in the clarinet and some commanding brass playing ended this polite performance of Dvorsk's seventh symphony—there were no Romantic excesses, but not much excitement either.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN This Week's Highlights
THEATER
"IN THIS FOREIGN LAND," an original script by Stan Naheil, will be presented at 8 tonight and tomorrow night in the William Inge Theatre in New York. Students are invited to perform the performances.
"ONCE UPON A MATTRESS" will be presented at 8 tonight and tomorrow night and at 2 Sunday afternoon at the Hashington Hall Theatre. A 60-cent donation is requested.
THE SEEM-TO-BE PLAYERS will present two children's plays, "The Three Belly Goats Gruff" and "The Adventures of Nyrfm the Sprite, Part 42," at 1:30 tommorow afternoon at the Lawrence Arts Center, Ninth and Vermont streets.
"FEAST!" a presentation of the Movement Center Workshop, will begin at 3:30 Sunday afternoon at the Lawrence Arts Center. The workshop will begin at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, Nov. 15-26.
A theatre troupe from Le Treteau de paris will present lonesco's "CANTATRICE QUEOI" at 8 p.m. Wednesday in woodruff Auditorium of the Kansas University. Admission is $250. The performance is sponsored by the KU Art Institute and the International Theatre Studies Center.
CONCERTS
The African Students Association presents the KU AFRICAN DANCE TROOP at 7:30 tonight in the Jayhawk Room of the Kansas Union.
THE WOODWIND QUINTET will give a student recital at 8 p.m. tomorrow in Swarthout坏房 (Swanecton) at 10 a.m.
THE CONCERT CHORI will present a fall concert at 3:00 Sunday in Swarthmore.
The Concert Series presents the GROUPE VOCAL DE FRANCE at 8 tonight in Hoch Aachen.
PATRICIA KOHR, CLARINETI, will present a faculty recital at 8 tuesday. Sesame School
THE COLLEGUM MUSICUM will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday in Sawdorf Inventory Hall.
At the MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY in Dyce Hall "Ever-Changing Fashion," a display of native North American clothing; "Basketry Techniques" and "Basketry Mother of Weaving live Kansas snakes and lizards"; and "Bird of prey by Louis Aquare Furieres.
EXHIBITS
At the ELIZABETH M. WATKINS COMMUNITY MUSEUM, 1047 Massachusetts St. The permanent collection is on display, by the museum, a reconstructed 19th century playhouse.
Guild Show will open Sunday with a reception from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The show will remain online until 8 p.m.
At the 767 GALLERY, 7. Seventh St. The exhibit features fiber work by Linda Whelan and Andy Newcom, glass work by Vernon Brejcha and porcelain jewelry by Sherry
At the LAWRENCE ARTS CENTER, Ninth and Vermont streets: The Lawrence Potterts
AT SPENCE RESEARCH LIBRARY: "Kansas Portraits" in the Kansas Collection: "The King's Cabinet: Art Collections of Louis XIV in the Main Gallery; Other Curious Cabinets" in the North Gallery, and "Student Organizations and Activities" in the Archives.
In the KANSA'S UNION GALLERY: "Perceptual Assay" feature work by Ann Nunley and Teresa Rasing, will remain through November 19.
At THE GALLERY IN THE MARKPLACE,
745 New Hampshire St. Enamel by Herb
Friedson, weavings by Marjorie Whitney and
John Wood, the Hudson Delaney Carley will be
showed on November 26.
FILMS
"MANSON," an Academy Award-nominated documentary film of the Charles Manson family at the Spahn Ranch, will be shown on Friday and tomorrow night. (SUA $1.25)
All SUA films are shown in Woodruff Auditorium of the Kansas Union unless other
"LIZSTOMANIA" by driven by Ken Russell,
featuring Rino Starrd and Roger Dallrey, will be shown at 3:0 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. today and tomorrow. (SUA, $1.25)
*THE LAST RESORT*, Atomic Energy at
Seabrook, N.H., will be shown at 7.30 p.m.
Tuesday in the Forum Room of the Kansas
Union. (SUA, $1.)
"FOOL KILLER" will attend Anthony Perkins and Edward Allardyce will be show at 7:30 p.m.
A group of films by Gunvor Nelson,
"SCHMEERGUNTZ," "FOOG PUMAS"
"MOONS POOL," "KIRSA NICOHLAN",
"MY NAME IS OONA" and "TAKE OFF."
will be shown at 8 p.m. Friday in the Forum
Room of the Union, ($1, $UA)
"LADY SINGS THE BLUES" will be shown by the Minority Affairs group at p. 7 m. Monday through Friday.
"LA GUERRE EST FINI!" ("The War is Over"), starring Yves Montand and Geneviève Bujol, will begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, (SUA, $1)
"A MAN CALLED HORSE," a Minority
Affairs film, will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday
LECTURES
Robert Mengel will speak on "BIRDS IN ART: THE RENAISENCE TO FUERTES" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Byche Auditorium. Ms. Mengel spoke from the "HATSHEPSUT: A WOMAN PAROOH" at 8 p.m. Thursday in the Forum PHOARAH of the Kansas Union.
Movie explores dark continent
Reviewer
"Africa is not the hell depicted by the colonial writers," sighs Hubert Fresnoy (Jacques Spiesser, the reluctant hero of "Black and White in Color." Then for ayrly come hour-and-a-half, director Jean-Pierre Dufour defines what kind of bell life is for the natives.
Fresnoy is a geographer, one of nine white French settlers who are so deep in the hinterlands of 1915 French West Africa that they are unaware that a World War has been raging in Europe for nearly six months. When the news does reach them via a yellowed newspaper, paranoid seizes all documents and plans are made to attack an unsuspecting nearby, and heretofore friendly, German settlement.
To this point the script's tite has been one of general whimsy. The priests are buffoons who do a steady business in religious art and architecture, and they nativev idols at advantageous rates, and burning the heathen objects which are in bad taste that is, those artifacts which would not be bought by European dealers. So the other characters is similarly soooofed.
The two priests have assured their fellow patriots that God is French and have sanctioned the Sunday attack on the grounds that the German protestants will be distracted. The women have even prepared a banquet so that the party can picnic while they watch the guards clash against warriors. And the bewildered natives are promptly shaundered.
Anaud and co-writer Georges Conchon are less interested in the war than in the manner in which it is waged. a battalion of natives are conscripted, fingerprinted, issued utensils, shoes, and weapons, and prepared for battle. Their commanding officer is the sole French military officer on the ground. The Boelet (Jain Carmett) Their opponents are the natives who have been trained by the three Germans who form the other camp.
But after the defeat of the French forces, the film takes on a more sardonic air. Baldwin is more direct than that "war is too serious a matter for businessman," and assumes command. To the dismay of his eight companions, his fate is successful, upsets the imperialistic order.
WHILE THEIR hastily assembled army creeps toward the German line, the French on in delight. Fresnoy's attempt to leave and negotiate a treaty is ridiculed by the Americans. You dabble in geography, "cries a banty shooper," but we make history.
FRESNOY TAKES A negress as a mistress, scandalizing the wives of the nobles and the natives to positions of authority. The other whites begin to wonder of they've built an
By the time the troops are ready to resume fighting, the twins in the clever plot have exposed every facet of the racism implied by the droll title. In doing this Annah has avoided two pitfalls that often undo other novice directors.
First, the transitions from the predominantly light comedy of the opening to the dark ironies of the climax are so smooth that the viewer never ceases to be intrigued by the dramatic comic style. Second, he deals with a complex issue without being preachy or obvious.
army at the cost of their own regal way of life.
These would be important virtues in any other filmmaker's debut. Unfortunately, "Black and White in Color" arrives with a ponderous reputation; it won an Academy Award. This is not to say that the film doesn't deserve recognition and judging from the opening night audience, it can certainly use the publicity. But the prestige
A FEW WORDS about last year's voting. For the first time the Academy imposed a rule requiring that a member must see all members before being able to be a category to be able to vote. This removed some of the popularity contest aspect of the voting, in that the electorate knew more. In the general voting, members may have seen three, three, or none of the nominated films.
Without the new rule, "Black and White in Color" undoubtedly would have been beaten by box-office hits "Seven Beauties" or "Cousin, Cousine." One reason I suspect this to be true is that "Black and White" had "wonderfully" awarded prominently in this country until it won the award.
conferred on Oscar-winners may be too much for this one to bear.
Now that the film has won the award, viewers may expect it to be more than it is. The movie is a bit of a chill.
photographed, skillfully acted, finely crafted small film, but a small movie nonetheless. The danger is that Oscar's zinc-hearted presence on the marquee work against the film's accomplishments; Annaua accomplishes so much so effortlessly that it may begin to seem thin instead of light.
It is a quick waft of laughing gas; it won't
keep you smiling throughout the event.
Given the opportunity, I suspect that "Black and White in Color" can overcome even the groomed over-expectations with its sly humor. The image of a priest being baptized by native natives is undercut by the translation of their song, which he can't understand.
"Your white man is heavy as a bull," cry the natives, "but my master's feet stink." The film will carry the burden of Oscar in much the same spirit.
The phosphorous dot
-bv Dale Gadd
Last week I offered some of my thoughts on the time most critics call the "Golden Age of Television" and promised to present my arguments about why I think today should be called the Golden Axe.
Technically, television today barely resembles the television of the early Fifties. There has been such technical progress that the normal practices of today's television industry have largely vanished. Our dreams of a science fiction writer to a producer of the Fifties.
Let's take a look at a few of the things which are done today that would not have been possible a few years ago, and then take a look at how today's technology has had an impact on programming.
Video recording, the process of storing video images on magnetic tape, was not introduced until 1987. By that time some dramatic programs were being shot and edited on film but most programs were being done live. A few were recorded by pointing a film camera at a high-contrast television monitor and filming the program as it was broadcast live. This method had no value as a production tool, but was used only to store the programs for future use.
With the advent of video recording, programs could be produced in a piecemeal fashion, allowing greater creative control over the production process. Mistakes could be reshot and edited into the final version of the program.
The video disc is a refinement of the recording process. On the disc, each frame of a television picture is numbered and can be instantly recalled, diminishing the temporal. The video disc allows slow or fast motion, forward or reverse. It is used mainly for the instant replay in sporting events but has also had an impact on coverage of actuality events—from in-ground games.
in the early days of video tape, editing was done by physically cutting and joining pages. Your computer-
//edited files only allow you to edit them.
freedom, but also cut the time devoted to editing by about 75 per cent.
There have been great improvements in picture quality even though the equipment itself is smaller and more portable. The early cameras were huge monsters that could be removed from the studio only with great effort and expense. Consequently, new technology was developed to process in the operation's film lab and physically edited before it could be shown on the newscast.
Today, news stories can be shot with small video cameras carried by one person and either recorded on small recorders wheeled around with the camera operator or transmitted back to the studio for instantaneous transmission or recording for later use. No processing is required and editing can be done in a matter of minutes on special editing consoles.
Another recent development is satellite distribution. In the Fifties, overseas stories were shot on film, developed in specially equipped planes as the film was being flown to New York City and rushed from the airport to the studio by motorcycle. With this capability the transmissions of the network chiefs with edited versions can be in the hands of the network chiefs within a couple of hours.
It is the effect of this technology on the product of television that leads me to believe that today is the real Golden Age of Television. The global village is a reality. From your own living room you can see anything that happens in this world, as it happens—live and in color. Nothing worth watching is out of reach of the television camera, whether it is a war in Vietnam, the fall of a president, an earthquake in California or a golf tournament in Hawaii.
**THRIVA CORNER**—The name of the riverboat in the series "Riverboot" is the same as the starship in "Star Trek"—the Enterprise. For next week, whose voice was the voice of the car in the series "My Mother The Car?"
Dale Gadd is an associate professor of radio, television and film.