PANEL: Should the Kansan Criticize Productions
Recently the Kansan has received censure for its reviews of musical and drama performances on the Hill. Telephoned and personal charges of "unfairness," and "lack of qualification and ability on the part of the reporter to evaluate," are becoming common around these quarters.
Here are opinions of the performers, directors, sponsors, and other persons criticized along with statements from reviews—some of them concerning the persons quoted.
This is an age of re-examination of policy by all manner of agencies—and especially by newspapers. More and more, responsible papers are publicly explaining their policies and inviting public examination and evaluation.
Our newspaper exists, logically enough, to disseminate news. So, the question may be raised: In the eyes of a competent reporter, is the goodness or badness of a student production news? Reviews of performances and criticisms of them certainly are news in the eyes of almost every other newspaper we have read—and we have no other criteria by which to judge.
So, in a way, this is a bid by the Kansan for inclusion among the ranks of responsible papers. Here is our policy—and here is why we review. Is it good or bad? That's for you to decide.
If it is news, then, does the reporter have a right to express his opinion? It is acknowledged by law and usage that anything offered to the public for its commendation or approval is also offered for its disapproval. A play or musical falls into the above category of "anything offered to the public" and since the "public" is taken to mean all the public, including the newspaper, the ethical and legal right of the newspaper to print criticism can hardly be questioned.
It can't be questioned IF the newspaper doesn't publish with malice or publish criticism of material not offered to the public—such as on the private life of the star.
There is justification—we think—in another area. The majority of the productions criticized are made up of persons who are trying to develop their skills. Often, a newspaper account is the only completely objective report he can get as to the merits of his performance. Friends and relatives too often say he's just great—and the director may have worked with him so long that the element of objectivity suffers and perhaps lessens.
But the above is speculation. A third reason for reviews is intensely real and for our purposes, quite practical. We are here to learn to write by writing, and to learn to report by reporting. Since "writing" embraces all facets of that particular skill, we criticize. We're training for future jobs—just as the lawyers, doctors, nurses, and engineers are doing—and we're training for all the possible jobs in our field. Thus, if one of us is called into the editor's office in 1956 and he says, "Sam, go review the play tonight," then we won't be caught without experience of this type at all.
We are here to learn to express our opinions honestly—on paper. And we're here to inform the students via the Kansan. A welltrained reporter can inform the students honestly about a play, production, performance—and the students are free to take or leave the writer's word for it.
These are our views—but they are not entirely unchangeable.
Send us yours. —Letty Lemon
LITTLE MAN ON CAMPUS by Dick Bibler
University Daily Kansan Monday. April 12. 1954
"Our class would like to know how much you and Bollivar would take to enroll in American Government—Snarf grades on the curve and he always flunks two."
Page 2
ONE MAN'S OPINION
"Both students and parents soon forgot their ages and grown up troubles and drifted along to the make believe theme."
"Last night's University Theatre production of Antigone, though making aggressive strides in the right direction, was not quite convincing enough to lift free will above law and order and lacked the conviction to prove that free will is superior—as surely as Jean Anouilh intended."
Our Critics Laud, Attack Performances
"Bill Means, business senior, was an appropriately bourgeoisie contrast to the powdered and satined Miss March and Revnolds."
"The solos of Olga Zilbooq, cellist, and Dale Moore, baritone, were completely performed on the whole, although not unmarred by technical blemishes."
The following collection of "one man's opinions" was compiled from reviews appearing this year in the Kansan:
"... 'Scherazade' was spottily performed at best."
"Dick seemed to lack the stoicism usually associated with an English butler."
"The University Symphony . . . rose to the occasion in giving an eloquent reading. . . The carols, sung by a small choral ensemble . . . gave just the right effect."
"It is difficult to write a review on a performance as superb as that given by the Albeneri Trio last night without sounding like an advertisement for a Hollywood extravaganza."
"But the weakest point in the play was the lifeless performance of Robert Londerholm, who played Haemon. Antigone's lover."
"David Rosario, fine arts sophomore, scored beautifully as an engaging and very, very, inebriated turkey."
"The familiar overture to the opera 'William Tell.' by Rosini, opened the program. This selection was well suited to the instrumentation and the ability of the band."
"Horribly, hideously villaneous, John Pearson, college senior, slunk menacingly about the stage, leered and mugged at the audience, cackled "heh-heh-hehs" and turned in another of last night's best performances."
but highest praise must go to director J Ann March, college senior."
"Stravinsky's 'Fire Bird Suite' was the big crowd-pleaser of the evening, and the orchestra did a creditable job, considering that this was not a large enough orchestra to perform well, and spirit which it demands. The performance was marred somewhat by a mediocre brass section."
"Adele, the capricious and saucy chambermaid, was played by Merrily Coleman, fine arts freshman, Miss Coleman's solos as well as her acting displayed refreshing versatility."
Daily Hansan
Member of the Kansas Press Assn., National Editor Assn., Inland Daily Press Assn., Associated College Press Assn., University Press Association, Sterling Service, 420 Madison Avenue, N.Y. City. Mail Subscriptions rates: $3 a semester or less (incl. insurance and courtesy). Published in Lawrence, Kan., every afternoon during the University week. Accepted for university holidays and examination periods. Entered second class matter Sept. 17, 1910, at Lawrence, Kan., Post Office under act 8
of March 3, 1879.
Those Criticized Say: 'Review-But Know How'
When asked if the Kansan should review and criticize, the following people, the majority of whom have had their work criticized, replied:
"My 30 years in the theater, we followed the policy that reviewers should go ahead and say what they want to. But, I don't think that just anybody should review a show. I think persons have a right to review productions and criticize them. That was always our policy. If there is someone who is reasonably intelligent, let him go ahead and review."
Dr. Allen Crafton, head of the Department of Speech and Drama
"I personally feel that we should have reviews in the Kansan of all our student productions. But I think these reviews should be backed up by a sound knowledge of the subject under review, and I also think that any person reviewing should bear in mind that student productions are not professional productions and should be treated in the same spirit."
Russell L. Wiley, professor of band and orchestra and director of the University Symphony.
"Although I am not directly connected with the theater, I think reviewers should furnish opinions, and judgments, but reviewers should learn criteria for judgment and talk to as many people as possible to learn what they are trying to do. They should have yardsticks by which to judge—such things as background, etc. Somebody once said 'You must have informative reviews if you're going to have interest on the part of the public—but you can't have informative reviews without informed reviewers.'"
William Conboy, instructor of Speech and Drama
Why not? Aren't they, after all, performing a function similar to our dramatic students? If we are going to suddenly start demanding professional reviewing from our student reporters, then we should also start demanding professional acting from our actors. If it comes to that, we'll get professional reporting quicker than we'll get professional acting. And if that's what we're asking, doesn't it defeat the purpose of University drama productions as well as the purpose of the Kansan? Remove the student learning situation in either case and you remove the educational objective of a university.
B. James Wright Director, Studio theater
The year's first play included in the cast a former KU instructor in drama with professional theater experience. Of course, there was a disparity in talent.
Daily Kansan reviews of this year's University Theatre plays have been intelligent and sincere efforts in perhaps one of the most difficult and thankless fields of writing. One oft-heard criticism of the reviews can be illustrated.
The Daily Kansan critic emphasized this difference in ability, comparing the professional effort with that of the students. A more careful criticism would have evaluated the students as student actors —not as "also-rans" compared with the professional.
Drama critics, who are themselves students, are especially pledged not to judge other students by professional standards. There are many examples of poor student acting which should be criticized. Such malfunctions can be corrected at the student level.
Robert Londerholm 3rd year law
Liberace Builds Following Makes Fortune-But How?
Viewers either adore or abbor his piano playing and/or singing, but the controversial television performer, Liberace, again this year is well on his way to grossing another cool half-million dollars.
Perhaps because his weekly half-hour TV show is carried on 164 stations clear across the nation. Perhaps because his 4-record album made last year is near the top among Columbia Records' best - selling albums. Perhaps because this hard-working performer last year gave 24 concerts that netted him $310,000.
Why has one 34-year-old pianist, born Wladziw Valentino Liberace, created such a stir in America?
Last September he played in Carnegie hall in New York, but overflow crowds made him reserve Madison Square Garden for his next New York City appearance next month.
These are the cold, hard facts which prove that Liberate does have a following even though some claim it to be of old women and persons who do not know the meaning of real music.
On his program the scene opens with the virtuoso in white ties and tailed poised over a keyboard. On his piano is the ever-present cande-
His technique?
labrum which one cannot help noticing.
He plays his way through seven or eight familiar sounding numbers, occasionally adding a mild baritone vocal solo to some of the compositions. An unseen orchestra of three other musicians, including "my brother George," accompany him. Then he goes into his rendition of "I'll Be Seeing You" and the program is over.
Compression is one of Liberace's neatest tricks. He reduces the best of them—Bach, Brahms, Griech, Chopin, et al—to manageable length, plus a bit of "modernizing" re-ranging. In his words, he "re-creates" old masterpieces for modern audiences
When numbers are too compli-
cate, he simplifies them when too-
s simple.
There are critics who say he is nothing more than a parlor pianist who ought to be kept hidden in someone else's parlor. They can point out numerous musical flaws in his style. —Stan Hamilton