Kansan Reviews
THEATER: Paradise?
By HORST CLAUS
Despite the fact the theater has never been successful as a political weapon, the groups of the radical theater movement believe their activities will foster social changes. "Revolution now" is their most essential slogan, and in order to put it into reality they attempt to make their audiences participate in the "performances."
One of the leading examples of this effort was presented recently in Kansas City: "Paradise Now," a "creation collective" by America's foremost radical theater group The Living Theatre, under the direction of Julian Beck and Judith Malina.
“Paradise Now” consists of various sequences in which the actors try to shake up the audience by confronting them as directly as possible with the nuisances of present day life. Slogans like “I am not allowed to travel without a passport,” “I don't know how to stop the war,” “You can't live without money” are shouted with increasing intensity at the audience in an attempt to get the spectators ready to take issue with them.
In smaller discussion groups the actors try to point out the urgency for change, they try to persuade spectators to participate in their enactment of the revolution and of the vision of a better world.
There are various steps in the revolution: The revolution of the cultures ("The culture must be changed. Perception must be changed, so the usefulness of the revolution can be comprehended"), the clarification of the final goal of the revolution, the exorcism of violence, the abolition of the money system, etc. When the final change is reached the actors lead the audience, i.e. those who stayed until that moment, out into the street so the revolution can be carried on by the audience. (Because of below freezing temperatures the actors—who are almost completely nude—preferred to stay in the heated auditorium.)
The steps proposed by the Living Theatre make sense; the only problem is I gathered most of this information not from their enrollment but from a hand-out which I received when I entered the theater. And, with the impudence of a critic, I am not willing to blame myself for missing the boat. The Living Theatre simply was not able to establish a true actor-audience-performer relationship.
At one point the company had warmed up the audience to a degree that most of the audience gathered on the acting area in an attempt to mingle with the actors. At this moment it seemed as if a genuine relationship could be established. But for some reason the chance was lost.
The various efforts to again "catch" the audience showed improvisation is certainly not the strength of the company. It seemed every actor was allowed to act out his part as long as he liked; thus "Paradise Now," which in its original conception may be an interesting sequence of loosely structured scenes, turned into a formless mess.
There were certainly other reasons why the audience did not get involved in the presentation—the most disturbing was that the hall was packed with policemen, in uniforms and incognito (some as hippies). Some were obviously just waiting for the opportunity to make arrests and end the performance. Fortunately the Living Theatre avoided a confrontation (one case of indecent exposure was settled quietly behind the scenes). The fear of the authorities that the Living Theatre may disturb peace and order is ridiculous. I would suggest that in a city with such a high crime rate the police should concentrate their efforts on cases of actual legal offenses and not on idealistic propagandists of a non-violent revolution.
Under such circumstances it is understandable that America's most important avant-garde theater is looking forward to returning to Europe where there is greater artistic freedom and where audiences are more perceptive as far as experiments are concerned. It was in Europe that "Paradise Now" was conceived, and it may take the European atmosphere to turn what is now an unsuccessful experiment into a new theatrical form.
RECORDS: the new BS&T
By WILL HARDESTY
BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS is by Blood, Swear & Tears on Columbia—the new BS&T.
Contrary to popular expectation the group did not gasp, roll over and die when AI Kooper, the leader-organizer-writer-singer-organist-pianist-ondiolinist, left the group. Instead the group found a new lead singer—David Clayton-Thomas—shuffled the personnel and dealt a new hand.
The new hand is a winner. BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS is a tremendous jazz-rock work by a group which may re-introduce the "big" band sound into popular music. The sound is so with it that even hard-core hard-rock fans could not fail to appreciate it, but still musical enough in the traditional sense of the word that other music lovers can accept it.
A key person in the transformation of the group into the "new" BS&T must have been Dick Halligan. On the group's first album, CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN. Halligan was listed simply as playing trombone. He now does organ, piano, flute and trombone. Besides which he either arranged or helped arrange almost all of the songs on the album. Plus the fact he also sings.
Taking over Kooper's job at the lead singer position is Canadian David Clayton-Thomas. He sounds a lot like Ray Charles at times, but also has a definite style of his own. He is good.
BS&T is now more jazz-oriented than it first was. There is also a strong hint of blues in their sound. Plus classical, folk, funkiness. BS&T is still one of the very most accomplished bunch of musicians in modern music.
Their album is a must.
Destry rides Wednesday
"Destroy Rides Again," ripin' and roarin' across the stage, in the western musical to be opening Wednesday in the Experimental Theatre.
This spring "Destry" will rip and roar throughout the state as the first KU musical to tour the state for many years. The University Theatre staff has nominated the western musical as one of its two candidates for a United Service Organization (U.S.O.) tour next fall.
"Working around handicaps, the cast has continually shown great energy, ensemble, and enthusiasm," said Mrs. Anita Sorrells, director of the musical and speech and drama instructor.
The action is lively, involving real bullwheels, lariats, guns with blanks, dives from baleonies, and dancing on tabletops.
Since "Destry" is a musical, the problem of orchestral accompaniment has been overcome by placing a combo on stage as part of the action.
"This is the first time to my knowledge a musical here has been cast totally with actors from the drama department rather than singers." Mrs. Sorrels added, "The cast is young, consisting mainly of freshman and sophomores, with only three experienced actors."
Also, all of the musical numbers in "Destroy Rides Again" are new.
The plot is more familiar. The scene opens in Last Chance Saloon—hub of the wild west town of Bottleneck, center of vice and rowdy living, and headquarters for the gambler Kent and his girl friend Frenchy. A local gang kills the town sheriff. In rides Destry, the newly appointed deputy, to bring law and order to the town without a gun.
"The plot is that of a typical western. However, we try to hit a happy line between making satire on the West and playing it with enough honesty to get a modern message, from it." Mrs. Sorrels explained.
She described the western as not slushy and romantic like most typical westerns, but more lively and even a little risque. She said, "There is no real villain, only a misguided sexy man."
"Destroy Rides Again" stars John Myers, Springfield, Ohio graduate student, as Destroy; Ellen Lippman, Prairie Village freshman, as Frenchy; and Kirby Kemble, Wichita junior, as Kent.
Paperbacks
DEATH HAD TWO SONS, by Yael Dayan (Dell, 75 cents)—A moving novel set in Israel, where an old man recalls how he had to make a terrible decision forced upon him by the Nazis, which sons should live, which should die. The author is the daughter of the celebrated Israeli general, Moshe Dayan. Her work is slight but thoughtful.
Feb. 10
1969 KANSAN 5
'Unhand that little lady, Mister!'
Good guy Destry (John Myers, far right) confronts bad guy Kent (Kirby Kemble) and Frenchy the dancehall girl (Ellen Lippman) in the musical "Destry Rides Again," playing Feb. 12-22 in the Experimental Theatre.
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2016 MAY 30 TUESDAY SUNDAY EN JULY 25 GATES