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October 13, 1969 The N. C. Essay Page 3 BOYS UNHAPPY WITH SCHOOL SET-UP "Everything is wrong" with the drama department of the N. School of the Arts, says a visiting director and actor. "The students do not have a solid groundwork in basic theater skills", said Barry Boys, who is teaching acting for six weeks and directing a workshop production of Mr. Roberts. "The faculty simply is not sufficient. They are underpaid and overworked. And the plant is a black hole of Calcutta. . . You're working in dirt - just plain dirt." One problem is a basic misunder standing of the nature of theater training which exists in drama schools across the United States, said Boys, who studied at the Royal Aca demy of Dramatic Art in London and has taught at the American Academy of Dramatic Art and the Juilliard School. Drama schools think that by placing a liberal, arts course side by side with a theater course, they will create a well-rounded person, he said. "I like my people with some corners on them." A person who is concentrating all his energies on his art will need to gain knowledge in other areas, he added, but he can do this on his own without spending hours in the class room. What drama schools should do is "liberate energies in a person who can then deal with the pressures of the profession," he said. The combination of theater courses with academic courses at the School of the Arts leads to a "psychological and physical lethargy" in the students because the hours and courses are too long. The students' lack of basic theater training skills may be the result of the "lack of continuity in their teachers", he added. "The students are forced to rely on their own personal quirks. They rely on impulses they might otherwise dis trust". (The drama school has had four deans since it opened in 1965. Will iam Trotman, the first associate direc tor, resigned at the end of the first year. Dr. Osvaldo Riafrancas left in March of the second year. Ira Zuckerman and Dolores Ferraro, — —— associate director, resigned last year. This year Ronald Pollock, who headed the theater's design and pro duction department, is acting dean of Drama.) Boys believes the School of the Arts needs a fulltime drama course. "If academic classes aren't going to go altogether", he recommen ded one year of academics followed by a two-year intensive drama course and perhaps a fourth year of elective courses. The drama faculty must be larger; the student body, smaller, he said, and the school needs a new plant, "You need professionals who are willing to teach and you need finances". Boys' production of Mr. Roberts will be ;given before invited audiences Oct. 13 and 16 at the school. (Reprinted from the Tioin Cities Sentinelj Tues., Oct. 7, 1969) SCHOOL of 4UminD Collier The School of the Mind is a musi cal group formed here at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Origi nally, the group consisted of Mike Colina, piano, organ, and composer; Kurt Yaghjian, vocals; Dee Moses, guitar; Lynn Bernhardt, percussion; and Mark Morganstern, bass. However, Morgenstern left the group and was re placed by Rob Linglebach. Each member of the group has classical training. However, they are essentially a rock group with classical or chamber music influ ences. The group writes much of its own material, with Cdlina being the principle songwriter. They also base many of their lyrics on the works of Blake. Although much of their material is original. The Sahool of the Mind has found success hard to come by. They cut a session at Arthur Smith Studios in Charlotte last year; how ever, they discovered that their music was not commercially oriented. This entailed the installment of some commercial material in their varied repretoire. Nonetheless, their main intention is to create original music, although they realize that to do so, they may first have to prove them selves as a group with selling poten tial. (Cont. on page 6) i BUTTGRFLV in CinCGM We often see rock groups who feel it is necessary to add another dimension to their performance aside from the music itself. And we must admit that these usually visual ele ments of rock can be exciting and even vital to the music (the con cept of the rock "light show" is a primary example). Stage presence also plays a major part in the success of a performer or group. Witness the Who, Hendrix, and the Stones as ex amples. Too often, however, certain performers or groups try to compen sate for their limited musical ability with a spectacular stage show. The difference is, of course, that the Who really don't have to go through the histrionics they do on stage, be cause their music is valid. But their visual appearance is an inte gral part of their particular musical experience. Such is not the case with the dismal Iron Butterfly. I had the misfortune to see the Butterfly in concert at Chapel Hill last week-end. Musically, they offer nothing except dissonance and noise, which when controlled, can be highly effective. However, in the hands of the Iron Butterfly these sometimes important aspects of rock are displayed at their very meaningless worst. In addition to the limited amount of music they produce, the Iron Butter fly insist upon filling their stage presentation with assorted physical manuevers, none of which have any relevance to the music. Instead, their entire concert is a foolish, over- dramatic mockery of the value of theatrics in rock. They just don't have the stuff to pull it off and they come off as a miserable, second-rate group. I hesitate to talk about their music, because I heard very little coming from the stage, only a lot of disturbing cacophony. The group's lead singer and organist, Doug Ingle, was virtually undistinguishable on every song they performed. His organ playing is strictly primitive, with no imagination and little aesthetic taste. As a singer, I find him pre tentious and dull. The rest of the group is no better. Their lead gui tarist seems to think that his instrument is an electric plaything. The bassist is too intent on cavort ing around the stage trying to be a sex symbol ( a la Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, no doubt) to be con cerned about what he is playing. Drummer Ron Bushy spends three- fourths of his (Cont. on page
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