Thursday. June 5. 1975
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Dabbling in the absurd
Brenda Mezz, left, and Virginia Hill
console each other in The Everyman
Company's summer production of "The
Merry Wives of Windsor.'"
by Jerry Vernon
Staff Writer
A troupe of actors weave down Franklin
Street in search of volunteers. Their lively
costumes and signs, "Don't pay your taxes"
and other controversial placards, attract
many people.
Soon The Everyman Company, a
community-based theatre, has an audience
for their next production. Those who join
the Everyman parade are treated to an
evening of absurd drama.
This rather unique approach "attracts
street vendors (street people) as the major
part of our audience" explained- UNC
graduate, Virginia Hill, a charter member of
the Everyman Company.
Everyman could be called an alternative to
the Carolina Playmakers. While the
Playmakers provide the university with
structured drama, the Everyman offers the
community dramatic training under the
Bible expert Boyd
digs deep into past
by Melissa Staples
Staff Writer
"He's the kind of instructor I wish I could
always have. He's dynamic, interesting, very
thorough and really enjoys his work. He
keeps you captivated."
These are just a few of the comments made
about Dr. Bernard Boyd, James A. Gray
professor of Biblical Literature, and winner
of two Tanner Awards for distinction in
college teaching.
Long known at Carolina as an
outstanding professor, he is also a familiar
speaker to many congregations and church
groups around the state. His flair for
speaking is best described by a psychology
major, "Words seem to really mean
something when they come from him, they're
not just words."
Besides a teacher and lecturer, Dr. Boyd is
a self-taught archeologist who leads
archeological digs in Israel each summer.
This summer Boyd will take 25 students to
Beer-Sheba in the southern part of Israel.
Boyd moves about the room with
coordinated grace, stopping to point out
Beer-Sheba on one of the large maps of the
Holy Land hanging in his office. Next to the
map is an extraordinary display of cooking
pots and other vessels unearthed during
Boyd's many archeological digs. He has
another private collection at home of ancient
Palestinian lamps that covers a span of 5,000
years.
Boyd first became intrigued with
archeology during a tour of the M iddle East
in 1956. He joined an expedition in 1963 and
has been digging in Israel almost every
summer since then. The digs are really a
"shoestring operation" financed partly by
Tel Aviv University in Jerusalem and by Dr.
Boyd. On occasion UNC has helped fund the
trips, but usually Boyd looks for money
wherever he can find it.
This summer, as in the past, Boyd will be
educational director of the dig. Although
UNC students will not receive any academic
credit for the expedition, they will attend
lectures by Dr. Boyd on historical geography
and the interpretation of archeology. As he
puts it, "it's important that the students feel
they're not just moving dirt."
In 1973 the expedition made a significant
discovery when it unearthed an ancient
Semitic horned altar corresponding to
various Old Testament accounts. This
summer Boyd will concentrate on a 65 foot
well believed to be mentioned by Biblical
patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Describing himself as a "Christian theist",
Boyd readily admits that archeology has
provided him a deeper, more intimate
relationship with the Bible. Although he says
Biblical studies are not "in" like they were 15
years ago, Boyd's classes are consistently
filled. There are 33 students this summer in
his class, "The Origin and Significance of
the Bible", but enrollment generally exceeds
200 during the regular school year.
Students comment on his spellbinding,
effortless style and his ability to make
Biblical characters come alive.
"He's the best I've had since I've been
here," said a junior education major. "You
can tell he really believes it," one girl said.
"He must be a preacher; he's so enthused
about everything."
Yet in spite of his rapport with students,
his classes are in no way "slides" and are
generally considered quite difficult. He
demands strict attention in class and gives
frequent tests. Some students described the
tests as "picky" and felt that the course was
"too complex" to be crammed into the short
summer session.
Boyd tries to avoid "preaching" in the
classroom, but admits, "it's difficult to
divorce yourself from your world view." He
does not believe that a "confessional
approach" to the Bible has any place in a
secular institution, but instead strives for an
objective evaluation of the data.
Any "preaching" he does is confined to
Sundays when he often substitutes for
ministers who are sick or out-of-town.
Although he has never had a church of his
own, Boyd holds a doctorate in theology
from Union Theological Seminary in
Richmond, Va.
In his 25 years at Carolina Boyd has
watched student attitudes shift, change and
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Jack Nicholson
Maria Schneider
Antonioni's
Etssenger"
Released thru '
United Artists Metrocotot V1
loose supervision of absurd drama.
Although Everyman is, in Hill's words, "a
poorly, but not terribly organized group",
the company has an impressive six-year
history. They have performed such plays as,
"Viet Rock", "The Physicist" and "Merry
Wives of Windsor."
The company recently saw members move
to the "paying theatre." The Tommy
Thompson Band, who first acted with
Everyman, is now playing"Diamond Studs"
in Washington. Another member, Ty
Stevens, wrote the music for this Broadway
success.
Ferguson said the company "brings
strange theatre out because people like it
better."
Most, if not all, of Everyman's
productions have been absurd drama. Even
their Shakespeare has an unusual twist. They
used southern accents in "Midsummer's
Nights Dream" and the cast "talked like
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Dr. Bernard Boyd
perhaps come full circle. He describes the
campus upheavals of the 60's as "crazy
times" when he was once struck by a student
in his own classroom. He concedes however,
that student unrest produced a "terrific,
idealism" and forced the country to look at
the "impossible mess" it had created in
Vietnam and Cambodia.
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Cowboys' in the more recent presentation of
"Merry Wives of Windsor.
Ferguson fears that Everyman is
considered a "closed group." Many people
feel they haven't a chance at auditions unless
they are experienced or know someone, but
they are wrong.
"A lot of our best people have never acted
before," said the bearded player. "And now,
for the first time we have people who' re
interested in technical directions."
Two local businesses. Cat's Cradle and
The Ranch House, offer Everyman theater
space at no charge. The actors give their time
and "hopefully," Hill said, "the audience will
give" the necessary $100 for a performance.
Everyman produced only two plays over
the past year because, in the words of
Philosophy professor Richard Zaffron,
"we're all busy people and do Everyman
when we have time,"
Their latest production, "You Can't Take
It With You", played for eight weeks. They
intend to increase their program to five plays
over the next year. The company also hopes
to add acting lessons and experimental
theatre to their dramatic agenda.
Everyman traditionally opens every year
with a Shakespearean production. Hill and
Ferguson decided to begin this season "with
a summer "'Alice instead of spring
.Shakespeare."
The two will co-direct "Alice In
Wonderland". Auditions will be held at the
Cat's Cradle this Saturday and Monday. The
play opens July 18 at Forest Theatre and
then plays the Cat's Cradle. "And from
there," laughed Ferguson, "the world."
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A Return to Chapel Hill
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