Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / March 23, 1977, edition 1 / Page 4
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4 The Daily Tar Heel Wednesday. March 23, 1977 How do Chapel Hill plays make it to the top? By PAM BELDING DTH Contributor How docs a show which premiered in Chapel Hill make the big time? Isadora Duncan Sleeps With the Russian Navy and Hot Grog may not be playing at the Place Theatre on Broadway, but they have successfully left the Hill and gained recognition from the real world. Hot Grog opened at the Kennedy Center in Washington on March 15 and will run through the 25th. Isadora, which premiered in New York in January, received praises from renowned critic Clive Barnes. Chapel Hill has given birth to three original works in the past three years. Isadora and Hot Grog are the most recent productions; Diamond Studs, w ritten by the authors of Hot Grog, was the first. Despite the different origins of Isadora and Hot Grog, the two productions initially shared a director, Tom Haas, who is the artistic director of the Playmakers Repertory Company (PRC). Spurred on by the tremendously encouraging success of Diamond Studs in Chapel Hill, Chattanooga, Tenn., and New York City, authors Jim Wann and Bland Simpson of the band Gravy Boat wrote Hot Grog. Haas had directed Diamond Studs when it premiered in Chapel Hill at the Ranch House two years ago. Wann once again approached the Playmakers for help with Hot Grog and walked away with three PRC actors (Donna Davis, Dallas Greer and Maggie Tucker) in addition to Haajs. The premiere was again at the Ranch House in February of 1976. Charles Horton of the Chapel Hill 1! X Xl - Isadora Duncan Sleeps With the Russian Navy andHot GrogboXh premiered in Chapel Hill and have since gone on to other cities. The scene here is from the Playmaker's Repertory Company's production of Isadora. Newspaper described the show as "a real swashbuckling musical adventure that has all the ingredients of a Southern version of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, replete with mistaken identities, girls masquerading as boys, villains and heroes, all against a backdrop of shipwrecks and sandy islands." The plot weaves fact with fiction as it tells the story of a group of real N.C. coastal pirates together on one ship. And where did Isadora come from? The li, ru a nn t ttt t c- !B v-narcL niLLj PROFESSIONAL OFF THE SCREEN AND ONTO THE STAGE All the Stars ... & All the Films ... And All of it Live! iran i inn n i ACTING COMPANY World Premiere of Christopher Durang's Play About the Movies A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN FILM with Jimmy Cagney f Casablanca 'ArHenry Fonda ifThe Grapes of Wrath rThe Ten Commandments Betty Davis Little Caesars-Humphrey Bogart it it and more it YOU'VE GOT TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT! March 29 April 2 April 5 9 8:00pm PLAYMAKERS THEATRE Matinees Each Saturday at 2:00pm Tickets Available at 102 Graham Memorial, Ledbetter-Pickards and the Print Shop or Call 933-1121 Watch for Big Savings of the 77 78 Subscriptions 933-1121 When you don't have time for a big breakfast, drop by the Student Store Snack Bars for a quick bite! STTQO there's more in the (ERnr "0"CS(E PRC, created in 1975 as a professional, nonprofit acting company, has an affiliation with the Eugene O'Neill Memorial Center in Connecticut. The center is a nonprofit organization which encourages and promotes new American writers and their plays. During the summer months, 12 playwrights have the opportunity of seeing their plays performed script-in-hand with no production facilities. Isadora was one such script written by Jeff Wanshel and performed during the summer of 1975. That fall, Isadora was included on the PRC schedule as part of the "second step" program w ith the O'Neill Conference. In the "second step" program, the PRC or any other professional acting company involved with the program, chooses one or two summer plays and performs them w ith a set and costumes. Thus, the playwright can examine and review his play as he watches professionals work with it and receive, exposure at the same time. Isadora spans the entire lifetime of the legendary dancer. Bob Morrison of the Raleigh News and Observer described the Chapel Hill production as "a work of poetry and power, and dark shadows and sunshine, a work of deftly staged vignettes like changing patterns in a kaleidoscope. .. It was Isadora." Born in Chapel Hill, Hot Grog and Isadora grew up and went to the big city. Several months ago Wann, .Simpson and Cassandra Morgan (star of Hot Grog) went to New York City with a few Gravy Boat members and gave a small cabaret presentation of Hot Grog. "We called up all sorts of people," said Morgan. Among those who came, was the New York City director and producer Ed Berkely. Impressed by what he saw, Berkely contacted Stuart Ostrow, a commercial producer who funds a nonprofit organization called the Music Theatre Lab (MTL). The MTL enables new writers to bring their musical shows one step closer to a commercial production. The MTL at the Kennedy Center was formerly a museum and has just recently been converted by the Ostrow Foundation. The theatre seats 112 people. The foundation pays all production costs and all 10 members of the cast and the five piece band receive the same fee. "It's enough money to get by," said Morgan. However, she said there is not much financial attention paid to setting and costumes. The show was cast in New York City because that's where the major talent is to be found, said Morgan. "All of the actors who auditioned were either sent by agents or Spring time is Pearl time M T I M I ITTTfTyTl - Franklin Street phone 942 3061 f tit TEN LITTLE INDIANS' IS SCARIER THAN 'ORIENT EXPRESS'." Ear Wilson, Syndicated Columnist y if 111 jt iPGte COLOR by DeLuxe fs AN AVCO EMBASSY RELEASE THURS. W 'ASf$j I - GEORGE SEG 'JANE FONDA OJID COMING SOON! "THE EAGLE HAS LANDED" "BLACK SUNDAY" Pipe Arts Festival Wednesday noon and Films from the National Room 217 2 p.m. Endowment for the Arts Carolina Union late after- Bread and Puppet Theatre Franklin Street noon parade 4 p.m. ' Lucy Lippard slide lecture 100 Hamilton Hall 7 p.m. Benny Andrews lecture 100 Hamilton Hall 8:30 p.m. Andrews, Lippard. Oppen- Ackland Art Center heim and Walker discussion Auditorium Thursday 9:30-10:45 Michael McClure lecure HlMurphey noon and Films from the National Room 217 2 p.m. Endowment for the Arts Carolina Union 2-4 p.m. Creative writing workshop 2nd floor with Michael McClure Greenlaw Faculty Lounge 5 p.m. Dennis Oppenheim's audio- Ackland Art Center i visual display Auditorium J 8 p.m. Michael McClure reading 1 1 1 Murphey 9:30 p.m. David Tudor's sound Hill Hall patterns PERSONAL Mature young woman with beautiful voice seeks equally mature people to join her on a romantic fantasy. REPLY: MINNIE RIPERTON CO EPIC RECORDS AND TAPES. u EPIC." MARCAREG 1977 CBS INC l TV called specifically by someone," said Morgan. Director John Haber and choreographer Patricia Birch collaborated on Diamond Studs. Birch has also done A Little Night Music and Grease. Haas directed a showcase performance of Isadora at the American Place Theatre (APT) in October to test its reception. It was overwhelming. The APT is one of the country's most distinguished off-broadway theatres, concentrating only upon new American plays. Haas took the production back to the APT in December for five test performances which were received just as enthusiastically. As a result, a show was put together in three weeks set for a January 20 opening with an extended run policy. Marian Seldes left Equus to play in the title role. Open Equity (actor's union) auditions were held for the chorus. And what changes has the "big time" w rought on these tw o productions of Chapel COCOOCCOGOCCOSCCCCOOOOCOCCOU Hill origin? tickets at the APT for Isadora are $6 as opposed to the $2.50 charged by the PRC. However, the PRC's prices have since changed to $4.90. Managing Director of PRC Joseph Coleman said, "the New York audience has seen it all. You never know what's going to impress them." However, Clive Barnes didn't have to put much effort into thoroughly enjoying himself at a performance of Isadora. Although Hot Grog will not be raking in admission charges at the Kennedy Center (admission is free), the actors are professionals. Wann and Simpson will be sitting in the audience this time around. "It's the first chance they'll get to function as writers exclusively," said star Cass Morgan. "The perspective that they'll gain is immeasurable," she said. The show won't automatically go to New York City, Morgan said. "However, we're fairly certain something will come of it hopefully an album." reaches over 20,000 people. I Old Well Music Box for a Carolina graduate PLAYS "HARK THE SOUND" in antique finish wood . . . a Italian' 1 $1.00 Downtown Franklin Street iCCOSCCOCOSOCOOQCOCCOOCC doesn't get mad.lf o He eets even. too .oo - THE FAERilEE 3C 1 jNCNB PLA. 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Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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March 23, 1977, edition 1
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