4AA/ednesday, December 12,1984/THE BLUE BANNER
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Forum Theatre overview
By Alana Jones
DNCA*s Forum Theatre
wrapped up Its fall season
with Wbnday’s perfonu^ce
of A Heed Far Bmssel
Sjpzouts.
Forum productions are
held each semester during
the fall and spring* The
one-act plays are directed
by senior drama students
as part of the directing
class taught by Arnold
Wengrow, professor of dra
ma and director of the
university theatre.
This semester, the plays
chosen for presentation
were ppenlqg MixBie-
sota Mom, and A Heed For
BroBsel Sprouts*
Opening Sight, a play
about an aging actress*
attenq)t at a comeback, was
presented on Nov* 19 by
director Bernice Lazar*
Sherry Cathcart por
trayed the once—famous
Fanny Ellis, and Ellen
Wharton played Hecky, her
long-time dresser and
closest confidante*
Both Cathcart and Whar
ton’s acting were realis
tic and convincing* Cath
cart captured the essence
of the neurotic actress in
her speech and mannerisms;
and ^though she spoke a
bit too rapidly at times,
I felt that this was the
character and not the ac
tress *
Wharton's Hecky was both
funny and touching. A lit
tle stilted at first,
Wharton nevertheless gave
a performance worthy of
notice.
The relationship between
the two wcxnen was obvious
ly one of deep affection
and devotion* Of course,
for the characters to have
a good rapport, the ac
tresses had to establish
one also, and I think they
adiieved this*
The second Forum Theatre
production was Minnesota
Moon, directed by Scott
Mebane.
This touching play about
two friends "celebrating"
on their last night to
gether starred Colin White
as Larry, the gas station
attendant unsure of what
he wants to do in life;
and Don Hardin as Alan,
the ambitious college-
bound student.
One of the most iiq)res-
sive aspects of the play
was the realistic setting.
Mebane's creativity and
ingenuity helped him
transform the stage into a
deserted junl^ard, awi-
plete with empty beer
cans, old tires strewn
about, and even a worn-out
clothesline.
The play depicts two
Mgh school graduates im
mediately following their
graduation in 1968 before
going their separate ways.
The rapport between
White and Hardin was ex
tremely believable. The
dialogue was natural and I
honestly thought that I
was eavesdropping on their
conversation. Their at
tempt to deal with a close
friend's death as well as
their aspirations was mov^
ing and one to which any
young adult could relate.
A Meed For Brossel
Sprouts, directed by Gor
don Hurst, was the last of
this semester's Forum The
atre productions. Per
formed on Monday, the show
starred Jason Sanford and
Melanie Johnson.
Sanford portrayed Leon
Rose, a struggling young
actor, and Johnson played
Margaret Heinz, the toughr
minded policewoman who
summons Rose to court with
a conq)laint that his music
is too loud.
Sanford displayed an
excellent stage presence;
and everything about his
performance, from his
flawless delivery of lines
to his movement on stage,
was totally believable. He
seemed a little nervous at
first, but this soon
ceased to be a problem for
him.
Johnson was quite amus
ing as the supposedly man-
hating, practical police
woman. I knew right from
the beginning that her
coldness was merely a fa
cade to cover her insecur
ities and that underneath
her harshness was a woman
who had been deeply hurt
in the past.
The New York apartment
setting was appropriate,
and the actors related to
their environment quite
well.
The next scheduled pro
duction for Theatre UNGA
is John Pielmeier's Agnes
of .God, slated for Febru
ary.
ONE OF THE VOCyUlSIS for The Mazx slngS with eantion
at the ChrlsfHS dance Friday ni^t.
Staff photo by Sylvia Hawkins
Maxx music
uack siamns Vince Umy and Joe Ktdn pl^ pin^-pong ^ of Scott Ummy*s
wmtni In the Hi^KBith ttoiversity Center game zoom. (See nnral story on page 5.)
Staff photo by Sylvia Hawkins
By Alana Jones
What gets you most in
the mood for Christmas?
Is it hearing carolers
in the street on Christmas
Eve? Or is it seeing tin
sel-wrapped presents under
the tree. Or perhaps it is
watching the snowfall on
Christmas Day?
Well, if dancing to the
sounds of Top 40 rock-n-
roll laisic in a Christmasy
atmosphere reminds you of
mistletoe and holly, then
the annual Christmas dance
sponsored by the Universi
ty Program Board Friday
night was for you.
THE MAXX, a popular band
from Atlanta, performed a
wide variety of hit tunes
by such groups as Journey,
Prince, and Hall and Oates
in the second big dance at
UNCA.
In spite of an hour's
delay in opening. The Mg«x
put on a smashing show in
the Highsmith University
Center Cafeteria.
The band opened with the
disco hit No Parking On
The iknro. Floor, and every
song they performed, from
Adult Kducation to Hhen
Doves Cry was, in
opinion, almost as good as
the original artists *
versions.
Charismatic and enter
taining, The Maxx related
to their audience well.
During a few nimibers, it
seemed like the whole
crowd was dancing and
clapping.
With Prince's recent
rise to stardom, it cer
tainly didn't hurt The
Maxx to have a drumner who
bore a haunting resem
blance to thi& sei^ super-
star.
The cafeteria took on a
romantic image with can
dles and red tablecloths
adorning every table.
Ron Greenfield, assist
ant director of food ser
vice, was impressed with
the evening*
"Besides the fact that
they were late, they were
very good, and the atmos
phere was very festive,"
he said* "They compensated
for their lateness*"
Speaking for the people
who attended the Christmas
dance, I would have to say
that this special evening
was one to be remembered*