PAGE 2 - N.C. ESSAY
Commentary And Perspective
SOUL
BRO
by mjf
by mjf
The recent events in the Drama
Department (and the steps taken
by the people involved do con
stitute a kind of revolutionary
action) have pointed out some
glaring weaknesses in the overall
structure of this school. The
students devised a document (or
statement) which pertains to
what they feel are deficiencies in
the operation of their department
and they offer suggestions which
might remedy the situation.
Basically, their agenda implies
that what the school catalogue
offers as course study and
facilities simply does not ejcist.
Wisely, they place no blame, but
state, quite frankly, that they are
not receiving the caliber of
training they have paid for and
were led to believe they would
receive.
The document is well written
and obviously well thought-out. It
is not written in a derogatory
manner, it does not demand, but
suggests, points out, by its very
nature, a serious work.
A proposal of significance, it
calls for the virtual restructuring
of the Drama Department. As
such, it should have been given
immediate consideration by the
administration. The ad
ministration, however, has
stalled the meeting with the
students, has implied that the
document refers to “luxuries and
not necessities,” and questioned
the conunitment of the entire
department student body in
relation to the proposals. (This
precipitated a student “walk-in”
Last Wednesday, when the Drama
Photo by Barcelona
Department quietly filed en
masse into the President’s office
to demonstrate their sin
cerity). But the fact that the
administration did not respond
with immediacy might well
suggest that they are not taking
the students - or their document -
seriously.
And it raises some disturbing
questions about this school and
its administrators, their
philosophies and vision. It
becomes increasingly apparent
that there are no solid, basic,
workable concepts of what this
school is, aside from the typically
vague paragraphs which appear
in the school’s catalogue. There
really is no sense of what this
school intends to do or how it sees
itself. And that is dangerous and
shoddy planning.
It is time now that we all begm
to inspect the motivations of ttiis
school and the people who control
it. Are they interested in seeing
that we receive a quality
education in our chosen fields or
are they merely taking our
money and turning out half-
baked products? But this is not
only an administrative task. It is
the task of everyone here.
This school started out
something vital, something of
imirartance and uniqueness. But
it is sadly on the verge of
becoming a second-class
finishing school. Reevaluation is
in order. We must provide a
vision, a philosophy that will
direct and guide us; we must stop
this suicidal practice of running
this insitution on a day-to-day
t)asis.
Notice: The January 4th (or thereabouts) issue of The N. C., Essay
will be a special literary edition. We’re doing this partially because of
the absence of the fall Artful Dodger and partially because it sounds
like fun. We will accept any poetry, short stories, es^ys, etc. that are
interesting, well written, and legible. Also, any artists who would be
willing to submit sketches, cartoons, etc. are welcome to do so. In
order to get all this together, we’ll have to have the material by Dec.
18. So, all you aspiring poets and whatnots out there, let us have your
stuff. Manuscripts may be left in the Essay office (in a specially
marked box!), in faculty box No. 65, or given to me personaUy. We’ll
try and return everything, but for your own sake, make two copies.
We’d like for this to be an annual edition (sort of postholiday affair),
so help us out and give some good things to print, liiank Y’all.
Editor
N.C. ESSAY STAFF, 1970:
Michael J. Ferguson
Kathy Fitzgerald |;:;
Ed Schloss
Mary Beth Zablotny
Sam Barcelona
Alexander Marsh
Alan Zingale,Cortlandt Jones, Gavin
Byron Tidwell, Kevin Dreyer, Mary Jane White '
Advisor Donna Jean Dreyer
:$ Business Manager Tom Kovaleskl $
;$ Hovering Guru Buzbee
% Publisher N.C. School of the Arts i:*;
•>
Editor
Managing Editor
Copy Editor
Feature Editor
Photographer
Arts
Reporters
I’ve always maintained that
the real test of a rock and roll
band is the live performance. Up
there on stage, artists can’t
resort to tricks and gimmickry.
What you see and hear is
essence; what happens there
stands.
Live concerts are weird events.
The action happens quickly and it
really makes sense only in
retrospect. An If can be listened
to again and again. But a live
concert is a product of the NOW.
The strength of a group artist
must come across quickly and
forcefully. And to survive beyond
the moment, it must have sub
stance.
Ever since Woodstock, it seems
that most groups feel it necessary
to create something of
monumental importance,
something “HEAVY” (and as a
result, usually pretentious). The
orgiastic experience has been
substituted for good music. Rock
concerts in the past year have
been about as exciting as rock
albums. Alvine Lee & Ten Years
After whip off loud guitar licks
and grimmaces as if they were
the last act on earth; L^ Zep
pelin scream and pound their
way through a typical two4iour
exercise in savage sexual
gymnastic technique; C,S,;N,&Y,
really fine musicians, are
trapped behind their own self-
importance annd manage to
sterilize their audiences until
they actually play “Woodstock,”
and by some kind of blind faitii,
people respond to this lame
evocation as rock apocalypse.
But some groups come and give
only their music.
Poco and The Byrds gave such
a session two weeks ago at IDuke.
Poco is an offspring group of
Buffalo Springfield. Richie
Furay, co-founder of Buffalo,
heads Poco and their tradition is
rich with the memory of the
Springfild. They play country
rock (for lack of a better name),
a mixture of citified rock and
sweet country air. The sound is
centered around Rusty Young’s
crisp steel guitar and Furay’s
fluid country guitar.
Poco had trouble at first. Their
sound is a delicate and subtle
combination of styles and if
conditions aren’t right, neither is
the music. After a period of amp
difficulty, they put it all together
and play^ fresh, exciting music:
vibrant songs, sparkling as good,
clear wine. Rckin’ Up The
Pieces” was probably the
highlight for me, a song from
their first LP that typifies their
brand of music. But they also did
by byron tidwell
“Amighty fortress is our God”
proclaims the famous hymns.
And there are several “for
tresses” built in honor of God in
downtown Winston-Salem.
In particular is Centenary
United Methodist Church. The
building was constructed at a
cost of a million dollars during
the Great Depression, but it is
worth far more than that now. Its
congregation is among the
hundred richest in the United
States. Sixty millionaires sit on
the pews each Sunday while the
morning worship service is
broadcast at 11:00 over WSJS
every Sunday morning as it has
been for the past twenty-five
years. Like the “Grand 01’
Opry,” it has become an in
stitution.
But what is Centenary doing to
fulfill the commandment that
challenges the church to go into
the world and serve? First of all,
Centenary operates two com
munity centers, one in a black,
poverty impacted area. It
operates three day care centers
for working mothers. The church
has a ministry to the un-
“A Child’s Claim To Fame” and
“Kind Woman,” two songs left
over from Richie’s Springfield
days. And for a moment... just
a dreamy instant, it almost
seemed as if Steve and Neil were
there with him. But the music
was decidely Poco’s, however
much it may recall the past.
They finished with “Nobody’s
Fools” “El Tonto De Nedie,”
a long instrumental that com
bines country and quick Latin
rhythms from Young’s steel
guitar. An excellent set. You
couldn’t hope to find any better.
I was anxious about ’the Byrds.
I’d seen them several times
before and when they are good,
they’re beautiful; when they’re
bad .. . they’re awful. And what
with numerous personnel
changes and an uneven last
album, Uie possibilities were that
the group might be losing its once
golden touch.
But when they started playing
with Clarence White’s guitar
ringing out “Lover Of The
Bayou,” it was perfect. The
addition of an organist gave them
the full, deep sound they once
had. They sounded like every
group of Byrds from the past
(and there have been many);
yet,they maintained a distinct
and separate identity.
The set was the best I’ve ever
seen them give. Soaring, lifting
songs that carried you to a
netherland of outer space and
honeysuckle. Everything was
beau^ul: “My Back Pages,”
“Jesus Is Just All Right,” “Truck
Stop Girl,” “Easy Rider,” “It’s
All Right,Ma,” a great new song,
“It’s Gonna Work Out Fine,”
“Take A Whiff (On me),” “this
Wheel’s On Fire,” and a misty,
idyllic accoustic version of
“Tambourine Man,” with just
McGuinn and White, the finest
version of that poem they’ve ever
done.
“Eight Miles High” was a
cosmic adventure. Pure space
music, flowing and swift. \^te
and McGuinn traded off guitar
phrases rich with the textures of
the song and then on into long
episodic improvdsations, while
drummer Gene Parsons and
bassist Skip Battin held the ship
together.
They came back for two en
cores and did jarring, rousing
versions of “Spacemean,” the
enigmatic “So You Want To Be A
Rock n’ Roll Star,” and a
charging “Chestnut Mare” that
left me breathless and warmed to
the marrow.
Cont. on page 3
derprivileged which not only
supplies food and used clothing to
those in need, but also awards
several grants-in-aid to those
people who want to attend
college, but cannot due to ex-
penses.Centenary operates a
type of “Headstart program for
children who would normally not
do well in school due to en
vironmental problems. Its week
day kindergarten is on a tuition
basis, but in some cases the
tuition is lowered or eliminated
for those financially unable to
handle it.
Centenary is even involved in a
type of ministry that many
churches shy away from. It is a
co-sponsor of the Together House
a counseling service for youth
and, especially, drug users.
Contact! Winston-Salem, a “hot
line” telephone counseling
service, is co-sponsored and
particularly operatied by Cen
tenary. It was located in the
church building for a time.
Centenary United Methodist
Church: a church well on the way
to fulfill its Christian com
mitment.
by ed. schloss
According to Rex Reed the new
musical, The Rothschilds should
have been “Hermetically sealed”
before it finally minted its way
into Broadway’s Lunt Fontanne
Theatre on the eighteenth of
October this fall; although it is
true there is much that is wrong
in this musical version of
Frederic Morton’s best selling
novel drawn from the same title,
there is so much that is right
most of the time that one can
ahnost dismiss the parts that
don’t quite work the way they
were supposed to.
The play covers a period in
history between 1772 and 1818,
when revolution created a new
world of social reform, when a
family as poor as the Rothschilds
through shrewd numismatic
transactions could rise above
their hapless life in the Frankfurt
ghetto and create a revolution
themselves throughout the
banking capitals of Europe.
Hieir struggle was Europe’s
struggle,-to siurive in a world
that was steadily breaking away
from under them. But the
Rothschilds were able to combat
their own fight for survival by
maintaining patriarchal control
in family decision making, while
the empire builders could only
turn to caddish officers to support
their every move. The question to
be asked here is how is this
brought about in terms of what
musical theatre can imbue it with
as a generic art form. Un
fortunately, the answer is that it
is impossible to transform base
metal into gold no matter how
hard you try. In order to accept
musical theatre, one must
suspend ones disbelief (at least
for two and a half hours) and
listen to people sing about
anything that is on their mind.
Many times this works suc
cessfully in musicals when lyric
lines develop organically from
the situation and are not imposed
self-consciously on the
theatregoing public. A case in
point is “The Rain In Spain”
from My Fair Lady, where Eliza
Doolittle learns how to speak
English properly under the
tutorage of Hen^ Higgins. Her
success bursts into a song of
jubilant elevation and we are
rewarded by her success in
musical terms. The transition
from dialogue to lyric is an
inherent element of the scene we
have just witnessed. This is a
rare moment of incandescence.
In The Rothschilds, we are
faced with the literal transition of
historical events, and song is all
too often a gratuitous way to
smother the moments of
dramatic conflict. Luckily
enough, Jerry Bock has written a
delightful pastiche of melody and
has filled the evening with a
period gavotte, a hymn to the
‘Bulwarks’ of Albion, a Lehar
waltz of his own making in “I’m
In Love! I’m In Love!” and a
rousing Marseillaise found in
“Allons”. The lyrics by Sheldon
Hamick are serviceable and at
least don’t clutter up the music.
He has always been successful at
inner rhymes and as usual he has
given us a beaut in: “May
Boniparte be blown a j»rt!”
The acting is impressive; if not
particularly varied, at least
Michael Kidd has staged the
precedings with his customary
skill for invention, although the
choreography could have had
more impact in its overall effect.
The number “Stability” could
have developed into a highly
stylized pasquinade of courtly
grace if he had enlarged the
number considerably. Hal Linden
gives a wonderful performance
as Mayor Rothschilds. His
combination of tender devotion
and forceful conviction
amazingly abets the book by
Sherman Yellen. which varies
Cont. on page 3