She Btctef
VOLUME XVII, NUMBER 5
N. C. WESLEYAN COLLEGE, ROCKY MOUNT, N. C.
MONDAY, APRIL 25,1977
Theatre Department Intimately Involved
The Theatre Department is
quite active on Wesleyan’s
campus. With only twelve
majors, and a small budget to
work with, it manages to
produce plays that have earned
it an excellent reputation all
over North Carolina. Coltrane
Theatre presents three major
productions a year, several
student-directed one-acts and
an annual Theatre Workshop
for local high school students.
This year, the Workshop will be
held on May 7, and will feature
Mr. Bob Kelly, a well-known
New York make-up artist.
In the department, each
major becomes intimately in
volved with all aspects of the
theatre profession. Acting prin
ciples, as well as costume
design, make-up, lighting tech
niques, publicity, and stage
construction are learned on a
first hand basis. Instruction is
rather like an apprenticeship
program, under the trained
supervision of John Tobinski,
Director and Chairman of
Theatre, and Donald Williams,
Production Designer and Tech
nical Director.
This year, the department is
sponsoring two scholarships for
continuing students. These
scholarships will be awarded on
a basis of financial need and
potential in theatre arts. At
Honors Convocation there will
be awards for Best Director,
Best Actor, Best Supporting
Actor, Best Actress and Best
Supporting Actress; all very
reminiscent of the Academy
Awards. It is also possible that
the department will be approv
ed for a local chapter of Theta
Alpha Phi, a national theatre
fraternity.
Coltrane Theatre welcomes
new-comers. Auditions are op
en to all students and faculty
and the department depends on
the energy and support of all
who enjoy the theatre. New
faces are encouraged to partici
pate in our productions. Not
only are talented actors and
actresses desired, but also
those students who wish to
work behind the scenes, as
stage managers, technicians,
choreographers and costume
coordinators.
Presently the theatre is in
production for Blithe Spirit,
which will open on April 26.
Cast and crew are confident
that it will be a success, and
that all who attend this light
comedy wUl leave in buoyant
EDITH IS PUT UNDER MADAME ARACATIS’ HYPNOTIC SPELL. [Jan Wflson photo.]
Edge Says Team "Her Best"
“This is the best team Fve
ever had,” commented Jean
Edge, coach of the girls softball
team. “Our record may not
show it but it is.”
Edge said this after her team
had lost their first two double
headers of the season. “Errors
and poor hitting are the two
reasons, we made errors in
strategic places in the game,”
she added.
Edge says her outstanding
hitters are: Cathy Lynch,
Martha Peel, Eleanor Perry,
and Faye Pridgen. She added
that Barbara Slater “did a very
good job at shortfield for us.”
“We have an excellent
attitude and skill... if we can
just get it all together,” she
said. “I still believe we can have
a decent season. The girls are
interested and put forth an
effort.”
The members of this year’s
team are: Nona Cook, captain,
Cindy Alston, Madeline Alston,
Kyle Baldwin, Daphne Branch,
Denise Castillo, Martha Ed
wards, Carleen Goodwin, Fran
ces Harrison, Mary Hathaway,
Ellen Hessey, Valerie Holland,
Cathy Lynch, Martha Peel,
Eleanor Perry, Faye Pridgen,
Barbara Slater and Bev Stoner.
The softball team has their
two last games this week. On
Tuesday they will play St.
Augustine at 4 p.m. here and on
Thursday they wUl take on
Methodist in Fayetteville.
As for next year, sports in
general look good. Edge has
five girls already coming next
year that will be a good
addition to the sports program.
She also added that there will
be a girls basketball team next
year and a coach will be
secured.
Greg Allen
.spirits. An exception is being-
made to the normal policy of
closed rehearsals, and extended
is an invitation welcoming all
students to the last dress
rehearsal free of charge. This
preview will begin at 8:00 p.m.
on April 25. There is a house
capacity of 110, so seating wUl
be provided on a first-come-
first serve basis. It is hoped
that you will take advantage of
this opportunity, as it will not
only be exciting entertainment
for all, but will also allow the
cast to prepare for opening
night.
Jan Wilson
Charles and his wife Roth enjoy intimate moment. [Jan Wilson
photo.]
Noel Coward’s
Blithe Spirit
For pure entertainment it is
imperative that one see Blithe
Spirit, a delightful comedy by
the British writer and actor,
Noel Coward. Set in England in
the early 1940s, the play begins
when Charles Condomine and
his wife Ruth decide to hold a
seance in order to obtain
material for a book that Charles
is writing. Confident that their
seance will prove to be no more
than entertainment and evi
dence that mysticism is pure
superstition, they invite anoth
er married couple. Dr. and Mrs.
Bradman, to join in the
evening’s festivities.
Anticipating an evening of
mere frivolity and determined
to be skeptical at all costs, they
also ask a well-known medium,
Madame Arcati, to preside over
the seance. Madame Arcati, a
devoted believer in the spirit
ual world, is as serious about
her task as the others are
cynical. She succeeds in turning
their cynicism to hysteria as he
brings back Charles’ first wife
Elvira, who has been dead for
seven years.
From then on, the fun and
games never end, as the
aristocratic stuffiness of the
two couples is pierced, and they
find themselves involved in an
actual ghost hunt. The Condo-
mine’s maid, Edith, an invalua
ble comic element, scampering
and scurrying throughout the
play, has a few surprises of her
own to add to the plot.
Blithe Spirit is charming and
irresistable as it pokes fun.
FiUed with whimsical humor
and hilarious antics, it is certain
to be “smashing” entertain
ment for all who attend.
NC Wesleyan Coltrane Thea
tre’s third production of the
year will run April 26-30 and
May 3-7.
Jan Wilson