THE TWIG
Newspaper of the Students of Meredith College
VOL. LII NO. 6
MEREDITH COLLEGE, RALEIGH, N.C.
OCTOBER 6. 1977
*Opera* is no opera
Musical opens Thursday night
by Becca Gullion
When most people hear
the word opera, they think of
an elaborate musical
production in which the actors
sing in Italian and the story is
impossible to follow. Webster
defines opera, however, as a
“dramatic performance set to
music,” and that is exactly
where Meredith’s fall
production is: a play set to
music. But “The Threepenny
Opera” is much more than a
simple musical.
The nineteenth century
play which opens Thursday
night and runs through
Sunday, when a special af
ternoon performance will be
shown for Parents’ Day, was
originally entitled “The
Beggar’s Opera” when it
opened in England.
When the German
playwright Brecht received a
copy of the play, he rewrote it
in Ms spare time, adding and
deleting as he chose, wMle
German composer Kurt Weill
wrote the music and lyrics.
When the revised musical
opened in Berlin in 1928, the
public raved in spite of
disastrous predictions by
critics. “Threepenny Opera”
played five years in Berlin,
and broke Similar records in a
six-year run in New York.
What has made “The
Threepenny Opera” such a
success in the nearly 50 years
since it opened in Berlin? The
play’s appeal can be at
tributed to the fascinating
characters whose lives mesh
in comical, and, often, heart
rending ways.
The main character is
Macheath, a notorious yet
likeable gangland leader.
Although Mack is a thief, he is
a thief with class, and
possesses a strong liking for
the obviously finer things of
life. Mack and his tMeving
cohorts have an easier time
than most London crooks
because Mack and the Chief of
Police, “Tiger” Brown, are
old friends, and Brown con
veniently looks the other way
when Mack does wrong.
To keep things in the
family, Macheath has long
since married Tiger’s
daughter Lucy. This first
marriage, however, has not
deterred Mack from
becoming enamoured with
and proposing to Miss Polly
Peachum, daughter of Mr.
J.J. Peachum. Mack and
Polly marry in a deserted
stable, surrounded by Mack’s
crooked friends and Tiger
Brown.
Polly’s parents are
distress^ to learn of her
marriage to the thief. Mr.
Peachum, who owns and
operates “The Beggar’s
Friend,” a shop which outfits
beggars in appropriate attire
that will achieve their pan
handling ends, is especially
upset.
Since Mr. and Mrs.
Peachum do not approve of
Mack, Mr. Peachum begins to
plot his downfall. Peachum
contacts Mack’s woman
friends at the local brothel and
relates the events of
Macheath’s second marriage.
Feeling betrayed, the girls
conspire against their old
friend, and one of them, Jenny
Diver, turns Mack in to the
police.
There follows a toucMng
and comical meeting between
Lucy and Polly, both of
Mack’s wives, at the jail
where Mack is being held.
Lucy Brown helps Mm to
escape, although Mack is
captured again.
All of the drama is ac
centuated with Kurt Weill
music to suit all tastes and
which touches all topics.
There are songs about love
and about jealousy; songs
about the good old happy days
and songs about losing in
nocence in the modern world.
The lyrics round-out the
diverse assortment of
characters and betray their
innermost thoughts to all who
watch and listen.
What happens to the
notorious Macheath? Will he
escape the law a second time,
or will he, as his enemies
hope, be hung? What of his
bigamous relationship with
Lucy and Polly? Who gets
Macheath in the end?
Only the audience in
Jones Auditorium, caught up
in the music and drama of
London in the 1830’s,
vicariously exp^-iencing the
joy of Polly, the jealously of
Lucy, and the pain of Jenny,
will be able to answer the
questions of this opera that is
not really an opera.
“The Threepenny Opera”
will run Oct. 6, 7 and 8 at 8
p.m. in Jones Auditorium.
Admission is $3.50 for adults
and $1.50 for students.
Meredith, Raleigh’s Junior League
sponsor community hoard seminar
A one-day workshop
focusing on the needs of
Raleigh and Wake County
residents serving as members
of volunteer boards was held
Tuesday, Oct. 4, in the Kresge
Auditorium of the Cate Center
from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Following the welcome at
9:30 a.m. by Jumor League
President Mrs. Marsden B.
deRosset, a panel on “Being
An Effective Board Member”
was presented by Dr. John
Weems, Meredith College
president; Mrs. C. Gordon
Maddrey, past president of
the NorUi Carolina Federation
of Women’s Clubs; Mrs.
Harry K. Clark, II, past
president of the Junior League
of Raleigh: and Thomas W.
Jordan, chairman. The Urated
Way of Wake County.
At 10:30 a.m. Sherwood H.
Smith, Jr., president of
Carolina Power and Light Co.,
spoke on “Legal Obligations
and Responsibilities of the
Volunteer Board Member,”
followed by “Fund Raising
and the Volunteer Agency,”
presented by Peden Steel Co.
President James M. Peden,
Jr.
The t(^ic for the luncheon
session at 12 noon was “Public
Service: Building a Society
that Embraces Every In
dividual.” Leading the
discussion was Luther H.
Hodges, Jr., former chairman
of the board of North Carolina
National Bank.
Betty H. Wiser, executive
director of the Wake County
Council on Aging, spoke on
“Board Organization and
Management.” Meredith Vice
President for Student
Development, Dr. Sandra C.
Thomas, on a year’s leave of
absence to serve as executive
director for the Office of
Citizens Affiars in the
Governor’s Office presented
the overview and summary
remarks.
Dr. Rosalie P. Gates,
director of the continuing
education enrichment
curriculum at Meredith,
coordinated the workshop.
Serving as consultant was
Molly Crowell of the Jumor
League education committee.
NEWSNEWSNEWS
Acteens view fashion show
Twenty-five students
presented a fashion show for
the visiting Acteens in
Weatherspoon gymnasium on
Saturday, Sept. 24.
Kathy Keith, a jumor
home economics and business
major, coordinated and
commentated the show, with
Mrs. Susan Meadows serving
as faculty advisor.
Each participant made
the outfit wMch she modeled
in the show sponsored by the
home economics department.
Spanish club shows slides
La Tertulia Spanish club
invites all students to the
October meeting to be held on
Monday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. in
the Joyner lounge. The
Roy Dicks, Lynn Dyson, Amy Cole, Teresa Duncan and Karen
Mangum rehearse a scene from “The Threepenny Opera.”
Parents’ Day set
by Leslie Cross
Parents, husbands and
other relatives of Meredith
students will be special guests
of the college when Meredith
observes Parents’ Day
Sunday, Oct. 9.
Activities scheduled in
clude a student-led worship
service at 11 a.m., including
vocal music by the Meredi^
College Chorus. Mrs. Jane
Sullivan, instructor of music
at Meredith, will direct the
group.
A picnic luncheon at 12
noon and an evening banquet
wiil follow.
Those who arrive on
Saturday, Oct. 8, can attend
the Meredith fall drama
production, “The Threepenny
Opera” at 8 p.m. in Jones
Auditorium.
Parents’ Day was founded
in 1975 by the Parents’
Association, which provides a
second opportunity for
campus visitation in the
spring when it sponsors
Parents’ Weekend.
Courses in literature
and history begin
Three enrichment courses
in history and literature will
begin October 4 and 11 at
Meredith College as part of
the college’s continuing
education program.
“Unique Women in
Fiction” will be based on
novels by John Fowles,
Sarton, Sinclair Lewis, Edith
Wharton, and Virgima Woolf.
The course will be taught on
Tuesday mornings from 10
a.m. to 12 noon, October 4 to
November 29. Phyllis A.
Peacock, retired chairman of
the English department at
Broughton High School, will
be the instructor.
program will feature a slide
presentation of Peru.
Crafts demonstration
to be held
Home economics majors
and those interested in joimng
the home economics club will
meet on Friday, Oct. 14. at 10
a.m. in the Hunter home
economics parlor.
Ms. Pat Brewer, who is
associated with the Mouse and
Mushroom craft store at
North Hills shopping center,
will give a crafts demon
stration.
Home economics majors
can get ideas for making
crafts for the bazaar in
November.
Also offered October 4 to
November 29 is “The
Revolutionary Experience in
North Carolina,” an
examination of North
Carolina in the era of the
American Revolution. Dr.
Jeffrey J. Crow, historical
publications editor with the
State Division of Archives and
History will teach the course
on Tuesday evenings from
7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Beginning October 11 is
“Obscenity and Politics in
Ancient Greece: Four
Comedies of Aristophanes,” a
discussion about the role of
comedy in public life. The
course is offered on Tuesday
evenings from 7:30 to 9:30
p.m. and will run to December
6. Dr. Susanne H. Freund, who
taught for 18 years in the
foreign language department
at Meredith, will be the in
structor.
Enrichment courses are
open to both men and women.
For further information, call
the Office of Continuing
Education at Meredith
College, 833-6461, extension
353, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday.