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The Carolina Journal, Wednesday, April 24, 1968 PAGE 3
Dr. Nicholson Is Catalyst For New Drama
By GAYLE WATTS
drama department of three plays to be presented with more of the
during the past two years has shown same. The professionalism and style
“There are many students on that students here have a real in- (despite what Mr. Donnell Stone-
this campus who are quite imagi- terest in drama and that they desire man, writing in the Charlotte Elast,
may say - we frankly wonder if he
would recognize style if he tripped
over it) exhibited in the drama
group’s latest production, “Waiting
For Godot’’, are a credit to the
University eind evidence of how the
drama group has increased, if not
in numbers, in talent and perser-
verance. And the catalyst tor this
outstanding development in drama
on campus is Dr. Nicholson.
She commented that many people
may be wondering why each of the
three productions which have been
staged by the group have been avant
garde plays.
“One reason is that students re
spond more quickly to these plays.
Middle age people often rejectthese
types and desire more traditional
plays,’’ she emswered her query.
“I find that students are far more
interested in these plays that say
something to them. Students catch
on to these intuitively.”
We are trying to do plays that
students and people can not see
elsewhere,” Dr. Nicholson ex
plained. She noted such places as
the Mint and the country dinner
theatres which offer different types
of drama.
When asked why the drama group
did not do Shakespeare, Dr. Nichol
son replied that there was at the
present not enough people or facili
ties to do Shakespeare well. “. . .
and there’s no point in doing it
badly,” she commented.
Dr. Nicholson is a vibrant, hard-
driving director and her intense
feeling for the drama is apparent
in conversation about the develop
ment of drama here.
“The difficulty 1 had when 1 came
here was that this is a commuter
school and it was impossible to
get all cast and crew members
together,” she reminisced. “This
was most frustrating and rather
discouraging.”
The first production by Dr.
Nicholson and the drama group was
“An American Dream’’. The cast
and crew worked very hard — even
giving up Easter vacation- - but
their expectations for audience was
less than 25 people. The play was
performed only one night - but it
played to an overflow house. This
event greatly encouraged Dr.
Nicholson and those interested in
having drama on campus.
Dr. Nicholson decided to do a
play involving more people lor the
next presentation. “The Firebugs”
became the next offering of the
group — a play with aigjroximately
11 cast members and some in
volving some fairly involved tech
nical work. For this staging, not
enough technical people were re
cruited. But again, tiie play drew
lull to overflowing houses each of
the three nights of its run.
Now the problem is finances. The
next budget for this branch of the
University to go to the state legis
lature Includes a good size hunk
for Fine Arts on campus. Dr. Nich
olson is optimistic abcwt the pos
sibility of getting this allocation.
COTSWOID AND FREEDOM VILLAGE
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native and who have much acting
talent, but how do you get them
to step forward?”
The speaker is Dr. Catherine
Nicholson of the Fine Arts De
partment, drama division. And if
you’ve wondered who has been for
the most part responsible for pre
senting to students what they have
shown such a consistent and en
thusiastic interest, i.e., drama, this
is your lady.
The presentation by the budding
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