6The Daily Tar Heel Wednesday, April 17, 1985
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By SALLY PONT
Staff Wrifer
When five members of the cast of Epsom Downs,
this springs mainstage undergraduate production,"
were together outside rehearsal, they all talked at the
same time but still heard what the others were saying.
They were both a group, members of a tight little
acting clique, and personalities that had the power
to rise above the crowd.
Jennifer Deer Johnson, a senior from Atlanta, is
beautiful and has a terrific husky voice. Kenn Russell,
a senior from Albemarle, converses in an unmitigated
flow of witticisms. Dave Gardner, a freshman from
Washington, has boy-next-door, teen idol good looks
and Patrick Padgett, a junior from Arden, speaks
with the slow deliberation of an oracle. Each member
of the Epsom cast is a showstopper in his own right,
but somehow meshes into the single entity of the crowd
for the show, which opens tonight in PlayMakers
Theatre.
Epsom is a play designed for an ensemble. It is
set on Derby Day and takes place at the race track,
where a wide assortment of characters meet and
interact.
The harsh sound of pre-rehearsal chatter carries
into the show itself. "This play is about crowds," said
Padgett. "The kind of loud fun crowds you see at
football and baseball games. It is a celebration of
.people and of a society. All types are represented here.
It's not just a cross-section of society. It's an entire
society."
As Howard Brenton, author of Epsom, meant for
actors to play more than one role, the crowd effect
lacks volume. Ben Cameron, director of this
production, endeavored to overcome this problem by
presenting his actors with a painting of a marketplace
by French artist Bruegel that captures the vitality of
a crowd not through numbers but through color and
individual expression.
Russell stressed the individuality of the characters
in Epsom. "It's not just a parade of stereotypes," he
said. "It's not like Patrick pulls out gangster stereotype
3 for his gangster scene. Sure, he puts on the accent,
but that's just a springboard for all the really
wonderful, unique things that he does with his
character."
Russell, too, has unique moments. As the play's
setting is a racetrack, some of the actors play horses.
Russell's horses, as described by Johnson, are
particularly horsey, with an added dimension. Said
Russell: "I play one horse as the aristocrat. We fondly
call him Laurence Olivery. Then I play a rougher
horse, who's the outside chance in the derby. He's
a little nervous."
Epsom treads a fine line between the realistic and
the unrealistic, the personal and the universal. Padgett
believes that above all the stress is on what is real.
He said the Americanization of the British play's
expressions and characters lended Epsom some of
its realism. "It's really the same play, we just changed
the colloquialisms," Padgett said. "That'll bring the
play home. It would be easy for Americans to avoid
the meaning of the play if it were British. Now it's
not removed and the meaning is apparent."
What does the play mean? To this question, the
crowd of actors gave its first moment of silence.
"It's about people," said Russell.
"It's got a real political philosophy," said Padgett.
"It's really about a day," said Gardner.
"You tell us," said Johnson.
Whatever the play means, there should be a lot
happening. As a crowd and individuals, these actors
are ready to put on a show.
Epsom Downs will be performed through Saturday
at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m. in PlayMakers
Theatre. Call 962-1121 for ticket information.
Campus Calendar
Wednesday
The Carolina Student FundDTH
Campus Calendar will appear daily.
Announcements to be run in the
expanded version on Mondays and
Thursdays must be placed in the box
outside the Carolina Student Fund
office on the third floor of South
Building by 3 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m.
Wednesday, respectively. The dead
lines for the limited editions will be
noon one day before the announce
ment is to run. Only announcements
from University recognized and cam
pus organizations will be printed.
11 a.m. Information table on Mexi
can Health Project in the" Pit.
Noon Atomic molecular and optics
seminar, "Intrinsic Optical
. - ' Bistability," 227 Phillips.
2:00 p.m. Meeting for juniors planning
to use the Career Planning
and Placement Office next
year, 103 Hanes Hall.
4 p.m. UNCDuke physics
astronomy colloquim "On
Driving 500-Kiloampre
Steady-state Currents with
Waves in a Tokamak
Plasma " 265 Phillips.
STAND lobb y i n
Washington.
7:30 p.m. "Mass Media Coverage and
Foreign Policy in Spain, 209
Manning.
Durham Chapel Hill Ski &
Sports Club meeting and
presentation, Royal Oaks
Apartments Clubhouse, Call
Rick Burt at 477-8442.
UNC Pre-Vet Club, Dr.
Harold Rodeffer, "Food
Animal Medicine," 204
Union. ,
8 p.m. Carolina Indian Circle pres
ents "North Carolina Indian
Awareness," Reception fol
lowing, 21 1 Union.
10 p.m.
"The Value of Current Arms
Control Agreements with A
Look to the Future," lecture
by Christopher Paine, front
Washington, D.C., branch of
PSR, 105 Berryhill Hall. ....
Small Business Big Money,
two-hour presentation oiv
how to start and run a small'
business, 224 Union.
"The Value of Current Arms
Control Agreements with a
look to the Future," 105
Berryhill Hall.
Anglican Student Fellowship
service of Holy Communion,
Chapel of the Cross.
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Ken Russell (left) and Margaret Jemison in Benton's "Epsom Downs."
stafooi socctahies.
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The Union Weekly Features Committee
presents c 1 . ;.
The A B C's
and
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of car maintenance
and mechanics.
Wednesday, April 17
7pm McFarlmg's Exxon 126 W. Franklin
if
10th Annual
750 domestic bottles
32 oz. house draft $1 .00
157 E. Rosemary ST.
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requests your presence
during our upcoming 2 day PC
exposition. Our presentations are
exciting and aimed at making you more
productive in your lab, office, and home.
Join us for wine and cheese,
on-going demonstrations, and a festive
look at your PC's potential.
Thursday & Friday
April 18th and 19th, 1985
1 1 a.m. 'til 6 p.m.
Demonstration:
On-line Searching
Graphics including
AutoCAD & Fontrix
Utilities
Nifty Gadget
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Inc.
(919)493-8444
3411 University Drlvo
Durham, NC 27707
R.S.V.P.