2The Daily Tar HeelTuesday, February 4, 1 992
Lomedy Shelter unites diverse characters as community
By Martin Scott
Staff Writer
What do a nomadic bus driver, a
silently suffering wife, a melancholy
Argentinean immigrant and a totalitar
ian landlady have in common? That is
for you to decide.
But after viewing the comedy "Shel
teV'presented by the Perihelion Theater
Company, the answer to this question
will become somewhat obvious. By jux
taposing the conflicting attitudes of these
four characters, Karyn Traut, author
and director of "Shelter," creates a real
ity which exposes a fear of society but
also a hope for what lies in the future.
As the play opens, these four strang
ers enter a shelter to escape from a
mudslide which has trapped their ve
hicles and left them stranded some
where between Santa Monica and
Malibu, Calif. The year is 1978, and the
torrential rains in California have been
causing mudslides. Gathered together
are Harold the nomad (Mike Brown),
Marci the suffering wife (Elizabeth
Martin), Erij the immigrant (Mark Britt),
and Kim the landlady and inhabitant of
Venice, Calif., (Deb Hanson). As these
four characters learn about each other's
lives, a unique bond forms by which
they become a community, each mem
ber assuming a different role. From
these different roles, the play evolves
and takes shape.
By utilizing flashbacks of her life in
Venice, Kim tries to explain why Venice
ij "representative of America." The
audience receives a hilarious, yet some
times shocking, view of the inhabitants
pf Venice. From a 6-foot-6-inch trans-
vestite dressed in a red wig and roller
skates and called Gilded Glamour, also
played by Mark Britt, to the beach belly
dance of the uninhibited Italian Camilla
(Cybele Kaufmann), the vividness of
Traut's vision the sardonic humor,
the good-natured attitudes, or the bla
tant self-denial brings out aspects of
our own lives.
Kim claims, "The more we under
stand Venice, the more we will under
stand America." Not all of the charac
ters agree with her. But through the
flashbacks, Kim attempts tomanipulate
the characters and the audience into
accepting her personal beliefs.
Unfortunately, Hanson's portrayal of
Kim lacks the vitality needed to capture
the audience's complete attention.
Though a veteran of numerous mid
western musicals, Hanson is overshad
owed by the marvelous performances
of Martin and Britt.
These two actors treat the audience
to a performance unequaled during this
production. Martin's portrayal of the
shallow and materialistic Marci is haunt
ing. She creates a feeling of anxiety
which permeates the entire stage. Like
wise, Britt's Erij delves deep into the
soul of any person who has felt like a
foreigner in an alien society. The mel
ancholic attitude he presents casts a
dark shadow over the lightness of the
play, so the audience feels the same
uncertainty of the future.
Even the nomadic attitude of Brown's
Harold rings true. Though Harold seems
invisible at times, the audience realizes
that he is fulfilling his purpose splen
didly. Brown's soft-spoken demeanor
breathes life into Harold that is com-
c3
t-l
o
4
"O
a
D
O
c
c
15
4
o
o
e
a
"Eh
D
Oh
X
CD
13
i-
c3
D
c
D
CD
13
a
o
a
CD
4
4
a
"c3
a
o
C3
l-H
CD
Oh
C3
CD
C3
C3
03
6
13
5ri r
. t it l ift
REGISTER NOW!
CLASS START TIME
LSAT week of January 27
MCAT January 28!
GMAT week of February 3
G RE week of February 3
Additional courses will be
offered in time for March,
April, and June test dates.
Chapel Hill 932-9400
RALEIGH 772-7909
pletely in line with the character's na
ture. He is only heard from when neces
sary, and then he smoothly removes
himself from attention only to travel
along until he is needed again.
To achieve an integration of the char
acters and the audience, Traut keenly
places the play's action right into the
laps of its viewers. The stage revolves
around the audience as each member
feels as though they are in direct contact
with the actors. This close proximity
heightens the emotions shared between
the characters and their obscvers.
Livemusicalsoplaysap:t ' n height
ening the emotions of the iay. Songs
played on a very interesting jukebox
(Michael Kelsh and Shannon Dancy)
reflect the mood of several scenes. Even
the background music (Didi Pearce),
though annoying at times, provides its
desired effect of touching upon the
audience's inner feelings.
Written as a reaction to Traut's move
from Venice to Chapel Hill, "Shelter"
captures a diversity between cities ev
erywhere. According to Traut, "Shel
ter" has taken 13 years to reach a final
form with which she feels comfortable.
It is projected at modem young adults,
whom she feels are "realizing that not
individually but by a community effort,
they can change the world." She fore
sees a great deal of potential for the
1990s and also sees young people re
turning to older ideals. Traut attests that
the '80s were metaphorically "a mud
slide," in which everyone was bogged
down, able to do nothing but attempt to
survive. It was this stimulus that in
trigued her to write a play that begins in
1978 as the characters enter the shelter
and concludes in 1992, when they
emerge to find hope for tomorrow.
"Shelter" can be seen at 8 p.m. Feb.
6-8 at the Community Church of Chapel
Hill. Tickets are $5 for students and $8
for the general public.
: 1 lr'
- ; - f '
Mark Britt stars as Gilded Glamour in the comedy "Shelter"
Medicine
from page 1
from one place to the other. And be
cause of my project, I'm going to be
more sensitive to the needs of my eld
erly patients and more in touch with
agencies in the community that can
provide those needs.
"Medical students could do a variety
of things from interviewing people who
have participated in (Alcoholics Anony
mous), to studying the success and fail
ure rate, to what brought them into the
community program," he said. 'They
could look at how people got to the
meeting and found out about it, and how
to improve the overall number of people
who support these groups. How would
you get more people who need this
service to get it?
"I think this program is extremely
necessary. It needed to happen. Medi
cine needs to get back on the streets,"
Logan said.
And getting back on the streets is just
what the medical school is doing.
Since February 1991, third-year
medical students' curriculum includes
spending a day at an HIV community
clinic in Raleigh overseen by Dr. David
Gremillion, associate professor and di
rector of medicine.
"HIV care is inefficient at hospitals
for many reasons," Gremillion said.
Transportation is one problem. "We
were removed from the sites that many
patients were coming from." About 45
percent of the patients did not keep their
appointments while the HIV clinic was
based in the hospital.
Gremillion said the satellite clinic
reduced that problem to 1 0 percent, and
the number of patients accepting ser
vices had increased 25 percent. "It is
more to the patients' convenience than
to the convenience of the doctor," he
said. "Patients show up more regularly
and predictably.
Gremillion said that health was a
way to be, not a place to be. "The key
ingredient is to take care of patients at
home and in the community, because
they take ownership and responsibility
for their health status. Whereas, at a
hospital, technicians and physicians take
responsibility for the health of the pa
tient." Doctors see their patients as human
beings in these clinics, he said. "Com
munity patients come dressed as they
would in their home environment and
may bring their child. Patients come in
with social and cultural markers reflect
ing who they are," Gremillion said.
"When a patient comes to a hospital,
she cannot wear the things that define
her as a person. We've stripped them of
their identity in the hospital."
In an impoverished population, it is
dangerous to remove patiems from their
communities, because their meager re
sources are dissipated. When a patient
returns to the community, he or she
must rebuild support, Gremillion said.
Ameesha Pandya, a third-year UNC
medical student from Charlotte, said
she felt it satisfying to assist her patient
in both medical and social ways. "I
could see how rewarding it would be for
physicians who worked in that setting
everyday.
"I think it's something those patients
" ,-w. -m. i . wg
r- fiP
Ceriaction program teaches medical students the human side of medicine
rely on a great deal, not even for the
medical care, but for the social sup
port." The next step involves making doc
tors aware of community-based health,
Gremillion said. "I fear there isa whole
generation of doctors who are not as
attuned to community-based care.
"I think what you are seeing is the
future of medicine. We are on the thresh
old of a process."
Pandya said she found her morning
at the clinic rewarding. "It was very
different. I wasn't quite sure where to
go. It wasn't in a great neighborhood. I
thought, 'Am I on the right road?'
Come Out Of The Closet
14' 1"
Kitchen
Haff-pat r--j
Living Room
to
Bedroom
IV 3"
14' 1"
Patio
Say goodbye to a life in a closet. Because towels belong in the bathroom and Ramen
noodles belong in the kitchen. With an apartment, you can get back to normal living,
and live a life where a closet is for clothes.
Stop by The Housing Fair today to find out all your housing options.
The fair will feature several housing communities that will be available to speak with
you. Refreshments and giveaways are also a part of the activities. And be sure to read
The Housing Guide in today's paper for articles containing information about
apartments for rent, planning tips, on-campus houses, and features about various
living arrangements.
Mousing Fair
Today
Great Hall
10 a.m. -4 p.m.
Mousing Guide
in today's DTH
"It made a difference for me. That
morning was the first time I had seen an
outpatient HIV patient. I didn't know
how comfortable the patients were talk
ing about it or how open I should be.
'Then I understood how important it
is to be open and frank, and how impor
tant human contact is. It was amazing to
me how they talked about their social
problems."
In contrast, Gremillion said during
his medical instruction in the late 1970s,
he studied health care in "hospital-based .
clinics with patients cattle-carted into a
large waiting room until their numbers ;
were called.
"I think medical students really like
theprogram."GremilIion said. Medical
students have found it rewarding to
have this new relationship with their
patients, despite a drop in the financial
reward. "Most people are willing to
take that trade-off, because it is much
more satisfying."
Students taking an elective course
called the Ambulatory Care Selective
will spend one month in an outpatient
care setting such as a doctor's office or
Gremillion's HIV clinic. Offered for
the first time this summer, the course
was made possible by Health of the
Public, Gremillion said.
The Health of the Public program is
making other new or altered courses
possible at the UNC School of Medi
cine. They include Community Diag
nosis: Assessing the Health of the Pub
lic, AIDS: Principles, Practices and
Politics, the Community Health Project
and the Introduction to Medicine course.
Cross said ideally, teachers should
incorporate pieces of this getting back
to people concept in everything they
teach. Medical students come to medi
cal school expecting these issues to be
here. "In changing the curriculum, we
had to change the faculty to get them
interested in the issue.
"The population of North Carolina is
going up, and the number of physicians
is going down," Cross said. "I think it's
still going down at UNC, but compared
to other medical schools, UNC is doing
better in getting medical students in
primary care."
Campus Calendar
TUESDAY
3:30 p.m. UCPl'S will hold a seminar about career
planning and internships in 306 Hanes.
UNC Study Abroad will give an information
session on Australiaprograms in lower level Caldwell.
4 p.m. UCPPS will hold a FederalSlate Govern
ment Careers Panel in 210 Hanes.
Curriculum in Peace, War.and Defense presents
Dr. Edward Ifft, Deputy Director for International
Affairs of the On-Site Inspection Agency, in the Toy
Lounge in Dey.
4:30 p.m. UNC Study Abroad will give a session
on Denmark programs in lower level Caldwell.
5 p.m. La Casa Espanola os invita a HTerruliaHa
la Cucina Rustica, 143 W. Franklin - University
Square, para tomar tapas y charlar en espanol.
5:30 p.m. Sonja H. Stone Task Force will hold in
first meeting of the semester in the SHSBCC.
Carolina AIDS Resources Ensemble will have an
interest meeting in 208 Union or call 933-2976.
6 p.m. The Juggling Club will meet in Great Hall.
6:30 The Language Houses will sponsor an inter
national dinner in the second-floor lounge of
Carmichael dorm. Everyone is invited to bring a dish.
7 p.m. UNC Undergraduate History Association
will have an informational meeting in 369 Hamilton.
Great Decision Lectures Series welcomes Suzanna
Witterholt of UNC Hospitals and Ciang Le of the
Wake County Center for Refugees to speak on "The
Refugee Crisis: How should the U.S. respond?" in
100 Hamilton.
Peer Tutoring for Econ 10; Poli 41 ; Bio 1 1 : Chem
II: Math 10, 16, 17. 18, 22,30.31: Fren 1-4; Span I -4;
Germ 1-4; Russ 1-4; Ital 1-4; Stat 1 1, 23.
NC FellowsLeadership Development will hold a
skills workshop in 213 Union. Call 966-4041,
Writing Center Workshop on writing about po
etry in 221 Greenlaw.
7:30 p.m. Interfaith Student Cooperative will
have bowling night at the Union Underground for $3.
UNC Young Republicans welcome Senate candid
date Gene Johnston to 205 Union. For more informa
tion call 933-9504.
8 p.m. UNC Young Democrats welcome attorney
general candidate Sen. Henson Barnes to 206 Union