Teaching Aspect Of Directing
Presents Challenge To Martin
?
By BECKY BRAS1NGT0N
It isn't often a theatre com- '
pany is able to snatch a Broad
way director away from the
lure of New York City. But the
Southern Appalachian Reper
tory Theatre (SART) has pro
duced two plays this summer
under the direction of William
Martin, who has directed shows
on and off Broadway.
Martin directed the popular
musical "Fiddler on the Roof"
(returning to SART July 17-19
and Aug. 4-9) and "On Golden
Pond," the regional favorite of
the summer season. ("On
Golden Pond" continues at
SART until July 16, then
returns July 31 through Aug. 2).
Martin's impressive record,
which includes three Broadway
shows, also includes five Tony
Award nominations and six
Drama Desk Award nomina
tions for directing the 1974-75
production of "The
Lieutenant." Martin has work
ed with Eartha Kitt, assisted
playwright Edward Albee in
the Broadway production of
"Seascape," and discovered
Eddie Mekka, who plays Car
mine on ABC's "Laverne and
Shirley."
Smiling sheepishly under the
brim of a red baseball cap
labeled "DIRECTOR," Martin
hardly fits the stereotypical im
age of the hardnosed Broadway
director. Company member*
find him friendly and unpreten
tious, a "super-nice guy." Ac
tors marvel* at his percep
tiveness and sensitivity. Com
pany member David Poirier,
who plays Bill Ray in "On
Golden Pond," commented
after the first read-through of
the {day, "He (Martin) was get
ting us to think about our
characters and see things dur
ing the first rehearsal that we
normally don't think about until
the show is ready to open."
But the "nice guy" is also in
tense and driven. He is often
found in his office during the
early hours of the morning
pouring over a script.
Taking a break from writing
notes for the lighting crew,
Martin talks about his ex
perience in Mars Hill. "I get a
very good, friendly feeling
working at SART. There's a
feeling of summer camp here."
Martin says the pace at SART
is relaxed, despite the tight
rehearsal schedule of only two
weeks per production. He ex
plains that most plays on
Broadway are produced in four
weeks, with rehearsals
scheduled every day, eight
hours per day. Martin finds the
time factor at SART somewhat
frustrating.
"I can experiment more with
the play if I have more time."
Yet he is impressed with the
talent and facilities at SART,
and finds the "teaching aspect"
of directing students a
challenge.
What does the future hold for
Bill Martin, an established New
York director on the brink of
breaking into the limelight?
After leaving Mars Hill, Martin
travels to Richmond, Va., to
stage the Richmond Opera
Company's production of Scott
Joplin's "Tremonisia." Then a
return to the Big Apple to
search for the break that will
allow him to work steadily in
the New York City area. Until
that time, Martin remains a
vagabond, skirting the country
to work in stock companies and
college theatres between New
York engagements.
When asked if he has any
lifelong dreams to fulfill, Mar
tin looks surprised and shakes
his head, "No." Then he smiles,
adding, "I would like someday
to own a summer home in
Maine or Connecticut, com
pletely isolated from the rest of
the world ? but still within a
hour's drive of New York
City!"
What about a return to
SART? Martin and SART
managing director Jim
Thomas are presently
negotiating over next season.
Martin says "I would like to
come back to work on one,
Director Bill Martin Discusses Fine Point of Role With Student Actress
special, exciting project." He
smiles mysteriously and will of
fer no details about that pro
ject.
Editor's Note ? Tickets for
SART performances are $4.
and $5. Performances begin at
8:15 Tuesday through Satur
day, Sunday matinee at 2:30.
Make reservations by calling
the box office at 689-1239.
"The Front Porch," SART's
world premiere for this season,
opens July 21 and continues
through July 26.
General Assemblin' / Minds Work Better On Quiet Stomachs
By JINCY MESSER
Friday was the 131st
legislative day, and barring
an earthquake or a snow
storm this should be the last
legislative week. The unen
ding committee meetings, lob
byists by the bushels, the hot
humid days along with
redistricting has everybody in
a tizzy. It's time to go home.
Lots of people drop by the
Legislative Building. But one
of the comeliest was
America's Junior Miss,
Kimberly Smith of Raleigh.
Wednesday the Wake delega
tion led by Rep. Marvin
Musselwhite escorted her to
the House lectern. Miss Smith
told an admiring audience she
is "joyously happy with her ti
tle and delighted to call
Raleigh home."
Rep. Melvin Creecy arose to
wonder, "I'm not used to be
ing around celebrities. I'd be
obliged if this young lady
would shake my hand as she
passes by." Miss Smith did
and Creecy beamed. A little
later the benevolent
Gentleman from North Hamp
ton opinioned that "these
ladies and gentleman are to
hongry to think straight. Mr.
Speaker, I motion to let them
have food and drink brought
in." The "noes" outshouted
the "yeses." Speaker Ramsey
ruled with the "yeses."
Creecy is black and is the
spitting image of Uncle
Remus and puts on a good
show and is fast coming along
as the official rules
suspenderer for food and
drink on the House floor.
Redisricting has been a
bugaboo but is coming along.
It's tradition that the Senate
not tuiker with the House
district plan nor the House
with the Senate plan. But
Wednesday Senator Russell
Walker tinkered and tried to
put his home County of Ran
dolph into another district.
Walker s colleagues rebell
ed and adjourned in a huff. In
the meantime the House sim
ple sat on the Senate plan. The
next day without further t'do
the Senate passed the House
plan and the House followed
sdit. Neither will be final until
passed on by the U.S. Justice
Department.
About the same time across
the hall and after six months
of battling, House Chairman
of Congressional Redistricting
Rep. Jay Huskins of Iredell
finally fought a bill out onto
the House floor. House
Speaker Liston Ramsey allow
ed, "Grab a seat, dig in and
hang on." Huskins advised,
"Buckle your seat belt ? it
may protect you from your
neighbor." He continued, "I
knew this would be a challeng
ing task ? it has been."
The Senate didn't go along
with the House version for
congressional redisricting.
Now the Senate's own plan
and the House plan are in a
conference committee made
up of a House and Senate
member from each of the 11
districts and two GOP
members from each house.
They were appointed by Lt.
Gov. Jimmy Green and House
Speaker Ramsey.
Teachers Put Out With Lawmakers
Continued from Page 1
scious decision on the part of
the small group of men who
have seized power in the
General Assembly, and they
bear the responsibility for
making all our public schools
less capable of meeting the
needs of children."
Wilson said the inaction of
the 1981 General Assembly
has made the whole profession
of teaching less attractive.
"The Assembly, in effect,
cut the salary of each and
every public school educator
in North Carolina by its
refusal to consider even a sim
ple cost-of-living increase to
help educators keep up with
the ravages of inflation."
He noted that the state's
businesses and industries, in
cluding the supposedly low
pay textile industry, have con
tinued to announce salary in
creases for employees.
He continued: "NCAE will
not take this disaster quietly.
We will not sit idly by while
the General Assembly ignores
its respopsiblity to the
children of this state and then
blames teachers for its own in
adequacies."
Wilson said NCAE has, at
his recommendation,
reorganized its Political Ac
tion Committee for Education
with the aim of making it
easier for NCAE to identify
the enemies of public educa
tion.
"We intend to endorse in
every House and Senate race
in the next election, and we in
tend to recruit candidates who
understand and are sym
pathetic to the needs of public
education," Wilson said.
He said the reorganization
of PACE puts that unit direct
ly in the hands of the president
of NCAE and is a clear indica
tion of the importance
teachers now place' on
political action.
Wilson said he is particular
ly incensed that the 1961
General Assembly "could find
$4 million to build show barns
for horses at the same time it
was ignoring the needs of han
dicapped children and could
increase the appropriation for
private higher education at
the same time it was telling
teachers and state employees
that it could no longer afford
to pay for their medical in
surance."
Wilson said NCAE will
prepare a report card on
members of the 1961 General
Assembly and will share this
information with its local unit
leaders and Political Action
Committee leaders.
"I would hope that the peo
ple of North Carolina would
want to join us in our deter
mination to put their public
schools at a higher priority,"
Wilson said, adding that he is
"sure the people who pay the
bills ? whether it be for horse
barns or teachers ? are going
to be just as incensed as I am
when they discover their
children have been short
changed and ignored."
Sexton To Run For State 4-H
Off ice At Raleigh Congress
Peggy Sexton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Wade Sexton of Route 1, Alexander, will be a can
didate for the State 4-H office of reporter when the
N.C. State 4-H Club Congress convenes at Raleigh
July 20-24.
Miss Sexton, 17, said she feels she has greatly
benefited from her 4-H experience over the years,
and "it is time to give something back tb the
organization."
"Whether I win or lose the election, I feel I
will have profitted from the experience, and I will
have gained from the many friends I will have
made," she said recently.
Miss Sexton has been a 4-H Club member for
12 years, starting at the age of five. She
all executive offices on the local and
she is vice president of
awards with her projects on the county and
district level, and she has represented Madison
County at the State Electric Congress and the 4-H
Club Congress for two years and the State
Clothing Camp. She also went to Wisconsin last
summer as a 4-H Junior Leader.
Some of the events at this year's 4-H Congress
include induction of new members in the 4-H
Honor Club, State Fashion Revue, State
Demonstration and Activity Competition, and
election and induction of new State Council
members.
Miss Sexton and Allen Stines of Marshall have
been selected as new members in the Honor Club.
club is bestowed on youngsters I
best 4-H ers in the state, |
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