V0L2.N0.29
Miller’s 'The Cruicible’
Termed Poignant Drama
By Harry Maussen
Os all the shows that I have
seen thus far at the Parkway
Playhouse, I am sure that "The
Crucible " by Arthur Miller is
the best.
I enjoyed "A Thurber Carni
val, " and I loved "1776, " but
this is the kind of American
play that peels back the layers
of history and reveals what is
really underneath our surface.
We haven't really changed all
that much since which is
the date of the happenings in
the play. "The Crucible, "
even though its settings are
reminiscent of the late 17th
Century, is applicable to us
today.
The story revolves around'
one John Proctor, played superb
ly by Greg Fraice (who was John
Adams in "1776"), who has be
fore the play begins, fallen in
love with a serving girl his
wife hired. When his wife(Pat
Taylor) learns of the liason,
she throws the girl (Jennifer
- Daffron) out of the house.
The village girls led by the
serving girl, play at witchcraft,
which is a hanging offense in
Salem in 1692, and are discover
ed. In order to save themselves,
the girls and Tituba (Mary Leigh
Best), their black serving womaq
confess to having "trucked with
the devil, " and thus can be sav
ed.
However, their innocent game
becomes frightening when, driven
by superstition, the entire town
is caught up in "witch-hunt
fever. " Spurred on by an un
popular minister, portrayed by
Michael Lilly (who is absolutely
excellent) the town begins to
hunt down and condemn even
the righteous in the full belief
that they are witches. The
situation sounds much like the
McCarthy trials or the Water
gate Hearings.
The performances range
from the excellent to the pass
able. Greg France, as Proctor,
Pattie Taylor as Elizabeth,
Jennifer Daffon (who might be
urged to let a little more of the
I Scene From Playhouse Production Os ‘The Crucible’
THE YANCEY JOURNAL
strength of her character shine
out earlier In the play), Michael
Lilly as Rev. Parris, Don Treat
as Hawthorne, and all the "little
girls" of the town Su Gilden,
Brenda Lunsford, Ann L ; on (who
is a 19-year old playing a ten
year old) are superb. These are
some of the best performances
I've seen at Parkway in many a
year, and all of these people
are genuine finds.
There are performances
which are good, and better than
average. There are not many
weak performances to mar this
show. I would like to point out
that in the weak performances it
is diction the pronunciation
of the words that is at the
foundation of the performance.
The characters of Giles Corey
and Mary Warren are guilty of
this offense, which is not worthy
of hanging.
Director Stan Dean has
brought a great deal of fine dir
ection to the performances. It is
surely a difficult play to direct.*
Its tone is hard to sustain, its
many subplots har<s, to intergrate.
Yet, Dean's direction seeUM. to
be, for the audience, like watch-
ing a primer.. .it appears very
simple on the surface with all
the important points underlined
and brought forward for your .in
spection. He is to be especially
praised for the first scene in
Parris' house and for the chilling
Courtroom scene.
Perhaps I just like the kind
of play "The Crucible " is, and
perhaps I Just like Parkway Play
house, but I consider it one of
the gems of our town--one of
the most precious. And any Am
erican who wants to know what
goes on in his home town is cer
tainly cheating himself out of
one of the richest portions of his
heritage when he thinks the
theater is for "other people."
"The Crucibld* is definitely for
just us folks. The box office can
be reached at 682- 6151, and the
play will rim July 18- 21. The
next attraction at Parkway
Playhouse will be "Life With
Father. "
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Chicken Barbecue Set For Craft 9 s Fair
Saturday, August 4, will be a big day on the Town
Square in Burnsville. On that date, the second of the
Mt. Mitchell Crafts Fair, chicken barbecue will be
Formers Reminded Os
Compliance Commitments
Yancey County farmers who
have certified compliance with
1973 farm program requirements
are reminded to continue to
Delegation To
4-H Congress
A delegation of five 4-H
members will be representing
, Yancey County at North Caro
lina 4-H Congress in Raleigh,
next week.
•5 The Yancey County delega
tes will be among some 1,200
4-H members, leaders and ext
ension agents participating in
the annual four-day program
which will begin Monday, July
23 on the North Carolina State
University campus.
The program consists Os re
creation, discussions, competi
tion, election of state officers
and a lot of fellowship.
"North Carolina 4-H Con
grejsi offers an excellent oppor
tunity for personal growth and
development, " comments Dr.
Chester Black, state 4-H leader.
"It is an event that 4-H'ers look
forward to each year with great
anticipation."
During the week state winners
will be determined in more than
30 demonstrations programs and
various judging activities.
Lisa Deyton, from the Green
Mountain 4-H Club, who won a
blue ribbon with her vocal solo
and dance in the District 4-H
Talent Show, has been invited to
appear at the state 4-H Show.
Members of the Yancey Co
unty delegation attending Club
Congress will be Peggy McQuade,
Bee Log Clubj Debbie Miller,
Pensacola Special Interest Group;
Connie Wheeler, Special Interest
Group; Jan Hensley, Pensacola
Special Interest Group; and Lisa
Deyton, Green Mountain Club.
THURSDAY, JULY 19,1973
carry out their commitment for
the remainder of the year.
Wayne Ray, Chairman of
the Agricultural Stabilization
and Conservation (ASC) County
Committee, says that 209 farm
ers in Yancey County had certi
fied compliance with this years
farm program by the June 30th
deadline. Certification amounts
to a pledge by the farmer as to
his program acreage, his acreage
set aside from production, if any
and that he has complied with
all program provisions, Mr. Ray
said.
Mr. Ray pointed out that
following certification certain
farms are picked at random for
a spot check program acreages.
The accuracy of the certifica
tion is determined by compar
ing actual acreages with those
certified by the producer. Mr.
Ray warned that producers
found out of compliance could
lose all or part of their pro
gram payment. Spot check
will continue throughout the
remainder of the year.
Reports compiled from
other areas indicate that some
producers have failed to meet
the minimum size and shape
requirements of set-aside
acreage, and are subject to
1 loss of payments, Mr. Ray
said. Generally, a set- aside
area which is less that an en
tire field must be at least five
acres in size, with a minimum
(cont'd on page 2)
Craft's Fair Edl on Coming
The August 2nd edition of < i Yancey Journal will
' focus on the annual Mt. Mitch l Craft's Festival and
Yancey Youth Jamboree to be Id in Burnsville August
2-4.
Anyone wishing to submit p itographs, information,
articles, or advertisements for ds edition must bring
or send them to the Journal ofll e by 5«00 P.M. FViday,
July 27.
sold during the day to hundreds of people who will be
V ln attendance to enjoy all the fun that will be a part
the 17th annual Fair on the Town Square.
(
j; Deal Transportation System i;
ji Planned For Coonty Schools ! :
Edgar Hunter, superinten -
dent cf schools -ias announced
that a dual bias transportation
systen is being planned for the
countr this year.
Funds far this program were
appropriated by the 1973 legis
lature in order to eliminate the
nece*ity for so many small
cliilden having to leave home
so esrly to get to school. This
system will have some buses
haqlng only high school
studints while other buses will
haqjonly elementary grade stu
dent. This will make it possi
ble .'or elementary schools to
sea their students home at
3:<)t o'clock in the afternoon
wijlout having to wait for buses
to irive from the high school.
ligh school students will be
us< i to drive high school buses
ag ,n this year, but the elemen
tar (schools will find it necess
arwin most cases to use adult
dn its.
Slice additional adult drivers
will te needed in all elementary
anyone interested should
con ict their elementary school
priz [pal as soon as possible. The
rats >f pay will be $2.07 per
hoiifrom state funds and $20.00
pezino nth from local funds. A
spetal class to instruct bus driv
ers -ill be set up around August
1 f those who do not have a
bu Irivers license.
although the county does
no jwn enough buses at the pre
se: time to make a dual system
work ideally, it is felt that a
modified system can begin now
with a bus or two being added
each year. (Although the state
finances the transportation sys
tem, it should be pointed out
that the county must buy any
new buses that are added. )
★ ★ ★
School Tears
Scheduled
Preliminary plans are pro
gressing on schedule for con
struction of the new high
school, according to word from
the office of the superintendent
of schools.
Although actual construc
tion will not begin until next
spring, the architects have
agreed that this building will
not be built from the blue print
of another school, but will be
designed and constructed spe
cifically to meet the needs of
the people of Yancey County.
In order for everyone possi
ble to be able to offer ideas on
the type structure we will have,
bus tours to a number of schools
in western North Carolina are
being aiTanged for later this
month. Visits will be made
to schools listed by the State
Planning Division as having
outstanding facilities. Some
small groups will also go to
central and eastern North Caro
lina for the same purpose.
Every interested adult who
can make one of the one-day
trips on the activity bus should
call the Board of Education
office (682-6101) and reserve a
seat. There will be no ex
pense to the individual except
his lunch.
Husband And Wife Team
Asset To Music Program
By Carmela Woodruff
Musicians Frank and Eva
Ell contribute to the growing
success of Music in trie Moun
tains. The highly gifted Frank
Ell serves in a dual role as
music director and clarinetist.
Eva, his talented and charming
wife, is a cellist.
Despite his youth, Mr. Ell
has an imposing background,
bringing a wealth of experience
and deeply developed talent to
the festival. Bom in Kalamazoo,
Mich., he was deflected from
his original preference, the
trumpet, because his school, the
Kalamazoo Conservatory, needed
clarinetists. Accordingly, he
changed instruments, to become
eventually one of America's out- ,
standing clarinetists.
Years of intensive study
followed. Ell attributes some
of the mastery of his technique ,
to his studies with Anthony Gig
liotti, first clarinetist with the
Philadelphia Orchestra. Subse
quently, Ell performed with the
Interlochen Arts Woodwind
Quintet in every major Ameri
can city. For a time , he taught
music. ’
Awarded a Fulbright scholar
ship, he pursued his studies in
Amsterdam, Holland. Follow
ing a tour with the Netherlands
Wood Ensemble, he achieved
the enviable post of solo clari
netist with the Rotterdam Sym
phony Orchestra.
For Eva Schafer, a minis
ters daughter, the organ was a
natural choice, but she soon
found the cello to be her best
medium. The future Mrs. Ell
was bom in East German/,
where she studied at the Univer
sity in West Berlin. She perform
ed both as a soloist and in en
sembles with the Berlin Cham
ber Music Orchestra and per
formed in numerous concerts
and festivals, occasionally in
other European countries. She
too engaged in teaching.
Eva and Frank met while
performing in the Rotterdam
Symphony Orchestra. The next
few years, their lives were para
llel, traveling and performing in
jk
BapHMIS
Cellist, Eva Ell
im
' '
Director Frank Ell
the larger European cities. Fol
lowing their acclaim in Europe,
they continued their careers in
the United States, but first they
were wed in Frank's home city
four yea: ‘ ago.
A heavy schedule ensued for
the Ells. Eva was initially a
member of the New Jersey Sym
phony and the New York String
Sextet. Frank is artist in resi
dence at the University of Dela
ware. The two Ells performed
with the City Center Opera, the
(cont'd on page 2)
Memorial
Established
Friends of Rodney M. Styles
have established a memorial
through the North Carolina
Wildlife Commission, in his
name.
Rodney loved the western
North Carolina mountains and
the opportunities which he had
to come back to enjoy hunting
and fishing.
Employees of the shipyard
where he was employed, speci
fied that their donations be
used for this type of memorial.
The North Carolina Wildlife
Commission has stated that any
funds which they receive, will
be used in or near Yancey Co.