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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 20, 1976)
Surface and Synjbol The Emerald’s weekly arts and entertainment supplement ^ Thursday, May 20, 1976 Norman Husser as a barker. Photo by JacKi Wilson Everything’s covered in a carnival setting “Prisms” is not a play. It’s not in a theater. But it is dramatic and it is produced by the University Theater by Director Jean Cutler, who has some definite ideas about theater: “Theater is something that occurs in a given time and place involv ing people.” He sees it hav ing a structure and in his “Prisms” has evolved a highly episodic, theatrical experience. Ves, “Prisms” promises to be nothing less than an experience. Surely one thing it will accomplish is the downgrading of preconcep tions about theater. This one — this theater, this theatrical event— promises a bursting of traditional ideas about the space/time continuum. "I looked at all the worlds around me and realized, more than intellectually, that we have many realities we have to deal with — momentarily, instantane ously, simultaneously,” Cutler’s dilemma then: create a multiple reality, fragmented, “A positive confrontation with multiple constructs of reality. To have positive experi ences of them.” And using a carnival format for “Prisms” as a way of doing it. So a carnival. Not in a theater but in the EMU Ball room. In a dozen stage areas in a halt-dozen time frames. About religion and politics and sensuality. With a dialogue between a Palestinian and Israeli; the witches from “Macbeth;” wrestlers sweating and grunting, yelling primal battle-cries. Rock, folk, and electronic music — and dancers, speakers, guerilla theater, jugglers, a rope en vironment, video replays of the audience. Slides, films, recorded and live sound. Sound. Sounds and pat terns coming out of every thing — if all goes well aural and visual statements con fronting, battling, forming new constructs and realities. Bring what you can, take what you need. Sitting in his campus of fice Cutler is wont to sit still for a few moments before answering a question. Think about it, and then, "It’s not a play, it’s a theater piece. When we deal with multiple constructs simul taneously a lot of people have difficulty and it creates pain. I want to provide har monious constructs. Not chaos but confidence.” I don’t know if he’s a modest messiah or mad. Through history genius has often been labeled insanity — but so has insanity. “Prisms” is playing Fri day through Sunday only, in the EMU Ballroom at 8:00. With a theatrical prologue at 7:30. Matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 with the prologue at 2:00. Tickets are on sale now for $3.50, which includes 50 cents worth of script, refresh ments, et al. And students are offered half-price tick ets./By John Loeber
