Surface and
The Emerald's weekly arts and entertainment supplement
Syrpbol
Thursday, April 21, 1977
Black 'll stages ‘Survival’
a satirical view of convicts
By BENJAMIN BOPP
Ol the Emerald
Black 77," a native theatre group Irom
South Alnca, will conduct a workshop about
performing and present a play depicting
pnson lite in South Afnca in the EMU Ball
room Tuesday
Black 77" consists of lour young black
actors. SethSibanda, Dan Maredi, Themba
Ntinga and David Kekana, who have been
brought to America by Professor James
Bertolf, chairman of the Theatre Arts De
partment of Orange Coast College in
California
"Every few years," Bertholf says in a
press release. "I take off on a trip in search
of theatrical talent in its early stages of de
velopment My object is never to pick up a
fully professional show, but to find some
thing still growing, as in this case Two
years ago I was in Ireland and Scotland
Thisyear Ithought I dvisit Africa — apart of
the world which is just being noticed by
Americans
The players, he continued, have what
you might describe as a commonality with
American Blacks — the sense of humor, the
musical ability, the eye tor satire
Survival, the play they will present at 8
p m Tuesday night in the Ballroom, is a
protest against prison life It consists of four
different visions of prison and the world as
seen from prison, corresponding to the
characters of the four actor/prisoners The
actors combine song, mime, satire, self
parody, humor, and irony to portray the
“prison-freedom conflict." The play was
described as, ostensibly, a “jailbird's
eyeview" of life in and out of prison in South
Africa but the universality of the theme re
lates it to the penal system anywhere
An uncredited review in Johannesburg s
Rand Daily Mail states, "Survival illustrates
the incredible development of the African
actor There has always been talent here,
but until recently it was raw talent; the norm
was exaggeration and overplaying
"This current production , reveals a new
discipline, a new-found sense of timing, an
appreciation that silence sometimes
speaks louder than words Between the
four men exists an astonishing ensemble
rapport
"Survival is a series of incidents in the
lives of cell-mates, with flashbacks to ex
plain the reason for their arrests Interming
led with the drama and tragedy are humor
and song
Most of the credit. I imagine, must go to
(director) Mshengu. who masterminded the
whole production, skillfully guiding its con
cept and realization. He has succeeded in
regimenting natural Afncan vigour into a
strict Western format."
Sydney Duval, in his review of Survival
for another Johannesburg newspaper,
says, "The greatness of this work lies in
both its structure and its demonstration that
humor can be a powerful way of making
political points For though you want to
weep, you also want to laugh — and laugh
like hell. Which is a very human way of
responding to a tragic situation. Anyone
who professes a love for theatre should see
what's happening (here). This is where it's
at. It's strong and ugly but beautifully inspir
ing stuff.''
Photo courtesy erf South African Black Theatre Project
The workshop will be held in the Ballroom
at 1 p.m. Tuesday, it's free. Tickets for the
evening performance of Survival are $3 for
University students and $4.50 for non
students. They are available at the EMU
Main Desk.
Art festival offers documentaries, Shaker service
The University Festival ot Arts
continues today through Sunday
with its series ot documentary
lilms and a Shaker worship ser
vice.
joined the NFB in 1966, and since
that time has served as producer
and/or director ot a number of
films, including several anima
tions, such as "TV Sale, a satire
on television.
At 3:30 p.m. tomorrow, the films
to be shown in Room 107, Lawr
ence, include "The Documentary
Film — Purpose," "Augusta," "At
lanticanada Clips" and "Working
Class on Film."
Kathleen Shannon will lecture
on “Film as an Alternative to the
Images ot the Mass Media: Our
Unknown and Unnoticed His
tones' at 8 p.m. tomorrow night
evening in Room 150, Geology.
The film "Great Grandmother." a
history of the settlement of the
west from the point of view of the
women who experienced it, will be
shown.
Shannon is the Executive Pro
ducer of Studio D, a unit of the
National Film Board devoted to
the production of films and sub
jects not ordinarily "well served by
the mass media." She has been a
member of the NFB since 1956,
where she has served as
music/producer witn me ^nai
lenge for Change program. Her
film credits include work on "Circle
of the Sun,” "Lonely Boy," "The
Summer We Moved to Elm
Street" and "My Name is Susan."
A "congregation" of sixteen
vocalists from Fullerton College in
Souther California will perform a
facsimile Shaker worship service
on Saturday and Sunday. Salli
Terri, director, has worked to ob
tain an authentic look as well as
sound to her production through
extensive research into Shaker
life, music, dance and religion.
MIC yiUUfJ I" VAJOIUMIC
with a set which is suggestive of a
Shaker meeting house.
The name Shakers identifies a
small Utopian community who ar
rived in the U.S. from Liverpool in
1774, led by Mother Ann Lee.
Eighteen "families" (United
Societies) eventually formed
under her guiding light. Their
motto, “Put your hands to work
and your hearts to God,” led to
vows of celibacy, and the intent to
remove all evil from their lives.
During trances they often re
ceived spirit messages and "gifts'
of song, spoke in "tongues," and
rhythmically trembled and shook,
pacing the floor to release evil
from their bodies. The name Shak
ing Quakers, used by outsiders to
deride their religious practices,
was later adapted by the group
itself.
The performances of the
Shaker service will be at 8 p.m.
Saturday in the EMU Ballroom,
and on Sunday at 2 p.m at the
Community Center for the Per
forming Arts, 8th and Lincoln.
There is no charge for any of the
activities during the Festival of
Arts.
By BOB WEBB
Ol the Emerald
In recognition ol the new film
studies program offered in the
Speech Department, the Festival,
which began yesterday, is spon
soring afternoon seminars and
evening film lectures by filmmak
ers from the National Film Board
(NFB) of Canada.
At 3:30 this afternoon in Room
107, Lawrence, the films "The
Documentary Film — Function,"
"Goldwood," "No Bid Money" and
"Pas De Deux" will be presented.
At 8 p.m. tonight, John Taylor
will lecture in Room 150, Geology,
on "Film as a Method for Interpret
ing Regional Subjects to a Na
tional Audience." The film "He's
Not the Walking Kind" will be
shown.
Taylor is Executive Producer of
the British Columbia Regional
Production Center of the NFB, lo
cated in Vancouver, B.C. He
First Poetic Hoo-Hah, Spring Trip to be aired
The 1st perennial Poetic Hoo-Hah and Spring
Trip lives again! Only this time it's all on tape.
Eugene television station KVAL is showing a
video tape, which was made at last year's Hoo-Hah
by reporters Bill Bradbury and Steve Christensen,
tomorrow evening at 8 p.m. on Channel 13, Cable 8
The one hour presentation was put together by
Bradbury and Christensen from over 7 and one-half
hours of tape shot during both the afternoon and
evening sessions of the event which was held last
June 6 at Mac Court.
Friday's showing is an attempt to distill into one
hour an entire day and evening of poetry, music,
theatre, magic and general happenings that made up
last year's Hoo-Hah It will try to capture some of the
flavor of the day by showing a few of the many
participants in the event. Included is footage of name
people like novelist William Burroughs, poets Anne
Waldman and Bob Michelin, and jazz musician
Charles Lloyd, as well as local talent such as the
NewMime Circus, the Flying Karamazov Brothers
and Pleasant Hill author Ken kesey. who actually fits
into both categories.
A reminder: the 2nd perennial Poetic Hoo-Hah
and Spring Trip is coming up on Saturday, May 7 at
the same place (Mac Court). Watch the Emerald for
further information on this major cultural event.