' Love Happy," starring the Marx Brothers, will be shown Friday eve
ning, sponsored by The Spiritual Union. This is Marilyn Monroe’s first
film. (Check the Calendar of Events for times, etc.}
In VLT’s ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’
Well, at least the script survived
By HELEN ROBINSON
Of the Emerald
If Abby and Martha Brewster had offered me a
glass of homemade elderberry wine during Friday
night s performance of Arsenic and Old Lace at the
Very Little Theatre, I would have been eternally
grateful.
Despite having a classicly funny script, this pro
duction managed to be unrelievingly tedious.
I was shocked into some kind .of awareness at
the beginning of the play as the stage lights suddenly
came on and the curtain was jerked open while the
house lights were taken out at an agonizingly slow
pace by someone apparently in a complete stupor.
The set, solidly built though it was, resembled
rather sleazy, pseudo-European low income hous
ing, with some of the most hideous wallpaper it has
ever been my misfortune to encounter, a lot of what
appeared to be fake wood panelling and some pink
stairs.
Within the first five minutes of the show, a
teacup, sadly lacking liquid, was knocked over and a
pipe was dropped. Either the timing was unmitigat
ingly dreadful or a good many lines were dropped in
the first act. The Reverend’s hair resembled that of a
1950 greaser's, the make-up, especially on Denny
Guehler and Wayne Sipe, was atrocious and many of
the costumes were ill-fitting.
Despite the banana skin direction, some of the
cast did their best in the circumstances.
Mark Agerter, as Mortimer, squeaked his way
through the show in a soprano voice. I have heard
that a bout of laryngitis was going around. I hope that
was the problem. Otherwise Agerter gave a solid, it
over-acted performance.
Gene Herlocker as Teddy Brewster was funny
and the two old ladies were consistently played by
Gerda Brown and Julia Herbert.
John Belles gave an entertaining rendition of Dr.
Einstein. It was a relief to watch his relaxed and
capable acting.
Kathy Kern as Elaine Harper did her best, allow
ing for the singularly unpassionate response she
received from Agerter and the disadvantage of dwarf
ing him on stage.
Lynn Huston was an admirable Lieutenant
Rooney.
Technically the show was appalling, but despite
that fact and the poor direction, the script is well
enough written to evoke some interest in the resolu
tion of the plot.
The Very Little Theatre is capable of producing
plays of a much higher calibre.
Multimedia circus performs
By CHERYL RUDERT
Of the Emerald
There s a different kind of circus
coming to the W.O.W Hall this
Saturday. And it promises to be a
mind-expander
The Media Circus, not to be
confused with other shows of the
same name, will be a freewheel
ing concert of small ‘theatre’
pieces. Theatre in this instance re
fers to an unlimited range of ex
pression — from mime to vid
eotape, from barbershop quartet
to live music synthesizer, from
light show to slide show
Presented by the Community
Center for the Performing Arts
along with Mutant Productions,
the Circus will be more than just a
patchwork quilt of entertaining
events. According to entrepreneur
Arlie Conner, the overall theme is
a statement about twentieth cen
tury technology. In this century we
have access to more tools and
gadgetry than ever before, yet we
are painfully ignorant of their full
potential."
It is Conner s belief that by tan
talizing the audience with the ef
fects of the media (including
media that don’t have to be plug
ged in to convey a message) he
will inspire people to use technol
ogy to its fullest. People shouldn't
abuse the resources they have
before them. There is an ecology
of expression in the arts today as
well as in everyday life. Whereas
much art that is produced today is
bombastic and extravagant. I ap
preciate those expressions that
are poetically concise. ’
Conner is a graduating senior in
the University's School of Music
and math department, fields
which he thinks will combine well
for work in audio engineering.
Since his envisioning of the Media
Circus in February, it has grown in
proportion and style. Acting as
ringmaster as well as performer,
he has brought together over a
dozen artists, who bring with them
their individual works.
The artists will be Ed Mellnik,
Robert Johnson, Andy Wayman,
Herb Ernst, Michael Vantis, Mark
Garrabrant, Scott Vance, Henry
Zinnman, Prof. Dave Foster, Jack
Herbert. Pat Burke and the Mime
Trio.
The Circus starts at 8 p.m.; ad
mission is S 1.50 for adults and half
price for children. In Conner s
words, "the audience is quite wel
come to gaze, gander, and gape
at the gizmos and gadgets.”
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. Radio features Rubenstein
Eugene — Pianist Arthur Rubenstein will be spotlighted in an
hour-long program on National Public Radio Tuesday (May 31).
NPR s “Options will broadcast “Arthur Rubenstein at Ninety" at
3:30 p.m. over KWAX-FM
The program will also feature some of Rubenstein's finest record
ings — documents of one of the fullest musical lives ever lived.
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