Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 25, 1978)
Elizabeth Cotten Photos by Erich Boekelheide Blues artist sings of death; reminisces about her life * The audience kept themselves P busy sweating a reservoir at WOW Hall Friday night. The promoters had stripped the hall down to boards. And up front Elizabeth Cotten sat singing about death. “You just as well get ready j| 'cause you going to die. You going to meet your lord somewhere... You just as well get ready ’cause Iyou going’ to die.” The audience clapped deferen tially in response. This inspired Cotten to tell a death joke. “One time I was walking past a cemetery,” she said. “And a man walked up to me and asked ‘You know how many dead bodies are over there?’ I said: “No. How would I know how many dead bodies are over there.” He said, ‘Why, Mrs., they’re all dead.' ” The audience called it a good one. There was mutual agree ment. They had a character on their hands. An antique, a kind of Will Rogers under glass. After the performance they went up to study her, and to get more woras of wisdom. She'd been around enough to know how to save the rest of us some trouble. The WOW Hall patrons were there. They had come to see a “beautiful person.” They ex changed sun recipes: “Eight to ten in the morning, that’s when there’s real energy; you can really mellow out then.” After the per formance they were going to Seat tle to catch Tut. Others came too. Blues fans, senior citizens, ap preciative, well-dressed matrons. The whole lump. Cotten adopted them all, right away. “Turn up the lights,” she'd say, in the middle of a perfor mance. “I want to see my friends.” The audience ate this up. “She’s old and she’s friendly,” explained her agent. “Easy to talk to.” “She’s old and she’s friendly,” sang Cotten. “Going down the road feelin’ bad.” British play set to premiere far from Broadway By BOB WEBB Of the Emeralcj A Broadway play coming to Eugene? Nothing unusual about that. But a play opening irrEugene before it goes to the Great White Way, now that’s news. That’s what’s happening the next two weeks in the Pocket Theatre, Vil lard Hall. The play The Crunch, by Mar cus Campbell, a young New Zea land playwright now living in Lon don, will be performed by profes sional British actor John Rainer. Why Eugene? “I met some of your University people in Eng land,” said Rainer, referring to a recent educational tour of theater in Great Britain by University Theatre students, "and decided that if the climate and space al lowed, the University community would be a good place to try it out.” He wanted to play before United States’ audiences and see the west coast. This is his first visit here. Due to the play’s somewhat controversial subject matter, Rainer felt he would have a guaranteed audience if he per formed in San Francisco or Los Angeles, but he didn’t want only one sort of audience. Hence, another reason for the premiere to be in Eugene: the University community offers a theatrically conscious and, presumedly, more open-minded audience. And what is the controversial subject matter? The Crunch examines the dilemma of a trans sexual, Rainer said. “This man has passed as a woman for nine years, but hasn't had the opera tion because he is afraid. It ex amines his lifestyle in a funny/sad way.” What we see on stage are the events leading up to the moment when “the pressures become too much — when it comes down to the crunch.” Rainer stresses that he’s not in terested in pushing any issues. The play does not advocate any point of view although it does “raise some questions,” not only on the subject of transsexuality, but on any sexual variation. It may even cause some people to “rethink their situation.” But the main reason Rainer is interested in presenting the play is the chal lenge it provides for him as an actor, and Rainer considers The Crunch to be a very good play by one of England’s most promising new playwrights. Rainer trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in Lon don and has had an extensive career in regional theater all over England. Some of the highlights of his career include appearances with Sir Ralph Richardson’s Haymar ket Theatre Royal Company in The Rivals and The Merchant of Venice; many television credits for the BBC and independent com mercial stations; a Swish Curtain Rail advertisement which was awarded the Funniest Commer cial of the Year by Punch Magazine; it was also a prizewin ner in its class at the Cannes Fes tival. His films include roles in the Burton/Taylor Under Milk Wood, by Dylan Thomas, and in Oliver Reed's The Carry Cot. He has also had the honor of appearing in a Royal Command Performance before Queen Elizabeth. Tickets for The Crunch are $3 and may be purchased at the Eugene Hotel or at the door. Per formances are scheduled for to night through Saturday and next Monday through Saturday at 11 p.m. According to Rainer, “it's the only time we could get the theatre.” _emu Oregon Wilderness Supplies 1 Summer Clearance Sale 25% off Frame packs, Soft packs, books, fabrics, shirts, pants, parkas, goretex, rainwear, and camping accessories. Oregon Wilderness Supplies Lower Level EMU ) x 10-4 M-F 686-3089
