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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 14, 1981)
7fafikA, Believe I’ll Dust My Blues Written by Jon Nerenberg Directed by Helen Machin-Smith Believe I’ll Dust My Blues is a play about a young man, Johnny Curtiss, trying to start a new life in Colorado, and leave behind a heroin addiction in Virginia. Johnny travels back home to face his problem with an old friend, Hardtimes, just released from prison. The plot revolves around the relationship between Hardtimes and Johnny, the influences they have on each other, and their continual downward spiral of drug addiction. Richard Leebrick, a local ac tor and musician who was last seen in the Oregon Repertory Photo by Theatre's production of Our Town, gave a particularly app ealing and convincing perfor mance as Johnny. The char acter’s fight with himself and his sensitivity to the world around him were expertly captured by Leebrick. Between acts, Leebrick added meaning to his lines with some fine blues har monica. Ken Hof gave a good, if not as compelling a performance as Leebrick, in portraying a man just released from prison, and thrown back into the "reality" of his junky life-style. The portrayal of Summer Curtiss, Johnny's mother, by Jody McCoy was excellent. McCoy gave such grace, humor and compassion to the char acter of the disheartened old woman, that even though her role was suppportive, she became a focal point of the performance. The scene in which Johnny returns home and sees his mother, after a three year abse nce, proved to be the most touching moment of the play. Barry Pitzer as St. Louis Slim, Paula Mahan as Althea, and • Poet Sandra McPherson is coming to the University and Lane Community College (LCC) on Monday. At noon she will give a reading at LCC. In Straub Hall on the University campus, McPherson will give an open workshop at 2:30 p.m. She will also give a reading on the ground floor of the EMU. All events are free and open to the public. McPherson has recently been the poetry editor for The Antioch Review, out of Yellow Springs, Ohio. Her first book of poetry, Elegies for the Hot Season, was a selection of the National Council of the Arts. Her work has appeared in several magazines, including the New Yorker, Harper's, Poetry Northwest, Colorado Quarterly, Epoch and The Nation. Copies of her most recent publications, Radiation and Year of Our Birth are available at the University Bookstore. For more information call 747-4501 (for the LCC reading) or 686-3944 (for the University events). • The 1981 Women’s Symposium comes to the University May 19-22. Sponsored by the ASUO, the Symposium is a four-day series of semin ars, cultural events, and experiential work shops; the Symposium is open to all people at the University and surrounding communities. Highlighting the Symposium is the Art Exhibit. This year’s Exhibit is planned for Room 167 in the EMU. • The Very Little Theatre’s (2350 Hilyard St.) final production of the 1980-81 season opens tonight. Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander, by Preston Jones, is the third work from Jones’ Texas Trilogy which VLT has presented over the past three seasons. Lu Ann spans a 20-year period in the life of Lu Ann Hampton. The play is three-acts, and follows her through her life as a high school senior and head cheerleader to her life as a widow caring for her invalid mother and alcoholic brother. The title role is played by Mary Jo Koreiva, and the play is directed by Chuck Ruff. Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander runs May 14-16, 21-23 and 28-30. Curtain is 8:15 p.m. Tickets are $4 reserved (seniors half price on May 21). Call 344-7751 for more informa tion. • Paintings of Oregon’s people and places by Charles Heaney, 84, are currently on display in the University Museum’s first floor gallery through May 17. • The San Francisco Mime Troupe is coming! May 27 at 8 p.m. the company will present Americans or (Last Tango in Huahua Tenango) in a benefit for the people of El Salvador in the EMU Ballroom. The troupe does not practice the art of silent pantomime. The company’s 18 actors and musicians rely on dialogue — and refer the reader to the dictionary, which defines mime as an ancient dramatic entertainment representing scenes from life usually in a ridiculous manner — to discuss the major issues of our time. Over the troupe's 22-year history, it has taken on such subjects of social concern as racism, housing, nuclear power and the war in Vietnam. Tickets are $6 general, $5 student/low in come, $3 children under 12. For more infor mation call the S.F. Mime Troupe Coalition at 683-9029. The Very Little Theatre presents £u oAnri J-famptori /jxverty Oberlaiyief from “A Texas Trilogy” by Preston Jones VAay 14-16, 21-23, 28-30 Box Office open 2-7 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday 2350 Hilyard St. 344-7751 ■\ Cynthia Blaise as Dee, were all strong in their respective roles. As a whole, the play was a forceful, realistic attempt to convey the pathos of a junky life-style. Playwright Jon Nerenberg is a Welcome to Sun country Sunburned9 We aren't, but that's because we re stuck i t the hollows of the EMU to mold away next to a warm VDT Bitch, bitch, bitch Ahh, yes Hope Joe understands his absence And Rich his lack of ink Space, my friends, space Final notes, you might want to participate in Nigerian Cultural Night (Nigerian food, folk songs, slides) on Sunday at 5:30 BUT, always remember that Thursday, one week before publication, is the deadline for stuff to go in the TR in general, or the Calendar Webb-foot'll love you Toodles to Cindy on her bus ride back East Hello to Myrrh, fun copy-editing nights ahead1 And. good-day to all, Erzsi. student at the University Theatre Department and performs locally as a blues mu sician. Believe I'll Dust My Blues will continue at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Pocket Theater in Villard Hall. The play is a Theatre 4:30 production. — Sheri-Lyn Scully Birkenstock. 2nd Floor Atrium lOth&Olive Mon Sat 116 687 0065 ■ Spring Specials j Perm $22.00 Haircut $8.00 Reg. $33.00 Reg. $11.00 With this coupon 2660 Oak 343-4813 Call for an appointment Expires May 31st OAKWAY CINEMA STARTS FRI. MAY 15 oakw7ym7^^42-s35i] NEIL DIAMOND THE JAZZ SINGER PLUS ===== OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN A UNIVERSAL PICTURE Weekdays “Xanadu” 6:30-10:15 • “Jazz Singer” 8:15 Sat. & Sun. “Xanadu” 2:30-6:20-10:15 • Jazz Singer" 8:15 xiiUMrr ^snwiva Itrin^in<i the ilivinr iiil'luciin' into \our life - “Healing through Spiritual Perception. ” • A unified perspective relevant to physical, mental and emotional health. • A lecture by William Breen, C.S.B., member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship. You're invited! Thursday, May 14th, 8:00 p.m. Erh Memorial Union, Room 101 Sponsored by die V of O Christian Science Organization
