Thanks to them, the show will go on
Noon. It’s one of those warm, sun
shiny, lazy days. Joe Student is
slouched deep inside a cushy chair.
One leg hangs over the chair’s arm,
and the other leg is propped up on
the table before him.
His eyes are round and glassy,
staring straight ahead, never waver
ing; they focus upon distant fields
of lime green expanses and hazy
blue skies. Already they’ve spent
hours hammering back and forth
across the black and white-striped
print of his sociology textbook.
“This will never do,” Joe says.
“The brain must get some air.” So
he hoists himself up (urrgh), thrusts
his ink-stained hands inside his
pockets, heads for the nearest door
leading outside and exits. Once out
side, he pauses for a moment to fill
his lungs with unprocessed oxygen,
lifting his pale, porous and smiling
face toward the sun.
Suddenly, several trucks pull up
to the ledge on which he’s perched
and out jump two rather worn look
ing men. One of them stands behind
the truck and directs the remaining
driver to inch back slowly. From the
door to Joe’s left emerge seven
college-age men. They stand beside
him, expectant; he senses excite
ment. The driver pops open his door,
Roadies are needed volunteers
bounces off his seat, and clapping
his hands says, “Alright guys, let’s
unload these babies.”
Old Joe has officially become a
“rock’n'roll roadie."
A “roadie” helps unload and set
up the stage for a band. The three
men who arrive with the trucks are
bona fide roadies. That is, they
travel with the touring band.
The seven from the University are
usually students who lend time and
energy to set up the stage. The pay
is nil but the fringe benefits are
great. The volunteer roadies get into
the concert free and have the
chance to mingle backstage with
musicians like The Beat,
Bowwowwow and on this night, ex
Runaway Lita Ford.
A roadie needn’t be a man, but
one needs to be strong. When the
doors to the van are open, a two
inch thick ramp measuring three
feet by four feet is laid down to
serve as the bridge between the
loading dock and the vehicle.
Miraculously, it is able to support
25 to 30 metal encasements which
weigh anywhere from 50 to 350
pounds.
Each of these units, which are
rolled out and passed off to the
waiting hands, contain various
aspects of equipment: amplifiers,
lights, monitors, and endless rounds
of the thick black wiring that ties it
all together and brings a vacant,
silent stage to electrified life.
When all the major equipment has
been pushed and lifted upstairs via
the large service elevator, the
workers sigh silent relief. They fit
themselves inside the elevator like
puzzle pieces and ride up alongside
the last of the stage gear.
By now, the concert hall has been
cleared of all superfluous chairs and
tables. Only the countless metal
boxes of P.A. equipment occupy the
floor as the equipment is rolled up
yet another ramp onto the stage.
The sound board, which is even
tually hooked up to each piece of
equipment, serves as a feedback
system from the audience area to
the band members on stage, For
now, it sits majestically alone in the
center of the dance floor.
When the volunteer roadies enter
the EMU Ballroom, they stop a mo
ment to scan their surroundings and
get a sense of where everything
should be and what they should be
doing.
A handful of people, perhaps five,
move from the stage to the dance
floor, to the sound board, and back
again to the stage like darting
swallows. They work busily, pur
posefully, almost poetically — but
not quite, for they are all business.
There isn’t much for the
volunteers to do at this point. They
know they’ll be needed later when
the show begins to help with set
changes between bands, to give
minor technical assistance and final
ly to strike down the stage and
reload the gear into the vans when
the show is over. Between now and
then though, there remain several
hours of dead time.
Suddenly, and gratefully, a hand
cart carrying donuts and soda-pop is
wheeled in. The round cakes are vir
tually sucked in by the men and
washed down with caffeinated, car
bonated liquids. Then, from some
dark recess on the stage comes a
deep, appreciative, somewhat
amplified voice: “Great job guys.
Thanks. Showtime’s at eight o’clock.
Later.”
By Liza Shaw
‘Merchant of Venice’ a very enjoyable night
University Theater has out
done itself with its production
of Shakespeare’s “Merchant
of Venice.” They’ve turned
this complex, multi-level play
into a lively and enjoyable
evening of theater.
Director Robert Barton has
made many invisible cuts in
the script. The spirited young
cast brings the show in under
two and a half hours. The pace
never wavers and the audience
has no chance to catch its
breath.
Visually the show is stunn
ing. University Theater has
spared no expense in creating
costumes and set. The
costumes alone represent
nine month’s work. They are
as stunning as any ever seen
on the Robinson Theater
stage. And the set, with its
many levels, stairs and plat
forms, fully uses all the space
available.
The production takes off
from the start and builds
without a break to the famous
courtroom scene where Portia
outwits Shylock. In between
the audience is treated to a
rousing good time.
The acting is competent
with many fine performances
among the large cast. Stephan
Yarian is an inspired Shylock.
He is unctuous, odious and
thoroughly villainous. Yet he
is sympathetic.
Shakespeare has given his
audience little reason for
Shylock to demand his pound
of flesh from the merchant An
tonio. Yarian has made it
possible for us to see
Shylock’s anger as cultural, a
bitter cry against a society
which restricted a minority to
the one task they would not
themselves do — lend money.
Dennis Murphy, as Antonio,
is the perfect choice *o play
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have fun in the sun with an
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opposite the nasty Shylock.
He is good and kind and
selfless. And thoroughly
loveable.
But it is Kimberly Anderson
as Portia who clearly steals
the show, as she should, for it
really is her show. Anderson
has all the wit and charm to
captivate the many who woo
her, and the intelligence to
defeat Shylock.
Brian Marchington is an im
pish Lancelot Qobbo, lighting
up the stage with his clowning
whenever he appears. The lit
tle solo scene where he
argues with his conscience is
a masterpiece of comic acting.
It is hard, however, to single
out actors from a cast so well
schooled. Director Barton has
made it clear what he wants
and the cast de';vers His pro
duction is thoroughly
entertaining.
It is necessary, however, to
question the choice of this
Shakespeare play over so
many others equally as enter
taining. “The Merchant of
Venice” reflects a view we
don't accept today. Yet
because it's Shakespeare we
continue to produce it.
For the same reason we no
longer do black-face minstrel
shows, we should consider no
longer doing this play. That
Shakespeare was the master
playwright is unquestionable,
but like all of us, he was im
perfect. When, for example,
was the last time “Timon of
Athens" was performed?
Regardless, University
Theater's current production
will be long remembered. It’s
great fun, perfectly harmless,
and without pretentions And
the costumes alone are worth
the price of admission.
By Jonathan Siegle
Before the sun sets this year
say “HAPPY TRAILS’with
a special Emerald personal.
15 words for $1.50 if placed Coming
Theater
review
F
OAKWAY CINEMA
wmausatsmsi
NOW SHOWING
IT'S TIME TO FEEL
GOOD AGAIN
-
Neil Simon’s
MAX
DUGAN
RETURNS
20th CENTUNY FOX FILMS
THIS COUPON WILL
ADMIT TWO FOR THE
PRICE OF ONE
ADMISSION • $2.(
Friday. May 27. 1983