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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1986)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ‘Short Eyes’ a prison drama on adapting to society Written in Sint* Sing for a prison theater project An escort leads past grim guards and through a barred gate into the prisoners' en trance, The set of the tiny theater is sprav-painted institu tional gray with a dark, dingy overlay of uncleanliness. The house lights dim and the prisoners’ roll call is heard from behind the set. A capacity crowd showed up Thursday for the University Theatre’s ‘‘Second Season" opening of "Short Eyes.” an ex hilarating. hot-wired piece of prison realism. Miguel Pinero was serving five years in Sing Sing when he wrote the play for a prison theater project. It won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award — the only "first play” so honored. Cast under the firm direction of Mark Kuntz, the inmates belt out their lines with intelligence and emotion. A missed beat is rare. Not so for the hearts of the au dience. This is a violent, con frontational play, and it hap pens almost in your lap. The precisely timed action pushes hard and fast. “This thing’s got to be as ugly as we can make it," kuntz told his actors during rehearsals. The play is about surviving, about how men adapt and why some don't. But subtlety and laughter bring respite from the heavy theme and densely pack ed dramatic action. From the first scene, the prisoners with their scruffy clothes and tatoos (costumes by Jerry Williams) come off as in capable of dullness. Kamden Sisco, as the effeminate Cup cakes, rocks out up on a table to a Jazzy number with witty iive talk accompanied by a trash can-bongo beat that shows off the versatility of cast members. You feel the joy of these men. As Ice. Benin Trotter’s hilarious pseudo-masturbation monologue in the second act is one of the high points of the show, as is his bug-eyed, “dope fiendish" gaze early in the play. Daniel Corona as “El Raheem" and Chris Pinto as “Longjshoe” are prison ceil mates in the realistic play “Short Eyes. ” Intramural Wrestling Jan. 21 & 22 * Mac Court Weigh-in at Esslinger Locker Room Tuesday, Jan. 21, 5-6pm Following RIM Wrestling Finals, Stay FREE and enjoy the last wrestling home meet of the person against Cal-Poly-SLO. FREE admission to All Spectators PRELIMS - begin 7pm Tues. |an. 21 FINALS - begin 5:30pm Wed. Ian. 22 Entry Deadline 5pm fan. 21 The message of “Short Eyes" touches on Bill aspects of society, and at times the subject matter causes the characters to erupt in violence. . • ' 4 ; V Cooperation and individual talent make this production powerful. Even the seemingly boring character. Javier.' is por trayed by.Jeff Salazar with just the right amount .of slow, dnig blown timidity, making ..one wonder how. this prisoner had it in him to commit a crime. When things get intolerable. Javier hides under the;table. In ; contrast. Enrique Arias, playing Paco, brings penetrating inten sity to his role as .ah.aggressive, homosexual. ... •However, .tjie. dialogue' makes' some awkward demands oh.the' character of Clark Day is. a white prisoner' accused .of child” ° molesting, or. "short eyes'’.'in prison 'slang'. Davis, played by ■ Rich Cray, is thrown into a cell with an established grotip of jn- • mates, mostly black and Puerto Rican, whose norms he. cannot comprehend5.'" • , Bpt Gray, overcomes • his. character's obstacles with dei . cent acting.-He brings tremen dous refinement, and excellent ' cadences to the lines, allowing us- to'glimpse a creep’s neeid’to be- loved, his nervous com pulsiveness •• and 'his - "what , about me”, self pity. .- . ’ In a pivotal scene. "Short . Eyes" deans.out hiS conscience and his.'karma, while*. Juan! played by ChrisCuthrall! cleans the floor and listens., The parallel ism makes for a believable reminiscence, with Gray actually becoming the self centered. wimpy Clark who *' asks for understanding but can not comprehend the.real suffer ing of his child victims! ' ■ ' As -|uan-listens, he gives.an-... arrogant tilt to' his. chin, 'clen ching his teeth and twitching his |aw.. With", tight-fisted restraint, he holds back his rage when he learns that .'some ofyhe. victims were Puerto Rican. You know that in 'spite df 'his revul *iori,.)uan, recognizes..Chip's . humanity'behind his despicable, .•acts. * .-.*• ■ . .. ° \ Daniel ' Corona ’.plays the ^radical B.lgck -Muslim.. ;’E1. " Ka hue hi., . a philosophical. •.revolutionary who. adds- a,' political dimension, to the .ac tion. Wearing .a°'red beret, he .' tells- his “brothers”, tol do because “try- is. a failure/' He* becomes a victim bf.hi'sown anger arid frustration when he comments that', for whites,.* justice means’ “just us.-" Carlton' •Miller : brings a . big, honest' “strength to. the character of -Omar. You don’t know him but -. you knoyv-ybu could-.-;-- —— The cruelest.rnen in'the play • are' two whites... N.fett,‘the “guard, uses /his - power - in; .arbitrary .ways, -never offending- the in-' mates.-You can't like Jim* Sofra . in the rble.-but you can respect • him for his uneasy efforts to lie cool. . ■ ' ... Chris Pinto, as j/ingshoe. is the only other white prisoner in the cellblock, He doesn't,exact ly have it.easy but he know* how to gei by "Longsbo*“ It* •slang for someone .who. la hip , and ha* his.act together. Hut.it isn't quite true in this case. The character ■ w<>u Id. be* # lot more powerful if he were meaner. Tie's-, not quite • bad", enough or stupid- enough’ tp do what he .does., '.V.vV Whether or not Kuntz suc ceeded in making things as.ugly as: possible- the play as a whole is ugly eriough. forajlnormai purposes.■'•You cq me a w,a y . be}i«yihg-ydu know what woulji happen '.to a.' mixed-upV'baby rapist'’ Thrown- in with eight hardened .men. You know that deeply human values would be sustained under the most brutal conditions... There was only one really noticeable directing error. At the end of the second act, dur f ihg the chaps of- hyperviolence, - it.'*- difficult tp see around the fighting; This ruckus .complete ly ‘overrides Cupcakes! crucial line, "Is this really us?" "Short Ryes" continues- its run .Thursday through. Satur day,Jan. .30-31 and Feb., 1,. Shbwtlrhe" is. 8 . p.m,*’ at. the "University’s Arentf Theater in Viljard Hall.’ Tickets are $2 50 for. general admission, and are available . at tho - Robinson Theatre box "office, .1 * " Review by Barbara Shaw Photos by Ross Martin The Learning Resource Center is offering a BASIC MATH REVIEW WORKSHOP For those taking the CBEST (and others who want to review pre-college math in an informal, non-threatening setting.) Mon. & Fri., Jan. 27 & 31. 2-4 pm $30 fee include* textbook and Instruction. For more information, contact the LRC, 5 Friendly Hall (basement) 686-3226 $1 off any pizza! name __ phone '_' (Expires March 31,1986) 687-8600 1432 Orchard • Eugene One coupon per pizza.
