✓-In review-^
Man from
F.I.S.T
I
By Jim McCaffrey
Of The Print
Photo by Ted McKenna
Students enjoy the West African dance class
held on Monday, May 15, at the Oregon Martial
Arts Center. The class was one of the many ethnic
You see there's this no
body tough guy who's got
nothing and is going nowhere-
fast. But then he gets this
break and he uses this oppor
tunity to fight his way to the
top. Sound familiar? Put
Rocky on a truck give him a
slogan and a baseball bat and
you've got the story line for
"F.I.S.T."
Sylvester Stallone plays the
two fisted union organizer
who manages to slam his way
to the top of a tough busi
ness only to find that a little
bit of power can corrupt ab
solutely also. Peter Boyle's
portrayal of a McCarthy-like
senator is a highlight amongst
otherwise routine portrayals.
Perhaps the unsatisfactory
quality of the film comes not
from the unfulfilled poten
tial that the story line has but
from the well documented
behind-the-scenes squabbling
of the writers over the script.
Somewhere amongst charges
and accusations of who stole
whose script, somebody lost a
fine idea for a story. Only
^h^ubli^wa^h^reaHoser^
studies taught by Jane Rickenbaugh, College in
structor.
(-------------------------- -
Leading lady probes acting philosophies
By Shawn Parkhurst
Of The Print
Journalism, or, I should
say, writing for a college
newspaper such as this one
(look on the front page for
identification), offers oppor
tunities like this one rarely.
I get to interview Barbara
Bragg, the impressive " lady
with the title role in "Mrs.
Warren's Profession", a play
produced by the College thea
tre department, running May
18 through 21 at McLough
lin Hall Theater.
I walk into
Barbara's
cracker box office on the
upper floor of Randall Hall
and am greeted by a shiny
eyed smile.
There are all kinds of ques
tions just waiting to be asked,
but the more traditional ones
seem to come to mind first.
I mindlessly blurt out:
"My first question is, 'how
long have you been involved
in acting?' "
Happily, for me, I get a
somewhat noncommittal ans
wer-something to the effect
of: "I wasn't involved in the
theatre in college. Harvey
was the last play I was in."
Later in the conversation, Ms.
Bragg offered a little more
information, like: "I did a
melodrama at the Beer Tent.
I shouted my lungs out. Be
fore that came Spoon River."
Interspersed throughout
the rest of our conversation
are comments such as: "I
played in the 'Crucible' in
1959," and "There were also
^tw^yeat^o^choolatEasr
Page 6
ern Washington State and I
did small parts there."
Barbara seems to be imply
ing indirectly her length of
involvement in action, as well
as her school time. She does
come out and say, "I've been
going to school through 1953.
I graduated the day Nixon
resigned."
I might add Barbara gradu
ated from Portland State and
is now using her degree, in
English, in a tutoring position
at The College.
When we zero in on the
specific play she is involved in
at present, all kinds of opin
ions surface: "I'm slowly in-
terpretting this role.
It's
quite evolving and involving.
I find Mrs. Warren
from
Shaw's words. Of course the
script is so important.
I
make decisions, little as they
are, based on punctuation
and tense of verb. There are
so many insights!"
From these subjects, di
rectly involved in the craft
of acting, we move the other
areas of conversation, con
nected with the theatre, but
not so obviously. We talk
about Patti Smith, the pow
erful New Wave artist who
demands, once one is within
discerning distance, that one
listen to her music. All kinds
of thinkers, religious leaders,
and other famous personages
enter the conversation. Con
nections are made between
Smith, Blake, Rimbaud (this
one by Patti herself), Shelley,
Conrad, and on and on. The
fantastic thing is the way in
which they are brought to
gether and related to acting
and Beorge Bernard Shaw.
Later, the tone and theme
of Shaw are examined on
their own merits-from within
the Shaw context.
"Shaw gives a lot of stage
directions," is a comment,
"but he leaves the really
important decisions to the
actor in the role."
Finally, I ask a general
question about the other peo
ple involved in the upcoming
production, and get a highly
quotable response. "David
Wilkes has so much talent!"
Barbara says with a grin. I
can testify to that. David
Wilkes is a terrifically nat
ural actor. It would be awful
ly hard to find any contri
vance in his acting.
"Susie Nicklas is impres
sive.
But this is the first
time I have worked with
her." Susie has had experi
ence with College productions
in the past. She once played
a wife to Jack Shields' Henry
the Eighth.
Apparently, one of the
major reasons Barbara deci
ded to audition for her part
is Jack Shields. "It's a spe
cial opportunity working for
Jack," is emphasized." He's
great to work for with his
knowledge and his sense of
humor. He brings a knowled
geable but innocent air to
others."
She doesn't forget any of
fellow players; she is extreme
ly confidant with all of them.
A problem that bothers
both of us makes its way into
the latter part of our inter-
view--the lack of interest in
productions here on campus.
We discuss it for a while and
decide not to label it with
student government termi
nology, such as "apathy".
Barbara believes that students
here are missing a great deal
by not attending performan
ces.
"It's not too encouraging
to see a halfway filled thea
tre," she said, shaking her
head. "The audience counts
a loti In this play, there will
be an immediate reaction."
George Bernard Shaw can
silence a place quickly.
A few days later, I read a
release on Ms. Bragg.
It is
interested, it seems, with the
externals of Ms, Bragg's past.
You see, I didn't realize that
Barbara is originally from
Mason City, Washington. But
it didn't seem to matter to
her or me in the interview I
did. Granted, the externals
have as much bearing on
things as the internal-but
what we discussed seemed to
be more directly correlated
with her idea of acting.
To see how these ideas are
used in the theatre, take in
"Mrs. Warren's Profession".
Evening performances begin
at 8 p.m. Thursday through
Saturday. Sunday's perform
ance is a matinee and begins
at 2:30 p.m.
For
ticket information
contact the theatre depart
ment, 656-2631, ext. 310.
Students will be admitted
free with student body card
Re-Elect
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Commissioni
Experienced
Qualified
And
Respected
Keep
Clackamas
County
Best
Place
To
Live,
Work
And Pl°y
re-elect
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UMHj SE
5’h Ayéñyet.«Ves»
Wednesday, May