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P#0« 8 Section I Portland Observer, April 27, 1983
MEET BERLIN
WOULD YOU TRU8T THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET TO THESE THREE?
Ssdro (aka FACTWINO), hla buddy. Buddy (cantarl. and tha Spirit of
Information (right) taka on tha mlghtiaat foe of them aN. ARMAGEDDON
M A N III
THIRD WORLD THEATRE
" W e do plays that relate to people's reality," says Estaban Oropeza who
has been with the San Francisco Mime Troupe since 1974. During its 20 years
the M im e Troupe has picked up (and on) such issues as race, the price o f
beans, equal pay, unequal work, foreign policy, the "new Right” and others
Each is delivered in low-blows-high precision comedic style in the belief that,
"Laughter gives us the distance to understand."
Now the second largest employer o f perform ers in San Francisco, the
M im e Troupe began a “ hiring freeze" in 1973 to insure a racially balanced
perspective. The Mime Troupe now boasts performers from East Los Angeles
to Spanish Harlem , Berkeley to Baltimore.
The transition to racially balanced audiences has been a challenge. Accord
ing to Alysse T rim ble o f Esencia magazine, "th e third world has been slow
to accept the Troupe which 'looked white’ for so long. But it’s working; the
M im e Troupe now enjoys a following from H arlem to East Los Angeles to
San A n to n io ."
P o ten tial perform ers are interviewed closely to insure th at, as M a ria
Acosta-Colon put it, "there is a certain consciousness about why we're doing
what we’ re doing. O therw ise,” she adds, " a d o in g -a rt-fo r-art’s-sake kind
o f mentality comes into the w o rk.”
Performances by the San Francisco M im e Troupe are cast in the tradition
o f true craftsmen; each perform er helps write, direct, compose, costume,
produce and perform the complete product. This is not done as quietly as
mime might imply, the Troupe goes by an older definition o f mime meaning
to represent scenes from life usually in a ridiculous manner. They carefully
synchronize music, narrative, action, and song.
"Everything about this theatre is direct. . . the political intention is explicit,
nevei d isguised," stated Peter Solom on in his prologue to b v P o p u lar
Demand, Plays and other works by The San Francisco M im e Troupe. He
explains that, " . . .they are political plays, as they concern the ways people
deal with each other and with their government; they are plays o f protest, as
they concern the ways people and governments abuse people."
People is the key word here. As Trim ble notes, " it is not enough to say
that the plays are about people, they are also f o r people. The M im e Troupe
brings to life ‘guerrilla theatre* which is socially conscious and quite d iffe r
ent from ’dining room theatre.* ”
The timely theme o f this year’s premiere is nuclear disarmament. Entitled
" F a c lw in o versus A rm a g e d d o n m a n ," it is the last chapter o f a musical
comic strip trilogy begun two summers ago. Factwino is a has-been drunk
with the will-be power to “ zap” the thoughtless into thought. Armageddon
man is a malicious monster minded by two (he’s h alf business, h alf war),
out to push the button and end mankind with a bang. The “ Final C o n flict"
decides whether Armaggeddonman’s vision of nuclear holocaust is fulfilled
or the growing movement for nuclear disarmament succeeds in time!
Although the M im e Troupe struggles to pay expenses plus $125 per week
to its actors, it often performs free or does benefit performances for socially
conscious groups. Performing Artists for Nuclear Disarmament (P .A .N .D .)
w ill receive net proceeds from one o f the four upcoming Portland shows.
Not politically popular, the Troupe fought for eight years to receive money
from San Francisco’s Hotel Fund. La Rochele, a city in France, was giving
m oney to the co m p an y b efo re San Francisco was. T he M im e T ro u p e
depends on "th e box office” for 80^. o f its income.
W ithout a doubt, Berlin is one o f the most extraordinary success sagas o f
the current musical season. Emerging from the bustling Los Angeles music
scene, the group, via a series o f critically acclaimed and highly popular live
appearances and the release o f their own, independently financed and pro
duced EP. have in a short space o f time, become one o f the most talked-and-
written-about ensembles in recent memory.
"T h e group defies all labels and analogies," enthused one w riter. " T o
put it simply, there is nothing like it ." "T hey succeed brilliantly in combin
ing catchy pop hooks with sophisticated lyrics.” observed another, while a
third remarked, "B erlin combines sexual energy, lyrical content and mass
appeal rock ’ n’ ro ll___ ”
Berlin’s E P , Pleasure Victim , is a seven song tour-de-force laden with
melodic pop hits. Recorded in the spring o f 1982, Pleasure Victim was ini
tially released on the small, independent M .A .O ./E n ig m a label in September
o f that year. Almost immediately it began attracting widespread attention,
both in alternative record stores and on the airwaves. In the first ten weeks
o f its release it sold over 25,000 copies and became one o f the top fifteen
best-selling discs in the L. A . basin. Radio stations from coast-to-coast put
Pleasure Victim on the heaviest o f rotations. From apparently out o f the
blue, Berlin had arrived to take the musical com m unity by storm . Now
Geffen Records has re-released Pleasure Victim and signed Berlin to a long
term recording contract. It has indeed been an eventful few months for a
remarkable and provocative band.
p .m ., A p ril 30, $6 advance, S7 at door, 242-0821 for inform ation.
Fashion Fair and M a k s up C u ltu ral C s n ta r, call Mrs. Lottie Clay,
654-9310 for inform ation.
S
K
H
l 'i N
R
1431 N.E. B roadw ay
s HARfs
B u n d a y
Pub
TOP FLIGHT BAND
*1 00 cover
Play Your Favorite Games
BID WHIST, DOMINOES &
BACKGAMMON ON SUNDAYS
4:00 p.m.
Sunday, M a y 1st
Barlin, along w ith apaclal guaat M ap of Franca, w ill ba at tha
Euphoria May 14. 1983. at 9:00 p.m. Tlckata will ba M .90. Pick up your
tlckata today at Everybody'» Records, Music Millennium. Fradarick
and Nelson d o w n to w n . Singles Going Steady and R ock-n-R oll
Fashions.
Geneva's Lounge
4228 N Williams
282- X
In the spring o f the following year, Pleasure Victim, featuring a prepon
derance o f John C raw ford ’s original material was recorded and the group’s
reputation took a quantum leap. Three supporting members were added —
guitarist Rick Olsen, d ru m m e r Rod I earned and second keyboardist M att
Reid.
W ith a stunning EP available on G effen Records under their belt, the
controversial "Sex ( I ’m A . . . ) " as their first m ajor label single release and a
full roster o f U .S . tour dates ready for the spring o f 1983, Berlin is poised to
take their unique and innovative music beyond their Los Angeles home base
to the rest o f the waiting world. As the title o f the first song John Craw ford
ever wrote so succinctly put it. now " ( t ’s just a matter o f tim e.”
Look! Look! Look!
Please Come and Celebrate
May Day Dinner
Fashion Show
X4W FRANCISCO MIME JUMPE *
A MUSICAI COMIC STRIP
MAY 5,6, A 7
Thurs & Fri 8PM
Sat 2PM & 8PM
at
Northwest Service Center
1819 NW Everett. Rid.
Twr riwAi
CO M FtlCT!’
M ay 6 -7 /1 3 -1 4 8:15 p.m.
lefferSon Perform ing Art» Center
Royal Esquires Club
ticket»
Steven» A Son*, Lloyd Center
M e ie r & Frank, D o w nto w n
Dance Togs, Beaverton
|effer«on 2 8 7 -1 3 9 8
1708 N.E. Alberta
From 6 p.m . Until Midnight
May 7,1983
More Information Please Call 281-9195
Z $ /T
Music to motivate the mind ...
II
IL y 1
Midday Modulations
Saturday
A pril .30 • 12-10 pm
Sundav
May 1 • 12-5 pin
$3.0(1 Adults
«V h host J o s e p h R o w e
A $1.50 Clukin*n
t'l.fc« u
Monday through Thursday 12:15 P.M.
Oregon Public Broadcasting Radio
KOAC AM
550 $
9 1 .5
FM KOAP
, *». «ve’»* . ■ '
*
S -
bckwa
Artichoke Muwc
722 N W 2 1 « A «
The Jefferson Dancers
Live Music & Professional Models
Bright Spring and Summer Fashions
Admission M®°
,X
Performing Artists for
Nuclear Disarmament (PANO)
presents the
May 2 8 1983
f
M ay 1st
T h a a tro
WED & THURS MAY4&5
9:00 p.m.
«
HAPPENINGS
F a s h io n S h o w , Debonaire P roduction’ s "Exclusive In te rv ie w ." 8
Spring & Summer Fashions
Tv
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