Have A Nice Fall Break
THE ROTUNDA VOL. LV
LONGWOOD COLLEGE, FARMVILLE, VIRGINIA
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1979
NO. 5
Gotham Gal Pure Entertainment A Review by ROBERT P. WEBBER The Ixmgwood Players opened their 1979-80 season with a spirited performance of a new
comedy. The play, which won the CAME TO DINNER and MAME. prestigious Southeastern Theater It is pure entertainment, with Conference Playwriting scarcely a serious thought to be Competition in 1977, is in the found. The Players gave it a tradition of THE MAN WHO rambunctious production which nearly made up in enthusiasm what it lacked in polish. The play revolves about Geraldine, a forty-ish, somewhat faded beauty who runs a boarding house. Her boarders include a deaf-mute television critic, a policeman Ixrthario, an actress who can only get animal roles in children's theater, a brutish stepfather, and a newspaper reporter son. Various other eccentrics come and go. Such roles are choice plums for character actors, and Jack Tolbert, as the deaf-mute, Diane Wright, as the son's naive girlfriend, Tom Willis, as an adult who still wants to play Little League baseball, and Kerry McCarthy, as the actress, realized their comic potentials. Rusty Hurley's stepfather looked like a cross between Richard Nixon and Steve Martin, and he got his share of laughs. Marshall Jones showed a nice sense of Photo by Tony M*»on
Discussion Brings A Closer Look By DEBBIE NORTHERN Four major topics of discussion were brought up at the StudentFaculty Retreat October 23. Suggestions were made and questions asked on the subjects of registration, freshman housing, intercollegiate athletics and costs and energy. About 100 students and faculty members participated in this event sponsored by the Student Government Association. Registration comments urged a return to summer Academic Planning Sessions, and sending freshmen information packets on how to register. In general, several groups felt that advisors should be in I-ankford during a certain period the day of registration, having an add-drop day before registration for those who might have pre-registered to change classes, and registration by year and alphabetically. Also there was a suggestion to extend freshman registration for more than a day. Most participants felt that mens and womens sports should remain equal. There were mainly questions under the Intercollegiate Athletics topic. Requests were made for a breakdown of cost by sport listing the number and amount of scholarships, cost of transportation and equipment
costs. Scholarships were another point of contention as both students and faculty were interested in learning how much aid is awarded at Ixmgwood and where the funds come from. There was a major concern over whether Longwood should stress certain sports and deemphasize others. They felt the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee needed more student representation, particularly by non-athletes and to be more open. It was determined that the students needed to become more aware of energy conservation. Turning off lights and water campaigns, articles in The Rotunda and turning heat down in dormitory rooms and academic buildings were suggested. A monthly competition between the dormitories may be initiated. The consensus of the Retreat was to keep the tradition of freshman housing. Suggestions were made to determine how many freshmen are housed with upperclassmen, to take a campus poll on how students feel about mixing freshmen with upperclassmen, and to relocate dissatisfied freshmen with other freshmen as soon as possible. In addition to Freshman dorms, there may be freshman halls in
the future. It was felt that sophomores faced with housing problems could better handle the pressure. Also Mr. Tom Nanzig, Director of Housing, stated that he would like to not surprise people next year with a third roommate. He proposes to mark rooms in advance that would be considered triples if the need arose. In this way the people who signed up for these rooms would be aware of that fact. A final concern was that of Judicial Board including narcotics under the Honor System. The Board is currently reviewing the problem. Retreat ideas on this subject included creating two separate boards—an Honor Council to handle Honor Code offenses and a Judicial Board to handle narcotics, and a permanent group of drug investigators— either Administrative or Students. Most students and faculty members present were concerned with the safety of students enforcing this law. After talking for several hours, the groups had dinner and met for a final review of the afternoon. In all, several good ideas were offered for the betterment of the school.
comic timing as the policeman, but his voice was inaudible to much of the audience. Doug Blevins, playing the son, was handicapped by some oafish friends in the audience who shouted, "Oh, Doug," whenever he came on stage. He acted much better than the audience deserved. John Crosby, Neil Sawyer, and particularly Chris Conner did well in supporting roles. Geraldine was acted by Vicki Mann. Miss Mann has a fine voice, her gestures are flawless, and her timing is impeccable. She was able to curse naturally better than anyone else in the cast. That is not idle praise. Many actors innocently emphasize curse words in dialogue, and the sound harsh and offensive as a result. Done properly, stage cursing should sound like natural speech, and Miss Mann accomplished that. However, she simply looked twenty years too young for the part. That was partially her fault, for Geraldine's smooth cheeks and neck belied her age. A few wrinkles on the forehead do not make a person look old. Neither does a head of heavily sprayed grey hair, as Rusty Hurley, playing the stepfather, demonstrated. The set, designed by Patton Lockwood, was gorgeous. It looked as solid as a rock. Nothing trembled when a character ran up the stairs or slammed the door. Richard Gamble's lighting
design put plenty of light on the state, in welcome contrast to some recent dimly-lit Player productions. The costume crew must have worked overt inn, because the actors seemed to change costumes between every scene. Props looked good, but someone forgot to give the policeman a gun to go with his uniform. Director Douglas M. Young aimed for a frantic comic pace. Often he achieved it. For example, the beginning scene of Act II, when Geraldine's long lost boyfriend (played by Chris Conner) enters and encounters a parade of the eccentric boarders, was a gem. The pace was not consistent, however. The creaking Jarman chairs showed the audience's restlessness. There were times, particularly in the first act, when the characters needed more flamboyance. The play needed a scene stealer. Jack Tolbert came close with his whistle blowing and energetic pantomime. Any of the boarders, had they exaggerated their characters a little more, could have had the audience gasping with laughter. The IiOngwood Players are to be congratulated for scheduling plays this season which have wide audience, as well as intellectual, appeal. A theater's purpose must be to entertain as well as to educate, and A Former Gotham Gal got the year at Jarman off to a good start start.
ftwt» by Chtryl Wlicox
Wanda Peteneai, Leftofattve Board Chairman, and Dr. John S. Peak- are amoa« the faulty and rtadenU at the Fall Retreat