Long Island University at Brooklyn - Sound Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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Tl he Actors TT used to be that only the music went 'round and 'round, but that's all changed now. Ever since its first curtain call the University Workshop Theater has been arena-staging all of its productions to go around in circles, This is how it all came about. The desire to build the first permanent theater in the history of the Uni- versity came alive three years ago. Unable to obtain a suitable neighborhood playhouse to showcase proposed theatrical productions while on Pearl Street, Speech-Theater Department Chairman Dennis Brown rolled up his sleeves and went to work with what he had. l-le proved that lack of funds and in- adequate facilities were not too great a handicap by transforming a rec- tangular roorn into an arena theater. Because theater-in-the-round provided a way to begin operations immediately, a room originally intended as an office but utilized as a lounge for women students was turned into an intimate theater featuring productions ranging in genre from a Moliere comedy of manners to a symbolic Eliot vehicle. And how the audience loved itl Seated on all sides of the actors, they ap- plauded the most completely uninhibited methods of delivery known to the theater. Only stamina and ego protect the actor from the audience, seated on an odd collection of second-hand upholstered movie seats and straight wooden chairs. The closeness of the spectators leaves the actor in an ex- tremely vulnerable position but, to date, no vegetable matter has been thrown. The LIU Workshop Theater was the first college group in the metropolitan area, and one of the early few on the east coast, to adopt arena-style staging. So Prof. Brown pushed up his sleeves. Now, replacing the organizational growing pains, there stands a mature, well-molded group of thespians. To parallel the University's expansion program in downtown Brooklyn and on the lavish Oyster Bay estate, plans were formulated for a permanent pro- cenium or conventional theater near the Paramount building. This would afford feasibility to the departmental long-range plan for weekly productions, from October through May, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, a schedule unequaled by any other eastern university. lf this plan becomes a reality, the Workshop will need two alternating acting colonies with separate production staffs. One group would use the circus method and the other, conventional staging. The arena productions would be utilized as a training ground for the less experienced actors, with the senior actors studying stage craft and techniques behind the procenium. There will be a certain number of positions open to student assistants, handling mail and telephone orders, selling tickets and working in the box office, on a fee basis. Some of the first playbills issued at Workshop performances stated the organizations primary objectives, all of which have been fulfilled and en- larged upon through years of spirited activities. The first . . . To serve as a practical training ground to all students in- terested in grease paint and spot lights. The second . . . To establish an active theater project capable of experi- menting with unusual plays of both the classic and contemporary type and also to introduce new and untried scripts.

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ffmiqs I. -,wscsveolopjl 15153-'.. , d you Y sfffeif Uni- lsw ggzrs Ol me and 11 T35 me after me ,,,ff,rr2! Saud diego I . was-f begln ' 3.1 T555 Erieif 4511-A' '. ,adam ad rn Offs., It 3 ccqllrave 1+ My 7 ici-.--xi-F599 .flea 'lofi , .99 ' ffC55 1. g. . ,,-fgw. fr' . .-. LANCET, the pre-medical honor society of LlU was organized in the early years of the University and has since been in existence continuously. Thus, it is one of the oldest societies in the school. As a pre-medical society, the purpose of Lancet is to promote and to stimulate student interest in the science, ideals and ethics of medicine. Also, it tries to aid the individual student in obtaining informa- tion concerning the many branches of medical sci- ence and add prestige and influence to the reputa- tion of the University. Lancet has always worked toward the fulfill- ment of this purpose and its success in doing so in the past may be measured by its many achieve- ments. The activities of the year well illustrated these achievements. The year began with the induc- tiori of associate members into the society. The as- sociates are chosen on the basis of excellence in scholarships and character. At this ceremony there were heard many interesting talks by Faculty Advis- or, Prof. Wethers, and guest speaker Dr. Charles Tanzer, assistant professor of Biology, followed by the awarding of associate member pins and a social hour. ln addition to the guest speakers at the semi- monthly meetings each associate member also pre- sents an essay, talk or project on some phase of medicine. These talks constitute an important part of the program, for in this way each member makes an important contribution to the society and an ex- change of ideas is stimulated. A prize is awarded to the associate member presenting the best paper during the semester. Besides the presentation of papers, the program of Lancet includes a meeting devoted to the showing of a medical film and a field trip, usually to a phar- maceutical laboratory. Our final event is the annual Lancet-Anaphy debate, the winning society being chosen by faculty members acting as judges. The award to the winning society is the possession of the Anaphy-Lancet Cup for one year, the losing society pays for the engraving of the cup. Next to be presented are the Lancet keys to full members, followed by the award for the best paper. There is available to all the members a library of medical school catalogues, which includes the latest issues of every school in the United States and Canada. The members of Lancet represent some of the best pre-medical students in the University and former club members have distinguished themselves in many medical schools throughout the country. This semester once again several Lancet members have been accepted by various medical schools. Holding offices for the year were lra Greifer. l-ly Gewanter, Marion Brahm, Allan Birk and Faculty Advisor C. L. Weathers. Thirteen Lancet Anap y

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'-N . nn. , , ..-M eg 'qi U' feLLJ,,...-v - :I T 1' 'i ,. .51 .-,-.fd ru , ,, -n.,.., x rn .. V 1 - f- feggcnientp. 4 ' 4' I new M54 ' J ' f ' f- H ,,.414 r ..vi1Q,i . H9 4 pf P' ' 'J mg ,,f'j11..',--- -,,. paint' f ,, :-7 wwf yr. -.fv .11--- , .Wa --1- .. .r 619 F ,,. 5.3616-I ,. 'vi' ' 00, ffm? v ' f .xt gi-YJ . IKLVQY A an yfwld I, 1, ...f i ,,,-wg, are 5 J pidllfaf , nfl' an 'gf NA- 5.3 ' -06 IV ffzf...-f Milan, V' '4 .v M.. ,F date ...shew .. Mx-S 'A ,wdem mv ' rn su - fu , J J . tgp I .f-Q.. - ,. ,muff ' ff-2 'Y ' Man! . M M3 1, . M iff-7 'U lf x ' tidy stil , --0759685 5315 .--C 7 'IT-1' '- .pan V r ,4- ,,.v,,1 a' . i 4 h if ., twlfl , 6594 leolllll wtfatf in-W QW' -,, at ln March 1950 The Farce of Pierre Patelin, circa 1400 and one of the earliest forces written, was the third play to be presented. Prof. Brown as- tounded his colleagues with this chimercial play-whose author has disap- peared into theatrical antiquity-by purposely introducing missed cues, ill- timed entrances and back-firing props in order to teach his students and audi- ences how a troupe of itinerant medieval players would have actually done it. Using the play-within-a-play technique fan innovation for this particular comedyl the players strolled on stage carting the necessary properties, put them in place and went on to act in the tempo of medieval performers. All of the plays were originally devised for use on the regular three-sided raised stage and were adapted to the round by Prof Whose know-how fashioned imaginative, vital theater. Not only does his master craftsmanship show up in the altered scripts but it manifests itself in the unique devises and touches, or business, that mark a script tailored by Brown. One of these Brownian touches is the importation of an experienced actor to play in student productions. The director believes that the timing, movement and stage presence of the professional only can be transmitted to the amateur through observation and by performing together. Marie Donnet, who appeared with loseph Schildkraut and Eva Le Gallienne in Uncle 1-larry, was a feature player in the Family Beunion in Ianuary 1952. Earlier professionals were Gae Caulkins and Barbara Leonard in Dangerous Corner and See Naples and Die, respectively. Opening the 1951 theatrical season at LlU with I. B. Priestly's provocative Dangerous Corner, the Workshop gave eight performances of this exciting psychological melodrama, heightened by many unorthodox twists and turns. See Naples and Die celebrated the second anniversary of the college group, April 1951. Penned by Elmer Bice, this play captured the antics of American turned loose on The Continent in The Roaring Twenties but also hinted of the Fascist political intrigue then sprawning in Europe. A lack of appropriate rehearsal and ,theater space-owing to the shifting of classes during the Fall 1951 season-brought the Workshop Theater to the boards with an experimental recital style performance of T. S. Eliot's The Family Beunionf' By combining reading and acting forms with simple theatri- cal devices, members of this cast were presented with an opportunity to widen the scope of their techniques by learning to do verse-drama and choral speaking. ln an unusual type of dramatic presentation set to music, the actors performed before high wooden-slatted screens with lecterns for their scripts and plain high stools. lt was the first time the audience was seated directly before the players. ln order to stimulate a more concentrated effort on the part of the student- actors and technicians an award of statuettes, called Brownies, were pre- sented for the first time in lune 1951. They went to Maxine Schachter, Dolores Turkel, Eugene Varrone and Marvin Throne for their performances in See Naples and Die. Carrying out his intention to develop a Hplayhouse for unproduced plays, new and untried scripts and revivals of the classics, a twin-bill production of Devil Take lamie, scripted by alumnus Bruce Marcus and Systems of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether, an adaptation of an Edgar Allen Poe satirical classic, was presented. Marcus, who directed both plays, set his opus in an lrish provincial kitchen with a wedding occurring in an adjacent room. lt is a tale of conflicts between an aging father and his young son, lamie, who rebels against the former's way of life. The second play, another Workshop first, takes place in a progressive French insane asylum, revealing what happens to a visitor taken on a guided tour of the institution. Fifteen 'Ve 7 lf the players -tfic guest