University of North Alabama - Diorama Yearbook (Florence, AL)

Page 24 text:

. ftcfuurt Mciirr playrd a farmrr attrmptuig to takr a frurnd ' a farm back by furrr ut Anwrtcan (Um-K. Htit Harnett piaf rd a btddrr at the fiirrcltmurr auctutn Photo by Jaaon dleham. Jam.m Ifnnrn. Ihtug Young and tttU liarnrtt ptirtniy b ' .nglish military men i i ' ( ' rucifrr of HUkhL 7?u pUty lit a clatuuc ichtmiunit fratunny thr UliuUniHix njtitth, Sh rl,H-k fioinu-n. f ' hoto by Tom riper The game ' s afoot! Holmes and Watson bring chills and thrills to the spring play By Pavl MaxweU, III The fog of nlneteenthKentury London rolled across the Norton Auditorium stage as the Department of Communications and Theatre presented Paul Giovanni ' s Crucifer of Blood. Period costumes and BBC accents brought to life the charaaers and scenes from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ' s Sherlock Holmes mysteries. The first scene transports us to British India, where amid the native troop uprising of 1 857- 58, two British officers and an enlisted man (played by Bill Barnett, Doug Young and Jason Brown) have made a pact, signed with a cross of blood, involving stolen treasure and the murder of three natives. Next we are in the famous detective ' s home at 221-B Baker Street (30 years later), where Holmes (Jason Braly) and his loyal companion Dr. John Watson (Alex Newborn) decide to take on the case of Miss Irene St. Claire (Beth Phil- lips), the daughter of one of the ill-fated signers of the blood-crucifer. The chase that ensues leads us through an East End opium den and along the misty banks of the Thames, but Holmes inevitably cracks the case despite the best efforts of Scotland Yard ' s bungling and pompous Inspector Les- trade, played by Brooke Perry. Assistant Director Beckie Beswick said that the cast and production staff had all enjoyed ' pulling together as a real ensemble and watching our work grow into a fine-tuned per- formance. Braly, who admitted not being a keen Holmes fan before taking on the role, said he enjoyed the challenge of portraying his charac- ter as brilliant but not arrogant; resourceful and observant. Director Robert Allen Holder was optimis- tic about attempting more myster plays in the future. The response we ' ve received from both the students and the community has been overwhelmingly positive, and many people thanked us for reacquainting them with their ' old friend. ' Many people thanked us for reacquainting them with their ' old friend. ' — Robert Allen Holder One direct result of this production has been the founding of a local chapter of the Baker Street Irregulars, a world-wide organization of Conan Doyle enthusiasts. Holder said, This play has added a new and exciting dimension to our program. We ' ve grown. 20 Theatre

Page 23 text:

A spirited crowd, complete with banners, turned out to hear the Conneltg tlus fall The Connells apeciftcalty gear their music toward the college listener. Photo by Jason Oleham. The Soup Dragons blastedonto the fall stage with their brand of alternative music. The group attracts a broad audience. Photo by John Cahoon. Star quality The UPC consistently brings top entertainers to campus By Steven T. Wilson The spring semester was a busy one for the University Program Council. The semester fea- tured two headiiner concerts as well as other smaller events. Jayne Miller, student activities assistant, said the UPC tries to appeal to the largest group of students possible. We always try to hit all the different groups on campus, she said. The first headiiner, Sinbad, had a very wide appeal. Miller said his humor was family- oriented and didn ' t have to be obscene in order to entertain. Sinbad ' s concert at Norton Auditorium was postponed a week due to the Los Angeles riots. Miller said Sinbad ' s agent contaaed the stu- dent aaivities office and told them that Sinbad really wanted to do the show, but he didn ' t want to leave his family who lives in L.A. It was something we all resperted greatly, Miller said. The postponement had little or no effect on attendance according to Miller. I don ' t think the postponement diminished the crowd in any way, she said. According to Miller, Sinbad is someone with jworldwide exposure and recognition. He has [Starred in the hit television series A Different World, and has also done pay cable specials iincluding the HBO comedy special Brain Damaged and Showtime at the Apollo, ;which he hosted. Sinbad has also appeared in ' the feature film Necessary Roughness and has been the official spokesman for Reebok ' s Black Top basketball shoes. Sinbad ' s first love is standup comedy, and his whimsical brand of humor touches on everything from 1 970s clothes to male-female relationships. The other headiiner, Eddie Money, made his second appearance on campus. According to Miller, Money ' s music had matured since that first appearance in 1984. She said Money had three or four singles on the charts when he gave his second performance. The man proved you can be an old rocker, she said. We always try to hit all the different groups on campus. — Jayne Miller Money has been on the music scene for six- teen years and has supplied such universal hits as Two Tickets to Paradise, Think I ' m in Love, Shakin ' , and Take Me Home Tonight. He has sold more than seven mil- lion albums. According to Miller, Money brought his wife and three children. Backstage, one kid danced and another fell asleep, she said. Charles Van Devender, a local musician, opened for Money with an entirely acoustic performance. Miller said Money also played unplugged or semi-acoustically. Money ' s performance wasn ' t affected by his age. He has said he doesn ' t have anything to prove to the public. I just wanted to prove something to myself— that I could still sing and perform great, Money said. Money said when he looks in the mirror, he feels he has a gift that he doesn ' t want to abuse. He says he still has as much fun as he ever had, just minus the drugs. I just chose not to mess with a lifestyle that definitely messed with me, Money said, refer- ring to his early days. The UPC also offered smaller aaivities in the spring. One such activity was Earth Day. The local band The Love Yuppies played in the amphitheatre. It gives students a sense of freedom in being in the open, Miller said. She said it was uplifting to see faculty, staff, students and even University President Robert L. Potts in atten- dance at the concert. Reggae also made its way to the university. The band Lost in the Mail also performed at the amphitheatre in an evening concert. Miller said the smaller events such as the reggae band and the Love Yuppies provide a better sense of community. Students don ' t really have to pay; they just need to come and enjoy, she said. The UPC also had a busy semester in the fall. The Connells rocked Norton Auditorium with their college alternative music on October 16. Based out of Raleigh, N.C., the Connells incor- porate an early-REM style in their music. Another band with alternative tendencies also made a stop at the university in Decem- ber. The Soup Dragons appeared and featured singles from their album Hotwired. The Soup Dragons bordered on mainstream with their dance music, but their slower music had a distina alternative flavor to it. Concerts f9

Page 25 text:

Wesley Whitey Thompson and Amanda Whitfield sing Sunny Side of the Street. a song contemporary to the times of the play American Clock. Photo by Jason Oleham. Doug Young and Barbara Kline-Perry discuss Karl Marx. Kline-Perry played a prostitute Young visited biweekly. Photo by Jason Oleham. •relaxing backstage the actors of American Clock ike a well-earned break. From left, Sarah Fulford, tradtey Letson, Steve Knight and Amy Shipman. ' hoto by Jason Oleham. Art imitates fife Fall play focuses on hard times in the ' 30s By John Givens With the fall season came a new theatre professor and a very ambitious produaion. Dr. John O ' Connor began his first semester with Arthur Miller ' s The Ameri- can Clock. The play is set during the Great Depression and opens a few days before the stock market crash. O ' Connor said he always wanted to do the piece and felt it had a very timely mes- sage. The story is important because much of the American experience, much of what we are going through right now, has to do with the Depression and its causes, people ' s experiences during that, how they dealt with it and then finally what got them out of the Depression, he said. The piece did raise interesting ques- tions, mainly the role the war played in alleviating the economic slump. This issue has also been brought up in recent times. The play also gave a poignant look at the changes in people ' s lives. For instance, one character, Moe Baum, and his family are forced to move from their Manhattan home to a small, less desirable flat in Brooklyn. (He had invested his business earnings in the stock market.) Now his w ife must pawn her jewelry in order to get money into the house. His son Lee has to begin work to save for college. Other charaaers ' experiences are more dramatic. Some commit suicide, leaving family members with the burden of their debts. Throughout the play, snatches of songs from the 1930s are used. Happy songs illustrate one way the people tried to escape from their losses and the sad ones reinforce the hard realities of the times. Miller based much of the play on Studs Terkel ' s Hard Times, a collection of interviews with Depression survivors. O ' Connor said the piece was very demanding, and he commended the aaors for their hard work and excellent performances. He has ambitious plans for the future and hopes to continue doing challenging pieces. Theatre 2