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

Page 14 text:

liiivici . Aces, cxnaL l cccU Veronica ' s om has it all WILD EMOTIONS. Sa rah Rhode s Daryl Crittenden, Chris Bedwell - Oh, wow! What a twisted tale, eerie and suspense- ful, believable actors, all the makings of a good horror film but performed on stage. Scott Long ' s production of Ira Levin ' s Veronica ' s Room was superb, but I have to admit I had my doubts at first. At the end of the first act, I thought that I was going to be greatly disappointed: the acting seemed off, the dia- logue didn ' t seem to fit, and the actors didn ' t seem to suit their characters. However, my overly crit- ical opinions changed with the ' Twilight Zone ' twist for which Levin is so well- known. Levin, author of the clas- sic horror novel Rosemary ' s Baby, creates an ever-twisting web in Veronica ' s Room. Set in 1973 (or is it?) with only four actors, the plot unfolds in the confines of one room where an elderly couple bring a young man and woman to view a bedroom belonging to the deceased Veronica, whom the young woman uncannily resembles. The couple asks the young woman to dress in Veronica ' s clothes so that Veronica ' s dying sister might see her one last time. Once the young woman agrees, a nightmare begins. My opinion of the play changed immediately once the young woman, played by Sarah Rhodes, agrees to dress as Veronica. The sketchiness of Rhodes, Daryl Crittei iden, Chris Bedwell and Jackie Huffmans ' s acting made sense. Their abilities to con- vey such sudden, drastic character changes blew me away as the lights dimmed at the close of the final act. I again applaud Long for the superb directing of Levin ' s work and the actors for performing it. — Ben Rock I

Page 13 text:

' YES ' but... TAKING IT ALL IN. (a- bove) SGA president Qifford Drouet Jr. grins as he and Professor Doug Barrett watch Governor Riley stir the crowd. MIXED CROWD. A few opponents also attended and often shouted contra- dictions of the governor ' s points. THE GOVERNOR, (above) Leaning forward with his sleeves rolled up, Govenor Riley surveys the mixed- opinion crowd. photos by Emily E. Godwin

Page 15 text:

re upon a mattresJSi twist ??1WJ!! nee upon a March evening the kingdom called Department of Communications and Theatre joined forces with another kingdom called Department of Music to stage a musical tale with an adult twist called Once upon a Mattress. The play is a loose retelling of the fairy tale story of the Princess and the Pea. I Originally written for Carol Burnett, the show was performed on Broadway in 1959 and then again in 1997 with Sarah Jessica Parker in the lead role. Once upon a Mattress tells of a faraway kingdom where no one can wed until the prince finds himself a bride. All the citizens had learned to cope with this circumstance except one of the e]ueen ' s knights, an expec- tant father who needs to hurry things along. Directed by Dr. David Ruebhausen, the play ' s company had more than 60 members including cast, crew and orchestra. Cast members put in long hours on the play beginning in January, practicing during class and every weeknight from 7 to 11, and were excited about the results of their work. According to the students, Ruebhausen was not the only faculty member dedicated to the hard work that comes with a musical. The dance choreographer, Angela Green, did a fabulous job, said cast member Daryl Crittenden. Not everyone had the same dance experience, and she did a fantastic job of bringing everyone up to the same level. Assistant Professor of Music Tom Ed Moore was musical director. Dr. Moore did a wonderful job of coach- ing us through, Crittenden said, and we had a good, rich sound. Ouce upon a Mattress held the stage from March 13-16 at Norton Auditorium.