C.C. reader. ([Middletown, Pa.]) 1973-1982, December 06, 1974, Image 1
VOL. IV, NO. 9 An "experiment in drama" Sweet at Capitol Campus • Newi'oint 'James Cherry _ ,tAdelines o appear Graduate program eittjoysAp 6 a ringinthet B:®p.m.will be Auditorium on December be the Greater Harrisburg begun Chapter of the Sweet Adelines. S The sponsoring Cu ltural gthis Commit tee itis and the public is invited to attend. The program will include a medley of Christmas Carols. Sweet Adelines is a female bar bershop group singing four part harmony. The Harrisburg Chapter numbers ap proximately 70 voices and is presently holders of second place _medals in Region 14 (comprising a five state area). Sweet Adelines is an in ternational organization with chapters in all of the states (including Hawaii), Canada, Panama Canal Zone and London, England. Started in Tulsa, Okal., by four women who wanted to sing barbershop harmony, the organization quickly grew and now numbers 25,000 members. Greater Harrisburg is under the direction of Mrs. Betty Pet tibon and the President is Mrs. Crystal Snyder Russ Hogg and Fred Prouser On both nights of Nov ember 22nd and 23rd, the auditorium drew a full house. James Cherry!, people were rumbling, Who is he, What can it be about? The stage was imaginative ly set up with innovations becoming of a creative college drama club. To the left was James' bedroom containing two huge tinker toy looking objects, pil lows, mini-sign posters, a bed, various objects sur rounded by a red brick background with a huge beanbag chair on the floor. To the right lurked a blackish grey hue reeking with mystery - a grey stone wall, black drapings, and timber supports giving the aura of a cave with strange jagged seats resembling rocks whithered away by nature. 7:30 drifted into 8: :PM. Darkness, the amorphous crowd fell si lent. As the lights came back on, there stood James Cherry (Frank Daloisio) at center stage having come through the red, white and blue 'draped entrance. Be hind him stood a militant school marm (Becky Rebok) and a fellow class -Ate (H - ^n► Marquiss). This was it, no idea of what to expect - only the advertising posters through out the halls to go on. "'Good' evening,"he said, "my name is James Cherry ancßhis is my nightmare." The teacher (Becky Rebok) put on a rendition typical of people who are teachers, not educators, by her constant drilling of the students in the opening scene. In the spirit of "James Cherry" what follows is a series of vignettes that capture the flavor of the play. Memorable in his per formance as James Cherry's father (Gary B. Macchioni) in the role of William Cherry did wonders with peanut butter sand wiches, rat poison and dead turtles, all being essential elements in this absurdist play. Showing a genuine concern for his sortarighl up until the time he 'met his demise in the crocodile pit, James'father believed that money was the one true sedative in life. Elizabeth Cherry (Tobi Porter) showered her son with loving affection as she n a state of shock due to the world situation and his son, James Inquired whether he brush ed his teeth and said his prayers before he went to sleep because if he didn't she threatened him that al all his teeth would rot and fall out one by one and If he didn't pray a great beast would eat him. Mr. and Mrs. Cherry are confronted with a dead turtle on their living room floor with a note attached saying "Help I'm turning into a dead turtle Your loving son, James." Believing that the worst has happened to their son, Bill and Liz Cherry begin to talk to the turtle whom they believe to be their son. All of a sudden, James bursts into the living room, hits a chair and falls down. He is reprimanded by his father while his mother stands by with rheumatism, lumbaga and bursitis rutabaga. James rises angrily and shouts "You two don't care , a whole hell of a lot for me, do you? By this time, tragedy has struck the Cherry family with the death of Betsey Cherry (Debbie Mabry), James' sister. She fell off the roof after smoking "marijuana cigarettes" with a friend. All James knew was that she was happy. James matures and fantastic schemes moves to New York into a cheap apartment with a roommate named Charly (Gerard Lavelle) who also has a pet pig named Stripe. James tries out for his first acting job under the direct ion of Susquehanna B. Hominy (Pat McClure) who tells him "Never under estimate the power of a prop,Mr. Berry, in the psychology of an actor." C.C. READER The props consisting of a cowboy hat, gun and holster transform meek James into Allegheney Ludlow, a rough tough cow poke who threatens the agent with long insults riling himself to the point where he shoots out the lights and kills the agent. With his acting career shot, James returns to his girlfriend Tunbunny (Diane McGarvey) who is well on the way of having their child. James choking re plies, "Well .ti a ti " James Cherry's girlfriend, Tunbunny, Is consoled by the abortionist, Dirtie Girtie "It won't hurt a bit." It is at this point that James begins his soliloquy about a truck bumping up against his car as if to determine what sex It was, then running it down an embankment and tearing both its doors off. The truck then eats the car and burps out a hubcap as it leaves, picking its teeth with the steering wheel. A change of pace occurs when James' grandmother (Leah Petrokubi) accuses the audience of being "dead in the pecker". She still gets a charge out of life because -even though she's old, very old, she still likes to do it!! Another character throughout the play is the ever present Uncle Men dacious Porpentine (Charles H. Weyhenmeyer III) who sets each scene with his words of wisdom about the weather. He refers James to a first rate abortionist and to the whereabouts of James' childhood sweetheart and if he ever is in need, the name of a quack of a doctor. Third Art- Show opens The third art show of the 1974-75 school year is now being held in the Gallery- Lounge of Penn State-Capitol Campus. The show opened Monday November 25 and will continue until. Friday, December 15. James R. Gallagher from Lititz and George E. Fogg from Mechanicsburg, are the featured artists of the current show. Mr. Gallagher, an ex perienced potter, has exhibited his work at the Gallery Doshi, the Lititz Art Show and throughout the central Penn sylvania area. lie is a graduate of Kutztown State College anti is presently teaching at Manheim Township High School. George Fogg, a painter, is chairman of the Harrisburg Arts Festival. He has a Master's degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of California and has worked extensively in park and landscape design. Many of his impressionistic paintings are of rural and natural scenes. Mr. Fogg is presently Chief of Division of Outdoor Recreation for the Com monwealth of Pennsylvania. OUR COVER MACADAM PERSPECTIVE BY FRED PROUSER DECEMBER 6, 1974 A completely unique program is being started at The Pennsylvania State University. A joint graduate program in Educational Ad ministration is being offered at Penn State-Capitol Campus in Middletown and at University Park starting in the winter term, January 2, 1975. This program is designed to provide training for school ad ministrators in the Harrisburg area. "Although the Graduate Educational Administration program is not new for University Park, the `cooperative' concept certainly is," says Dr. R. E. McDermott, provost of the University in Middletown. Yet the program will not require additional University resources. Dr. McDermott explains that students will be admitted to the graduate program, leading to a Master's of Education Degree, under existing criteria and will begin their studies at Penn State- Capitol Campus. Twelve of the minimum 30 credits required can be taken at the Capitol Campus. Students will then take a minimum of 18 credits at University Park, during the summers. Students who wish to receive cer tification as principals may register at Penn State-Capitol Campus for up to 18 of the 45 credits required by the Commonwealth. Dr. Duane Smith, advisor of the program at Penn State- Capitol Campus said that "students will be advised by faculty members at both campuses, and each student will have a duplicate set of records." Procedures also have been outlined to assure that no student will receive ambiguous advice or counsel. Persons interested in this. graduate program sho7ld contact Director of Graduate Admissions, Penn State- Capitol Campus, Middletown, Pa. 17057 or call 717-787-7734. THE BLACK STUDENT UNION will bq featured on WHP-TV, Channel 21 at 6:00 PM Saturday, Decem ber 21. The same program will be aired on WHP RADIO Sunday, December 22 at 9:30 in the morning on the FM dial and again at 9:30 in the evening on the AM dial of WHP-RADIO SOCIAL COMMITTEE DEC. 10—MEETING 8 PM MIDDLE EARTH DEC. 14—KEGGAR 9 PM-1 AM STUDENT CENTER Music by "Strawboss"