Playwright's theatre in Pavilion 'A wife deals with transvestism •. Being able t 0 revise a P is inherent in 5 o’clock “Other People” deals with one couple’s attempt to # •Pv»pSS«H t h ffW Ih ter -r’ t f ... productions. Frank Alamia (grad-theatre), director of integrate transvestism into their marriage. the Wife o f a transvestite copes “Other People” explains the reason behind this idea. ' The transvestite, Michael, is portrayed by Glen Hnwiri l a o i- d u onni ?£ W ? mei ) S cl , othing? “The object is for the playwright to see his play in Holtzer, while his wife, Patty, is portrayed by* Susan Howardl Motyl (13th-English writing) not only won- production and to improve it. Howard’s re-written this Chambers (grad-theatre) dered about it, but chose to explore'this offbeat topic in three times” • his play “Other People,” which makes its 5 o’clock Alamia says that there’s “excitement” found in being dramatic action . r . evol y es Theatre debut today in the Pavilion. able to “mold” the production on the spot. aroand M ‘ chae * s , desire , f °r his wife to join him at a After reading an article in “New Times” which dealt “Usually I’ll say, Howard, we need a line here and party in whlch he dresses in dra 2- jvith the problems faced by the wives of transvestites, he’ll supply one. Sometimes we don’t agree, but it “Other People” is titled as such for two reasons, became interested in the subject. He later used it always works out,” Alamia said. ’ Motyl said. “Things like transvestism always happen to as the basis for “Other People” which he wrote last In order to assure that “Other People” accurately ‘other people.’ Also, the fact that there’s another term in Theatre 240, elementary playwriting. depicts transvestites, Alamia obtained first hand in- ‘person’behind everyone” he said. Motyl describes “Other People” as essentially, “a formation from the International Association for Male Already, Motyl has begun working on another play, love story though not a, ‘romance.” He added feminism. Set in a supermarket, the main characters are two however, that ultimately, it s about‘‘communicatj.on,” “I felt a responsibility to have it accurate. I didn’t cashiers, while customers who pass through the check up Origmally the action focusedoh tKe wife s feelings ~ want to give out misinformation,’’ Alamia said. ~ - '*’* out fine comprise theresf of the cast. So far, he’s com and point of view, though now it’s more about the Through this organization, Alamia learned that a pleted one scene. •J WlChael ’ S ’ exposmg himself to his transvestite is, “someone who’s‘normal’in every way “Other People” runs through Friday. Admission is wife, Motyl said. but likes to wear women’s clothing.” free. •In the Playhouse, 19th century operetta appealing • •, tr’Ni.t < mw Jim Caldwell, left, and Jonathan’Dewberry are two of the lead characters ii Collegian arts the daily in University Theatre’s “H.M.S. Pinafore." By ANNE CLIFFORD Daily Collegian Staff Writer University Theatre’s “H.M.S. Pinafore, or the Lass that Loved a Sailor,” is a contemporary production of this Gilbert and Sullivan operetta that dates back to May 25, 1878, when it was first performed at England’s Savoy Opera House. The operetta, now at the Playhouse through Saturday, is a fanciful satire of the British Navy and a tale of love between a captain’s daughter and a common sailor. Since its debut in 1878, the operetta is especially noted for its wild success in the United States. In Great Britain, “Pinafore” originally ran for 700 performances. According to Peter Kline, founder of the Lyric Theatre Company and a director, producer and actor in all 14 Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, “All over London people were whistling, “I’m Called Little Buttercup,” and “He polished up the Josephine (Suzanne Murphy) is the daughter of the captain of the H.M.S. Pinafore. She is torn between upper class honor and her love for a lowly seaman. '■ ‘‘j'.'h ■ *"*>&*'*' > • '■ Photos by Lynn Dudinsky handle of the big front door,” and “Pinafore” suddenly became a national craze.” Kline says it was almost necessary to enact legislation to prevent people from saying, “What, never? Well, hardly ever,” an often repeated phrase in the operetta. Before Gilbert and Sullivan even brought “Pinafore” to the United States, pirated performances were being produced throughout the country. Some estimates place the number of these performances at 160 per night, with no compensation to the authors. Helen Manfull, director of the University Theatre production, says the “Pinafore” craze manifested itself in laundry soap, cocoa mugs, thread, cigars, corsets, games, celery vases and a Currier and Ives series. “Pinafore” continues to be a popular production, one of the most recent being part of a Gilbert and Sullivan festival in Wednesday, Feb. 14,1979—17 Photos by Joe Tori late January at the Light Opera of Manhattan. Why does this century-old musical satire and the other Gilbert and Sullivan operettas continue to attract audiences? Robert F. Trehy, professor of music, attributes it to the skill of the artistic team W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. “The book and the lyrics by W. S. Gilbert are absolutely marvelous,” he said. “The whole satire on Italian opera is very funny.” The musical satire is “a scream for a musician,” and for’ knowledgeable audiences, he says. Gerald M. Phillips, a professor of speech who has studied the humor of the late nineteenth century, says he com siders the general wit of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas to be timeless. “Wha[ they did was one of the rare things in the theatre done purely for fun,” without any deep psychological meanings, he says.
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