Rustical Quality: good time and good music By PADDY PATTON Daily Collegian Staff Writer The end of a, perfect day: good friends, cold beer, and foot-stompin', hand clapping, git-yer-yahoos-out, old time American music music courtesy of the Rustical Quality String Band, which performed at a downtown bar Saturday night. It is rare in these days of anti-nuke, anti-draft, anti-anything to find a group of musicians who are just out to have fun Doug Sears, Mick Smyer and Mike Rovine (from left to right) of the Rustical Quality String Band_ make some foot stompin', pickin' and grinnin' music. The seven member group specializes in old time American music. the daily collegian Hanzsek: like to get people to think' By MARGIE MARRON Daily Collegian Staff Writer To many, the theatre is a place to go and sit back, relax and be en :tertained. rHoweVer, when Chris 'Hanzsek', author of l The University's 5 `O'Clock Playwri'ght's. ' Theatre production of "Harry Nolan," writes a play, he wants the audience to be as involved in the play as the actors are. "I'm a very sparse writer. I don't like to spell things out because I like to get people to think," he said. "When I write a play, the net result is not for people to be laughing, but to be thinking about what the play means." • "Harry Nolan," Hanzsek's first production, opens at 5:30 tonight at the Pavilion Theatre, and runs through Friday. The 5 O'Clock Theatre is constructed so that playwrights, actors and directors may be given the chance to learn skills by working together on original productions. Hanzsek (15th-theatre) said that the play is trying to show that many people, such as the play's main character, Harry Nolan, bring destruction on themselves in ignorant or unknowing ways. "I want the Harry Nolans of the world to become aware that if they have the ability to think or to do, they should," he said. "I hope people will get the feeling that I'm saying something, mostly about the in telligence of our race." While Hanzsek said he is pleased with the work the actors and director Danny Peak are doing on the play, he is worried that it will be taken too lightly. "Laughter is not always associated with pure entertainment, and many when they entertain, but the RQSB performs with just that intent. "The main thing about this music is that it's fun," said Tim Craven, guitarist with the group. "There's no tension involved. We get up there to have fun. We're not out to prove anything." The group plays "old time" music, a precursor to bluegrass, but involving a different banjo style than bluegrass. Banjo player Mark Ralston would have gladly explained the subtleties of the ar s "Harry Nolan" opens tonight at 5:30 in the Pavilion Theatre. The production is part of the University's 5 O'Clock Playwright's Theatre and was written by Chris Hanzsek (15th-theatre). times fear and laughter go hand-in hand, but I stillget the feeling that people are liking or laughing at the play for the wrong reasons," he said. In addition to whiting plays, Hanzsek has acted in several campus productions, including "The Dyb bick" and Paul Malluk's 5 O'Clock production of "Doo-Doo," performed last spring. He said that while these plays have influenced him, he does not pattern his writing after them. Hanzsek said he has been in fluenced by the works of Eugene distinction to me, but I was having too much fun listening to the music to pay attention to such sober business. There are five other members of the band in addition to Craven and Ralston: Celia Wyckoff, string bass; Doug Sears, guitar; Mike Rovine, fiddle (not violin); Karen Hirshon, fiddle; and (parttime) Mick Smyer, washboard, car horn, pie pans and anything handy. Though Craven is the only fulltime musician in the group, there is no lack of O'Neill and Canadian playwright Larry Russell. "You have to look at O'Neill as a whole, because while I don't think his plays are that great, they do have something to say," he said. "As for Larry Russell, he uses every shred of his imagination as far as creativity goes." Hanzsek said that he feels that a major reason some productions fail is that they get too big. "Theatre is a collaborative art; not just one person decides what goes on on stage. However, if too many 'Carousel: atypical, but beloved by many By LAURIE JONES Daily Collegian Staff Writer "'Carousel' is an atypical musical; it has intrinsic dramatic value, not only fluff and nonsense. Unlike most musicals, every song- leads to a character revelation," said director Rick Lyon. "It is about the dreams and expectations of the characters." "Carousel," the Penn State Thespian's spring production which opens tomorrow night in Schwab Auditorium, is Lyon's first directing job at the University, although he has directed many shows in his hometown of Rochester, N.Y. Very excited about the show, Lyon (9th-theatre performance) said that "the auditions were simply spectacular. Usually a director has to take people he can't really use, but I had to turn good people away because there were just too many, which is really unusual when you have a cast of 35 to 90. "The cast has no pretentions, since none.of the leads are theatre majors and very few of the rest of the cast are, talent in any of the other members. The ensemble is tight; the tunes cook right along , with exuberant 'pickin' and grin in ' energy. The repartee among the band members between numbers is as good-timing and fun as the music itself. Rovine did most of the announcing, making sure to credit the source of every tune. Most of the group's repertoire is of 1930 s vintage, drawing upon such artists as Uncle Dave Macon and the Fruit Drivers, Blind Alfred Reed, and Toe Tappin' Teddy Tedino. Granted, these are not exactly household names around State College, but their relative ob scurity does not indicate a lack of appeal in their works. • Take, for example, the lyrics of "Story the Crow Told Me," which the RQSB picked up from a group called the Carolina Buddies: "I bought me a set of Union underwear/ to keep me from the cold and the chilly air./ I wore it six months, without exaggeration/ and I couldn't get it off ..'caßse I lost the combination." The RQSB also does more familiar works, such as those made famous by Hank Williams, but the outstanding aspect of the sets was the manner in which each band member was given a chance to shine. Karen Hirschon was not with the group when I heard it Saturday, but even Wyckoff, the bass fiddler "the only lone remaining girl sister here tonight" was given a vocal solo in "Somebody Loves You, Darlin'. " The purely instrumental tunes were done with the same energy and un selfconcious talent that characterized the vocal numbers. The band even did an acapella number -in gospel/ballad style, "A Cabin in the Corner of Glory Land." Members of the band showed an unusual breadth and flexibility of capabilities. One tune called for four guitars, another made use of the banjo mandolin people are involved, the production could get too complex and fail," he said. In the future, Hanzsek said he would like to continue writing plays or directing, possibly adding music to or performing in a production. However, for now he says he is happy to stay at Penn State. "I've been hanging around here so long because I love the theatre department," he said. "I like to write things that can change every minute. I just like to write plays." either. In a Thespian show, everybody does everything, from scenery to lights to costumes. It's like a community theatre," he said. "Carousel" is Rodgers and Ham merstein's most-loved musical, Lyon said, and is considered by many as a musical drama in that it is very similar to straight drama. "The songs can be compared to the soliloquies of Shakespeare. In fact, one of the songs is called 'Soliloquy'," he said. Very different from the usual musicals, the show opens with a carnival scene done in pantomime. One scene has a juggler, unicyclist, belly dancer, and a dancing bear. There is also a carousel, hence the name. The chorus is very important to the story and not just used for background, Lyon said. The ending is atypical; it is not cledrly developed and the audience must in terpret the meaning for themselves, he added. Because of the many uncommon elements of "Carousel," it is a show not to be missed. ("shrunken banjo," said Rovine), yet another called for a flock of sheep all of which were easily provided for by the seven musicians. It is this rare blend of relaxed good humor and real musicianship that Mumblings, fumblings and more funny stuff By P.J. PLATZ Daily Collegian Staff Writer -k ‘The Stranger City Caper," by Ross -H. Spencer, Avon, $1.95, .160 pages. 11,h oh. ' • He's gone and done it again. Ross H. Spencer has gone and written another one a them funny books. Damn funny they are too. Remember The Reggis Arms Caper? Remember. The Dada Caper? Well if you haven't, are you ever in for a funny surprise. Because Ross H. Spencer's books are written funny. Not jolly funny. Well that too. But in a funny way. No puncuation except periods and an occasional question mark. Every sentence a paragraph. Funny eh? And its funny in a funny way too. I mean laughing funny. I mean giggling hysterically funny. I mean splitting a stitch funny. This is a funny book. Funny you never think of a book as being able to be to damn funny. But this is sure one funny book. Somewhat sometime somehow private detective Chance Perdue is back again with more fumblings and bumblings and mumblings and funny stuff. He's off to a strange city called Stranger City to investigate a strange baseball team who call themselves The Stranger City Strangers.. Maybe that's why its called The Stranger City Caper. This town's got everything like the Stranger City Diner the Stranger City Hotel and an even stranger buncha people. Celia Wyckoff makes the RQSB so worth seeing. They entertain both themselves and the audience without sacrifiding artistic integrity or a goods time. The RQSB is a band that can really play even when it's playing. Wednesday, May 7 ,4 6 There's the shurff who arrests everyone in ~ town , for things like suspicion , z , of • being:- a Martian secret agent. • . . , . There's of Rube Mountainstill wii`O was a dead ringer for that uncle youelidn't meet until you were over thirty. He's being persued by Tillie Zilch who sports a tattoo that's blue and red and it got crossed American flags and there is this big hairy bird sitting betwixt the flagpoles and in his beak he got .his banner what says Tillie Loves Rube. One of my favorite parts of the book comes at the beginning of each chapter when the unfounded wit and wisdom of Monroe D. Underwood is quoted. Ahem. . It's probably of Ross H. Spencer e his funny stuff again. But who cares who wrote what? It's just funny. Monroe D. Underwood makes com ments on important social issues like baseball. ...baseball is only a game but 4 you ain't never gonna get nobody to believe that... Monroe D. Underwood has lots to say about marriage. . . .fog is like marriage. . . getting into it is easy. . . . . .getting married is as easy as rolling off a log but it don't make nowhere near as much sense. . . No occupation is left out by of Monroe D. Underwood either. . . .a gigolo is a man what gets paid for what any idiot would be perfeckly willing to do for nothing. . . You get the idea. Funny eh? Now get the book. Photo by 'Foxes': growing BOMICHAEL KULP Daily Collegian Staff Writer In recent years Hollywood has produced film upon film condoning, if not glorifying the hedonistic lifestyle of so much of today's youth. In a refreshing and pointed turn away from that narrow virW of teenage life, "Foxes" deals with the dark side of this lifestyle, an area that has been left untouched until this film. "Foxes" aspires to, and nearly suc ceeds in representing the helplessness and aimlessness of people who attempt to fOt into a society which has no concern or place for them. I must admit that I was not filled with any great expectations about the quality of the film. Anticipating two hours of viewing nothing more than copulation and overindulgence, I was impressed to see that "Foxes" dealt with the morning after reality of the characters and situations. The story of "Foxes" explores the lives led by four young girls in Southern California who are desperately trying to break away from and at the same time fit into society. Throughout the film they ittust contend with incompetent prin cipals, unconcerned or absent parents, hostile cops and a society which just does not understand or care. Jodie Foster's performance as the leader of her, three companions leaves Sunday-May 11th itYJC0)131;1!1: DAY Pretty Hat Boxes Filled with 1 lb of Her Favorite . . . Plain Boxes of Assorted Candies. little doubt as to who is the finest young female actor of the day. The film revolves around her role as a tough yet sensitive youth who is desperately trying to raise herself and her friends out of the their undesirable situation. These are' lost and lonely people looking for a home and a return to innocence. Foster and her friends must live in a society that offers little love or trust. They are trying to escape from the aimless life they the live by joining this uncaring and equally aimless society. Foster's cohorts serve more as roles for her to play from, than as leading characters. The three young actresses play their roles well, but do not develop them as well as Foster does hers. Yet, we do sympathize with their postions. Each is trying to find herself, but does not know how to go about it. The girls try the obvious means of rebellion: sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, but none of these proves to be any help. This marks the difference between "Foxes" and other films ("The Porn Porn Girls," "Hollywood High," etc.) about adolescent rebellion. Instead of canonizing a life of vices, "Foxes" deals with the damage produced by too much too soon. The film chooses a more somber appoach to teen-age hedonistic living. In addition to Foster's excellent Market day John. Inserra's photograph of this busy market is one of many by himself and several other students now on display in the HUB Gallery. pains performance, Sally Kellerman's por trayal as her mother adds an interesting demension to the film. Kellerman plays a divorcee who can not handle her own life, much less the life of an in dependence-seeking daughter. Kellerman and Foster maintain a great cameraderie as mother and daughter. Their scenes together convey the problems parents and adolescents have in understanding one another, and themselves. • "Foxes" is not without its weaknesses. The film contains a rather obnoxious soundtrack full of mindless songs, which ill attempts to portray the feelings of the film's characters. The film also stars Scott Baio, of "Happy Days" fame. Baio's role is one dimensional and serves more for asthetic purposes than anything else. He spends most of his time rolling from place to place on a skateboard and limping through obviously memorized lines. The reason "Foxes" succeeds where other films have failed is that it paints a surprisingly accurate portrait of youth coming of age in today's fragmented society. It manages to produce believable characters to whom the audience can relate, rather than the shallow one-demensional cardboard figures who too often appear in films about young people. Even with its weaknesses, "Foxes" remains an enjoyable and thoughtful film. It is in no way a great film, but an intelligent and sensitive work that lands on target, a film which attempts with truth and tenderness to depict the pains of growing up. Correction It was incorrectly reported on The Daily Collegian's "Weekend" page of May 2 that drawings by Celia Wyckoff are on display in Pattee's East Corridor Gallery through Friday. 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