ENTERTAINMENT
Comedy, tragedy well-balanced
in Henley's Crimes of the Heart
‘F l a u ' K e v i e u )
By Trina Coleman
A dynamic trio of actresses brought
the characters of three troubled sisters
to life during the University Players’
production of Crimes o f the Heart,
performed here in early November.
The play is set in the kitchen of the
Magrath sisters’ home in Mississippi,
five years after Hurricane Camille.
The story begins with a reunion of the
three sisters, two of whom return to
the family home to celebrate Meg’s
birthday. Meg (Marsha Lynn Wil­
liams) has been caring for the sisters’
ailing father.
This is no ordinary reunion, how­
ever. First the sisters learn that Babe
(Vickie Webb-Thomas) has just shot
her husband. So there is the matter of
Babe’s upcoming trial hanging over
the house. As the story develops, many
tensions from the sisters’ childhood
surface. Lennie (Elizabeth Jones) is
jealous of Meg, who Lennie claims
received more attention from their fa­
ther. Meg’s selfishness is another
source of conflict. Her selfishnesses
is revealed in the comic scene when
she samples all of the candy brought
to her by their cousin Chick (Ursula
McMillion), then returns the candy to
the box.
The audience also learns that Meg
has abandoned her former lover. Doc
Porter (Barry Gray), during aHre. The
romance between the two is rekindled
during the play, but Meg’s past failure
lingers. The chemistry between Gray
and Williams is strong and provides
both humor and drama.
Lennie’s anger against Meg builds
slowly. When Meg stays out all night
with Doc and returns home, Lennie
confronts her, pointing out that Meg is
pretending to be something she isn’t
(a successful entertainer). Meg also
reveals her anger that “Daddy always
paid more attention to you.”
The tensions between the sisters
relax somewhat as they draw together
to support Babe, who is to be put on
trial for the attempted murder of her
husband. Babe’s revelation of her
efforts to protect her lover, a 15-yearold black boy, add much drama to the
story.
Webb-Thomas’ performance as
Babe is interesting. Webb-Thomas
captures the feel of the character, who
faces her problems with grace and
humor. Many of the play’s funniest
moments center around her predica­
ment For example, the audience
laughs as Babe gets out a rope to hang
herself, like her mother before her,
knowing, of course, that Babe will be
unsuccessful in her suicide attempt
When Babe comes down the stairs
with the ceiling light hanging from
her head, the audience howls. Next
Babe sticks her head in the oven, but
is saved by Meg, who trips over her
legs carrying a birthday cake for
Lennie.
Henley’s play walks a fine line
between trag^y and comedy, and it’s
a tribute both to the author’s talent,
and the actresses’ skill, that these two
elements are kept in balance.
Jones shines as the shy Meg. And
Williams and Webb-Thomas play their
roles convincingly and with passion.
However, Rodney Moore turned in a
less than convincing role as the law­
yer, Barnette Lloyd. Moore simply
tried too hard in the role.
Crimes of theHeart is areal featherin the cap of the University Players.
The play was directed by Shawn
Smith. Technical director was Vickie
Webb-Thomas; costumes were pro­
vided by Susan Mahaffey. Kenneth
Lanier and Alan Thomas were the
stage managers.
University Players Vicltie W ebb-Thomas and Marsha Lynn Williams performed in Beth Henley s Crimes of the Heart Novemter
1,2,3, and 5th in the Little Theater on the ECSU campus. Crimes of the Heartm% the University Players major production for
the semester.
Romantic comedy disappoints reviewer
‘V f a u ‘K e z'i e n)
By Cheryl White
The Owl and the Pussycat, a ro­
mantic comedy written by Bill Manhoff, was the most disappointing
production the University Players
have ever presented their public.
The play, set in an apartment in San
Francisco, starred Edmund Roush as
Felix and Janis Gail McDermott as
Doris. Roush played a struggling
writer, down on his luck and search­
ing to restore his ego.
Roush befriends an ex-prostitute,
portrayed by McDermott, whom he
deems an idiot and begins to educate
her on the art of literary expression.
An intimate relationship results and
it is here that the sparks begin to fly.
The couple fluctuates between b re ^
ups and reunions, finally resulting in
Etoris moving out, then returning out
of guilt.
Felix decides he can no longer bear
his miserable status as a failure and
vows to kill himself. When he tells
Doris of his plans she “tries to help”
by suggesting painless tactics. The
result is an unsuccessful suicide pact.
Roush was thoroughly unconvinc­
ing in his role and almost intolerable
as he skipped in and out of manic de­
pressive states as Felix Sherman. His
attempts at humor where not entirely
understood by the audience, which
explains why no one caught on to his
final lines closing the play. Most of
the audience was left wondering,
“What did he say?”
However, this is not to say Roush is
a complete no-go. His acting abilities
seem as if they’d be more at home in
a Shakespearean drama. He could
definitely serve such a role well.
Janis Gail McDermottas Doris was
the brightest spot in this pathetic play.
At times she was overbearing as an
airhead, but that was not her fault. It
was Manhoff s. McDermott’s por­
trayal of honest ignorance went over
well, and with so many other nega­
tives in The Owl and the Pussycat,
her performance was a salvaging
Godsend.
Bill Manhoff achieved nothing
more than ultimate failure in trying to
convey the passions and true char­
acters of Felix and Doris to the audi­
ence, if indeed this was one of his in­
tentions in the The Owl and the
Pussycat.
Thecharacters were bleak and dark,
without an ounce of realism, sub­
stance, or rationality.
Susan Mahaffey did a good job
with thecostumes. There was nocause
for the elaborate or outrageous, so
Mahaffey kept the mode of dress
simple and related to what the char­
acter roles called for.
The apartment was moderately and
conservatively furnished, fu'eplace in­
cluded.
I did not like the way Uie issue of
suicide was confronted in the play.
Though the humorous side of the
characters in deciding on their sui­
cide pact was perfectly acceptable, it
was overdone and should not have
been the main focus of the issue.
Because the humorous side was the
main focus, the subject was seem­
ingly mocked and not tackled from a
serious standpoint at all.
The Owl and the Pussycat was a
project of Drama 324, an introduc­
tion to dramatic arts class. The play
was directed by Shawn Smith.
IrUm's violent scenes lightened by comedy
‘M o v i e ‘J \c v i e w
Harlem Nights, a Paramount film,
written and directed by Eddie
Murphy, music by Herbie Hancock.
CAST; EddieMuiphy,Richard I^ o r,
Redd Fox, Danny Aiello, Michael
Lemer, DellaReese, BerlinaTolbert,
Stan Shaw, Jasmine Guy, Arsenio
Hall. Rated R at the Gateway Twin in
Southgate Mall._______________
By C. Cullipher Hanchuck
I enter the darkened theater, pickJohn Glynn and Tim Papenbrook, french hornists with the North Carolina School of The
Arts, performed with the talented Winston-Salem Orchestra OctolDer 29th as part of the
ECSU Lyceum Series. The orchestra was under direction of Serge Zehnacker.
ing a seat in the back where my pen
STUDIO II
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light won’t disturb anyone. I get my
pencil and paper ready and then get
down to the important stuff: my
popcorn is placed in the empty seat to
my left, the drink on my right arm­
rest The faithful Goobers in my lap.
I’m ready now for two of my most
favorite actors ever—^Eddie Murphy
and Richard Pryor.
The lights go down and the movie
starts on schedule.
Murphy plays a gangster named
Quick, the adopted son of Richard
FYyor who plays Sugar Ray, the head
of a comic^ gangster clan. The set­
ting is Harlem 1918, and begins in a
backroom poker game. Shortly there­
after, the setting moves 20 years into
the future—1938.
The plot revolves around the Sugar
Ray Club, as a group of rival gang­
ster’s attempt to move in on Pryor’s
territory. The plot is standard for
gangster movies but with a unique
twist—comedy! Comical situations
are apparent and numerous and keep
the blood and guts scenes light, to a
point. This approach allows for com­
edy entertainment special to an Eddie
Murphy production, with absolutely
no enlargement on personalities or
story line.
I could see little or no social value
in this movie. The language was typi­
cal of movies and stand-up comedy
performedby Murphy an d l^o r, with
profanity u s ^ excessively and inap­
propriately throughout Ae movie.
The stars were not alone. Everyone in
the movie seemed to have the same
affinity for the same four letter words.
The theme of the movie seemed to
be “Think now—^reactlater, or maybe
it was react now—think later! ” It was
hard to tell since everyone was
dying—everyone, that is, except our
two beautiful stars and their gang of
misfits.
I did appreciate the fact that ro­
mance was put back into the lovemaking scenes.
Costumes and props did a good job
of providing hundreds of 1918 Fords
and Cadillacs and provided reaiistic
finery for the ladies. Sound quality
was clear and concise. Harlem was
given a face lift and was certainly
better dressed in 1928 than one might
expect. Murphy and Pryor demon­
strated competent acting ability.
Harlem Nights will provide a night of
very light comedy entertainment.
Don’t worry about following the story
line as even a kindergaruier could
follow it. Only beware: the language
does get embarrassing, especially if
you take a date. Maybe this would be
a better one for you to see on video
with your girl at home. It will save
you the cost of two tickets and some
embarrassment On a scale of 1 to 7
with 1 being excellent and 7 being
terrible; I rate Harlem Nights a 5.
The Gateway Twin in Southgate
Mall is owned by the Carmike Cin­
emas, the 3rd largest chain of movie
theaters in the U. S., boasting ap­
proximately 6(X) total in 6 states.
Belle portrays 'total femininity'
in her new album Stay with Me
f b II m 'K cz’ i c w
By Pacquin McClain
Regina Belle is back and she’s
hotter than ever with her latest album
Stay With Me on the Columbia Rec­
ord label.
In an interview Belle said she chose
the title “Because that’s what I want
people to do, stay home be with me
and my music.”
Belle said her favorite songs on
the album are “Someday We’ll be free
and “Save The Children,” which she
called, “ a dream that wiU one day be
a reality.”
“Save the Children “ begins
slowly, then speeds up as Regina
demonstrate her impressive vocal
control and depth of feeling. This song
can transform you from your car to a
smoke filled room in a back streetjazz
night club.
The influence of jazz great Billie
Holiday is clearly at work here.
“I want to portray total femininity
like Billy," Belle said. “She sings
pretty clear and soft like a saxophone,
so much like a woman.”
Baby Come To Me” the first single
on the album, is a great jazzy ballad
which demonstrates the clear and soft
characteristics Belle displays in “So
Many Tears” on her first album. This
song is sung from a sensual, feminine
standpoint, a state which Belle says
“no man could reach.”
"Only a woman could reach this
point of a total femininity of just being
there for this guy,” she adds.
This delicate, distinctively femi­
nine sensibility is revealed when Belle
sings: Silver moon shining on my
bed beside my pillow /light the path­
way to bring that man to me/ Some­
thing tells me you will be all mine/
baby come to me."
Belle’s lyrics are stating exactly
how she feels. One can feel the depth
of feeling in her singing as revealed in
the lilting power of her melody. The
music enhances her vocal perform­
ance rather than overpowering it
There’s also a haunting sense of ur­
gency in her voice as she sings, “Baby
come to me. I ’ve got to have you!”
Belle said she never wants to be
categorized. She wants each of her
songs to have its own identity.
“I wanteverything to have my own
signature,” she said.
Her “signature” comes through
loud and clear in her song “Good
Loving” an upbeat song, with a good,
solid beat.
T o top things off Belle has a hauntingly spiritual song on the new album,
“Make It Like It Was.”
“Make It Like It Was" is a slow
song with a great piano synthesizer
sound. When Belle sings this song
you feel what she’s saying. Her vo­
cals pour out this tremendous power—
a cry to make things like they were.
Regina Belle hjis proved once agai”
she is a force to be reckoned with.