Tuesday, March 6, 1934
Pago 8
Daily Nebraskan
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By Carrie Ahrer.3
"I Robert Kerrey, Governor of the state of Ne
braska, do hereby proclaim the month of March,
1084, as Nebraska Humor Month and ask all citizens
to participate in these events."
Kerrey signed this proclamation of the state of
Nebraska on Feb. 29. The purpose of Nebraska
Humor Month is to increase the public's awareness
and support of the Heritage Room, a section of Ben
nett Martin Public Library, at 14th and N streets,
which houses a collection of more than 4,000
volumes representing more than 700 writers from
Nebraska. The books cover Nebraska fiction, poetry,
folklore, history and art.
The National Endowment for the Humanities has
awarded the Lincoln library $100,000 in a challenge
grant to support the Heritage Room Service. Lin
coln's public library is one of only seven public librar
ies in the United States to receive a challenge grant
award. The challenge grant must be matched by
$300,000 to be raised by the Lincoln City Library
Foundation from new sources or increased contri
butions from existing donors during the next four
years.
The Heritage Room has been in existence for the
past 1 2 years and is located on the third floor of the
Dennett Martin Public Library. Grants from the Jun
ior League of Lincoln have been used to keep the
room open to the public during the past three years,
but their contract ends in June.
Consequently, through the Junior League of Lin
coln, the Lincoln Library Board, and the Lincoln
City Library Foundation Board, a support group has
been formed. This group, the Nebraska Literary Her
itage Association, is directing the fundraising cam
paign to match the challenge grant.
The celebration of Nebraska Humor Month began
with a presentation on plains folklore by Roger
vVelsch in the Heritage Room on Feb. 29. On March 1,
a brown bag lunch continued the festivities with the
showing of Nebraskan Harold Lloyd's Never Weaken
on the fourth floor of the main library.
Throughout the month of March, more humor
activities will take place. A coffee hour featuring
Nebraska author Shirley Lueth will be Thursday
from 10 to 1 1 a.m. in the Heritage Room.
On March 15, another brown bag lunch will fea
ture Jim McKee's light look at Lincoln history. The
lunch will be in the auditorium of the main library
from noon to 1 p.m.
- On March 22 from 8-10 p.m., "An Evening of
Nebraska Humor," featuring state poet William
Kloefkorn, Nebraska author Ted Kooser, and local
comics T. Marni Vos, Peg Sheldriek, and Craig Anton,
will be at Barrymore's, 124 No. 13th St.
The final program of Nebraska Humor Month, a
brown bag lunch featuring a videotape of Roger
Welsch's appearance on the Dick Cavett show, will
be at the Gere Branch Library, 56th Street and
Normal Boulevard at noon on March 29.
All events are open to the public and free of
charge.
Newman movie laclis Iieiroeo
By Patty Pryor
Harry and Son, the new Paul New
man offering, is a kind of ineffective
look at life's missed opportunities.
Directed, co-produced and co-written
by Newman, along with Ronald
Buck, the film depicts the relationship
Film
Review
between Harry Keach, played by New
man, and his son Howard, played by
Robbie Benson.
The two live alone in a comfortable
house on the Florida coast, after the
death of Harry's wife, Jenny, two years
earlier.
Already facing a difficult time get
ting over the loss of his wife, Harry is
dealt another blow when he loses his
job as a wrecking ball operator be
cause of vision-blurring headaches. .
Howard, meanwhile, seems content
to wash and wax cars, surf and sit in
the backyard jacuzzi as he waits for
someone to publish his writing.
Considerable tension builds be
tween father and son as the disparity
between their values and lifestyles
grows increasingly apparent as Harry
says to Howard, "1 want to work and
can't; you can and don't."
At his father's directive, Howard
undertakes a half-hearted job search,
but finally tells Dad, "I don't want to
spend my time at a job that pisses me
off."
Harry can't understand how How
ard does want to spend his time, and it
is in this conflict that the "missed
opportunities" theme comes through,
although not quite successfully.
The theme is further carried out in
Howard's relationship with Katie, an
old girlfriend who has since become
pregnant. Howard's decision to take
the girl, played by Ellen Barkin, under
his wing deepens the misunderstand
ing between him and his father.
I've never been an avid Robbie Ben
son hater, but he seems unable to
break out of that super-sensitive, "Gee,
isn't life neat?" mentality, and his roles
usually suffer because of it.
In this film, Benson's character just
bubbles over with wide-eyed naivete
and optimism. Lines like, "Thingsll get
better, Pop," and, "We'll make our own
luck," flow from his mouth no matter
what obstacle lies ahead next.
Such an unrealistic view on life can
be nothing but grating to audiences
who know it ain't so.
. At one point, after Howard's whin
ing about all the jobs for which he just
doesn't have the right disposition,
Harry tells him, "Once you get out and
fell the heat, you'll see the light." We're
supposed to feel sorry for Harry and
his calloused attitude (Why can't he
just enjoy life?), but I don't think it
works. I think he's right on target.
Harry may not have taken enough
time to stop and smell the roses, but he
knows the realitites of life and fears, or
maybe envies, his son for his rose
colored perspective.
Despite its drawbacks, the film does
have its redeeming qualities, not the
least of which is Newman's perfor
mance. His acting certainly makes up
for whatever he lacks in writing or
directing.
The chemistry between Newman
and Benson has its engaging moments
as well, including a scene in which
Harry tracks Howard down to the
beach and wades in waist-deep to
chew him out for leaving half a can of
dead beer in the refrigerator.
Overall, though, the film is less than
entertaining, and its ad campaign .
"Two heroes for the '80s" is a bit
misleading. I really didn't find too
much heroic about either one of them
. and am not sure why anyone else
would, either.
Corrections
The article entitled "Record Shops
Never Slip a Disc" (Daily Nebraskan,
March 1) contained some misleading
information about Dirt Cheap Records
and Gilts, 21 7 N. 1 1th St. and East Park
Plaza
The analysis mentioned sale prices
at other record shops but failed to
note Dirt Cheap's sale offerings. Both
stores have a number of albums on
sala for $5.77.
In addition, the analysis claimed
prices between the Downtown and
Uzii Park Plaza store varied signifi
cantly. Although prices at the two
stores may vary depending on special
markdowns, the pricing policies be
tween the two stores are basically the
same.
We apologize to Dirt Cheap and
anyone else misled by this error.
In another article about pianist
Fernando Laires, the date he will be
performing was inadvertantly omitted.
Laires will appear at Lincoln's Kimball
Hall March 9. There is no admission
charge: .
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Beatrice (Marl Weiss) has a little fun at Benedick's expense in the
climactic sequence of Much Ado About Nothing. The play is shevdr."
through Saturday &t the Howell Theatre.
Huzzah! Slapstick, romance
make 'Much Ado' pure fun
By Mona Z. Koppelman
Five huzzahs for cast and crew of
Much Ado About Nothing in produc
tion at the Howell Theatre in the Tem
ple building. Merriment and frivolity
Theater
Review
abound. Director Paul Barnes brought
a common denominator of pure fun to
Shakespeare that can be enjoyed by
young and old with no effort at all.
Christopher Wineman, stage man
ager of Much Ado, said the youthful
ness of audiences has been surprising
and gratifying.
They haven't been waiting until the
English professors showed up to get
the jokes," Wineman said.
It always takes time to warm aud
iences up to Shakespearean language
and wordplay, but even the opening
niht crowd quickly got acclimated.
The audience stayed with the. play,
even through its radical tone changes
the witty interchanges, quaint rom
ance, bawdy slapstick and sulky melo
drama. The play, of course, is a romantic
comedy. Don Pedro, prince of Arragon,
fixes up his brave companion, Claudio,
with the desire of his heart, Hero. Hero
is daughter and. only heir to Leonato,
governor of Messina. Don Pedro's broth
er, John, and two villainous henchmen
hatch a plot to stop the marriage of"
Claudio and Hero. Age-old nemeses
Beatrice and Benedick join to bring
Hero, Beatrice's cousin, and Claudio
Benedick's friend, back together. And
meantime, a good-natured plot to
spark love between the avowed singles,
Beatrice and Benedick, succeeds Bcut
ifuL Tka Claudio-Hero team of Jeff Tal
bott and Lynette Welter was almost
sickening in their sweet naivete, but
was successfully carried off, nonethe
less. Neither captured a lot of empathy
from the audience. Hopelessry-in-love
couples are always flaccid, and it's
hard to get excited about flaccid.
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