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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 14, 1973)
Of Mice and Men portrays pain and isolation Tl' ...... . . . This is a return visit for Guthrie The.t t re actor Pdul Ballantyne. Bd'L'tntyne is in Lincoln this week with the Trone Guthrie Theatre tour of John Sts-'ntxrck's p'ay Of Mice and Men. Before j o n i n q the Guthrie, Bailjntyne played Lincoln with the cats of Teahouse of the August Moon 20 ears aqo and Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots 12 years ago. He said the town has changed quite a bit. The tour of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots later brought Ballantyne to the nevV theater in Minneapolis. The tnater company was founded by the ! jt; S r Tyrone Guthrie, in the early Si tic-5. "We were in Chicago and the roadshow was having problems with ne light plot fitting the theater. A i"i i of 'Dr. G.' sent a distress call to n,m for help. I didn't actually thnk of working with him until two years later when got an early morning phone call in New York," Ballantyne said. The phone call was from Guthrie, asking him to join the newly formed company. Ballantyne said his involvement with the Guthrie has been a miracle he hasn't gotten over. The 10-week tour is a homecoming for Ballantyne, who was raised in the Midwest and left his home during the Depression to work as a linotype operator in Chicago. "In Ames, Iowa, we learned to adjust to a house that the Metropolitan Opera would be happy to have. The auditorium there seated 2,649, and the backstage was big enough to launch ships," Ballantyne said. Adjusting from the relative intimacy of the Guthrie Theatre where the faithest seat is only 52 feet from the stage, he said, "we were just happy to find that we could project enough to be heard on our own," Ballantyne said of the large theater. The six-state tour has taken them to all kinds of theaters. "It's been a special treat for us to get acquainted with new people along the way and to bring theater to friends that visit us at the Guthrie. "People have been hungry to learn about theater. Of Mice and Men has bf.-en particularly successful because it creates sympathy with the audience immediately," he said. Ballantyne plays the role of Candy, an old sheepherder. Candy is afraid of losing his job because he has only one hand. He has no worldly possessions except an old dog. "The cider people have especially related to Candy's predicament. He's an old man with nothing but a dog and the dog is shot; and a dream is broken. "Sometime, everyone is afraid. The show has been successful because people see in the characters' alientation and isolation some of their own pain. A pain to deep they can't respond to it. Life is frail and sometimes desolate with the realization that no one ever gets to take anything with them afterwards," Ballantyne said. "Audiences have been nothing but enthusiastic on our tour. That brings a new challenge every night and marks the difference that keeps the show from being routine. "Part of our art is learning never to force an audience reponse, but to intrique them into following. Young people are a joy to play to as they respond immediately, but a lot of older people are still afraid to let go. An actor can feel the audience hold back emotion," he said. "The play has been rewarding to do and we've never tired of it. Always finding something in the richness of Steinbeck's characters has kept the show new for us," Ballantyne said. Ballantyne said the image of the theater and theater people has changed over the years, but he still finds individuals who are misinformed about theater. "They don't realize the energy that goes into performing leaves an actor mentally and physically drained. At one point, last season I was rehearsing two shows, performing one and replacing an actor in another and, by the end of the day, just happy to go home and rest. Shyness has never kept Ballantyne off the stage. At 12, he knew it would be his profession. He says he'll always be stage-struck, as an actor or audience member. "The call is born into you. Why my call was theater I can't explain r ' v t :r Jr. , I', X ' -- mS' r i is.- I Hi,,,, Muni,,; jjj , Guthrie Theatre actor Paul Ballantyne man with broken dreams. plays Candy, a anymore than why a coal minor might have 14 children and the ninth one wants to play the violin. ''Theatre deals in human relationships, as Of Mice and Men does, and as an actor becomes mote and more experienced, he giows expanding his knowledge and the audience's realm of expei lence. This is a great gift theater has to give," Ballantyne said. x X " Unused tickets for Wednesday afternoon's performance sponsored by the Lincoln Public Schools have been made available to UNL. Approximately 100 tickets will be on sale at the door at 1 p.m. Wednesday, at Kimball Recital Hall. r Dance Smith Hall is sponsoring a 1 950's style dance Saturday from 9 to 12 p.m. in the Nebraska Union Ballroom. Admission is 75 cents. All receipts will go to help an oi phanaqe in South Vietnam. Unvevt IDs will be required at the door, II NOW SHOWING HENRY MILLER'S BEST SELLER Representatives Students interested in being a University representative to their high school should attend a meeting at 4:30 p.m., Thursday in the Union. Auditions Auditions for the next University theatre production, The Memorandum, will be held Sunday, 7-10 p.m., Monday, 7-10 p.m., and Tuesday, 7-10 p.m. Sole Power There will be a film, slides and discussion on the 1973 Lincoln Walk for Development Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Union. Volunteers Visually impaired students at the University would like readers' help two hours each week. For information about volunteer opportunities contact the Student Volunteer Bureau, 200 Nebraska Union. nebraskan doiu tditor- in Chief Tom L.insworth, M,in;Jinr Editor: Cheryl Westcott News Editor: Michmil lO J. I Nolson. SMff writer-, 1 mi AihIitsou, Steve A rviintM w, H.J. Cummins A J McCl.inah.-in, Denies Onnen, J.ine Owens, S.ir.i Schwieder Nancy S tons' Ruth Ulru h, Mary Vr.bonl, Adella K . War k or E ntertainment writers'' Bart Becker, Carolyn Hull, Larry Kubert Photographer : Dan Ladely Sports wnters Kim Hall, Andy R ,,,. News Assistant: Mary Holdt' Copy Editors: Randy Beam, Chris Harper, Bob Sbanahan Nancy Wilt' Dispatch- Larry Grill Staff Aritst Grer, Scott Colonists: John Vihstadt, Bob Russell, Shelly Kalkowski. Business Coordinator: Jem Haussler. Advertising Manager Bill Carver. Receptionist: Kathy Cook. Advertising representatives: Jeff Aden, Tern Adrian, Hoburt Flood, Kris Collins, Vicki Bagrowski Larry Swoison, M.tth Mohanna, Craig Mc Will jams. Advertising artist'' SSaah Stan Subscriptions: John McNeil Circulation Staff: Jim Sheridan Charlie Johnson, Jim Hallberq Copyright 1073, The Daily Nebraskan. Material may be reprmtud without permission if attributed to the Daily Nebraskan, excepting material covered by another copyright. Second class postage paid at Lincoln, Nebraska, Address The Daily Nebraskan 34 Nebraska Union14th Si R oireeis i mcoin, rsjebr. bVbOU. Telephone: 402.4 72.2598, COLOR C A m - 7:45-9:35 r: i ' i 1 1 I l aA rrn iiinnis' I MV.HUCIYII MfVAKU' NOMINEE BEST ACTOR : PETER 0700LE L IMfc di ii inn HWklltU CLASS 7:00-9 STUDEWTS UNITE! It is time for us ail to work together for our rights If your landlord is hassling you and you want to do something about it, call the ASUN office 12-4 p.m. daily and help with a telephone survey. The secretary will ask you some of the following questions; amount of rentf landlord name, condition of house or apartment, terms of the lease, and amount of the damage deposit. The results of this survey will help us to investigate the unfair rent practices reported in this community. 472 2581 or 472-2593 page 2 daily nebraskan Wednesday, march 13, 1973