'Memorandum'-bungling, inefficient bureacracy
-.. .-!.-,
by Carolyn Hull
Red tape, bunghrig, inefficiency-the
pron'ems of bureaucracy die satiried
n the U r-i. vfS'ty Theatre production,
777 e Memorjndim, opening Foday
night at Howell Theatre.
Th' Memorandum, 1 968's best
o'r-3road.v,i foreign pla. Is about
... ;ir)-.;.rfifintat.on of a nevv, mo a
.;"ice-:t Is'-guant; (Ptydepei Into a
'a' 'jo compan y.
The p'a"' !Jackfi''f-s s;nce no one can
h j . a P t y ci- pe metrtnrandum
t ; 3 n ; ' j re d j -u 1 1 they receive
jnr dtion to do so. And ft)'
a .'no- ,-jtr.m, one must know the
c.r't-''t of tie memorandum. As one
o' tne cad comevmed "It's a voous,
, c '.hi s c i el-:1 .
-Trv? Pot!'f Pr.nc.pU' Ipromot on to
o'v's !-',;'! of incompetencM is very
,.vi.,:U. Notnnj ever (j'.-ts done ,n this
large company except by the person
wno i; always trymg to gam a
reputation through implementing
something now," dnector Tice 1iller
s a i d .
The company's manager, doss
(Steve Sheet), hjs tison to his level of
i n co m pe fence. As head of the
company, he talks about human ideals
a lot, but because of his poso on an J
cowardice, does nothing about them
Sheet said the1 pljy is a farce about
the American bureaucratic system
'Take, for example, the idea of the
University selling more parking spaces
than it has, or the food narcs busting
people for giving food to nonresidents.
That's bureaucracy to the extreme,
when they try to control one's
freedom."
Smce find nc; the play .n a London
Pooksnre m 1969, Miiic ..j d ho has
become mu'e and mon: av.a'e 1
i C f) ' C se n t S t He way !h nqs ar e
0 v eryvvhe'O, Whether '.' t.f Con
edweat on cm the m.i tj'y, jiui so, hi
warded to produc" t-he show
'Wh.U- I was touch, r 19 at 1" 'o- "U. d
aiways seemed the sect eta' w .'
COilectllH) for so n if O hi' S P.'.h'y sliOWei
01 fjieweji pjrty and n.;v do-nc; jii,
work That's what the sho.s h.is too,
pa' ties next dooi and ium.'h Pieaks
Out no one getting any woik iln.;. '
YUler said.
The one person that does get
something done is Ballas, deputy
manager of the company (Cindy
Wal lis). She and her followers manage
to implement Ptydepe without Gross's
knowledge, showing where the real
power is in the organization, according
to Miller.
"Bulla-, has al ways win ked to get
ahead J'Hl smce she is deputy director,
she f.quies she can take one mote step
and ti- come the d rector. The problem
s she f.ns she can't cut red tape any
lietter end so it's Wise to remain
underneath and not have to take the
ill one fo thongs that go wrong,"
W O'o s . H
"V '() a chji email's societal y is
, ok ruOhiij ( j . t s done l)0(.iuso the
. riijo has no idea when' to find
w ,M n, " M !!,.. '.aid
The Ptydepe classroom is perhaps
the purest metaphor the playwright
draws, according to Pytedepe teacher
Steve Gaines.
"He can be put in the context of
many teachers who sit in front of a
classroom and spew forth information.
They're a blind machine, happv to get
something to give out again regardless
of what it is."
a. the show nroaiesses. siuueuis
fad Ptydepe and leave the classroom
until only one student remains. He is
flunked and told to leave the
classroom so js not to impede the
o the i pupils' learning. "He is
oblivious to anything but what is said,
which comments on the blind faith he
has," Games said.
The show's comments about the
foolishness of the system and its
dehumanizing effect are shown in the
three level setting designed by Nancy
Myers.
"The design is stnctly utilitarian,
very efficient. It's a pretty universal
off'C" of an automated society, but
even the lack of colot (the major color
in the set is gray) and texture, can't
keep the coffee pots and other human
touches from aopping up," Myers
sard.
The human touches are what the
show is about. Ptydepe, designed to be
u I t t a s c i e n t i f i c , precise and
unemotional, succumbs when it is
lepoitod that, in use, it too "takes on
chaiacteristics of a natuial language."
Memorandum runs through May 5,
except Sunday, at Howell Theatre,
12th and R.
City goals include
student concerns
UNL students may perceive that little city 01 county
government does affects them, and m some' ways they may
be r ight .
However, a study of the city -county Goals and Policies
report shows many of its guidelines would affect students
directly.
The Guais and Policies tcpoit is the lust phase m
updating the 1961 Comprehensive Regional Plan for
Lincoln and Lancaster County According to the report, its
intent is To deal with the phy-.ic.al selling, the existing
patterns of development and the people n 'he, ,,ie,t
If the report's recommendations were adopted, they
would serve two purposes:
As an inteiim guide foi public officials and povate
interests making decisions about deyelonment , and m
Mai ting pio'ji ams for community improvement,
As a due(.ti;e to designer, ol tie- Compi ehere,, ;.. '!,,:)
winch pi e, si.", the desnes of the- community" about it.
future arid IS intended to complement terhreia1
( "jtiSifl.-ijt.oir, when drafting the plan
f hi-n-foie, the Goals and Pol'Cie', repot t at d only as a
qu'dehne. No studies about i;,ivbiii : , a" luo'ud'd m its
recommendations.
The report recommends that the City Council and
County Board "maximize the opportunities to ensure an
adequate and reasonable supply of safe, sanitary, decent
and aesthetically pleasing housing,"
It 'peCif'Ca'1 idSO, adeOOa'i and 'ir'.Mli1"
ho r. ng be prodded ij V,,rh: .if d ma'1"' i ', ! . j i r i ! s on, o
c!ose to, the UNL campuses
The, hO'jsmg hou!f! be P'O ed. d t'uough ( 'y ai'd
iiija'e I esfoj'r.es o U'.: f O'T.p.-M (Jli fo liO.'.-"(j
bet .vee' '.'a'iet't, ao'l Uji;,,' : '-.i.h'i- 'am.! n( icdm-)
to thi; ' ejf)' t .
The report also states that all dwellings must meet
minimum housing standards, building codes and'or
regulations.
The -..port so,'., Keepo;'; yOu'1') peoire n I nefjlii
d e ,. i a: e" a'oi tn .' "a'j'i" '; pub-.f, .ii.l p- ,m!c
i'..)n"ii,! oii.r "f'o'l-, in- m,i n-(! to .;"',;;.! d-. 'jO:e
,,;., j ne'it ojipr;! t.jn.t es
T'ii i,-r jl sect 'ill (it the M-pO't .i'.i'i'i' 'OO" pf'at on
rias o' i iji 1 1 ' ; ji e jl : 1 1 i " t j ., t j, ;., i . ; j s i. (
I; (,,':, for i sste-n r j f tools ami a" wejthi lil.ew.iy'.,
"i;!.i'l '"'') I) C.t.li' lone-, o'i )"Cia"y ma'keij stoits and
:, a'td til- ng t r a'ls .n pal k s
Concerning downtown Lincoln, the report asks that
introducing a traffic free area with adequate parking at the
perimeter be considered.
Art 'i' log to the it'poi t, existing uru'vC i Sit u". and
college'. ,oe assets to the' community and -hou d be
encouraged tu epi,md an'i to make its facade", a.ae.jb'e ie,
the community ,
The' tepoit eiuiiutages t fs 1 City County Pl.inuiug
Commission leyo'V, devclnpitieot pi. JUS )i all olicfe'., .11 u I
universities m ooler to maxmiie ccjopetat ion between the
commi s',ii m am I the schools
In the ,(( tion devoted to ui ban development , the repm I
leinmmends lhaf the city and county governments take
neees.aiy ni'si on". tf gradually leduce the pripulat om
(jrowtfi of Liiiioln and Lancaster (ejunty so thai it Will
touch eiogtowth after bOye.ns
i , . . frmk . r- avis f
-jo. u
Cast member ftoqar Johnson. ..practices for Memorjtnum.
,-: ' rft.fi a
-M nrv
'4 ! ' '
SrSS
TALC;
John G. Afeifiordf
92 year old Nebraska poet laureate reading his own works
at Centennial Room
3:30 pm TODAY
April 26, 1973
Sponsored by Nebraska Union Talks & Topics
PROGRAM CH8L
1 0
fj.tily r I " r i f . j , e ol
liPM'.rjoy, ,J)M yc)t ))3