Xhurztey, mcrch 11, 1970
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By CI3 Roberts
t JooJt of Men: llsbns of the Male Experience, edited
by Ross Firestone StonehiH PubEshicg Cb New York,
$555.
Marc and Bren&a Fefeea Fasteau shed a little Ifht on
ta Important problem last week when they spoke at UNL
about the need to change the ro!e of men and women in
American society. Marc said men need to break out of the
"John Wayne' bnzs cf "strong, silent, and boring
masculinity, a true observation but superficial.
What we really need are some insightful observations of
the male role in American society. If that role were de
fined beyond the ordinary stereotype, we could truly
numinate the basic question raised by the Feigca
Fasteaus: to what extent, and with what validity, are our
societal roles determined by our sex.
The subject is too big for a Iecture-a good book is
what we need.
So it is disappointing that A Book of Mem Visions of
the Male Experience, which addresses itself to just that
question, is only a fair book.
Four sections
Editor Firestone selects personal writings-autobio
graphies, letters and the Iike-of famous 20th century After Magritte and The Real Inspector Hound, written
by the playwright who won recognition for his full-length
BCSnrI obfoO mi IdIa frof pby Rosencrsntz and GuMenztcm Are Dead, will open
U III Oldie? O IIIUOlLr II KZCLl Friday at the Lincoln Community Playhouse.
The two one-act comedies by Tom Stoppard are dir-
men. lie orpnizes them into four sections: Sons, Lovers,
Husbands and Fathers.
The distinctions are interesting because they surest
there are certain roles men must play in any society. Cut
the distinction between lovers ami husbands is thin, and
sometimes seems to have been made only to provide space
for more juicy erotic passages.
Most of the selections were written before the feminist
movement began and, except that they mention radios
and automobiles, might as well have been written
hundreds of years ago. Why then. limit the choke of
material to that written in the past 76 years? Why not go
further back for better stuff?
Another g?e ;'
Another gripe concerns some of the selections. Norman
Mailer, who has much to say on malcness, is represented
by a snippet from an interview. Mailer talks about mastur
bation, and then one wonders why Phillip Roth, who said
so much on that subject in Portnos Complaint and else
where, wasn't included. . , , f , ,
A mechanical flaw of Book of Men is its lack of
authors Introduction.
In spite of these faults, the book succeeds in places.
The most striking example is a selection in the Fathers
category by, of all people, W.C. Fields.
Forget the screen image of Fields s cutting sarcasm.
This letter to his divorced wife about the rearing of their
son is full of blunt rage. It vibrates with the human con
cern of parenthood, and the stereotype of maternal in
stinct .is as relevant to Fields' situation as the man in the
moon.
The Fields selection illustrates our problem: finding
where the stereotype ends and where the real role of, say,
fatherhood, begins.
But because the idea of the book is so gdod and so
timely, it's a shame the editor didn't do a better job.
Two off -heat comedies open Friday
The 130-member . UNL
Collegiate Band will per
form seven works by North
American composers today
at 8 pan. in Kimball Recital
tmo
Band.
for Trumpet and
Robert Fought, UNL as
sociate professor of saxo-
HalL A highlight of the free phone and band director,
formance by Dennis and "An Original Suite." bv
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ected by John Wilson, and wEl play on weekends from
opening eight to March 28, with evening performances at
8 pan.
After Magritte concerns a couple who are professional
ballroom dancers. Since they practice in the livingroom of
their tiny apartment, the wife's tuba-playing mother must
take her nap on an ironing board located in the room.
Matters worsen after the husband realizes that the
Schneider, UNL professor Gordon Jacob, "Three Cam- woman on the ironing board is really his mother and that
ox orass instruments, oi
Martin Mailman's "Concer-
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CAROL KANE in
JOAN ftXKUN SAVER'S
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eos, by J area Spears, the Inspector Foot of Scotland Yard has arrived to arrest him
"Four Freedoms' march by for a crime that he is almost sure he did not commit.
Edwin Franko Goldman, Don Renaud and Amy Thelander play the couple;
and "Panorama for Band, Dottie Stoesz is the mother; Inspector Hound is played by
by Rex MitchelL Larry Zoucha, and John Flanagan plays Holmes, a novice
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detective from Scotland Yard. ,
The second piece is a crazy whodunit? Moon and
Birdfoot, two theatre critics, attend a play at Muldoon
Manor, an eerie old house standing alone amid the coastal
region's desolate marshes and treacherous cliffs.
Radio reports say an escaped lunatic is believed to be
in the area. Just as the fog rolls in, making the mansion
inaccessible to help, a man matching the description of
the marauder enters.
Renaud and Zoucha from the first comedy also play
the theatre critics, while Mildred Bailey is the maid (Kirs.
Drudge); Shelley Lahman is Lady Muldoon; Carol McVey
is Felicity Cunningham, tennis playing houseguest of Lady
Muldoon; Gale Curtright plays Inspector Hound; Lee
Aronsohn is the 'lunatic" Simon, and Rod McCuHough
plays Magnus, the wheel-chair ridden half-brother of "her
ladyship's husband, Lord Albert Muldoon." "
Reservations for these two light comedies can be made
by calling the playhouse at 489-9608. ;
v
jiiii Goods
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:OESIFMTHMI
Vz Prised Dzcnls :
For Girls
Timrcy fech 11
Ds co rated
Cokes SnocEis
Sandwiches
Open 24 Hrs.Mon-Fri.
Sat. til 8 p.m. Closed Sun.
271 h G "O" St.
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SPRING RISE R,JVTCH U?
COIN'S SSEVHIRE
Fca s?rt:::3 cieax? . .
Look for lha Sprirvj Rkl
tatch-Ugi fastur in
Ctassi?MRj starting CLarch 15
Just f il out th coupon,
in tS March 12th, 11th,
& 12th issutsof the RAG.
Only 8 cents pr word. '
No fclinimum,, for this siciil
Spring Brask swvico of tha
Dty riebraskan.
City
Center
Acting
Company
'.J;v?.v.f r , ; it
An exciting new musicd
ooa
uzren io. 19 a 22 0 p.m.
A fairy t&to fantasy set in the
happy land of the Mississippi
Delta. Some persons may find a
segment of this production of
fensive. Parental discretion ad-
March 2Q2&Qp
Dy v;.arn Ccngrcve
A subtle comical cxarrinaan of
ideal love and marriage.
KirnaariCexOrnee '
113t:usieB:d3.1iaR.
Hecpes. Gateway - ;.
C.-ande!s, Dcvntcvn
U::t Students:
t p!ay-2.50. Ceth plays- 4.C3
1 p!ay-4.C0. Beth p!ays- 7.C0
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frcm Mw York Of
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a coioiceiirt'
plus
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They ere funny; they era
fcrCHent; they era
-VILLAGE VOICE
f -h F-?
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