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Plcywrigto's latest drama f""" : !HHm . - 1
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By Carh Entrca
Growing old in America is a touchy
subject But Joseph fc&iwia, theatre arts
professor, has gone beyond speculation, lis
has explored the somewhat taboo subject
ia our society known as male menopause.
In his phy, A Secret end Persond
Odyssey Behind a WeU of Gkss, he delves
into the psychological problems that attack
a 55-year-old man.
"It's a change in Lfe when you
recognize that, by george, you realy are
eligible to die. You can have chest pains
and you don't know if it's gas or a real
problem," Baldwin said.
It's a play about anxiety and the main
character probes into himself with the help
of a psychiatrist.
ApcmtiaLfe
The reason the 58-year-old playwright
is concerned with male menopause is that
man comes to a point in life and "it looks
like you've done just about all you're going
to do. Then you start thinking what have I
done with my life? Men used to try not to
recognize it.
"We don't even have good patterns for
growing old in America. And it's taboo to
talk about death."
He remarked that the play had some
therapeutic value for himself and it helped
"get some of my own things in order."
This play and Lars and Emma, a serious
drama about Scandinavians in the 19th
Century on the plains, are currently in the
nanas ot his agent.
Haunted L&raries
As a youth, Baldwin said he haunted the
public libraries, stumbled on the play
bookshelf and loved dialogue. He though
Noel Coward's characters were sophisticat
ed compared to his conservative family life
and found himself terribly timid, he auued.
1 didn't date girls until I was 17
because I was so shy."
Yet Baldwin always seemed to be
involved in some form of writing.
He spent part of undergraduate life at
the University of Texas (UT) as night
editor on the Daily Texan. Then his
interests shifted, creative writing got hold
of him and he switched from journalism
to English.
Ia 1940, he was graduated form UT
with his B.A. ia EnIirh. He began teaching
public schools in Austin "to prove to my
father that I could hold a job." He received
his MA. from UT ia English ia 1945.
He went to the University of Iowa to
receive his MJFA. ia speech and dramatic
art, and in 1950 he had earned his Fh J.
CcnieSad Ezzt py ""
By 1947, he had his first completed
play produced entitled The V,'is?Jng RiX
"At the time I didn't quite know what
I was doing. I recognized 1 needed to learn
more about theatre. But it was good
enough to give me the feeling that I could
do something." . . - -
Baldwin is the author of 16 long plays
and more than 2C3 one-acts.
This year he participated in the
Bicentennial Festival of American Flays,
with American Actors in Greewkh, N.Y.
His play, A Deed from the King of
Spain, was billed along with Eugene
OTOeA's Desire under the Elms, Tennessee
William's This Property is Condemned
and A Streetcar Named Desire, Imamu
Amiri Baraka's The Slave and Israel
Horovitz's The Indian Wants the Bronx.
Howard Thomas, in The New York
Times said Baldwin's play, "simmers like
a Chekhovian chamber work that boils into
a darkly sardonic symphony."
His name in lights
He journeyed to New York for the
occasion and, reflecting back, he said,
"I wouldn't have missed my play in a New
York theatre and my name up in lights.
"1 feel more comfortable about a play
in New York or Alabama, because if it
bombs out I can get out of town.
Anywhere you re doing a play, you go
in with great fear and exhilaration. Play
wrights pace like fathers waiting for then
baby before the play goes on.
The play he got the most satisfaction
from was Sky of Feces.
lt came off the best of any of them,"
he said. The characters took on animal
characteristics, their actions suggested
monkey behavior. .
Jg2edUNLral?53
Baldwin came to UNL in 1958. He kad
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Photo by Ted Kelt
Joseph Baldwin, theaSe arts prefaasc and author of A Secret and Personal Odvssev
Behind a WaS of Glass. .
been acting chairman of the Theatre Dept.
until Rex McGraw arrived.
"I'm happy we have a new chairman.
Acting as chairman takes away r:ix my
writing time. I'm back to my 'first loves,
writing plays, teaching plays and directing
plays."
The stage, to Baldwin, leads and focuses
on people.
"Every art form has its limitations and
your limitations can be your strength.
Rays give us the most concentrated
Violinist will play
concerto Tuesday
Internationally acclaimed violinist Ruggiero Ricci wEl
open the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra's season with
his performance of Prokofkffs Second Conareto in G
minor at 8 pjn. Tuesday in Nebraska Wesleyan Univer
sity's ODonneU Auditorium.
Robert Anders Em2e will conduct the Lincoln
Symphony, which also will perform Berlioz's Overture to
Le Corszfre and Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony.
In addition to conducting the Lincoln Symphony
Orchestra and serving as it's musical director, Emile is
also at UNL School of Music professor.
Season and individual tickets and information can be
obtained from the Lincoln Symphony office.
Lincoln Symphony is in it's 5 1st season. .
experience of human action, live and right
now. It involves audience participation and
that's why people psy money to watch
actors talk for two hours."
Baldwin said his ambition now is to be
a "very healthy old man."
1 want my eyes to hold out so I can
read and write," he addd.
. Since the national retirement age is 65,
Baldwta has seven years of teaching left.
"And rnTgoing to make them seven
good years," he said.
$1
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'&nd motion
music
Music and motion wO be featured ia the annual
faculty recital at 8 p jn. Tuesday in Kimball Recital Hall.
The recital, coordinated by David Van de Eo-rt,
Lincoln Symphony Orchestra flutist and UNL School of
Music assistant professor, wi3 combine music and dance.
It is entitled isc end Motion.
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Th perfenmng ensemble, Sphinx, consisting of dancer
Faua Vandssberg V.liite and her husband, composer
rnusiciaa L. Keith VTiite, will be included in several of
F F l7?t P yet unfinished composition,
FiUe FcSnc. wO be presented for the first timeVFlutht
Kebecca Van de Eogart will accompany David Van de
Eogart and the V.liites in this "simple and reflective
JZ wor fiTe movents; Pencil Tones; Ordas
and Cycles; Soft Smiles and Rainbow Eves- S t Hi r
Parade;and Pretty Days end Stnw lit? a
The rates composition is called "sirrtic in tha
dasp cf it s3, yet vary subtle and sopiSkated ia itX
masas-s and intent." r
Other features of the program are: Donizetti's Shrj
RoSf0'. pn2? 21 be UNL Prof. Al
h SlS YM de S"'- this type ofpraautka
grc0-uon ot artists able to do chamber work th
otherwise would not be affordable"
The performance is free of charge.