page 12
daily nebraskan
friday, december 1, 1978
arts & entertainment
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Shankar gives intense performance
By L. Kent Wolgamott
Tlie sound was captivating. Two talented and sensitive
musicians played ancient classical music passed down to
each student by his guru as Ravi Shankar and Alia Rakha
gave an intense performance at Kimball Recital Hall Wed
nesday night.
About 600 people attended the two hour concert
which was sponsored by the University Program Coun
cil's Concerts Committee.
concert review
Photo by Mark Billingsley
Ravi Shankar and his sitar entertained a crowd of
600 concert -goers at Kimball Hall.
Shankar began the concert with an evening raga which
was divided into a solo portion by Shankar on sitar and
two gats, one slow and one fast.
The raga is the heart of Indian classical music -a melod
ic form upon which the musician builds his performance.
Exploring the raga
The gat is the fixed composition of the raga based on a
rhythmic structure.
With incense wafting across the audience from the
stage, Shankar began the alap seciton of the raga slowly
exploring the raga with long lingering notes played on the
upper portion of the neck of the sitar.
Occasionally pausing to dip his fingers in a small con
tainer which held a waxy substance, the tempo gradually
increased into the jor portion of the raga and Shankar's
playing became more rhythmatic as his left hand traveled
up and down frets on the neck of his handmade sitar.
Come together
On Shankar's right, Rakha began to stir, removing his
vest and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, preparing to
join Shankar.
After a short pause to tune the instruments, the tabla
(two piece drum) player joined Shankar and played the
drone tamboura throughout the performance.
The two then began the extraordinary communication
they share in their music as the sounds of their instru
ments interplayed with almost unbelievable coordination.
The gat moved slowly, gradually increasing in speed as
the musicians worked improvisations which make up 80
percent of Indian music, around the central pattern.
Enjoying music
. The acceleration continued with Shankar and Rakha
obviously enjoying their music, smiling at each other as
the raga rushed to the jhala, its final movement and
climax.
Shankar's right hand became a blur as it strummed the
seven main playing strings of the sitar while his left
hand again moved up and down the entire length of the
instrument.
Rakha's hands were also blurs creating the rhythmic,
melodic percussion associated with Indian music as the
raga reached its intense frenzied ending. Shaking hands as
they finished, Shankar and Rahka raised their peaked
hands to their foreheads in appreciation of the audience's
applause and left the stage for intermission.
Indian seminar
Following the break, the concert became a bit of a
seminar on Indian music as Shankar spoke about the
music and demonstrated with Rakha the voice note co
ordination of the tabla. Each sound made by the tabla
player has a single syllable which reflects it.
Taking his small, silver hanner and tapping the
Continued on page 13
Death becomes ultimate opponent in Shadow Box'
By R.A. Weigel
Fighters walking down the street or working out in the
gym are often seen sparring with an imaginary opponent.
Toning up and getting ready for the big moment when
they meet that adversary, they practice what is known as
shadow boxing.
In the play The Shadow Box by Michael Cristofer, now
playing at UNL's Studio Theatre, the characters are work
ing out with a very real opponent, getting ready for a
final decision by the referee. But the fight has been fixed
and they must take a dive. There is no way out.
theatre review
Death is the subject of the play and not boxing. Yet
the circumstances are still the same. Three people have
been told that they are going down for the count and
there isn't too much for them to do things that life
promises a human being. All three are located in a com
munity of scientists or doctors who are studying the ef
fects of the limited life problems
Depth of classics
A beautifully written play, Shadow Box contains the
depth that classics have shown in their long life. Only one
year since it won an award for best play, it tells the story
of not only those who are about to die but also those who
are interwoven in the lives of those people.
In cottage one, Joe (Dale Wilson) has resolved himself
to the fact of death. His wife and young son also are com
ing to visit him for the first time in many months. His
wife, Maggie (Loreda Shuster) refuses to accept the fact
that he is dying and besides not going into the cottage
(somewhat symbolic usage by Cristofer) she wants him to
come home. The son (John Thew) has not yet been told.
Cottage two has Brian (Scott Lank) who is elated by
the fact that he is going to die. He does all those things
that he has always wanted to even though he lacks talent
to do them well. The people who touch his life are his
boy friend( "Scott Boughn) and his former wife (Maria
Harper). The conflict is obvious and the dialogue some
times incessant.
Dying wish
Felicity (Shana Higgins) is an old woman who defies
death as profanely as possible. She holds onto life by the
hope of seeing her daughter, Clair. But Clair died many
years ago and her daughter Agnes (Catherine Lang) has
been writing letters in Clair's name for years for her
mother. Agnes needs to be free of the burden of her
invalid mother.
Again the intimate atmosphere of the studio theatre
brought this show right into the laps and emotions of the
audience. The acting was on a high level and professional
performances were turned in by Dale Wilson and Loreda
Shuster. Their portrayal of an overweight, middle class
coup!? was touching and beautifully done. Wilson has
talent streaming from every line and nuance.
Scott Boughn played a convincing homosexual without
any of the common stereotypes. Maria Harper' as the ex
wife was adequately bitchy but not completely filled out
in her characterization. The tender moments seemed to be
her best. Scott Lank showed good versatility throughout
his performance.
Something about invisible walls that surround Agnes
made Catherine Lang come to life. She reminds one of so
many old maids who are always doing something for
someone else and eventually just wither up. Shana Higgins
knew her character well and her portrayal of the old, pain
struck woman was done with style.
Larry Petersen played th j interviewer and served as the
link between the three cottages in this hospital commun
ity. He was appropriately sterile in the role.
Reality of death
Communication is the key and the play achieves this.
Some think death is better left undiscussed, yet the show
deals with the reality of this fact in nine different
ways: the behavior of the nine people who are affected.
The directing was good and never got in the way of the
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Photo by Gary Goldberg
Marguerite Fishman and Irene Watchel will give a
free dance performance at Sheldon this weekend.
script. The use of the set was marvelous and many excel
lent moments were created by the directing of the
denouement.
The set and lights were well designed by Steve Probus.
He created nice levels and areas to give a spacious
feeling for a small stage. It's hard to put eight actors on a
set at one time and not make them look crowded but
his modern cottage and outdoor scenes made it much
easier.
Costuming was appropriate and the makeup was just
as it should be . Felicity's makeup was strong in the sense
that it made a young actress look older using her own
features.
The play is an emotionally power-packed show that has
the ability to touch everyone. The few weak moments are
so overshadowed by fine work that the evening is well
spent. The potential is there to be a tear jerker and this
could realistically be achieved before the show closes.
The Shadow Box will be showing tonight through Dec.
3 at the Studio Theatre in the Temple Building, 1 2 and R
streets.
entertainment notes
Marguerite Fishman and Irene Wachtel, performers of
"Dances for Passers-by," will be giving a free performance
for the public at the Sheldon Art Gallery, Sunday at 3
p.m.
The two women have been rehearsing two months in
preparation for their dance concert in Sheldon's main
lobby. Guitarist Leroy Critcher has composed a special
piece for the "Kinetic Acquisition" modem dance
numbers.
Due to the interest in the current planetarium program
Laser: The Light Fantastic, additional presentations of
this program have been scheduled for this weekend only.
Programs will be presented tonight at 8 and 9. The
museum will not be open this evening, but entrance to the
planetarium lobby will be available by the west museum
entrance only.
Saturday and Sunday, the program will be presented at
2, 3, and 4 p.m.
The Best f Laurel and Hardy will present the comedy
team's movie Out hVv and short subject Tit for Tat,
Saturday at 9 pjn. on the Nebraska Educational Tele
vision Network.
Other programs of interest on NETV will include
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, in which Big Bird tries
to find out how Santa Claus gets down all those chimneys,
t airs Sunday. Dec 3. at 7 p.m. and Sunday, December
10, at 6 p.m.
Maria Callas i, remembered by friends and associates in
the two-hour program Callas, about the life of the fiery
opera singer, airing Sunday, Dec. 3, at 9 p m
