monday, january 15, 1978
page 16
daily nebraskan
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'California SuiteVfourcomediesneedimprovement
By Peg Sheldrick
California Suite is a not-so-sweet set of
four comedies . by Neil Simon that has
plenty of room for improvement.
The ingredients seem right for a spec
tacular success, with Simon scripting, Her
bert Ross directing, and Jane Fonda, Alan
Alda, Walter Matthau, Bill Cosby, Elaine
May, Richard Pry or, Michael Caine, and
Maggie Smith starring.
The combined efforts of all these
talented people has produced instead a
moderately funny and ultimately unsatisfy
ing quartet of stories. The whole thing
comes off like an odd parfait-nothing
seems to blend with anything else and in
the end it's a little hard to digest.
The Michael Caine-Maggie Smith story
works much better. Smith is an English
actress nominated for an Oscar and Caine
is her antique dealer husband. These two
get the best lines in the movie.
Their scenes bubble along quite merrily
until the end, where, unfortunately, the
bubbles become suds. Caine and Smith are
excellent throughout. If the ending wasn't
so soupy, it would be the only unqualified
success of the movie.
Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor get the
most laughs in their little comedy of errors
about a pair of doctors on a dream vaca
tion turned nightmare.
Physical comedy
Pryor and Cosby do have some funny
lines, but physical comedy dominates. It's
too bad, since both men are gifted comedi
ans and Simon's forte is snappy dialogue.
Maybe Simon was trying to balance the
verbal comedy in the other sketches with
physical comedy in this one. It seems
rather excessive, though.
Walter Matthau and Elaine May have the
shortest story, a little farce about infidelity,
full of schtick and stereotypes. It has its
moments, but in the end its sympathies
seem misplaced. Again, the fault lies more
with the writing than with the acting.
The one really outstanding aspect of the
movie is its score. Claude Boiling has com
posed some fine, jazzy music that gives the
film its only unity besides its location.
California Suite isn't terribly bad. If
nothing else, it offers a sunny alternative
to the world outside the theater. The prob
lem is that it is only fair where one would
expect it to be fantastic. There are some
good laughs, but overall it's uneven and
sometimes too cynical to be much fun.
California Suite is currently playing at
the Stuart Theater.
The story given the most attention is
a bittersweet (emphasis on the bitter) epi
sode starring Fonda and Alda as a divorced
couple trying to settle custody of their
17-year-old daughter.
This one might have worked better as a
separate movie; as it is, it's a cramped and
talky piece that never builds much tension
since it's obvious who will win from the
first. The characters are rather one-sided.
Snipping witch
Fonda does her best as the ex-wife, but
Simon has made her such an acerbic, snip
ping witch and it's hard to work up any
sympathy for her in her softer moments.
His idea of a strong woman seems to be
abusive, selfish, and snobbish.
Simon obviously wants us to sympa
thize with the husband, but the conflict
between the two is too lopsided. Director
Ross seems to want to temper Fonda's
nastiness by shooting her in cheesecake
outfits and poses. It's awfully sour cheese
cake, though.
C
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Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
Bill Cosby, left, is threatened by Richard Pryor with a tennis racket in Neil Simon's California Suite"
Kids' art show has new aim publicity for kids' theatre
By Peg Sheldrick
They look like the usual array of crayon
scrawlings and assorted collages that paper
the back wall of an elementary school c
classroom. But this display of pre-teen art
serves a much different purpose than laud
ing the artistic efforts of Miss Pidget's third
grade class.
The exhibit in question is the Children's
Art Show at the Lincoln Community Play
house, and it has been organized to call at
tention to the " Children's Theatre fund
drive.
The Playhouse hopes the show generates
interest in arts for and by young people.
Local youngsters donated drawings, paint
ings and even a seed picture to the show,
which runs through Feb. 4.
The works are on display in the Play
house lobby and can be seen from 9 a.m.
until 5 pjn. weekdays, from 1 to 5 pjn.
weekends, and during performances of A
Man for All Seasons. Information on child
ren's theatre across the country is posted
along with the art work.
Construction started
Construction on the new Children's Thea
tre wing began last tall. The space will be
used not only for children's theatre, and
classes but for rehearsals, set construction
and storage.
"We don't want it separated," said Le
nette Schwinn, director of Children's
Theatre at the Playhouse. The children will
perform on mainstage from time to time,
just as the regular company will use the
children's wing periodically.
Children's theatre has been part of the
program at the Playhouse tor four years
and has grown from an annual Christmas
play to three plays a year as well as class
es on four levels. As the program has
grown, so has the need for the additional
space, Schwinn explained. With six adult
plays and the children's shows all vying for
the same stage, quarters have been cramp
ed, she said.
Schwinn has 500
students, ranging from second to ninth
graders. This includes a program for excep
tional kids, sponsored by the Junior Leag
ue and the Lincoln Public Schools in con
junction with the Playhouse. The Play
house offers theatre classes to handicapped,
mentally retarded, and gifted children.
Budding thespians
The classes focus on acting, but budding
thespians also try make-up, tour the light
booth, build props, and even try their
hands at costuming.
In addition to acting, the students learn
about mime and improvisation. Each class
presents a play and some have perform
ances outside the Playhouse.
The classes touch on many areas, but
Schwinn would like some courses to cover
specific areas in more depth. Another goal
for the program is to widen its perspective
to include other art forms.
The current art show is only one of sev
eral activities planned to call attention to
children's theatre at the Playhouse. The
biggest event will be a children's Art festi
val in March, when the new wing will be
completed. Plans include tours, puppet
shows, luncheons, films, and presentations
of mime and ballet.
"Children s theatre is really important
to theatre in general." said Schwinn. "I
don't intend to make every child an actor
an actress. I try to make them potential
good theatre-goers." Schwinn says she tries
to stimulate the child's imagination
"That's the biggest thing their imagination
. . .to know what they want and to be able
to put it together."
The Children's Theatre presented A
Three fenny Christ man during the recent
holiday season, and their next production
will be 7m Sawyer . The casts include
some older actors, but only when the role
calls for an older personl. "We've been
using mostly young people in the shows."
said Schwinn. "and we gear it toward the
young audience ."