Friday, Jcnusry 20, KZ
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By 1.112 Fsrcst
"Come on kids, let's put on a show"
was the rallying cry in numerous '403
musicals starring Judy Garland and
Mickey ?Rooney. Now a local theater
group is also trying its hand at home
made production.
Stagestruck Productions, a group
founded in 1032 by three Lincolnites,
is presenting the play Battery by Daniel
Therriault at the Spigot Lounge, 1624
0 St. The play, which opened last
weekend to packed houses, will be
staged again Friday through Sunday.
Denny Dobberstine said he founded
Stagestruck with Bob Esquivel and
Deborah Torgler to bring alternative
theater to Lincoln. "We're judging our
selves along with the audience. We
want to see what we can do," Dobber
stine said.
In addition to their extensive expe
rience in theater, both from produc
tion and the performance angles, Dob
berstine and Torgler work at the County-
City building. Esquival i3 activities dir
ector at Lancaster Manor.
Dobberstine said he hopes Stage
struck can do more for Lincoln than
just provide different types of theater.
"We want to bring affordable theater
to Lincoln, not just alternative theater,"
he said.
They also hope to get more creative
people actors, directors and writers
involved with theater.
Dobberstine described Battery as an
adult drama. Stagestruck's presenta
tion is the Midwestern premiere of the
play. Levar Burton appeared in the
play during its Los Angeles run.
Dobberstine said Battery is typical
of the type of play he hopes to bring to
Lincoln. "We want to bring shows to
Lincoln that the general and theater
going public would not normally get to
see unless they went to Minneapolis or
Chicago." Dobberstine said The Lin
coln Community Playhouse had con
sidered Therriault's play at one point,
however, they ultimately rejected it
because of, among other things, its
adult content.
Tryouts took place at the Spigot in
November. Dobberstine said the Spigot
was selected for several reasons. "It's a
good location, and cocktail theater
doesn't hurt a show." Some have ques
tioned the selection of the site, but
Dobberstine said "The ambiance of he
Spigot ' was in line with what we were
looking for."
The cast consists of three Lincoln
ites. James Cook has appeared in var
ious Lincoln Community Playhouse
performances. Chetley Kincaid is an
actress and a producerdirector for
Nebraska ETV. Paul Pearson was a
choreographer for Nite Club, a review
that toured the Midwest. He has also
served a stint as a male exotic dancer
and as a model for Midwest Modeling
and Talent.
Dobberstine hoped the play would
appeal to the college crowd. That's
why we established special student
prices," he said. College students aren't
the only ones receptive to hew theater,
however. "We've been so well-accepted
it's scary," Dobberstine said. Friday
and Saturday's performances both sold
out; the house was more than half full
on Sunday. "That was before most stu
dents were back," Dobberstine added.
Word of mouth and posters were the
key promotional tools, Dobberstine said.
Dobberstine said he hoped Stages
truck's next presentation would be a
comedy. He was unsure of the locale
for the next production, which he
hoped would be on stage within four
months. The group would like to return
to the Spigot, but nothing is definite.
Ultimately, the group would like to
become a permanent fixture in the
Lincoln theater community.
Battery will continue at the Spigot
through Sunday. Tickets are $5, $4 for
students. Tickets are available at both
Dirt Cheap locations and the Spigot.
The show starts at 8 p.m., with doors
opening at 7:15 p.m.
Harry is resurrected;
Eastwood still lifeless
Review by Peter Palermo
It had appeared, after super star, super-backable
and super-safe Clint Eastwood made two highly
uncharacteristic films, (Firefox and Honky Tank
Man) that he had begun to take some chances.
Unfortunately, Sudden Impact, Eastwood's latest
film, is his safest one to date.
Apparently disheartened by the lack of public
fervor over his last two projects, Eastwood has
resurrected the-Dirty Harry saga. Harry Callahan is
still incorrigible, and Eastwood plays him in the
same lifeless, almost frigid manner he always has.
A brief synopsis: Jennifer Spencer (Sondra Locke)
is the victim of a decade-old gang rape. She system
atically begins to seek her revengs by killing each one
of her attackers. Her method is a shot to the groin
followed quickly (although I'm sure not quickly
enough for her victims) by a bullet in the skull.
Harry, on a sabbatical of sorts, stumbles upon the
tattered ends of the case and follows his leads until
they bring him to Locke.
Harry doesn't turn in this murderess. Instead he
gets in cahoots with her and becomes judge, jury
and lynching mob. In the tradition of All-American
vigilante justice, he helps a criminal even her score.
With a little inspiration, this corny, tacky and
tasteless movie could have been an intense crime
drama. Eastwood instead sets his sights far short of
even this critical target. He aims, rather, to give the
people exactly what they want: grisly violence, banal
little quips and some sex thrown in for good
measure.
From its huge box office figures and roars of
approval every time Harry bags a crook (wnich he
does at least 12 times according to my count), one
can presume Eastwood has succeeded in his rather
dubious goal.
There are two bright spots that should not go
unmentioned: Pat Hingle and Audrie J. Neenan.
Hingle's performance as the corrupt but well-meaning
police chief is the only dramatic fire this film has
to offer.
Continued on Page 10
Madmen and Englishdogs
Television
This is the big weekend for football fans. Super
Bowl XVIII (that's 18 for those partial to the Arabic
system of numerals) is scheduled to get underway
at 3:30 p.m. Sunday on Channels 6 and 10. For those
who like a pre-game show (a lot of pre-game show)
it's scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.nv.
At the Sheldon
Slava Tsukerman's Liquid Sky continues its run
' at the film theatre through Thursday. Weekend per
formances are a 3, 7 and 9 p.m.
On Stage
Two plays are on-stage this weekend: Daniel
Therriault's Battery is on stage at the Spigot Lounge,
1 624 O St., Friday through Sunday. Tickets are $4 for
students, $5 for others. Ted Tally's Terra Nova will
be performed at the Lincoln Community Playhouse's
Oliver T. Joy Theatre, 2500 S. 56th St., tonight and
Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $7.
On Campus
UPC-East is sponsoring a back-to-school dance
in the Great Plains Room of the Nebraska East
Union tonight at 8 p.m. The Memories, a country
music band, will be performing. Tickets are $1.50 for
singles, $2 for couples with student IDs. General
admission prices are $2 for singles, $3 for couples.
The dance is sponsored by UPC-East.
Around Town
The Morrells, a band from Springfield, Mo., which
is gaining increasing popularity thanks to a number
of favorable reviews in such national publications as
Rolling Stone, will be at the Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St.,
tonight and Saturday. The band's music has its roots
in rockabilly, however it's far too electric to pin
down. Cover charge is M.
Robert Hale and Dean Wilder, an internationally
reknowned gospel vocal duo, will be appearing
tonight at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Union College
Sacred Artist Series. The program will take place at
the College View Seventh Day Adventist Church,
401 5 S. 49th St. Admission is by donation.
The Phones, a Minneapolis-based rock and roll
group, will be appearing at The Drumstick, 547 N.
48th St. tonight and Saturday. There's, a $3 cover
charge.
By Dan Wondra
Spirits Jwlp candidate
'cut loose ' at meeting
All was quiet at the Harley Davidson residence
not an unusual situation because all the inhabitants
were unconscious. That is, Harley and Otis were.
Celeste, who had departed long before, had not
returned.
As midnight struck, Harley yawned and groggily
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pulled himself to a vertical position.
"Jack Daniels, my old friend, you certainly did me
in this time," he said, gazing ruefully at the empty
bottle beside him. The door flew open, and an intox
icated Celeste, looking much the worse for wear,
stumbled in.
. "If I'd known how much fun these political meet
ings were, I'd have run for predent long ago," she
said, falling against the coat rack. Those potential
voters are a barrel of laughs. Whoever said candi
dates couldn't cut loose with their constituents-to-be?
Ya' gotta' find out where these people are coming
from. Touch the pulse of America, if you know what
I mean."
"From the way you look, I'd say a good time was
probably had by all, or at least you," Harley said.
"And isn't it a bit too soon to be calling the Neighbor
hood Babysitters' Association 'potential voters'?"
Half those people don't even have their driver's
licenses yet! By the way, who bought the wine for
these cherubs? You?"
"Who else, my sweet one?" Celeste replied. "I have
always felt that the youth of America need a presi
dent who understands their -particular concerns.
God knows they're getting no help from the Legisla
ture." "These people won't do you any good at the polls,"
Harley muttered.
"Mvdear, of course they can. They can help me get
re-elected? Is there anything to drink in this godfor
saken place?"
"There's plenty of black coffee, which I think we all
need," Harley said, moving toward the kitchen.
"I don't need that, you fool," Celeste said, rummag
ing in her beaded bag. "Heavens above, how did all
this stuff get in here. . . there, IVe got it!" She pulled
out a silver hip flask and took a large swallow of the
contents. "I'd almost forgotten I'd had this emer
gency supply," she finished, meeting the exasper
ated glance of Harley, who had come back.
"Celeste, you're. a wonderful person and a super
roommate, but I don't think you're cut out to be
president," sighed Harley. "How do you think the
press will react when they see you stinking drunk,
swilling from a hip flask? That won't exactly inspire
confidence in the American people. Not to mention
what Andropov will say."
"Oh, you know that old buzzard's dead," Celeste
said. "They're just pretending they can't find him.
Besides, who cares what a bunch of Reds think,
anyway?"
"Celeste, you have got to clean up your image!"
Harley cried.."At least get some new clothes. YouVe
er outgrown most of what you have."
"Well, honeybunch, 111 think about it," Celeste said.
"But don't bother me now. IVe got to get some
beauty sleep, 'cause I'm campaigning at the day care
center tomorrow."