Friday, October 26,1984
Page 20
Daily Nebraskan
The Ho
3 CSlSO
:. What it
fun
Dy Chris Burbach
Daily Nebrmkan Senior Editor
Call it first night jitters. "The
Hostage" cast took an act to break
Theater
Review
into Brendan Behan's brash
scene and into song, the produc- threatens to invade the whore
tion began its climb to a hilarious house.
high. The whorehouse is really more
The I.R.A. takes Leslie hostage of an inbreeding lunatic asylum
in an effort to prevent the execu- than a brothel flitting between
tionofan Irish lad held prisoner beds, brew and bagpipe are a
in Belfast. The Briton is jailed in schizophrenic "sociable worker,"
the play's only set, a madhouse of a kilt-clad Briton-turned-Gael
ill repute in Dublin. civil war veteran, a sexual bear of
The Irish Republican battle a Soviet sailor, a bisexual in a
against the British Empire is bowler, I.R.A. teetotallers, a gimpy
ostensibly the story of The Hos- Guiness-guzzling yarn-spinning
tage, but the play jeers at every- innkeeper and his warbling sharp-
sour of Mr. Mulleady to flap the
Union Jack from atop a table and
scream "Rule Britannia" while
Susan Conover glows as the
crackling cackling Miss Gilchrist,
saver of souls. Conover's ebul-
dear old Ireland and the Russian
sailor trots out the hammer and
sickle.
Dead center in all this crazi
ness are Leslie and his newfound
love, the red haired saint Teresa.
The two are a bit above the oth
ers' delirium, but are certainly
not immune to it Leslie, in a moment
bawdy battleground of a play, but thing from patriotism to religion tongued wife and an attending of rage, puff3 his chest and vows
once there they took no prisoners, to homosexuality through speech,
The players began slowly Thurs- song and prance. The plays
day, stumbling over lines and just author may well have had some
missing their timing on a madcap serious point to make with this
script that demands snap. But lunacy, but his crazy character's
when the hostage himself, Leslie cavortings wrestle levity from the
(Scott Dienstbier) burst onto the grasp of any ghost of gravity which
cast of ladies whose livelihood is
not waiting.
In one scene, the whole lot
trots out their love for their
respective fatherlands. Miss
Gilchrist (the sociable worker)
takes time out from "saving the
UNL Highrollers shuffle cards
for Run, league play and charity
Whether your game is pitch or
five-card stud, a card club is on
deck at UNL.
The Highrollers Card Club is
Weissert and Gissler said they bers, will cover costs of cards,
plan to keep the club as loosely cribbage boards, score pads and
structured as possible.
The club is open to anyone who
for anyone interested in playing enjoys fast-dealing card games,
cards and having tun, say the two Gissler said. Students, professors,
men who started the club. administration and staff are en-
Brent Weissert and Craig couraged to join.
trophies used in tournaments.
Besides trying to organize
leagues from various housing
about her the Irish folk rave of lience makes her a scene stealer,
whether she be intoning a hair
brained dirge or belting out a
hymn of bawd.
Cynthia Munger plays Teresa,
who is tame and soft spoken
compared to the rest of the lot.
Munger plays well opposite Leslie
and the others; in fact, she devel
ops quite a character of own
while meshing and contrasting with
that a Briton can die just as well her fellow players,
as an Irishman, and Teresa refuses To call "The Hostage" satirical,
to become an informer, even irreverent, blasphemous or bawdy
though it means refusing to save falls short even of understate
her lover from the grave. ment. The UNL Theatre produc
The brothel's gay trio does not tion damn near does the play jus
disdain such an undertaking, tice had it not been for first
however. After a combination night jitters, one might say the
battle dance and romp in praise play damn near does the produc
to their gender (during which tion justice. And the butterflies
they solicit applause from all in should be gone by tonight,
the audience who "believe in fair- To quote Leslie, The bells of
ies"), the trio executes a daring hell go ting-a-ling-a-lingFor you
rescue attemDt to save Door Les- out not ior me un ueaui wnei e is
lie from the evil I.R.A. teetotallers
after his hide.
Dienstbier is the only player to
hit his stride right away and keep
on it. From his first appearance to
his disappearance, the young
thy sting-a-ling-a-lingOh grave
thy victory?"
What it is, is fun.
The Hostage" will be staged at
Howell Theatre at 8 p.m. tonight
units, Weissert said, a Vegas Week- actor flashes smiles, sings ditties and Saturday, and again Monday
Gissler, both UNL students, said
they got the idea to start a card
club last summer and shuffled it
into action this fall.
Weekly meetings and a monthly
business meeting will be held, but
Although the actual number of
club members is unknown, 26
people showed interest at the
recent Activities Festival in the
Nebraska Union.
Club dues, determined by mem-
end is in the cards for the future
The Weekend event will feature
poker, blackjack and other tradi
tional Las Vegas card games.
Money raised in the event will go
to charity, Gissler said.
Meeting times for Highrollers
will be announced in the Daily
Nebraskan.
and exDOunds with such ease through Nov. d. Admission is $5
that he seems to loosen up the and $4 on weeknights and $5.50
entire cast. and $4.50 on weekends.
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