ArtsSEntertainment
‘Passion’ portrays dark side of marriage
theate
By Jo Bradsky
Staff Reporter__
“Passion” traces the marriage of a
middle-aged couple and the harsh re
ality when it is forced to deal with
adultery.
This dark comedy, written by Pe
ter Nichols, was performed beauti
fully Sunday afternoon by a 14-mcm
ber cast at the Studio Theatre in ihe
Temple Building.
Lissy DcGra/ia played Kate, a pro
miscuous woman who thrives on the
thrill of the chase and sex. She loves
her sexual freedom, and h(5r control
over men allows her to get whomever
she wants.
James Croxley, played by Chuck
Morgan, and Elcanore, played by Joan
Korlc-Henrichs, arc friends of Kate.
They helped her through the death of
Kate’s lover and their dear friend,
| Albert.
James, a first-time adulterer, whose
life-size conscience, played by Steve
| Pauna, intensifies each scene by shout
; ing out how he thinks James should
I respond.
I The best part about “Passion ” b
that the characters of James and
Elcanore are each played by two ac
tors. One actor is the conscience, the
other is the public mask.
Elcanore defends Kate throughout
the play, especially toward Albert’s
ex-wife, Agnes, who was dumped by
Albert for Kate. Stephanie Beerling
played Agnes.
Even after Albert’s death, Agnes
continues to plot against theevil Kate,
and happens to stumble upon a letter
to Kate from James when she went
through Kate’s mail.
Agnes is the bitter bearer of bad
news as she shows Eleanor the letter.
James reassures Eleanorc it’sovcr,
and Eleanorc shares that she slept
with Albert before Albert left Agnes
for Kate. This is friendship.
The final scene shows the mental
and verbal manipulation when every
thing is resolved and "back to nor
mal” when, in fagt, nothing has
changed at all.
The actors grasped the essence of
their characters and their roles flow ed
smoothly into each scene.
The loud choir music that pre
ceded the performance, the use of red
in all the drinks, from tea to wine, and
the candid dialogue set this play apart
from other plays that touch on this
subject.
Directed by Michael Solomonson,
a UNL dqctoral theater student, "Pas*
sion” unveils the masks that hide the
dark side of marriage.
“Passion” is the final performance
of the University Theatre Arts and
Dance Thcatrix season. Theatrix, a
forum for experimental theater, will
begin its next season in mid-January.
juua MiKOiajcm/uiN
The main characters of “Passion” are, from left: Catherine Bozell as Nell, Eleanore's con
science; Chuck Morgan as James; Joan Korte-Henrichs as Eleanore;and Steve Pauna as Jim,
James’ conscience.
Skillful rapper’s debut album
should help him pay the bills
Artist’s CD
worth the wait
“The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills”
Positive K
Island Records
Positive K finally got his break
and released his debut album “The
Skills Dat Pay Da Bills.”
With skills that this rapper has,
he should be able to pay lots of
bills.
Starting his career with the First
Priority Records fam ily, Positive K
appeared on “Basement Flavor,” a
compilation album produced in
1988.
He had three tracks on the al
bum: “Impulse on Thrdc” with
Barsha; “Tramp” with Milk D, an
answer-type song to Salt ‘ISI Pepa;
and the ciassic dis rap with MC
Lytc “I’m Not Havin’ It,” which
introduced Positive K to the world
as a dog.
Positive K showed up on the
Audio Two album, “I Don’tCarc,”
in 1990and did a song with Milk D
and MC Lytc called “Start It Up
Y’all.”
Now after several years as a
back-seat rider, Positive K takes
the wheel.
The “basement flavor” that Posi
tive K has been involved with has
been funked up on his new album.
Funky guitar samples add a new
dimension to the Positive K raps.
Most of the album is mixed and
co-produced by Easy LG and this
team works well. They hook up on
songs like the longuc-trippin’
“Shakin’” and the horn-laden
“Carhoppcrs,” a song about girls
who get with guys just for their
cars.
The boys pull in Jazzy Jay to
produce “One 2 the Head,” and
come off with the jazz that has
come to be expected.
I
Courtesy of Island Records
Rapper Positive K makes his solo debut with “The Skills Dat
Pay Da Bills.”
Big Daddy Kane co-wrote and
produced “Night Shift.” Positive K
promotes the mack-daddy pimp
lifestyle and works his girls at night.
Positive K re-creates his famous
dis-rap style in his first release, “I
Got a Man.” He does a good job
keeping the style fresh after he
originally popularized it in 1988.
Grand Daddy IU appears in the
remake of “Minnie the Moochcr.”
With his ragamuffin wails and a
smooth bass groove, Positive K is
set for a smooth ride.
The only slight disappointment
from Positive K is in “The Shout
Out.” If only the hard-rocking
rhymes wouldn’t stop after 60 sec
onds to start the naming of his
homeboys.
Nonetheless, practically every
track is strong.
“The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills’’
was definitely worth the wait.
— Greg Schick
‘Erotica’ another step
in Madonna’s fad leeacv
K'&i/s-cum
“Erotica”
Madonna
Maverick/Sire Records
For about the last decade, Ma
donna has been a trendsetter as far as
setting the tone for fashion.
First it was the “Like a Virgin” fad.
Next was the “Material Girl” fad.
“Vogue” was the follow-up fad that
was just two years ago.
Now Madonna has outdone herself
with her “Erotica” fad. Whether fans
will start to be seen with slickcd-back
hair, blackened out teeth, leather
clothes and fetishes for sadism and
masochism will remain to be seen.
One thing that has remained con
stant for Madonna, though, is her
music. Madonna is the female cquiva
lenlof Michael Jackson, in that every
thing she touches seems to become
gold.
“Erotica” is the latest LP in the
Madonna library. It comes complete
o •/
with a book and pictures accompany
ing it.
“Erotica,” the first single off the
LP, is destined to go to No. 1.
It is quite the racy tune with lyrics
such as: “Give it up, do as I sayNGive
it up and let me have it my wayM’ll
give you lovcM’ll hit you like a
truckM’ll give you loveM’ll show you
how to..
This song is pure Madonna and lets
the listener experience the Madonna
transition from being vogue to being
erotic.
“Fever” is the follow-up song to
“Erotica,”and surprisingly there is no
drop-off. This cut is funky. “Fever”
has the house sound to it that will
appeal to the listener.
“Bye Bye Baby,” also has that
house sound but is a bit more seduc
tive.
Madonna is able to maintain the
level at which “Erotica” starts, and
there is no drop-off.
“Deeper And Deeper,” which is
like a tame version of “Vogue,” even
seems to work for Madonna. She is
See MADONNA on 10
rlethora oj facts, history
fills Star Trek Companion
tion Companion”
Larry Nemecek
Pocket Books
By Bryan Peterson
Staff Reporter__
Now five years old and possessing
as strong a following as ever, “Star
Trek: The Next Generation” contin
ues to hold a magical, mysterious
draw upon its viewers.
Another season of episodes will
begin next fall, and possibly another
after that.
This January, the spin-off series
“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” will
continue to add to the Star Trek
mythos.
uo/.ensoi novels oascu upon ooin
the original “Star Trek” characters
and those in “The Next Generation”
continue to fill the best-seller lists.
Also popular arc a growing num
ber of non-fiction books related to
both scries. One of the most recent is
“Star Trek: TNG Companion,” a sort
of cncyclopcdia for vicw ersand tri via
buffs alike.
Plot and production summaries are
provided for all 125 episodes that
have been aired, along with a black
and-white photograph from each epi
sode.
Of greatest interest arc the para
graphs of background information that
also accompany each synopsis. In
those lines the reader finds the most
surprising and rewarding bits of infor
mation: how a Writers’ Guild strike
nixed a script that would have differ
ently revived Spock from the original
scries, or which props were altered
See TREK on 10
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