Phenomenal acting,
directing make play
By Sean McCarthy
Theater Critic
One of the best parts of the play
“Gertrude Stein and a Compan
ion” is its title.
The title sums up everything
about this simple, but very smart,
play presented last weekend by the
Futz, Inc. theater company.
“Gertrude Stein and a Compan
ion” is simply about the close rela
tionship between Gertrude Stein
and her companion, Alice Toklas.
The play contains no trace of
physical action. It has no heavy
tragedy, no weighty obstacles for
the characters to overcome. Thus,
the audience’s attention is focused
only on the personalities of the two
characters and the depth of their
close relationship.
The play, which will show again
this weekend, begins with the death
of Gertrude Stein (Heidi Griffith).
Gertrude, in ghost form, watches
as Alice Toklas, (Renay Kushner)
mourns the loss of her close friend.
The play then takes a series of
dizzying time changes.
Through a limited but resource
ful use of lighting, the play takes
the audience back to where Stein
and Toklas first met. Through the
rapid scene changes, the audience
is shown how Stein and Toklas
rose in prominence in the perform
ing art world. By constantly sur
rounding themselves with such
greats as Picasso, Fitzgerald and
Hemingway, the two engulf them
selves in the arts. All the charac
ters in the play are expertly por
trayed by Griffith and Kushner.
Their acting is phenomenal.
Even in parts of the play where
Griffith appears to be overdrama
tizing things, she really is not. In
one scene, Stein debates the im
portance of Picasso with her former
lover. While debating, Stein raises
her voice and outstretches her arm
to the painting she loves. Though
this appears to be overacting, one
only has to imagine what Stein
would have said about the work.
By surrounding herself with art
geniuses, it is likely that Stein’s
personality may have been a bit
dramatic.
Renay Kushner’s dramatic act
ing is no less phenomenal. While
Griffith portrays a lover of the arts,
Kushner is an act of restraint.
Speaking mainly in a soft tone
with pursed lips, Kushner provides
the perfect counterpart to Stein.
Her timed delivery of subtle one
liners is the only real humorous
element of the play.
Throughout the entire play, both
actresses endure challenging roles
with stride. Whether it’s Kushner
playing Ernest Hemingway or
Griffith playing Stein before and
after her death, each actress adapted
to her role smoothly.
With a small stage limited to a
desk, some paintings and a chair,
there are no major prop changes
from the beginning of the play to
its end. Though the set is limited,
director Paul Pearson makes good
use of it.
Though the second half of the
play tends to drag, “Gertrude Stein
and a Companion” is well directed
and acted. The lack of action and
heavy emotion may steer some
away, but the play’s smarts will
appeal to anyone who sees it.
“Gertrude Stein and a Compan
ion” will play Thursday through
Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Mission
Arts Building, 124 S. Ninth St.
Tickets are $10.
I ■
Ready to let your
hair down?
Songs of My People
Slide Show
February 21
7:30 pm
V Nebraska Union
^ Centennial Room
FREE to UNL
Students w/ ID
$3 Public
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February 16-18 & 21-25
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
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BOX OFFICE: TEMPLE BUILDING, 12TH & R STREETS
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Ballet preserves African culture
By Joel Strauch
Senior Reporter
The Ballet National du Senegal
will explore the spiritual relationship
between man and his environment at
the Lied Center tonight at 8.
The 40-member ensemble, featur
ing some of Africa’s finest young
dancers, musicians and drummers,
will be performing their work,
“Pangols.”
Pangols is a West African tribal
word that refers to the spiritual nature
of all beings and things.
In traditional West African cul
ture, the animate and inanimate alike
are possessed by good and evil spirits
that control personality and behav
ior, circumstances and outcomes.
The troupe has entertained local
villages and audiences on stages
around the world.
Bruce Marquis, the executive di
rector for the Lied Center, said this
would be the first time the group
would appear in Lincoln.
“We are pleased to host them in
their Lied Center debut,” Marquis
said.
The troupe’s members travel
throughout Senegal learning the mu
sic and dances of that country’s 15
ethnic groups in an effort to preserve
the West African cultural heritage.
“They are Senegal’s premiere tra
ditional dance and music ensemble,”
Marquis said.
Selected movements will include
“Kerne Bourama Song,” a celebra
tion of an African festival dedicated
to a famous war chief who resisted
French invasions in West Africa.
Also featured will be “Balanta,” a
re-creation of a legendary dance com
petition from Cnakaro in Guinea
Bissau.
The show will conclude with the
exciting “Mandikole,” which features
virtuosic dances from two distinct
ethnic cultures in the ancient Empire
of Mali.
Two pre-performance talks will be
given in the Lied’s Steinhart Room.
One will begin 55 minutes before the
performance, and the second will be
gin 30 minutes before the performance.
Tickets for the Ballet National du
Senegal are $22, $ 18 and $ 14, and are
half price for students.
w u 1 u JIJIJ
American Music Club
“San Francisco”
Reprise Records
Grade: B+
The latest offering from Ameri
can Music Club is, if anything,
similar to the band’s previous
works, combining moody, addic
tive melodies with lyrics of long
ing and regret.
The best tracks are “The Re
volving Door,” which captures the
feeling of hopelessly running in
place in a failing relationship, and
“I Broke My Promise,” a song that
7—
is, for this album, surprisingly op
timistic, accepting a lost lover’s
decision though the love remains.
“It’s Your Birthday” reveals the
fear of realizing that who you’re
with is who you were destined for,
regardless of the paths your life
took.
But some of the lyrics come
across as contrived and even anti
poetic at times, such as on “Can
You Help Me?” when “rigor mor
tis started to breathe in my face,”
or the entire track “In the Shadow
of the Valley.”
The predominant mood of the
album is melancholy to be sure,
though with a few breaks now and
then. If it’s not the lyrics, then it’s
the slow, soothing guitars that set
the tone. This is not bad; just be
aware that this album plays better
if it’s raining or cloudy or if you’re
in that mood.
Despite its shortcomings, “San
Francisco” is a good album, full of
emotions that count, unlike most
of the current alternative offer
ings. It’s one of those discs that
you can listen to al 1 the way through
without getting a headache.
— Michael Justice
Radio
Continued from Page 9
“I’m assuming that they’re just
going to change their format,”
he said, “but I want to be sure.”
Others tended to agree with
Drake’s theory regarding the
countdown.
Ashley King, a junior math
ematics major, said a format
change would disappoint her.
“I love country music, and I
always listened to 101.9 before,”
she said. “But if they change to
rock and roll or something else,
I guess I’d just change the sta
tion I listen to.”
Jeff Hansen, a sophomore
business major, said he had spe
cific hopes for the future of
KYNN.
“It would be really cool if
they would start playing new
music that usually doesn’t get
heard on radio stations around
here.”
A former Omaha resident,
Hansen said some types of mu
sic were neglected in the Lin
coln-Omaha area.
“We never had a good station
for serious alternative music,”
he said. “Not like the stuff they
play on MTV, but stuff you nor
mally wouldn’t hear on radio.
Maybe 101.9 could fill that
void.”
Drake said he wasn’t very
interested in what format 101.9
planned to switch over to, but he
did voice some concern for the
station’s fate.
“I have that station on my
clock radio, because country
music annoys me enough to wake
me up,” he said. “I’ll have to
make sure they don’t start play
ing something I like or else I’ll
oversleep.”
Museum
Continued from Page 9
per to cutting paper.
“My daddy got an origami book,
so I always take paper and copy the
book.”
Chantel Hascall, 10, said that she
planned to use her mask at school.
“I’d wear it in a play,” she said.
Lindy Bull, spokeswomen for the
Lincoln Children’s Museum, said the
museum was an ideal place for an
activity like mask-making.
“This isn’t always available all
the time at home or even at school,
because it does make a mess,” Bull
said. “We’re willing to let the messes
be made here.”
Brown said the museum was a
neat place for kids and adults.
“Play is good for everyone,” she
said.
02 Appliances
05 Bicycles
10 Books
13 Clothing
16 Computers
20 Furniture
30 Jewelry
40 Misc. For Sale
45 Musical Instruments
46 Office Furniture
50 Pets
55 Photo Equipment
60 Sporting Goods
65 Stereos/TVs
70 Ticket Exchange
90 Vehicles_
100 Adoption
105 Alterations & Sewing
110 Automotive
115 Bicycle Service
120 Bridal
125 Catering
128 Child Care
130 Cleaning/Laundry
131 Cleaning/Household
135 Computer Service
140 Entertainment
145 Gift Ideas
146 Hairstyling
150 Health & Fitness
153 Insurance
155 Instruction/Tutoring
158 Job Placement
160 Lawn care
165 Legal Services
173 Music Exchange
175 Photography
178 Pregnancy
180 Printing & Copying
182 Recycling
183 Religious
185 Rentals
188 Tanning
190 Tattooing
193 Travel
195 Typing & Resumes
200 Rides
203 Spring Break Trips
205 Career Events
210 Announcements
215 Meetings
220 Greek Affairs
230 Student Government
240 Personals
245 Lost & Found
250 Wanted
260 Fundraising
300 Help Wanted
310 Child Care
320 Work Study Jobs
330 Summer Jobs
> 340 Internships
400 Roommates
410 Housing Wanted
420 Rooms/Rent
430 Houses/Rent
440 Duplex/Rent
450 Aparlments/Rent
460 Summer Housing
470 Mobile Homes/Rent
480 Vacation/Rent
490 Homes/Sale
$3.00 per day for 15 words on individual student
and student organization ads.
$4.00 per day for 15 words on non-student ads.
$.15 each additional word.
$.75 billing charge.
Personal ads must be prepaid.
Found ads may be submitted free of charge.
Be descriptive. The more information you pro
vide the readers, the better your responses will be.
Begin the ad with the item for sale or offered.
Include the price of the items for sale.
Highlight the ad with larger type, boldface, art or
a box.
Run the ad for at least two days. Make sure the
ad reaches the Monday-Wednesday-Friday stu
dents and the Tuesday-Thursday students.
00s For Sale
Brand new Canondale ’94 400M Mountain Bike, black
with shimano components. Auto shift, and U-lock includ
ed. $375, 483-5419.
New and used bicycles, expert repair on ad brands.
Wheel'n & Deal'n Bike Shop, 2706 Randolph. 438-1477.
Computer Rental!
In house and off-site rental. IBM compatibles and
Macintosh available. Support and training on most pop
ular packages. Open weeknights and weekends. When
you need a computer for an hour, a day, a week, or a
month. Discounts with Student I.D. For more information
call:
Computer Designs, Inc.
477-4944
835 “S” Street
MACINTOSH Computer. Complete system including
printer only $599. Call Chris at 600-289-5665.
Macintosh Color Classic. Bought new 11-93. Little use.
$700. 438-1215.
Brand new Segafor sale. Two controllers. $75,436-6304.
VCR w/remote, $85 excellent condition. Also, COLOR
T.V., $75. 466-8520.
1984 Toyota Celica. $2000 OBO. 489-6186.
Must Sell! 1981 Dalsun 310GX 2-door hatchback, 3
speed, sun roof, needs alternator. $170 OBO. Call 463
7650 or 486-6593.
200s Notices
“Trading Places”
Sponsored by Student Foundation
Buy a chance to lead a major corporation for a day. One
lucky winner will trade places with Gallup Chairperson Dr.
Don Clifton and also receive a framed Memorial Stadium
print from the Nebraska Bookstore. Tickets are $1 and will
Be sold Wed.-Fri. in the Union. The drawing will be March
16.
1-800-442-7080, Ext 147, toll-free. NU singles.
ATTENTION FRESHMEN!
Applications for Innocents Society Scholarships are
available at OSI (200 City Union, 300 East Union) and
Vice Chancellorfor Student Affairs (124 Admin.) Deadline
is 3/3/95 so pick one up today!
ATTENTION ALL FRESHMEN
Who want to get involved with student government. Come
to the IMPACT party Freshmen work party at ATO 8:00
TONIGHT. All freshmen are invited so come and join the
tun.
Aviation Institute
Offers 4 year degrees, graduate courses, and non-credit
flight programs. For more information call 402-554-3424
or 1-800-858-8648.
Blood Drive
When: Tuesday February 21st & Wednesday 22nd from
11:00am to 5:00pm.
Where: Ballroom in the City Campus Union
Bring: Student ID or SS card, but most importantly bring
yourself and all your friends.
CALIFORNIA HOTLINE
Know what Californians know now! Never be 6 months
behind again. Allthepopular movies before you see them,
music before you hear it, fads, fashion, food, slang fun
facts a more, 1(900)388-1010, Ext 801 ($2.00 Per fan j
