cast saves the dav da’
By Patrick Kelly
StaffWriter
A love triangle between a man, his
wife and his talking dog. No, it’s not
an episode of Jerry Springer, it’s A.R.
Gurney’s play “Sylvia” directed by
Brant Pope.
Greg, played by Richard
McWilliams, is a disenchanted New
York stockbroker living the mundane
upper middle-class existence. Greg
finds salvation from his mid-life cri
sis in a stray mutt he finds in a park.
Immediately he falls in love. Soon
Sylvia (Ashley West) occupies all of
Greg’s time. Greg’s wife, Kate,
(Virginia Ness) is a successful
teacher who wanted to savor her gold
en years. All that changed when Greg
brought his bitch home.
While the premise is imaginative,
the confrontations become repetitive.
Scene after scene finds Kate com
plaining about Sylvia stealing her
husband away from her. However, the
production is saved by the solid per
formances of he cast.
McWilliams’ performance is
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impressive in that he brings a sympa
thetic quality to his role, the audience
genuinely feels sorry for him. The
same can be said about Ness’ perfor
mance. It would be easy to label her
as the straight-woman with the slow,
but steadily burning fuse. However,
Ness plays the part first with a sense
of sophistication and then regresses
to a primitive state out of jealousy.
This is evident with humorous effect
when Ness gets on all fours to square
off with Sylvia.
The great comedian W.C. Fields
once said that he never wanted to
work with children or animals
because they stole the scene. That
being the case, Mr. Fields would cer
tainly shy away from a scene with
The Facts
Title: “Sylvia”
Stars: Ashely West,
Richard McWilliams,
Virginia Ness, Eric Moyer
Director: Brant Pope
Grade: B+
Ashley West. West brought to the title
character a level of unmatched enthu
siasm and energy. However, West did
this with a sense of restraint so as not
to go over the top. West’s combined
the normal canine mannerisms with a
street-smart New York attitude.
Of course the supporting cast
keeps the humor up. In this case, the
supporting cast is comprised of one
actor playing three roles. Moyer plays
Tom, the intellectual albeit chauvinis
tic fiiend of Greg’s. Moyer also plays
Kate’s confidant, Phyllis, the well-to
do socialite. Moyer then astounds the
audience as Leslie, the pale-faced,
androgynous marriage counselor.
The production of the play cap
tured the mood perfectly. The set
which combined an apartment with
the Manhattan skyline subtly added
to the ambiance of the play as did the
Sinatra songs during die transitions
between scenes.
The play serves as an insightful
look at humanity provided by man’s
best friend.
Wilde play makes an uneasy
transition to screen mRlcts
By Samuel McKewon
Editor
It helps to be familiar with the
actors in “An Ideal Husband” to realty
enjoy it and even then, it isn’t easy.
Based on an Oscar Wilde play, “An
Ideal Husband” isn’t a particularly
enthralling movie. It’s mildly funny,
somewhat romantic and relatively well
acted. Hardly a great comedy, though.
Set in 1895, Wilde takes us to
England and into the world'of Lord
Goring (Rupert Everett), a well-off gent
who’s in no hurry to work or get mar
ried. He Is 36 (he only admits to 32) and
most men are married by then.
His best friend, Sir Robot Chiltem
(Jeremy Northam) is one of those mar
ried men, and he has a ascending career
in politics and an iron-clad reputation
for integrity.
Along comes Mrs. Cheveley
(Julianne Moore) to wreck that reputa
tion. She knows how Chiltem gained
his wealth (through fraud), which
helped him gain his position in the
Parliament. Chiltem is determined to
keep his reputation, but even more con
cerned to how his wife (Cate Blanchett)
will see him, as she demands high
morals.
Moore has devious fun with
Cheveley, who intends to blackmail
Chiltern into supporting a money
scheme in which she has most of the
money invested. In steps Goring, who
had a previous affair with Cheveley, to
help his friend, with imperfect results.
Much of the movie’s pleasure
revolves around Wilde’s prose, and
much of the best lines are given to
Goring, which Everett mumbles
through. He isn’t bad, nor is Northam as
Chiltern, but the real successes are
Moore and Blanchett, who’s quickly
becoming as strong an actress as Emma
Thompson. Blanehett has that same
regal quality about her and brings it here
to a woman who realizes her standards
may be set too high for even herself to
achieve.
There isn’t much suspense in “An
Ideal Husband” beyond the outcome
Chiltern’s predicament, which isn’t pre
sented in a way to really make us care.
Moore’s character seems to have a point
Title: 'An Ideal Husband*
Stars: Rupert Everett, Cate Blanches
JuKanne Moore
Director: Oliver Parker
Rating: PG-13 (language, sexuality)
Running Time: 1:36 (96 minutes)
Grade: C+
Five Words: Enjoyable, but
'Husband* hardly hilarious
when she claims we all pay for our past
mistakes - it is simply Chiltem’s time.
There’s another story involving
Goring and Chiltem’s sister Mabel
(Minnie Driver). Both seem to fancy
each other, and it is possible they will be
together at the end.
While some of Wilde’s other plays
have real power, this one racists mostly
for whimsy, or at least the movie por
trays it that way, bypassing any real suf
fering the characters might go through.
You suspect all will end well in “An
Ideal Husband,” especially after the
lone villain leaves. The people involved
are just too nice to be unhappy. It’s a sur
prisingly unsordid tale for our sordid
times.
402-472-2588 tenft(lc
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Birthright is a confidential helping hand. Please call for
appointment or more information, 483-2609. Check
out our website www.birthright.org.
400s imm
Non-smoking female, looking for female roommate’s to
find a place to live together 327-0845.
Nonsmoking female to share 3BR house; walk-in clos
ets; large kitchen, living and dining rooms; sun room,
wood floors, french doors, fireplace, C/A, partially fur
nished. $265 per person, utilities included. No pets.
499-3069 or ps35101Qnavix.net.
Roommate needed for two bedroom large townhouse/
Chateau Development. Grad student preferred.
$330/month, half utilities. Move in August 1. Bruce.
467-3882.
Country living. 15 minutes from East Campus. One fur
nished room, $175. One unfurnished room, $150. Call
785-3213
4 Bedroom, 1/2 bath, near UNt- Range, central air, re
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$@0. 489-9294.___
3,4,5 bedrooms near campus. Pets welcome
432-6644,
CAMPUS CLOSE/AUGUST RENTAL
5 bedroom, 2825 R. $875
3 to 4 bedroom, 1602 North 28th, $700
Nice! central air, washer/drver 488-5446
CLOSE TO UNL
Three and four bedroom home. Washer/dryer, central
air, dishwasher. Available August 423-1535.
Five bedroom house. Large two baths, two kitchens.
3059 T Street Near campus. $1.000.489-5168.
Large 4 plus 1 bedroom, 2 bath, wood floors, central
air, parking, washer/drver hookups. 1430 South 9th
$995 435-2552 or450-1013. ~
Nice two, three, four and five bedrooms. Ceiling fans.
Central air. Appliances includes washer/dryer. No pets.
432-8180.
Take your pick, 4 bedroom 2 bath, 2 stall garage or 3
bedroom 3 bath, 2 stall garage. $920 each non smokers,
no pets available August. Calf Julian 432-7030 or
Rembolt Homes 488-9222.
Very large four plus bedroom, two baths, central air,
dishwasher, washer/dryer hookups. Parking. 905 E.
$940,450-1013.
1437 N 20th, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, fireplace, wash
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Newer units, 3 bedrooms, some have 3 baths. Wash
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$795-$895.465-8911.
Three bedroom $650, one bedroom, $350. 3059 “T*
Street Near campus. 489-5168.
A survey conducted by Research Associates of Lincoln
found that 65% of the student body live off campus in
houses and apartments. That’s over 14,500 students.
For more information on student demographics, con
tact the Daily Nebraskan Advertising Dept. 472-2589.
Page 10 ■ Daily Nebraskan Summer Edition ■ Thursday, July 8,1999
