; . :
‘Sisters’ fails in displaying character growth
Theater Preview
Hm Facts
What: “Three Sisters’ by Anton Chekhov
Man: HowoH Theater, Temple Buikfing, 12th
art R streets.
Titan: student preview 730 tonight, 7:30 p.m.
Safcrday and Nov. 17 • 20,3 p.m. Sunday
Coat: $8 student preview, alofoer shows $6 for
students, $8 for faculty/staft/senior citizens, $10
far at others
TheOdnny: Play explores feelings of lost
dreams and forgotten desires.
Matt Haney/DN^I
■ The slow-paced, watered-down produc
tion doesn’t use humor well enough to
counter the dramatic scenes.
jy By Shelley Mika
J Staff writer v
Anton Chekhov is often renowned for his ability to
^ blur the lines of comedy and tragedy. His plays can be
interpreted as either, or they can present comedy and
tragedy back to back.
The Department of Theatre Arts’ production of
Chekhov’s “Three Sisters,” which continues tonight,
did the latter. But instead of accentuating the two
genres, this version only dabbled in each, eventual
ly ending in a watered-down form of
tragedy.
Sunday’s perfor
mance of “Three
Sisters” ran three
hours in length and
was slow-paced at
that. The play isn’t
action-packed by
nature, as it contains
many brooding mono
logues. However* the
script offers many
opportunities for comic
relief and drama as welL
Without these, the play
rienos 10 arag.
And drag it did. Though
subtle humor was used, most
was found in the first act. The
play would have been more suc
cessful if the humor had been
emphasized and taken to a more
absurd extreme. w
The other option would >
have been to add more
dimension to tne dra
matic scenes. But
most of these only
came close to being
tragic or moving.
The actual
i “three sisters” of
I the play were well
ft chosen for the
jft most part. Each
||p had the look of
her character:
Olga (Sasha
Dobson) looked matronly and gentle; Masha (Amy Rafa)
looked strong and shrewd; and Irina (Amy J. Johnson) looked
yroung and naive.
The range of Dobson’s expressions were limited, though
ler character seemed to demand only a small number of emo
tions. Overall, her presentation was well done, though not
particularly moving.
Johnson’s character was allowed more depth. The audi
ence saw a definite change in Irina from her beginning
naivete to her worn down and unfulfilled persona at the end.
Johnson showed this transition well, coming off as sweet in
ane scene and sad in another. She was one of the only charac
ters who helped the audience recognize the time lapse
between scenes, which otherwise was hard to distinguish.
The third of the three sisters was Masha. Though each sis
ter faces her own triumphs and pitfalls, Masha is the most
developed character of them all. Rafa was superb in the role.
She recognized the intricate subtleties of comedy and tragedy
present in the play and performed them expertly.
Another superb performance was that of Jude Thaddeus
Hickey, who played Vershinin. Hickey brought his character
alive with a vibrancy on stage and a command of subtle body
language. Both Hickey and Rafa knew more than just their
lines; it seemed they truly understood the play as well.
On the other hand, John Elsener as the sisters’ brother,
Andrey, left more to be desired. Elsener delivered most of his
lines in the same relatively flat tone and needed clearer dic
tion. This deprived the character of the depth possible.
Another undeveloped character was Ivan, played by Dana
A. Wheatley. The doctor has many opportunities to deliver
cutting lines but also seems one-dimensional in nature.
me same goes ior rviasna s nusoana, ryoaor *j. cric
Lauritzen). At one point, he says repeatedly, “I’m content,”
when he obviously is not. However, Lauritzen delivered the
line as though he really were contend selling short the satiri
cal possibilities.
All three of these characters seem the same from begin
ning to end, despite changes in their lives. Much was missed
in terms of character development.
However, the performances of both Aaron Foster DuPree
(Solyony) and Moira Mangiameh (Natasha) were notable for
marked changes in personality. Without%iving anything
atfay, die changes in their characters were clfer, and both were
effortless and believable in their roles.
The minor characters of the play were all up to par, though
the character Ferapent (Michael Semrad Jr.) stood out among
them. Semrad had a small role but provided a sprinkling of
much needed comic relief and was convincing as an elderly
man.
Middle of the road may work for politicians at election
time but not for a Chekhov play. Unfortunately, that is how I
would describe the DepartmenfofTheatre Arts’ production of
“Three Sisters.”
If risks had been taken and the extremes of comedy and
tragedy toyed with, more of the artistic spectrum would have
been covered. The play would have done more than teeter
back and forth at the point of mediocrity.
Exhibit to display
African artifacts
By Josh Nichols
Staff writer
The most complete collection of
valuables from the heart of Africa’s
past is coming to Omaha next week.
The exhibition “Soul of Africa:
African Art from the Han Coray
Collection,” currently on a national
tour, opens Nov. 20 at the Joslyn Art
Museum and will run through Jan.
23.
The exhibition includes approx
imately 200 African art pieces com
piled in the 1920s by Han Coray,
one of the first and .foremost
European collectors of African art.
This tour is the most extensive
display of this group of artifacts that
has been shown since the_l930s.
when many Of the items were seized
from Coray because of financial
debts.
The display, which represents a
broad range of Central and West
African art, includes small carved
cups, musical instruments, jewelry,
textiles, weapons, masks, ceremoni
al furnishings and rare bronze
^sculptures
Amy Krobot, media relations
coordinator at the Joslyn, said sev
eral rare pieces will be on display.
Sculptures, as well as items used
for ceremonial purposes, will be
shown, she said.
4
Ǥ
This exhibit will
give people a
chance to see art
and learn about a
different culture.”
AmtKkobot
Joslyn media coordinator
Krobot said Coray collected the
pieces ip series, and most of the
objects are represented several
times over. The extensive exhibit
wjH fill approximately two to three
galleries.
“Soul of Africa” is not the first
collection of African pieces to be
shown at the Joslyn.
This is the second African
exhibit to be displayed in two years,
^though this one is more extensive
than the one in 1997, Krobot said.
Sponsors of the exhibit are Joan
Gibson and Donald Wurster, along
with additional sponsorship by the
Millard Foundation.
“This exhibit will give people a
unique chance to see art and learn
abdut a different culture,” Krobot
said.
tes ‘Insider’
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Cigarette
maker Brown & Williamson Tobacco
is accusing The Walt Disney Co. of
maliciously distorting the truth in a
new qaovie chronicling the struggles
of a tobacco industry whistleblower.
In a full-page newspaper ad,
Brown & Williamson contended
“The Insider” wrongly suggests the:
company threatened die life of former
Brown & Williamson executive
Jeffrey Wigand.
“They said we committed a crime
- threatening someone is criminal
activity,” said Mark Smith, a Brown
& Williamson spokesman. “We’re
very concerned about it. We’re con
sidering our options, in terms of a
lawsuit”
The film, released last week,
focuses on Wigand and a battle with
in CBS over whether to air a “40
Minutes” story about his allegations
that tobacco companies manipulated
nicotine levels in cigarettes and lied
about their addictive power; 'f -
The ad in Friday ’s Wall Street
Journal was partly an attempt to
counter appearances by Wigand and
others promoting the movie, Smith
said. The other motive was to get the
attention of Disney executives, who
ignored die company^ attempt to get
the script changed, he said.
A Disney spokesman said the film
was a responsible telling of Wigand’s
story and includes^ disclaimer saying
there is no known connection
between Brown & Williamson and
the threats against Wigand.
Brown & Williamson’s ire is
focused primarily on two scenes. In
one, Wigand finds a bulletin his mail
box and a note threatening him and
his children. In the other, he is trailed
by a menacing figure.
Filmmakers have acknowledged
that the second scene is fiction, creat-:
ed for dramatic effect.
Wigand actually reported finding
a*bullet and threatening note in his
mailbox. An FBI agent who investi
gated the incident suggested in a fed
eral affidavit that Wigand might have
put it there himself.
Even so, Brown & Williamson
probably would have a tough time
winning a libel actkm against Disney,
legal experts said.
The company would have to prove
that the events depicted in the film
were false and that Disney knew they
were untrue and published diem with
“reckless disregard for the truth,” said
Doug Mirell, who teaches libel law at
the University of Southern
California.
Another problem is that writers
and filmmakers generally are given
license when dealing with historical
events and large institutions such as
Brown & Williamson - winch, under
law, is considered a public figure.
Last weekend, company represen
tatives went to “The Insider” screen
ings in eight cities, handing out cards
asking patrons to answer questions
about the film. Such tactics indicate
the company may be unsure of its
chances of winning a lawsuit, Mirell
said.
Julianna Margulies refuses ‘ER’ contract
LOS ANGELES6AP) - Quick,
get the oxygen: “EIC’ star Julianna
Margulies has rejected an approxi
mately $27 million deal that would
have kept her on me medical drama
for two more years.
In February, the actress
announced her intention to leave me
NBC series and her role as nurse
Carol Hathaway after this season and
return to New York.
Executive producer John Wells
and Warner Bros, were unsuccessful
in trying to change her mind despite
the hefty contract offer, which includ
ed movie work, Daily Variety report
ed.
A source close to the actress,
speaking Friday on condition of
anonymity, confirmed she rejected
the contract.
Wells told Variety he credited
Margulies with contributing to the
success of the top-rated program and
said he hoped they would work
together in the future,
Margulies is not the only “ER”
defector, George Clooney, who
played Hathaway’s lover, Dr. Doug
Ross, left last season. Gloria Reuben
made her last appearance as HIV-pos
itive physician’s assistant Jeanie
Boulet on this week’s episode.
Reuben will be performing as a
backup singer and dancer on Tina
Turner’s upcoming world tour.