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PAGE 6 — The Southern Cross, April 30, 1987
PBS To Air "Dialogues Of The Carmelites"
NEW YORK (NC) - A band of strong
women takes over an entire evening of
prime-time television when “Dialogues of
the Carmelites’’ airs Wednesday, May 6,
8-11 p.m. EDT on PBS.
It’s the story of a convent of Carmelite
nuns in the city of Compiegne during the
French Revolution. Their convent is con
fiscated in the name of the republic and
they are sentenced to be guillotined.
Though it may sound like the stuff of fic
tion, it was an actual occurrence, part of
the record of the period of the revolution
aptly known as the Reign of Terror.
Interestingly enough, the version shown
on television is based on the account writ
ten by a German woman in reaction to a
later reign of terror, that of the Third
Reich, which sent a Carmelite nun, Edith
Stein, to her death in an extermination
camp.
In reading the German novel on the
tragic fate of the French Carmelite com
munity, composer Francis Poulenc was
moved to write the score for an opera
whose libretto was written by Georges
Bernanos. “Dialogues of the Carmelites”
premiered at La Scala in 1957.
The current Metropolitan Opera’s pro
duction of the work was taped during a
performance in early April for this presen
tation on “Live from the Met.” Joanne
Woodward gives the viewer verbal pro
gram notes on the opera and the Met’s pro
duction.
The reason this most Catholic of operas
is truly catholic is Poulenc's emotionally
powerful music and the dramatic heights
Bernanos reaches in his development of a
simple, direct and compelling story of
good and evil.
One cannot overpraise the Met's staging
of the opera. John Dexter’s production is
sensitive to the spiritual meaning of the
work but also to its potential as drama.
TV PROGRAMS OF NOTE
family in London, where she meets a
young philanderer and falls in love for the
first time in this “Masterpiece Theatre”
presentation of a British dramatization of
the nbvel by Elizabeth Bowen.
Sunday, May 3, 10-11 p.m. EDT (ABC)
“Superstars and Their Moms.” Interviews
with well-known showpeople and their
mothers may shed some light on the rela
tionship of success to supportive family
ties or perhaps validate the stage-mother
syndrome. Personalities include Cher,
Tom Selleck, Bill Cosby, Cybill Shepherd
and Robin Williams.
Monday, May 4, 8-9 p.m. EDT (PBS)
“Eiger Solo.” Documentary recording the
successful solo ascent by Welsh climber
Eric Jones up the mile-high face of the
Eiger, a peak in the Swiss Alps that has
been the setting for scores of mountaineer
ing tragedies since it was first climbed 40
years ago, a presentation of the “Adven
ture” series.
Monday, May 4, 9-10:30 p.m. EDT (PBS)
“A Case of Libel.” Rebroadcast of an
“American Playhouse” adaptation of
Henry Denker’s courtroom drama about a
libel suit brought by former World War II
correspondent Quentin Reynolds against
newspaper columnist Westbrook Pegler,
who accused Reynolds of being a com
munist sympathizer. Though the play may
stack the deck and be hindsight history,
the anti-Red smear tactics of the postwar
era are worth recalling, and the perfor
mances by' Ed Asner as Reynolds’ at
torney and Daniel J. Travanti as Pegler
are riveting.
Tuesday, May 5, 9-10 p.m. EDT (PBS)
“The Bombing of West Philly,” The
Philadelphia police bombing of the MOVE
cult's headquarters killed all but one of its
members and started a fire in the
neighborhood, that left 250 homeless. The
“Frontline” documentary examines the
causes that led to the tragedy.
Tuesday, May 5, 10-11 p.m. EDT (PBS)
“The Making of a Justice.” Examining the
relationship between the president and the
judiciary is the first subject in “The
Presidency and the Constitution,” a new
seven-part series exploring various
domestic and foreign policy issues facing
the modern presidency. Each program
presents a hypothetical situation to a panel
composed of a former president, Cabinet
members, congressmen, judges and jour
nalists.
Thursday, May 7, 8-9 p.m. EDT (PBS)
“Justice William J. Brennan Jr.” Bill
Moyers talks with the Supreme Court’s
senior justice on the fourth program in the
“Moyers: In Search of the Constitution”
series.
Friday, May 8, 8-8:30 p.m. EDT (CBS)
“Garfield Goes Hollywood.” The pasta-
loving cartoon cat competes in a national
talent hunt that could bring him fame and
fortune in this animated musical special.
Satirizes self-indulgent search for success
with some light rock musical diversion
especially appreciated by pre-teens.
Friday, May 8, 8:30-9 p.m. EDT (CBS)
“Bugs Bunny’s Mother’s Day Special.”
Animated tribute to motherhood features
the celebrated voice of Mel Blanc, the per
sonality behind the raucous rabbit who
provides some mild diversion for children
too young to help mom with the after-
dinner dishes.
Saturday, May 9, 8-9 p.m. EDT (PBS)
“Quest Beyond Time.” Mike, a young
hang-gliding enthusiast, finds himself pro
jected 1,000 years into a future post
holocaust world whose residents are slow
ly dying from a mysterious illness. It’s up
to Mike to travel though a nightmarish ter
rain on an errand of mercy to find the cure
in this “Wonderworks” presentation for
family viewers.
TV FILM FARE
Sunday, May 3, 7-9 p.m. EDT (ABC) —
“Mary Poppins” (1964) — Disney fantasy
about two English schoolchildren nurtured
by a strict but magical nanny (Julie An
drews) has musical charm and delightful
effects. Directed by Robert Stevenson, this
family film affirms children’s needs for
love, patience and understanding. Dick
Van Dyke co-stars. The U.S. Catholic Con
ference classification of the theatrical ver
sion was A-I — general patronage. The Mo
tion Picture Association of America rating
was G — general audiences.
Monday, May 4, 9-11 p.m. EDT (ABC) —
“Rhinestone” (1984) — Ill-conceived
romantic match-up of Dolly Parton trying
to make a country-western singer out of
Sylvester Stallone playing a tough New
York cab driver. Musical comedy is an
embarrassingly vulgar vision of gross
stereotypes. Director Bob Clark exploits
Miss Parton’s physical attributes and
musical abilities but merely makes
Stallone look silly. Benign view of casual
sex. The U.S. Catholic Conference
classification of the theatrical version was
A-III — adults. The Motion Picture
Association of America rating was PG
parental guidance suggested.
Monday, May 4, 9-11 p.m. EDT (NBC) —
“Teen Wolf” (1985) — A high school youth
(Michael J. Fox) becomes a big man on
campus when he discovers he is a
werewolf in this slightly funny teen-
oriented comedy marred by jokes about
alcohol and drugs, vulgarity and sexual in
nuendo. The U.S. Catholic Conference
classification of the theatrical version was
A-III — adults. The Motion Picture
Association of America rating was PG —
parental guidance.
Valdosta Students In Many Projects
Sunday, May 3, 9-11 p.m. EDT (CBS)
“Murder Ordained.” Two-part miniseries
starring Keith Carradine as a Kansas
highway patrol officer who investigates a
shocking pair of murders that apparently
are tied to a minister and paramour. The
drama seems timed to exploit current
public preoccupation with scandals involv
ing religious figures. Part 2 airs Tuesday,
May 5, 9-11 p.m. EDT.
Sunday, May 3, 9-11 p.m. EDT (PBS)
“The Death of the Heart.” A 16-year-old
orphan goes to live with her step-brother’s
St. John school children in Valdosta
jumped for more than exercise recently.
Physical education teachers, Mrs. Cindi
Everett and Mrs. Jane Gore, directed the
children as they “Jumped Rope For
Heart.” Seventy-five children jumped,
raising a total of $1,174.75. Amy Knowles,
the top fund-raiser, raised $104.40.
The school became involved in the
“Heart Renewed” program by having a
special prayer service each Wednesday
during Lent. The services followed the
theme of “Heart Renewed” for each week.
Mrs. Terry Mulkey, sixth grade
homeroom teacher, took student represen
tatives to Valdosta State College to par
ticipate in the area’s MATH COUNT. St.
John School placed fourth with Eighth
Grader, Du Diesing, winning fourth place
overall.
An “Education Fair” was held at the
Valdosta Mall under the sponsorship of the
Chamber of Commerce. Academic sub
jects, physical education, religion, art, the
media center and computers were all
represented by the students’ display.
Miss Jody George guided, directed and
contributed long hours to have a successful
“Science Fair.” Dr. Brannen, Dr.
Berstrum and Mr. Thompson, a graduate
student at VSC, judged the entries with the
requirements being that each entry form a
hypothesis, ask at least one scientific ques
tion, answer it, carry out an experiment if
the subject called for it and document the
work.
The students who won trophies and rib
bons were:
Eighth Grade: 1st place — Teri Lam
prey and Monica Maldonado; 2nd place -
James Mulgrew; 3rd place - Jim Allen.
Seventh Grade: 1st place - Spence Carver;
2nd place - David Barcelona; 3rd place -
Heather Morse. Sixth Grade: 1st place -
Randy Jones; 2nd place - Pablo
Pratdesabe; 3rd place - Thomas Urbanek.
Fifth Grade: 1st place - Ezra Freelove;
2nd place - Lisa Reyes; 3rd place - Melissa
Filtz and Mia Morse.
Overall winners: 1st place - Spence
Carver; 2nd place - Teri Lamprey and
Monica Maldenado; 3rd place - Ezra
Freelove.
The second, third and fourth grades
celebrated the beginning of Spring at the
Agrirama in Tifton. The students were
fascinated by the way Georgians lived 100
years ago.
Miss Jody George, upper-grade science
teacher, took the Sixth grade students to
the Jekyll Island Marine Research Center
for three days. Eighteen students par
ticipated in the learning experience.