Newspaper Page Text
Page 4
THE PANTHER
December 3, 1979
Joan Lewis Stars In Explosive Play
BY ROZELL CLARK
Panther Entertainment Editor
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?”, which opened
Wednesday night at the Studio
Theatre, Memorial Arts
Center, held a two-fold
challenge for Director Walter
Dallas and its performers.
Challenge one: Could four
black performers take what
has been generally accepted as
a “white” production and
make it acceptable to a mixed
audience?
Challenge two: Could direc
tor Dallas take an abstract
production like “Virginia
Woolf’ and make it understan
dable to a general audience.
Yes to the first challenge,
and maybe to the second.
The production which of
ficially opened the
Proposition’s 1979 season, was
not a white production. It was
a people-personality endeavor.
The problems that were faced
by the main characters,
“Martha” and “George” were
universal ones. They were not
isolated just to the white com
munity.
The performers presented
their characters in such a way,
that the audience seemed to
forget that the actual
characters were black, or that
they weren’t white.
“Virginia Woolf’ is a com
plex play that deals with
pretentious illusions and
perverted values of two middle
class couples, both involved in
a small college. The underline
meaning may have been hard
to comprehend, but the
Proposition’s production made
it clearer than either the
television version or the
broadway one.
The audience' was so close to’
the actual setting that they
could actually see the deep
lines in George’s face as
Martha scolded him. They feel
the life drained from Martha
when she was forced to believe
that really didn’t have a son.
The closeness of the setting
made the play more understan
dable.
“A chorus Line” the smash Broadway musical hit of the
decade, returned to the stags 1 of the Fabulous Fox recently. It has
been one of the many plays thathas graced the stages of Atlanta
recently.
Little Mr. and Ms. (dark College
It was feared before the
production that maybe Joan
Lewis, head of Clark College
drama Department was too old
to play Martha, the daughter
of a college president married
to a “henpecked” husband.
Frankly, there is not another
acress in this city who could
play a better Martha than
Joan Lewis.
The role was very deman
ding. Martha, at times was
mean as a lion, striking both
verbally and physically at
George and her two guests.
Then again, she was a child,
her daddy’s only daughter,
George’s misunderstood wife,
who really was “afraid of
Virginia Woolf.”
Willie Woods, (George)
played opposite Ms. Lewis.
Although there is no question
about Woods’ superb acting
ability, he had a problem with
his diction in the opening
night performance. Countless
times he mispronounced or
slurred words. Part of it might
have been his character, but
the rest was definitely Woods’
fault.
Jonathan Peck, a recent
graduate of Morehouse
College, has developed into a
strong actor. He had no
problem presenting his
Continued on page 12
I ittle Mr. and Miss Clark
WRC Sponsors Pageant
BY CHRISTINE WILLIAMS
Panther Reporter
The Little Mr. and Miss
Clark Pageant sponsored by
the Women’s Resource Center
(WRC) went over as a big
success. The pageant took
place in Davage Auditorium
Friday night November lb.
The theme for the pageant was
“Our Greatest Love.
Children”.
Out of nine contestants the
two winners of the pageant
were five year old Nisan
Maeelud, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. DihkrMaloud. and seven-
year-old Arcnie Sharold
Smith, son of Mrs. Virginia
Smith. Other children
participating were: Jennifer
Ware, daughter of Mrs. Mary
Agnes Ware, assistant Dean of
Student Affairs; Alyssia
Davis, daughter of Mrs. Oliva
Davis of the 1 Social Science 1
departmemt; and Alphonso
Heiward, seen of Phyllis
Heeward. staff member eef
Clark's dining hall.
T he 1 winners were chosen bv
the 1 children whe> raised the
most meeney eluring October
and Neevember feer the WRC
annual budget were selected as
the 1 win ne'rs. The 1 three winneu-s
m-e'ivod $100 for first place 1 .
$50 for second and $25 fen
thirel. All of the children
re'ceive'd small gifts freem WRC
The program began with the
introductiem of the 1 masters e>f
ceremoniees, Miss Clark,
Yedanda Cream and Murray
Davis. Afterwards a dance 1
was performed by Feminene 1
Fine'se 1 , and them the 1 presen-
tation eef (he 1 contestants. All
musie-al selectmens were 1
performed by Anna Breewn.
Other segments eef the 1
pagemnt we're 1 “Kids Say the
1 larnde-st Things,” a simple
Question and answer session
een the 1 edever remarks children
make. Alsee, “Kids Do the
Darnde'st Things,” which dis
played humeereeus talent done
by the 1 contestants.
In the 1 conclusion eef the
preegram all contestants teeeek
part in the finale, which they
all danced tee a popular tune by
Micheal Jackson. The winners
were crowned by Dean Win
fred Harris.
Continued on page 12
RESEARCH PAPERS
10,250 on File — All Academic Subjects
Send $1.00 for your up-to-date, 306-page mail order catalog.
ACADEMIC RESEARCH
P.O. BOX 24873
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY ___ .. .....
■STATE HE.