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Page 4 - Spelman Spotlight
By Avy Long
Have you ever wondered
what Dr. Richard de Paigner is
like in a setting other than His
tory 113 of his Western
Civilization class? And how
about Dr. Martin Ydnuck
chairman of the history
department? Is his life one of
department chairman
meetings, committee
meetings, faculty meetings, as
sociate professor meetings,
and the like?
Surely Ms. Marilyn
Leonard, one of our new
teachers, doesn’t prepare for
American history class Mon
day, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday nights?!!!
Of course, they wouldn’t tell
ur. Kichara ae fagmer
(Photo by Terrance V. Smith)
us everything, but they were
all very cooperative in giving
us interesting information
about the other sides of their
personalities.
All agree that teaching res
ponsibilities at Spelman take
up the bulk of their time and
lives. When asked about his
extracurricular activities out
side the Spelman environment
Dr. Pagnier replied, “Who has
time for extracurricular ac
tivities after grading papers,
preparing for classes, and
making out tests?” He added
that at the end of the day he
only has enough energy left to
grab a beer and flop down in
front of the TV set and watch
Beverly Sills in “La Traviata.”
Is There
Dr. de Pagnier shares his
home with one boxer, four
German shepherds, two
labradors, four muts, and Sha.
Sha was born in Tokyo and is
half German shepherd and
half collie. You have probably
met Sha if you’ve ever visited
Dr. de Paigner’s office.
He also has 12 Persian cats.
Discotheques are a favorite
recreation spot for Dr. Pagnier,
but he wouldn’t say which
ones. In the past five years he
has lost 26 pounds —
boogying!
He enjoys gardening. He
doesn’t have a lot of success
with house plants, but his yard
is full of pear, plum, peach, and
apple trees. He also has two
pecan trees and an English
walnut tree which have been
producing for about eight
years, and grape vines.
Dr. Yanuck enjoys listening
to classical music and going to
the opera. Recently he
attended opening night of this *
season’s concert series. He is a
member of the Lyric Opera
Guild which is responsible for
publicizing and promoting
performances.
He likes jazz too.
Dr. Yanuck has much more
success with his house plants
than Dr. Pagnier. “His house
looks like a jungle,” Dr.
Life After 9 To 5 ?
Pagnier said. His home is
covered with huge, healthy
philodendrons, umbrella trees,
asparagus ferns, wandering
Jews, and other house plants.
This is Ms. Leonard’s first
year at Spelman and in Atlan
ta. She has been indirectly
showing herself the city by
pursuing her interest in
architectural and social his
tory. She enjoys driving
through various
neighborhoods to look at the
architecture or observe the
differences in racial and
cultural lifestyles.
She likes to stay up late and
watch old movies or read detec
tive novels. Sometimes she
gets up at 4 o’clock in the morn
ing to watch old movies or
sleeps all day and watches TV
late at night.
Ms. Leonard sews obses
sively but it is one of the major
forms of relaxation for her. She
began sewing in college
because she wanted something
relaxing to do late at night
when she finished studying.
She owns lots of plants, five
cats, and a dog.
Be sure to tune in next issue
for a closer look at the lives of
other Spelman professors.
Dr. Martin Yanuck
Theatre Still Survives
By Tandra Dawson
The People’s Survival
Theater hails as Atlanta’s
only black professional com
munity theater. “Our em
phasis is to bring black theater
which is for and about black
people, to the community,”
said Byron Saunders, PST’s
Executive Director.
He along with President Lizz
Williams, founded the theater
in 1972, as the cultural wing of
the SCLC (Southern Christian
Leadership Conference). They
were then operating out of
East Lake Methodist Church
strictly as a workshop becom
ing a full production company
in 1975.
Saunders states that
although being a professional
black theater company was
not a new idea, their focus was
unique. They recognized the
need of letting black people
know that theater was for and
about them by developing an
idea and philosophy which
would speak to the black com
munity and black masses. “A
group like the theater must
bring to the people the truth
and constantly tell them the
truth.
. . Black theater should tell the
black story, not imitations of
Neil Simon and Tennessee
Williams. They are writing
about their own people . . .
Black artists can show black
people in the community how
to overcome their problems or
at least start them thinking.”
Works performed by PST do
deal with different aspects of
black life in the American set
ting and others. They relate
and discuss social ills, the in
consistencies of the present
society and politics.
A recent production, “The
Promised Land,” ran as a ten
week soap opera and dealt
specifically with such issues as
black on black crime, unem
ployment, underemployment,
housing, economic and moral
disenchantment, dope ad
diction and alcoholism within
the setting of metropolitan
Atlanta. The production was
on WPCH, a white FM station,
and WINN, a country western
station. Thus its appeal was
stretched across racial
barriers.
Other plays performed in
clude “Contributions” by Ted
Shine, “Clara Ole Man” by Ed
Bullins and “Tri-Jean and His
Brothers” by Derek Walcott.
In addition to its periodical
productions, workshops are
also offered in the area of writ
ing for stage and screen, ac
ting, sculpture, painting,
make-up and costume design.
The theater features a dance
company and a Mind (Mime)
company as well.
Presently located at the
David T. Howard High
School’s ROTC building
situated at the rear of the H.S.,
at 551 Houston St., affords the
theater space for ac
comodating art shows and
related functions along with
Scenes from a rehearsal of Atlanta’s first and only live
black soap opera, “The Promised Land.’’ (Saunders, mid
dle, with cigarette)
providing rehearsal space for
other artists and groups.
An upcoming play
“Chocolate City South or
Welcome to the Big Peach is
scheduled. It is a black comedy
(soap opera) and will open on
October 28th. About Atlanta,
in it Saunders assures, “this
production will be black
comedy like it was never seen
before.”
Tickets for theater produc
tions can be purchased at the
door. Phone 588- 1393
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