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PAGE 4-THE CLUSTER, FEBRUARY 20, IMF
Feat ur es/En t er t ai n meat
Students get a chance to direct one acts
By CHRIS KIRBY
Mercer University's theatre
department is gening a chance to
diversify a bit this quarter. While
principal director Paul Oppy is out
directing a touring children's show.
handed over to two students direc
tors; Jim Cook and Johnaa Cross.
“An Evening Of One Acts’*, run
ning from Feb. 21 through Feb. 24.
wilTbe made up of “Down Came
The Rain." directed by Cross and
“Home Free!", directed by Cook.
"Down Dune The Ram," writ
ten by Brian Burr Clarke, centers
around the relationship of two
brothers. Michael and Brucie, on
a camping trip. Despite Michael's
love for his younger, retarded
brother Brucie. he still finds dif
ficulty dealing with his brother's
problems. The cast is made up of
two Mercer studea(s; Steve Kight
portraying Brucie and Jim Cook as
Michael.
The second one act on the
schedule is Lanford Wilson’s
“Home Free!" The play is an in
tense drama focusing on the lives
of Lawrence and Joanna Brown,
played by Ron Light and Kelly
Finley. The two characters, both in
their mid-twenties, are brother and
sister whose lives boarder on
often surpass the realms of tradi
tional sanity.
“Lawrence is clearly insane,"
states Cook, "But Joanna, while
pregnant with her brother's child,
is acting mostly out of love for her
brother."
The play takes a disturbing look
at mental illness and the effects it
LIFELINE
Date 2-7 i 2%) Time iQ'-^QatM - Vp.m.
Location TDixlffJG Room, CSC
+ American Red Cross
Blood Service*/Atlanta Region
has on the lives of the two
characters.
Both plays present powerful
messages about people on the out
side of standard human existence.
Cook and Cross, through their
careful direction, have each crafted
strong theatrical presentations.
"An Evening Of One Acts" will
have. no admission charge and
and Steve Kight in Dohti Came The Rain.
Review
Reed’s ‘New York’ is
high point of 1989
By CHRISTOPHER KIRBY
muyootK
‘New York”
- Sin records
It's only February and
relatively early in this new year
but Lou Reed may have just
released one of the highest
musical points of 1989. Reed's
"New York" iPa strong, pure,
no bolds barred look at New
York in specific and the whole
of American culture in the
general
The album is essentially a
concept album based around the
theme of New York City. Reed
suggests in the liner notes that
all fourteen songs should be
heard in one sitting and that the
album should be thought of at
book or movie. Truly, the best
way to hear this album is all at
once. Only then can the genuine
feet and atmosphere of "New
York” be experienced.
Using nothing but two
guitars, bass and drums. Reed
amasses an many musical styles
as he can on this album. There's
hard-edged rock, folk, avant-
garde, country, blues, and as
many other musical types as can
be imagined. With such
minimalistic accompaniment,
Reed is able to create almost any
melodic landscape he wants.
This landscape is additional
ly enhanced by Reed's original
applications of lyrics. Tradi
tional rock lyric forms are
eschewed by Reed in favor of
blank verse. He does occa-
sioualiy use a repeating chorus,
but for the most part of the
lyrics on "New York" most
closely resemble poetry read on
top of musk. This poetry,
however, is fiercly realistic.
Reed's lyrics are anything but
inaccessible - they are human
and they are present vividly the
ups and downs of modern
human existence.
The subjects Reed covers on
"New York" vary from young
romance to' 'The Last Tempts
Continued on page 5
