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Show U Shakespeare Players work for 'communication with audience BY CRAIG HANSEN Chronicle Staff Profiling the white cast of William Wil-liam Shakespeare which proudly rests on his moderate desk, Prof. David E. Jones discussed the Uni-versity Uni-versity Shakespeare Players-a company of 25 actors dedicated to the study and performance of the Bard. Prof. Jones, who founded the company in 1967 because he felt Shakespeare requires an enormous amount of preparation on the part of the actors and decided that a separate company were necessary, is enthusiastic about the coming season. According to Prof. Jones, Shakespeare is the greastest dramatist dra-matist and the ways of producing him are endless. "Shakespeare presents pre-sents the greatest challenge to an actor," he said, "he works by mixed variety, contrasts-his plots are still being played today." Too Complex Steve Coleman, a company member was a member of the New York Shakespeare Festival for one summer, and spent two, 7 month seasons with the National Shakespeare Company. "Shakespeare's "Shake-speare's characters are too complex com-plex to be exhausted." he said. "Shakespeare has no hard and fast things in his worlds." For the first time, Pioneer's main stage will replace the more intimate Babcock Theater, presenting pre-senting a challenge to the dramatists. dra-matists. Construction of a semi-thrust semi-thrust stage from Pioneer's proscenium pro-scenium arch will enable the actors to relate with the audience. "Many feel that drama is com munication between actors and their audience, but it is communion com-munion with an audience," Prof. Jones said, "actors share an experience ex-perience among themselves and hope that an audience is also sharing." Workshop For the last two years, Prof. Jones has used a workshop in group relations to help his company com-pany become more conscious of individuals in the cast. He feels that this has helped their performances per-formances and off-stage activities. Prof. Chris HaufBnf.1 time to help p f 0 k . "P ory, wi r see" at cast sessions V Everyone helps hisfc, tunes replace traJ , 1 ?: ""en associate ft es en to but everybody work and jokes about it Another associate o , Jones is Prof.JohnM. k Modern Dance and Partment, Prof hachelorsandj drama, but hisft.D ; bjned drama and da : Im really retumm theater in a sense, " P,of r said. "L Proper Movement Prof. Wilson feels fa,, authentic, drama muitb,-proper muitb,-proper body movement rely on lavish costumes to id-character's id-character's frame of motion "i-actor "i-actor could play Shake;, the nude and stiJJ get the efTec" Prof. Wilson joked. Man's hasn't changed since the tc civilizations except that h little larger, but stffl in the sr proportions, according to Pr Wilson. Modern dance is (': tained in a drama because of; space between the acton what they do within that spa During a period with f: Wilson, members of the Compr grasp each other, and act a. they're a stage. "Center stage l: Prof. Wilson shouts, an! t entangled actors respond, "Jos-down," "Jos-down," and down they go. it-several it-several minutes, the players la : and start again Prof. Wilson believes Halt sessions teach the actors about body masses and forces. Asc exercise uses steps and to:, crisscross pattern at a fasl A few hard bumps were receivn! laughed off by those whoc out of line. Studies oft spearean costumes are alsoz in the sessions. "This year, in order toil balance the main stage f-Shakespeare, f-Shakespeare, we are going tec non-Shakespearean pla?': plained Prof. Jones. E Chekhov's "Cherry Oiduf almost as great as Shatfp added. |
