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Show Page 12 The ThuruCerbird Tuesday November 12, 1985 -- r Sojourners dance like professionals BY TYLER JENSEN The Sojourners tried, in Thursdays Convoation performance, to explain where cowboys come from. Now we know. The Texas Breed was created by the longhorn and the mustang, defined in the introduction as two beasts that made more history than any other animals the civilized world has ever known. They. ..created a unique culture and will be remembered. ..as long as men think back longingly to the freedom of the West. The Texas Breed, The Sojourners showpiece perfromance, was set in 1885 in southern Texas. It involved characters from Germany, Spain, Mexico, and the western United States in an illustration of all the different elements that went into building the U.S. The dance is set at a party at the Brummerhassen Ranch in Live Oak County, Texas. It is an engagement party for Katie Brummerhassen (Cindy Robertson) given for her by her mother (Gaye Thurston). The other two Brummerhassen girls, Margit and Berthold, are played by Liz Argus and Jayceen Craven, respectively. Guests are Delores Nogales (Alaris Hirschi); Innocencio Lobo Nogales (J.C. Chan); Toliver Thorpe (Michael Stiver); Collin MacFarlane (Daniel McVey); Lacy MacFarlaine (Gwen Grimes); Cutter Paige (Gary Owen); Cavendar Flail (Eric Van Wagoner); Belle Ford (Kelly Krabel); Roan Calhoun (Scott Fletcher); Hendrick Heffington (John Waters); Katie ONeil (Susan Thompson); Rio Rita (Tiya Coleman); the Spanish aristocrats, Don Del Morela (Roy Fitzell), Isabella Morela (Raelynn Pots), and Isabellas sister, Estelita Morelas (Julianne Crofts). There were also two narrators: Tiya Coleman and Todd Gibson. There were one or two accidents during the show, but they were all handled very well. Fitzells cape dance was excellent, although the cape fell apart during the performance, but the way he handled the potential disaster was excellent. The house lights gave trouble -- The Sojourners are one of the dance groups at SUSC directed by Burch Mann and San Christopher. Thursdays Convocation was marked by the groups energetic performance. when Burch Mann went on stage for a profile on the performance. Mann and daughter San Christopher are at SUSC and are the directors of the Sojourners. McVey said that they make you work very hard, more than what most colleges are used to. Its the closest thing to a professional company youve ever worked with here at college. Mann and Christopher write and research all their own pieces. This show, for example, had to be researched into what kind of characters would live in that time and what they would wear and say, how they would act, and any other facet of life then that could artists-in-residen- Agnes of God is one of the greatest FILM REVIEW BY KENN LARSEN Very few films stir the subconscious as much as Agne of God. On the surface, brilliant performances entwine an emotional and unsettling experence in a picturesque convent. Searching deeper, it questions your feelings about life, death, and faith in God. Jane Fonda, as psychiatrist Martha Livingstone, is challenged to prove to the judicial system the sanity of young nun Agnes (Meg Tilly) who is accused of strangling her newborn child. Mother Superior (Anne Bancroft) is not pleased at the idea of Livingstone cutting open the child's mind, yet when answers are discovered, they deeply affect the lives of these three women. Throughout the movie, Fonda is going through a constant character change because of the emotional upheaval in facing Agnes, her past and her feeling' about the Catholic church. Her vivid performance erf the psychiatrist is one of her most moving and intensely powerful roles and leaves you deeply touched. She reveals feelings some of us try to keep hidden away: the anguish, bitterness, and pain caused by her childhood obsession for a Hollywood ending in real life. Anne Bancroft delivers an incredible performance in a role she was meant to play. She brings an intelligent, humanistic side to the Mother Superior: showing, not all in words, that even religious people are subj ct to 'er habits, have a light satirical side to them, and chain-smokin- g certain circumstances a chilling bitterness. This role will undountedly earn her an Oscar nomination. Tilly portrays Agnes with such a childlike innocence it's emotionally disturbing. To see someone with these angelic qualities and to think she is possibly capable of strangling her child, leaves the audience restless in their seats. Through her strong performance, she reveals a character with an unsettling devotion to God, which is intensified through her eyes: If they are the windows to the soul, Tilly also acted in spirit. A compelling screenplay by John Pielmeier, who also wrote the Broadway play, effectively transposes his creation into the audiences memory. The dialogue is so literarily powerful it creates verbal images by itself. Though the play was set on a bare stage to bring the focus onto the characters, director producer Norman Jewison leaves a shattering visual impact. Its not the stage play, but it doesnt need to be. It iias more characters than the Broadway play did, but it shouldnt be compared to the play: it is an altered version of the same story which comes out flawless. In the movie, finding who the father is (man or God), how he entered the convent, and most of all, establishing a relationship with Agnes, seems to be more of a concern than it was in the play; however, this didnt detract at all from the impact of the story and the performance cf the main characters. Beginning with horrified cries in the night and building to a wholly unexpected climax, Agnes of Godis a movie that will push your values over the edge. help the performer get into character. The characters in the Texas Breed were very distinct and the dancers stayed in character very well. The dancers communication using their faces was also a very effective tool for staying in character. All the dances looked well rehearsed and very polished After the Texas Breed, the Sojourners performed two other numbers: a Romanian folk dance and an American jazz dance. They were both up to Mann and Christophers standard caliber. The dancing in this show was very exciting. It kept the atmosphere in the audience electric. |