Show The Salt Lake Tribune THEATERMAGIC Sunday April 26 1992 E3 Park City's Ticnic' won't be a day at the park i By Nancy Melich THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Edward Gryska plays set in USA and Park City Performances are becoming a small-tow- n habit Last year around this time Mr Gryska left his accustomed home at the Salt Lake Acting Company and traveled up the canyon to guest direct "Daddy's Dyin' (Who's Got the Will)" The Del Shores comedy took a look at the lives of some folksy characters during a couple of days in rural Texas A' This season the attraction for Mr Gryska has been "Picnic" William Inge's nostalgic glimpse at ordinary people living in a sleepy Kansas community The JA A audi- By Lori Puttars image David Copperfield wouldn't divulge where he was calling from last week but pounding and sawing noises in the background signaled that the magician is up to some new tricks "Since I create my illusions from my dreams and everything around me I am working on new ones all the time" he said Mr Copperfield who has won several Emmy Awards for his inventive television specials is able to adapt his stage from the size of a Orient Express train car to intimate theaters The master illusionist has been called the magician for his time In a showcase of his talents Mr Copperfield is bringing his "Magic for the '90s" to the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City for four shows Wednesday and Thursday Among some of the more notable feats Mr Copperfield has accomplished are making the Statue of Liberty vanish and escaping from a burning raft as it plummeted over Niagara Falls So how did he make that statue disappear? No one but Mr Copperfield knows and he is not about to reveal his secrets "A number of the people I work with know little portions of how it's done but I have them sign a secrecy agreement" he said "I am really the only one who knows the entire 70-to- never I ? F i ri AX- - V1- i award-winnin- g 1 f y-- J ? w'vwM 0 a S 60 Mr Gryska was a student at Western Illinois University when he first saw "Picnic" Though he had attended plays while growing up in his hometown of Chicago he had never seen a college production until "Picnic" The impression was a lasting one When Park City Performances asked him to return as a guest director and bring with him the play of his choice it didn't take long for Mr Gryska to accept "I've always wanted to do 'Picnic' It is a wonderful play a classic look at the '50s and I don't believe it is :f- ititVtiJ'S Ji: fff'--- f Y:sf f'": " 'ri:"fvf Steve GriffinThe Salt Lake Tribune "Picnic" the Pulitzer play by William Inge opens a monthlong engagement Friday at Park City's Egyptian Theatre Edward Gryska directs this Park City Performances production Prize-winnin- g By the time he leaves 24 hours later a schoolteacher and her re- luctant boyfriend are headed for the altar and the lives of two sisters among others are changed forever The 1953 Broadway production was directed by Joshua Logan of "South Pacific" fame and featured such stage luminaries as Ralph Meeker Kim Stanley Arthur O'Connell Eileen Heckart Janice Rule and a young actor named Paul Newman A film version was made in 155 and caused a bit of furor dated" The story of repressed romantic dreams takes place over the Labor Day holiday A handsome swaggering vagrant arrives in a Kansas town and suddenly awakens the sexual frustrations of some of the women in this quiet community when William Holden was cast in the leading male role Some thought Holden was too old to portray Hal Carter a young man in his 20s The film nevertheless was hailed for stellar performances by Rosalind Russell and Arthur O'Connell the debut of Cliff Robertson and certainly the chemistry between Kim Novak and Holden as they danced to "Moonglow" Mr Gryska has incorporated that sensual melody into his production Cast members for the Park City production include Ron Matthews as Hal Brenda Myers and Sarah Nelson as the Owens sisters Madge and Millie Ruth Ann Fitzgerald as their mother and Blayne Wiley as Madge's boyfriend Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm and then Thursdays through Saturdays through May 23 Tickets are $9 and $12 Reservations are advised and may be made by contacting the PCP box office Tuesdays and Wednesdays from noon to 5 pm Thursdays through Saturdays noon to 8 pm ARtTIX i i 1 t 3 reached New York Inge's second work "Come Back Little Sheba" met with immediate success when it debuted in 1950 on Broadway The success wave continued in 1953 when Inge received the Pulitzer Prize in drama for "Picnic" The two plays that followed "Bus Stop" (1955) and "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs" (1957) also were greeted with critical acclaim Though he wrote five more plays none gained the acceptance of the early works On June 10 1973 the playwright committed suicide He was Ama-deu- 225-to- n ll Though "Heaven" ld n V ik las process Without revealing too much about the upcoming performances Mr Copperfield said a portion of his touring show pays homage to Orson Welles who in addition to being an acclaimed actor and director was also a magician "My shows are personal very much me" he said "I like to pay tribute to the people I admire in my work" As a result the stage show features a Orson Welles on a large movie screen miraculously interacting with Mr Copperfield and the live audience Mr Copperfield said he chose the magic field because it incorporates "everything I enjoy in life — music theater comedy drama romance" Mr Copperfield's performances often utilize music written by some of his favorite artists like Peter Gabriel Phil s Collins and Wolfgang Mozart "to add emotion or put a finishing touch on the illusion" The magician admits to being a "frustrated rock 'n' roller I really enjoy music but I can't sing" he said Unwilling to go the Milli Vanilli route Mr Copperfield said it is the one thing that he would like to change about his career if he could The magician will take the stage Wednesday and Thursday at 5:30 and 8:30 each night Tickets are $1650 $2050 and $2450 and can be purchased at the Capitol Theatre box office 50 W 200 South or by calling In keeping with his mystical V tf- - 1 g Star-Time- s Copperfield dreaming up new tricks to wow fans THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE ? Pulitzer play opens Friday at Park City's Egyptian Theatre — two days before the birth date of its author Inge was born May 3 1913 in Independence Kan Inge a former schoolteacher and actor became drama critic in for the St Louis 1943 but left after four years when his first play "Farther Off from Heaven" premiered in DalPrize-winnin- Illusionist David Copperfield will astound Salt Lake ences Wednesday and Thursday at the Capitol Theatre "'J 1 Kecreauon Every Monday in §foolt£akf fritomf Summer humanities program f0r bright yr oids Literature Drama 12-1- 5 1 1 Music Film HI ifv Vi8UalEionreative j1111 943-052- 5 MOBIL MASTERPIECE THEATRE PRESENTS SHAKESPEARE'S - JT 1e 2 ififr 3 4 ll ? ft ""&' r 1 § c t! " J' i A i: V1 p I J if W 5 Y JT This witty and sparkling version of the Cinderella story is set on an ocean liner in the 1920's You'll be enchanted by the lovely Cinderella and her ugly yet hilarious stepsisters their blustering father and the handsome prince who changes places with his wily valet Sung in Italian with English SUPERTITLES Cinderella (La Cenerentola) By May 16 18 KB 30 CAPITOL lav Call 355-ART- S Part Music (355-278- Part Drama 7) STARRING: KENNETH BRANAGH DEREK JACOB IAN HOLM I Welcomed by r :n:v Tonight at 8:00 Mobil ' PAULSCOFIELD EMMA THOMPSON HOST: ALI STAIR COOKE THEATRE Capitol or call for Tickets Altogether Magnificent m & Thursday 5:30 & 8:30 Wednesday Theatre box office Tickets at the Qound Dirtaor DIRECTED AND ADAPTED BY KENNETH BRANAGH JUDI DENCH a UMm itei i rMi ii :i a t u t mm: f Annt Tuvrt m 20 22 at 7:30 pm May 24 2:00 pm Matinee APRIL 29 & vo- R— 1 Rossini DEsrarr news PICK YOUR CARD PLACE YOUR AD f ' - ft: 143 South Main Salt Lake City Utah - 355-ART- S ktvx ii'iuu F7TTTST 1IUTAH 0 Follow the Action! 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