Show Reviewed By James A. Jensen The University Theatre spends many dollars each year importing from Broadway to give the people of Salt Lake City some semblance of professional The advanced acting under the direction of Byron last night gave a performance of Cherry to proves that this expense is not It proves another thing as that the University Theatre would do well to produce something other than Undoubtedly much of the thrilling effect of this production is due to but it is a play that easily could have been It I can only say that the performances were completely convincing and that these students and McGrath deserve congratulations for one of the finest productions I have seen at this University in the past several This is a play that no lover or student of the drama should By Carolyn Hoggan Cherry is a moving play about the passing of the old Russian Full of pathos and deep it is lightened by deft comic touches supplied by Patzie Dean Michael and by a consummate and polished performance by all in the Richard Fullmer and Beth Gibson play the well-loved but ineffectual As the owner of the cherry Gibson is and perfectly Dick Fullmer played her brother with great He was lovable and pathetic by As the boorish and hulking peasant became Bill caught the stature of the peasant and even the inflexion of the Russian Carolyn Collette was the irascible daughter of She made the audience feel her The governess was comic dP and Her neuroticism almost The young revolutionist was and terri a horrid portent of the in full of loud talk and a passion for Utopia that crucifies all personal Directed by Byron McGrath the play is difficult to act and is but done beautifully It has great moments of tremendous emotional impact and should be seen by anyone interested in good By Nigel Hey Anton great Russian drama Cherry which opened last night at the is a fabulous portrait of pre-revolutionary I n d i v i dual characterizations were so good that it seemed sometimes that the separate roles were made more important than the play This did not help in the presentation of the play as a unity a player-audience communication tremendously important in a play so At the time the play was written 1903 the old Russian aristocracy was crumbling and peasant revolts were taking place throughout the The philosophies of Marx and Nietzsche were spreading slowly through the intellectual and peasant The peasants were fitting their calloused feet into the brocaded slippers of the declining catches all this He catches the intense love of the Russian peasant for the the emotionalism of the Russian He catches the pathetic bewilderment of the uprooted the fanaticism of the shouting socialist all in the same faded house with the window that looks out upon the cherry It is a great play we can say little except that we would like to see more great plays and less commercial ones seems they are almost on the University |