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I -c~·v- Rs-, \.1 - ,.1z, _IS,-. " , ~m~, I ") I 'l, - , ~, _._ ,fxCM = t w7 --- 11 I Hill~Bssb~~p~-~ a TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 1 98.7 Th~te Tech PAG E 9 aaala AR S _ -_ . i - o- -..... I ' ' - I . . I .- - -- . Ostrovskya "Scoundrel' exposes artificiality ofsociety

THE DIARY OF A SCOUNDREL unknown in smart Moscow society. 'There- looks go much like a pop-up book that I look speaks pages about the characters. Written by Alexander Ostrovsky. fore he sets about to curry favor with the thought of the set changes as a turning of And, for the best running joke of the Directed by Larry Carpenter. right people, who will spontaneously pro- the pages into the next chapter of the play. lot, all the characters - not just Glumov Starring Jim McDonnell, Etain O'Malley, vide him with references. The set changes took just long enough -are almost painfully obvious in their ar- Louis Turenne, anad Michael Connely. Jim McDonnell's performance as for us to remember that we were in a the- tificiality, but no one on stage gets it. One ex- At the Huntington Theatre Company. Glumov is both extremely comic and ater, and to wonder what the next set supposes that "Diary of a Scoundel" is not cellently crafted. While refusing to bow to would look like. Together with the won- nearly-so entertaining on paper, given that -By JULIAN WEST society, his character is not immoral. He is derfully gaudy curtain they provoked a much of the humor has been attached to an honest man in a hypocritical society; sense of being in a theater or opera house what would ordinarily be throw-away STROVSKY'S 1868 FARCE effective- and it is perfectly in keeping with his sense for the sense of being seen; the gasps lines. But on the Huntington's stage, it ly attacks the foibles of contem- of ethics that fools are hypocrites who are porary Moscow society: the which always accompanied the raising of blossomns into hilarity. there to be manipulated. the curtain would not have been out of If all this seems a little stagy and artifi- aristocrats,,.the nouveau riche, For his first conquest, he hits upon a the military, religion, and superstition. All place in the opera either. Each set sur- cial, that is exactly the point. Both Glu- wealthy relative, Nils Fedoseich Mamaev passes the last: the Moscow apartement; a mov and Ostrovsky have set out to expose are happily faling into smuggly compla- (excellently played'by Louis Terrene)~ Glu- cent decay. Then along comes an imagina- convincing peasant interior complete with the artificiality of society, to strip off the mov proves that it is easier for a clever orthodox-and unorthodox shrines; a co- theatrical masks behind which their con- tive, upwardly mobile, and unscrupulous man to act as an idiot than for an idiot to young man determined to shake up the lonel's office crammed with swords, temporaries hide. In staging something act shrewd. By acting the part of an hon- globes, a bearskin, and a cannon; and a which is so obviously a performance, Car- system - to his own advantage. est simpleton, he gains immediate sympa- The eponymous scoundrel is Egor gorgeous garden exterior. penter has found a tone which betrays that thy, and the gullible old man quickly takes Through' the 'pages of the storybook society to us. And while it places us, in a Dmitrich Glumov (Jim McDonnell), who him under his wing. Glumov is on his way. Wander a succession of storybook charac- Brechtian fashion, above and outside the has set his sights on a felicitous marriage For the rest of the play, he drifts to an exquisitely -eligible young woman- ters. They are so obviously unreal that action, it leaves us with the uncomfortable through Moscow society, and through a se- they do not attempt to fool us with artifi- feeling that we do not deserve such exalted sfie is beautiful, charming,. and rich. The James ries oof brilliant sets (designed by cial speech, but turn their speech into treatment. We too are guilty of acting. difficulty is not that Mashenka is unwill- Leonard Joy) which resemble the pages of ing; she is ai too ready to be married, and spectacle. Every line, from "hello" to Not that the profession is without vir- a giant pop-up book. The scenery, pre- "goodbye," provides an opportunity for a tue. A fine collection of actors graced this none too particular to whom. However, dominantly brightly colored flats explod- the match is far above Glumov, who is an -laugh. Even between lines, a pregnant production, beginning with McDonnell, ing awkwardly into the third dimensions pause or a precisely orchestrated knowing who brought to Glumov the star qualities of a talented natural ham. One of his best scenes is when he is alone and searching Hey, witch way to the nearest good movie in town? for his "misplaced" diary, repeating to himself that "this is not happening." His THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK Jack Nicholson plays the dark stranger, many-layered with the witches confronting behavior typified that of a man who knows Directed by George Miller. with a mobile brow contorted with smirks gray hairs and mundane lovers along with himself to be alone -but alone in the Screenplay by Michael Cristofer, and sneers. His three co-stars, however, the supernatural, the film is polished, presence of an audience. based on the novel by John Lrpdike. are not about to let him steal the movie showing much less of prosaic Eastwick Humbert Allen Astredo is an astonish- Starring Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan out froml under them, and they have sultry and more of high-tech luxury in Nichol- ingly pompous old colonel called Kru- Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer. replies to his every lascivious purr. Susan son's pad. Instead of Updike's thoughtful titsky, who embodies the idiotic conserva- Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer are en- meanderings, director George Miller pre- tism of his class. We first see -him By KATIE SCHWARZ thralling, but Cher is on the wooden side. fers brief, clear scenes like road signs didactically holding forth about nothing, Even while Nicholson is talkifig her into pointing out 'specific bits of character. and manipulating furniture in a futile at- HAT IF yOU could make your his bed her expression remains frozen; one Miller evidently set out to make a tempt to demonstrate the undesirability of fantasies come true? What if wonders what she is thinking and feeling, glossy, visually exciting film, and he cer- monkeying with the established social or- you found your innermost but she gives no indication. tainly knows how, putting together transi- der. (Thereafter, other characters who lusts, cravings' for luxury, After the delicious'opening the story tions and crosscuts between subplots in a wander past his inverted table do a brief and urges to dominate, turned inside out slows down and unravels asbit,, making carefully orchestrated clockwork. Even but effective double-take.) Eventually this and standing in front of you? Three small- stabs at comments on sex roles and the in- when the.scenes make a point a little too monument to twaddle employs Glumov to town women - a widow, a divorcee, and a comprehensibility of life,, but.l shrort on .obviously,-they are attentively crafted and help him write a "Treatise on the Harm of deserted wife find out in "The Witches emotional bite. The filimmakers'have not keep the eyes busy. There's an amusingly Reform in General." of Eastwick." And while the film may not so much adapted John. Updike's book .as sensual image of cheese spread being It is easy enough to see whence the revo- reach a philosophically profound answer, culled details from it, caving behind, Vast squeezed onto a cracker and a tumultuous lution sprang. As Glumov exclaims at the it takes you on an entertaining ride look- chunks of plot, characterization,' and the scene where the witches squabble, the end of the play, "you need me, ladies and ing for it. entire second half of the novel. camera flashing from one hectoring face gentlemen,- you can't live without me." Stuck in the staid, stereotypical New Nevertheless the details are skillfully to another. It all makes for a beguiling The momentarily thwarted scoundrel turns England of Eastwick, the three reach out chosen and work in combination with new two hours. his back on society, leaving them to con- for something dangerous, something liber- ones. Where the novel is shadowy and tinue their slow slide into paralysis. ating, something wild, summoning up first a thunderstorm and then a mysterious dark stranger - a coarse, conceited, yet WBCN's Rumble, bastion of Boston rock and roll oddly fascinating man blowing in from the at the front of the stage, the music began hard garage rock was the order of the day (Continuedfrom page 8) inferno of New York. Suspense and hilar- quickly to lose its flavor and I quickly and band members looked the part in ity build as the town senses the animal much from the lead singer's voice. Unfor- started to get a headache. jeans and white T-shirts. At their best magnetism in the brash newcomer taking tunately the keyboard was mixed too far, My headache just as rapidly disappeared when playing'at breakneck speed and al- over one of its ancestral mansions, snoring back to bring out the melody in the music, when Nova Mob took the stage - finally a lowing Casey Lindstrom to show off his raucously at a chamber music concert- the tempo changes came so often that they band that did not seem pretentious. The guitar skills with solos, Shake the Faith's and refusing to shed his mystery, for peo- became tiresome, and the-voice of lead band's wall of sound style - steady, per- slower tunes-could not sustain the energy ple find it strangely difficult to remember singer John Ryerson did not measure up to vasive guitars music and reverberating vo- of the faster paced ones. Fortunately the his name. the music. The band looked tired on stage cals with- just enough drums to keep the band only advanced to faster. and more Soon the three witches are delightfully and their music sounded tired. beat. - had the crowd jerking back and frenzied songs as the set progressed, with entangled with this strange dark prince,'re- The Tears, the second heavy metal forth. The simplistic, ,driving sound gave a the audience thrashing away by the time joicing in themselves, in. their peculiar band, brought the audience out of its leth- haunting air to Nova Mob's music and de- they left the stage. newfound powers, striking back at the argy with their well orchestrated and glitzy spite every song sounding very similar, all Moose and the Mudbugs then -entered prudish civic leader who rails against stage show. Summertime rock pervaded as had a distinctive quality that made each for the most unusual set of the week. them. And soon supernatural forces get The Tears performed at breakneck speed. unique. The judges choice was crystal Imagine what Al Yankovic would be like if out of control and they are embroiled in a But in spite of the well paced music and clear as they picked Nova Mob the fifth he played the kazoo instead of the accor- rather drawn-out, melodramatic climax. good lyrics, the band seemed too well re- night winners. dion and if he mixed in the hard edge of Meanwhile, there are plenty of chances for hearsed to display any real spontenaity on Saturday - Day 6 Boston rock with his music instead of do- the audience to wonder just who is be- stage. As lead singer Chris Vee removed The largest opening band crowd greeted ing mostly parodies. Then you'd have the witching whom in this curious battle of the his sequined shirt to bare his chest for the Shake the Faith for the final night of the looney tunes hard rock of Moose and the sexes. screaming girls in tight leather miniskirts preliminaries of the Rumble. Pared down Mudbugs. But the Mudbugs' deep drum- beat, raspy lead guitar, and raspy-voiced, thin, short lead singer, Ed "Moose" Sav- ART's production of "Pinball" is a dated updating age, quickly outlived the initial appeal of their cuteness. Their first few songs were (Continued from page 8) wonderful, and the contrast between obe- Rep) and ART stalwart John Bottoms. good for some laughs but one soon all the rest. Be warned, however, that the dient canine and rebellious human is well Each appears in at least five roles. Bot- yearned for some serious music. play seems to have little to do with either drawn. In his final long speeches, in which toms is particularly good in a role as. a The thrashing music of Unattached fol- archangels or pinball. he might as well be barking, he makes the slightly maniacal, slightly senile illusionist, lowed and soon got the audience freneti- What really saves the show, however, are best of awkward material. and in an hilarious interrogation scene cally jerking to the music. Somewhat a a handful of very talented actors and Fo's Harriet Harris caps her year at the ART with Hoyle and Richard Grusin. He also cross between metal and punk, Unat- willingness to cut them loose. Cast mem- with the role of Blondie. If she seems-a lit- makes the best of an unusual monologue, tached combined straight ahead rock with bers sing the praises of Fo's free directorial tle ditzy at times, it is never carried to ex- an effort at stand-up comedy added at the catchy lyrics to somehow make the thrash- style, which successfully enabled the en- cess, and the role is well drawn. She is last moment. ing danceable. The music is hard to de- semble to come together and improvise en- comfortable on stage in all manner of The set, designed by master-of-all-trades scribe and somehow didn't fit the image tertaining business, sight gags, and even strange situations and getups. Her finest Fo, is a show in itself. What can you make the band showed on stage, but it- got the speeches. Changes, and not simply cos- scene finds Blondie alone in a hotel room, out of a collection of modular stage ele- job done. And with a hard driving ven- metic ones, were made every evening acting out a scene between herself and ments in the shape of triangular prisms? geance. through the previews and up to opening Tiny for the benefit of the senator in the W'ell, an apartment, sure, or a hotel room Powerglide finished off the Rumble fes- night. next room. She injects just the right riddled with secret passages, or even a row tivities with more bland synth/pop. With Geoff Hoyle, an accomplished veteran amount of humor and pathos as she of ticker wickets. But cai you make a dog repetitive lyrics, overextended guitar solos, of two other Fo plays in San Francisco, switches back and forth between two de- pounrd? How about a train carriage'? Yes! and mediocre vocals, Powerglide seemed a plays the lead role of Tiny. Fo himself cre- liberateiy bad performances. (The fem-acle Can -ou make a giant pinball machine? poor end. to a good week of local rock. ated the role, and Hoyle finds Fo's shoes a lead was first played by Franca Rame, Fo's W'ell, actually they gave up that idea. 'Unattached's energetic performance little wide, but wearable. He is an energet- partner, wife, and co-director. wlhose name But thle fact that I found time to examine gained them a place in the serni-finals ic and versatile comic: quick'with a joke, deserves much more prominent mention the clever set modules so closely suggests while Shake rhe F-aith's bare-to-the-bones but able to play the stooge to good effect. than I have given it.) that there too infrequently was anything rock also earned them a spot as a wild- scenes, and almost the He is at his best when Tiny finds himself Stealing several interesting happening beiueen,- on, and card contender. transformed into a dog. Hoyle's barking is show, were Peter Gerety (of the Trirrity under them.