EIU' S '60S Reunion Proves Successful

EIU's '60s reunion proves successful Before The Big Chlll there was Fine Arts Center Playroom, was nothing wrong with that. Fifth ofJuly. brought out its good and bad Eileen Sullivan had some amusing The Big Chlll is, of course, points. It's a long, talky play which moments as Aunt Sally. MichaelS. Lawrence Kasdan's 1983 fUm, seems to drift along from one act O'Brien, as Ken, was personable, already a classic, about the reu to the next, and it takes a while to but reserved and unimpassioned, nion of seven graduates of the Uni Carl sort out the relationships. But the and did a good job of hobbling versity of Michigan at Ann Arbor dialogue, often witty, sometimes about on crutches. The playwright from the '60s who mourn their lost Lebovitz overlapping, and the collection of never fully develops Jed as a youth, ideals and passions. <In the disparate characters holds your in character, butT. James Estep did same vein was the 1981 John terest, and before the evening ends what he could with the role. Sayles film, Return of the with a bwst of violence, there are Patrick N. Clayberg was dapper as Secaucus Seven.) a number of revelations and ~ John. Fifth of July, which has just con Gwen's recording career as a lutlons. There was some tepid kissing cluded a six-performance run at country-and-western singer. Com Terry Allen directed it with skill and hugging by the gay lovers and EIU, is Lanford Wilson's Chekh~ pleting the quartet is Ken's sister and good timing. The student ac a bit of pot smoking, and a few vlan play about the reunion of four June. Joining them for the holiday tors looked as if they might not four-letter words were used, main Berkeley activists of the '60s. The are June's 13-year-old daughter, even have been born as yet in the ly by Gwen - all in a manner to setting is the Talley homestead in Shirley, Gwen's guitarist Weston, '60s, but they worked hard, and offend no one. Lebanon, Mo., where Ken Talley, a and Ken and June's Aunt Sally, some of them came close to suc O'Brien's living room set had a crippled Vietnam veteran, lives who Is there to scatter the ashes of ceeding, notably Jill Taylor, even CCYI.y, worn look. The costumes with his lover Jed. The action her late husband. if a bit too ladylike, as Gwen, a were by Jack A. Smith and the takes place on the evening of the The play was first produced in self-described "burnt-out case" lightingbyC.S. Blady. Fourth of July and the following 1978 at New York's Circle Reperto from drugs and drink; Alison Fifth of July is the first play in morning. Ken has withdrawn from ry with WilHam Hurt as Ken and Eudelkis, who brought a nice ear Wilson's Talley Family series. It teaching and wants to sell the Jeff Daniels as Jed, and then in th-mother touch to the role of was followed by Talley's Folly, place and travel with Jed. Poten 1980 at the New Apollo Theatre June; and Robert Poe as the which won the Pulitzer Prize in tial buyers are former classmates with Christopher Reeve (later spaced-out, gullible guitarist, the 1980. As far as I know, it's the first Gwen, a copper heiress, and her Richard Thomas) as Ken, Daniels play's one truly comic creation. thing of his ever done at Eastern, husband John, who intend to turn as Jed and Swoosie Kurtz as Gwen. Anne Lloyd, as Shirley, seemed and Allen and company are to be the house into studios to launch The Eastern production, in the to be emulating Kurtz, and there commended for bringing it to us. .

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