Before the Voyage to America, a Journey Inwards by MAXWELL PRICE Flashbacks and Through the Inter- Editor Actions of His Public and Private Selves
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V OLUME I I I , N UMBER X X I V C ELEBRATING T HE P RE C IOUS H UMAN T A P ESTRY A P RIL 3 , 2 0 0 9 Before the voyage to America, a journey inwards BY MAXWELL PRICE flashbacks and through the inter- Editor actions of his public and private selves. There’s a moment towards One of the most clever, artful the end of “Philadelphia, Here I uses of staging came in the first Come!” in which Adam Patterson moments of the play when we ’11, playing the human embodi- were introduced to Gar’s private ment of protagonist Gar’s subcon- self. Patterson appeared with a scious (referred to as his private lampshade over his head in Gar’s self), advised his public counter- bedroom, and as the shade was part, played by Patrick Donworth suddenly raised up into the fly- ‘12 to roll his mental video cam- space, it was as if Gar’s mind had era. It’s a nifty metaphor, for we’ve finally come uncorked. all experienced that sensation of Sadly, at certain points I trying to preserve a memory that couldn’t help but wish that shade we will replay in our minds over had never been lifted. Patterson’s and over again. Likewise, we can performance emphasized the view Irish dramatist Brian Friel’s taunting, nagging aspects of the play as a rare opportunity to protagonist’s subconscious with watch a screening of that internal great physical gusto. If the pub- home movie through which we lic Gar was constrained and experience not only remembered stiff, the private Gar was wildly actions and words from one char- demonstrative in his movements, acter’s point of view, but also his alternately flailing his arms and PHOTO courtesy of Jordan Warsoff personal thoughts and feelings. FINAL GOODBYES: Public Gar (Patrick Donworth ‘12, right) struggles to communicate with his father (Ernest Leon Paulin ‘09, whimpering in the fetal position Yet just as an old copy of a VHS center) one the eve of his departure, while the embodiment of his private self (Adam Patterson ‘11, left) runs wild. on the ground. Yet by playing this tape inevitably comes with its dis- and earnestness that it wasn’t too sets forth for the promised land meaningful. Gar lives with his oppositeness up to the extreme, tortions and imperfections, BET’s difficult to see through the rough of…Philadelphia. The sym- estranged father, played by Ernest Patterson neglected to convey the production of the play, direct- patches. bolic significance of the “New Leon Paulin ’09 and housekeeper nuances of Gar’s dilemmas. For ed by Cassie Seinuk ‘09 showed The play details the final eve- World” and its bold, surging Madge, played by Vicki Schairer example, in recalling an emotion- some blemishes. Nevertheless, the ning and morning before Gar, vitality in contrast to the “Old ‘09. In the last remaining hours ally powerful memory involving power of the material itself was a conflicted yet hopeful young World” of drudgery and tradition before his departure we learn of Gar’s relationship with his father, conveyed with enough sincerity man from a small Irish village makes Gar’s move all the more Gar’s struggles through a series of See JOURNEY INWARDS, p.. 11 “You’re Just a Bloody Woman!” Female subservience examined in an evening of Pinter BY ARIELLE KAPLAN don’t do it at all, but I found little her lover, “Max,” and she plays Staff fault with the overall vocal work the whore. From the moment Pinter, by definition, is a man’s done by the cast. Particularly Olivia re-entered the space, it was playwright. His works offer many impressive was Mell’s ability to obvious that this was her favorite creative, well-rounded opportu- sustain her dialect throughout the scene. There were several things nities for male actors to work in entirety of the evening. Her first about part two which made it his world—to develop worthwhile incarnation as Emma is one of the standout of the evening: the characters, so to speak. However, quiet fear; the guilty wife who first ten minutes of this scene as Olivia Mell ’09 stated in the can’t bear to keep her silence was a silent etude of seduction program, “the female is dimin- any longer. Mervis dominated between Sarah and “Max,” involv- ished, not evolved, and she fights the text of the scene and set her ing a heightening of the sexual a constant battle against submis- up for great physical reactions tension with drumbeats and fur- sion within her domestic uni- which expressed Emma’s guilty tive glances exchanged by both verse.” Her senior project, Woman conscience better than any more parties. The lack of dialogue only in the Background: Scenes by lines would have. The dynamic added to the feeling of voyeurism Harold Pinter, is misleading in between Mervis and Mell was an for the audience, punctuated by its title. Each of the three women extremely comfortable start to the the well placed gasps and breath- Mell portrayed managed to push evening between two seasoned ing of both actors. herself out from the background actors. Eventually, we were shown a and the overwhelming masculin- Between the first two scenes, montage of roleplay, which cul- ity which dominated the scenes. Olivia performed an onstage cos- minated in Mell crawling under- This, in itself, is a testament not tume change/dance which she neath a table with Kohanski, lead- only to Olivia’s skill as an actor, collaboratively choreographed ing to a cry of, “Oh, Max!” and but also to the depth that there with the director, Justin Becker the two then appearing on oppo- is to be found in these oft over- ’09. Stepping out of her first site sides from beneath the table- looked roles. outfit, a floaty floral dress, she cloth. It is interesting textually to Starting off the one hour show revealed a black top and skirt, note that Sarah never referred to was a scene from "The Betrayal," shifting out of Emma’s world into her husband as Richard; he was which was produced here in the that of Sarah. As she swung the Max to her during their entire fall of 2006. Mell plays Emma, material around the stage, finally afternoon tryst. It is during the a married woman having an throwing it at Mervis’ feet, the multiple seductions we truly got affair with her husband Robert’s quiet, meek first character was to see Kohanski’s strengths as an PHOTO courtesy of Amira Mintz-Morgenthau/The (Joshua Mervis ’08) best friend, flung off as well, leaving the audi- actor. He sustained three voices in PINTER’S WOMEN: Emma (Olivia Mell ‘09, right) faces her husband (Josh Mervis ‘08 Jerry. As a side note, Pinter is only ence ready to meet the next one. British dialect, each one matching after having an affair with his best friend in a scene from Pinter’s “The Betrayal.” properly done using British dia- The second scene was from a fantasy character. He also had tures, gestures, and motives for satisfaction with their games and lects, and for the most part, this Pinter’s play, “The Lover,” in which the strongest and most consis- the shifting roleplays. However, demanded to stop them for good. was a success with the four actors. Sarah and her husband Richard tent accent out of the three male the amusing sexual escapades The chemistry between Mell I am generally of the opinion that (Samson Kohanski ’08) share a actors in the show. Every different took a sharp, painful turn when and Kohanski was wonderful and if you can’t do a dialect correctly, vibrant fantasy life where he plays voice accompanied original pos- Richard finally expressed his dis- See REDISCOVERING WOMEN, p. 10 April 3, 2009 Diverse City 9 VOICES A dream for peace within Pakistan BY MYRA CHAUDHARY to set aside the differences at all levels of Staff society and government and move on as one, before it is too late. Most importantly The first time I met Benazir Bhutto is a this is not a time for blame or fights. In the wonderful memory that I can never forget. words of Gandhi, “an eye for an eye only She was the first ever woman prime minis- makes the whole world blind.” ter of a Muslim country. And what a lovely Now more than ever, Pakistan needs to New England autumn day it was. I fondly work with the world, and the world needs remember how she looked at the blue sky to work with Pakistan. India and Pakistan and the red-orange leaves and said "this need to work together. There is too much is my version of heaven on earth." While in common and too much is at stake here. that day will always be incredibly special Their destinies are tied together. They can- to me, what she symbolized is even more not afford not to be friends. Understand important: hope, courage, and determina- that there are extremists on all sides who tion. Benazir was a great source of inspira- do not want them to be friends. They tion. Like so many others I was devastated do not belong to any religion. And they to see her go. What a terrible loss! I still should not be allowed to destroy the peace cannot bear to think of that tragic day in and prosperity of the region. People have December when she was assassinated. struggled and suffered far too long.