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Friday. November 20, mi

SCARLET AND BLACK

rag. Thru

 

Letter

Juniors: No Apathy
Towurtl Dance IM’s

To The Editor:
As juniors we wish to protest last

‘ week’s editorial characterizing up-

perclass women as apathetic to
Dance IM’S, This is most untrue,
We are not apathetic; we hate IM's
with a passion.

. Cordlnlly,

Karon Adkluson
Glll oirusons
Georgln Mickey
Ellen renrcc
Jane Bells
Pam Clay
some [work
Sush- Foster
slgnu Hansen

Harm-h minister
rara Hookham
Marci. nines
carol Junker
kathy Kronreit
Anne hletncany
Susan srholl
sharon shoumnkcr
kathy serrin

Briefs

Student‘s Concisely
Respond to Kuniz

To the Editor:
Dear Dr. Kumz,

A poem can be both serious
and amusing. So can philoso-

pliers.
William S. Abernathy

To the Editor:

Dear Mrl Kuntz,

Maybe.
Bob Hodiernc

 

Shgdes Of Gray—'——‘

And

Now,

«Word...

By Carl Otis Gray

This week “Shades of Gray"
takes time out for a commercial, A
trite insidious plug tor itself —- a
reason lor its being. The last two
brain children, Somewhat aborted
by in-group esoterlcism, leit many
readers in the dark, The father
admits to a certain amount of
pulling the wool over your eyes,
but regards those two miscarriages
oi lherury style and humor in per-
spective and is somewhat. it not
wholly, satisiied.

What could possibly be more
topical than a column on racial
problems in the United stares? To
bore readers with the run of the
mill a p p e a 1 s to intellect, con-
solence, and pity seems 50, oh, run
of the mill. Taking my cue from
the amazing success 0! Dick Greg-
ory and the recent trend toward
“black humor” (no pun) Shades
of Gray was conceived. True, my
original conception _was I hit
grandiose — America's answer to
Swift, Voltaire, Rabelais, was my
first idea; the Martin Luther King
of n new generation, was my sec-
ond; a sort or literary Dick Greg—
Dry, my third. None or these
worked in my pregnant mind, Fi-
nally one day, looking at my sun-
glasses, "Shades at Gray" was
born. I would look at the great so-
cial revolution through my own
sunglasses,

True. my view is colored, it not
by my glasses, then by my own
particular situation. Contrary to
general opinion, i am not Grinnell
College's answer to James Balde
win by a long shot. I do not claim
to speak {or any group or sub-
groups within American society—
l'm speaking lor myself. And per-
sonally i think that being Negro
is lun. Fun like being non-Catholic
in Inquisition Spain, and being
Jewish in Nazi Germany never
could have been. Being a Negro
in Mississippi has its times too,
but being Negro in the North is
an experience that does not hap-
pen everyday. Here it is the most
spectacular game ever played:
sometimes there are rules and
sometimes not. Regardless, the

 

Northern Negro is always sure at
winning. No matter what strategy
you use, be it the intellectual, bour-
gebus, bitter, or optimistic ape
proach somebody is going to ad-
mire you.

Now all you white liberals, stay
where you are, this is not to ridir
cule you, but to observe your lunc-
tionings. Remember, rm your
friend. True, when I get into a bull
Session with all my soul brothers
we’re going to talk about our lit-
tle brothers the grey cats, but we
know you're there and that’s what
counts. More than that, when us
splibs get together, we are going
to criticize ourselves like hell.
That’s the way the game works.
You are not opponents or adver-
saries, just the folks we play the
game with — not against Each of
us has our handicaps regarding
communication but since the game
is just beginning that's what makes
it interesting

Now, just how is the game
played? Well, let's take a look at
one oi ihe complex moves. You,
white liberal, have invited me,
Northern Negro, home for a vacu-
tion. it just so happens that your
mother is the most darling liberal

since Harriet Beecher Stowe and
your father, well. everytime I look
at him I think of the Gettysburg
Address: However, you all belong
to the Lake Groves Country Club
and the big iormal is Saturday
night. Well now. i have an option,
either I can come down with a ter-
rible headache that will last from
Wednesday morning until Saturday
night right alter the formal, or i
can sit around and wonder how
you’re going to swing the whole
thing. The latter seems more in-
teresting. Now, either you can de-
cide lhat you never really wanted
to go to that old formal anyway, or
you can try to get me a date. The
lormer is the Coward‘s way. Goren
and Hoyle can’t help you now. The
Marquis oi Queensbury would be
at a loss to advise me. what hap-
pens now?

Solution will appear sometime
in the future, meanwhile I accept
any and all invitations for Spring
vacation,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burt McDowell, (left) as a messenger from Corinth brings the secret of his
birth to King Oedipus (Walter Lowe), while Queen Jocasta (Margaret
Weathers) looks on in terror in this pivotal scene from Sophocles' “Oedipus
Rex” which was presented lasl. weekend by the Grinnell Players, in Roberts

 

Tromly, Schorr View ‘Oedipus Rex’

By Fred Tromly
Mark Schorr

Last weekend Roberts Thea-
tre became the Greek amphi—
theatre it was built to be, Un-
der the direction of Professor
Meyer (Speech and Theatre)
the Grinnell College Theatre
presented Sophocles' ”Oedipus
Rex” (“King Fatfeet”),

The stark simplicity of the
stage, With its three columns
and two raised platforms, pro-
vided an effective «contrast to
the ritualistic emotion of the
chorus and the horror of Oedi-
pus' lall. The tension resulting
from this contrast began with
the entrance of the chorus and

created an atmosphere suitable
to the downfall of great per-
sons from high places,

To the credit ot the princi-
pals, Margaret Weathers (Jo-
casta) and Walter Lowe (Othel-
lo), (sic), their acting estab-
lished in dramatic perspective
which in turn functioned as the
tragic norm oi the drama.
Their restrained gestures and
precise articulation during the
development oi the action made
effective (through the contrast
in dramatic tension) the almost
unbearably heightened emotion
of the climax.

Capably supporting Weath-
ers and Lowe were Terry Mc-

Coy (Tiresias), Ric MacDDW<
ell (Priest), Maxwell Heligott
(Shepherd), and an admirably
co-ordinaled chorus under Mrs,
Voertman, of chorus.

Special note should be given
to Charles Burns (Palace Olfi<
cial) whose role of recounting
the death of Jocasta and the
blinding or Oedipus constituted
some of the most diillcult act<
mg of the play

This production of “Oedipus
Rex" was a courageous attempt
to recreate Greek drama with
out adopting expedient halL
way measures. Unlike most
complex edifices this produc<
tion had its foundation in the
Attic.

 

Concert Series Purpose Explained by Prof. Jones:
EdUCalion Tops Entertainment in Program Goals

By Susan Taylor

“I View the Grinnell College
Concert Series as an education-
al process Mr students as well
as an entertainment event,"
Don Jones (music) chairman
of the Concert Series said. He
explained that the series seeks
to bring artists or a proiession-
al status to the Grinnell com-
munity throughout the year.

From the concert atmos-
phere, more of a “cultural"
event is to be provided by this
program which is sponsored by
the college from the regular
budget, It is administered by a
member of the music faculty
on a rotating basis, Jones has
been chairman for four years.

This year's program, which
is somewhat limited due to an
overall cut in the budget of the
college includes the Warsaw
Philharmonic Orchestra, which
the concert series sponsored in
cooperation with the Student
Concerts Committee, B l a k e
Stern, a tenor soloist perforlih
ing this weekend, a contempoiu
airy chamber music ensemble,
and a piano soloist.

By the varied program of pro-

 

iessional artists, the Concert
Series hopes that the members
of the college community, stu-
dent and faculty alike, may
learn from the benefit of good
music perrormed by reputable
artists here in Grinnell.

In nelecting the performers
for the year, the chairmanof
the series has the benefit of the
knowledge of the entire music
department iaculty. and or their
contacts in New York. He also
makes use of reviews and oth-
er printed material. But he
always keeps in mind the edu-
cational purpose or the series.

Jones cited the ”impact
which the Lenox String Quar-
tet has made on a fairly large
segment of the students and
faculty" as an example of the
kind of educational value the
concert series has. Though the
Lenox concerts are not form-
ally a part of the Concert See
ries program, many studenls
and faculty members have
learned a great deal about this
medium of artistic expression
by attending their performe
ances.

Roberts Theatre, .though it

 

provides a small and formal
concert atmosphere, is really
an asset to the performing mu<
siciau, Jones explained, be<
cause of his excellent acoustics
He explained that having these
concerts in Darby Gymnasium
would be defeating their pur-
pose, becausc the sound cannot
be received in its true form by
the listener.

Other problems oi the series
include the ever-present dole
lurs and cents, “To have a bal-
anced program just costs more
than we can allord," Jones
said. He said that the College
should have a professional pelu
lormance in drama and dance
as well as musical events each
year.

The Concert Series sponsors
some events with the Student
Concert Committeeilhe two
groups sharing the cost of the
evenl. However, most of the
purely popular entertainment
events are handled exclusively
by the student committee, leavA
ing the more educational and
cultural concert events to tho
concert Series,

 

