Ukiah Daily Journal from Ukiah, California • Page 2

Dally Journal, Ukiah, Calif. Tuesday, November 28, 1978 Ukiah Players offer excellent, often hysterical 'God' By ERIC KRUEGER Journal Staff Writer The Ukiah Players shred reality into comic confetti with their excellent and often hysterical production of Woody Allen's one-act play "God." Written in 1972, "God" will never make the pantheon of great drama. But that's somehow beside the point because the Players present a rarely seen example of acting and directing transcending material. Nonetheless, "God" is far 1 mediocre. Absurdist and surreal, it belongs to a tradition of modem theater intent on sabotaging conventional notions of reality.

The play punctures all barriers between truth and illusion, reality and fiction, stage and audience. Time and space fall into a madly effervescent sea of jokes and characters washing around a play within a play within a play. Setting his work in ancient Greece and modern New York City, Allen throws a madcap assortment of characters into a comic mixmaster. What comes out is an anti-plot. In a sense, his story is about having no story and in a deeper sense, it's about the ultimate absurdity of trying to carVe any story from the Jello of reality.

One character asks, "What if nothing exists and we're all in someone's dream?" Of a sexy woman, one man says to another, "You're fiction, she's Jewish you know what the children will be like?" Meanwhile, the woman asks, "Would anyone in the audience care to make it with me?" Metaphysics, sex and sight gags propel the play. Although it doesn't have the comic power of Allen's best films, it was more than enough of his brilliance to succeed. "God" was directed by Jack Christ. Co-directors were Susan Husted, Catherine Babcock and Bob Currier. Direction by committee is terribly difficult and rarely superior to the efforts of one person.

However, the direction of "God" is a pleasing exception to the rule. The directors orchestrated their ensemble with skill, imagination and a refreshing sense of comic timing. They elicited fine performances from every actor and actress. Movement and dialogue in the stage and audience areas were managed with craft, wit and a marked sensitivity to absurdist possibilities. Barbara Fix gave a consistently superb performance as Doris Levine, a hard-core Brooklynite who short- circuits Greek libidos.

She alters her character with zany skill somehow letting one know the world is crazy and that's okay. If Norman Lear ever needs a young, sex-starved Edith Bunker, Fix could play the part with ease. David Hayes, as Hepatitis, generated palpable currents of warmth and nuttiness. His capacity for humor and self-parody seems unbounded. Although Joe Yanko, as Diabetes, lacked the evenness and comic power of Fix and Hayes, his work was almost always commendable and at times quite good, in what appears to be a role no one but Woody Allen can truly master.

Nevertheless, Yanko often excelled at portraying neurotic innocence, the trademark of Allen's work. Stash Williams, Zeus, was utterly hysterical in a minor role offering a major chance to inflict laughter. His deadpan face belonged to Buster Keaton. His wonderfully meek voice seemed very much his own creation. As an intruder from another play, Kathleen Kane, portraying Blanche DuBois, was unbearable funny.

Her imitation of the anti-heroine from "A Streetcar Named Desire" is beautifully sick, black and surreal in its humor. The same mixture of black and surreal comedy takes on a terrifically grotesque persona in the character of the woman stabbed on the subway, played by Marita Johnsen, who seems peerless at skillfully conveying the fact that getting killed is a real nuisance. Eliot Little and Caron Eskridge, as Bob and Wendy Fate, exemplify what would happen if Steve Martin found a female counterpart. Outrageously funny, they deserve much praise for their lunatic energy. Beth Hurley, Maria Dalpino and Eileen Enzler were excellent as the chorus, a trio that came off as a brilliant hybrid between ancient Greece, New York and a Las Vegas dinner show.

Without exception, the rest of the cast was in top form. "God" will be performed Wednesday, Nov. 29, Thursday, Nov. 30, and Friday, Dec. 1.

Tickets are sold for donation at the door; $2.50 for adults, $1.50 for children and seniors. Call 462-9226 for information. "The Bald Soprano," originally scheduled for performance with "God," has been postponed indefinitely. According to a Ukiah Players spokesperson, the group wants to spend more time perfecting its production of the play. Note found on Jones' body released WASHINGTON (UPI)-The FBI has released the contents of a sealed note found on the body of the Rev.

Jim Jones, head of the People's Temple cult, and it appeared to be a suicide note a follower wrote to Jones. 'Dad, I see no way out I agree with your decision I fear only that without you the world may not make it to communism," the note said. "For my part I am more than tired of this wretched, merciless, planet and the hell it holds for so many masses of beautiful people thank you for the ONLY life I've known." The FBI said that until adequate handwriting samples of Jones and other possible authors of the note can be collected and compared to the writing on the note, it will be impossible to identify the writer. But federal sources said that since Jones liked to be referred to as "Dad," it appeared likely the note was written by a despondent follower and was not a suicide note he wrote himself. An airman found the note Friday on Jones' body after the corpse arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

It apparently had been on the body for six days. Auto theft suspects are escapees from Louisiana jail Two youths arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle and other charges Sunday are escapees from a Louisiana jail, Ukiah police said today. A man identified in yesterday's Daily Journal as Joseph Aillet, 18, was actually Charles Sullivan, an escapee from a Louisiana penal facility, a spokesman said. A 17-year-old also arrested for possession of the vehicle was an escapee too, police said. A third man arrested Sunday was OBITUARIES released.

Mitchell Jefferson, 25, of Spokane, was a hitchhiker and was not.involved in any possible auto theft, a police spokesman said The three were arrested by Ukiah police following a hit-and-run accident at Perkins Street and Orchard Avenue. They were eventually charged with possession of a stolen car, a concealed weapon and an illegal tear gas dispenser, in addition to hit-and-run. James Pirtle Services will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow for James Pirtle, 67, who died Friday at his Ukiah home. Mr.

Pirtle, a native of Tennessee, had been a resident of Ukiah for some 13 years. He has no known relatives. Services will be held at the Chapel of the Evergreen Memorial Gardens under the direction of the Eversole Mortuary. The Rev. William Duncan will officiate Bernadine Reischman Rosary will be held Wednesday evening at 7:30 at Zimmerman Mortuary for Ukiah's wedding secretary, Bernadine Reischman, who died Sunday at Stanford University Hospital.

Requiem mass will be recited by Msgr. Andre Tournier at St Mary of the Angels Church at 10 a Thursday. Interment will be in Ukiah Cemetery. A native of Ellsworth, Mrs. Reischman has been a resident of Ukiah since 1952.

She was a member of the Catholic Ladies League, Marion Visitors and St. Mary's choir. Her three weeks at Stanford were the conclusion of a six year battle against cancer which she never allowed to interfere with her service to others in the community. Surviving her are her daughters, Linda Jensen of Ukiah, Karen Hejtmanek of Santa Rosa and Meredith Luchessi of San Francisco; sons, John Reischman of Novate and Stephen Reischman of Eugene, five grandchildren; a brother, Dudley Showman of Great Falls, and three sisters, Margurite and Irene of Denver, and Edith Smith of Fresno. The family requests donations to the cancer fund.

PIANO ORGAN SALE MENDOCINO VAN AND STORAGE CO. Detailed ad on page 3 TO UKIAH SUBSCRIBERS of the UKIAH DAILY JOIIKML PLEASE do not make Advance subscription payments to your CARRIERBOY. If you wish to pay your subscription in advance, 3 6 or 12 months, please pay direct to the UKIAH DAILY JOUR NAL. Carrierooys receive full credit each month. Mall and Auto Rentes must be paK In advance.

Fire calls Monday, Nov. 27 8:56 p.m. Smoke investigation at State and Gobbi streets. Tuesday Nov. 28 1:13 a.m.

Small appliance fire at Palace Hotel. 2 a.m. Medical aid at 577 Stella Dr. Forest group will meet in SR tomorrow Chairman Harry Camp announced today that the Coast Forest District Technical Advisory Committee will hold a two-day meeting Nov. 29 30 in Santa Rosa.

The meeting will start at 10 a.m. on Nov. 29th in the board of supervisors chambers, 2555 Mendocino Ave. Santa Rosa. Members of the public may present statements at the the chairman may impose reasonable time limits upon statements and request groups who wish to testify to consolidate their comments to avoid repetition.

The principal item on the agenda will be a continuation of the discussion of revision of the Coast Forest District Forest Practice Rules. A limited supply of copies of Coast Forest District TAC subcommittee suggestions to be discussed are available at Department of Forestry offices located at 350 E. Suite410, Eureka; 776 S. State Suite 105, Ukiah; and 135 Ridgeway Santa Rosa; and may be picked up by interested parties at these locations. Class ring orders will be taken tomorrow The representative from Herff-Jones will be in the student activities conference room at Ukiah High School to take orders from sophomores for the Class of '81 rings on Wednesday, Nov.

29, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and on Thursday, 1:15 p.m. Nov. 30, from 7:30 a.m. to Seniors who may wish to order a class ring may also place an order at this time.

TODAY'S MARKET BATEMAN EICHLER, HILL RICHARDS INC. The length of the U.S.-Canadian border, excluding Alaska, is 3,987 miles. Industrials Volume 12,390,000 Advances 678 Declines 562 Unchanged 469 Transportation Utilities LISTED STOCKS: Albertson's 36 4 American Tel Tel 6034 -V 4 Bank of America 25' 2 Boise Cascade 25 34 4 Heublein 28 s8 -'s Evans Products 19' 2 4 General Motors 56 Georgia Pacific 26 IBM 271 4 Louisiana Pacific 19 Un. Houston Oil Mineral 16 78 Masonite 4 McDonald's Un. Mobil Oil 68 Un.

Nat'l Semiconductor 2 Un. Natomas -'s NCR Corp. 8 Pacific Gas Elec. 22 34 Sears, Roebuck 21 78 8 Standard Oil of Calif. 46 34 Un.

Transamerica 15 34 4 Diagnostic Data (OTC) 23 Un. LONDON GOLD 196.15 Sonoma Vineyards 5 8 Caterpillar Tractor 56 78 4 Hi-Shear 8' 2 Un. NEW YORK (UPI) Stocks were mixed today following a government report that consumer prices continued to rise strongly in October. Trading was fairly active. The Dow Jones industrial average, off more than a point at the outset and up more than a point in the first hour, was off 0.08 point to 813.75 around noon EST.

The Dow rose 3.72 points Monday. Advances led declines, 695 to 456, among the 1,625 issues crossing the New York Stock Exchange tape. The Labor Department's report that October consumer prices rose 0.8 percent, or at a 9.6 percent annual rate, from the 0.8 percent hike in September caused some selling. Traders were concerned also by the slide, of the dollar on foreign exchanges. The Carter administration's recent economic policies had helped the greenback abroad.

Anthony Solomon, Treasury undersecretary, said the Carter policies were working "very well." Brokers said many investors were taking advantage of low prices created by October's market decline. Further, many traders were adjusting their portfolios for the end of this year and the beginning of 1979. Prices were higher in moderate trading of American Stock Exchange issues. STARTS TONIGHT 5 NIGHTS ONLY FIRST-RUN SUSPENSE SHOCKER! "Dickens Christmas Festival Special' 1 Leave Ukiah Sunday Morning, December 10th Spend the Day at the Dickens Fair 1 San Francisco Cow Palace Return to Llkiuh un Sunday l.veninq continuous shows on 6 stages BRASS BANDS IRISH BANDS MEDIClNi; SHOWS CAROLKRS SING A LONGS FEZZIWIGS DANCi; PARTY ALICE'S WONDERLAND BEST BRITISH TRADITION FOOD DRINK VICTORIAN GUTS GAMESI Includes ht II ihf nnXulu uiui Admission 10 IIw I tin Call Now For Information Reservations JM1UUL PLUMB Perkins St Ukiah 462 2931 'THE FURY" STARTS AT 7:00 10:52 THIS ALL-FUN FEATUREI JACK GENEVIEVE LEMMON BUJOLD ALEX THE GYPSY llnl Color by Deluxe? I I. JOIHCINIUMI I fllH J.

"ALEX ft THE GYPSY" STARTS TRAVEL NOTES by Yvonne L. Metzler Charters to Russia, previously limited to tours of one week duration, have been expanded to offer a wide variety of one, two and three week depar tures. The itineraries have been diversified to Include areas such as Siberia, Central Asia and Mongolia and will be offered throughout the spring and summer instead of only during the winter. All travel to Russia is fully inclusive with a daily comprehensive sightseeing program, English speaking guides, hotel accommodations, transfers and special features such as the Bolshoi Ballet or Moscow Circus and a gala dinner at a unique Moscow restaurant. The only extra money you'll need is for any shopping you wish to do or food and beverages in addition to the inclusive three meals a day.

There is also a fee for the visa which we'll assist you in obtaining. We think you'll find Russia an exciting vacation experience, so call or stop in for detailed brochures listing departure dates and prices. TRAVEL PLANNERS 495-B PERKINS ST. J3 Seniors and-or graduating juniors who missed having their pictures taken earlier will have a final opportunity to have their pictures taken for the annual on Thursday, Nov. 30 in the student activities conference room.

mm om PHONE 462678c NOW PLAYING ENDS THURSDAY SEE THIS ONE-ONLY 3 MORE NITES SURELY THE FUNNIEST EVER MADE STARTING TIMES 7:32 NATIONAL ANIMAL IMUtl A comedy from Universal Pictures -ADDED SHORT FEATURETTE- "CHARLIE CHANST0N MEETS WILD BUNCH" DON'T MISS IT! THIS DOUBLE BILL ENDS TONIGHT PIRNIII MIPHANII Mil MAI I tOONEY ROBERTS ZIMBALIST- SHARRETTl "LASSIE" STARTING TIMES 7:00 10:52 TATUM CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY NANETTE O'NEAL PLUMMER HOPKINS NEWMAN iNTH P.G. "VELVET" STARTING TIMES 8:41 STARTS WEDNESDAY 1 WEEK ONLY ANOTHER BIG NEW HIT! MOM set.