The Sacramento Bee from Sacramento, California • 11

Marriages Are Sources Of Wonder I downhill her mouth droops her eyes stare her hair straggles (The role is a good one but that doesn't make Miss Dirickson's performance any less wonderful) She says nothing as Geoffrey talks at her As it turns out she never does say anything in this entire act She just keeps writing suicide notes and trying to kill herself with a certain extravagance impracticality and hesitation that keep us teetering on the fence between farce A View of the Theater liam Paterson's) explication of his opacity is touching as is his acceptance of what his life and his relationship to Marian has become Marian Just lies in her bed and drinks now "She's much calmer now" Ron says sitting in his freezing kitchen before a small electric stove (typically he hasn't been able to make contact with a repairman to fix the heating) "If I've done anything for her I've acted as a kind of sedative" This act too has its climax in uproar but it is a rather bitter one for all its farcical details as the now-risen Sidney literally calls the tune which the others must dance to Allen Fletcher's direction underlines the characters the uproar the laughs the suggestions of something more serious with a nice feeling for emphasis and timing The performances are full of telling details: Daniel Davis' laugh as Sidney somewhere between a bark and a bray and getting stronger with each year Susan Pellegrino's look of beaming innocence as Jane the way Marrian Walters keeps trying to revive Marion's breezy assurance in Act III but falteringly the very male limitations of Geoffrey as Jay Sanders shows him the look of bemusement on William Paterson's face when Ronald is confronted with some new puzzle of human behavior the three faces of Eva each absolutely convincing as Barbara Dirickson depicts her Ralph Ftmicello's kitchens are masterfully wrought full of suggestions about their owners Robert Morgan's costumes ditto And at least a word of admiration is due Erica Young's costume shop for the way the designs are executed Jane's dresses for instance are exactly the right material and they fit her in exactly the right way Performances are scheduled intermittently through May 15 in the near future tonight Monday Tuesday and March 24 at 8:30 Tickets may be secured through the Civic Theater box office in Sacramento or from the Geary Sacramento Bee Marriages Are sources ci Wonder 7 5 1 downhill her mouth droops her eyes stare her liam Paterson's) explication of his opacity is tou- 4 60i ''i'l'7t: hair straggles (The role is a good one but that ching as is his acceptance of what his life and his doesn't make Miss Dirickson's performance any relationship to Marian has become Marian just r1: less wonderful) She says nothing as Geoffrey lies in her bed and drinks now "She's much IW''-- '4 V4114 talks at her As it turns out she never does say calmer now" Ron says sitting in his freezing 2 anything in this entire act She just keeps writing kitchen before a small electric stove (typically he Ns A suicide notes and trying to kill herself with a cer- hasn't been able to make contact with a repair- if kl tam extravagance impracticality and hesitation man to fix the heating) "If I've done anything for that keep us teetering on the fence between farce her I've acted as a kind of sedative" 3 1 fr 4 1 4 1 1020 14174 This act too has its climax in uproar but it is a I rather bitter one for all its farcical details as the 101t1: lkik -7 now-risen Sidney literally calls the tune which the 44 A View of the Theater others must dance to II AA t' lk 1 Allen Fletcher's direction underlines the char- 4 4 -8 acters the uproar the laughs the suggestions of A 4 I iil something more serious with a nice feeling for va "44 1 emphasis and timing The performances are full 1 of telling details: Daniel Davis' laugh as Sidney somewhere between a bark and a bray and get- 1 11 1 4 torof i I a4 4st ting stronger with each year Susan Pellegri- no's look of beaming innocence as Jane the way 8 -8 4 Marrian Walters keeps trying to revive Marion's 1 1 t1 breezy assurance in Act III but falteringly the f'l 'k 'le' -4Z I 4 1 (ki4t ivort40 1 very male limitations of Geoffrey as Jay Sand- ers shows him the look of bemusement on Wil- 4H '4 i' 'W4 00110 4 ham Paterson's face when Ronald is confronted with some new puzzle of human behavior the 1 three faces of Eva each absolutely convincing as 'ti')' Barbara Dirickson depicts her tt lit 4'ho-------4 kf 4 10 4i'' 4 Ralph Funicello's kitchens are masterfully i- 1 1 4- 14 t)rn1 4 I if wrought full of suggestions about their owners 8 i '40" l000- 11 07 1 1 4 Robert Morgan's costumes ditto And at least a 4't 1 '''s '44 -'t 1 word of admiration is due Erica Young's costume fr tl --ov-i- 441 t'f 8 '914 shop for the way the designs are executed Jane 4 's 4tt 44 11P 014 A i 's Cs74 kt 1- dresses for instance are exactly the right materi- 4 i 1 4 al and they fit her in exactly the right way Performances are scheduled intermittently i) OP 411 I6 tr l'Srwarito Itt through May 15 in the near future tonight IA so Monday Tuesday and March 24 at 8:30 Tickets lepoto5-- 011 r- may be secured through the Civic Theater box sl rP se I office in Sacramento or from the Geary 0 sir '0 I tk to: 41 4 414' (1) FE 1 f4 ote The 0 7 '1 1 1: -4 )4 steady Sacramento 341 1' Bee 1 (' Ltd -lia Liii ''0' 0 By WILLIAM GLACIaN Bee Drama Critic SAN FRANCISCO In Alan Ayckbourn's "The Norman Conquests" there is a line which epitomizes one logical reaction to his "Absurd Person Singular" which the American Conservatory Theater has added to its repertory in the Geary Theater: "Other people's marriages are invariably a source of amazement" There are aspects of singularity in "Absurd Person Singular" that are both funny and instructive But basically it seems to be about couples As in "The Norman Conquests" there are three and we keep seeing them from a focus that shifts in place and time What is more important both works show why this playwright has been so successful' (he has been called the English Neil Simon) He has an eye for people an ear for their talk a sense of humor and a touch of compassion a telling sense of theater and an inspired gift for uproar The scene is England of course and the places are the kitchens of Sidney and Jane Hoperoft who run a store and are on the way up Ronald and Marion Brewster-Wright (he runs the bank and I'm not sure I caught the last name correctly) and Geoffrey and Eva Jackson (he's an architect) At the Hoperoft house in what could be any one of the millions of large yellow kitchens in the western world we are behind the scene of a Christmas party but as at so many parties the scene keeps shifting to the kitchen We learn that Jane is a compulsive scrubber and wiper and intimidated by her husband don't want to let you that Sidney is just as nervous as she is minutes and they'll be but incapable of admitting it or any other weakness or blame that the banker is dignified and a bit opaque as befits the upper class that his wife exclaiming over the charms of Jane's kitchen is a mistress of the put-on merrily administered and rather likes gin that the younger Geoffrey fancies himself a ladies' man and that Eva pops pills These revelations are usually funny to behold but it is the steady air of crisis in the Hoperofts that Ayckbourn makes the most fun out of building this act's uproar out of a very old dodge: Jane terrified at a lack of tonic water puts on boots hat and slicker and dashes out into the rain to buy some more and of course gets locked out But Ayckbourn and the play are at their impressive best in Act II in the Jacksons' kitchen considerably messier than the Hoperofts' and dominated by the world's largest sack of dog food for an animal named George whom we never see but whose voice is definitely part of the proceedings It is a year later and Eva has obviously slumped SAN Fl Norman mizes on Singular Theater Theater: "Other source of There Person tive But in "The I' we keep place anc What is this play been call eye for humor al of theater The scs are the lc run a stc Marion I I'm not al Geoffrey At the 1 of the mil ern work party bu shifting t4 We tear wiper ar want to Is vous as bt weakness and a bit wife exc en is a tered an frey fanc pops pills These 1 but it is 1 that Aycl ing this a terrified and slick some mol But Ay sive best siderabl) nated by an anima whose voi It is ay By WILLIAM LAClaN Bee Drama Critic SAN FRANCISCO In Alan Ayckbourn's "The Norman there is a line which epito- mizes one logical reaction to his "Absurd Person Singular" which the American Conservatory Theater has added to its repertory in the Geary Theater: "Other people's marriages are invariably a source of amazement" There are aspects of singularity in "Absurd Person Singular" that are both funny and instruc- tive But basically it seems to be about couples As in "The Norman Conquests" there are three and we keep seeing them from a focus that shifts in place and time What is more important both works show why this playwright has been so successful' (he has been called the English Neil Simon) He has an eye for people an ear for their talk a sense of humor and a touch of compassion a telling sense of theater and an inspired gift for uproar The scene is England of course and the places are the kitchens of Sidney and Jane Hoperoft who run a store and are on the way up Ronald and Marion Brewster-Wright (he runs the bank and I'm not sure I caught the last name correctly) and Geoffrey and Eva Jackson (he's an architect) At the Hoperoft house in what could be any one of the millions of large yellow kitchens in the west- ern world we are behind the scene of a Christmas party but as at so many parties the scene keeps shifting to the kitchen We learn that Jane Is a compulsive scrubber and wiper and intimidated by her husband don't want to let you that Sidney is just as ner- vous as she is minutes and they'll be but incapable of admitting it or any other weakness or blame that the banker is dignified and a bit opaque as befits the upper class that his wife exclaiming over the charms of Jane's kitch- en is a mistress of the put-on merrily adminis- tered and rather likes gin that the younger Geof- frey fancies himself a ladies' man and that Eva pops pills These revelations are usually funny to behold but it is the air of crisis in the Hoperofts that Ayckbourn makes the most fun out of build- ing this act's uproar out of a very old dodge: Jane terrified at a lack of tonic water puts on boots hat and slicker and dashes out intthe rain to buy and pathos Meanwhile guests arrive and the party gathers shape except that the shape it takes is more like a fixit shop with Sidney under the sink disassembling the plumbing Jane on her knees cleaning the oven (finding Eva with her head in it Jane naturally assumed she was trying to clean it) and Ron standing on the kitchen table trying to fix the hanging lamp (Eva broke it trying to hang herself) The act builds steadily toward its perfect payoff At the beginning Geoffrey delivers a masterpiece of husbandly cant explaining why he should leave Eva for somebody named Sally In terms that will absolve him of any guilt: "I was thinking this could actually work out terribly well If we behave like adults that is I do want to see you again We're not going to throw away five years are we?" There are other funny lines but Ayckbourn gets his best effects from the action that goes with them Eva keeps having to redo her suicide note for instance because Sidney keeps making plumbing diagrams on the back Marian pulls a switch by mistake thus giving her husband the shock of his life Trying to warm him after that shock the others pile onto his shaking frame the clothes they find in Eva's washer The result makes William Paterson into an unforgettable sight something like Mother Hubbard lost in "Alice in Wonderland" When Eva finally gets the top off a can of cleaner and starts to drink it Marian smoothly substitutes a glass of gin for it without really taking in what she is doing Finally as the others sit silent staring out of the tableau they have settled themselves into Eva on her back on the kitchen table starts softly to sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" As they Join in one by one it seems to be the only possible way and certainly the most delightfully perfect way that the whole mad scene could have ended In Act III Eva is back on her feet Geoffrey is much less certainly on his and it is the BrewsterWrights who are the focus Ayckbourn's (and Wil and pathos Meanwhile guests arrive and the par- ty gathers shape except that the shape it takes is more like a fixit shop with Sidney under the sink disassembling the plumbing Jane on her knees cleaning the oven (finding Eva with her head in it Jane naturally assumed she was trying to clean it) and Ron standing on the kitchen table trying to fix the hanging lamp (Eva broke it trying to hang herself) The act builds steadily toward its perfect payoff At the beginning Geoffrey delivers a masterpiece of husbandly cant explaining why he should leave Eva for somebody named Sally In terms that will absolve him of any guilt: I was thinking this could actually work out terribly well If we behave like adults that is I do want to see you again We're not going to throw away five years are we?" There are other funny lines but Ayckbourn gets his best effects from the action that goes with them Eva keeps having to redo her suicide note for instance because Sidney keeps making plumb- ing diagrams on the back Marian pulls a switch by mistake thus giving her husband the shock of his life Trying to warm him after that shock the others pile onto his shaking frame the clothes they find in Eva's washer The result makes William Paterson into an unforgettable sight something like Mother Hubbard lost in "Alice in Wonder- land" When Eva finally gets the top off a can of cleaner and starts to drink it Marian smoothly substitutes a glass of gin for it without really tak- ing in what she is doing Finally as the others sit silent staring out of the tableau they have settled themselves into Eva on her back on the kitchen II Scene Saturday March 18 1978 Page B3 i'''N 1-N Taking part in the suburban antics of "Absurd Person Singular" currently playing at the Geary in San Francisco are (from left) Daniel Davis William Paterson Susan Pellegrino and (on floor) Barbara Dirickson Sacramento-Davis Area Art Exhibits Offer Boggling Variety Of Styles "La Viejlta" painting (32 21 cm) by Herman Silas in the Barrios Gallery introduction Whistler's art was "a product of finical choices and arrangements" Accordingly the pleasures and insights provided by this show while they are considerable tend to be in the quiet realm of appreciation of composition light space and texture Indeed as the show's chronology demonstrates Whistler progressed from a rather hard-bitten realism to an eclectic sort of Impressionism to a subtle synthesis of the two Be sure to turn right as you enter the gallery to get the full effect of this process om Hatch has installed three piec- es at ARC that are also variations on a theme: Arrangements of tiny chairs tables and half-chairs and half-tables on the floor disposed about mirrors and clear glass plates Images are split combined obliterated and extended to infinity Conceptually Hatch plays with notions of reality and illusion but the work is far from i oal tt J-o Sa avls Area Art Exhibits i I -J i 2:7 2 '40k Offer Boggling Variety Of Styles 4 5 dr 4 while ii ine the eh egyu 4--'4' 1: 4 rpinartnergdoeudmcutcetnelotfsnti7a hAiccicstier's art was "a choices and a linogirty the pica- sures and insights provided by this 1 4 4 quiet realm of appre- are considerable -'i i'''1 ''1'? 4 elation of composition light space 44 i 0 Nt4 i4 I tend ''4 -s--: 4 44 1 a 40" i chronology demonstrates and texture Indeed as sthewshilsotwlers I lir 1 4 444 l': 1 'ii' i '''----4 1 f' ok p4-i rather hard-bitten hi ti ridm- bpi rt tees? 4 I it ss-41 4 solomtv ''N1 liists Nsaktfr ifi srpeiroaonlgiissresmmsttedoo aafnrosemucbleatcletriac sort of the to get the full effect of this I potwreocogeBaselslisruyre to turn right as you enter of installed three piec- 14: 'Tit 1 E-- A Ri sAs 1 1 es at ARC that are also variations 4 44 K444 SO 0 k) on a theme: Arrangementrr om Hatch has ins of tiny 1 IA 0 A i II 1 I 1 ii0rk6Itkit N'''' "La Viejila" Pa- about mirrors and clear glass plates inting (32 21 half-tables on the floor disposed chairs tables and hall-chairs and i 1 4 Images are split 't combined obliterat- ed and extended to infinity Conceptu-- 11 11 orr rt iNt I) ally Hatch plays with Barrios Gallery cm) by Herman Silas in the l'IN ty and illusion but the work is far from Ow ti 6 I ll 7 11:1: notions of reah 3 (1 3-- 4 til An Art View IN By CHARLES JOHNSON Bee Art Critic or sheer variety the current crop of art exhibitions in Sacramento-Davis is a boggier: At the Crocker Art Gallery the calculated compositions of James A McN Whistler's small prints drawings and paintings at American River College the clever conceptualism of Tom Hatch's installations at Barrios' Gallery the turgid figurative paintings of US Attorney Herman Sillas at the Davis Art Center the closed world of Richard Crozier's landscapes and at the UCD Memorial Union David Stone's mercurial collages "Themes and Variations" is an apt title for the Crocker show said to be the first large-scale Whistler show ever held on the West Coast The title is generally suggestive of the musical terms Whistler used in naming his own works (nocturnes harmonies arrangements) and more specifically refers to the way the 86 works fall into certain favored categories of subject matter: rivers and harbors streets and canals facades forges figures in doorways This is a beautifully selected show organized by Stanford Museum and Claremont Colleges with borrowings from public and private collections all over the country And it is well-in By CHARLES JOHNSON Bee Art Critic Lior sheer variety the current crop I of art exhibitions In acramento- calculated compositions of James Davis is a boggier: At the Crocker Art Gallery the da A Mal Whistler's small prints draw- ings and paintings at Amer i er College the clever conceptualism paintings of US Attorney or ifo Ts 'e mG aHl leetreyh' Sillas at the Davis Ar closed lands figurative sthinesttaullragtiidonfsiglir at Bar- nt ecyen Herman world of Richard Crozier' capes and at the mthane er UCD Memori- al Union David Stone's mercurial collages is an a "Themes and Variations" to title for the Crocker show said ever held on the West the first large-scale Whist ler show Coast The title generally suggestive of the musical is genera terms Whistler used in naming his own works (nocturnes harm harmonies arrangements) and more specifically certain to the favored categories of subject way the 86 works fall into matter: rivers and harbors streets and canals facades forges figures in doorways organized by Stanford Museum a This is a beautifully selected show and stalled despite the necessity of keeping the light on some of the works ss down to a dim eight candlepower The catalogue is comprehensive the labels intelligent Looking at these gentle works it is hard to imagine how Whistler could have been the controversial figure man and artist that he was As Lorenz Eitner says in his catalogue ing the light on some of stalled despite the necessity of keep- the works down to a dim eight candlepower catalogue is comprehensive the la beis intelligent Looking at these gentle works it Is hard to imagine how Whistler could View of an installation by Tom Hatch in the American River College Gallery Xiiow nf nn intnlintinn hv Trim HAtrh in tho Amoriron lcar being difficult or even especially tricky It partakes of the fun of getting down on the floor and looking at your toys Much comes from little Public Radio Station Nears For Sacramento ilia who went to art school before he became a politician is at his best as an artist when he holds his politics in check that is in portraits devoid of social message His political and religious works are screaming diatribes but his portraits while sentimental have merit TV1w 4 4' 7-'" 41:: 1 41): 114144: I'01A i it 1 i '''kv '-t' i co 0 lie Richard Crozier continues to paint essentially the same thing very green landscapes that are hemmed in by a wail of foliage the more one sees his work the greater the impact of his obsessions Occasionally the picture is opened up by a patch of sky or a fugitive scatter of light or an obscure foreground but essentially Crozier's calm pictures view an isolated world free of formal invention uninvolving as a random glance out a car window All of this makes room for an appreciation of patterns that while they make themselves felt remain closely related to nature and the perception of nature enough and high enough to blanket the metropolitan area (The off-campus location Wilber explains minimizes interference with Channel 6's signal an engineering necessity since KERS's location at 907 on the low end of the FM radio dial close to the TV broadcast band would make hash of public TV's signal in some valley areas if not located as close as possible to 6's transmitting site) "We're designated as a 'Corporation for Public Broadcasting expansion station' says Wilber "It means working for enough community support to go to the next phase which is a paid staff of nine people and a budget running into six figures "We need to get 212 community dollars for every of federal money I forsee a budget from the community alone of $125000 in both cash and in-kind services" Some of this is accounted for by the technical and other help supplied by the CSUS communications department "I'm standing on very large shoulders here" Wilber says of the KERS metamorphosis to NPR (National Public Radio) status referring to the advance work done by Barbara O'Connor chairwoman of the CSUS Communications Department "and professors Lee Nichols and Roger Walters particularly with the interest and support of Academic Vice dent Jim Archer "We're going to be setting up a community advisory board and it will participate heavily in programming decisions" Also rumored in the works is the possible assignment of the classical music library of a local good-music station one reportedly considering a change in its own programming format Currently KERS fills its 1-5 pm slot with jazz programming its 5-7 pm period with public affairs shows and its 7-to-midnight skein with more music predomlinantly jazz In terms of objectives for the year Wither says "The big four are a full staff full-time broadcasting community support and programming" Why did he take the job? "I guess the best way to put it is that the ground-floor nature of this opportunity really appealed to me both as an advocate of public radio and as somebody who being single was personally free to do it I was very happy where I was and I'd had other offers "The operation I left was one of the top 10 public radio stations in the country It operates its own national tape network and I was in charge of the programming for both "But it was a big bureaucratized sort of staid organization And this is brand new exciting and wide open "I barely have time to pg any mores campus station's programming at the University of Texas in Austin To qualify for NPR status Wilber says "a station not only has to have a budget and staff but it must be on the air 18 hours a day seven days a week" This year KERS has established its first regular hours 1 pm to midnight This comes to 11 hours a day Later additions to staff along with the new broadcast signal will permit more daily hours of operation Already on board besides a basic announcing-engineering staff supplemented by CSUS are Wilber as general manager Celeste Haarmeyer as the station's director of development 1 (ie: funding) program director Mike Montgomery and as public information director-trainee under still another grant Susan Kelley Why should the public come up with contributions for a local radio sta tion? There are some good answers Wilber says It's noncommercial for one thing meaning it can't sell its time to advertisers and buffet listen2- ers with their promos "We're here to serve the unserved and underserved" Wilber says "For example this means jazz programL" ming and specialty forms of music kke international and folk maybe classical too certain fine arts proty instructional services And it MOMS in-depth publie affairs pro kke gavel-to- gavel coverage et Oil totetings By JOHN HURST Bee Staft Writer The Sacramento area has had public television since 1959 when KVIE fired up its signal on Channel 6 Until now however it has not had a public radio station There have been low-powered transmitters on area campuses in cluding some confined solely to dorm areas But there has been nothing in the way of noncommercial listener supported radio to match or even appproximate San Francisco's KIVA Now KERS the campus-based station at California State University Sacramento has pretty much succeeded in working its way through the procedural and fund-raising labrynth leading to qualification as a National Public Radio station It already has won more than 6125000 in seed-money grants from such agencies as the Department of Health Education and Welfare and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and is after more Already in process are plans to quadruple the station's broadcast signal power and to move its antenna to a more far-reaching site in this instance as a guest of TV's KUL Channel 40 on its 680-foot tower near Walnut Grove When all is completed late this year says Stewart Wilber the station's first fall-time manager KERS will boom out a 22900-watt signal strong The lic telel fired up now ho radio sti There transmi eluding areas I the way support apppro) KPFA Now I tion at Sacram ceeded procedu leading Public won ma grants Departr Welfare lic Broa Alrea quadrui signal to a mi instanci Channe Walnut When says Si first fit boom STEWART IVILBER needs community dollar3 avid Stone takes several ap- proaches to collage in his UCD show Found material is treated with ease for its formal possibilities images are repeated a la Warhol the irreverence of the found object is flaunted visual puns are rigged images are isolated to emphasize meaning at the expense of formal relationships images are piled up in a crowd or pared down to a minimum gesture Stone reveals himself as an inventive and prolific young artist experimenting widely with what be fiat in the world "They reviewed KERS and the market situation capital of the largest state in the Union no public radio station and decided to talk to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting about getting an expansion grant" Wilber's hiring last fall was a crirect result of their spadework Wiflber 31 and a native ot Alan NY came to KERS from Texas where he spent a decade in public radio' Re last served as direetarot the he lio he ng Kt bat he i i I tif.