University of South Carolina Libraries
BY PATRICK TYLER Workshop Theatre's per formance of Eugene O'Neill's "A Touch of Poet" ended last night one of the best pieces of drama presented in Columbia this season. Director Jem er A n and Costume De ner andall Browning contribut a ly to the success of the p O'Neill presents a fascinating study of a tragic human. character trait, vanity, in the play's three major characters. Cornelius Melody, who served under the Duke of Wellington in his youth and was supposedly cited for heroism before Wellington's entire army, is now a poor tavern owner who spends most of his time recollecting past glories via prismatic decanter of whiskey. He fancies himself a man of breeding and takes more pride in his battle mare and army uniform than in his wife and family. All the events of Lhis tran A Pizza BUY ON GET ON SPAGHE' Served with j Serving wr 3P.M. Til Located at the intc 1-26 across trori BICY Quality European B Manufactured By: 4 Pnris-Sport, Falcon-i Imn'Coli CATE'S ( Sox Cedar Terrace * 6420 Sumfer Ph 776 1:15 to 8pn.m. h sfiguration take place in one day, the anniversary of his citation for heroism. His wife and daughter run the tavern to keep him in good supplyof whiskey while he recits Byron to a mirror and generally maintains his "station." His daughter Sara, played by Maile Bruton, is busy falling in love with a Henry Thoreau type w o ot sick while camping on the 's estate. This latter day reau p ank" Things start to happen when Sara and the Yank's son begin talking of marriage. Cornelius decides it is his duty as a gen tleman to begin negotiations for the marriage settlement with the wealthy yank. But Cornelius has nothing with which to settle. He is broke and the wealthy yank has no intention of letting his son marry the daughter of a drunken tavern owner. Indeed when the yank sends his attorney to buy off Cornelius, old Corn thinks he has come to talk of the other settlement and the resolution of the scene sees the unsuspecting attorney, played House E DINNER E FREE: arlic, bread and chef salad. DNESDAy I Midnight rsection of 378 and R the Raanida Inn PEED CLES icycles From $95.00 ?aitane. Botteccha, lalno, Cinelli. Coinage ambia. See:. ?OT TAG E 9342 Shopping Center Hwy. (29209) Sue: -1209 lon. through Sat. by Johnny Dehart, bounced out of the tavern on his behind. Sarm has become very frustrated because she would like to see her father in a position to truly negotiate a settlement, but his lack of money brings recrimination instead of respect from her. Sara's big chance to secure the marriage comes when the Yank's wife comes to take sides with the opeful couple, but elius a rmak her a is nder nk' ife, h Herf d, 's ed old Ga in who succ dri class and unto abl au ' ,W NI6 This incident compounded with the visit of the attorney insenses Cornelius. He grabs an old war buddy, Jamie Cregan, played by Hal Buckley, and they go off to duel with the rich yank. Needless to say they never get to see the yank and are beafen off by a passel of cops. Cornelius brings away from the field of honor a bask on the head left him by one of the police billy clubs. The bask on the h ad the sco COMI SALE LAST DEC.10 dutch square 10-9:30 mon.-! of the"pale bitch" who rejected his love-making and the recriminations of his daughter transform Cornelius. The billy club is O'Neill's shock treatment that thrusts Corn into reality and acceptence of his true station. Having reached this newfound state of humility, Cornelius must now realign his emotional at tachment to his family. Sara ejects her father ev e with is loss of vanity. vovers t t ver3j hj ed rity. e, N a,pl y e ' son is like 'bewildered by the mental .tur nabout of her husband. She originally was attracted to him when he was a dashing young soldier. Through the years she became his dog servant, 'ever admiring, ever loving. She, unlike her daughter however, is not in fected with vanity and when the transformation of Cornelius brings renewed attraction between them, she accepts the transformation with enthusiasm. Jim O'Shea who plays Cornelius gives a marvelous performance as. a_bra ard a dreamer and an L A INC 304 GIVE SOMEO COSMIC. LIKE OR TUBULAI SOMEONE SON J. GEILS 0 ARKANSAS. B00GIES Fl ARE SPECiAl THE RECORD ;at. *$"399 ALBUMS on LIST PRICEs $5.38 egotistical "peacock" His transformation is stirring and emotional and reflects his talents as well as those of the director. The peacock's wife, Norma, is a terribly sympathetic character drawn by O'Neill. and June Hut chison successfully draws this emotion from the audience. Malie Bruton's portrayal of Sara is not as convincing as it could have been had she wn more of the frustration f We character t e ust for a father o she genuninely The major characters of the play were buttressed by excellent performances of the minor characters. Harry Stockton of USC during the feast commemorating the citation of Cornelius sings a charming Irish folk tune that saw the entire theatre break, out in shamrocks. Though there were not many new faces in the cast of "A Touch of the Poet" to Columbia theatre goers, Jennifer Atkinson brought together one of the best combinations of regulars seen this season. y is i }". " .: inLIC NE. SOMETHING BILLY COBHAM I BELLS. GIVE IE BOOGIE. LIKE R BLACK OAK THESE COSMIC I0M ATLANTiC LY PRICED AT BAR. * TAPES L IST PRICE $S.S5