The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 06, 1977, Page Page 14, Image 14
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. Mike Williams, folk singer
humorist, entertained a Golden S
1 crowd Tuesday and Wednesday nig
'Fraterni
I
\
By C'llt'CK (HOMKK
, Former Knlcrlainmoni i.*
nt iiailUl
I
F. Scott Fitzgerald said that "in all of us
there breathes a great Jay Gatsby, seeking ,
madly seeking some remote road, some
undiscovered boulevard leading magically
j lo the cities of Memory, of What-if and of
i Kegret. The search is impossible, the way
always receding before us. And yet we beat .
( on, boats against the current, borne back
ceaselessly into the past."
These words introduro in
, ... * iv- a aim
! "Fraternity How," the reflections of the
j narrator < Cliff Robertson) as the voice of an
| older Rodger Carter as his thoughts are
taken hack to the spring of 1954.
At that time, the younger Rodger Carter
(Peter Pox) came to know the reality of
Fitzgerald's romantic definition of each
man's struggle for purity in living among
his fellow men.
"FRATKKMTY ROW." produced on a
minor budget and written by Charles Gary
Allison as a basis for his Ph.D. thesis at USC
(Southern Cal), reflects the emotional
tensions and conflicts inherent in modern
society.
The movie analyzes the college fraternity
system at its zenith in 1954.
This Greek system (fraternities and
I sororities) symbolizes the changing social
j stratas and modes of thought of American
i society-being a microcosm of a macrocosm,
since colleges are considered the breeding
grounds for America's more prominent
future leaders.
YET IT is also the testing laboratory for
new concepts, where progressive ideas are
pitted against old traditions even though
these sometimes innovative ideas are
i ..
i normally ana rutniessly rejected.
Plotwise, "Fraternity Row" matches the
i stubbornness and tradition of the active
members of a fraternity versus the idealism
of its thirteen pledges.
Zac Sterling (Gregory Harrison) is a
pledge of Gamma Nu Pi of Summit College,
mythically located in Pennsylvania, who
idealistically pursues the dream of Greek
brotherhood.
Zac says, "What we are is something?I
don't know, sacred. It's like being in a
church, something like a dream. Brothers!
Brothers who I can depend on, brothers who
j . ? ,
!
tent
I I I P] :U ? Iip,OJ
IBBSE! JiT* fsjii fcii
i j
and Williams mixed humorous tui
pUr serious emotional numbers to p
his well-rounded .hnu, _
ty Row' n
can depend on me, until I die."
Disillusionment quickly pervades as he
witnesses the many hypocrisies of fraternity
brotherhood as well as the childish cruelties
employed in being initiated into the
fraternity.
Instead of quitting, however, Zac, along
with pledgemaster Rodger, work within the
system attempting to eliminate the
hypocrisies and more brutal aspects of
fraternity hazing.
While participating in the worst part of
hazing during Hell Week, however, Zac
cnoKes io death while swallowing a piece of
raw liver during a ridiculous induction
ceremony.
MOST OF us were too young to remember
the power and prestige of the Greek institutions
that are detailed in "Fraternity
Row," as they existed in the '50s.
By researching old college newspapers
and yearbooks it is obvious how integral a
part of college life they were and, as some
believe, still are
Fraternities and sororities, in an era in
which a college's enrollment rarely exceeded
10,000 students were the primary
social outlets and institutions of their day.
To not belong to the system was in essence
being an outcast of college society. Being a
Greek meant belonging to the social elite, a
member of a family that nourished and
protected its own, and idealistically
prepared them for a future life of wealth,
notoriety and social acceptance.
Yet not everyone was allowed to join the
elite. Onlv a chosen few nf
_ v. Ul/llltJ ,
popularity and of WASP origin were invited
to compete in the traditional ritual and rite
ceremonies that "Fraternity Row"
examines; questioning and criticizing, but
not condemning a society that dehumanizes
and embarasses before accepting outsiders
into the clan.
"FRATERNITY ROW" succeeds for
many reasons, but mainly because of the
subtlety and sincerity of its producers and
stars, sinqe most of those connected with the
film are either students or recent graduate
of the University of Southern California.
Their persuasiveness is apparent in their
expressions and performances as they seek
to change a worthwhile system before it
See ROW, page 17
?>' SKOT GARBICK
ryTa>TJ Gamecock Staff Writer
Mike Williams stood on
Golden Spur stage Tuesday i
away from the redundant bla
the bar television, removed
the loud drone of numerous v<
He skillfully picked away
battered guitar, singing s
telling jokes, and thoroughl;
tertaining the people seated i
main room.
William was a very uncon
type of entertainer. He is kno\
a folk humorist, but his talen
personality transeended a
tl.ni ?r ? '
uiui ui niwif conservative
singers.
His stories not only provide
songs with a humo
background, but helped
audience understand what ty
person he really was.
WIIJ.IAMS began his si
with a guitar instrumcnta
?T?W. P f "'-1
vunvu 111*7 i-*?ui, r our was
"Have you ever seen anyone d
a waltz in four.four lime?'
ies with asked. "It takes someone
rovide a
aff lects pa
/
The ntstoric line dance "The Birdland"
was eagerly adopted byJ950_sjiad?nlS-aaiL
fathered a ballroom phenomenon that led
to the Ifully-Gully; Watusi and Bump
"Birds" wi1
By DAVID It. SHINGLER m
Entertainment Editor cc
"The Birds" opened the USC wl
Theater Department's 1977-78 season ru
Tuesday night on an entertaining
note, certainly setting a precedent for jo
fl 11 urn n?/u4n?l!'? ?- *
,umiv (imuuciiuiis iu dc compared m
with. th
The Greek version of the play by cc
Aristophanes was adapted for the
stage by James Patterson, director of m
the play. Patterson vastly modernized
the script, including references ro
to Jimmy Carter.Musical score by G1
Christopher Reynolds of Winthrop mi
College accompanied many episodes ra
of dance. to
The lead character of Pisthetairos. wi
?i ? ? ?
putyeu oy Niamey Khann Ashley, was au
by far the dominant force of the
evening, at times too dominant. wi
Ashley and his cohort, Euelpides, by
flayed py Scott Hampton, provided
three legs."
He followed this with "The
Drifter and the Rodeo Queen" one
the of his more conservative numbers
light, that "still gets people a little up in
ire of arms."
from The first part of Williams' act
)ices. was mostly dedicated to humour,
on a Most of the songs were obvious ^
ongs, spoofs of country music. At first it
y en- seemed Williams could not find his
n the voice because his tone was constantly
changing through the
imon numbershedid.
vnas It soon became apparent,
t and however, ho was blending various
bove tones to help set the comical mood
folk of llir* cnr*
t/i HIV OUII^O.
The first serious song in the act
d the was a number called "The Pain rous
ting Song." Williams proved here
the he has only one real voice and that
pe of voice beautifully created the mood
for the lyrical number.
The second half of William's act *
hown contained more serious numbers
I he but he still maintained a casual,
tz". friendly mood. He delivered the
lance songs with more power and the
' he singer's personality really surwith
See WIIXIAnlS, page 17
St
WAIRSWi
n~y|E- "-s:| UK"**- V ' l^^^K^^^B^^K^^Bliiiiii^illllll-i
I dances, pictured here in a scene
I- from "Fraternity Row," which
I starts soon at the Dutch Square
I Th n Wnin ^?????MWBBBBBB
roam. f
hty, funny
uch entertainment, from slaostick
medy to convincing dissertations on
hy the birds should try to become
ilers of the universe.
Hampton was particularly enyable
as he included the audience in
any of his comments, involving
em as he usually spoke to them with
rny jokes.
His characterization provided
uch of the impetus for laughter.
IN THE many minor character
les, one particular standout was
enn Rawls, who played the part of a
PSSPntfPr uihn n1<"" 1 1 "
">iu aiways (lil(J 11ITI6 tO
mble, but never the ability to come
the point. His force of character
is strong, his lines good and
dience acceptance excellent.
The choruses, led by Thaddeus
illiams and supported beautifully
Karyn Amos, sang many
See BIRDS, page 17 J #