The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 18, 1981, Page Page 8, Image 8
t^i iiert
Hopii
For almost seven months, U
Blue Sky worked on and th
original ballet he wrote called
Each day, he spent hours p
play, and collecting his thougl
be conducted. As January 198
evident that Blue Sky w;
choreographer Susan Earle.
Mr. 5>Ky nad a certain idea
lighting and choreography s
another.
"I had two choices: either
being dominating and obnoxioi
or I could let things take the
said Tuesday, exactly one m
decision to abandon the projec
THE POSTERS already ir
"Planet Dance" was pi rceive
Sky production. From Feb.
recovering from a deep sen
participation in the ballet. ]
apartment painting until he fel
While he painted, he though!
ballet to be: a celebration of t
sleepless, remembering the vc
of the ballet presentation.
He said everytime a compro
(hp ftvorall > "
V T va ui? vv/llipvoivivu wao W1
"Let's have ultraviolet ligl
suggest.
"We don't have money in the
"I'll order the lights and pay
"We don't have time."
THERE WERE other idea:
stereo shop agreed to install a
idea was met with a lukewarm
giant sculpture at the top of the
fire hazard. Mr. Sky asked if
stage with aluminum foil. "Tt
came the response.
Blue Sky said he is not unhaj
Speech Department. He got hi:
degree at USC and says, "Yoi
'tfac
'Eye
ooet
A
By David Baker
Film Critic
In 1979, actress Sally Field
Martin Ritt worked togethei
Rae," while director Peter Ya
Steve Tesich teamed up to crej
Away." The two combinatior
masterful entertainments, b
placed high on my 1979 "10 I
which later went on to be
winners.
The successes of the two
surprisingly, brought theii
creative teams back togeth
n:u ?
r iciu-ruu venicie, ?>aCK UO<
{P.ilj
. *
*
Sally Field and Tommy Le
;ainnne
ig his
SC Theatre and Speech alumni
ought about nothing but an
"Planet Dance."
minting tne sets, writing the
its about how the ballet should
ii rolled into February, it was
as not getting along with
of how the costumes, music,
hould be set. Ms. Earle had
I could steamroll over them,
us and make everyone hate me
ir natural courses," Blue Sky
ionth to the day he made his
t. 4,I chose the latter."
lade with his name on them,
d by the public as being a Blue
17-21, however, Mr. Sky was
se of guilt after quitting his
He stayed at his Greene St.
It peace again.
: about what he had wanted the
he joy of life. At night he went
)ices that told him to "get out"
mise was made with Ms. Earle
wakened.
its on the stage," Blue would
budget," was the reply.
for them,"
>. Blue Sky said a Columbia
stereophonic system but that
i reception. He wanted to put a
i stage. He was told it would be
he could wrap the prosenium
lere's nothing to staple it to,"
ppy with the USC Theatre and
5 undergraduate and master's
i think they'd be receptive to
kRo
f
u/il-f *
i Frii
new Yate
"Eyewitness,
I and director and, as mi
on "Norma delightful, th
1 ?
ica anu wmei as the film thi
ite "Breaking
is resulted in "BACK K(
oth of which from a scrip
3est" list and Field as a do1
come Oscar prostitute wh
love with a fs
played by Tor
pictures, not
respective "Eyewitnei
er. The new handsome ai
ids," and the "Altered Sta
>e Jones star in the romant
nt 1 u ^ w-4TfffK."
ballet
the ideas of one of their students t
"Planet Dance," opened Thur
began to feel guilty about a balle
felt a panic like I had deserte
thought I had left people hangi
months and months."
Last Thursday. Blue walked f
and tried to enter the theater wil
sBS! 3&BsBES3B&
Susan Earle
ads'
_ 9 I
I
s-Tesich collaboration,
opened Friday in Columbia
ght be expected, both are
ough neither is as impressive
at preceded it. Eg
DADS," which Ritt directed
>t by Gary DeVore, presents P
wn. but not-oilitf-ont southern
1? | j
10 ever-so-grudgingly falls in
liled-boxer-turned-car-washer, p
rimy Lee Jones.
>s" stars William Hurt, the
nd talented leading man of ^
tes," and Sigourney Weaver, ,?
IfcjJ . . r<
flmfb
BFv I
(c comedy, 'Back Roads.' 4
c
L
will sc
ide
ertainment
irk Platte
>ut they weren't."
sday at Drayton Hall. Blue
t which was billed as his. "I
d under fire," he said. "I
ing after they had worked
our blocks to Drayton Hall
H, u:? ml 1 -A.
in ins camera, inc usuer ai
t3|
Sigourney Weavet
le beautiful and brainy j
Alien." He's the night janitor i
here he may or may not have
lurder and she's the cannj
eporter whose job is to find out
Complicating matters are se
em, seven ? major sub-Dlot
ascinating of which deals with
lurt has long worshipped Weav
nd lies to her in hopes of kee
erested in him.
NO SUCH ANGLE complic
toads," even though it's a
lesperately needs some corr.pl
s "Eyewitness" suffers som
luvmg 100 mucn plot, "Back Ro
rom having too little.
Put simply, nothing much
Back Roads" and that which t
oesn't leqd anywhere. The mi
lore than a series of incra
etched situations, strung I
rovide its cast with things to c
o and reasons to yell at one an<
o conclusion whatsoever ; it jus
alt after 94 minutes.
I'm not going to quibble fi
'Back Roatki," though, or "E
tither, for that matter. Thanks i
>e the
the door said no cameras or rc
"This is my ballet," Blue sa
"Sorry, it's against the rulej
HE DITCHED THE CAM
started and sat in the very 1
norrmea mm. "i was asna
termission," he said with a U
place at intermission."
Blue sent 36 white carnatio
after the opening night. He di<
a party following the perfor
couldn't think of anything goc
He said he was dissapointe<
hear the dancer's steps as t
sound system sounded like i
can," and he was shocked by
had nothing to do with the ball
THURSDAY NIGHT, hours
was inspired by the fact thai
show with a last-ditch effort,
wasn't needed.
On Friday night, the 13th, B
Rock Hill, S.C. who wanted to
Downing two glasses of ch;
walked the same four blocks t
in the third row and after it w
enjoyed it immensely; my fri
through unbiased eyes.
Blue went back a third tim
row Sunday afternoon. Tli
costumes were attractive ai
pressions of the dancers. "Th<
The bitterness of months lc
Earle, Blue says, "She is a d
n 1 11 i x\ A ? 1 A _ ii.
j>!ie puueu uiaisnow logeuier
effort and I admire her for it.
HOWEVER, he says, "It
same ballet. She created th
but that structure is not <
Dance.'"
Blue Sky scratches the sic
about the future. "I can't wi
done, because it would be inci
flees unknown assailant i
survivor of four actors i
in a building enjoyed virt
witnessed a films.
/ television
which. IN THE
character is
ven ? count character in
s, the most enamored of!
the fact that have to wal
er from afar smashing ir
iping her in- character sh
wacky and a
before.
ates "Back
movie that Jones, too,
motmn liiot * *
funny, lucid p
ewhat from hls fjnc wor?
ads suffers Daughteri?
"wooden" lal
happens in less-than-con<
does happen films as "J
ovie is little Betsy"and"!
asingly fartogether
Jo Hurt and v
?. >fl team tha Fi
other. It has movie has a!
it comes to a one gee
Roads," thoui
irther about to be ignore
Eyewitness," problems, bu
mostly to the the rest of the
. ^ * wmmmmmrnmammmmmmmmmaammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmkimmmmmmma
stage
wording devices were allowed,
id.
he was told.
ERA, waited until the ballet
ast row. He said what he saw
med to show my-face at inlugh.
"I literally ran out of the
ns to each member of the cast
in't want to face any of them at
mance that night because he
>d to say.
1 in the way the audience could
hey landed during leaps. The
t was "pressed through a tin
the costumes which he thought
et.
after the ballet had ended, Sky
t he thought he could save the
On second thought, he knew he
iuc nau ouiiic ii icuud vidii 11 uiu
see the ballet.
ampagne, Blue and his friends
o see "Planet Dance." They sat
as over, Blue confessed that "I
ends enjoyed it. I think I saw it
ie, this time sitting in the front
le music sounded good, the
id he could see the facial exey
charmed me," he said.
st is practically gone. Of Susan
ynamic artist. She is tenacious.
and did it. It was a superhuman
i?
seems she's always doing the
e wnoie Danei siruciure ai U5<J
capable of producing 'Planet
le of his head and thinks aloud
jit to do it the way it should be
edible."
n 'Eyewitness.'
nvolved, I have to say that I
ually every minute of both
SAME way that the Hurt
enamored of the Weaver
"F.VPwitnPCC " cn o**? I
?j ,, .T .. vuu, uu tvn; dill I
Field and I relish any chance I
?h her at work. She looks
i "Back Roads" and the
e plays in it is every bit as
is lovable as any she's done
is loads of fun to watch. His
erformance here, coupled with
in last year's "Coal Miner's
has forever shattered the
Del I placed on him after his
vincing portrayals in such
ackson County Jail," "The
Eyes of Laura Mars."
? "
veaver are no less winning a
eld and Jones, and since their
story, I must recommend that
Eyewitness" before "Back I
gh neither of the films deserve i
;d. Both have minor script i
t they're light years ahead of I
dreck currently on view.