The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 10, 1984, Page 8, Image 8
English professor in
Ennis Rees
The USC professor is being considered for poet laureate positio
Swimming Pool Q
By Leslie Dunson
The Swimming Pooi Q's, the talented and slightly ceeentri
rock 'n' roll dance band based in Atlanta, Ga., will dive int
Greenstreet's tonight and tomorrow night.
The Q's, a band that has developed an extensive Columbi
following, specializes in clever, humorous lyrics and jarrin
melodies as they reshape the definition of Southern rock.
Their music, well-written and definitely a sound of the!
own, consists of jagged chords and violent, throbbin
rhythms. This is not easy-listening material, as the music an
vocals veer away from conventional lyrical patterns. Early <
material includes such titles as "The A-Bomb Woke Me Up,
"Rat Bait" and "Big Fat Tractor."
Jeff Calder, songwriter/rhythm guitarist and brains of it
outfit, says that the band still plays those types of songs, b
has added another dimension to its sound.
"There's not as much eccentricity or cleverness. Our new
songs are more emotional and melodic. They are personal ai
powerful emotional statements. It's a natural growth for tt
group," Calder said recently.
Calder believes the Swimming Pool Q's have successful
managed to incorporate these contrasting styles into one con
plete musical package.
The Swimming Pool Q's have played with other Georgi;
based bands like the B-52's and R.E.M., and opened for th
Police in Tampa, Orlando and Gainesville, Fla., in 1979.
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Two of the 'Three Sisters'
Susan Young (top) and Jane Griggs are featured at Workshop '
UUIIlttllllUM IUI
I By Doug Bell
A USC English professor is high on
the list of contenders for the title of
state poet laureate.
Ennis Rees is one of the poets a fivemember
committee may recommend
to Gov. Dick Riley as candidates for
poet laureate.
Born in Newport News, Va., the
same Tidewater town that produced
Wiliam Styron, author of "Sophie's
Choice," Rees graduated from
William and Mary ' got advanced
degrees at Harvard srsity before
i o . i nr i
i coming 10 10 tea*
REES DESCRIBED poetry as "a
way of celebrating, praising and
criticizing. It gives people a greater insight
into language and life. It enriches
Rees considers himself a distinctly
Southern poet. "Practically all my
poems have a Southern setting. I wrote
one entitled 'The Low Country.'
n. Another one called 'Ballroom,' is
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Photo by Kim Crossell The
and fr
fheatre. their li
menT
r poet laureate
about Mrs. Sloan, a Columbia dance
instructor. Though all the poems have
Southern settings, most arc not
specified," he said.
Perhaps the most prolific of the poet
laureate contenders, Rees has published
verse translations of the "Odyssey"
and the "Iliad," his "Selected Poems"
and several children's books in verse,
including "Tiny Tall Tales," "The
Song of Paul Bunyan and Tony
Beaver" and "Brer Rabbit and his
Tricks." He has also recorded some of
his children's poems on record.
"If poetry for children doesn't appeal
to adults it doesn't really work,"
he said."Really good children's books
tend to appeal to everyone."
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of Homer and his verse versions of the
Paul Bunyan and Brer Rabbit legends,
Rees has a special affinity for
mythology and folklore.
"Mythology is a heritage of symbols,
images and stories that you can
o Greenstreet
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based rock band, will perform tonight and tomorrc
tree Sisters' pro
attain director's
i Vaughan ferin
tragedy of Workshop Theatre's emol
Sisters" lies not only in the script, CI
in admirable attempt by a director to quie;
oals outside his cast's abilities. tion
ten by Anton Chekhov, the play
differing artistic interpretation, with IT
le elements of tragedy at its spine. Wor
:ted by Bill Storrer, the production accei
t difficult artistic stratification, but N<
overcome the limits of its performers. as St
any <
BK sure, presenting Chekhov at the and
inity level is an ambitious decision, Bi
lly when one proposes to present it tragi
clear
rer has just such a proposition firmly A<
d for Columbia theatergoers, but his Stor
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unfortunate circumstance results
lis cast's ? and perhaps from some "1
of his own ? struggle to make sense four
heady directorial considerations. Tl
>ly, the depth of texture Storrer wants ense
ver falls beyond the boundaries of this terec
heater and these amateur actors. seen
A
IKKK SISTERS," first produced in tain:
w in 1901, introduces the viewer to wan
Russian sisters coping with the pattern Vi
r lives. muc
i, Masha and Irina are Moscow-born his c
who moved to a provincial estate shuf
their father's work required it. He's coui
ow, as is their mother, biu the sisters path
eir brother, Andrei, have continued to
?ir routine in town. T
three sisters are unhappy, however, tech
ustrated with almost every aspect of slug
ves. They dream of escaping their suf
position
Ubc iu ^cty wnaicvti yuu warn, uv.
said. "American mythology can be
heroic and funny at the same time.
Like Hawkeye on "M-A-S-H" ? he's
a tall tale character in the tradition of
Daniel Boone and Paul Bunyan."
Rees finds that teaching and writing
are compatible occupations. "They are
supportive of each other. Just having
young people around to share poetry
with is a great stimulus to me," he
said. "Young people are a great help."
Some of Rees's recent poems have
appeared in Images, The Southern
Review, and The New Republic. He is
working on a prose book on poetry
uiiu Mjmc new vvi oC c^pceiaiiy iui
children.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S first poet
laureate was Archibald Rutledge, who
held the post from 1934 to his death in
1973. He was inducted into the South
Carolina Hall of Fame in January.
Rutledge "was one of the writers my
father iiked ? particularly his hunting
and wildlife stories," Rces said.
's tonight
HSuSlm$
iw night at Greenstreet's.
duction fails
; artistic goal
g by returning to Moscow, but lack the
ional means to do it.
lekhov's play, then, traces their ac>cence
to the pain, boredom, dissatisfacand
drudgery of their lives.
IS on this theme of inevitability thai
kshop's production seems most
ssible.
:> doubt several USC scholars ? as well
orrer ? could outpoint this reviewer in
Jebate on Chekhov's artistic inspirations
thematic intents.
it from my vantage point, the play's
c elements are delineated much more
ly than the work's comic or lyric strains.
Jmittedly, that opinion conflicts with
rer's statement that he had pursued the
's lyricism.
I FEEL the whole thing is a symphony in
movements," he said earlier this week,
lat goal is evident throughout the quirky
mble interaction. The show is even scat1
with music, and a little dance covers a
e change.
s stated though, the production never at?
the multi-leveled polish Storrer truly
ts.
ery few of these performers have realized
h of their characters' dimensions, and
lecision to have them constantly sleeping,
fling and pondering about the stage enages
them to remain on the dark, listless
i of tragedy.
HE DIRECTOR is also let down by his
nical designs, especially Michael Taylor's
gishly executed lighting concept.
See "Pl?y," page 9