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Carolina Life 4 the gamecock Friday, December 1,1989 Southern speaks ab( By JAYE SIMMONS Staff Writer Novelist and short story writer Elizabeth Spencer writes about her personal experiences and the way she grew up in the South. Born in Mississippi, Spencer spoke Wednesday at USC in a Southern dialect, despite living outside the South for most of her professional life. "Prelude to a Parking Lot" is one of the short stories she read and is based on her experiences at Vanderbilt University when she lived at a boarding house. "When I wrote, I looked out of my window at the house next door. This house was not a rich house, and I didn't know the people who lived there. But I liked to imagine what the family inside the house was like," Spencer said. However, when Spencer returned to the house several years later she found the entire block had been torn down and converted into a parking lot. "I was sad because the place had great sentimental value to me," she said. "Prelude to a Parking Lot" is a story about the family who might have lived in the home next door to her old boarding house. "This is the story of many towns and cities of the South and else where. It is about how the past seems to be speaking out below this great paving that something used to be there. Human feeling and human rights used to be there," Spencer said. 'Vampire I By DAVID BOWDEN Staff Writer Vampire lesbians, schizophrenic gay Vegas dancers can all be seen tus Theater in two highly entertainir "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" i Beach Party," despite popular beli< written by William Shakespeare. T1 written by highly successful off-Brc wright Charles Busch and have con bia for a limited engagement. "Vampire Lesbians" is the teni two rival vampires as they try to r for themselves in show business, shifts from Biblical Sodom to 1920 and to modern-day Las Vegas! Madeleine, one of the female v cellently played in a cross-dress Jimmy Flannery), does a hilario dance number that would be word Newton. La Condessa, the older vampir< for creating Madeleine, is played I with menace and humor. The feud O How We N. P] | .3 ... prm Ord Date: Dec. 1,1989 Time: 9 to - novelist F~ )ut writing She also read a story called "A Christian Education," which was influenced by her childhood experiences in Mississippi. "A Christian Education" tells the story of a young girl who lives with her parents and grandfather. Every Sunday she is expected to go to church and Sunday school. But on one particular Sunday her parents go to a funeral, and she and her grandfather skip the ser- ( g vices and take a trip to town. The story goes on to tell about how she and her grandfather got into trouble with her parents for not going to church, and how her grandfather taught her to be apathetic about the church. Although her appearance at USC emphasized her Southern writing, she has written stories with settings in other parts of the world. After college, she lived and married in Italy. She and her husband soon moved to Canada, where she wrote for many years. USC English professor Ashley Brown said he spoke to a Canadian who mistook Spencer for a Canadian writer. She currently teaches at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, but said she loves USC. Spencer has spent the week con- \ ducting a writer's workshop for the English department's creative writing program at the request of Keen ^ Butterworth of the department She is currently working on I ai another novel and a play. ^esbians' inva Theater surfers and _ m attheTrus- #1 ig plays vVi^ LA*/ ind "Psycho two blood-suckers is well ^ rf, were not funny put-downs, hey are both Mark Newsome does a vet ladway play- obnoxious silent movie star le to Colum- Bultman and Bobby Craft their roles as both harem der story of dancers, tiake a name The second play of the The setting Beach Party," is a take-off < s Hollywood movies with a twist. Many a play also appear in this one. ampires (ex- The main character, Chick ;ing role by ilyn Matheus), is a teenage g iusly cheesy a surfer. She also has a split ly of Wayne leads to many weird plot cor This play is more serious i responsible bians," but not much. Howe )y Ilene Fins little too dramatic. A sillier, between the the plot would have been m< - ? - O tvne blood S0d YOll! and special. BLOOD, PLI ?342TCS7 er your college ring NC JOSTENS | AMERICA S COLLEGE RING 4 Deposit: $15.00 Place: University Bookstc Meet with your Jostens representative ior full < Carolina C ?ay Vishing upon a star Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo return as Clark and Ellen Gris 'old in the new comedy National Lampoon's Christmas Vacatior he movie is the second sequel to Chase's original Vacation rnovit 'hristmas Vacation opens today at Bush River Mall and the Movie t Polo Road in Columbia. de Trustus Theater ~1 of the play, but "Psycho Beach Party" is si vciy uuiuMiig. On Dec. 1 and Dec. 8, a third play will shown. "The Adventures of Butthole t Clown" is going to be a running serial at t written with many Trustus, and, on those two nights, theater-go< can see the first installment: "Butthole vs. T y good job playing Evil Elvis Impersonators." King Carlisle. Eric For the uninitiated, the Trustus Theater is o are quite good in of the nicest theaters in Columbia. It speciali; guards and Vegas in plays that otherwise would not reach the C umbia audience. It is hardly a basement theal evening, "Psycho however. of the 1950s beach Trustus does not have rows of uncomforta ictors from the first chairs. It has individual chairs surrounding parate tables for the audience, with popcorn let (played by Mar- each table. Trustus is more like a ritzy nij ;irl who wants to be club than a theater. : personality, which "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom" and "Psyc replications. Beach Party" will be shown at Trustus Thea than "Vampire Les- from tonight through Dec. 2 and from Dec. 6 ver, the ending is a 9. Tickets are $5 to $10 on Wednesdays z funnier way to end Thursdays and $6.25 to $12.50 on Fridays z Dre true to the spirit Saturdays. is rare aMH Ampriran Rp.H Cross UIVll EHM ?ASE! V SC Regional Blood Services iSt^H , Intra 0 I Sign-ups run pi w Thursday, Dep |fc league. Conl< )W >re - Russell House Jetails See our complete ring selection on display in your college bookstore nn^n USC's Annual St ? * Saturday 10 Ai Volunteers will be collecting monetary donatior Eurythmics shows R & By TRICIA TITUS Staff Writer Eurythmics We Too Are One Arista Records Eurythmics singles have always overshadowed the albums on wliich they were released. Everyone remembers the talented duo's phenomenal hit "Sweet Dreams," but who can say they remember the title of the album from which it came? And how many of those I few can say that they actually i :?n .L LHJuglll IU Ul In more recent years, the C( Eurythmics albums Savage and ^ Revenge showed disappointing <jj (and in some markets, nonexistent) record sales, while songs like ar "Would I Lie to You?" and "Missionary Man" blazed up the record charts and were constants on the lai radio. in This is perhaps due to the fact jjjj that Eurythmics singles have rid- g. den the crests of the constantly -y( changing waves of musical fads. ^ When techno-pop was cuttingedge, "Sweet Dreams" was one of the hottest singles of the year. b? Similarly, when Rhythm & ^ Blues had a resurgence during the , past few years, strong R & Binfluenced songs like "Would I Lie S to You" were successful. Conse- ?? j quently, the beautiful acoustic bal- 1 ? lads which always appear on their ;S albums, but are rarely released as E singles, were heard by few people. b ? sc But Eurythmics may be about to tc jump out of that rut. Their latest a] album, We Too Are One, probably ir won't break any sales records, but vi till is definitely well worth buying as s< o no r*\sr% rrc% rotliAr tVion O C o Pa11aa_ U a lauivi utaii ao a vvnw u be tion of singles. la he There is no one standout among he the songs on the album. All of d jrs them are good, and quite a few are o he excellent. Eurythmics have once VI again used their musical eclectic- n ne ism to produce an album as varied b zes in style as any c^e band could pos?1_ sibly create. ?r? Songs like "We Too Are One," "Revival" and "You Hurt Me (And ? USC to hold Ch ght Christmas carols and dance will 1 fill Carolina Coliseum Sunday 'ho when USC will hold its annual iter Christmas Music Festival. to "it's quite a spectacular show," md said William Moody, chairman of ind the USC School of Music. The USC marching band, the ? flag corps and Coquettes will also perform at the free concert, Moody I said. Joe Pinner of WIS-TV, the master of ceremonies, will narrate the poem "'Twas the Night Before ??' Christmas," while art work by c imujdfBo^e ember^lffllpWfq^p^sp it, 777-52^^^^^ inl udent Charity Drive ', December 2 M - 4 PM canned goods, toys, clothing am is at the Russell House. ; album B roots Musjc Review * * * Classic * Don't Miss Good listening Mediocre Yon Have to be Kidding. Hate You)" are upbeat, and re*/-? tKa oamn D P D inflnanr?ao A/i uiv aauiv/ i\ a u nuiuuiv^d at made "Missionary Man" a hit Throughout the album, the only mstants are Annie Lennox's dutiful, versatile voice and Dave :ewart's expertise on the guitar, jnnox's voice ranges from strong id deep to piercing and angelic. Lennox writes about horrible retionships and revenge with amazg strength, attacking the lyrics ce a woman possessed. On the illads "Sylvia" and "Angel" she ngs with a sweet and soaring )ice over a very basic musical ick. Stewart's guitar provides the isic framework on which Lennox orks her wonderful melodies, and en enhances the result with some izzling riffs and bridges. He also irvcs quite skillfully as cooducer with the well-established mmy Iovine. Already renowned as a live act, urythmics may do some of their sst work on the road. They have ;heduled a highly extensive world >ur through December, and have pparently tailored their live show lore toward the basics: Lennox's oice and Stewart's guitar. Lennox jems to have recovered well from er voice problems during their ist tour. Overall, Eurythmics have prouced an excellent album, with onsisienuy soiiu periorinanucs. /e Too Are One may give them a ew lease on life. The future looks right for the duo. Best Cuts: "We Too Are One," (My My) Baby's Gonna Cry," Revival," "You Hurt Me (And I late You)." 1/2 ristmas show Midlands-area fourth graders is presented in a slide show, Erin MacLellan of the University Relaions office said. Musical highlights will include he USC Percussion Ensemble performing "Greensleeves" and 'Christmas Bells," the Palmetto Mastersingers singing "Three Carpis," the USC Dance Company presenting "Sleigh Ride" and a performance by Carolina Alive. The concert begins at 4 p.m. Sunday and seating is on a first:ome basis. itball 9 4 through >ring intramural Recreation, 102 formation. 0 i r