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Audiences beware: French players hope to induce vomiting I Tim Manus STAFF WRITER A zombie, a perverse brain surgery and a violent murder with scissors. If this is what you look for in a night at the theater, you are in luck, as the French speaking theater troupe at USC, Les Comediens Carolingiens, is producing “Une Soiree Grand Guignol.” The Comediens will be performing two plays, entirely in French, from the Grand-Guignol Theatre, wnxcn ran rrom toy/ to 1962. On a typical night the Grand-Guignol, which translates as “big puppet show,” would feature over the-top violence of every sort, from torture to acid throwing to the crowd favorite, eye gouging. Grand-Guignol’s employees would strive for their violence to be as believable and horrifying as possible. Success was often judged by how many aucjierrce members would faint or vomit in a night. The “Soiree” will feature two productions: horror play “Le Laboratoire des Hallucinations” and violent comedy “Les Boulingrin.” “Le Laboratoire des Hallucinations” is the feature presentation. It tells the tale of Dr. Gorlitz, who is performing unorthodox experiments on patients at a mental asylum. His wife is in an adulterous affair and horl rprpnfltr written *1 Ipffpr telling her husband of her decision to run off with her lover. When her lover is brought into the asylum after a car accident, Mrs. Gorlitz takes him into the asylum and her lover, in a state of delirium, mentions the letter to the doctor. The jealous Dr. Gorlitz, once inside the lover’s brain, turns him into a semi zombie who suffers painful hallucinations. But the lover, as well as other victims, comes up with a plan for revenge. Jeffery Persels, an associate French professor at USC, is directing “Le Laboratoire des Flallucinations.” He said that while he does not anticipate anyone fainting or vomiting, he would like a few shrieks or screams. Persels said audience members “can stand up and scream even if you’re not scared.” He also joked that he will judge success based on “how many people don’t fall asleep.” Persels said that due to the constraints of the theater, the play cannot feature the massive amounts of blood and gore that the actual Grand-Guignol had, but it will “do something unconventional.” Les Comediens Carolingiens have been performing since the ‘70s, but have usually stuck to comedy. “We always do comedy,” Persels said. “I wanted to try to do something different.” The play is part of Persels’ T-' 1.1. • riciltll LilCd LCl CApCI ICllGC class, which he called a “fun, advanced conversation class.” He called the Grand Guignol a “uniquely French theatrical tradition of the late 19th, early 20th centuries.” The class does a play every year, and Persels usually directs it. “We trade off sometimes, but it’s basically my problem,” he said. Two graduate students are directing the short comedy following his play. Persels says French speakers as well as those who don’t speak French can enjoy this play just as well. “A lot is going on to make it interesting visually, even if they don’t follow the French,” he said. In rehearsal, many of the actors used very exaggerated postures and hand motions, such as the doctor sinisterly playing with his beard and women being shocked and appalled and putting their hands to their mouths. The play will be performed Friday and Saturday in room 153 of Gambrell Hall. Admission is free to students and $3 for the general public. Together, the plays last about an hour and 15 minutes. “Be afraid, be very afraid,” the plays’ program says in French. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu Tim McManus/ THE GAMECOCK Les Comediens Carolingiens will perform a French horror play this weekend in Gambrell. Student admission is free. LEBO • COnTinUEDPROmi —all are insinuated. The ending is extremely cheesy, but tolerable. The film felt like a cross between “Dangerous Minds,” “Music of the Heart” and “Shall We Dance?” Most of the events outside the dancing scenes are anti-climactic and could have used more drama. The pacing of the film dragged on inconsistently. It felt too long in parts and felt as if it were encouraging attention deficit disorder in others. Banderas gives an adequate performance as Pierre. He’s nothing spectacular and could have given more life to the character. The audience learns his wife died five years prior, but then nothing is mentioned about his wife again. More background information could have lent more substance to the character. The high school principal, played by Alfre Woodard, was sassy and effective. Wanting to make a differeAce but growing ever cynical with each tragedy inevitably occurring in the violent, poverty stricken community, she finds hope through Pierre’s unconventional lessons. The high school students who show off their supposed sweet dance moves are mediocre dancers at best. None of the young actors make an impression beyond their sarcastic and cynical attitudes. The film tries to draw sympathy from audiences for the tough circumstances the inner-city children have grown up with, but the stories all feel incomplete. With more details, the movie might have been better. But probably not. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@givm.sc. edu EARERERO • CORTHIUEDFROim chord progression and has passionate lyrics and honest intentions when he tells his lover that he misses her when he’s on the road. 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