1990_04 The Daily Collegian April 1990

              I
The Daily Collegian
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Monday, April 2,1990 .  Page 3
The Daily Collegian
Your campus news source
VAY'SmWS
"Independence  not
always easy to find
A production of family disturbances
By Robert Phlpps
Staff Writer
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Sometimes families aren'teasy things
lo be Involved In.
And as "Independence." the latest
production from the Theatre at the U.
which played from March 26 through
Sunday demonstrates, they aren't nec¬
essarily meant to be.
The title has a two-fold meaning. The
action takes place In the small town of
Independence. IA. but It's also the one
trait the play's characters have never
been able to achieve.
Kess Briggs (played by Leslie Mitts), a
mature and high-minded college stu¬
dent, has returned to Independence at
the request of her younger sister. Jo
(Ingrid Lohne). after four years of living
in Minneapolis.
ll's easy to see why Kess stayed away,
as we are introduced to Evelyn (Sue
Tyra). the whiney. overbearing and
demanding mother who has a history of
mental problems and Sherry, the last of
the three daughters and a rebellious 19-
year-old high school hopeless who can.
find good In nothing.
The classic plot of a disturbed family is
quickly and effectively established.
Jo Is pregnant by a man she will
probably never see again. Sherry has
problems reconciling her obvious fall¬
ings as a sculptress. Kess has lesbian
■■•••■•■•■•■••^■•■•■•■•■•■•■•■♦■•■•■•■•■•■•■^
I
California StaterUniversity, Fresno
UNIVERSITY LECTURE SERIES
presents
COLONEL DAVID HACKWORTH
VIETNAM: A WARRIOR'S
 ODYSSEY '
^On June 27,1971, the U.S. Army's most decorated
living soldier became its most out-spoken critic. In
denouncing the American war effort in Vietnam as
tragically misguided on 'Issues and Answers," Colonel
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career.
An orphan, he found his first and only true home
in the Army when he enlisted at fifteen in the wake of
World War II. He served in Korea from 1950 to 1953 and
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warfare, his international best-seller of 1989, About Face, is
a stunning indictment of the Pentagon's fundamental mis¬
understanding of the Vietnam conflict.
In self-imposed exile in Australia for 18 years,
David Hackworth is back. Appearing on "Larry King
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Show," he was recently featured in Parade Magazine. Mr.
Hackworth offers a controversial perspective on the
Vietnam War and the current need to reform the entire
military system, especially in the area of readiness and
training.
7:30 p.m.    TUESDAY
APRIL 3, 1990    -    ^
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tendencies that don't fit In well with her
small, hometown mentality and Evelyn
Is a woman let down by life. Lonely,
angry and desperate. Evelyn cannot
accept the ma1 turing ofthe only Joy and
aid left in her life- family.
For the most part, "Independence" Is
true to both Its moral and the entertain¬
ment of its- audience.
Thecharactershereareextrerne. Mitts
plays Kess as a sort of hlglibiow, hell¬
bent on gathering memories other than
those of family; a person who deals
better with logic than people.
Hope's Sherry Is the comic relief In
this world of confusion. Living her life
simply for meaningless sex, 5herry
embodies the classic example ofthe teen
who won't grow up, a person more
comfortable with childhood than reality.
Meanwhile. Evelyn can understand
none of her daughters, though she knows
themlnslde-out.
Raised tn a different Ume. with differ¬
ent values and priorities. Evelyn's re¬
sentment can only build as she sees her
daughters tumingfrom their traditional
upbringing and their mother as well, to
embrace their own contemporary Ideas.
Lohne's Jo Is perhaps the most diffi-
cultfpart of all; the pivotal role around
whom the play basically revolves. Jo.
above all, needs "Independence." lest
she end up like her mother, spiteful and
lonely for the rest of her days.
"Independence" Is well suited for the
stage. Taking place In a single living-
room, the focus of the story Is not de¬
tracted from the characters who are the
soul ofthe story.
Perhaps the best character develop¬
ment we get la when there are only two
actresses on stage, kind of like real life.
Author Lee Blessing has built a room of
tension, painted with humor to produce
a point—you can't stay home forever.
The actresses here are, for the most
part. ma.lire In their roles. Needless to
say. Hope looked as though she was
having the most fun with her impish
portrayal of an eternal 14-year-old.
But that Is not to detract from Mitts,
who seemed to understand her charac¬
ter's differences and display them, or
Tyra, who's Evelyn was played as though
she was not unfamiliar with the part
And If at times "Independence" reeked
of melodrama, oh well. Many dramatic
productions do and fortunately the play
wasn't Innundated with' IL On the con¬
trary, the vast majority of 'Independ¬
ence' was quite believable.
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