Friday, February 10, 1984AThe Battalion/Page 11
England revisited in Town Hall’s ‘Oliver!’
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Fagin, played by Joe Inscoe, tells Oli
ver, played by Zachary Stier, “how to
pick a pocket or two.” “Oliver” was
Photo by BILL HUGHES
sponsored by MSC Town Hall Thurs
day night and played to near-capacity
crowd in Rudder Auditorium.
By LOUIS HILGARTNER
Staff Columnist
Early 19th century England
came to life in Rudder Audito
rium last night as a near-capac
ity crowd was taken back to the
London of the the early 1800’s
in MSC Town Hall’s presenta
tion of “Oliver!”
“Oliver!” is a musical adapta
tion of the classic novel Oliver
Twist by Charles Dickens.
The story revolves around a
poor orphan, Oliver Twist
(played by Zachary Stier), who
spends the first ten years of his
life in a miserable orphanage-
/workhome managed by the
hard-hearted Mr. Bumble
(played by Michael D. Cupp)
and his matron the Widow Cor-
ney (played by Susan C. McMa
hon.)
Amid smoke and stark back
lighting, the orphans solemnly
file onstage to take their places
at the dining table. A vat is low
ered from a balcony, and you
know it isn’t full of prime rib.
The orphans express their
dreams for real food as they
sing “Food, Glorious Food.”
The singing stops abruptly as
Mr. Bumble steps onto the stage
banging his staff and generally
hollering for order.
As the orphans turn in their
bowls after this “meal” Oliver
asks for more. Mr. Bumble goes
absolutely ape and orders Oli
ver sold. The rest of the or
phans trudge off.
With the youth out of the
way, the coast is clear for Mr.
Bumble to make a pass at the
Widow Gorney, and amid the
running, chasing and goosing
she manages to sing “I Shall
Scream.”
The fun is interrupted by Ol
iver who has returned with his
belongings. Mr. Bumble takes
Oliver and sells him to a Mr. So-
werberry (played by Robert
McGrath), a cruel undertaker.
Oliver is left to spend his first
night with the Sowerberry’s on
the floor and, pondering his fu
ture, he sings “Where Is Love?”
Oliver’s stay with the Sower-
berrys is short, because the fol
lowing morning he runs away.
Alone and wandering the
streets of London, Oliver meets
The Artful Dodger. The
Dodger (Marc Morozumi) wel
comes Oliver with open arms as
a fellow destitute. “Consider
Yourself”, probably the most
memorable song from the
whole show, is sung by the
Dodger, Oliver, and the other
young street toughs.
Dodger introduces Oliver to
a man named Fagin. Fagin
(played by Joe Inscoe) is a
mobster of sorts, employing
young boys to steal for him. Fa
gin and the boys tell Oliver the
way to a better life is to “Pick A
Pocket Or Two.”
Oliver is told that “It’s A Fine
Life” they lead, and is in
structed in the facts of life by a
young woman named Nancy
(Elizabeth Van Den Berg) who
also works for Fagin.
The first day on the job
doesn’t go so well for Oliver
though.
Under the tutelage of
Dodger and his cohort Charley
Bates (Ravi Tolliver), Oliver is
arrested for picking pockets.
That arrest is the best thing
that happens to Oliver.
Since he didn’t actually do
the dirty deed, the gentleman
who lost his wallet to Dodger
and Charley takes Oliver in as a
form of recompense.
This gentleman turns out to
be Oliver’s grandfather.
Oliver tries to be responsible
at his grandfather’s, but is “re-:
captured” by a desparate chaGl
acter known as Bill Sykes (PauL
W. Hermanson). Sykes returns]
Oliver to Fagin, but Nancy who!
loves Bill wants to see that OlL-j
ver gets back to where he be
longs. Oliver is returned, but hy
costs Nancy her life.
'.I
The performances of the va^
rious characters were excellent-
and it is likely we will see thfei
names of these kids again.
The use of fog, lights, and;
the set construction all comv
birred to help create the right at
mosphere for each of the diR
ferenl scenes.
The bottom line is the audS;
ence enjoyed the show. %
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Governor promises
jail investigation
United Press International
from!
AUSTIN — Saying he is
^shamed” of the conduct of
ercenl 1 slate prison officials, Gov.
Mark White promised Thurs-
inl, Jay “ to get to the bottom” of
hrcc > growing reports of wrongdoing
sport a flithio th e Texas Department of
afoil Corrections.
therewfl «>j t hink they’ve got to recog-
1 nhe this is not just a wind that’s
d SU PP going to blow through there
over ptsf over the weekend and be gone
on Monday,” White said,
all c® . But the governor defended
g the prison board’s decision to
1 the |j»view a special management
21:1,1 [report behind closed doors next
week.
:h mat®
key l(f* The prison board meets next
ture,teffonday in Huntsville to review
» U$ l- i comprehensive management
;s only? report that was ordered after
in thistte resignation last year of for-
995. mer prison director W.J. Es-
sakl:'(f*lle.
esforW
[igliteij White said if the report deals
to suftfl^h personnel or matters that
con c«lalready are in court, the board
ly ediitalftay be within its right to with-
c j jnMhold public disclosure of the re-
ction* P° rt '
one d T
( Texas I, There cannot be a pre-re-
bi jesJlease of that information until
, its itJthere is an opportunity for legal
usinesi l response,” he said. “Let the at
torney general have an oppor-
tef Jtunity to do his job and I think
g [joS you’ll find a full revelation of all
^j s i those reports.”
K ,.•! The prison system has been
beseiged in recent months by
numerous reports of wrong
doings, including brutality of
inmates by guards, fraud in the
construction program, misuse
of funds and false reports on
employee fringe benefits.
White said if the report con
tains allegations of criminal ac
tivity he will recommend pros
ecution.
“We’re going to get to the
bottom of it. I’ll guarantee you
that,” he said. “I want to make
certain that any individual who
has been breaking the law over
there is going to be treated
accordingly.”
And the governor specifically
promised to pressure local pros
ecutors to investigate reports of
inmate brutality. A warden, two
other high-ranking prison offi
cials and two guards were fired
and 10 other officials were de
moted Monday in the wake of
an investigation into brutality.
“Loose practices will no
longer be condoned,” White
said. “There’s going to be a new
pattern for leadership over
there and there’s going to be a
new pattern for every employee
of TDC.”
White said he believed
most TDC employees
“cheer what we’re doing.”
The governor said prison
employees had been “su
premely embarrassed” by
ports of misconduct.
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