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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 1985)
• O* ^ o' O —j =3 o' o ^ ri n> rt g ~*T3 r& D 5/4 £ 0 , g ^ o 5- = E -? 3 S_ ^_ £ f I Co-editors/Writers. Cathy Kieiy Walter Smith Photographer Bill Hughes ■■ July 26,1985 Plays offer variety in summer entertainment By CATHY RIELY Co-editor f I F YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SUM- mer entertainment but you're tired of movies, try "Ten Little In dians," a play sponsored by MSC Dinner Theater and the Aggie Play ers. Summer dinner theater at A&M started 11 years ago when the MSC suggested the idea to the theater arts group. Since then, two plays have been performed each summer, making "Ten Little Indians" the 22nd such production. This Agatha Christie murder mys tery set in the 1930s is about a group of eight people invited to a weekend house party on Indian Island. The guests and two servants soon dis cover they are the only ones on the island, and it isn't long before bad things start happening. I can't really tell you much more without giving away the story, and like all Agatha Christie stories, half the fun of this one is trying to solve the mystery. I will tell you, however, that the answer lies in the children's rhyme reprinted here, "Ten Little In dians." Read the rhyme and see if you can solve the mystery. Ten Me Indians boys went out to dine; One choked his little sell and then there were nine. Nine little Indian boys sat up very late; One overslept himselland then there were eight. Eight kttle Indian boys traveling in Devon- One said h'e'dstay there and then there were seven. Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himsell in halves and then there were six. Sixhttle Indian boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.- Five little Indian boys going in lor law; Four little Indian boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three. Three little Indian boys walking in the Zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two. Two little Indian boys sitting in the sun; One got Irizzled up and then there was one. One little Indian boy lelt all alone; He went and hanged himsell and then there were none. "Ten Little Indians" will play July 31 through August 3. Ticket price in cludes a buffet dinner (you can have seconds) by University Food Serv ices. Call the MS.C Box Office for in formation. In addition to performing two din ner theater plays each summer, the Aggie Players put on four non-din ner theater plays during the school year. Dr. Robert Wenck, a theater arts professor who is directing "Ten Little Indians," says the summer pro ductions differ from plays during the fall and spring. "We do more serious plays during the year and then in the summer we just kick back and have fun with the shows," he says. "It's a summer rec reation program, both for the audi ence and for the performers." Wenck says a group gets together to discuss what plays to perform. He'll usually come up with a list and (Clockwise from top left) Some Aggie Players run through a rehearsal for next week’s MSC Dinner Theater presenta tions of "Ten Little Indians." They are — clockwise tom bottom left — Mike Stevens, Doug Cochrane, Peck Phillips, Shaun Patrick, Bryan Turner, Tim McEvay and Carole Hargis. Next is a scene from "You Can’t Take It With You, "one of last season's performances. The bottom picture shows a scene from another one of last year's shows, "Lilliom." everyone will discuss the various plays' merits and come up with the two plays per semester. Then he'll hold auditions to choose the actors. 'Anyone can work on it (the play), anyone can try out," he says. And you don't have to be a theater arts major. They not only need actors, he says, but technical people — people to build sets and props, make cos tumes, do lighting, "and all that stuff." They can always use help, he even had a hard time finding enough people to work on "Ten Little Indians" because it called for 11 ac tors. T hough he's had problems finding enough people this summer session, Wenck shouldn't have any problems in the fall. That's when theater arts will be- 1 come the Department of Speech Communications and Theater Arts. Theater arts has offered a degree since 1977, but hasn't been a depart ment. Only 40 or 50 people have graduated with a theater arts de gree so far. But in the fall, Wenck says he ex pects 30 or 40 theater arts majors. see THEATER on page 2. ,