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The Battalion Friday, Oct. 7, 1983 Page 3
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‘A Question of Identity’ addresses civil rights
By Richard Tijerina
Staff Writer
The Aggie Players’ debut perfor
mance of the semester opens Friday
Review
night in the Rudder Forum with Pat
Pfeiffer’s original play, “A Question
of Identity.” And judging from the
size and reaction of the crowd at the
Thursday night screening, it should
be a rousing success.
The play, which centers around a
liberal white reporter’s struggle to
find the truth behind a civil rights
leader’s death, is a two hour journey
into the heart and soul of the civil
rights movement. By the end of the
play, the young reporter named David
Stein is forced to look at himself and
answer some disturbing questions
about the movement, politics, race
relations, modem journalism and
himself.
Martell Stroup is excellent as the
reporter Stein. His relentless search
for the truth sometimes gets him in
trouble with those he is trying to ob
tain answers from, but he neverthe
less continues to look for the answers
that are continually hidden from him.
Those answers that are hidden con
cern the mysterious cause of the death
of the civil rights leader, a fictitious
character named Wayne Ellison. Elli
son died in a car accident when his
brakes failed while going around a
turn, and the police report mentions
the suspicious absence of brake fluid
in the master cylinder.
Stein is convinced of foul play in
Ellison’s murder, but he cannot ob
tain any hard facts from either Elli
son’s widow or son. Stein’s two main
theories on Ellison’s death are that an
ex-FBI agent killed him or that he ar
ranged his death himself to further the
movement’s cause by making himself
a martyr.
Danya Arafat beautifully portrays
Stein’s wife Linda, the angry young
woman who constantly struggles for
Stein’s attention.
Halfway through the play, the real
focus centers on Stein’s struggles to
find himself while writing his news
story on Ellison’s death. Stein was
once involved in the movement him
self, but has since lost place of his
ideals. A strong scene takes place be
tween Stein and Ellison’s widow that
helps to define and raise some ques
tions concerning his character.
“Mr. Stein,” Ellison asks, “just
what is it that makes you run? A pas
sion for the truth. . . or the Pulitzer
Prize? You’d better search yourself,
then maybe you’d find the truth.”
Stein’s search for the truth even
tually leads him into an obsession that
soon starts to decay the foundation of
his marriage. When Linda finally
confronts him with a take-your-story-
or-me speech, she leaves him with a
message that makes him think again
of his priorities in life and what is and
is not important to him.
“It’s just a story, David,” she says.
“Just another item in the newspaper.
You turned it into a crusade.”
The script is beautifully written by
Pfeiffer. Each scene proceeds in a
clear, concise manner that Pfeiffer
Should be given complete credit for.
The movement is good and the dia
logue is crisp.
What is most enjoyable about a
few scenes is the way in which she
connects them all at the end.
In.one scene, Stein visits the Elli
sons for the first time and immedi
ately asks to use the restroom. Later,
when the scene is ended and Stein is
rudely asked out by Ellison’s widow,
he is told that he forgot to flush the
toilet.
All in all, the play is a moving por
trait of the civil rights movement and
will make the audience member leave
the theater thinking twice about his or
her views on several subjects, includ
ing civil rights, journalism and mod
em relationships.
“A Question of Identity” will be
making a two weekend run at A&M.
Performances are slated for October,
7, 8, 13, 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. in the
Rudder Forum. Tickets are $5 for the
general public and $4 for students and
senior citizens. Reservations or ticket
information can be made by calling
the Rudder Box Office at 845-1234.
Photo by Fredrick D. Joe
“A Question of Identity,” won in the Aggie Players’ New Plays competition.
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ibson: Students should prepare for advanced education
By Kelley Wondrash
Reporter
Students interested in graduate school should
begin preparation at least a year before they plan
to attend, said Dr. Claude Gibson, acting assis-
| tantdean of the College of Liberal Arts.
As part of the College of Liberal Arts Career
Development Workshop, a program on how to
prepare for graduate school was presented
[ Thursday evening in Rudder Tower.
“The first question you should ask yourself is
I why do you want to attend graduate school,”
I Gibson said. “There are many reasons students
[want to attend graduate school. Some want to go
[forpersonal fulfillment while others want to gain
[additional experience in their field. Whatever the
[reason you must decide why you want to go.”
Gibson said the next important question to ask
is when does a student want to attend graduate
school.
“Generally you have to know the answer to
this question a year before you want to attend
graduate school,” Gibson said. “There are tests
that must be taken and these must be completed
before you apply to graduate school.”
Another important question to ask • is what
does a student want to do in graduate school,
Gibson said.
“Students can help answer this question by
talking to a professor or someone that is involved
in the area they are interested in studying,” Gib
son said. “Ask faculty members what they had to
do when they were in graduate school or ask
them what courses you should take to prepare for
graduate school. The answers the faculty mem
bers give you could help make your decision
about what to do in graduate school easier.”
Dr. Charles Stoup, businesss officer for the
College of Liberal Arts, said it is important for
students to apply to several graduate schools so
they can maximize their chances at being ad
mitted.
“Students also need to apply to a wide range
of institutions,” Stoup sifid. “If you apply at a
small, private institution, you need to apply at a
larger university also. This also will multiply a
student’s chances of being admitted to one of the
graduate schools he or she applies to,” Stoup
said.
Gibson said there are books available in the li
brary that can help students in their decision on
which graduate school to attend.
“These books are located in the reference
room of the library and contain information
about specific graduate institutions,” Gibson
said. “These books have information on admis
sion requirements, costs, the number of students
attending the school and the types' of graduate
programs offered at the school.”
Gibson said there are other questions to ask
when looking for a graduate school.
“Find out what the library is like at the institu
tion you want to attend,” Gibson said. He said
this is important because graduate students spend
much of their time doing research in the library.
Gibson said to find out who the specialist are
that students will be studying under and to find
out what kinds of courses are available in the stu
dent’s field of study.
Once these questions have been answered stu
dents can start applying to the graduate schools
they have chosen, Gibson said.
Stoup said competition to get into graduate
school is stiff so students should be aware of two
important criteria they will be judged on.
“Also get to know your professors. This is im
portant because when you apply to most grad
uate schools you will have to send letters of ref
erence and these are usually written by your
professors.”
Stoup believes that students should start think
ing about graduate school as early as their sopho
more year.
Stoup said as juniors students should take their
Graduate Record Examination (GRE). He said
students should take the test during their junior
year so they can spend their senior year applying
to graduate school.
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