Above, Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson in Howard's
End. Below, James
Wilby in Maurice.
Ross Theater Screens Merchant Ivory Retrospective
Views of Merchant/Ivory: 3 Continents, 14 Films
For 35 years, producer Ismail Merchant and director James Ivory, most
often in collaboration with writer Ruth Prawer Jhadvala, have made films
renowned for their civility and sophistication. Many have been
adaptations
of literary classics and have been celebrated for the quality of their
acting
and impeccable sense of time and place.
In a screen era when violence is the dominant emotional expression,
when
special effects supplant storytelling, Merchant and Ivory continue to aim
high. Their record of accomplishment after 40 films, is so impressive the
occasional failure scarcely matters.
"Views of Merchant Ivory: 14 Films, 3 Continents," a
three-week
retrospective, began Dec. 3 at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater. The
retrospective,
which runs through Dec. 20, is an apt commemoration for the 35th
anniversary
of this uniquely peripatetic production company. Complete schedules and
synopses are available at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater.
Along with more recent and well-known films such as Howards End -
arguably
Merchant Ivory's finest achievement - Remains of the Day, Mr. and Mrs.
Bridge
and Jefferson in Paris, the series offers a chance to see some early,
rarely
revived gems. Merchant, Ivory and Jhabvala first collaborated on The
Householder
(1963), which they made with Jhabvala's husband and the great Satyajit
Ray,
whose masterful cameraman Subrata Mitra shot their earliest films.
Adapted by Jhabvala from her novel, The Householder is rough around
the
edges, especially in a couple of amateurish supporting performances, but
at heart it is a charmer about a petulant, naive young husband (Shashi
Kapoor)
as an ineffectual, underpaid professor at a New Delhi college, where
pomposity
and condescension reign. He's also miserable at home in an arranged
marriage.
But his wife is beautiful (Leela Naidu) and not nearly as stupid as her
husband thinks she is. The Householder has a lyric quality, a gentle
humor
and a mature sensibility that was to characterize much of the later
Merchant
Ivory films.
The trio hit its stride in only its second feature, Shakespeare Wallah
(1965), which remains one of its finest accomplishments. By now Kapoor,
a handsome matinee idol of the Indian cinema as well as a splendid actor,
had married actress Jennifer Kendal, whose parents Geoffrey Kendal and
Laura
Liddell had toured India for years with their Shakespeare troupe. Ivory
and Jhabvala wrote a script in which the Kendals, including their other
actress-daughter Felicity, would pretty much play themselves. (Jennifer
Kapoor served at this film's costume designer.) Shakespeare Wallah exerts
a tremendous emotional pull as the troupe finds it harder and harder to
survive in a post-colonial India because so much of its audience has
returned
to the UK. With a lovely, evocative score composed by Satyajit Ray,
Shakespeare
Wallah is a tribute to the gallantry, talent and courage of the Kendals.
Its gentle humor, however, has a Chekhovian cast.
Roseland (1977) is another of Merchant Ivory's best, exquisitely
nuanced,
impeccably crafted and ineffably poignant. It consists of three vignettes
set in Manhattan's venerable ballroom that gives the film its title. A
garish
bastion of middle-class gentility, the Roseland of the film is a magnet
for all generations of people who love to dance - and especially those
who
are lonely. Teresa Wright plays a widow in the first sketch. In the
central
episode Helen Gallagher, as the ballroom's dance instructor, Joan
Copeland,
as an ailing middle-aged woman, and Geraldine Chaplin, as Copeland's
young,
recently widowed friend, all vie for suave gigolo Christopher Walken. In
the final episode, Lilia Skala - the formidable mother superior of Lilies
of the Field - is an elderly lady still determined to compete in dance
contests.
What saves Roseland from being obvious and easily sentimental is the
very high quality of the writing by Jhabvala and the sensitivity and
compassion
of Ivory's direction. Roseland resists an easy satirization of its
vulnerable
people and emerges a film of succinct, flowing images and shimmering
beauty.
To watch Merchant Ivory's exquisite 1979 film of Henry James' The
Europeans
is like seeing a series of ancestral portraits come alive. Filmed in some
stately New England homes as autumn is turning the leaves to fire, it's
an impeccable period piece that transports us to a world that's all but
vanished for most of us - a leisurely paced era of the utmost civility in
which speaking well is not an affectation and courtesy is the norm.
It is an atmosphere, however, of such austerity as to be stifling.
Once
again Ivory and Jhabvala display their expertise at deceptively gentle
depictions
of cultural confrontations that reverberate quietly with
implications.
Marked by compassion, humor, and detachment, Maurice is the superb
Merchant
Ivory 1987 film of the E.M. Forster novel. It takes us into the
complacent,
fixed world of Great Britain's pre-World War I privileged classes, which
could be an absolute hell for gays. In the title role, James Wilby, who
sees himself and is seen as an utterly regular fellow, is plunged into
multifaceted
conflict when confronted with his attraction for the handsome Clive (Hugh
Grant, before anyone in America knew who he was). The odyssey of
self-discovery
upon which Maurice ultimately embarks is not just that of a homosexual
struggling
to accept himself but that of anyone who finds himself/herself in
conflict
with society's norms. "Struggles like his are the supreme
achievement
of humanity, and surpass any legends about Heaven," Forster
declared.
In 1993, Merchant turned director with the wise and rueful comedy In
Custody. The primary point of this leisurely and engaging (though not
widely
seen) film is to celebrate Urdu, a Northern Indian language cherished by
poets and writers for its beauty and one on the verge of extinction. In
selecting Anita Desai's novel to adapt to the screen, however, Merchant
wisely chose humor as the most effective way to protest a great cultural
loss. Indeed, his film is at times almost excruciatingly funny, striking
a perfect balance between laughter and pain.
Om Purl stars as Deven, a poorly paid, badly treated professor of
Hindi
at a backwater college. He has had a lifelong passion for Urdu and would
love to devote his life to writing poetry in that language. Given a
chance
to interview the man widely regarded as the greatest living Urdu poet,
Deven
inadvertently embarks upon a journey fraught with comic peril.
After no small difficulty, he finds the poet (Shashi Kapoor) living in
a crumbling Bhopai palace with his two wives) (Sushma Seth, Shabana
Azmi),
who detest each other. As for the poet himself, he has slid into a life
of indolent despair, surrounded by freeloading admirers who drink and
feast
at the poet's expense far into the night. With his gallery of beautifully
observed characters, Merchant has evoked a sense of loss tempered by a
grasp
of the human comedy. Admission to individual screenings is $6; $5 for
students;
and $4 for members of the Friends of the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater,
seniors, and children. Series passes are available at the box office at
$25 for all 14 films ($20 for members of the Friends of the Ross) and
$12.50
for 7 films ($10 for members).
Untitled Etching by Marie Laurencin shown at right
Pablo Picasso and Peers Exhibited at Sheldon to Feb. 7
The Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden presents Pablo
Picasso and Peers, an exhibition of more than 30 works drawn from the
Sheldon
Gallery's permanent collection and supplemented by several local, private
collections from Dec. 1 to Feb. 7.
Pablo Picasso and Peers traces the artistic development of one of the
most important artists of the 20th century, an artist who challenged and
expanded (perhaps even transgressed) his extraordinary talents through
nearly
seven decades of artistic production. This exhibition features works on
paper by Picasso and surveys his remarkably prolific journey, from
Symbolism,
Cubism, and Surrealism and his subsequent utilization of all these
stylistic
vocabularies as he developed an extremely personal aesthetic
language.
Picasso remains one of this century's most important artists in large
part because of the tremendous influence that he exerted on legions of
artists,
from his European avant-garde contemporaries of the first three decades
of the 20th century to generations of younger artists in the United
States
seeking to learn from as well as to challenge the undisputed "old
master"
of modern art. Pablo Picasso and Peers, thus presents 14 works on paper
by several of Picasso's contemporaries, all of whom were deeply
influenced
by Picasso. Such artists as Picasso's friend and co-founder of Cubism,
Georges
Braque, fellow Spaniard Juan Gris, Fernand Leger, Jean Metzinger, and
Francis
Picabia among others reveal not only the profound affect that Picasso had
upon other European artists, but the diverse ways to which these artists
put their personal interpretations of Cubism to creative use.
This exhibition sheds historical light on the important role played by
Picasso and his European contemporaries in developing and expanding the
formal lexicon of 20th-century art, and offers the Sheldon audience an
opportunity
to view the work of artists who exerted a profound influence on the
development
of modern art in the United States. From the Museum of Modern Art's
influential
survey exhibition in 1936 titled "Cubism and Abstract Art" to
the numerous exhibitions of Picasso throughout the 1930s and 1940s,
American
artists were afforded with the opportunity to experience Picasso and
Peers
firsthand, an experience that played an important role in the development
of Abstract Expressionism.
Spring Break in New York
See Chelsea and SoHo galleries, Fifth Avenue, 57th Street galleries,
Whitney, Modern, Metropolitan,Guggenheim, Harlam Studio and Brooklyn
Museums
on a spring break trip from March 15 to 21.
This is an intense trip to see art. Anyone is welcomed to join the
group
but be advised - we are in the galleries when they open and we don't quit
til the doors lock at night. The hotel will be a modest, clean space
which
meets basic necessities (no cable TV) but there is a complete breakfast
for a reasonable amount in the hotel.
Contact Mo Neal mneal@unlinfo.unl.edu
or 472-9429 for cost information.
Deadline to register is Dec. 11.
Eisentrager Exhibit
James Eisentrager, professor emeritus, Art and Art History, is
exhibiting
16 paintings in "James Eisentrager - Sequential Deliberations,"
at the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Museum of Art. The show continues to Dec.
13.
Scrooge Spirits Holiday Cheer Onto Lied Stage Dec. 11-13
Nothing exemplifies the Christmas spirit like the story of Ebenezer
Scrooge.
The heartwarming Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol, comes alive with
performances
at 7 p.m. Dec. 11; 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 12; and 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at the
Lied Center for Performing Arts.
A collaboration between the Lied Center and the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln
Department of Theatre Arts, A Christmas Carol has become a biennial
tradition
in Lincoln.
Ebenezer Scrooge is the original "grinch" who almost stole
Christmas. A perpetual grump and hard-core skinflint, Scrooge cannot be
bothered by the Christmas holidays, even threatening to fire his poor
clerk,
Bob Cratchit, for asking for the day off. He sends away a group of men
asking
for charity and even casts out his only relative, nephew Fred, son of
Scrooge's
late sister, Fan. Scrooge seems happy to spend Christmas Eve alone in his
miserable room with nothing but a lump of coal to warm his frozen heart.
But Scrooge's long-dead partner, Jacob Marley, has other plans for the
nasty
old man. The apparition Marley visits Scrooge on Christmas Eve and warns
of visits by three more spirits, who show the old man the error of his
ways.
By the next morning, the ice has melted from Scrooge's heart, and he
realizes
all that Christmas has to offer.
This performance, adapted by Barbara Fields and The Guthrie Theatre of
Minneapolis, Minn., features beautiful costumes by Janice Stauffer and
charming
Victorian settings by Larry Kaushansky with additional pieces by Dan
Stratman.
This production is directed by William Grange, associate professor of
theatre arts, with musical direction by Melissa Noonan and choreography
by Julie Kane.
William McCauley, who delighted Nebraska Repertory Theatre audiences
this past summer in The Woman in Black, returns to Nebraska to portray
Scrooge.
He is one of New York's finest cabaret performers and was resident
entertainer
at the St. Regis Hotel for two years before moving on to the
Waldorf-Astoria.
David Landis, a Nebraska state senator and instructor at the University
of Nebraska College of Law, will play the role of Dickens.
Pre-curtain entertainment includes performances by swing choirs from
Beatrice High School on Dec. 11; Fremont High School at 2 p.m. and
Nebraska
City High School at 7 p.m. Dec. 12; and Lincoln Lutheran High School on
Dec. 13.
Tickets for the performance are $20 and $16. University of
Nebraska-Lincoln,
Nebraska Wesleyan University and Doane College students and youth 18 and
younger with proper identification can purchase tickets for
half-price.
Call the Lied box office at 472-4747 or toll free, (800) 432-3231 for
ticket availability. Box office hours are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays.
On performance weekdays, the box office is open from 11 a.m. through the
first intermission. For evening performances on weekends, the Box Office
opens at 3 p.m.
Ticket Sales Begin Dec. 7 for Grease, Slated Jan. 23, 24 at Lied
Ticket sales begin at 11 a.m. Dec. 7 for three performances of the
Broadway
smash musical Grease. This Troika Organization touring roadshow will be
staged at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24 at
the
Lied Center for Performing Arts.
"Grease had a fabulous eight-year run on Broadway and was a
superstar
movie," said Charles Henry Bethea, Lied Center director. "It's
one of the most popular musicals ever produced. And we jumped at the
chance
to offer this first-class production to Nebraska audiences. The timing is
great - show tickets make a terrific Christmas present and the January
performances
happen just when you're bored with the post-holidays lull and ready to
rock'n'roll."
Written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, Grease is the story of
1950s-era
Rydell High Schoolers Danny Zuko, king of the Burger Palace Boys, and
Sandy
Dumbrowski, the wholesome naïve transfer student whose life changes
forever thanks to the influence of tough-talking Rizzo, leader of the
Pink
Ladies gang. Songs from this musical have infiltrated American Pop
Culture:
"Greased Lightnin'," "Summer Nights," "Born to
Hand Jive" and "We Go Together" are just a few of the
tunes
made popular by this perennial favorite. Poodle skirts, sweater sets,
ducktails,
jeans and pedal-pushers are part of the fun. Dancing at the sock-hop,
necking
at the drive-in theater, or rumbling in the alleys are a few of the ways
these teens spent their time.
Grease is the fifth-longest running musical in Broadway history,
opening
in 1972 and clocking 3,388 performances until it closed on April 13,
1980.
Its revival opened on Broadway in 1994.
The show was nominated for seven Tony Awards during its first run and
three more during the revival. Its popularity continues to grow and new
generations of kids fall in love with these 1950s teen-agers.
Grease was the first wave of a 1950s craze that produced hits like the
film American Graffiti and the long-running television sit-coms Happy
Days
and Laverne and Shirley. The 1978 film starring John Travolta and Olivia
Newton-John, recently re-released, is the top money-making movie musical
of all time, surpassing even The Sound of Music.
Tickets for the performance are $38, $34 and $29. University of
Nebraska-Lincoln,
Nebraska Wesleyan University and Doane College students and youth 18 and
younger with proper identification can purchase tickets for
half-price.
Call the Lied Box Office at (402) 472-4747 or toll free, (800)
432-3231
for ticket availability. Box Office hours are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
weekdays.
For more information about this performance or other Lied Center
programs,
see the Lied Center's web page at http://www.unl.edu/lied.
Quilt Study Center Sponsors Expressions of Freedom Contest
The Expressions of Freedom quilt contest, sponsored by the
International
Quilt Study Center, the Robert and Ardis James Foundation and
"Quilter's
Newsletter Magazine" celebrates the 50th anniversary of the
Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. Forty quilts, chosen from approximately 130
entries, have been selected as finalists.
The entrants submitted quilts that address many of the issues dealt
with
in the declaration including conflicts based on religious and ethnic
differences
and the exploitation of women and children.
Negotiations are under way to exhibit Expressions of Freedom's
finalists
at the United Nations General Assembly lobby during the summer of 1999.
For future exhibitions, 20 to 25 quilts will be displayed, including the
first-, second- and third-place quilts, the best group quilt, regional
winners
and a number of honorable-mention quilts.
The finalists represent Chile, Costa Rica, Latvia, Germany, Holland,
Russia, Canada, Norway, France, Japan, India, England, Israel and the
United
States. That number is gratifying since the dual purpose of this contest
was to encourage people to express their personal feelings through
quilting
in countries where the technique is not an established custom.
The finalists were judged in November by a panel that is well known in
the quilt world: Penny McMorris, producer/host of "The Great
American
Quilt" series on PBS and founder of the Electric Quilt Company;
Robert
Shaw, author of "Quilts: A Living Tradition;" and Jeannie
Spears,
senior features editor for "Quilter's Newsletter Magazine."
Winners will be announced later in December. The first-place winner
receives
$10,000. Second place receives $5,000, third place wins $2,500, best
group
quilt wins $2,500, and there will be seven $1,500 regional awards.
The finalists reflect many varied human rights issues in their quilts.
One Israeli woman created a quilt that depicted the Middle East conflict.
She wrote in her accompanying essay; "I hope never again to hear the
sound of the air-raid siren, while missiles explode around me, unleashing
terror, death and destruction." Two women from Latvia created a
quilt
that they titled "Sweet Dreams Quilt" about happy childhoods.
They ask, "Which generation will be the first, living in harmony
with
Human Rights?"
An American woman called her quilt "Celebration of Hope,"
because
"even though after 50 years we are no closer to a world without war
or human rights abuses, we still have hope."
Holiday Specials Feature Heartland Traditions
Discover some great traditions to add to your family's yuletide
celebrations
when two one-hour Christmas specials air at 7 a.m. on consecutive
Sundays,
Dec. 6 and 13.
Marcia Adams: Christmas in the Heartland captures all the nostalgia
and
festivity of the season with heirloom recipes, easily duplicated craft
ideas
and beautifully decorated homes. Four places and families are featured,
each reflecting on a different time period of history.
The first segment starts at a pre-Civil War farmhouse where the
emphasis
is on herb gardening and folk art. Recipes presented are for Raspberry
Shrub
and a fabulous brunch dish - baked eggs and mushrooms. Tips on how to
make
a fresh herb wreath are also demonstrated.
The second stop is in Bethlehem, Pa., where a Moravian holiday is
observed.
Adams shows viewers how to whip up Moravian Sugar Cake, Rum Rousal and a
scrumptious gingerbread bowl. A Vesper Service at the Central Moravian
Church
is included in the program.
The second hour-long special airing Dec. 13, features a Victorian
house
full of ideas, such as making clear glass candy, applesauce ornaments and
a gingerbread Noah's ark.
The final stop is at Adams' house for a sumptuous holiday buffet with
duck with rhubarb chutney sauce as the main course. A whopping five
desserts
top off the feast, and viewers are shown how to make delectable
mousse-filled
chocolate tulip cups. This segment also brings the outdoors in, showing
how to create decorations from branches and "materials" found
in Adams' garden - hydrangeas, Queen Anne's lace and antique apple
varieties. | 
