A light and sprightly `Odyssey'

By R. Woodward Those involved with staging adaptations of celebrated great works often cast a pall of prestige over what they are doing, leaving audiences less inspired than benumbed. Such benumbment most definitely does not face the playgoer who goes to see the Cleveland Play House's production of The Odyssey.

Telling what happened to Odysseus, the most clever of mighty Greek warriors, during the ten years it took him to make his way home from the Trojan War, Homer's Odyssey is one of the world's most vivid adventure stories. It is no brooding. introspective work, and the exciting doings that it tells lend themselves easily to be retold by the Play House's clever mixture

of narrative, pantomime, and

choreography.

The playgoer is treated to many colorful and vivid visual effects, including exciting evocations of confronting a giant cyclops and visiting the dead in Hades. Special plaudits are in

order for David Smith in charge of properties and for Paul Rogers in charge of the set, the costumes and the lighting.

Among all of the various physical resources of the Play House being shown off by this production, not the least impressive are the physical capacities of a number of its actors.

It is no joke to say that this production would not be nearly as persuasive if James Richards who plays Odysseus did not have such an impressive pair of legs. In ancient times long pants were unheard of, and people judged a man to be strong and virile, not by looking at his biceps, but by looking at his calves and thighs.

The musculature of Richards legs not only conveys that Odysseus is among the strongest and most virile of mortals, but also suggests that here is a man, who far from having his head in the clouds, is connected by a firm stance to the ground, to earthly realities.

Richards, besides being an actor, is also a fencing instructor at Case Western Reserve. The continual sight of the powerful looking thighs developed by this strenuous sport gives this production its most important visual motif, a motif which gives the episodic story continuity by continually reminding the audience of the strong, worldly, physical nature of its hero.

When Odysseus identifies

himself at the end of the play by

stringing a bow that he is the only mortal strong enough to bend, the ease with which the feat is performed seems, thanks to Richards' appearance, not only likely but inevitable.

Richards has shown this

production is the meeting between Odysseus and Athena just after he arrives back on his home island of Ithaca, a scene which defines the characters of both of these two and shows why she looks after him. Athena, disguised as a shepherd boy, asks him who he is and he tells her a long, lying tale claiming to be a Cretan pirate fleeing his foes, whereupon she laughs and hugs him, saying that he is as good a liar among mortals as she is among the gods.

This scene would not have been hard to stage and would not have taken very long to perform. (The playing time of this production is less than an hour and a half as it is.) Especially with the performances of McElry and

David O. Frazier plays Zeus, Alcinous. Polyphemus and Aeolus, the keeper of the winds, and he is more than equal to being by turns divine, kingly, monstrous, and windy. He manages to be showy without being hammy.

Except for James Richards all of the members of the cast play more than one role. Nine cast members handle 33 roles and the changes from one role to another are all handled with great finesse.

Besides those already mentioned, the cast includes Paul A. Floriano, Sydney Erskine, Kelly Lawrence, Robert Rhys, Allen Leatherman, and Wiliam Rhys.

William Rhys, who would no doubt be the first runner up to James Richards in a Cleveland Play House great legs contest, has a few fleeting moments as Hermes, the messenger of the gods, which would make any reviewer regret that the word "cute" cannot be safely used to describe a serious, adult actor.

The Odyssey at the Cleveland Play House is a bright and sprightly production, especially noteworthy for how it combines professionalism with playful-

ness.

It plays weekends at the Drury Theatre through April 28th..

Richards delightful as they are, it Black lesbian bibliography

Richards being as delightful as they are, its absence from this production is altogether inexcusable.

This production is so streamlined that one does not see a great deal of Penelope, the

CAMBRIDGE MA-A bibliography documenting works on the lives of black lesbians will be published in the late spring. JR. Roberts, a white woman, began the bibliography as a project in the GoddardCambridge feminist studies program. In an article in the February Issue of Sojourner, Roberts explained that she realized that people

Attempting to find material that reflected the diversity of the lesbian community. she started to search out material that wasn't white and middle class

season an impressive ability to loyal wife of Odysseus who waits spoke of "the lesbian experience" as if it were one "experience transform himself physically into twenty years for his return. different characters. Just a Fortunately, this intense but couple of months ago in the play always dignified woman is Gemini he played convincingly played by Carol Schultz, an an ugly, fat, pot-bellied, actress who always seems to asthmatic teen-ager. Maybe he need less time than anyone else will end up being the Play to make a definite impression. House's answer to Lon Chaney Schultz also plays three other Also showing an imposing roles including that of Circe, the physical presence in The Enchantress Oydssey is Evie McElroy who

plays Athena. the goddess of Support

wisdom and Odysseus's patron deity. As McElroy plays her she is a mighty power truly not to be messed with. Not even Zeus (played by David Frazier) looks like he would dare to cross her.

One scene from Homer's epic inexplicably absent from this

Women and other people'

New play at Center Rep

Film and television actresses Julie Adams and Marilynn Lovell open Center Repertory Theatre's spring season with a new play on Friday, April 27th at 8:00 p.m. The play, "Women and Other People." is a musical revue that examines woman through the eyes of such astute observers as Dorothy Parker, Emily Dickinson, Charlotte Bronte, Stephen Sondheim, Ira Gershwin, Gore Vidal, Dory Previn, and others. It is directed by famed dancer Marge Champion. The Center Repertory opening of this revue marks its Midwest premiere.

Both actresses are widely known from stage and film appearances. Julie Adams has Co-starred with Tyrone Power, Glenn Ford, Charlton Heston, Rock Hudson, and Jimmy Stewart. Her television credits include a co-starring role on Jimmy Stewart's series a few seasons ago, and guest appearanon "Marcus Welby, M.D.." "Medical Center," "Mannix," "Ironside," "MacMillan and Wife," and Streets of San Fransico." She also starred in the Hollywood Television Theatre's production of Pirandello's "Six Characters in

Search of an Author."

Marilynn Lovell was last seen inCleveland opposite Mary Martin in "Hello Dolly." directed by Gower Champion. She has studied acting with Sandy Meisner in New York and at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art In Los Angeles, her current home, she has been active in the formation of a repertory company headed by Ralph Waite of television's "The Waltons." Augmenting her dramatic career is a singing career which has brought her considerable acclaim on the national night club circuit. Lovell is also a certified hypnotist and a licensed psycho-therapist.

"Women and Other People" runs for three weeks only at Center Repetory at East 17th and Euclid, Cleveland. Performances are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m. and Sunday at 7:00. On Tuesday and Wednesday, April 24th and 25th, special previews will be presented at 8:00 p.m. The show closes Sunday, May 13th. For tickets, call 216566-7300

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Most of the 150 to 160 listings that have been compiled to date are from recent times, but several extend farther back in history. Roberts collected material from lesbian, gay and women's journals, as well as from black journals, scientific magazines, and tapes, interviews and research papers. Roberts has attempted to include all the possible information on black lesbians in her bibliography. A review by a black man of Ann Shockley's book Loving Her will be contrasted with Beverly Smith's review of the same book that appeared in GCN.

Roberts told Sojourner that being white made the project difficult. "I'm not the one to be interpreting. My whiteness gets in the way of trying to talk about context and issues."

The bibliography needs financial sponsors. Anyone interested in contributing should contact J.R. Roberts c/o the Women's Center, 46 Pleasant Street, Cambridge, MA 02139.

-courtesy of Gay Community News, 3/3/79

T.M. Mackey

presents

Miss Gay Ohio Universe Pageant

Saturday, September 29, 1979 American Legion Hall 1439 Cleveland Ave. N.W. Canton, Ohio 44703

$5.00 per person Winner will receive $500.00 CASH

Showtime 9 PM

Further information, details and application

forms available upon request.

Contact: T.W. Schumacher

1323 12th St., N.W., Apt.2 Canton, Ohio 44703

M.C.: Miss Chastity Hutton former Miss Gay Ohio 77