Page 3 - coccanyoncall_fy19711972

Page 3

F~rst Play In

Production
By Suzanne Muhl
The first Blue Masque produc-
Is there a revolution going on in tion of the year, Montserrat, will be
America today? I believe so. presented December 3, 4, 10 and 11
America is emerging. A definite in College of the Canyons Humani-
form is beginning to take shape out ties building H-1.
of a mass of confusion. Black Power, Written by Lillian Hellman, the
Chicano Power, Indian Power, Wo- play made its English version debut
men's Lib ... all seem to be uniting on Broadway in 1949, and has since
to form a new People Power, a new been one of the better plays pro-
Peace Power. Those who have been duced on any stage.
crying out for a new world can now This fictional account of an ac-
see the very beginnings of it right tual occurrence takes place in early
here in America. 19th century Venezuela during _the
revolution against Spain.
Apparently, Black courage to tell Montserrat:, portrayed by Gary
it like it is has led the way. Un- Simmons, is a Spanish captain torn
questionably exaggeration has oc- between loyalty to his country and
curred and some bending of the devotion to what he knows to be a
truth as the struggle for political just cause - - the cause of the
power has, for some blacks, re- revolutionaries.
placed the struggle for equality. Withholding information concern- Photographers Tom Burlew and Paul Osterhues were assigned to come
But it is also true that Blacks ing Bolivar, the revolutionary leader, up with a "campus construction" shot. This is what they produced.
were the first minority group in this Montserrat, is held in a garrison Some construction! Her name is Laurie Salls, a biology major from
country to indict the corruption commanded by Colonel Izquierdo, Saugus.
in our courts, in our seats of gov- by Erik Noet.
ernment, and in our social institu- The conflict between Montserrat 'Record Revievv
tions, and to tell people about it. and Izquierdo and the form of
torture devised by the colonel to TEARS OF JOY DON ELLIS
I assume they believed they had
r nothing to lose, and men in that get his information is the main Columbia 30927
theme of the play.
situation, in most cases, are honest
The conflict has con temporary By David Hoeltje mers (with Ellis occasionally sitting
men. They dared to look, and they
analogies, and because it does, in on a third set.)
dared to find fault in a system I first became a confirmed Don
modern clothing will be worn by
which, as we are led to believe by Ellis fan after purchasing his first The band has toned down quite
the players and a number of epi-
some TV commercials and maga- "live" double album set D o n Ellis a bit since the Fillmore albums. The
sodes in the play will be updated.
zine ads, is unselfish, and whose at Fillmore (West). string section, which would seem to
William Baker, oral communica-
first priority is the serving of the At that time, the band con- be out of place within the volume
tions instructor, is director. Debbie
people. sisted of Ellis on trumpet and level of a big band, is ingeniously
Wilborn is assistant director and drums, eight more brass pieces,
Mary Woolsey is technical director. amplified through a direct line-feed
No doubt there are some people five woodwinds, guitar, piano, bass,
Kevin Dooley is in charge of tickets. unit called the Barcus-Berry Trans-
in business who do care about conga and two more drummers - -
Other cast members are Chris ducer System.
serving the people, which includes 20 members in all.
Besha, Kevin Balser, David Williams, I suppose that Ellis and his
of course, serving themselves as well. The energy and highly profes-
Don Anderson, Cheryl Bassler, Rich-
sional tightness the band presented music and the outstanding members
But isn't it also true that all too ard Vanbelleghem, Rory Lee Soren- then is totally beyond my power of his band (most notably Fred
many people in business and gov- sen, Ernie Cline, and Dooley. to describe. Selden, alto sax; Milcho Leviev,
ernment wish only to serve their Using time signatures and key piano and Ralph Humphrey, drums)
lndia;n Site changes I had never experienced, are destined to remain popular only
own life .styles, their own political
beliefs, and, worst of all, their own Ellis totally captivated my musical among the confines of the jazz
egos? '(J)iig1s' Popular inquisitiveness and the desire for freaks of the globe. This is indeed
Some revolutionaries want to more of this thing called big band sad.
"pick up the gun," but this is ob- As many as 20 College of the jazz grew within me. But, he has made his mark and
viously not a responsible answer. Canyons students are participating With the release of thi.s latest many fine years of outstanding
America's revolution, which is hap- in archeological "digs" of Y okuts album set, recorded at Basin Street music are in store for those who
pening right now, includes Nader's Indian sites in the San Joaquin West in San Francisco, Ellis and his will listen.
Raders and Ecology. valley. Although the school year revised band have entered a virtually John L. Wasserman of the San
has just begun, several digs have untouched area of musical thought. Francisco Chronicle sums up Ellis'
It includes a new pride in our already taken place under the spon- Included in this 21 member group accomplishments and ability with
country which is not related to sorship of Roger Basham, psy- is a string quartet (first and second one simple paragraph on the back of
blind patriotism, and a realization chology-anthropology instructor. violins, viola .and cello); a woodwind the album jacket.
that America was founded on prin- The digs are conducted on a dry quartet (saxes, clarinet, oboe and "Ellis is the only jazz big band
ciples of freedom. We, the people lake (Buena Vista) near Taft, about flute); four trumpets, including Ellis; leader to emerge and endure in the
of America, have strayed greatly 85 miles from Valencia, and in- french horn, trombone, bass trom- last twenty years."
from these principles, and it's time clude one explored some years ago bone, contrabass trombone, tuba, That says a hell of a lot about
to return to them. by the Smithsonian Institute. piano, bas~, conga and two drum- one hell of a man.

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