The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 4, Ed. 1, Friday, October 2, 1964 Page: 4 of 8
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PAGE 4
THE OPTIMIST
OCTOBER 2 ItM
i
An Editorial
Some People Never Satisfied
Some people are never quite satisfied and perhaps we '
are among them.
Right now we refer specifically to the plans being made
by the Student Senate to spend the $9000 budget voted Mon-
day night.
We would like to see it spent for a top-quality well-rounded
program of entertainment. (Ask us to be more specific and
'e'll refer you to the entertainment brought to a certain
nearby Baptist university during the past three years.)
Last year a "well-rounded" program was thought to
mean three popular vocal ensembles for entertainment with
the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra thrown in "for
balance."
When student leaders present their selections in this way
how would they expect the student body to respond? Would
6tudents prefer to be entertained or balanced?
We hope that this year's student leaders will offer high-
duality entertainment and offer it with pride not excuses
Judging from the impressive list of speakers already
lined up by the Student Association we have confidence that
this year's entertainment will also be top notch.
But don't be surprised if there are still complaints.
Some people are never quite satisfied.
DlIBllll
In Reverie:
By JIM
nillllMilMEIM
BBBrrrr ! ! !
It doesn't breathe:
It doesn't smell.
It doesn't feel
So very well.
We're so disgusted
With our nose
All it docs
Is blows 1 1
With the typical abruptness of
(Texas northers ACC shivered
Sunday under a wind colder
than dorm mothers during quiet
hours. Aside of the more ser-
ious aspects of an oncoming win-
ter such as the cost of new
sweaters and frostbite we no-
ticed some lighter moments.
MELINDA KAPP JOHNNY
FAULKNER'S latest companion
in the Grill was reportely be-
sieged by a young refugee from
the morning chill . . . "Give me-
some coffee quick!"
"Do you need cream or sugar?"
she asked.
"Neither one" he replied "I'm
going to pour it on my feet."
We read of a charming inci-
dent occurring recently in the
French Parliament where one of
the Deputies making a speech
urging the improvement of the
legal status of women cried:
"After all there is very little
difference between men and
womenl"
The entire Chamber of Dep-
uties rose and shouted as one
man "Viva la difference!"
One of our readers has written
in to point out that "reverie" is
defined by Webster as "... to
wander deliriously; to daydream;
to be lost in thought." Our reply:
"You think of something more
appropriate and we'll change our
our label."
We read in the want ads of the
Abilene Reporter - News: "$10
faS&
SWBSmI
FOWLER
reward for south side apartment
Large enough to keep young wife
from going home to mother.
Small enough to keep mother
from coming here."
The members of a hunting par-
ty had been specifically requested
to bring only male hounds. One
indigent member however
owned only a female and out of
courtesy was finally permitted to
include her. The pack was off in
a flash. In a matter of seconds
they were completely out of
sight. The confused hunters stop-
ped to question a farmer in a
nearby field "Did you see some
hounds go by here?"
"Yep" said the farmer.
"See where they went?"
"Nope" was the reply "but
it was the first time I ever see a
fox runnin' fifth!"
.
(Courtesy of RALPH BATES.)
The only perfect weather is
bed.
nroiiEiHB
PTIMIST
TlIE
Publlthtd waakly txcapt during vacatlona
nd xamlnatloni by itudonti of Abllana Owl
tlan Col lag. Subrcrlptloni $2 pr yr. Enter
d at itcond cltit martar Juna 29 1929 at
tha poit office of Abllana Taxai under tha
Act of Auguit 24 1912. Addrai ll communi-
cation! to tha Optimist Box 397 Station ACC
Abllana Taai. Talaphona OR 2-S441 Ext.
344.
Opinion! axprauad In tho Optlmlit ara
thou of tha wrlfar and not nacatiarlly thoM
of th admlnlttratlon.
EDITOR MRS FRANK SIIVEY
BUSINESS MANAGER JAY GARNER
SPORTS EDITOR RONNIE PRICE
RELIGIOUS EDITOR ... DAVID GATEWOOD
AMUSEMENTS EDITOR ... GEORGE STEWART
FASHION EDITOR . KATHY AKIN
STAFF
Jim Powlar Glo Coition Joyca Mtnhtll
David Harklnt Bill Robarti Jamai Storm
Joan Fulton Rllay Dunn Candy Martin Unde
Hvtd Jan Wall llnda Ball Glanna Wllion
Jaaqu Sprott David Young David Spradlln.
DMWaifflis.B imiimuEnMiiniunKittii'j
&M L ll
...U.
prVc! - K
Reviews
!?&
Hamlet' by Burton Gielgud
Vibrantly Alive Masterful
Br DAVID YOUMO
It seems to be quite appropri-
ate in this year marking the
400th anniversary of the birth of
William Shakespeare that Ham-
let his finest tragedy if not his
finest play is being played by
distinguished groups of players
at the Lunt-Fontaine Theatre on
Broadway.
Moreover it Is extremely grat-
ifying that the production is of
the highest caliber making
Shakespeare as vibrantly alive to-
day as it was in his own life-
time. On September 23 and 24.
thousands of people across the
country were permitted to see
a filmed performance of the pro-
duction. The presentation in Abilene
' occurred simultaneously with
showings in a thousand theatres
in various cities. The engagement
here and in every other place
was limited to two days only
and will not be shown again.
Performance Excellent
In a word the performance
was excellent. The actors acted
their parts believably refreshing-
ly commandingly and vigorous-
ly. They were asked to tell the
story of Hamlet without the aid
of conventional costuming or
staging; they succeeded quite
well.
At first the modern dress and
constructivistic set were a bit
distracting but they soon be-
came unobtrusive as the actors
drew the audience into what was
happening in Denmark.
Richard Burton starred as
Hamlet. He was ably supported
by Alfred Drake as the murder-
ous Claudius Eileen Herlie as
Queen Gertrude Hume Cronyn
as the unwittingly wise Polon-
ious and John Cullum as Laer-
tes. Their characterizations left
little to be desired. Only in the
delivery of their lines did they
and the rest of the cast some-
times fail. The delivery was oc-
casionally so rapid the lines were
unintelligible.
At those points only a close
familiarity with the text of
Hamlet would have made it pos-
sible to understand all that was
said. However the overall intel-
ligibility of the dialogue was suf-
ficient to tell the story and to
hold even the interest of a Fresh-
man English student.
Burton Masterful
Burton was masterful. Unlike
the usual conception of Hamlet
as a man who is incapable of de-
cisive action Burton's Hamlet
waited when he thought it best
UV.?e ... L. ti.v.
- V tW !&!-. HwllajU'
to wait and acted with no hesi-
tation when he decided to act.
The madness of this Hamlet was
obviously-feigned. He was at all
times in complete control of the
situation and succeeded in draw-
ing the others into his plans for
revenge.
A new touch by Burton was
his effective use of humor in a
role that is so often played strict-
ly for pathos. By adding this di-
mension Burton made Hamlet
only more human and in that
heightened the tragedy that in-
evitably swept events out of
Hamlet's control. This Hamlet
was so capable of enjoying life
full but was able only to de-
stroy so much so completely.
Hume Cronyn portrayed Pol-
onius in a very humorous man-
ner. He was pathetically wise
beyond his own understanding in
his injunctions to Laertes as the
younger man departed for
France.
A brief mention of George
Rose is in order. Rose appeared
on stage very briefly as the first
gravediggcr. The appearance was
outstanding and provided high
comic relief that brought Frank-
ie Fontaine's Crazy Guggenheim
to mind.
The performances by Burton
Cronyn and Rose were greatly
enhanced by a cast whose ex-
cellence cannot be questioned.
Gielgud Directed
Perhaps the one single factor
that contributed most materially
to the success of this production
was the able directing of Sir
John Gcilgud a noted Shakes-
pearean actor in his own right.
He never allowed the audi-
ence to become bored with the
action on the stage. His fresh
direction was the hallmark of
this production.
For example the ghost was a
shadow cast upon the back wall
of the stage and in effect made
the ghost more a ghost than the
usual portrayal by a flesh and
blood actor.
Giclgud's hand could be seen
in every facet of the play.
Gielgud paced the play so that
the action moved straight hard
and fast to the inescapable tragic
conclusion. He added pathos to
humor to human foible to com-
pletely involve the audience and
purge them of their need for
laughter and tears. One left the
theatre sad because of the trag-
edy but glad that it had not hap-
pened to him.
Gielgud shook the dust of 400
years from Hamlet and made it
into a gripping modern drama.
Loose
Leaves
'f
Th God
of tho botort
By BRUCE 8TARKEY
I
i
On the desert sand I walked
Toward the cool oasis;
I knew the way. ' .
And when God came by and said
He knew the way I said
"I have a map God."
Why did he keep bothering me?
Every time I looked around
He was following me.
Once when I was thlrstyvlooklng
For a spring among the rocks -He
caught up with me.
II
He held a canteen of cold water
And said "If you drink this
You will never thirst again."
But I knowing this was impos-
sible Said "Thanks but I know a v
spring
Just across the farther hill." v
I
But over there the water was
foul t
Around it human bones were
strewn
Bleaching in the burning sun.
Exhausted I fell beside the pool
Defiant trying to rest.
I could not rest.
Ill
God caught up again.
"If you need shade
I have a tent."
"Never mind I'm resting well."
Ignoring my obvious lie
He said nothing.
I threw away my mapl
There it was!
The Oasis!
IV
Tired hungry bleeding trium-
phant. I looked over my shoulder at God.
He was running after me.
He carried a larger pack than
before;
Water food medicine band-
ages I scomed them!
"Leave me alone God!
He slowed down
Stopped.
In the distance the small Oasis
Was shining in the sun.
I would show Him!
W
I stumbled on for a long time
Beiore I knew the oasis
Was a mirage.
All around tho night turned
black
I was thirsty bleeding tired;
The desert was cold.
I stopped sat down on a rock
Put my head in my hands;
I was lost.
I heard a noise behind my rock
And when I looked around
There was God.
! ft
ar it
r-tf&
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 4, Ed. 1, Friday, October 2, 1964, newspaper, October 2, 1964; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth99351/m1/4/: accessed July 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.