description:
Jan. 15,1964 THE SKYSCRAPER Page Three Skyscraper Reviews Literature, Baldwin Illuminates Racial Question; Stresses Search for Personal Love Arts A dynamic voice that carries the strength of firmly grounded con victions has penetrated the Ameri can scene. And steadily, this voice of the angry young man, James Baldwin, has reiterated with per sistent urgency, what we like to call the Negro problem. Baldwin's latest book, The Fire Next Time, is deceptively thin, apparently harmless. Upon ex amination, however, one discovers that its two essays are fired with bold, provocative claims that prevent a once over lightly Baldwin is convincing he is personal, because he writes out of only one thing, my own experience. And the experience of a Negro in Harlem, as Baldwin sketches it, is a ter rifying illustration of humanity. My Dungeon Shook is a brief essay in letter form from Baldwin to his nephew on the 100th anniver sary of the emancipation. In this, and in Down at the Cross, a Letter from a Region in My Mind, Baldwin underscores the identity problem which he considers the fun damental stumbling block in the present racial crisis. He instructs Books perusal, because by Sister Mary St his nephew that you can only be destroyed by believing that you re ally are what the white world calls a nigger. Baldwin writes with admirable objectivity; he betrays no trace of flag-waving emotionalism. As one critic put it, his Olympian detach ment is almost frightening. But Baldwin is a dedicated man, seek ing eagerly to free his people from their suffering. For Baldwin, there is no question of superiority among races. In his letter to his nephew he says, There is no reason for you to try to be come like white people and there is no basis whatever for their im pertinent assumption that they must accept you. The really ter rible thing, old buddy, is that you must accept them . . . with love. The white man, however, has thrust himself into a position of self-styled superiority which he refuses to relinquish. And here lies the essential issue. For, in actuality, Baldwin, in emphatic understatement asserts, people are not terribly anxious to be equal. This, like much of v/hat Baldwin has to say, is harsh, irritating and uncomfortably true. He speaks of . Eunice, B.V.M. a solution to the race problem in terms of love, not in the vague, sentimental sense Americans have chosen to consider it, but love in the personal sense as a state of be ing or a state of grace ... in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth. Love takes off the masks that we fear we can not live without and know we can not live within. This type of love does not recognize color as a bar rier between individuals. It im plies acknowledgement by all for all. It is the white man's mask of fear and of insecurity which will not permit him to realize that the Negro is as essentially American as he is; that he, too, has suf fered for his country, perhaps more than the white man. Bald win holds that people who can not suffer can never grow up, can never discover who they are. That man who is forced each day to snatch his manhood, his identity out of the fire of human cruelty that rages to destroy it, knows if he survives his effort . . . something about himself and life that no school on earth can teach. Baldwin's solution of love calls for self-surrender and recognition of others by all Americans. It is a solution which is not new, but it demands novel heroism. We, the black and the white, deeply need each other here if we are really to become a nation. It is this answer which leads Baldwin to his dramatic and fright ening, yet realistic, conclusion: If we do not now dare everything, the fulfillment of that prophecy, recre ated from the Bible in song by a slave, is upon us: God gave Noah the rainbow sign, No more water, the fire next time James Baldwin 'Black Nativity' Shines; Sparks Seasonal Joy by Mary Black Nativity which finished its Christmas run at the Civic Theater, Jan. 12, opened with a rousing rendition of Joy to the World, led by Alex Bradford and Marion Theater Williams which char acterized the mood of the entire evening. Throughout the first act, the mixed chorus was clad in Holiday Spectacular Banishes Winter Folklorico Exhibits Mexican Splendor by Janice Jearas Dance The Ballet Folklorico of Mexico, which appeared at the Arie Crown Theater Dec. 26-31, was a spec tacle that banished Chicagoans' thoughts of sub-zero weather by transporting them into the land of lace-mantilla-ed senoritas and dash ing cavaleros. Beginning the evening, the au dience was carried to pre-Hispanic Aztec civilization to view the crea tion of the world with Quetzalcoatl triumphing over the forces of evil. Wearing turquoise and sequined costumes, 75 dancers swirled about the stage rejoicing over his victory. The panorama by choreographer Amalia Hernandez continued to round out the pic ture of Mexican life in the provinces as it traveled to Vera Cruz, Michoacan and Puebla. Perhaps if all Ameri cans could view the humorous, yet stately wedding on the Huasteca or the dance inside the silver fish by the inhabitants of Torasco, and hear the exotic music that accom panied the native dances there would be no strain on Latin Ameri can relations. The company consists of spe cially selected dancers sponsored by the Mexican government. Since 1959 they have given more than 400 performances. The three types of music were as original and authentic as each dance. They included the Vera- cruzano which featured a unique harp and two special guitars to punctuate the fantastically fast movements of the Zapateado, the Mariachis, wandering minstrels who performed on guitars, violins and trumpets and the marimba players. The three hours were so full of new sights and sounds that it is difficult to pinpoint the best. But the most notable must include, the stately Moorish dance; the feath ered headresses, six feet in diame ter (handled with such ease) that represented the dignity of the an cient sacred Quetzal birds; the lovers' knot tied by the dancing feet of Martha Garcia and Gabriel Loyo; the story of marriage and courtship on the Isthmos Tehuan- tepec; the gold leaf bridal gown, the most outstanding in an evening of breath-taking costumes and fi nally, the deer dance in which the trained Yanqui dancer makes the audience believe he is the prey. And, the show concluded with a medley of songs, streamers and con fetti presented by the inhabitants of Jaslisco performing under the pinata, symbol of their Christmas gifts to come and visual remem brance of the Folklorico's splendor. Even though one cannot forget the dancers who have performed before audiences in France, Ger many, Belgium and South America and their renditions of life with Los Tarascos (especially the mock bullfighting session) and their pic ture of the ancient Indian heritage seen in the Michoacan dances, the unbounded enthusiasm of the troupe is the most universal and unfor gettable characteristic of the Ballet. O'Malley long white gowns to set off the focal figures of Mary and Joseph. They gracefully moved through the Christmas story narrated by Ed Hall, while Marion Williams, the leading female vocalist, flashed con tagious smiles and sang What You Gonna Name That Pretty Little Baby? and Alex Bradford led the male chorus in the lively Wasn't That a Mighty Day. Princess Stewart, the blind soprano who studied under Mahalia Jackson, added a gentler touch with Sweet Little Jesus Boy. The first act was an artistic and vivid representation of the Nativity based primarily on choreography. The second act, however, portrayed a culmination of this joy with songs of the faith, The Blood Saved Me, and Nobody Like the Lord. At this point the performers entered the theater and the whole audience participated in a hand-clapping, feet-stamping Gospel jamboree. Black Nativity sparkled with the vitality of plain people experi encing the overwhelming joy of Christmas, and attempting to share it with their fellow man. THE MERRIEST of all festivities in Mexico, Christ mas is the occa sion for a series of celebrations both secular and religious. In Ja lisco the holiday is begun in ad vance with dances and the music of the wandering minstrels who lead pilgrims to the cathedral door. The chorus in this scene sings of the Three Shepherds. Stately Performances Enhance Unoriginal, Slow-moving 'C/eo' by Rae Paul Nothing changes, but life into death, said Mark Antony just be fore he delivered his own changing blow. With these words, Cleopatra's producer, Walter Wanger, climaxes and reviews his own four-hour ver sion of all's fair in love and war. Anyone expecting much more than a pictorially beautiful, spectacular- type rendition of an age-old love affair, will be rather disappointed in today's Cleopatra. The usually stereotyped part of Julius Caesar, charged with the charm and mannerisms of Rex Harrison and the movie's crisp, witty dialogue, are the producer's only claims Movies to originality. But Caesar triumphs and so does Wanger, until the am bitious dictator is literally mutilated by the loyal Romans of the Senate. Caesar's murder, like several other padded, ten-minute ordeals, leaves nothing to the imagination. The door now opens to Marcus Antonius, member of the second triumvirate, portrayed by Richard Burton. But the great Antony is neither able to conquer Octavius, another member of the ruling coalition, nor his love for Cleopatra. The Egyptian queen, beautifully represented, yet superficially por trayed by Elizabeth Taylor, is demanding but ever loyal to the love and memory of her late husband Julius Caesar, as well as to the more recent, immature affections of the faltering Antony. Being a typical Shake spearean Cleopatra, her love for Antony forces her to take her own life at his death. When the Roman asks the servant of Cleopatra Was it well done? the servant answers, Extremely well done, befitting the last of the noble rulers. Befitting the noble performances of Rex Harrison and Richard Burton, it was well done. If an original presentation was sought, how ever, Mr. Wanger has failed.
title:
1964-01-15 (3)
publisher:
Women and Leadership Archives http://www.luc.edu/wla
creator:
Mundelein College
description:
Student newspaper for Mundelein College
subject:
Newspapers
subject:
Religious communities--Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
subject:
Students
subject:
Universities and colleges
subject:
Women's education
relation:
Mundelein College Records
type:
Text
language:
English
rights:
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coverage:
Chicago, Illinois
coverage:
Mundelein College