Event Article

The current production of William Inge' s "Picnic," being presented in the FC Studio Theatre until Dec. 9, proves to be a disappointment.

''Picnic" takes place on a warm ·Labor Day in the joint backyards of Helen Potts (H~len Topp) and Flo Owens (LaVerne Francis)

The underdevelopment of the characters is a major fault of the production. This is especially true in the case of Flo (Francis). She seems to be speaking the part rather than letting the character speak for her.

· What truly hurts the production is Dorothy Haley's portrayal of the play's main character, Madge, a ·beautiful small-town princess. She seems to be discontent with the mundane. life which lies before her; however, she never lets us see her anguish. What we do see is the coy sex/play between her and Hal, the bare chested vagabond who attractsher. Thor Edgell as Hal looks the· part of the macho ex-athlete but here again we only hear the words and don't see the person.

One commendable note is Bob Jensen's set design, which is simple and effective with its portrayal of a slice of Americana. The set was. complete with a swing hung from ,a tree and a white picket fence. The set was small, but allowed the actors to move about freely.

Performances of 'Picnic' continue tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. The final performance will be Sunday, Dec. 9, at 2:30p.m. Tickets are available at the Studio Theatre Box .Office. For further information call 871-8101.