page 6 the Other press Wed. Feb. 4, 1976 Student Activism Video Completed Vancouver (CUP) While post-secondary stu- dents across Canada are becom- ing increasingly organized in response to government cut- backs in education, a Vancouver group has completed a videotape on attempts by BC high school students over the past six years to organize. Through interviews with ex- student organizers, the thirty minute production titled THE STUDENTS‘ VOICE traces the growth and decline of several active organizations that sprung up since 1967. Some of the organizations include: The Inter-high Student Union, (67 to 69) arguing for community control over and access to schools, removal of compulsory attendance and non-competitive learning. The Oganookie Standard, (70 to 72) an inter-high school newspaper continuously banned by the school boards for un- acceptable content like birth control information. The paper was an attempt to overcome the near-total control school princi- pals had over posters, bulletin boards, PA systems, and school newspapers. The Bill Of Rights Movement, (72 to 74) which drew up a basic list of rights for students that was ratified by 11 student councils. The British Columbia Fede- ‘ration of Students, (no relation to the current post-secondary or- ganization, the BCSF), which from 73 to 74 tried to initiate discussion among student coun- cils on various issues affecting students. Mike Goodman, one of the producers and ex-student acti- vist himself, said the film could have a wide appeal.” Macbeth a Must CATHERINE SMAILES Christophers Newton’s pro- duction of Macbeth at the play house Theatre spurns the usual interpretation and presents Macbeth as pure evil: evil that corrupts, feeds ambition, and leads Macbeth to commit bloody murder. Kenneth Walsh gives a strong _ performance as he allows the forces of evil to over-ride his love for his wife, kinsmen, and country. He is ably matched by Patricia Gage as Lady Macbeth. She was impressive in Act 1/ Scene VIII as she taunts Macbeth for letting letting ‘‘‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would!’’ And again in Act V Scene I, as too late she realises the forces that she has helped turn loose have changed Mac- beth. Under the strain she disintegrates into madness. In Elizabethan times the wit- ches were portrayed by men. Newton goes one third of the way by introducing one male to the trio. Their cauldron is a red glow in the bowels of the stage, from which emanate billowing clouds of steam. Scantily clad, these are the spirits Macbeth consorts with, is fondled by, and in return fondles them, as the apparitions are paraded before him. These same spirits in. their scheme of things, regard Mac- beth as just another passing mortal. Two supporting characters stand out. Terrence Kelly’s anguished McDuff, and Michael Ball’s Banquo, who portrayed gentleness, even in death. Al Kozlik’s vignette of the Porter was admirable. There is a tendency to over play the Drunk- en Porter scene but this was beautifully controlled. If I have one small criticism of this production it is with Ken- neth Walsh’s accent. I felt that in the soliloquy in Act II, Scene 1 he appeared to lapse into a mid- western drawl. Had he dotted a cowboy hat I would have thought it quite appropriate. Designer Cameron Porteous captured the air of a brooding — Scottish castle with a set that gave credence to intrigue, and with subtle lighting, also dap- pled shade on the heath. As the chap who paid for my ticket remarked, ‘‘a good thought provoking evening.” “Tt can show the general public a lot about the high school system,’’ he said. ‘‘It puts together a number of students that articulate clearly some of the grievances they have.”’ But, he said, a major function is relating some lessons about the organizational process to students in highschool and uni- versity. ‘Students lack a sense of history, as does any oppressed am) oa High school students demon-strate over Amchitka test 1971 jl : " SCOTT SIMPSON The Kinks have never been a successful rock band. However, they have been one of the best. There is no contradiction here, although there should be. In the rock music industry, mere medi- " ocrity often leads to fame. Thus, it is a real injustice that a legitimately great band such as the Kinks have been overlooked, and largely ignored. The Kinks’ music, while con- forming to basic rock styles (boogie, rock and roll, folk rock as well as commercial pop forms.) has a unique quality to it that escapes definition. The Kinks have never been famous for their musicianship, because it is at best mediocre. This handicap has never prevented them from producing first-rate music to accompany Ray Davies’ lyrics. The Kinks never try to over- each their own talents, so their music is simple. It is a testimony to Ray Davies skill as a producer that the Kinks create the illusion of complexity and abundant talent. Their music is much more than the sum of its parts. The two albums which best demonstrate the band’s ability to transcend their own limitations are ‘‘Arthur, or, The Decline and Fall of the British Empire’’ and ‘‘Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround.’’Both are ‘‘con- cept albums’’, and the music on each evolves. around a_ basic theme. ‘‘Arthur’’ deals with the decline of the British Empire from the viewpoint of the com- mon man. Arthur is a magnifi- cent album, and it contains some of the best rock music ever recorded by British band. It group like women, natives, or the poor, ’’ he said. ‘“They are denied the experience of those who proceeded them and tried to change their situation.”’ But the same obstacles that students in the film articulated may be around the corner for the group in distributing it: control of information by beaurocrats (school boards, principals, gov- ernment officials) who would rather keep such information out of the hands of students. ee +e el) compares favorably with other albums of that era, notably Sargeant Pepper, Beggars’ Banquet, and Tommy. “Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround’’, made in 1970, has been discontinued. It . is no longer being pressed in North America. Fortunately there are a few copies available in ‘‘import’’ sections of Vancou- ver record stores. ‘“‘Lola. . .”’ sells for $8.00 a copy, and it’s worth it. Alot of records four of five years old sound dated now. “‘Lola’’ is still ahead of its time. Davies combines “heavy metal’’, folk ballads, and coun- try-style banjo picking, and makes it work. “‘Lola’”’ was a big hit from the album. It is possibly the best story of a young man losing his virginity ever recorded. Lola is a During the two years in which the tape was produced, Good- man says no help was forth- coming from any government . department he approached. He hopes to have better luck with the Provincial Media Re- sources Board which acts as an audio-visual library for schools in the province. The Essential Idea Videotape Production Group #2 1815 West 4th Ave. Vancouver, BC genuine classic, and should be sung in pubs and rugby-team locker rooms. ; The non-hits are just as good. The ballads are poignant and unforgettable. “‘Strangers’’, “This Time Tomorrow’’, and ‘Long Way From Home’’ are genuine and moving songs that don’t need to resort to wailing vocals, pounding guitar chords or other trite gimmicks. Ray Davies’ voice, which he is able to change radically to fit the mater- ial, is enough. There are three genuine rock and rollers on “‘Lola.’’ They are ‘‘Powerman’’, “‘Rats’’, and ‘‘Top of the Pops’’. Davies’ songwriting is at its best on ‘‘Top of the Pops’’, with its perceptive and satiric view of rock stardom. “I might even end up a rock and roll god. It might turn into a steady job’’.