Word: hellman
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...Geoffrey Hellman's recital Tuesday evening in Leverett House could not be described as less than unshakably solid. In his debut in the Cambridge musical community, Hellman '65 played four major works for piano. He used his technique in the best possible way; to open up the riches of the musical substance. His performance revealed a thoughtfulness and serious understanding that made the evening a quite...
There is little fatalism here, and no implication that people can never realign themselves. What Miss Hellman seems to say, however, is that there comes a point after which you can't blame circumstances...
...residents are exposed, clinging to small illusions and scapegoats. The influence of Chekhov on Hellman's play has been pointed out before, and it is strongest in the way characters reveal themselves without self-description, and in the brevity of exposition. Unfortunately, the dull set at the Charles did not enhance the sense of a crumbling milieu that Autumn Garden evokes, and the three-sided stage robbed the audience of 33 per cent of the performances...
...soap opera. The single room is convenient even more than it is conventional, permitting both realism and synopsis. The playwright has the prerogative of using concentrated situations, and shouldn't be criticized for fully exploiting what is to begin with a limited form. In the simplest terms, Miss Hellman sticks to one room here because she wants to save time...
Autumn Garden tackles a couple of big illusions, and its dialogue is never wasted chit-chat. Miss Hellman indicates that love has been over-advertised. In her work it never takes on mystical qualities or solves life's problems upon arrival. Similarly, talent by itself means little; accomplishment is a truer index. After a certain stage of the game, latent talent will not bloom and the magic turning points won't arrive. The author's technical refusal to base the play on a crisis situation is beautifully suited to this theme...