’60s decade captured in play for South return performance
by Shannon Harrison, managing editor

    The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window is back for an encore performance Monday, Feb. 19, at 8 p.m. in the Carillon Theatre on South Campus.

    Originally presented in the fall, the one-night only performance celebrates the advance of this production to the Regional Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival at the University of Texas at Tyler Thursday, Feb. 22.

    Although an actual plot for the show is difficult to pinpoint, the scene is Greenwich Village in 1964.

    Each character in the story represents at least one movement from the ’60s and each character brings to view a different issue.

    Sidney, played by Seth Johnson, symbolizes the decade’s liberal artists who wanted to return to nature.

    A New York native, he fantasizes about living in the country and tries to include his young wife, Iris (played by Karmyn Paskey), in his fantasy.

    Radical ideas and changing ways divide Greenwich Village into three groups: those who accept the changing ways and want to get involved; those who want change yet are undecided about getting involved, and those who want things to remain as they are.

    Although Sidney is liberal, he is part of the group who does not want to get involved in the changes.

    His friend, Wally O’Hara, played by Allen Randall, campaigns for change and tries to convince the unwilling Sidney to support his causes.

    “He’s about change; he’s about rights and he voices his opinions,” Randall said.

    “He finally gets Sidney to come around, and everyone gets together to support this big election,” he said.

    Mark Phillips plays David, one of Sidney’s friends who is gay and brings up the issue of homosexuality.

    Max, played by Ned Record, is described as “bohemian culture before bohemian culture took off.”

    Alton, played by Dejmal Burris, is another one of Sidney’s friends who falls in love with his wife’s sister and brings about the issue of interracial relationships.

    His love interest is Gloria, played by Tonia Phillips.

    “She’s white,” Burris said, “and during the 1960s, that was a problem.”

    Alton believes that Gloria, his love interest and the youngest of three sisters, is a high-fashion model.

    What he does not realize is that she is a prostitute.

    The middle sister is Sidney’s wife, Iris (Paskey).

    Perhaps the character who sews all the plots and issues together would be the oldest sister, Mavis, played by Stephanie Kelly.

    “She’s very shocked by all of this—her baby sister is a prostitute engaged to a black man; her middle sister is married to a liberal artist. How dare all of this go on. She does not know how to handle it,” Kelly said.

    The play deals with corrupted politics, prostitution, substance abuse, disenfranchised people and anti-Semitism.

    However, McCormick believes that the playwright expresses her views in a very intelligent way.

    Director and cast agree that the play conveys a powerful message.

    “We always learn from the past,” McCormick said. “A lot of the issues that were going on back then are still going on today.”

    For reservations, call 817-515-4642.