Thursday, January 30, 1997
THEATER:
‘Anti-Kids and Fun’ offers unique satire of shifting social
attitudesBy Goutami Mikkilineni
Daily Bruin Contributor
Most students at UCLA’s Law School have little reason to be
dancing and singing in the law building lobby when graduation is
still many months away.
However, a handful of UCLA law students are taking time out of
their busy schedules to entertain fellow students, professors and
anyone interested in the politics of law firms during the 1950s.
Their production, "Anti-Kids and Fun," runs Saturday night, at the
Northwest Auditorium.
UCLA Law Professor Kenneth Graham is in charge of the 15th
annual law school musical. Graham wrote the script and lyrics for
the musical while borrowing melodies from more popular Broadway
hits and "Annie Get Your Gun."
The musical is set in the law firm "Lawless, Liffert, Lipscomb
and Beale" during 1954 Â a year in which law firms did not
hire women nor minorities. Maya Alexandri, who plays lead character
Marsha Montevani describes her character as the "multiple
personality syndrome chic" who inherited a lot of money but can’t
access it thanks to the firm’s avarice. Marsha is a strong,
independent lady, and in this time period these qualities make her
eccentric. The firm has her committed to an insane asylum, but
Montevani escapes.
"My character is not crazy but just walks the walk at the asylum
to survive," Alexandri says.
When she breaks out, she takes with her a handful of crazy
people to help her foil the firm. The humor reaches a peak as
Montevani impersonates everyone from her own psychiatrist to former
Vice President Richard Nixon in order to find out information about
the firm. Montevani gets help from a secretary in the firm who
could not get a job as a lawyer even though she outsmarts her male
co-workers.
"I wrote this musical to poke fun at those who said in the last
election that the ’50s were the greatest era ever known in
America," Graham says.
"Anti-Kids and Fun" addresses issues such as anti-semitism,
sexism and racism, but still stirs laughter because of Graham’s
satirical slant to the dialogue. In fact, a lot of the humor in
"Anti-Kids and Fun" comes from the differences between society in
the ’50s, when "Annie Get Your Gun" was created, and today.
"Many of the issues in the musical have changed since the ’50s,"
Graham says, "but certain racial issues have merely shifted targets
rather than disappeared. It pleases me that many of the racial
slurs of the time which appear in the script are not understood or
known by the students today."
Student director Michael Wichman, who has worked on the law
school musical for the past three years, thinks that people come to
the play not only to see shifts in law and society, but to laugh as
well. "I think the audience will enjoy the show because it is
satirical and subversive," he says.
This unique look at law attracted close to 50 participants.
Graham says, "It restores my faith in humanity to see people
working for something without pay but simply for the fun of
it."
Wichman adds of working with the volunteers, "You’d be surprised
how talented some people are." The students do a lot of
improvisation that has worked its way into the final script,
showing their talent as performers.
Although the students and Graham participate in the production
for fun, many of the cast members actually have theater and music
experience. Alexandri, who doubles as lead actress and
choreographer, was an actress and ballet dancer in New York City
before entering UCLA’s law program. "At one time, I was interested
in entertainment law, but have abandoned that field in hopes of
being a judge," Alexandri explains. "Working with the students has
been a positive experience because the students, although they are
not professional dancers, are extremely focused and disciplined
individuals."
But experience isn’t necessarily what the law musical wants. A
lot of the musical’s humor comes from the lack of polished dance,
drama and music skills. In fact, a lot of the audience comes just
to see what a bunch of law, not theater, students can perform.
And, this year the students are prepared for a large audience.
In past years the humor was more geared toward law students, but
this year the musical contains humor that can be enjoyed by
everyone, not just legal experts. "I might not have told people who
lack legal knowledge to come, but this year the production is more
universal," Graham says.
The law students-turned-performers hope "Anti-Kids and Fun" will
be an entertaining, intelligent night for those who get their
laughs from attacking the establishment view during the ’50s as
well as today.
THEATER: "Anti-Kids and Fun" plays Saturday in the Northwest
Auditorium. Tickets are $10.