Page 61 - TheGoldBug1971-72

PAGE FIVE They came to Connecticut The tuxedoed man at the end of the long white- terest, even a kind of enthusiastic team spirit was clothed banquettable had a problem. The oversize evident in the watchers. All of them had helped, leaf of lettuce. which he had thought could easily be directly or indirectly, with the filming. containedand chewed once gotten off the fork, had The Griswold/ Van Hart company boarded at the eluded him. Umbrella-like, it swathed his lower house for a week, during whichover 10,000feet of face, a pleasant enough green color, but hideous in color film was shot. Usually scenes were donejn the its placement. Desperate to preserve decorum, he Center's summer-theatre barn; lights were resolutely continued chewing, attempting to mounted in the loft and cameras and actors moved quickly pull it in. No hope. It seemed at least a foot around on the main floor below. The dinner scene, a wide, and even the fastest mastication only served complex slapstick sequence, was shot near the end to twist the outer edges into a bizarre shape. of the week. In an agony of embarrassment he looked down This footage, along with other material yet to be the table at the hostess, who stared back- with a filmed, will be edi ted into a new series of films for gaze that made dry ice seem lukewarm. She had the preschool education of deaf children. The endured the girl in the white frock whose table project, sponsored by the Government's HEW and manners resembled a crazed Epicurean, or the the Bureau of Education of the Handicapped, short man who had been forced to sit in a chair that consists of two distinct but interrelated parts: a barely brought his nose to table level. But this latest series of short instructional films for the deaf was too much . preschooler, and a number of half-hour films aimed . . It was also exactly what was needed for the at his parents. movie. The comedy scene that was being shot will The first of the-parent-oriented films now nearing be part of a new series of films for the preschool completion, was scripted to reveal and probe the education of deaf children. The seven "dinner traumas families undergo when they discover their 'guests" in front of the camera were actors from the baby is deaf. Most of it was shot in and around National Theatre of the Deaf; the set was really the Westminster; like the Asbury film, it uses local parlor in the large old house that serves as talent, including students and professors. Like the headquarters for the NTD - the Eugene O'Neill other films of its type now being planned, it will be 'Theatre Center in Waterford, Connecticut. made available to societies for the deaf, parent Behind the lights and cameras were Dr. Earl groups, and similar organizations. Griswold and John Van Hart, producer and director The short instructional films .. there will respectively; Dr. M,gCay Vernon, who acted as ultimately be 36 of them .. will form episodes in a special advisor to the film group; and Dr. William sort of "Sesame Street" for the deaf child. In them, Tribby, serving as Hasen between the filmers and the concept of "total communication" will be the Theatre personnel. Also carefully huddled out of stressed: the simultaneous use of hand signing, camera range were the other members of the film speech and/ or _lipreading. The episodes will in- group, plus almost all of the staff of the O'Neill troduce basic signs, showing on screen what they Center, who watched the shooting from off-camera mean and various people using them. For what doorways and the wall behind the crew. It was Dr. Griswold dubbed "tbe cavon," the episodes actually the second time the parlor had been used deaf child can enjoy more by using signs he has just for filming; two years ago a television crew used it learned to interpret the comedy action. for a special on the Center. This time, great in- Extreme top: John Van Hart zeroes in with Arriflex camera. Next down: (1. to r.) Dr. Tribby, Dr. Vernon and Mrs. Griswold watch filming. Bottom: 'tension mounts in the dinner scene. Below: actors grab quick snack break between takes.