The Robbers' Cave

The Robbers' Cave is one of a very rare breed: a student-written House production. Brian Conley, of Leverett House (as are all members of the cast and crew), is author of the book, lyrics, and music, director and producer, musical director and choreographer, and just about everything else. He does not do all these jobs well; he does some of them excellently.

I hope Mr. Conley (that's the way he's listed on the program) fancies himself a songwriter rather than a playwright; the songs are the highlights of the show. The singing argument ("Oh Yeah, Well Who's Got Christmas?") between the aged sorcerer (Bill Smock) and the medicant friar (Steve Bergman) over the relative merits of magic and religion is easily as good as anything I've heard at Harvard--including Pudding Shows.

Bergman and the cast sing two other marvelous tunes: one ("Let Us All Thank Satan for His Brew") is a highly sucessful imitation of a Negro spiritual. The other ("Crushing the Grape") hits with very clever lyrics and a snappy honky-tonk melody. Of the rest, only "My Fellows I Am Minded" is definitely second-rate.

Bergman sings very well, but over-acts. Smock acts very well (his recipe for sorcerer's stew should not be missed), but his voice is weak. The rest of the cast doesn't, on the whole, do justice to Conley's script. Eric Carriker is very convincing as one of the robbers, while Glen Buscher is not. The others are nothing more than dull, although it was somewhat unfortunate that Bob Russman's voice was both the loudest and worst.

Conley has talent, go see for yourself, but he should find himself a playwright, a director, and a red pencil before he tries again.