[Program: West Side Story, 1969] Page: 2 of 20
[20] p. ; 28 x 22 cm.View a full description of this pamphlet.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
LEWIS FULKS (Director-Designer) Upon graduating from ACC
in 1948, Lewis Fulks spent a year studying at the University of
Southern California under William C. de Mille. Receiving his
master's degree in drama, Fulks returned to the campus in 1949
as a member of the faculty in the department of Speech and(
designer for the ACC theater. From 1949 to 1958, he designed
the major dramatic and operatic productions. A notable
achievement was his direction of the 50th anniversary pageant, A
City Set on A Hill.
From 1958 until 1961 he was Director of Theatre Arts at
Pepperdine College while he was studying toward a doctoral
degree at the University of Southern California. At USC he
studied under the noted theatre historian, Dr. James H. Butler
and the imminent film critic of The Saturday Review, Arthur
Knight. While on the faculty of Pepperdine College, he directed
and designed The King and I, The Physician in Spite of Himself,
The Wizard of Oz, Outward Bound, and South Pacific.
In 1961, Fulks returned to ACC as Director of Theatre Arts
and has directed and designed The King And I, Dial 'M' For
Murder, Carousel, The Lark, The Music Man, The Miracle Worker,
My Fair Lady, J. B., Medea, Camelot, Kiss Me Kate, Macbeth,
Murder in the Cathedral, The Unsinkable Molly Brown,
Oklahoma!, Green Pastures, Zoo Story, and The Bald Soprano at
the college, and Oklahoma! and South Pacific for the Abilene
Philharmonic Association. ACC's West Side Story is his
ninty-third major production. He is a member of the American
Educational Theatre Association, Alpha Psi Omega, and the
American Association of University Professors.
About The Show.. .
What originates a work of art as complex as West Side Story? Surprisingly, it just doesn't "happen". As with most fresh ideas, it all
began with a basic concept by director-choreographer Jerome Robbins in 1949. He wanted to present an adaptation of Romeo &
Juliet in a contemporary setting with much of the story being told in song and enacted to a large degree in mime or choreographed
action. The setting would be the slums of New York. Juliet would be Jewish, Romeo would be Catholic, and the family feud of the
Shakespearean tragedy would arise from the coincidence of Easter-Passover celebrations.
He discussed his idea with Leonard Bernstein, the noted composer-conductor of the New York Philharmonic. Bernstein was
excited about the possibilities. Robbins suggested Arthur Laurents as librettist, and with in the next few months East Side Stoty, as
the musical was to be called, was in the works.
However, due to the busy schedule of all involved, the work was slow, but in 1955 the project was reactivated with the
Jewish-Catholic thesis being abandoned in favor of two teen-age gangs as the split factions-one American, the other Puerto Rican.
Stephen Sondheim was brought in as lyricist, and the title was changed to West Side Story, in keeping with the new concept.
West Side Story had its first performance in Washington D. C., on August 20, 1957 and opened in New York on September 26,
1957 under Mr. Robbins direction.
The original run of West Side Story was cut short after 732 performances on July 27, 1959, because the producers, believing its
popularity would surely diminish, had months previously arranged bookings for the attraction on the road. But when it iCft to fulfill
these bookings, West Side Story was still doing close to capacity business. When the road engagements were completed, the producers
brought West Side Story back to New York in triumph. Since then it has been made into an Academy Award-winning film in 1961.
Thematically, West Side Story is universal in that hate is universal. The motivations which produced the conflict in Romeo &
Juliet are basically the same as in West Side Story, and people will only change when hate is changed to love as it was with Romeo
and Juliet and Tony and Maria. Wouldn't it be wonderful if mankind would respond as does Maria when she was reminded, by her
brother, that "Can't you see he is one of them . . ." and she responds sweetly and innocently with "I see only him. "
Hopefully, as the audience views the ACC production of West Side Story, the message of the play will clearly emerge, for it is not
only the one who pulls the trigger (which results in Tony's death) who is guilty, but as Maria so vividly observes, "We all killed him."
In these days of riots, campus disorders, and what have you, the premise of West Side Story is even more contemporary than when
it was originally produced, and although it is not inspired as we believe the Bible to be, West Side Story radiates the principle of love
and understanding for which our Savior died.
THE DIRECTOR - DESIGNER
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This pamphlet can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Pamphlet.
Abilene Christian College. [Program: West Side Story, 1969], pamphlet, 1969; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth864989/m1/2/: accessed May 31, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.