The Times

What's Happening

Spotlight Theater is reaching out for community support

By ERICA MEYER Staff Writer Maggie the Cat shouts at her husband, Brick, about his sister's "no-neck monster" children as an ambitious production of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof goes into rehearsal. Maggie's temper isn't mounted on a Broadway stage, however. It's being rehearsed at South Dade's own Spotlight Community Theater now in its new, permanent home in the Youth Fair auditorium, Coral Way and SW 112th Avenue. Bill Roudebush, on a three-month trial period as the Spotlight's new artistic director, selected the difficult play as the new theater's premier performance because, "It's my favorite play in American theater." Roudebush, a South Miami resident, has long been involved in area drama. He taught at Palmetto High School, directed Hansel and Gretel for the Greater Miami Opera, worked with Players Repertory Theater for a year and has directed Spotlight plays on a one-at-a-time basis in the past. a year and has directed Spotlight plays on a one-at-a-time basis in the past. The stage dates for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof are June 18, 19 and 24 to 26 at 8 p.m. Martha Gallub and Mort Mattaway will play Maggie and Big Daddy; Larry Bleier and Diane Bray appear as Brick and his sister Mae. Bill Roudebush Nancy Sivitz Roudebush has the rest of the summer mapped out. The July production will be a children's play being written and staged by South Miamian Nancy Sivitz and Ms. Bray. Ms. Sivitz will also teach a children's theater course — for adults — at the Spotlight. In August, Roudebush plans to present The Apple Tree, a trilogy including the musical comedy about Adam and Eve, a rendition of "The Lady and The Tiger" fable and a fairy tale about a chimney sweep who wants to be a movie star, given the help of his fairy godfather. The theater isn't content with just presenting plays; Nancy and Bill have other projects in the works. Nancy hopes to provoke community interest to fund a special performance of the children's play for migrant youngsters. "Diane and I are working on a script that will include participation from kids with music and dancing. We want to get community support for sending migrant kids to see the show." There is also a full slate of classes in acting, make up and theater technology planned for the summer priced at an average of $5 for a two-hour session or $50 for 10 weeks. "It's going to take a year or more for us to build a following," Bill said. "But almost anything can be done with consistent artistic quality. Word will get out." Spotlight has between 50 and 75 members, but hasn't had a permanent home or permanent leadership before. Nancy, a former student at Miami Dade South and the University of Miami and an FIU graduate, agreed that the theater "needs help from South Dade. You could do the best production in town, but without that community support, you can't go anywhere." And Bill admitted, "We are looking for people who will stick their necks out for us. We know there are people who care, people like that."

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Gypsy Pub's lunch fare bland, but dinner menu holds promise

Gypsy Pub, 7400 Bird Rd., 223-1151. Hours: a la cart menu, 11 a.m. to midnight, Monday to Saturday; luncheon, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday; dinner, 5 to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday; cocktails and dinner, Sunday, 4 p.m. to midnight; the Gypsy Lounge, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Friday, 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday. Bank Americard, American Express, Master Charge, Diners Club. Ample parking next to restaurant. Straw-covered Chianti bottles and pewter mugs hang from the dark wooden beams at the Gypsy Pub. A gray brick fireplace dominates the front room adding an air of elegance and warmth. The old English interior is cast in the typical mold, but made more enjoyable by extra touches, like pecky wood paneling, white china plates on shelves next to the ceiling beams and a mammoth salt-water aquarium. The setting is super and the menu looks like it would match, but the meal sampled was disappointing. The vichyssoise had a thick layer of soggy chives which lent the soup its only flavor. The cold potato soup, which should be creamy and slightly rich, was thin and bland. The waitress forgot to bring the salad until reminded of it when she arrived with the entree. She might as well have never bothered. Disheartened dark greens under the weight of a heavy, tasteless Roquefort dressing which added 50 cents to the bill. It did not hint of any remote contact with cheese and shouted of mayonnaise. The entree, one of the five place settings Monday specials, was broiled filet of Spanish mackerel. The promised "lemon butter sauce" was not in evidence. Only one wedge of lemon and a sprig of parsley heartened the filet and its side order of mashed potatoes (potatoe du jour). The mackerel was properly moist and tender, but had little taste. Blandness was the only note of consistency in the meal, which was $3.65 as are the other luncheon specials. The specials offered vary each day, with a nod to both beef and seafood included in each day's selection. The a la carte menu for lunch offers little beyond the usual, except a highly tempting Magyar Gulyas Leves — a Hungarian goulash with dumplings for $2.95. Eggs benedict is also offered at lunch, but the other really classy menu items don't appear until the evening menu is presented. There, lobster, shrimp, scallops, clams, oysters and fish have a field day. Veal and steak, are described in tantalizing detail. The evening entree prices range from $5.95 to $10.95 on the average with King Crab Gourmande for $7.75, a varied seafood special for $6.95 and a lobster tail plus a slab of roast beef or a filet mignon for $10.95. The dessert list also looks terrific and the tarts and cakes displayed by the restaurant's front door seem to support that. But my slice of Boston cream pie, despite its nice chocolate frosting and adequate custard, had a layer of stale, dry cake. The service is a bit slow, but cordial and dinner may well be more of a treat than lunch — the menu indicated that possibility. But, from where I sat, the only interesting thing about the meal was the heated argument among the executives at the next table about whether "Bruce" should be assigned to their warehouse in Atlanta, Cleveland or Miami. Well, gentlemen, assign Bruce to Miami if you will, but if you want to bring him to the Gypsy, wait until dark. ERICA MEYER

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