PLAINSONG

Haruf’s musical conceit creates a delicate line of atmosphere and a narrative of individual voices blended together to tell a story. A pregnant adolescent; two lonely, old ranchers; a man in marital trouble; his children; and the woman who waits for him make up the various parts. The deliberate pace provides its own drama. Stechschulte tries to enliven things with regional accents, but his strong gender differentiation has unfortunate results. Women do not speak in whispers, and it’s disturbing to hear these strong-willed examples so portrayed. This is a work that should be read straight. S.B.S. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 00]