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UNIVERSITY OF nEjr
LIBRARY
VJUN 18 13G8
Tuesday, June 1871968
Summer Nebraskan
No. 2
Teachers Return to Meet
Education's New Demands
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Dean Tschetter, NU student and member of the Summer Repertory company, finishes
last-minute soldering on the gatling gun he is building for one of the three plays being pre
sented by the NU Theatre of Protest.
Plays9 Difficulties Demand
Ingenuity of Stage Designer
When is Howell Theatre similar
to television's "Mission Impos
sible"? When technical designer Jerry
Lewis has to design a self-destructing
boiler that must fall apart on
cue.
When is Howell Theatre similar
to a psychedelic light show?
When student photographer
Claud Beery must dsvelop a series '
of slides to be projected on screens
on the theatre's stage during per
formances of the summer reper
tory. 1
When is Howell Theatre similar
to a munitions firm?
When stage technician Dean
Tschetter must construct a gatling
gun for one of three plays to be
given this summer.
Part of the difficulty of presen
ting a play is designing a stage upon
which the action unfolds. The dif
ficulty is compounded when
repertory theatre is presented.
At Nebraska's Howell Theatre,
the summer repertory company
will present three contemporary
plays of protest beginning July 2,
with the English play "Eh?"
Designer Lewis faces the task of
planning three distinct stages with
eparate themes, but constructing
each in order that it fits together
with the other two.
"Each play contains a central
metaphor," Lewis said, "so we
designed around that theme. As the
set expands to the perifiry of the
stage, it dissolves into the scene
for a different play."
Much of the scenery is designed
on wheels or flies so that it can
be moved easily, Lewis said. This
is due partly to the plays and to
Howell Theatre itself.
"The theatre is quite inflexible,"
he said, explaining that there is
little behind-stage room for storage
and that the stage is comparatively
small.
"Money and space made cen
tralization cf these three sets a
necessity," he continued. The
technical budget for the three
summer plays compares with the
budget for the single production of
"The Misanthrope," presented last
fall.
Lewis calls himself a mediator
among the three directors.
Inside You Will Find:
VIEWS AND REVIEWS: A candid look at the new motion picture
"GueM WhoV Coming to Dinner?" by an NU English professor
Page 2
VIETNAM OPINION: An NU Journalism student discovers that
campus facultv opinion on the Vietnamese war is widespread aad
unpredic table . P8e 3
ETV SPECIAL: "Trumpets of the Lord," a musical based on Negro
folklore, will be shown on the Nebraska ETV Network Friday. See
entire schedule . Page 4
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"Each director has his own ides
concerning his play," he explained,
"and there is little discussion
amongst them. So I have to in
corporate each idea into a working
plan and keep each director hap-
py-
"The Hostage," which opens July
5, must operate on two levels, so
the structure has to be solid enough
to withstand weight but must be
movable.
Also in "Hostage" will be in
corporated a slide show, com
menting on what is being shown
on the stage. NU student Claud
Beery is doing the photography.
Special screens are being built
into the set, which will slide out
from the sides. Robert Hall, direc
tor of the pla y, thought that some
of the songs which comment on
the Irish revoluiton wre somewhat
obscure. The slides will footnote
. what is being sung.
The boiler galling apart in "Eh?"
is symbolic of what is happening
to the characters in the play. The
tricky part of its construction is
making it realistic without actually
destroying it. Gauges fall off, pipes
squeak, steam spouts out; but hsi
must happen for nine performances
throughout July.
In "Sergeant Musgrave's
Dance," a gatling gun was needed
for an important sequence in ths
play. No gatling gun could be
found. So Dean Tschetter, a
member of the repertory company,
and Mark Anderson, an NU art
student, are constructing the gun.
"It was darn hard finding a pic
ture of a gatling gun," Tschetter
said. "And the Army certainly was
no help. So we researched the
weapon and pieced together some
plans for the gun with the help
of a number of encyclopedias."
Since speech and dramatic art
departments at NU had no place
to do metal working, the Art
Department agreed to let Tschetter
and Anderson work in Woods Art
Building's welding lab.
Lewis, who earned a master of
fine arts in technical design from
the University of Wisconsin, has
been working on the repertory
plays since the opening of "Marat
Sade," the last play of the NU
spring season. His crew of six
regular stage technicians and ten
students taking the basic stagecraft
course offered by- the drama
department, average about eleven
hours of work each day preparing
for the opening of the plays.
"We work hard now, but we do
get relieved after the plays start,"
Lewis said, "although our work
continues to thelast when we strike
the set. We have to be sure that
everything works."
Everything like:
A self-destructing steam
boiler.
And a special effects slide
show.
Nebraska
Education
h Topic
Dr. Forrest Conner, executive
xecretary of the American
Association of, school Ad
ministrators, will address the an
nual summer conference of the
Nebraska association on June 24.
Conner's topic is "Federal
Legislation Which Affects Nebraska
Schools."
The theme of the 1968 conference
is "Nebraska Educational Legisla
tion Prologue and Prediction."
Dr. Scott Norton, professor of
Education Administration at NU,
said that the conference will also
feature a number of Nebraska state
senators who will look at the possi
ble solutions to educational pro
grams and problems in the state,
Senators on the program include:
John Kinght of Lincoln, Richard
Marvel of Omhaa, Lester Harsh.
Jerome Twarner, George Syas and
Calista Cooper Hughes of Hum
boldt. Their topics include the
financing of education to teacher
negotiation, fnm school
reorganization to state support of
public education.
Dr. Clayton ,Yue utter, ad
ministrative executive to Gov.
Norbert Tiemann, will be the
featured noon luncheon speaker.
About 200 persons are expected
for the conference, to be held at
the Nebraska Center for Continuing
Education on the NU East Cam
pus. "Interested persons are advised
to contact the Nebraska Center for
information concerning the con
ference," Norton said.
He said that all school
administrators are encouraged to
participate in the conference.
Registration fee is five dollars, plus
an additional $1.75 for the noon
meat
Each summer hundreds o f
Nebraska teachers return to the
campus to continue their studies.
Why do they come back? What
do they think of University life
while they are here?
Earl Swiggart is in the fifth year
of a six-program in the University's
department of educational ad
ministration. He is principal at
Ashland high school.
Swiggart received his bachelor's
and master's from NU.
"I believe one important aspect
jf returning to school in the sum
mer is the association of others
in the field of education," Swiggart
said, adding that one keeps up wit'n
changes in educational methods by
continuing school.
lie will attend both sessions this
summer since the course he is tak
ing is a 12-hour "block course" in
educational administration which
carries over to the second session.
Sr. Mary Cecile, O.P. is a student
at large this summer. She is taking
three journalism courses because
Island Catholic high school in the
fall.
Sr. Cecile received her bachelor's
and master's degrees from Creigh
ton University in Omaha, and has
taught in Nebraska, Illinois and
Puerto Rico.
This is the first time I have
studied at the University," Sr.
Cecile said. "It is too early to say
what I feel about the school, but
it has been marvelous so far."
Many teachers ' return to the
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William Needles
Thomas
Works
Viewed
An unusual evening in thealre
is promised to those who attend
"In Search of Dylan," sponsored
by the Nebraska Union on Wed.,
June 19.
The presentation is a collage of
words, screen and music, built
around the life, work and letters
of the Welsh poet, Dylan
Thomas.
The program is presented by a
many-talented company headed by
distinguished actor William Need
les, a charter member of the Strat
ford Shakespeare Festival Theatre.
Needles is also director of the
group.
Writer-producer is Kay Britten,
internationally-known singer-
guitarist, who plays Thomas'
tempestuous wife Caitlin.
Two young actors are also
featured. Cedric Smith, who with
the Stratford Festival Theatre for
two seasons and was featured on
two tours, and Chuck Mitchell, also
an actor. Both are singer
guitarists. Dylan Thomas became a legend
in his lifetime, and was finally
trapped and destroyed by his own
myth. His creative genious is
regarded to have diminshed in the
glare of personal difficulties.
He made three tours in America
during the fifties, the last resulting
in his death in 1953. His legend
continued to grow after-death, and
the charisma of the poet-genious
spread throughout the country.
The program took six months to
prepare, according to Needles,
searching Thomas' private letters
plus his public works.
"I have attempted some degree
of total theatre with the use of
screen, music and audience in
volvement," Needles said, "so that
hopefully, we may find the man
Thomas for ourselves."
"My only ambition is that, as
people leave the theatre, each may
share the feeling of seeing
something exciting," he conclud
ed. The program will begin at 7:30
p.m. in the Union Ballroom.
There is no admission price
charged.
University to renew their teacher's
certificate or to work on a higher
degree.
Sixth Session
Mrs. Gilletta Krueger, Daven
port, is attending the first session
this summer, her sixth summer
session.
"I just love it," Mrs. Krueger
said when asked how she liked
going to summer school.
"I have a chance to get
acquainted with so many different
people," she explained. "I come
from a small town and the chance
to meet new people is exciting."
Mrs. Krueger has noticed a
change in Nebraska's summer
school since the first time she
enrolled during the summer:
"At first the students seemed to
be mostly 'old ladies.' Then there
seemed to be more gentlemen at
tending school. Now it seems at
least half of the students are young
people. The emphasis seems to
have shifted to youth and I think
this is just wonderful."
Mrs. Krueger teaches the fourth
grade in Shickley, Neb. She doesn't
think that school this .summer is
especially accelerated with the split
sessions but "I may change my
mind as school progresses," she
added.
Another teacher is attending
summer for the first time and is
renewing her teaching certificate.
She teaches kindergarten through
the second grade in a small
Nebraska elementary school.
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Dr. Raymond Miller, professor of voice at the
NU School of Music, directs the 200-member
All-State chorus as the group prepares for its
final concert Sunday afternoon, June 23.
All-State's Innovations
Challenge 376 Students
All-State is the annual migration
of talented Nebraska high school
students to the University of
Nebraska campus for a three week
myriad of experiences.
The student can participate in
four different programs: art,
music, journalism or speech. He
lives in university dorms, in a room
he shares with a person he never
met before.
He has a grueling schedule
his classes last most of the morn
ing, then he must participate in
various activities which are plan
ned by the All-State office, both
cultural and recreational.
And, once the first week-and-a-half
of the session has been com
pleted, the All-Stater finds himself
rushing around to get things done
before time runs out time which
seemed like eternity on the All
State calendar.
This year's All-State realized a
substantial gain in enrollment, ac
cording to John P. Moran, director
of the program. .
"There are exactly 50 more
students than last year," Moran
said. Total enrollment for 1968 is
376.
The breakdown by departments
show that 243 are enrolled in the
music program, 66 in speech. 36
in art and 31 in journalism.
A number of Innovations have
been introduced by the various
departments, Moran said.
Instead of presenting a number
of plays in entirety, the speech
department is experimenting with
"I don't find returning to school
much harder now," she said, "but
it was somewhat difficult getting
oriented."
She is taking a children's
literature course and an education
course. She will not attend the se
cond session.
George E. Rush of Lincoln :s
finishing work on his master's in
education in art. He teaches art
at Lincoln Northeast high school.
"If I had the time and energy
I would go to summer school each
year," Rush said. "Education is
always changing and it i s
necessary to keep up with the
movements."
Everett Schuler, secondary prin
cipal of Norris School District No.
160. agrees.
"Summer school keeps one up
to date in many aspects of educa
tion," he said.
Schuler is a graduate of Midland
College in Fremont, but received
his master's at the University of
Wyoming where that university
was on a split-session summer
school similar to the program 'U
has inaugurated this summer.
"I see !" difference caused by
the split-session, except that
school is speeded up a bit," Schuler
said.
He enjoys summer school
because he can renew old acquain
tances and make new ones and it
"helps prepare me for the unusual
situations that the increasing
militancy of faculty and students
alike have generated."
a historical documentation of the
theatre, utilizing many scenes from
many plays to get a broad view
of the stage.
"This is a practical move,"
Moran said, "since more students
will be able to participate in the
production."
In the past, when an entire play
was produced, only a select few
would be able to have large parts,
and most of the students were
walk-ons.
Also, the speech department is
emphasizing experience in applying
make-up and designing costumes,
two areas which many Nebraska
high schools feel that students lack
in knowledge.
The music department is offering
an experimental course in the total
humanities. ;
The course is designed to bring
the many facts of the humanities
together. The dance, art, music,
and the theatre will be studied as
they are related to each other.
"A course like this represents a
trend "in many high' schools to tie
the arts together," Moran said,
"and we are anxious to see how
the course develops."
The art department is emphasiz
ing sculpture this year while
the journalism segment stresses
newspapering and year books.
Most people, though, associate
All-State with music and concerts,
and the 1968 edition lias many
scheduled. .
Continued on page 3.
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