From copy boy to clown
Appeals court upholds
board action on Rozman
The US. 8th District Court of Appeals Monday upheld the
right of the Board of Regents to fire former UNL professor
Steven Rozman for his part in campus disruptions in May
1970.
Rozman, contacted after learning of the decision, said he
does not plan to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"I'm just going to drop it," Rozman said.
Rozman is currently teaching at Tougaloo College near
Jackson, Miss.
Rozman was fired by the Board early in 1071 for his part in
campus demonstrations against United States' involvement in
southeast Asia.
Rozman claimed his 1st Amendment rights to due process
were violated when ha was fired. The U.S. District Court
dismissed his contention and supported the right of the Board
to fire him in an earlier decision.
Rozman sought to overturn that decision through the
Vclrcuit court.
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byAdellaWacker
Clowns don't just discover they're funny,
according to Bob Langin; he spent 20 years
doing comedy rolls for theatre before joining a
drcus.
The guy who's a big wow in a lampshade at
a party isn't necessarily the same person who
can go in front of an audience and make them
laugh," he said.
"I'm rather dull at party," Langin boomed,
'1 sit in a corner and get smashed."
Bob Langin and his wife, Marji, are Bob-o
and Bobbino, two circus clowns.
The Langins are funny just standing
together, he at 6'3" towering over Marji's 5'
frame.
Often their act is billed with the circus, but
last week they were here promoting the Garden
City International Circus and Ice Show with
Bob-o and Bobbino's Cavalcade of Comedy.
The circus has since had to cancel scheduled
Lincoln performances.
In doing this "advance clown" work of store
and television appearances and issuing press
releases, Langin said he finally can combine his
stage management and journalism background.
His interest in journalism started in high
school when he .worked as a Detroit News copy
boy.
Journalism still interested him in college.
Since he'd already had "the best possible
practical journalism experience", however, he
said he majored in English while pursuing a
second interest: theatre.
Langin was editor of his college paper. He
said he also managed the college theatre and
worked in community theatre plays.
When Langin left college, he said, it was to
be a stage manager.
He was managing circus tours when a friend
interested him in the different kind of clown
acts done in Europe. European clowns do
comedy acts in the ring, Langin said, not fill-in
and opening acts.
As producing clown for the Circus Hall of
Fame in Sarasota, Fla., it was Langin's job to
put on five comedy segments for each show and
develop new acts about four times a year.
While doing this, Langin appeared in 1,827
consecutive acts, he said.
Sarosota has been the home base of circuses,
Langin said, ever since the Ringling Brothers
tent circus days.
It was while he was there that Langin met
Marji, and the two have been clowning together
ever since Marji "dropped the bomb" on him
shortly after their marriage. She told him she
wanted to become a clown.
In those days of the circus, female clowns
were unheard of, Langin said. So, former
concert pianist and puppeteer Marji became the
male pantomimic Bobbino, the fall guy in their
act.
In the circus ring, silent Bobbino's innocent,
childlike curiosity, not pranks, upstages Bob-o.
They're somewhat in the image of Laurel and
Hardy.
"Most of the things we do are
burlesque comedy takeoffs on situations," he
said.
I think the most important thing in comedy
is that you don't play it funny," Marji added,
"you play it straight."
"You get out there, and you're trying your
hardest to do the thing right," Langin said.
"There are an awful lot of people wearing
makeup and wardrobes, but not many
comedians."
Langin said he emphasizes facial expressions
with his clown makeup.
With his voice, Bob-o says he can sometimes
fill an arena without a microphone.
Clowning is a craft, Langin said.
And making adults laugh-that's the
challenge.
Kids are expected to laugh, he said, but the
father sitting with his family is thinking about
those braces and new shoes for the kids.
"There's just not so damn much in life that's
funny to him," said Langin. "You've got to
divert the adult-take him in and wrap him up
in this situation."
Sex unifies 'Water's Running'
r i ty . . l , . ' ..7.
Review by Larry Kubert
Opening its season with a play which
might be considered by some of their more
stodgy, conservative patrons as rathe rsque
the Lincoln Community Playhouse's
production of You Know I Can't Hear You
When The Water's Running is mildly
entertaining.
Comprised of four different playlets, You
Know has one unifying subject-sex. The
runs the gambit from someone trying to talk
an actor into doing a nude scene to a
middle-aged couple discussing the advantages
and disadvantages of twin beds to parents
deciding how much to tell their children
about sex to two senile oldsters recalling
previous marriages and bed partners.
Roger Dickeson, who appears in three of
the four playlets, is the main reason for any
success the production achieves.
Unfortunately, most of the rest of the cast
leave something to be desired.
The first playlet, 'The Shock of
Recognition" is marred with bad timing,
slow lines and no character involvement. It
seemed as if the actors had learned their
lines just the night before.
Dickeson was at his worst in this vignette,
but then, the people he was playing with
didn't help. Lee Lemon as "the dirty -minded
author" had about as much character as the
attache case he carried, and Pat DiNatale as
the desperate actor, still thought he was in a
mellerdrammer.
f "The Footsteps of Pov' vya6 Slightly
' better than its predecessor. But only slightly.
The main reason for this improvement was
Judy Dvorak, the rfilcement for an ill
actress.
June Segal and i-fles Pallesen as a
middle-aged couple loo'ihg at beds gave fair
but boring performances. It was only after
the desirable Dvorak took the stage that the
scene came to life. She understood her role
and wasn't afraid to play it to the hilt.
'"I'll Be Home For Christmas" was
amusing, with Dickeson giving an Archie
Bunker interpretation of his role. Sidney
Johnson tended to be a bit too bitchy in her
role as the progressive mother.
The last of the playlets, "I'm Herbert,"
by far was the most entertaining. Dickeson
and Arline Kushner as aged swingers, both
rocking in their rocking chairs to their
hearts' content, gave the best performances
of the evening.
The reason for its success was the timing
and rapport between Dickeson and Kushner.
The set design and lighting were
adequate, but nothing to rave about. And if
the stage crews would learn to wear black
clothes when they're shifting scenery, they
wouldn't be so conspicuous.
Zumberge: 'we're in a time of change'
"We're in a time of change, now more
than ever," UNL Chancellor James
Zumberge said in an address to new faculty
members Tuesday afternoon.
At a short speech at the Nebraska Center,
he cited the merger with the University of
Nebraska at Omaha, creation of the
University Medical Center, a declining
enrollment crunch and the effort to stretch
the educational dollar as the" main obstacles
of the changing time.
He said that there is no effort to mold the
three campuses to identical form, but to
unify them.
The distribution of faculty resources and
getting the most out of the educational
dollar are part of the University's five-year
plan, and are Zumberge's objectives also.
Zumberge said his main goal as UNL's
chief administrator is to see that other
members of the UNL staff dedicate
themselves to the work of the university.
He also told the group of about 150 now
faculty that his policy has always been to
leave his door open to faculty, staff and
students and that it would remain that way.
A panel discussion on special areas of the
university followed Zumberge's address.
daily nebraskan
Wednesday, October 18, 1972
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