friday, march 5, 1976
daily nebraskan
page 7
out of
Li nco I n theatre-goers expect too much?
By Charlie Krig
I've often heard derogatory remarks about the quality
and quantity of drama in the Lincoln area. They, of
course, find fault with the availability of good theatre
for both the performer and the audience.
But is there really a lack of good, high class theatre?
If there is, what can be done to relieve the problem?
To begin with, Lincoln is very fortunate to have the
potential it has. The Lincoln Community Playhouse has
one of the finest facilities for productions in Nebraska.
It is lucky enough to have a resident director plus a
sufficient area population to ensure a fair number of
qualified people for auditions and casting.
UNL, unfortunately, has only half the blessings of the
playhouse. UNL has dedicated theatre arts faculty
members and a sizable number of drama students, but the
&
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arts
Natural materials
become sculpture .
By Diane Wanek.
"Since 194S a great surge of public interest in the arts
has occurred. It is my belief that a popularization of the
visual arts is evolving. . .The American public is pre
senting a direct challenge to the artist. As an answer to
this challenge, 1 propose to create and install new visual
environments in order to integrate artistic creativity,
patterns of human behavior and the environmental
phenomena." . -Patrick Rowan
JJNL professor of art
Rowan's ideas are manifested in his "Weeping Water
Documentary," currently being displayed at the Sheldon
Memorial Art Gallery.
The exhibit consists of sculpture, drawings and photo
graphs of the Weeping Water area east of Lincoln. The
approach is unique, in that Rowan has collected natural
materials such as stone, earth, wood, fossils and bones
from the area and transformed them into sculpture.
Each work seems to have been approached in a classical
way, but he has integrated a primitive, archaeological,
anthrophological, and sometimes even a geological, insight
into his sculpture. .
In his artist's statement on the "Weeping Water
Documentary," Rowan said, "The imagery is directed
toward the representation of the historical sequence and
artifacts of the prehistoric North American Indian, as
evidenced in the Weeping Water area."
Photographs of the Weeping Water area and notes
Rowan made while working on the documcntay, includ
ing sketches of his ideas for the sculptures, are included
in the exhibition.
Rowan's documentary will I displayed until March
28.
Plaza 4: Tha Mm Who Would
Ba King. 4:25, 7 and 9:25
Dous 1: n 011 h A
Woman, 1:45. 3:45, B:S,
7:45 and 0:55 p.m.
Douglas 2: Tha Sunthina Boys,
1, 3:10, 5:20. 7:30 and
9:40 p.m.
Douglas 3: On Fhw Over Tha
Cuckoo'i Nmtt. 2:15. 4:45,
7:15 and 9:40 p.m.
Cinema 1: Barry Lyndon, 1:45.
Band 8:15 p.m.
Cinema 2: Tha Boob Tuba,
1, 2:40. 4:20. 8. 7:40 and
9:20 p.m.
State No Deposit, No Return,
1,3. 5. 7 and 9 p.m.
Joyo: Snow Whit and tha
Sawan Dwarfs, 1, 3, 5. 7
and 8:50 p.m.
Nebraska Union Foreign Films:
Donkty Skin directed by
Franca! Jacquei Demy, on
March 9, 10 and 11.
Performing arte
Unlvwnltv Theatre: You Cant"
Taka It With You, 8 p.m.,
March 5 and 6 in Howell
Trwatre. ', .
Faculty members Recitals:
Emily McKnlght, vole. 8
p.m. March 8 and Brail
Quintal. 8 p.m.. March 9;
up &
Movtei
Ernbauy: Every Inch A. Lady,
11 a.m.. 1:30. 4. 6:30.
9 and 1 1 :30 p.m.; The Man
Who Cama At Dinner,
12:30. 3, 8:30. 8 and
10:30 p.m.
Hollywood and Vina 1: .
Emmanualto Part 2: Tha
Joy t .of a Woman. 1:30.
3:30, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. '
Hollywood and Vina 2: Tha
Story of O. 1:15, 3:18
7 and 9 p.m.
Stuart: The Advantura of
Sharlock Holmat' Smartar
Brother, 1:30,3:30.8:30,
7:30 and 9 :30 p.m. Midnight
Mo via: Tha Parallax View,
CbopDf Lincoln: Camefot. 2:30,
5:15 and 8 p.m..
Plajta 1; Tha Ma$kt Fluta,
5:15, 7:30 end 9:45 p.m.
naia 2: Tha Pint NudJa Muiicel
5:45, 7:33 and 9:25 p.m.
Plaia 3: Hustle, 5:20, 7:30 and
9:40 p.m.
theatre itself is beyond hope. Good old Howell Theatre
is just that, terribly old.
Besides the mainstage productions, UNL also has the
Studio Theatre for experimental drama. These plays are
directed by graduate students or guest directors from
other schools. But the plays sometimes turn out even
better than the mainstage productions.
Problem is public's attitude '"
However, the problem is not the relationships between
the theatre groups in Lincoln, but the public s attitudes
towards them in respect to professional theatre.
The public often finds it hard to accept anything less
than a perfect copy of a work seen in New York, on
television, or in the movies. Rather than realizing that this
is amateur work, they recognize a well-known play or
playwright and want to see exactly what's been done
before. They don't want to see a new approach to a
previous production.
Perhaps part of the misunderstanding comes from the
miracles that the director and actors are suppdsed to
accomplish during rehearsals. A Broadway production
usually is rehearsed for three forty-hour weeks after
which it is previewed and rearranged for' another two
"weeks. Two great European directors, Stanislavski and
Brecht, would spend over a year on one play, and a total
of more than 1 ,000 hours of practice.
How then can you expect miracles from a community
or university production that has only three to four weeks
with, at the most; 100 hours of rehearsal time? Obviously,
there has to be some qualification of what each theatre
group can do during its cramped schedule.
Dinner theatre fails
As far as professional theatre goes, Lincoln had its
fling with a dinner theatre last year and it appears that it
"has gone the way of all flesh."
The dinner theatre, since it was on an experimental
basis, refused to become an Equity House, that is, refused
piiMiai.Mawiiiiiwiwii jiiimii. wi'iHiii MiMiwiiiii imiiiiinwrwinrnr -ir-irninirti-'TTnri w.;-
to join the Actors' Equity Union. Their thoughts must
have been that "since it probably won't wqrk anyway,
- why waste a lot of money on a union?" It is too bad they
did not realize that without enough money to attract the
expert, experienced" actors and technicians it needed, the
theatre was bound to flop.
So what does that leave Lincoln? Well, we've got the
"mellerdramers" (not really what you might call
"professional" theatre, yet they do fulfill community
entertainment needs.
You always can go to Omaha to the Fireside or
Westroads Dinner Theatres. They usually field good
productions, but with a few years experience Lincoln
could have a company that's just as successful.
What about waiting for the few professional troupes
that come to Kimball Recital Hall? The Acting Company,
formerly the City Center Acting Company, will have five
perfomances here during March. But, I don't think that
will satisfy me until next year when another group might
stumble through Lincoln on its way to better pay and
larger audiences.
Or, you could try some community and university
theatre. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that
every production is worthy of double the Broadway
admission price.
Instead, everyone should appreciate how theatre as an
art slowly is growing and gaining ground in Lincoln. We
should learn to appreciate a show that's been produced
with a cast of virtual beginners and a budget of only
$ 100 to, at the most, $ 1 ,000.
Think of the amount of time, effort, sweat, and
practice that has preceded opening night. And then try to
justify the statement that theatre in Lincoln is no good,
that it isn't professional, and that the possibilities for an
excellent production are between zi.ro and nothing.
Lincoln, here's to you. At least you ire trying and just
for that you deserve an "Encore!"
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Photo by Kavkt Hajlcy
This piece of sculpture is part of Patrick Rowan's "Weeping Water Documentary" now displayed at the Sheldon
Memorial Art Gallery. Rowan, UNL professor of art, has collected such natural materials as stone, earth, wood,
fossils and bones from the Weeping Water atea east of Lincoln and has transformed them into sculpture.
both at Kimball Racltai Hail.
Studant Concart: Collegiata
Band at 8 p.m., March 11,
at Kimball Racital Hall.
Dane Racital: Jota Limon
Danca Co. parfprmlng at
8 p.m. on March 6 and 7 at
Kimball Racital Hall.
Danca Marathon: Benefit danct
marathon for Muscular
Dystrophy in tha Nebraska
Union Ballroom 6 tonight
through midnight Saturday.
Nightspots
Tha Open Latch: Harbia Adams
sings from 5:30 p.m. to mid
night on Fridays and Dava
Land is sing from 7 p.m.
to midnight on Saturdays.
Uncle Sam's: Disco Monday
through Saturday nights and
two-fars on Mondays.
Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays from 4:30 to 7:30
p.m. in tha front tounga
(with singerguitarist Stavat
Coffin and plwa from
Valentino's).
Tha Zoo: Rhythm and blues
by Horn Cookln'.
Oscar I : New-fers from 2 to 8
every Saturday afternoon.
Moum of tha Dragon: finger
- guitarist Sally Co win,
Ravoiufon Lounge (Holiday
Inn iDwunMHi. m.x,
Tha Beginnings.
Singles Danca: - Every Friday
from 8:30 to 12:30 p.m.
at tha Elks' Pub.
Pte-Mor Ballroom: Dances, food
and drinks nightly featuring
tha Dick Wickman Band on
March 6 and polka ihow
, down between, tha
, Wendingers vs Becwar on
March 7.
Royal Grove: Live band. Pin
ups. Airport Inn: Phyllli sings and
plays tha piano and organ
during tha lunch and dinner
hours.
Tony & Lulgi's: Brad T. In tha
Gondola Lounge.
Two Eyed Jacks: Live band,
Freerida.
Little Bo's: West, . bluegrass
music by Pete Blaktslee and
tha Good Time Boys; East,
top forty played in the disco
by DJ Don Crewfay; Center,
musia by The Disco Kids.
Clayton House Lounge: Pop
slngsr-harpist Hervl Griffin's
final week.
Hilton Hotel: Tha Tommy '
Graham show entertains In
Fanny's; harpist Sarah
Dwnlap plays In tha
Haymarket din ln( room. v
Keception opens snow
Featured Haymarket Gallery artists Anne Burkholder
and Karen McPartland will be introduced at a reception
March 7 when the gallery opens its March art show. The
public reception will be from 2 to 4 p.m.
Burkholder will display paintings that a Haymarket
spokesman said, "have careful composition, singing,
subtle colors and great appeal." As a full-time professional
artist, the UNL graduate teaches painting classes at the
Haymarket. . , '
McPartland, an art graduate of Doane College in Crete,
will exhibit sculpture. She uses various media in her
work.
The displays will run through March 29 at the gallery,
119 S. 19th St.
Plays to open Sunday ,
The second bill of student-directed plays will open
Sunday night In Temple Bldg. 201. Three one-act plays,
I'll Be Damned, Out to sea.
It! Be Damned, Out to sea, and Dust of the Road, will
begin at 7 pjn. March 7 and 8 with the second and third
plays beginning approximately 10 minutes after the
previous one ends (around 8 and 9 pan,, respectively).