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Friday, July 19, 1985
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Vol. 84 No. 168
Weather: Mostly cloudy and cooler today with a 40 percent
chance of morning showers. Expect a high of 81 (27C). Varia
ble cloudiness tonight with only a slight chance of precipita
tion and a low of 70 (21C). Partly cloudy for the weekend.
Expect highs in the middle to upper 80s (30C) and lows in the
upper 60s to lower 70s (21C).
Barb BrandaTha Nebraskan
Budget cuts affect
Sheldon Gallery.. .Page6
Faculty, students work
to save program. ..Page 2
orror theater hostess leaving coffin for college
By Mike Grant
Staff Reporter
Macabra, the hostess of WOWT-TVs
"Theatre of the Macabre" sat in the
studio on a Victorian love seat near a
prop coffin, fitted in an eerily stunning
Fredericks of Hollywood leopard skin
body suit.
Macabra (who asked that we not use
her real name) was in the process of
shooting that afternoon. Not shooting
anyone in particular, as she might pun
on her popular Saturday night horror
show, but rather getting ready to film
the program.
"Actually, I think
they wanted some
body who really
looked embalmed. "
Macabra
Since it takes more than an hour to
apply her makeup and transform her
from a regular living mortal into the
living dead character she plays, it is
more economical to film two shows
during one shooting, she said.
If you're wondering why you've never
seen Macabra in the movies she
announces it's because her acting ex
perience is limited.
"This is going to make a lot of pro
fessional actors mad, but the only act
ing experience I had before this was in
high school plays," she said, "I applied
for this job on a lark. WOWT was hold
ing auditions for the show, and my
friends convinced me I was bizarre
enough to do it."
Applicants were asked to do some
impromptu acting. The list was then
narrowed down to six finalists. Why
was Macabra chosen?
"Elegance, dignity and poise," she
said, and laughed, "Actually, I think
they wanted somebody who really looked
embalmed. I saw a sped-up videotape
of the auditioners and all the others
were moving around so much. I was
stiff to keep from trembling throughout
the tape. They must have liked that, so
I was hired."
Macabra, an Omaha native, has a low
opinion of the movies she introduces.
"Most of the movies stink," she said,
"But the worse the movie, the easier it
is to have something to say about them
between the commercials. The truly
scary movies tend to leave you numb
with nothing to say."
She said her favorite movies are "the
Boris Karloff 1930s type, because they
have much more of a presence to
them."
In real life, Macabra has mixed feel
ings about her stardom.
"Much of the fan mail I get is from 7
to 12-year-olds who send me their draw
ings of monsters, but some of the mail I
get from adults is really scary and
weird," she said, explaining why she'd
rather not give her real name.
On the streets of Omaha she said
she's "found that adults stand about a
block away and stare, while the bolder
teenagers will come up to me for
autographs."
Still, she said she's rarely recog
nized when she's not in costume. "When
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Mark DavisThe Nebraskan
I go out to the Westroads Shopping can flaunt and subjugate my image. It Macabra, who said she is "37 going M.BA degree, and hopes to someday
Mall to pick up my costumes, I have to allows me to compartmentalize my life, on 400," plans to leave "Theatre of the have a management position,
have my makeup on so I can get the It's like playing dress-up. In fact, my Macabre" by September, after hosting "Think weird," Macabra said, before
right color of clothing. That's when I'm favorite time of the year is Halloween the program for almost three years. She having her 2Vi inch fingernails taped
recognized," she said. "But usually, I when everyone else is in costume, too." is going back to school to complete her on.