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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1989)
Arts & Entertainment ■ Tammy Taylor/Daily Nebraskan Lied Center programming already getting underway By drag Hammond Sag Reporter In 1933, a University of Nebraska Lincoln chancellor first dreamed up the idea of a new performing arts center In 1990, the dream will be d Center for Performing Arts wil open its doors to the public an September 1,1989. Although the nand opening will not be until Feb. 28,1990, there will be smaller per formances earlier in the year to gel things rolling. **We have the King Singers, for example, is a group that’s coming with a Christ mas snow in Decem ber,” said Sheila Griffin, Lied Center Prefect director. “It’ll be kind of exciting. ’’ When the grand opening day does come around, there could be a small problem, Griffin said. The theater seats 2300people, but the parking lot does not pait 2,300. wncn uie original plans were made for the Lied Center, the city of Lincoln said it would plan for a park ing garage to handle both the Lied Center and downtown redevelop ment palling, Griffin said. After the Lied building was underway, the puling idea fell through, Griffin said. “The city does maintain it has a responsibility to provide parking, (although) it will not be in the form of a parking garage,” Griffin said. ‘“Iney are going to be helping us to earmark the surface parking that is within two blocks of the Lied Cen ter.” If patrons arrive 15 minutes before the show, they should have no prob lem finding a parking place within a two-minute walking distance, Griffin said. It will only be the people who show up two or three minutes betore the show that will have a 15-minute walk from their parking place, Grif fin said. Along with the Lied Center Build ing itself, a park is also planned for the south side of the block east of the Lied Center. “In long range plans . . . (the University) will lake over the entire block and the only building, eventu ally that will stand on that block, will be the Temple building,” Griffin said. No date is set for completion of the park. In addition to the park, a recent donation was given to the Lied Proj ect to develop a boulevard, Griffin said. The boulevard will extend along 12th Street from Q Street up to a tnrnjnMinyl noar f hr* Art Gallery, she said. People will be able lo drive north, turn around and drop people off in front of the Lied. The donation will also pay for various landscaping and special lighting on the new boulevard. The boulevard project will be finished by the Lied’s opening. UNL is already looking for nation wide entertainers. Ron Bowlin, the coordinator and booker for the Lied Center, is already talking with agents and planning trips to seek out enter tainment such as country music stars, new wave bands, comedians and Broadway musicals like Lcs Miscr ables. Although there arc plans for a great deal of outside performers, UNL built the Lied Center facility as just that, a facility, to be used, first and foremost, for education, Griffin said. One of the first performances in the building will be UNL’s produc tion of “Wcstside Story,” Griffin said. Sheldon displaying Rodin exhibit I By Lisa Donovan Senior Reporter_ Auguste Rodin employed photog raphy to perfect his sculpting and to show people how he wanted his art to be seen, said a Rodin expert this weekend at the University of Ne braska-Line oln. “The photographic print was a step in the creative process,” said Albert E. Elsen, prolessor of art h^ tor\ at Stantord l niversity and cura tor of the Rodin collection. Elsen spoke to atxiui 2(X) people F riday night at the Sheldon Memorial Art Galler) about the techniques and style of Rodin, a late 19th early 20th century French sculptor. A Rodin exhibit will he on display at Sheldon through Ma^ 22. In 1978, Elsen was working in the Rodin Museum in Paris when he was invited to view a room that had been unlocked for the first time since Rodin s death. Elsen found, among other things, an attic full of photographs taken before Rodin died. Elsen said some of the pictures had writing on them. ‘‘I wondered, what idiot wrote on these photographs?” Elsen said. “Answer: Rodin.” Apparently, Rodin used photogra phy to capture the art w ork the way he wanted people to see it and to help him decide what he could do to com plete or change the piece. Elsen said. Elsen conjectured that Rodin commissioned Edward Stcichen and other photographers. Although Rodin never “tripped a shutter,” he would select the light, angle and composition. 1 When you study Michealangclo . . . and other famous artists, you wonder at w hat angle dies would like us to see their work, Eisen said. The pictures were especially beautiful, Elsen said, because the photographers us«.d hand-made pho tography paper Elsen said that many of the photo graphs were taken troin the sculp ture's back. “He could make the human body as interesting in front as in the back,” he said. One example of a sculpture that was shot from the back is “The W'alker.” Elsen said that a viewer £an see the human locomotion in the piece. * “You just start (viewing from the back of the sculpture) and follow the stride,” he said. “Rodin wants you to note his works have three-dimensional sen -u ality,” he said. Elsen said Rodin used special angles to capture the sensuousness ol his sculptures. Rodin didn’t alwavs follow the rules of photography when he in structed photographers to shoot his sculptures. He has pictures of hi- j work partially in the shadow. Elsen said, and sometimes shot again.-.! the g light. Not only did Rodin break some rules of photography, but sot wily and artistically, he broke mans taboos. “He was a spokesman ol the un spcakablc,” Elsen said. “He showed in public w hut other thought should be shown in private. Such things included sculptures ol nudes and sculptures show ing human vulnerability. The figures weren’t very attractive, Elsen said. 4 4 He was interested in expression . . not cosmetic perfection,” Elsen said. “He wanted to bring the sculpture to life to make you forget about the art,” he added. “I would hope you would look at the art out there and not the labels,” Elsen said,4 and look at them against the light.” . —- 1 .-■ — 1 " 1 a Production gives sinful version of Hell I By Adam T. Brantmg Staff Reporter “It’s just an innocent vision of Hell," says the character DeCeri say. tHeato, Vision of Hell, yes. Innocent, not by a long shot. The University Theatre and Dance Department’s production of “The Devils’’ has left innocence at the door in this exploration of sin -- all kinds of sin. Director Keith Grant moves a true story of deception and lechery in 17th century France to the year 2550. Father Urbain Grandier (John Heuertz) has a problem. He’s unorthodox, a trouble-maker and homy. Grandicr’s exploration of wid ows, schoolgirls, and other babes has raised some eyebrows, includ ing those of Adam and Mannoury (Jim Hanna and Andrea Kimberly Walker). They set out on a plot to bring Grandier down. But Sister Jeanne (Kristy Breen) does the most damage. After Grandicr’s refusal to be spiritual advisor at Sister Jeanne’s convent, the Sister - who’s al ready a few bricks short of g full load - claims Grandier is a demon who has seduced her and other nuns. From there the play sets off in an exploration of faith, evil, the church, politics and lust. The end ing is predictable; the journey there is shocking: The best move director Grant made was to move this play into the future. David Blenderman’s minimalist set, centcrpieccd by 10 television sets to show the action, is excellent, as is Lori Bush’s harsh, evil and sometimes sultry, lighting. The worst move Grant made was doing the play in the first place. It is a muddled, vicious little play with unlikeable characters in an unfavorable situation. The great theological point, or explanation of the condition of mankind or whatever, is lost in bland dialogue and a slow-starting story. The play becomes focused and strong in the second act, and near the end actually sparks some interest. This leaves the actors in a very critical position - they must, in the midst of this great set and horrible dialogue, make a point. Hcuert/.’s Grandicr does not assert himself soon enough as a strong character. He’s almost evil in some points where he shouldn’t be. But he does better in the second act, showing a man who thinks with more than Mr. Happy. As Grandier’s main nemesis, Breen’s Sister Jeanne can be a lad melodramatic atpoints, sne s very evil, but none1 too subtle. Breen shines when she’s “possessed. ” The best performances seem to coincide with the juiciest parts. Jim Johnson as Father Barre, a priest specializing in exorcism, is particularly good as a priest with the single-minded mission of de stroying evil. His anger and zeal flow from him easily. The most questionable move that Grant made was some of the staging in this endeavor. Grant lakes many risks that arc not usu ally taken in college theater. There’s nothing wrong with taking risks, but this play is not good enough to warrant this kind of potential trouble. Thq second act treats the audi ence to its most bizarre sight. Sis ter Jeanne and her pristine nuns become ‘ ‘ possessed ’ and turn into BISEXUAL NUNS FROM HELL, raping all the subsequent priests and passers-by in the area. Yes, it was erotic. This was aw fully nifty. Other members of the audience did not think so. Some blushed, some turned away from the bumping and grinding nuns in bras and panties and priests in jock straps. 44The Devils”, is for the very open-minded. It is a well-acted, visually sumptuous play that goes nowhere. John Brue*/Dally Nebraskan Odd plot, weird production, wrong cast ruin 'Her Alibi Shut Up and Watch the Movie was written by Lisa Donovan, a junior news-editorial, and William Rudolph, a sophomore English ma jor. Lisa Donovan: I wish 1 would have had my remote control so I could switch off the boring parts. William Rudolph: If I would have had my remote control, I’d have changed to a channel without “Her Alibi.” But not before I’d put the pause button on Paulina Ponzkova. Okay, okay, I’ll say it: she’s really beautiful. And she can act, too, sort of. LD: I guess she’s all right - if you like the flawless type. But let’s get down tO'^- this flick had plenty of flaws and scratches. Now I think the stoaryas pretty good, original and it might have wonted with the right cast. WR: But, Lisa, the problem was that “Her Alibi” had the wrong cast, not to mention a really stupid and strained story. I mean, Tom Selleck. Right. He’s old enough to be Paulina’s grandpa. What the movie did have was a lot of weird people, especially weird old ladies. Yeecch! LD: And weird old men, Rudy my boy - let’s no* ''e sexist. There were weird people in general - ahh heck, the whole dam movie was weird! And the camera work, oh God, it looked like my high school TV pro duction class did this one. WR: Everything looked like ama teur week. Who came up with the bright idea to put everybody in bright blues and reds and greens? I thought I was in a color-safe, liquid bleach commercial. Unfortunately, I wasn’t, 'niiitl). t.:i . .. because “Her Alibi” lasted longer than 30 seconds. Everything dragged on, except the sex scenes. There was one. And it lasted about two seconds. LD: Thank God! I liked Sellcck belter when he played the asexual Magnum P.I. The smooch scenes were unbearable -- Tom kisses like a vacuum. WR: But enough of that. On to the alleged plot. Tom Selleck is a hack mystery writer who has run out of inspiration. Lo and behold, enter Paulina Porizkova as a mysterious Romanian beauty accused of murder. Tom’s in heat - er -- in love, that is. So he decides to . .. take it away, Lisa! LD: Well, he decides he’s her - you guessed it HER ALIBI. Anyway, he lakes her to his Magnum P.I. set, I See SHUTUP on Page 11 ai I