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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 1991)
Arts & Entertainment Theater company finds permanent home Theater to be built in local warehouse By Anne Steyer Senior Reporter The Lincoln Ensemble Theatre finally has found a home. In December they will move into their first permanent base, a warehouse called The Creamery at 701 P St. “It’s been a long process,” said Kevin Har vey, the group’s president. Both Harvey and Richard Schmeling, for mer president of the group, are excited about the opportunity to perform at the ensemble theater’s permanent home. Construction of the theater will begin next month, on the second floor of the Creamery. The first floor will house an antique store operated by the owner of the building. One of his contributions to the building will be an antique staircase. The theater is projected to have a seating capacity of 100-120 people. Schmeling said he hopes to have seating on three sides, with no more than six rows on each side. Observing auditionsatthcLincoln Commu nity Playhouse propelled Schmeling’s pursuit of a permanent home. “I was impressed by the tremendous amount of acting talent that I saw," Schmeling said, “and I felt that the directors could have cast the shows three times over. “When you get into that kind of situation, you need some additional performing outlets for the acting community.” Harvey said the theater had its unofficial — u When you get into that kind of situation, you need some additional performing outlets for the acting community. Schmeling former president of Lincoln Ensemble Theatre -ft - inception in the spring of 1987 as the Homeless Theatre Project, a one-performance show formed to raise money for the homeless people of Lincoln. The ensemble theater troupe rehearsed the show for four months and performed in the Harpen Brothers Building in the Haymarket. At the University Club, the troupe operated as a dinner theater, which Schmeling said made it inaccessible to the general public. “When you’re part of a package that in cludes dinner, you’re looking at an expensive evening,” Schmeling said. For its new season, the theater will try to provide affordable pricing on single tickets and season tickets. In the past, the Lincoln Ensemble Theatre’s seasons have been limited to four shows, but withthe acquisition of the new theater space, See THEATER on 10 Hairy man seeks method for writing personal ads Mark Baldridge The Daily Nebraskan, that para gon of college journalism, has this to say about writing an effective ad: “Be descriptive. The more infor mation you provide the readers, the better your responses will be. Begin the ad with the item for sale or offered. Include the price of the item for sale.” With this advice in mind, I think I’m going to take out a personal ad. I always read the personal ad sec tion because everyone seems to have such a swinging time there. And be sides, I’m afraid I’ll miss the one that’s for me. Good-Looking Guy in gray sweater, How would you like to meet the tall brunette from Pound Hall? /’ m fun loving, athletic and have a great sense of humor. Respond via personals. — Snuggle Bunny I read that and think: I have a gray sweater, maybe that’s me. Hey, it could happen. But 1 never respond via personals. I never respond via anything, I’m too shy. And I always figure it’s probably not for me. Lots of guys have gray sweaters, and 1 don’t even know where Pound is. So I figured I’d lake out my own ad. That way I’d be sure when one was for me. I’ II sign it something like “Bruiser,” something real “hc*man.” Then when I get responses they’ll read: Bruiser, Your idea of a good lime sounds good to me. I'm a 5’9 green-eyed monster and I'm 100 percent woman. I like the sound of your ad. Call me. — Blonde Barbarian Actually, that sounds kind of scary. Maybe 1 should lone it down a little — I don’t want to come across like a pro wrestler. I’m a timid guy. I want to bring out my good points. After all, they’re going to want to meet me sooner or later — and I’m never going to pass for Tarzan. Let’s sec, descriptive . .. Young man with broad shoulders seeks young lady for intimate evening encounters. Likes reading, dining out and Calvin and Hobbes. No blonde barbarians need apply. RSV Person als. A little formal, you think? A little vague with that “young man” bit? Perhaps, but I’m only ?J. That’s not old, though I admit I’m not exactly underage. I haven’t even been carded since I was 16. It’s the “mature look.” Sure, I may be glossing over some of the salient factors, but isn’t that what advertising is all about? And who’s going to respond to the truth? Aging undergraduate with broad if somewhat hairy shoulders seeks female for awkward fumbling. Likes beer, TV and Jim's Journal. My stan dards are low. Apply today! RSV... el cetera. Oh, this is loo much work. Ii would be easy if I never had lo mccl them — or talk to them on the phone. But then what’s the point? I can do that with out ever leaving home. Baldridge is a senior Knglish major and a Daily Nebraskan A&K columnist Jeff Holler/DN Members of the Rist Christian Theatre Company rehearse Monday night at Howell Theatre where they will perform an all-French production of Moliere’s “Le Misanthrope. Breaking the language barrier Play gives meaning m movement By Robert Richardson Senior Reporter Hoping to break the language barriers of a 17th century play by Molierc, a French theater company will present “Lc Misanthrope” in two performances at Howell The atre today. The Christian Rist Theater Company, a Paris-based troupe under the direction of Christian Rist, has been in the United States since late October. Rist said the company has had relative success in presenting the play, which is performed entirely in French, to American audiences. “What was the meaning of Molicrc when he wrote his play?” Rist asked. “Simply, he had things to say. Those things were not meant to be said in a dramatic way. He had to prove the movement, by the movement. And that’s the theatri cal proof. So 1 think if we do prop erly what we have to do, people tiffin See BREAKING on 10 Chocolate-covered art Finley attacks societal responses to problems By Mark Nemeth Satff Reporter_ __ Performance Artist Karen Finley came to the Carson Theatre in Lin coln this weekend, criticizing gov ernment and society response to AIDS, homelessness, homosexuality and women’s rights. When Finley look the stage, she brought with her a large red cloth, which she wrapped around her head; an Evian water bottle in one hand and a very large piece of beef jerky in the other. Finley said that the post-modern artist only needs to add “text” to turn apiece of beef jerky into art. Finley’s personality and attitude were imme diately personal, assertive and often sarcastic. Finley’s performance was angry, sincere, bitter, personal and political, culminating in the emotional inten sity of the theme presented by the title of her show, ‘‘We Keep Our Victims Ready. “Could you move over,” she said lo an audience member sitting on the floor. “There’s going to be a light there.” Finley criticized what she called the male “pseudo-sensitivity.” “I hate William Hurl,” said Finley. “Did he think he did us a favor by wearing those damn PC glasses and acting like a sensitive homosexual in ‘Kiss of The Spider Woman?’ I hate people who have to rationalize suf fering.” Finley compared the victims of societal abuse — abused women, homosexuals, the homeless, people with AIDS — to imprisoned veal calves and Nazi Germany concentration camp victims. “Our society is no different,” she said. “Our own (ovens) cook at a slower speed.. .. We keep our vic tims ready. Many believe that HIV carriers should be branded like those in concentration camps. People would rather eliminate the victims of AIDS than the disease itself.” Finley’s performance, like all her performances, was an animated re cital of a type of poetry that alternates in point of view. Us content and en ergy left the audience overwhelmed, antirv and often confused. One of Finley’s written perform ance pieces entitled, “I Was Not Expected To Be Talented,”criticizes censorship and the socialization of women. That socialization, Finley said, enforces the myth that women are inferior to men. This piece began as a description of Finley’s dream about an art gallery that had removed all of its paintings, leaving only frames and tape on the walls. The toilets were closed because of the fear that someone would think urination was art. In thisdream. North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms was trying to impress foreign dignitaries with the United States’ commitment to morality. But the dignitaries were not im pressed because there was nowhere for them to go to the bathroom. Finley went on to explain that New York’s Coney Island was closed be cause the hotdogs sold there were “too phallic.” Helms, columnist George Will, President George Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle were forced to paint on the White House lawn for the dignitaries, but they could produce nothing until a child inspired them to let go of their fears. Soon the politicians were painting visions of houses burning and homo sexuals having sex. Finley’s piece ended with the re peating of the words, “I was not ex pected to be talented.... Are my tits big enough?” The second of Finley s three acts began with the artist removing most of her clothes. After filling her shirt with jcllo, she performed a symbolic piece about a woman being raped and beaten. “This is the part that makes Bush and (White House Chief of Staff John) Sununu and those guys nervous,” Finley said, as she look off her clothes and smeared chocolate sauce on her body. After spreading chocolate on her body, Finley added red candies, then green sprouts symbolizing sperm, and finally tinsel. The combination, she explained, represents the way women arc “treated like feces, then told sweet things, then used for sex, then put in nice clothing as if to make everything better. “Whenever I see a rainbow in the «ky,” Finley said. “I only see an angel See FINELY on 10