Wednesday, September 21,1994 Page 9
Play depicts ‘wickedness’ of blizzard
By Paula lavlgnt__
Senior Reporter
Horizontal snow that was
hard and dry as salt dashed and
seethed over everything, sloped
up tike rooftops, tricked its way
across creek bed and ditches,
mil kily purled down city stivets,
stole shanties and coo/is and pens
from a bleak landscape that was
even then called the Great A meri
can Desert.” — Ron Hansen,
"Wickedness, ” from the anthol
ogy “Nebraska ”
On Jan. 12.1888, Nebraska look
a fatal blow.
What began as an abnormally
warm day turned into the most dev
astating blizzard the Midwest has
ever seen. Thousands of cattle lay
frozen across the prairie. Horses
fell over in their tracks.
More than 100 Nebraskans lost
their lives in the unforgiving cold
and wind.
The next day. a gossamer sheet
of sparkling snow blanketed the
fields and crystallized everything it
touched.
This paradox of ferocity and
beauty is the essence of the world
prcmicrcof“Wickedness," a dance/
theater interpretation of the 1888
blizzard.
“Wickedness" combines the tal
ents of choreographer Janet Lily,
composer Andy Kirschncr, novel
ist Ron Hansen (a Nebraska native)
and several local artists.
The event is part of the “Great
Plains in Performance Festival,”
sponsored by the Wagon Train
Project and its director. Amy
Lamphcre.
Performances will be held Fri
day and Saturday in the State Capi
tol building.
At 6 a. m„ the tem/)erature at
Valentine, Nebraska, was 30 de
grees abate zero. Half a daytaler
the temperature was 14 Motv, a
drop of 44 degrees and the differ
ence betuven having toes and
not, Iretuven staying alive over
' night and not, bettveen ordinary
concerns and one overriding
idea.”— "Wickedness”
The author
Ron Hansen knows the full force
of the capricious Nebraska weather.
In January 1975, Hansen was en
route from near Fremont to Omaha
when his Volkswagen drifted off
the road. He was stuck in a blizzard.
“It was a whiteout. I was way off
the highway, driving off the side of
the road, and it looked like the
whole world was removed from
me." he said.
Hansen said he knew he was on
the wrong side of the road when a
semitrailer l ruck passed him on his
right side.
“That’s OK when you’re in En
gland, but not in Nebraska,” he
said, laughing.
Hansen never forgot that experi
ence. He paid close attention to the
coverage of the blizzard in the
Omaha World-Herald.
In its coverage, the newspaper
mentioned the blizzard of 1888 and
the book, “In All Its Fury.” by W.H.
O’Gara. It is a collection of actual
stories from people caught in the
1888 blizzard.
The young author was so fasci
nated by the stories that he took
them and weaved them into fiction.
Some of the stories arc elaborate
recreations: others slay true to con
text.
Hansen said his enchantment
stemmed from the paradox that a
blizzard created. It calls upon de
struction and death, yet it trans
forms the landscape into something
of a tragic beauty.
“I think 1 was fascinated by it
because there's a sort of malevo
lence that comes with weather,” he
said. “When you look at weather,
it's neutral. Then you associate
something evil with it.”
Weather makes people realize
how small they arc. he said.
“It's like swimming in an ocean
and realizing a wave can do any
thing to you."
Hansen said a blizzard meant
much more to people in 1888 than
it did today.
“You saw what pai n and misery
they had to undergo. They had so
many miles to go to find a farm
house,” he said. “Some people who
got lost and died in tne blizzard
would turn up three or four weeks
later.”
Hansen, who is on staff at the
University of California-Santa
Cniz, said he usually came home at
Christmas time to “get a taste of the
Nebraska winters.”
Jeff Haller/DN
Cat Stolnwels, left, and Call Ogden practice part of the dancing for “Wickedness" at a
rehearsal on Monday evening at the St. Francis Chapel In Lincoln. The dance/theater
Interpretation of the blizzard of 1888 will bo performed Friday and Saturday at the
Nebraska State Capitol.
Show: “Wickedness”
At: State Capitol
Times: noon and 4 p.m.
Friday, noon and 3 p.m.
Saturday
Tickets: n/a, all performances
arc free
The choreographer
Janet Lily is happy to be back in
the Midwest.
“I love to watch the sunrise in
the morning,” Lily said. “I love the
landscape. I love the way the air
feels. I like the extremes.”
She misses snow.
Lily, who is in the process of
moving to Santa Cruz, Calif., said
people in California talked about
now perfect the weather was there.
“They talk about it as if they
created it,” she said. “It’s their
egos.”
People in the Midwest, however,
lake pride in weathering the ex
tremes, she said.
Lily is back in the Midwest to
choreograph “Wickedness,” a story
focused on an extreme — a bliz
zard.
“I'm moving to California, and
I’m back here doing a piece about
snow.” she said, laughing.
When Lily used to live in Ann
Arbor. Mich., she said the snow
prevented her from doing many
everyday things and started to make
winter a miserable experience.
“My mission is to make winter
fun again,” she said.
“Wickedness” is doing that.
Lily, an avid reader of new fic
tion, came upon Hansen’s anthol
ogy “Nebraska.”
“Hie impressive thi ng is that his
writing captures the vivacity and
grit of the Midwest.” she said.
She said the story lent itself to a
dance/theatcr adaptation.
“The strength of its images is
powerful,” she said. “It has the vis
ceral element of cold and wind "
Lily said she planned on por
traying the images indifferent fash
ions. She will present some of them
as straight storytellingand others in
more symbolic, abstract styles.
Her interpretations will incor
porate theatrical gestures, singing,
spoken words and different styles
of dance set to specially composed
music.
“(Choreographing) is a really fun
process. lt’s problem-solving." she
said. “You know why the story is
appealing. The problem-solving lies
in how to communicate that feel
ing.”
The composer
Andy Kirschner is caught in a
blizzard of notes — literally.
Kirschner, also a resident of Ann
Arbor, Mich., has been working on
an original score for “Wickedness"
since Lily asked him to join the
project.
See WICKEDNESS on 10
Laid-back restaurant offers good food, casual look
- uamon Lee/ un
Customers cflne at Qrotto’s on a recent weekend evening. The restaurant
at 11th and 0 streets, features a menu geared toward an everyday dining
experience, according to owner Nader Sepapur.
By Jo«l Strauch
Senior Reporter
Lincoln's Rotisscric has had a makeover,
and where it once sat now stands Grotto’s.
Nader Sepapur, the owner of Grotto’s,
said, “I wanted to break away from the up
scale mode while keeping the quality of the
food the same.”
Grotto's was the name of the cafe and bar
that was in the basement of the Rotisscric. It
held more of a casual atmosphere than the
restaurant upstairs.
“It had nice music, no tablecloths and a
choice of a lighter menu,” he said.
“I geared it down upstairs; people can get
anything from a burger to a steak. It doesn't
have to be a big dining affair.”
The menu is more laid-back than it used to
be.
“I made the menu geared more toward
everyday dining experience,” he said. “1 low
ered the prices and added salad, sandwiches
and pizza to it.
“The major theme of the menu now is the
grilled brochettes. They come with cither
Restaurant: Grotto's
At: 11th and O streets
Hours: Monday through Saturday,
11:30 a m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 to
10:00p.m.
Trademark: Grilled brochettes
Comment: Delicious and diverse array
of dishes at affordable prices
salad, pasta, rice or fries.”
The chicken breast grilled brochette was
exquisite, served with a If redo pasta primavcra
and a mild mixed vegetable dish on the side.
Washed down with an Anchor Steam beer,
the meal was delightful and afTordabic.
Grotto's also offers a variety of novel
appetizers.
“They are all original recipes, but they
See GROTTO’S on 10