Arts
Entertainment
Wednesday, January 18,1995
Page 9
Futz, Inc. presents
play on life, bowling
By John Fulwider
Staff Reporter
The meaning of life is found
in a bowling ball.
At least, that’s what happens
in Steven Deitz’ play “More Fun
Than Bowling,” which will be
performed tonight by the Futz,
Inc. theater company.
Paul Pearson, the company’s
artistic director, said the play
looks into the life and loves of
Jake, a normal fellow who has
been married three times and seen
two of his wives die in freak
bowling accidents.
Jake’s second wife died when
lightning struck her bowling tro
phy as she danced about in cel
ebration of her victory; his third
wife died when a bowling ball
rack collapsed on her.
Throughout the play, Jake sits
on a hill, contemplating the
memories of his two dead wives
who are buried there. He is joined
frequently by his teen-age daugh
ter, Molly. Also present on the
hill is a mysterious stranger who
doesn’t make his intent known
until the story’s climax.
“Steven Dietz is a playwright
who takes very common experi
ences and moves them into really
cosmic proportions,” Pearson
said.
Jake and Molly are played by
a real-life father and daughter,
Gary and Melanie Hall. Linda
Adam-Hall is the voice of Lois,
Jake’s first wife and Molly’s
mother.
“We have an actual family
playing an actual family,”
Pearson said.
Pearson said Futz, Inc. ini
tially chose the play for its “cute
title.” Also appealing were the
strong women’s roles in the play,
which Pearson said were hard to
find in most theater.
“The women all have wonder
ful things to say,” he said.
■‘They’re unique. They stand on
their own.”
Pearson said “Bowling” was
profound, but not really deep.
“It’s kinda something that
sneaks up behind you and hits
you on the head and you say,
‘Wow, that’s cool,”’ he said.
He said the common nature of
“Bowling” would appeal to its
audience.
“There’s nothing more com
mon than bowling,” he said. “It’s
the only thing you can drink beer
and do at the same time.”
Pearson said the Futz, Inc. is a
community theater emphasizing
See FUTZ on 10
‘Voyager’ to take off
from Union tonight
By Chris DeKalb
Staff Reporter
High-tech spaceships and rub
ber monsters will be released in
Nebraska Union tonight.
The Lincoln Fantasy and Sci
ence Fiction Club will show the
series premiere of “Star Trek:
Voyager” at 8:30 pan., following
an episode of “Mystery Science
Theater 3,000.”
The free showing will be in
the Centennial Ballroom on a
large-screen television.
Gamer Johnson, a member of
the club, said the showing would
help fans and the organization.
The club recorded the premiere
episode via satellite. The com
mercials will be edited out be
fore the showing.
“We thought this would be a
good way of publicizing our club
and club activities, as well as
showing fans the new show on a
big screen,” Johnson said.
Lincolnites also may watch
the “Voyager” premiere on
KPTM/Fox 42 Saturday.
Johnson said the club’s show
ing of a “Star Trek: The Next
Generation” season premiere
drew about 300 people. Watch
ing a show with many other
fans is more fun, he said.
“Godzilla v. Megalon,” the
“Mystery Science Theater 3,000”
episode, begins at 7 p.m. “Mys
tery Science Theater 3,000” is a
program carried on the Comedy
Central cable network, which is
unavailable in Lincoln.
The screening of both shows
should be finished by 11 p.m.
iravisneying/UN
Former Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clark performs at Homer’s, 1339 0 St.
Gilby Clark visits Lincoln
Former GNR
‘better off solo’
By Joel Strauch ,
Senior Reporter
l rv ■■ : , l- ■■■ v*'■
More than 100 fans flocked to
Homer’s, 1339 O St., Tuesday af
ternoon to see Gilby Clark, former
guitarist of Guns ‘N’ Roses.
Clark was in Lincoln to pro
mote his new solo album, “Pawn
shop Guitars.” He announced his
split from G’N’R Monday morn
ing after finishing a video with
Slash (G’N’R lead guitarist), said
Mike Melbye, metal music direc
tor at 1063 The Blaze.
“Axl (G’N’R lead singer) is tak
ing the music in a different direc
tion that Clark doesn’t want to
take,” Melbye said.
Clark played a four-song acous
tic set at Homer’s before he left for
a sound check for his electric show
at the Hurricane last night.
Clark’s song, “Tijuana Jail,” has
received much airplay on Lincoln
radio stations.
Some of Clark’s fans said the
separation would improve Clark’s
approach to his music.
Joe Rodriguez, a graduate of
the University of Nebraska at
“I think the ‘mystic*
part of being from
\ Guns TV’ Roses and
then coming to such
an intimate setting is
impressive. ”
m
KEVIN HAUPTMAN
UNL graduate
Kearney, said Clark was better off
solo.
“He’ll have a lot more success,”
Rodriguez said. “Now that he’s on
his own, he’s got his own unique
sound that’s not influenced by Axl
or Slash.”
Kevin Otto of Lincoln also said
Clark’s ideas would be more fo
cused now that he’s split from the
band.
“It’s hard to be focused when
you’re in the limelight with Guns
‘N’ Roses all the time,” Otto said.
But other fans said they were
there to see Clark because of his
connection to G’N’R.
Kevin Hauptman, a University
ofNebraska-Lincoln graduate, said
that although he wasn’t a really big
fan of Clark, he was a huge u N R
fan.
“I think the ‘mystic’ part of
being from Guns ‘N’ Roses and
then coming to such an intimate
setting is impressive,” Hauptman
said. “He’s an artist who is closer
to the people and his music shows
that.” .
Sean Reagan, a senior psychol
ogy major at UNL, was another
fan who came to check Clark out
because of his G’N’R affiliation.
“I haven’t even heard the whole
CD,” Reagan said. “I’ve only heard
that song that’s on the radio,
‘Tijuana Jail.’ It’s a pretty cool
song.”
Most of Clark’s fans agreed his
music was “kinda bluesy” and a lot
different from G’N’R music.
Colby Coash, a sophomore the
atre major at UNL, said, “Gilby
Clark’s music is not heavy and not
light, it’s just pure rock ‘n’ roll.”
But not everyone at the store
had come to see Gilby Clark.
Matt Maaske of Kearney said
that he didn’t even know the show
was going on.
“We walked in and decided to
stay,” Maaske said.
Maaske said he wasn’t neces
sarily a fan of Clark’s.
“But I might be after this,” he
said.
‘Clerks’ serves audience with behind-the-counter view
The Facts
Film: “Clerks”
Director: Kevin Smith
Stars: Brian O’Halloran, Jeff
Anderson, Marilyn
Ghigliotti
Rating: R
Grade: A
Five Words: Slackers in the
service industry.
By Chad Johnson
Staff Reporter
Take a couple of slackers, put
them in charge of a convenience
store and a video rental outlet,
make them serve humanity’s out
siders, and you get “Clerks.”
“Clerks” is a funny, dark com
edy that centers on a day in the life
of Dante Hicks, manager of the
Quick Stop Shop, someplace in
New Jersey.
Called in on his day off, Dante
begins his longest day by discov
ering gum jammed in the locks of
the window shutters. Life is an
uphill climb from there as he deals
with the unexpected sexual revela
tions of his current girlfriend, the
impending marriage of the ex he
still carries a torch for and the
demands of the unruly, rude, ob
noxious and just plain stupid cus
tomers that torment his existence.
Dante’s foil is Randal, played
by Jeff Anderson, whose primary
passions include being just as rude
to the customers as they are to him,
discussing sex and watching her
maphroditic pomo tapes in the
store.
His nihilistic attitude is in basic
opposition to the pliable Dante.
While Dante caves in, Randal
lashes out, but they both are stuck
in their little comers of conve
nience.
The supporting cast is a bizarre
mix of misfits, losers and redeem
ers. Dante’s current girlfriend,
Veronica (Marilyn Ghigliotti) is
trying her best to get Dante out of
the store and back to school. Their
verbal duals are some of the best
contests seen on screen in years.
Other characters that flesh out
the film are Caitlin, Dante’s ex,
who has a rather shocking encoun
ter in the bathroom of the store;
Jay, a trash-talking street pusher
with the vocabulary of a sewer rat;
“Clerks ” is a funny, dark comedy that
centers on a day in the life of Dante Hicks,
manager of the Quick Stop Shop,
someplace in New Jersey.
and Silent Bob, who speaks little
but says volumes.
Director Kevin Smith gives the
audience a bleak, grainy, desolate
picture that belies the intelligence
of the protagonist.
Completed with a $27,575 bud
get, “Clerks” is what would have
happened in “Slacker” had the nar
rative stayed with one character
for the entire day.
By doing so, “Clerks” is on par
with, but different from, “Slacker ”
Most viewers can recognize Dante
or Randal as either themselves or
someone they know.
And remember, just because
they serve you doesn’t mean they
like you.
