ERTAINMENT
1995 Page 12
Jeff Haller/DN
Jessica Haubrich, left, a senior theater major, and Kara Conrad and Patrick
Tuttle, both Master of Fine Arts candidates, participated in Shakespeare
productions over the summer.
Festival faces
Summer of Shakespeare gives
students valuable experience
By Gerry Beltz
Senior Reporter
Three UNL students got a bit of the Bard last
summer.
Two Shakespeare festivals—one in Illinois,
the other in Wisconsin—helped the three UNL
Theatre Arts students gain a summer of experi
year.”
' A11 three agreed that the people they worked
with helped make their experiences good ones.
“It was nice because we were surrounded by
other M.F.A students from across the country,”
Tuttle said. “We all had a common goal, and
there was more of an understanding between all
of us as to what we were going through.”
ence- . . Conrad said there were
Jessi Haubrich, a se- many other familiar Ne
nior costume design ma- braska faces around Illi
jor, and Kara Conrad, uPve never made a head nois this past summer,
who, in December, will , r , ^ . , , “We knew who we
receive her Master of Fine before, blit It turned OUt tO be were WOrking for and
Arts degree in scenic de- Very realistic. YOU always what we were getting into,
sign, both attended the _ , . . ,/ The whole Nebraska
Illinois Shakespeare Fes- expect trie bizarre. mafia was at Illinois this
tival. Patrick Tuttle, a KARA CONRAD year,” Conrad said,laugh
third-year graduate stu- CONRAD fng .
dent enrolled in the Theatre Arts student Haubrich said, “We
M.F.A acting program, actually had a very wide
joined the Wisconsin = range of people working
Shakespeare Festival. in the shop. There were
Haubrich was asked to do the Illinois grads, undergrads and ladies from the commu
Shakespeare Festival by Janice Stauffer, Asso- nity who like to sew and know how to make
ciate Professor of Theater Arts at UNL, who costumes.”
also worked at the festival. Haubrich worked on Although Shakespeare is one of theater’s
“Henry IV, Part One” and “Comedy of Errors.” most celebrated playwrights, none of the three
“Janice got the job as the set assistant de- felt intimidated in the work they were involved
signer and prop mistress,” Haubrich said, “and in.
she brought me to be her assistant.” “It’s not as reverent as people think,” Tuttle
Conrad received her backing to join the said. “He’s simpler than that.
Illinois festival from John Stark, one of her “It’s more in his writing that made him a
undergraduate professors at Arizona State Uni- classic, not his ideas. It is simple circumstances
versity, and she focused on her tasks of assistant with beautiful languages.”
set designer and prop mistress. Conrad said, “It’s just another show.”
Being in charge of props can call for some Haubrich added, “Shakespeare’s never re
rather difficult requests, Conrad said, such as ally shaken me off. It’s very work-intensive; to
the very difficult task of creating a human head. do that on a limited budget with a limited crew,
“I’ve never made a head before,” Conrad now that’s what’s intimidating.”
said, “but it turned out to be very realistic. You Haubrich did note one particular instance
always expect the bizarre.” over the summer that caused some excitement
Tuttle was in Wisconsin performing in works during a performance of “Henry IV, Part One.”
including “Romeo and Juliet,” “Comedy of “We had Falstaff wearing a Fat Pad (a big,
Errors” and “Tale of Cymbeline.” He received stuffed body suit), which he was wearing under
word about the festival from a friend who was in his costume,” Haubrich said, “and he almost
it the summer before, he said. fainted backstage.
“I took a trip last summer to see the shows,
and I auditioned in February to be a part of it this See THEATER on 13
‘Illusions’ script lacks punch I
‘Quantum Leap’ star,
spectacular effects,
can’t conquer plot
By Brian Priesman
Film Critic
Not even the multi-talented Scott
Bakula can make enough magic to
save United Artists’ new Film, “Lord
oflllusions.”
Producer, director, writer and all
around horror -
meister Clive
Barker has as
sembled an incred
ible cast and crew
to bring his story
about the nature of
magic and illusion
to the screen.
Unfortunately
he forgot to bring
his writing ability.
“Lord-of Illusions” is the story of
private detective Harry D’Amour
(Bakula) who, while on a routine case
of insurance fraud, stumbles onto a
reality-shattering mystery involving
world-famous magician Philip Swann
and his wife, Dorthea, who are played
with stunning depth by Kevin J.
O’Connor and Farrike Janssen.
Barker had a wonderful idea for
this movie—make a film about real
life magic, except the only two people
who can use it are the psychotic leader
of a death cult and a mentally de
ranged former student of the cult.
The movie has great potential
throughout the first half, movingnicely
toward a scary and shocking climax.
But sadly, after an accident during a
magic trick involving Swann and some
falling swords, the movie veers off
course, losing all sense of plot and
continuity.
From then on, the movie becomes
a showcase for special effects and
individual performances. And the ef
fects aren’t bad. Some are visually
spectacular and will blow the audi
ence away. One in particular includes
a geometrically designed creature that
chases D’Amour and Dorthea around
Swann’s house, a fire-snake that
Swann uses to attack all sorts of people,
and a kick-butt death scene for the evil
cult.
Bakula is good as D’Amour, the
gritty New York private investigator
who, no matter how hard he tries,
cannot seem to stay away from the
occult. Barker has created a well
fleshed-out character with a dark past.
D’Amour has one of the most interest
ing tattoos ever seen on screen.
Bakula is able to bring a sense of
heroism to the role, but he never seems
able to shake the image of his role of
Sam Beckett in TV’s“Quantum Leap.”
One half of you expects “Al” to walk
out of a wall and tell him that he can
leap to his next assignment.
Kevin O’Connor’s performance as
Philip Swann is downright spooky.
Film: “Lord of Illusions”
Stars: Scott Bakula, Kevin
O’Connor,Famke Janssen
Director: Clive Barker
Rating: R
Grade: C+
Five Words: Film noir thriller
lacks magic.
The audience identifies with Swann
and where he is coming from. And his
eyes! They never really seem to make
contact with anything, which is a very
spooky touch.
Speaking of eyes, Barry Del
Sherman, who plays the evil
Butterfield, has the creepiest eyes to
grace the screen in a long time.
Sherman’s performance is superb,
bringingan almost Renfield-like qual
ity to the part.
Famke Janssen, who plays Swann’s
wife Dorthea, is great. She could have
been even better if her costumes had
been a little more tasteful and her lines
actually had been complete sentences.
Still, it’s easy to see why she was
chosen to play opposite Pierce Brosnan
in the next James Bond movie, due out.
this fall.
See LORD on 13
Courtesy of United Artists
Scott Bakuia stars as private investigator Harry D’Amour irrfc
the supernatural thriller “Lord of Illusions.” m