Taverns, nurses unite
to make patrons a little
bit healthier this season
KENOSHA, Wis. (AP)—Belly up to the
bar for a shot, and get another one in the arm
while you’re at it.
Six Kenosha bars and a visiting nurses
group have joined to offer patrons a house
special: $9 for a flu shot and a beer.
Debra Hertzberg, president of the non
profit nursing corporation, said she had been
thinking of vaccinating people in taverns for
years but was afraid people would find it in
appropriate.
But she said a positive response to a simi
lar program in Denver persuaded her to take
flu shots to Kenosha bars.
“It brought forth a lot of smiles from
people,” said David Palmer, owner of TG’s
Sports Bar. “They think it’s a cute idea.”
Hertzberg said there is no danger in mix
ing alcohol with a flu shot, but her staff will
not vaccinate anyone who is visibly drunk.
Envelope full of money
blows off man’s car;
thousands of dollars lost
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Leaving a
gas cap on the roof of a car is innocent
enough. But thousands of dollars?
A 71-year-old man who was driving to a
bank left an open envelope full of cash on
the roof, police said. He realized what he had
done when he got to the bank, but it was too
late.
Dozens of people scooped up the bills that
were flying around the streets on Friday.
Some were spotted shoving money into their
pockets as they ran.
Those who took the money can avoid
charges if they return it, police Capt. Craig
Foust said Monday. He said police are al
ready preparing theft charges against four
people who were caught taking some of the
cash.
Hie envelope contained thousands of dol
lars but police would not say exactly how
much.
O'Connor soars
from obscurity
to famous star
A one-time air traffic controller, Chris
O’Connor, the (me man impetus of the band
Primitive Radio Gods, has skyrocketed from
the obscurity ofa working man to that of rock
star.
He is a real life rock ‘n’ roll Cinderella
with a hit song and Buzz Bin video.
The single “Standing in a Broken Phone
Booth With Money in My Hand” is an en
trancing and hypnotic lullaby with an infec
tious sampled beat courtesy of B.B. King.
As the song quickly ran up the charts,
O'Connor formed a band and went on tour.
In support of his album, “Rocket,” which
has since gone gold, O’Connor and the rest
of thePrimitive Radio Gods wfll be perform
ing this Wednesday at Omaha’sRanch Bpwl.
The all-ages show starts at 9 pm. and tickets
are $8.75. Tickets will be $9.75 the day of
the show.
—Bret Schulte
Comedy portrays Hollywood hypocrisy
Theatrix’s ‘Speed the Plow’ explores moviemaking’s seedy underbelly
By Liza Holtmeier
Staff Reporter
This weekend’s Theatrix production of
“Speed The Plow” has challenged its actors
as they have worked to fill the shoes of both
actor and director.
The play, written by David Mamet, is a
black comedy dealing with the hypocrisy of
Hollywood’s deal-making. The plot revolves
around Bobby Gould, a studio executive
played by Michael Rothmayer, and Charlie
Fox, a movie producer played by Jason
Richards. In the midst of the two men’s movie
dealing, they make a bet with each other con
cerning Gould’s tempo-ary secretary, K^n,
played by Lisa Mercer.
The show has been a collaborative effort
among the three actors and serves as the first
time they have worked without a director.
“It has been interesting as we have tried
to step out of our roles as actors and into the
role of director,” Mercer said. “In other
shows, you’re only responsible for yourself
on stage.”
Richards said die extra work has elimi
nated the room for any ego problems in the
show. The actors have to be honest with each
other about what areas of the show they think
need work, he said. Throughout the process,
they have had to be open to each other’s sug
gestions.
u
It has been interesting as we have tried to step out
of our roles as actors and into the role of
director. In other shows, you're only responsible for
yourself on stage."
Lisa Mercer
actress
“At the very beginning of the process, we
decided by the time we got to the end, we
would either loye each other or hate each
other,” Rothmayer said. Luckily, he added,
the cast has developed a very good chemis
try,
Fulfilling the roles of both director and
actor has also allowed the cast members to
dig deeper into their character analysis.
“We have talked a lot about these charac
ters,” Mercer said. “I always do homework
for myself for a show, but I don’t necessarily
have the opportunity to share it. In this in
stance, we have shared a lot in order to make
sure all these characters can exist in the same
world.”
The cast members’ challenge to maintain
the realism has been compounded by
Mamet’s humor.
“Many of the things my character says
when he is angry are actually pretty funny,”
Richards said. “But in the moment when I
am in character, I cannot think about being
funny, I have to think about being angry and
upset.”
Rothmayer added, “The minute you try
to play the humor, you’re dead. For the char
acters in the play, this is real life. The por
trayal has to be honest.”
The play runs from Thursday at 8 p.m.,
Friday at 7 p.m. and 10 pjn. and Saturday at
8 p.m. in the Studio Theatre of the Temple
Building. Admission is $3.
New artist’s acoustics give mellow sound
Shiek to open for Primitive Radio Gods
By Cuff Hicks
Staff Reporter
In a scene full of angry, brash rock ‘n’
roll, Duncan Sheik’s music makes a nice
change of pace.
Sheik will open for the Primitive Radio
Gods tonight at Omaha’s Ranch Bowl. He is
currently touring in support of his new al
bum, “Duncan Sheik.”
Most of the record is a combination of
Sheik’s vocals, acoustic guitars and string
arrangements, giving the album a mellow, so
phisticated feel.
' “I’m just into fresh sounds,” Sheik said.
“I want to combine an adventurous sonic
palette with songs that people can sink their
teeth into.”
Sheik said he believed many of the songs
on his debut album are very introspective.
“The songs are really interior monologues,”
he said. *1 just write what moves me.”
Sheik began his musical career with a pi
ano, but pestered his grandparents to buy him
an electric guitar, which they did. At that
point, Sheik said, his musical direction
changed.
“I was 12 and in band with a bunch of
high school guys," Sheik said. “We played
mostly Van Halen and Def Leppard covers.
It was horrible.”
Lata, Sheik would be influenced by the
“British Invasion of the ’80s,” listening to
bands like The Smiths, New Orda, Tears For
Fears and Depeche Mode.
“By the 10th grade, I was into albums by
The Blue Nile, David Sylvian, Cocteau TWins
and especially Talk Thlk’s' Color of Spring,’”
Sheik said.
At Brown University, he played in a band
with Lisa Loeb before deciding to go solo,
doing his own vocals for the first time.
“I didn’t really start singing until my first
year of col lege,” Sheik said. “But the songs 1
was writing had gotten to the point where I
needed to express them myself.”
After graduating from Brown, a demo
tape of Sheik’s had floated into the music
industry. He drove aaoss the country to Los
Angeles, where things seemed to go well—
for a time.
“I had this quote, unquote $100,000deal,”
Sheik said. “But it aided up not really being
the right label for me and I proceeded to
spend the next two years in the worst limbo.”
% Courtesy photo
DUNCAN SHEIK will perform tonight,
at Omaha’s Ranch Bowl.
Sheik eventually signed with Atlantic
Records and released his self-titled album.
He is currently opening act for the Primitive
Radio Gods.
The show at the Ranch Bowl starts at 9
p jn. and tickets are $9.75 at the door.