Behind'
By Gerry Beltz
Senior Reporter
This Valentine’s Day, it’s pretty
much business as usual for merchants.
Business as usual for the day be
fore Valentine’s Day, that is.
“Customers are picking stuff off
the walls this year,” said Terry Kraft,
owner of The Romantic, 400 N. 48th
St. “Business is great this year, but
we are running out of stuff.”
That’s right, Kraft said, it’s been
another year of trying to keep choco
late body paint on the shelves.
“We had to have 300 jars flown in
this morning. Other hot sellers have
included: lingerie, couples games and
massage oils.”
Melissa Bernadt, manager of
Flowerama, 5305 O St., said the hot
item this year was the same as last
year.
“Red roses,” Bemadt said, “by the
dozen.”
Audrie Sparks, an employee at
Priscilla’s, 2029 O St., said the items
ordered this year were a little differ
ent from last year, but business is still
pretty good.
we were pretty conservative this
year in our ordering,” Sparks said,
“not as much specific Valentine’s Day
stuff, just general items.”
Hoping to catch a hot dip at The
Tubbery of Friday? Not axhance, said
Bev Siffring, employee at The
Tbbbery, 818 P St.
“We’re totally booked on Friday,”
Siffring said, “from noon until 1:30
a.m.”
The greeting card business isn’t
exactly dead right now, either.
“Tilings are just wonderful,” said
Deb Walter, manager of Morrow’s
Hallmark in Gateway Mall. “We’re
selling tons of cards, and lots of candy
and gift wrap.”
Other stores don’t have what
people are looking for.
Sweetheart roses have been widely
asked for this season, but unavailable,
Bemadt said.
“We’re using them more in bou
quets,” Bemadt said, “plus we make
more money on the larger roses than
the sweetheart.”
And some customers haven’t been
able to find even the not-so-hot items
for Valentine’s Day, Sparks said.
“I had a gal ask for some rubber
bikini briefs for the men, that we
didn’t have in stock.” ® ~
Group brings
art, heritage
to university
By Ann Stack
Senior Reporter
Six women determined to change history
— and make it at the same time — are vis
iting the University of Nebraska-Lincoln this
week.
New Arts Six is a classically trained per
forming arts ensemble working to promote
African-American culture and heritage
through preserving its poetry, music and lit
erature. The group is on campus this week
as part of the Arts Are Basic program, spon
sored by the College of Fine and Perform
ing Arts.
Arts Are Basic brings performers into the
university and the community to share their
art with students. The artists are selected on
the basis of what they can contribute to fur
thering the program’s artistic vision, the ul
timate goal being cultural diversity.
“The director of the program, Kit
Voorhees, selects performers with artistic
excellence, whose wok has something to say
and offers many ways to get into it and learn
from,” Arts Are Basic assistant coordinator
David Bagby said.
New Arts Six have a repertoire that re
flects the African-American musical hcri
. tage with original works “A Joyful Noise”
and “Black Diva.” These opera-dramas are
highlighted with spirituals, which are the
focus of the performances. They will present
“Black Diva” at Kimball ReCftal Hall to
night.
“Black Diva” is a two-act performance
based on the life of African-American op
era singer Sissieretta Jones. She was an ex
traordinarily talented singer who was in her
prime from 1892 to 1910. Jones performed
before royalty in Europe, before four Ameri
can presidents and at the Chicago World
Fair, but could not tour with an opera com
pany because of her race, v ■
She is a singer typically overlooked when
discussing early black female singers be
cause die was one of black opera’s fledg
ling pioneers, New Arts Six member Cynthia
Dorn Navarrete said.
“Black Diva” was written seven years
ago, and is in its third, and hopefully final,
incarnation, Navarrete said.
“It’s a perfect blend of Nego spiritual
and opera,” she said. “It’s an interesting
piece. It’s not one you’d expect to see at the
theater or a concert.”
New Arts Six formed in Dallas in 1981.
Not all of the original members are still with
the goup, but there has always teen six of
them. They’ve gone from singing in
churches around Dallas to doing full-blown
productions out of state, Navarrete said, and
have been invited to tour Barcelona and Paris
this summer.
The performance is at 8 pm. Tickets are
available from the Lied Box Office at $4 for
students and $8 for the public.
Theatnx shows short on rehearsal time, high on energy
ByLeaHoltmeier
Staff Reporter
The UNL Theatre Arts and Dance
Department’s second stage, Theatrix,
will begin its second semester season
this weekend with a double feature.
The first feature, “Three By Ives,”
consists of three pieces from David
Ives’ “All hi The Timing.” The first
piece, “Sure Thing,” takes a humor
ous look at first impressions, while the
second piece, “Foreplay” or “The Art
of the Fugue,” deals with miniature
golf as a metaphor for sex. The final
piece, “Speed the Play,” involves four
David Mamet scripts delivered in
seven minutes.
The second feature, “Patient A,”
has a more serious tone. It tells the
story of Kimberly Bergalis, an AIDS
victim who spent the last year of her
life fighting for a change in public
health policy.
The casts of the two shows have
had only 2 V2 weeks to rehearse.
“The work has been incredible,”
said Heather Currie, director of “Three
By Ives.”
“We’ve had 28 hours of rehearsal
to not only memorize lines, but to
grow as casts and in our roles as well.”
She said “The Art of the Fugue”
was especially challenging because of
the difficult cues. The scene consists
of three couples that must take cues
from other couples not directly in
volved in the scene.
Cast members said in order to pre
pare for opening night, they have
spent more time working on their roles
outside of rehearsal.
Cast member Patty Diloon felt the
time constraint helped to maintain the
energy level of the casts.
“When you work on something for
months, it tends to get redundant,” she
said.
Cast member Mike Zaller said the
energy level has remained high for
him because of the multiple charac
«
When you work on something for
months, it tends to get redundant.”
Patty Diloon
cast member
ters he plays in “Three By Ives ”
Currie added that the directors of
Theatrix productions also get to ex
periment with a wider array of respon
sibilities than in other productions.
the double feature opens tonight
and will run through Saturday. Show
times are tonight and Friday at 7, and
Saturday at 7 and 10 p.m. The pro
duction will be held in Room 301 of
the Tfemple Building. Admission is $3.