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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1998)
Director creates 'Frankenstein’ based on original Shelley novel 1 i By Bret Schulte Assignment Reporter It took more than 13 years to create the perfect Frankenstein, but tonight director Bob Hall can finally say, “It’s alive!” Having rewrit ten the Mary Shelley classic for the stage while working in New York as an off-Broadway director, Hall brings the famous horror story to the Futz Theatre, 124 S. 9* St. for a two-week run starting tonight at 8. Hall, who produced, directed and co-wrote the play, said it took him years to design a “Frankenstein” that worked on the stage. i: After a near-production that never got under way in New York and an overly elabo rate production in Cincinnati, the tiny and ■iV * intimate Futz Theater promised to be the per | f feet stage for Hall’s vision. L* “In Cincinnati they had focused largely % on the set,” he said, describing his disappoint ment with the original production. “In the long run if you’re getting really realistic with all the props and background, it is some thing that the movies do better. ‘If you want to do it imaginatively, the theater is better.” Imagination is a necessity at the Futz Theatre, and that’s the reason Hall chose it Its tiny space allows only the smallest of props and requires actors and audi ence members alike to fill in the gaps with their own creativity. “We used the things that you absolutely must see in order to have scenes make sense,” Hall said. “Most characters will i have a signature prop: One guy carries Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost,’ Dr. Frankenstein has notes, and we have a pistol, which is very clearly fake.” Although the shortage of props will require a bit of effort for audience members, Hall said, the play remains true to the original text, which is its greatest strength. Unlike the famous film adaptation starring Boris Karloff as a monster who is a “big, dumb guy,” according to Hall, tonight’s play portrays the legendary monster as a pained and lonesome creature who teaches himself to read from a copy of “Paradise Lost” “People will be surprised how much different it is from the movie,” he said. “The play is more like Shelley’s novel... a creature without a soul who is abandoned by his maker.” It took Hall until this fall to complete a stage adaptation he was satisfied with, he said. Hall co-wrote the play with actor and writer David Richmond, whom he collaborated with on his very successful off-Broadway play “Passion of Dracula,” now being produced around the country. Although the two joked they would never do “Frankenstein,” they received a commission frotp a local. „4 qj theater to write a play from Shelley’s stor$ whidiwis ufti-? T 1 *' * mately not produced because of a change in management. They shelved it for 10 years after the Cincinnati show, and tonight is its grand return to the stage. And it is a return that Hall and his actors are excited about - espe cially because of its literary accuracy. “The play deals more with what the novel talks about,” said actor Steve Gaines, who plays Professor Krempe. “In a sense it is a topical issue. It deals with things in science: genetic research, cloning, whether man should be playing God or not.” Along with relying on a minimum of props, remain ing true to the book is Hall’s chief ambition, and his play will reflect the horror of this legendary story, he said. “It won’t be a campy, funny Franken-berry/‘Young Frankenstein’ approach,” he said. “There are certainly funny places in it, but it is primarily a romantic tragedy and an epic tale.” For ticket reservations call (402) 435-6307. The play runs tonight through Saturday and March 18 to 21. A $10 donation is suggested. Band mixes different music to form its sound By Jason Hardy Senior Reporter Most bands today are quick to claim a certain genre so they can try to carve a niche into the music indus try. But musicians in the local band Cadmium admit that when it comes to their “sound,” they just don’t have a clue. Tonight they’ll be carving a niche into the Lincoln rock scene with a Jive performance at Knickerbockers, 901 O St., where they will be sharing the stage with Warner Bros, record ing artists Cool for August Cadmium guitarist Lance Lehman said even though the band has played around Lincoln for the past three years, it was still hard to pin down a specific sound. “That’s always a tough question. In parts of songs there are parts that are kind of beautiful and poppy, mainstream stuff,” Lehman said. “And then there are times when that same song comes around and gets pretty aggressive.” He said they tried to put some thing for everybody into their music I I and left the musical judgments up to the fans. “We love it when people tell us what they think,” Lehman said. He said part of the reason for the group’s variety of musical character istics was that each song was put together with input from each band member. “We don’t really write music because none of us are familiar with music theory, we just sort of com pose,” Lehman said. “Someone will come up with a riff that sparks an idea from the next member, and by the time everyone has contributed, we look back and there’s another song.” Cadmium singer Evan Rail said the band’s approach to creating music helped the group’s camaraderie. “In the end it’s a collaboration on everybody’s part,” Rail said. “It works pretty well that way. We’re a pretty close-knit group.” Rail said that when Cadmium played shows, he did his best to put out an honest performance. “For me, I try to put across exact ly the feelings that I had when I wrote the lyrics,” Rail said. “I try to give everything I got on that stage during that show. If I’m watching some other band, that’s what I want. No b.s., just doing it.” Rail said Lincoln fans could expect that same honesty and com mitment tonight and that through all of Cadmium’s creative cooperation, one thing remained true. “It always comes out being a right-at-you rock sound.” Tonight’s 19-and-over show has a $6 cover charge. _ —. Courtesy Photo CADMIUM WILL PERFORM what it considers a “right-at-you” rock sound tonight at Knickerbockers, 9010 St. Play casts woman in male role By Sarah Baker Senior Reporter He’s much more than the average sell-out And this time around, he’s a woman. “Dr. Faustus,” the legendary magi cian who sold his soul to the devil, comes to the University of Nebraska Lincoln main stage this weekend. The original play, which calls for a male in the role of Faustus, was changed in this production and is being played by a woman. Director Pat Behrendt said she felt the play kept its original message with women in the main parts, including the part of Mephistophilis, one of the devil’s assistants. v “The journey that Faustus takes is not gender-specific,” Behrendt said. “We all face those same challenges, we all pay the same price.” Erin McClaine, who plays the part of Faustus, said she didn’t have any challenges when it came to playing die traditionally male part. “I could really identify with Faustus,” she said. “She wants so much more, and she tries to get that ^flj|ftlb»«nt jMhes vfdi|t tyay possible,) by Mlifig ner s6uT to the devil. But she’s willing to take the risk to get what she wants.”Behrendt said she originally planned to have McClaine play the part of Mephistophilis, but changed her mind after hearing McClaine read. 1 saw her, and I thought to myself, ‘she could do Faustus,’” she said. “I thought it would be really interesting.” Behrendt said she thought the play was one about human dilemma. “The play is about an individual who is seeking knowledge which is beyond the normal human scope of things,” she said. “It poses questions concemingdhe scientific world we are in today, and whether it’s right or wrong for technology to control.” Behrendt said one of the main goals she had for the show was to make it fresh. “Everyone knows die story of how he sells his soul to die devil,” she said. “The audience doesn’t come to hear the story, they come to see how you tell the story, and what kind of delights you can add.” Behrendt said she thought the play was a timely tale. “The allegory of the play is very contemporary,” she said. “There is always a price to be paid when we start to toy with these kind of questions.” “Dr. Faustus” opens at the Temple Theater, 12* and R streets, Thursday with a student preview and runs though March 21. All shows begin pt $ p.m. Ticket prices are $6 for UNL stu dents, $9 for UNL faculty, staff and senior citizens and $10 for all others. Tickets for the preview are $5. Correction In Tuesday’s edition of the Daily Nebraskan, an article incorrectly stat ed the purpose behind the composition of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.” The piece was actually composed in 1880 in recognition of the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. In addition, the article incor rectly numbered Antonin Dvorak’s “New World Symphony,” which is Symphone No. 9.