lifestyles
'Tartuffe'
It's not an exotic dessert. It's University Theatre's latest work of art.
By Jenny Brannan
Kansan staff writer
Ron Popenhagen would rather be on stage tomorrow night, but he'll settle for the play "Tartuffe."
"It's kind of an unusual time for the director because you keep control of what's going on, but at the same time you're letting go for the actors to do their work," Popenhagen said. "You want to be up there doing the thing yourself, but you have to sit back and watch the whole picture."
Popenhagen has been working with 14 student actors for the past six weeks, rehearsing "Tartuffe" for tomorrow's opening night performance at the Crafton-Preyer Theatre in Murphy Hall. The play will be the University Theatre's entry in the 1995 American College Theatre Festival.
Elmire, played by Louise Flory, Lawrence senior, and Cleante, played by Nick Miller-Schlyer, Tucson, Ariz., senior, fight about the reputation of Tartuffe, the play's con man.
Popenhagen said he was concentrating more on getting a lively, appreciative audience than about getting into the festival. The contest judges look for plays that will present a balanced and entertaining combination to the audience, he said, rather than plays that show the most talent.
The play is about a con man who finds the perfect victim. The French playwright, Moliere, wrote in a part for himself and his wife.
"The whole play gets to this idea of false piety and real piety and how do you tell the difference," Popenhagen said.
In the play, the female characters see through the con man's hypocrisy. Popenhagen said he made it a point to show that Moliere had a progressive attitude towards women.
"We really tried to show that the women are the intelligent, perceptive ones in this play," he said.
He said the age of the work and the style in which the play was written presented a challenge to the actors. The actors had to deal with several long speeches that end in lines that rhyme. This type of verse took energy to perfect, he said.
"There is a lot of text to get out in a short amount of time," he said. "The actors have to move about the stage and still have breath left over."
Popenhagen taught stamina training to the actors to help them prepare for the play. He said he also had given presentations on the background behind Moliere's writing to help the actors understand their characters.
paced with very distinct characters, yet it still remains complex and energetic."
"We made specific bold choices about how we're doing the play," Popenhagen said. "We made it colorful and fast."
Popenhagen said he deliberately added several servant characters who do not speak but add social commentary to the play. There was a definite sense of consciousness that there was an audience out there for the actors to interact with, he said.
"Ive tried to focus on 'Tartuffe' the play as a great potential for phyll."
cal comedy," he said. "I've tried to be bold without being shallow."
Julia Kessler, Overland Park senior, said that imitating the stylized movements of the people from the era when the play was written was challenging for the actors. She said the characters carried themselves differently from modern people.
"The verse itself is something to be revelled in, enjoyed and made sense of," Kessler said. "But making the stylized movements organically part of the character took some work."
Kessler, who plays a central female figure who communicates with the audience, said she was pleased with the cast and the effort invested into the production.
"We are all at approximately the same skill level," she said of the cast. "They've given me a lot of energy to work off. I've also worked with this director before, and he gets good work out of his actors."
Kessler said she was trying to keep her nerves under control and her enthusiasm high for opening night.
"I'm fairly confident now, but you have to take it on a night-by-night basis," she said. "It's a challenge every night. Opening night is like the top of a roller coaster, and the car is about ready to go down the hill."
Two of the servant characters written in by Ron Popenhagen, the play's director, watch Tartuffe con people.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NOVEMBER 10, 1994 PAGE 6B
Lawrence Nightlife Calendar
The Bottleneck
737 New Hampshire St.
Eek-A Mouse and Secret Cajon Band, 10 tonight, advanced tickets $7-8 (18 and over)
imon Ground. 10 n.m. Saturday $4.
The Millions, Vigilantes of Love and The Day After, 10 p.m.
tomorrow, $5-6 (18 and over)
Action Man with Cactus Nerve Thang, 10 p.m. Sunday, $4-5
(1.8 and over)
Jack O-Pierce, 10 p.m. Wednesday, sold out
Blue Dixie, 10 p.m. Thursday, $4
Open Mike Night, 9:30 p.m. Monday, no cover charge
Chris Duarte, 10 m.p. Tuesday, $5
Liberty Hall
642 Massachusetts St.
The Radiators, 7 p.m. Saturday, advanced tickets $14.50
Full Moon Cafe
Four Man Jam, 9 tonight, no cover change
Darell Lea & Megan Hurt, 9 p.m. tomorrow, no cover charge
My Childhood Hero (formerly The Young Johnny Carson Story)
9 p.m. Saturday, no cover charge
Lawrence Chapman & Russ Kupp, 8 p.m. Tuesday, no cover charge
Kelly & Diana Werts, 8 p.m. Wednesday, no cover charge
Rick Frydman, 9 p.m. Thursday, no cover charge
River Valley Music Cafe
1601 West 23rd St.
Turquoise Sol, 1.0 tonight, cover charge
Transylvania 2000, Pamper the Madman and Holy Ghost, 10 p.m. Saturday, cover charge
KJHK Benefit with KU Jazz Ensembles I and JI, Sir Duke and
Simplicity. 10 a.m. Wednesday, more information
Marshall Krenshaw, 10 p.m. Thursday, advanced tickets $5
Mulligan's
1018 Massachusetts St.
Southside Denny, 10:30 p.m. tomorrow, cover charge
Lee McBee, 10:30 tonight, cover charge
White Trash Express, Lou's Revenge and the Spiney Urchins,
10:30 p.m. Saturday, cover charge
Allison Faling and Down to Earth, 10:30 p.m. Thursday, cover charge
Granada Theater
Mondo Disco. 9 p.m. tomorrow. $4-5
Monterey Jack with Jack Tumberfish, 9:30 p.m. Saturday, $5
One Mo' Day, 9 p.m. Monday, $2
'Hawk Night ('70s, '80s and '90s music), 9 p.m. Wednesday,
¢3.4
R & B with Slim, 9:30 p.m. Thursday, $3 (21 and over only)
MORE OPTIONS THAN THE LAW ALLOWS
SPRING 1995 OPTIONAL FEES
KU on Wheels Bus Pass $55.00 Ride all the routes 'round town all semester!
Fr. & Sr.$10.00, So. & Jr.$8.00 Class Dues! Contribute to the class gift Homecoming & the H.O.P.E.Award!
Board of Class Officers
Jayhawker Yearbook $30.00 Vivid Photos! Insightful Stories! Your own personal copy of Ku's Yearbook! SUA Movie Card $25.00 Over 350 showings of your favorite films on the BIG screen!
FILL OUT YOUR OPTIONAL FEES ORDER FORM OCTOBER 21 - NOVEMBER 18 MONDAY-FRIDAY 8 AM - 5 PM OUTSIDE THE ENROLLMENT CENTER
OUTSIDE THE ENROLLMENT CENTER
Must be enrolled prior to selecting Optional Fees Class Schedule for spring 1995 & KUID must be shown November 18 last day to order Optional Fees Fee payment by mail due December 5, 1994 Charges are added to your tuition & fees bill. See Optional Fees Order Form for complete details.
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