14
Friday, April 11, 1980
University Daily Kansan
Thurber theater
William Windom portrays cartoonist James Thurber, Windom brings his one-man show to KU Monday, April 14.
Thurber lives on in one-man show
By JON BLONGEWICZ Staff Reporter
"Thurber," a one-man show starring William Windom, is based on the writings of humorist and cartoonist James Thurber. The show is operated for 8 m., April 14 in Auction Hall.
It used to be Thurber's world. Now it is Windom's world. And he wants to make it your world.
Windom's Emmy-winning role in the television series "My World and Welcome to It," which was also based on Thurber's book, has earned the one-man show, Windom said.
Windom recently described the show as "an evening of selections from Thurber's works."
BUT WINDOM SAID he does not do an imitation of Thurber in the show.
Windown said that although Thurber's stories might not be familiar to today's college students, his tour takes him to Wisconsin, in addition to KU.
WINDOM RECENTLY appeared in the television movie "Blind Ambition."
He also appeared in the films "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "Beneath the Planet of the Apes."
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But most of his last eight years have been devoted to four one-man shows—two about Thurber and two about war correspondent Ernie Pyle.
"The critics don't like that much, but the audiences don't mind," Windom said. "They would rather see you look than see you nervous."
THE SHOW ALSO goes on if he forgets his lines. A copy of the script is on the table on stage and he has referred to it in past shows.
WINDOM SAID HE SPENT 600 hours researching for "Thurber" and had read about 90 percent of Thurber's written material.
SUPERSTAR JOGATHON!
"Many people say, That was wonderful. I didn't know Thurber was like that," Windum said. "Others say, OK, but I'd rather read it."
"But the show goes on," Windom said.
Windom said one of the advantages of a one-man show was the rapport and closeness that he has with the audience.
Windom said the table and the chair in the set have broken while he was performing. The lights have gone out and the music tape has fallen off. He glassed a glass bottle once and he cut his finer.
Windom said he thought Thurber's writings had as much to offer today's students as they offered him when he began reading them at a1e 15.
"I thought everything that could go wrong with this show already had, but there is always something new that can happen," he said.
It is Windom's world. Welcome to it, Lawrence.
But even after all the preparation and the years that he has been doing the show, a one-man-show has its problems, he said.
"It takes about ten minutes to rehearse," Windom said. "I just work with a local crew. There are very few cues."
REINHARD SAID that the opera house lost money in the first couple years of its existence, but that the last two years had been profitable ones.
But now that he is performing, Windom said, he spends less time preparing.
"Lately we've been making money," he said. "We've had some good months, but it takes more than one month or three or four good shows."
"We're using it as a barometer; we want to see if people care," he said.
Proceeds to DCARC
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
"The Opera House needs five or six strong regional bands. Lately all we've had has been pat's Blue Ridim." he said.
But the benefit will do more than generate quick cash, Reinhardt said. It also will be used to gauge the size of the potential live music audience in Lawrence.
To that end, the Opera House is holding a series of benefit concerts for itself this week using volunteer labor from the bands, crews and employees.
10 kilometers (6.2 miles)
Reinhardt said the demise of regional acts like Cole Tuckey, Fast Break and the Billy Spears Band had hurt the Opera House.
EVEN IF THE OPER House doesn't raise the necessary cash this week, Reinhardt said it would remain open through the semester.
"If it (the fund-raiser) falls flat on its face," he said, "we'll slowly and diplomatically close it."
Where: 17th & Tennessee (Sig-Eg house)
When: April 12, 1980 - 8:30 a.m.
Entry Fee: $3.00 (T-shirt)
To make a long story short, the Opera House needs to come up with several thousand dollars by next week to become a luxury mansion for mortgage and Dauphin County property taxes.
Sigma Phi & Kappa Alpha Epsilon Theta
Staff Renorter
Opera House benefits
"In a sense we're competing," Graven said, "but we're not, really. I hope the house manager to stay afloat beware of people who reserves two good music houses downtown."
"Disco got people out of the house for the night and got them used to paying a cover charge," Reinhardt said. "That makes more likely much more likely to come down to my place."
(Douglas County Association for Retarded Citizens)
By RICK HELLMAN Struff Reporter
The way Curtis Reinhardt, general manager of the Lawrence Opera House, sees it, the Opera House fund-riser this week gives patrons a chance to save their lives from establishment from going under and to cast a vote for the future of live music in Lawrence.
Strangely enough, Reinhardt doesn't see the rise of disco as an enemy of live music.
Even the Opera House's compartment overlooks the Hall, commander of Manage the Wall Hall, said the smaller dimensions of his hall dictated different bookings than those at the Opera.
He said that in the past, when one musical concern went out of business at the location, another usually stepped in to take it and maybe not might happen this time. Reinhard said.
"I don't know what they might do with it. They might turn it into a parking lot," he said.
Reinhardt said, however, that he thought people would turn out to support the Opera House.
KU FOLK DANCE CLUB PRESENTS:
NATIONALLY-KNOWN DANCE INSTRUCTOR
DAVID HENRY WITH A WORKSHOP OF
GREEK LAND ARTS FREEWILL
GREEK line dances, FRENCH sources, IRISH country dances.
UNIVERSITY SCHEDULE EVENTS
Fri Apr 11 12:00 @ www.ibm.com 7:30-10:30,17:30 Bahrain Gym (Free)
Sat Apr 12 12:00 @ workhours 9:45-11am, 2-5pm London Gym
Mon Apr 13 12:00 @ www.ibm.com 9:45-11am, 2-5pm London Gym
Sun, Apr. 18; Workshop 9-12 am, Lawrence Comm. Building,
Each event is $2.50 * Beginner welcome! *
No participants necessary. Come in for any or all
events! * Partially funded by Student Senate
and Lawrence Arts Commission*
Meisner-
Milstead
Liquor
FEATURING
FINE IMPORTED AND
CALIFORNIA WINES
30 VARIETY OF
WATER BEEF
FOR KEGS CALI
842-4499
IN HOLIDAY PLAZA (2 DOORS WEST OF KIEF'S)
TOMORROW NIGHT-8:30 P.M.
in cooperation with CONTEMPORARY & NEW WEST
present
CHEAP RICK
Tickets: $8 & $9 OR $7.50 & $8.50 with KUID
Still available at SUA Box Office until 6 p.m. Saturday
Allen Field House doors open at 7:30