University Daily Kansan, April 10, 1981
Page 7
Prof takes act to stage
By STU LITCHFIELD Staff Reporter
Clark Bricker has been teaching one message for the past 35 years and now the magical KU chemistry professor is acting, singing and dancing his belief.
Bricker's conviction that people should believe sense rather than nonsense is behind all of his classroom and lecturing activities. It is also the message of "The Missing Magic of Miraculous Merlin," a musical children's show in which Bricker plays the leading role.
KU STUDENTS have known Bricker for years as "The Great Bricker." He is also known on campus for his approach to magic tricks and the magic tricks and humor in his lectures.
"What I have done over the years," Bricker said, "is to get together chemical reactions and do them in a way that is not as messy as that. That's what I do in the show."
The show, produced by Concerts for Young People, a Lawrence non-profit organization, stars Bricker as Merlin. Merlin is an egotistical magician who loses his magical powers. According to Bricker, Merlin learns that people need to depend on their own talents and not on the maric of others.
"I hope I do not have the inflated ego that Merlin has at the beginning of the show," Bricker said. "I can relate to them." Mr. Bricker wrote in her students' message all of the time.
According to Bricker, people believe nonsense more easily than sense. For an example, he pointed to "The War of the Worlds", a 1588 radio show by Orson Welles which caused widespread panic throughout the United States. It was a mock news broadcast of an invasion by Martians.
"This is so typical of people," Bricker said. "If I can convey this message in the show, I think the audience will see it as the real moral of the story."
Nancy Griffin, who plays Wanda-the-Witch, Merlin's cousin in the musical, said Bricker was doing an excellent job.
"The kids will identify well with the fact that Clark has never done any singing, dancing and acting before. He has never done before," Griffin said.
LARRY FRIEDMAN, KU associate professor of Accounting and director of the musical, echoed Griffin's praise.
"He's doing famously, given that he's had no previous dramatic experience," Friedman said.
But Bricker, however, says he has performed before.
"I perform every day in class," he said. "I haven't performed on stage, but I have been lecturing and speaking for a good many years and there's performing involved with that. All of us do one performing in different ways."
"There is a lot of harm in us and I think it will be evident when we're in the performances. We are all at the performance. I feel more at home with my part."
Friedman said all of the cast members were either KU professors, students or graduates. The composer of the musical, Dr. William Anderson, is also a KU graduate. Anderson graduated from the music department in 1980 with a degree in choral conducting.
Bricker said he has enjoyed his theatrical sojourn.
"It's been fun. I doubt if I'll make it a profession," Bricker quipped. "I'll stay with being a professor."
Clark Bricker, professor of chemistry, has traded his textbooks for a script, but only temporarily. Bricker is playing the leading role in "The Missing Magic of Miraculous Merlin," a children's musical. The show will feature some of Bricker's famous chemistry magic tricks.
Commission on the Status of Women Announces
Applications are being accepted for the 1981-1982 Commission Board and Officers
Applications are due April 15 and can be picked up at B114 Kansas Union 864-3954
Funded by Student Senate
MEN'S AWARENESS SERIES
1981
Men's Coalition Workshop Series:
"A Closer Look at Masculinity"
All workshops will be held in the KANSAS UNION from April 13th to April 23rd. For further information please contact John at 843-8267 or Tom at 843-6395.
We are now beginning to realize the physical and psychological costs men pay for being men. This series is intended to explore in detail what these costs are, what they mean to society, and to explore effective ways in minimizing these costs. We believe that this exploration of masculinity will raise as many questions for participants as it will answer. Since it is assumed that women and men play an important role in each other's gender, men *and* women are highly encouraged to attend
Monday April 13 Make Sexuality A Matter of Existential Alternatives
Broad Paths 7-8:00
Wednesday April 15 Gender Role Conflict and Pain in Men's Lines
Thursday April 16 Men's Health Issues for the 1980's
cuesday April 21 Intimate Relationships Between Men and Women
Bi-Flight Excursion 2-30pm
ednesday April 22 Exploring Anger in Men's Lives
Thursday April 23
Looking at Masculinity from a Male Perspective ... For a Change
Co-sponsored by the Commission on the Status of Women and Women's Rights Center/Student Senate funded.
Parlors A & B 7:30 p.m.
9 WEST
Senate approves bill changes
By BRAD STERTZ Staff Reporter
TOPEKA-At the recommendation of its half of a conference committee, the Senate concurred yesterday with the municipal improvement district bill.
Usually, when one chamber makes significant amendments to the other Chamber's bills, the two in a conference call agree on any problems with the changes.
Westerday, however, State Sen. Norman E. Gaar, R-Westwood, decided that there were no problems with the House changes of the Senate bill. By agreeing with the changes, Gaar put off further deliberation of the bill and stepped up its journey to Gov. John Carlin.
The bill would establish self-supported municipal improvement districts. It was a measure especially aimed at the problems facing the improvements of the downtown Lawrence area.
UNDER THE BILL, the governing body of a municipality could initiate the establishment of a district of 125 percent of its population by an agreement to accept the self-
supporting district and presented the
plan to the other property owners in a
way that is friendly.
Essentially, the bill would give the city of Lawrence the power to institute a special tax district for the concession store large enough for a major retailer.
"What they did?" she said "was to change the bill to be limited to a central business district, increase the city's power of eminent domain, make decisions before meeting and to set the minimum size of the district at four square blocks."
State Sen. Jane M. Eldridge. R-Elmhurst, changes the House made were apperated.
State Rep. Jessie M. Branson D-Lawrence, that said one of the issues that got the most House debate was the eminent domain section.
SHE SAID several legislators were concerned with letting the cities have that power in "certain circumstances." But she said that the cities had similar powers and that the bill's House version would restrictions on the cities' new power.
Eldredge said she was confident that the bill would pass Wednesday, before the conference committee met.
SUA FILMS
Presents
Friday and Saturday
The Long Riders
David Carradine Robert Carradine
James Keach Stacy Keach Dennis Della Randy Quald
Christopher Guest Nicholas Guest Music composed and arranged by Ry Coeder
Written by Billy Brydon, Steven Phillip Smith, Stacy & James Keach
Executive Producer James and Stacy Keach Technicolor United Artists
The Long Riders
3:30, 7:00, 9:30 $1.50
12:00 Midnight $2.00
The best in world animation once again:
Scenes from George (YELLOW SUBMARINE)
Dunning's THE TEMPEST; Will (DINOSAUR)
with THE WIZARD OF SPEED
AND TIME; THE LOG
DRIVER'S WALTZ, from
the maker of last year's hit
SPECIAL DELIVERY; Bob
THE DOE-YOURSELF
ARTOON KIT) Godfrey
funny-sexy DREAM
DOLL; plus
pixillation
animation from
Canada, cartoons
from Poland,
Zagreb, Belgium.
Britain and all around the world . . . "The program is joy to watch!"—Charles Champlin, Los Angeles Times. Sunday, April 12th 2:00 p.m.
$1.50 Woodruff Auditorium
—No refreshments allowed—