10 = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ARTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13,2003
University production emits emotional effect
By Donovan Atkinson
datkinson@kansan.com
Jayplay writer
Art can be associated with beauty, grace and virtue. But that wasn't the case for Jennifer Fletcher when she first read The Dying Gaul, which opened last night as part of the University Theatre's Inge Series.
"When I first read it I hated it," said the Topeka graduate student and director. "It was an ugly show with horrible, ugly people, and I thought it ended horribly."
But the more Fletcher thought about it, the more she realized how intriguing it would be to develop the characters and the story.
The Dying Gaul, by Craig Lucas, is the story of a screenwriter named Robert. Robert writes a screenplay about his experiences losing his lover, Malcolm. When he tries to sell the script, also titled The Dying Gaul, a movie executive pushes Robert to change the homosexual couple into a heterosexual couple.
Jeffery, the movie executive, then initiates an affair with Robert. The affair is discovered by Jeffery's wife, Elaine. Elaine, desperate to know everything she can about Robert, breaks into his psychiatrist's office and uses the information she learns there to reach Robert in an online chat room.
The reactions of the characters lead to more destructive behavior. The affair between Jeffery and Robert causes Elaine to pose as Malcolm in their online conversations. Robert, who starts the play as innocent, attempts to poison Elaine.
"It's a lot about how people react to situations," said Evan Grosshans, Lawrence junior and cast member. "It doesn't sugar-coat anything."
THEDYING GAUL
The University Theatre will present The Dying Gaul, by Craig Lucas, in the Inge Theatre Feb. 12 through Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 16 at 2:30 p.m.
Fletcher said that The Dying Gaul was an exploration of a "what if" for Lucas. Lucas, also known for A Prelude to a Kiss, wrote the screenplay to Longtime Companion, a movie about gay relationships and the impact of the AIDS virus. The action in The Dying Gaul can be seen as what could have happened to Lucas and his movie under different circumstances.
"It's uplifting, in a way, because the main character has a lot of negative baggage and he gets rid of it and moves on with his life," Grosshans said.
Fletcher attributed part of the play's emotional impact to the small cast. With a small cast, fewer actors means more work.
"With a cast of four, we can delve deeper into the characters," Fletcher said. "There's more one-on-one attention for the actors."
"In a big cast, there may be someone that you don't know as well," he said. "With a small cast, and since we all knew each other already, we were able to explore the character relationships."
Grosshans agreed that the cast size allowed for more character development, but he said that it also allowed for cast members to develop closer working relationships.
Patrons are advised to buy tickets early in the run. Tickets are available at the Murphy Hall ticket office or by calling 864-3982.
— Edited by Melissa Hermreck