THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2000
ECONOMY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Unemployed find more time to spend at home
Jay Capelle, 60, speaks his *H fond du Lac, Wis*, home Tuesday. Capelle has been unable to find a job since losing his maintenance mechanic position at Mercury Marine in May 2008.
BY RYAN J. FOLEY Associated Press
FOND DU LAC. Wis. — Jay Capelle would give anything to get back his factory job of 32 years. At the same time, he's grateful to have extra time on his hands these days to care for his ailing wife, stay in shape and work on a long-planned baseball documentary.
An idled auto worker in Wisconsin cherishes extra time with his kids, and his guitar. A former communications worker in Virginia finds time for hiking as a distraction from the job search. But two jobless friends in North Carolina who've played plenty of golf together say enough is enough: they're ready again for the joy of earning a paycheck.
The unemployed are stressed out about unpaid bills, dashed retirement plans and the loss of workplace camaraderie. But many say life minus work also has its bitter-sweet upsides, including spending more time with family and friends, learning new skills, focusing on their health and pursuing hobbies.
All of these people said they would give up their newfound free time in a heartbeat if they could land jobs. And most spend hours
There is a wide range of opinions, of course, about just how sweet, or bitter, the experience has been.
Alex Swain, 36, of Leesburg, Va., said his fruitless search for work has been discouraging. Since losing his job last April at a wireless communications company, Swain has applied for more than 200 jobs, gone on 10 interviews and has not had a single offer.
"You can't stay in the house all day or you'll lose your mind," he said.
each day trying. But as unemployment spells drag on longer than anticipated, they have allowed themselves to enjoy activities not directly related to the job hunt without feeling guilty.
Others are spending time in the classroom.
But rather than sulking in front of the television when he's not searching online job postings, Swain forces himself to keep up with hobbies like playing music, painting and hiking.
Andre Lovato, 55, of Waukesha, Wis., who was laid off from his job at a signmaking company in 2006, earned a degree in printing and publishing from a technical college in December. Lovato, who has applied for 35 jobs since then without any luck, devotes his free time to woodcarving, sketching and computer illustrations.
But as his unemployment drags on, he longs for interaction with colleagues and getting praise for a job well done.
"I miss showing my work and having people say, 'Hey man, you did pretty good stuff,'" he said.
Brad Palzkill, 39, was laid off from the General Motors plant in Janesville, Wis., last June. This means the family can't afford to eat out as often, and the kids' Christmas gifts were less extravagant last year.
THEATER (CONTINUED FROM 1A)
Describe the story line of this play.
Wiglesworth: It's a classic Greek myth usually called "Orpheus and Eurydice". It's about two lovers and then they get married. Eurydice dies and Orpheus is so upset he goes and finds her in the underworld to get her back.
How is this contemporary play similar to or different from the Greek play?
Hopkins: Ruhl creates the character of Eurydice's father and she creates a really beautiful decision that Eurydice has to make: Whether to stay in the Underworld or to go back to the land of the living to stay with her lover, Orpheus. In the original myth that doesn't happen. All the characters in this version speak in very contemporary language. It is still very poetic, but it's in very accessible contemporary language.
Why should KU students come?
Wiglesworth: This play is told from Eurydice's point of view. People have only seen it from Orpheus and not from Eurydice's point of view. You get to see more what her dream is and what it's like for her. It's completely modern and it has elements of the Greek tragedy, but it's not written in verse. It's kind of set in universal time.
Hopkins: It's very funny and poignant and I think it reminds us what it means to be alive and what it means to live. The set's incredible. We have water on the stage. I think they will all really enjoy it. The costumes and set visually are a treat to look at. It's just kind of a visual feast.
Wiglesworth: It's a classic story but also it's a story that still applies to everybody today. It's good theater and if you haven't really seen theater before, I think that this is a show that everyone walks away
from with some ideas
What part do you play?
Describe your character.
Wiglesworth: Eurydice is a young woman who is very much in love with her soon-to-be fiance, Orpheus. They are one of those couples where not exactly everything is the same, but they complement each other very well. She's into books and learning things and words are fascinating to her. Her lover is all
Wiglesworth: Eurydice is basically like three different characters. You see her alive with her lover and you see her after she dies and she's lost some of her memories. She's more of a blank slate and she starts gaining some memories and then she loses some again. It's interesting to try and figure out the three different Eurydices.
Holden: In the first part, I play the "nasty interesting man." For the rest of the play, I play Lord of the Underworld, the antagonist.
about music, and that just doesn't really make sense to her.
Holdren: The playwright is very economic in the way that she writes and there is very little subtextual stuff to work with. Just being bold enough and going with something and seeing if it really works with the action of the play.
CHANDRA O. HOPKINS Doctoral student
"All the characters in this version speak in very contemporary language."
What is the hardest part of playing your character?
I think there is something in both of them that people identify with even if they don't want to. They represent the darker side of human nature, kind of that drive and lust and want for power. For a good portion of the play, the Lord of the Underworld is actually a little boy. He rides around on a tricycle. It's very interesting to portray that kind of character as a child. It's creepy and interesting at the same time.
you been involved with?
Wiglesworth: I have done other shows with University Theatre. I was in "A Flea in Her Ear" in October and "Jonathan Livingston Seagull." Over the
What other productions have
Hopkins: I'm primarily first an actor. I was an actor in my undergraduate career. I wrote and directed my master's thesis. This past summer I worked as an assistant director at Georgia Shakespeare Theater in Atlanta.
summer I went to Greece to study abroad and I did "Agamemnon."
Last season I was in "Twelfth
Holdren: This is my 7th production with KU. Most recently I was in "A Flea in Her Ear."
Night" and "The Music Man."
I was in "Pageant," "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," and "Lily Plants a Garden."
What's next after this play?
Hopkins: I've got to really buckle down and do more coursework. I'm in coursework now, but my next focus is that I have to take the foreign languages. And I don't know the next play I'll work on. It may be a while before I get through this next year of study.
Wiglesworth: After I graduate, I'm going to stay in Kansas City for a year and live at home and save up money. And after that, I'm going to Chicago to audition and try to act. I like acting and directing. I'm going out there to see what I can do.
**Holden:** I'll be graduating in May. However cliche it sounds, I think I'm going to try and move to New York. I have friends there. I'm going to give it a try and see what professional life offers me and what I offer it.
Edited by Realle Roth