University Daily Kansan / Friday, April 3, 1992
9
KANU comedy show wins grant
By Michelle Betts Kansan staff writer
Performing "Running on the Race Line," a satire of David Duke, are, left to right, Rick Tamblyn, Margi Posten, David Greusel, Roberta Solomon and Paul Meier of the Imagination Workshop.
Cara tried to convince her friend Eugene that her dinner companion Cheska, who was dead, was simply "metabolically challenged."
"Being different isn't bad, Eugene," Cara said.
As Eugene left, flustered, Cara said,
When will people stop being so insensitiv
"Her processes are much slower."
"Cara said to Eugene as Cheska
said to Lily."
Cara and Eugene's euphemism dilemma brought laughter to the studio audience at the Imagination Workshop Saturday night.
The show won a $123,645 grant in January from the National Radio Program Fund of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in Washington, D.C.
The workshop, an hour-long radio show broadcast on KANU, 91.5 FM in Lawrence, features actors who play comedic characters. The cast performs comedic sketches and songs before an audience and broadcast live.
"We're thrilled and honored by this recognition from CPB," said Darrell Brogden, director of the Imagination Workshop and KANU's program director. "After many years of producing the Imagination Workshop on the proverbial sheoostring, wennow have an opportunity to build the series into a strong national program."
Imagination Workshop was one of 272 projects by public radio stations and independent producers that competed for funding, and was only one of five projects that was created by the staff of a local public radio station rather than by an independent producer.
Broddon said the money would be used to buy the show's actors, hire a head of marketing and set up.
show. Brogdon is one of the writers for the show now, and has worked with the show since its inception nine years ago.
Imagination Workshop's players are Gene Carr, Paul Friedman, David Greusel, Paul Meier, Margie Posten, Roberta Solomon and Rick Tambulvin.
Friedman and Meier are associate professors at KU. Friedman teaches in the department of communication studies, and Meier teaches in the department of theater and film.
Friedmansaid that the Imagination
Workshop actors tried out for spots in the show at yearly auditions and that he was the most amateur member of the group, since most of the other actors are radio professionals. He has with the group for about four years.
"I am old enough to have enjoyed radio a kid, and I also am fascinated by the power of words to move people and amuse them," he said.
Imagination Workshop is something he takes part in for fun, and it is not part of his work as a university professor, Friedman said.
Even if the show becomes better known nationally, it will not change Friedman's participation in the show, he said.
"I do it for personal reasons," Friedman said. "The national scope doesn't matter to me."
*Radio's expenses are more within reach,* *measured.* *"shesaid like this can be expensive."*
Friedman said that if the Imagination Workshop were a visual production that originated in a midwestern town like Lawrence, it could not be produced and compete with shows in cities such as Los Angeles because of the expenses of visual media.
In 1991, the live comedy performance was named Best Comedy Show by the International Radio Festival, and episodes from the 1900-1991 season have been aired by about 60 public radio stations nationwide.
April 3,1992 8:30 am-3:00 pm Frontier Room Burge Union
Delta Gamma would like to thank Panhellenic and the Interfraternity Council for a great job with Greek Week