Friday, April 17, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 5
ntertainment
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Paint your ceramics
Molly Peterson, Manhattan junior, plans a design for an original pottery plate at Sunfire Ceramics. Students can choose from a variety of pieces and paint them in their own design. File photo by Corie Waters/KANSAN
Sunfire allows clients to choose color and style
By Kris M. Elliott Special to the Konson
The building at 1002 New Hampshire St. shows no remnants of what it used to be.
The concrete floors and brick walls of the former Phillips 66 station are whitewashed and painted orange, green, red, blue and yellow. And instead of auto parts cluttering the walls, there is only pottery.
The building now houses Sunfire Ceramics, an art store with a twist. Customers not only purchase pottery there, but they also can paint it any way they choose.
Cheryl Roth, owner of Sunfire Ceramics, said that experience was not necessary to glaze pottery at the shop. She said the shop had several examples, books and stencils that provided easy approaches to painting pottery.
Roth, a former art teacher in Lawrence public schools, opened Sunfire Ceramics in November 1997. She saw a shop with this premise in Phoenix and decided that Lawrence needed something similar.
Her shop is different from other pottery shops of this nature. Roth offers pieces that are functional rather than simply decorative.
The pieces include plates, bowls, vases, picture frames and accessories. Roth said she made all the pieces.
The cost of actually working in the studio depends on the item selected and depends on the time it takes to paint it. Most items cost between $6 and $10.
Once the items are selected, customers decide how they want to paint them. When customers finally start to glaze their pieces, additional charges come in.
"What I have is a $6 an hour charge, and what that includes is the use of over 25 colors of glaze, the final clear coat of glaze that I give it and the firing," Roth said. "So it's all included in that one charge. And the charge only starts when you're actually starting to paint."
She said that most people took about an hour to finish a normal-sized piece.
"The bigger the item is, the longer it can take—or the more detail that you put into your design," Roth said. "Kids are fast. Kids typically take about forty-five minutes or half an hour or something like that. But I would say the average person takes about an hour."
Roth would like to offer more than just the painting of the ceramics in the shop.
"Eventually I'd like to offer classes where people do get to work with the clay, and actually make things with it," Roth said. "I have a feeling, just with the way things are working out, it's going to be closer to summer before those really start going."
She envisions other changes and improvements to the store as well, including a new garden area.
"As far as the space goes it's kind of cool because of all of the windows, and also the fact that it is a historic building," Roth said. "The garage is now the main studio area, but it makes it nice because of the high high ceilings in there. This store has more of a coffee shop kind of atmosphere to work in, too, which makes it kind of pleasant."
Customers are encouraged to bring food and drinks to make their studio experience more enjoyable.
Sunfire Ceramics is open from noon to 9 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday, from noon to 6 p.m. Friday,
from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Sunday.
"The bigger the item is, the longer it can take—or the more detail that you put into your design. Kids are fast.I would say the average person takes about an hour."
Cheryl Roth owner of Sunfire Ceramics
Summer fun available on local links when the price and weather are right
By Jason Walker
Special to the Kansan
The sun is shining, the birds are singing and, unlike most Kansas afternoons, the wind is barely blowing.
You may not realize it, but this is the perfect golf weather. Forget expensive rounds and not having a set of clubs. This is an opportunity not to be missed.
Lawrence has several golf courses with a wide range of options for varying prices. For example, Alvamar's private course, 1800 Crossgate Dr., costs $16.50 for nine holes Monday through Thursday.
Another inexpensive opportunity can be found at Eudora Riverview Golf, about 5 miles east of Lawrence on 15th Street. At Riverview, greens fees are $7 on weekdays.
"During the week we are not as busy, and we want to do something for students," said George Corn. Orchards club professional.
Alvamar Orchards Executive Golf Course, 3000 W. 15th St., offers reduced weekday rates of $7 for KU students with a valid KUID.
For golfers with more moderate spending limits, two courses in town may be more suitable
"We get a lot of people out here that don't play often, but we love to have people out that just want to have fun," said Johnny Surrette, greenskeeper at Eudora. "We have been trying to redo all the teeboxes and make everything smoother. Also, we are opening nine new holes on Memorial Day weekend."
The Orchards and Eudora courses are good starting points for less experienced golfers because they do not have reputations as tough courses and they do not have many water hazards.
; All three courses rent clubs for about $5, and each requires each golfer to have a set of clubs.
Bryan Meek, Liberal junior; and Matt Drees, Overland Park junior, watch Christian Froehlich, Overland Park junior take a shot at the second hole. The three played a friendly game of golf this weekend at the Alvamar Orchards Executive Golf Course, 3000 W. 15th St. Three local courses offer opportunities for KU students to work on their golf games. Photo by Eileen Bakri/KANSAN
Lawrence actors get a shot at stardom
Community Theatre welcomes all players
By Melinda Weaver Special to the Kansan
The Lawrence Community Theatre, 1501 New Hampshire St., stages seven to eight performances each year, drawing a variety of talented people.
Wanted: all self-proclaimed actors or actresses with a desire to make new friends and take part in the community. Drama major not required.
Shirley Cormack and her husband have been participating in the theater for more than a decade and have found that the experience never gets old.
"I's a great place to be," said Cormack, a secretary in research and public service. "The cast becomes like a little family. I've made many lasting friendships, and I'll never get over that. It's a
great way to get involved with the community."
Mike Shuttic, associate director of Services for Students with Disabilities, also is a theater actor and said that people can benefit from the community involvement.
"It gives students a chance to get involved with their community and meet people outside the University," Shuttic said.
For most performances,
rehearsals occur five or
six nights per week for
about six weeks. The productions last two or three
weekends, depending on
popularity, and range
from musicals to come-
"The best part is that now I get recognized on the street. It's nice to have people come to see you and laugh and enjoy themselves."
Jason Hart Dodge City second-year law student
tues. Most of the roles call for actors or actresses age 20-30, but many students haven't heard of the opportunity.
"I love the stage, but I didn't realize it was there until I watched a performance and saw the quality of the production," said Jason Hart, Dodge City second-year law student. "The best part is that now I get recognized on the street. It's nice to have people come to see you and laugh and enjoy themselves."
"I've met a lot of different people I wouldn't normally get to meet and made some good friends," Osburn said. "There's a good mix of people, and I've been able to keep in touch with a lot of them."
Amy Osburn, Topeka senior, said she also had enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and chance to make new friends.
English instructors are finding a way to involve English 102 students in community theater through assignments. Graduate instructors like Amy Cummins and Kathleen McGee have assigned their students the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? which will be performed through April 25.
They must read the play on their own and attend the production, directed by Paul Lim, associate professor of English. The purpose of the assignment is for students to compare their interpretation of the written play with those of the director to see how they differ.
"In the English department, we teach plays as text, but they were meant to be viewed," McGee said. "We want them to see how the interpretations of the director can influence the play."
The theater offers open auditions for its upcoming productions.
"The May productions are a great chance for students to try their hand at acting," said Mary Doveton, director of the theater. "The rehearsals require less than a week of time, and the script will be in hand, so there won't be as much memorizing."
THEATRE SHOWS
Productions at the Lawrence Community Theater
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, showing through April 25
- Late Night begins May 2. A sampler of 10-15 minute scenes by six local playwrights
scenes by six local playwrights
Letters from Grandma begins May 10. A one-woman show in honor of Mother's Day.
- Squabbles, June production, a traditional comedy
Squabbles, June production, a traditional comedy
Tickets: $6 for students Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday;
$12 Friday and Saturday.
ryouts for upcoming productions: 7 p.m., April 21 and 22 at the theater, 1501 N Hampshire St.