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Wednesday, July 7.
FEATURES
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Market offers goods, good times
Fresh produce, friends all gather at Lawrence's weekly marketplace
The Lawrence Farmer's Market is an outdoor grocery store with a coffee-shop heart.
"People like to come down here and shop," said Shelley Puckett, manager of the market. "But they also like to talk to people. It's very social."
The market, located in a parking lot at 10th and Vermont streets, is ripe with homemade and homegrown goods. About 30 vendors display tomatoes, flowers, jars of pickled asparagus, bread, clay pots, wicker baskets, exotic foods such as grape leaves stuffed with rice and kuffa, grilled sausage with onions.
Everything is local and natural, Puckett said. Insecticides are not used.
She said the market has provided vendors a place to sell their goods for the last 23 years, helping local farmers and the economy from late March to early October. But Puckett said the market also catered to consumers who wanted fresh foods.
"As consumers you get to pick what you want to eat." Puckett said.
"When you go to Checkers or Dillons you get corn. But here, you get to find out what kind of corn it is."
The market, sponsored by the Downtown Lawrence Association, allows people to buy healthy, natural foods that contain no preservatives or artificial flavors.
"It's food that's good for you," Puckett said. "You get used to food like that once you start eating it."
About 3,000 people come to the market from 6:30 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays. The market is also open from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
"It's amazing when you think how
many pounds of tomatoes 3,000 people can buy," Puckett said.
But the market, like a coffee shop is social.
Catherine Bolton, Perry resident, sells anything pickled, from asparagus to green beans.
"I really enjoy cooking." Bolton said. "But I also just like to come here for the social aspect. The market is Lawrence's Saturday social event."
Pat Snow, Lawrence resident,
weaves baskets and sells them at the market. She agreed that half the fun was talking to people.
"I enjoy the atmosphere," Snow said. "I enjoy meeting new people, talking to them, seeing my baskets walk by."
Beulah Duncan, Lawrence resident, said she shopping at the market for the fresh vegetables and the familiar faces.
"You meet the same people every Saturday morning, have a cup of coffee and exchange pleasantries," Duncan said.
Puckett said she enjoyed the downhome atmosphere that makes the market nostalgic.
"If you see something like grandma used to have, like a rhubarb pie, you can ask someone how to make a rhubarb pie," Puckett said. "You can't do that at a grocery store."
Topright, Linda Steele hands a customer a bag of cabbage from Linda and Gary's Organic Produce at the Farmer's Market.
Right, Lisa Nickel, of Praina Harbor Flowers, talks to a customer while her friend, Michael Smith, 9. Bonner Springs, looks out of the back of her van, Nickel, who was working at the market Saturday, grows, dries and arranges all of the flowers that she sells.
Right, Pat Snow weaves a basket at the Farmer's Market. Snow has been coming to the market for the past four years, but this year she has come on a regular basis.
photos by Tom Leininger story by Todd Puntney
Kansan staff writer
Bv Lisa Cosmillo
During recent renovations at KU's oldest building, construction workers, who were installing a new heating-ventilation system, uncovered a piece of Spooner Hall history.
For 99 years Spooner Hall has faced Jayhawk Boulevard proclaiming in an inscription over its front doors, "Whoso findeth wisdom findeth life."
On June 22, 1894, David Shiren of Lawrence and Garry Braiden of Oswego, N.Y., signed their names on the interior of a wall before sealing it, said Al Johnson, director of the Museum of Anthropology.
According to "The University of Kansas: A History" by Clifford S. Griffen, Spooner was built using funds left to the University in the will of William Spooner, a wealthy leather merchant and philanthropist.
"It was the first of the University's buildings to have some architectural significance, to escape from the triteness, homeliness and merely derivative nature of the other structures. Its architect was the nationally famous Henry Van Brunt of Kansas City, Mo." Griffen wrote."Large and pleasant, well-lighted and well-appointed, the library had a capacity of about 100,000 volumes, or almost five times as many as the University then had."
According to a brochure published by the Historic Mount Oread Fund, Spooner has gone through three incarnations. It opened in 1894 as a library, then in 1924 it became the Spooner-Thayer Art Museum. In 1984 it became the Museum of Anthropology.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1973.
The sandstone exterior of the building is washing away with each rain. Johnson said. Unfortunately, it will cost about $1 million to fix it. The building was built last year. The funding has not been allocated.
"It will have to happen eventually or the building will have serious structural damage," Johnson said.
Eric Almuist. Salina senior, rehearses his lines for "The Comedy of Errors." Almuist plays Antipholus of Syracuse, one twin, of two sets of twins, who suffers a case of mistaken identity. The play opens Friday at Crafton-Prever Theater.
Audience takes role in play
Director lends Shakespeare comedy a modern touch
By Todd Puntney
Kansan staff writer
Jets whizzing overhead; sirens screaming in the distance; Scud missiles falling haphazardly from the sky.
It sounds more like Desert Storm than Shakespeare.
That is precisely what Paul Meier, associate professor of theatre and film, and director of the KU Summer Theater's production of "The Comedy of Errors," hopes will happen.
"Ive transported the play to contemporary times, in a backdrop more reminiscent of Qaddafi and Saddam Hussein and Desert Storm," Meier said.
Meier said he adjusted the play to make it more enjoyable for the audience, without ruining the original intent of Shakespeare.
"People often think about the modernization of Shakespeare that you're doing something strange," Meier said. "But it's really no heresy to put it in terms which an audience understands. It makes more sense to an audience to see a drug smugger or gun runner than an Arab caravan of the 15th century."
It also adds to the timeless humor that Shakespeare wrote centuries ago, Meier said. The story revolves around two sets of identical twins who, unaware that the other exists, stumble upon each other in Ephesus, a port city in Turkey.
Ephesus was exotic and intriguing when Shakespeare wrote the play, Meier said. With the new production, which runs at 8 p.m. on July 9, 10, 11 and 16, 17, and 18 at Crafton-Preyer Theater. Ephesus would remain mysterious but contemporary.
"There are Bedouins on Homeland, American oil executives with cellular phones, lap-top computers and pagers, and military dictators playing nuclear brinkmanship with the West." Meier
Because he prefers "environmental theater," where the setting of the play surrounds the audience in every aspect. Meier said he hoped the
production would be like a roller coaster ride.
"It's really an assault on the senses," he said. Ephesus is at war with Syracuse, another city-state. That gave Meier the artistic license to blow things up.
"The culminating thing is this air raid," he said; "I've got the most tremendous air battle going on, with explosions on stage, jets screaming overhead in stereo. We've got all the pyrotechnics that one can have."
Using a Shakespearean tactic, Meier will have part of the audience sit on the stage. Shakespeare called it "in the round."
"I like to work very intimately with the audience," he said. "They'll never be more than 20 to 30 feet from an actor. By doing this I'm making this visit to Ephesus dangerous for the audience, too, I'm not letting them sit back safe."
Sanders armed with mock AK-47's will harass the audience and demand passports. Instead of resting from the action during intermission; Middle Eastern food prepared by the Kansas Union will be served.
"Rather than letting them think that during intermission, time and space is suspended. I've continued it," he said.
around a bit, and not let them go until he is done.
Five sets of twins, who helped teach the actors
how to behave like twins, will collect tickets for
the show.
Meier likes to pull the audience in, shake them around a bit, and not let them go until he is done;
Ken Stewart, Deto Soto junior, plays the part of the goldsmith, Angelo. He said the production would enhance the audience's experience.
"The design aspects of the play are really neat." Stewart said. "Because the audience is asked to come up on stage and interact with the characters, it gives you a real sense of the theater. Plus, slapstick is always funny and there is a lot of that."
Meier said he hoped people would enjoy the production, if not for his additions, for the original Shakespeare.
But audience beware.
"Like the total experience," he said. "The audience gets pulled into the action, and gets used and abused. It's a dangerous thing for the audience."
Tickets cost $6 for the general public. Student tickets are $3 and senior citizen tickets are $5.
Benchwarmers
Bottleneck
Fuzz Box, Friday, price unavailable
Moved, Saturday, price unavailable
Terrance Simien and the Mallet
Playbies, tomorrow, $5
Fuzz Box, Friday, price unavailable
737 New Hampshire St., prices unavailable
Crap Supper, tonight
Blue Dixie, tomorrow
Nic Cosmos, Friday
L.A. Ramblers, Saturday
Lowlife, Tuesday
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Hockenberry's Tavern
1016 Massachusetts St.
So What, tomorrow, $3
Salty Iguanas, Friday, $4
Soul Shaker, Saturday, $3
926 % Massachusetts St.
Brabecue Bob, tomorrow, $3
Love Squad, Friday, $4
Bagdad Jones, Saturday, $4
Jazzhaus
Bick's Neighborhood Bar & Grill
623 Vermont St.
Barn Burners, Saturday, $3
The Crossing
OWL LENISE
One Leg Gruesome, tonight, $1
Missing Time, tomorrow, $1
Monterey Jack, Friday, $1
Lonesome Hounddogs, Saturday, $1
Crafton-Preyer Theatre Murphy Hall
"The Comedy of Errors." 8 p.m., July 9-11 and 16-18
Tickets available through Murphy Hall and Lied Center box offices 6 public, $3 kU students, and $5 senior citizens
Student Union Activities
Concert on the Hill with Wayback Machine and Lowlife, 7 p.m. tomorrow, free
Swarthout Recital Hall
Midwestern Music Camp honor recital. 8 m.n.tonight, free
Doctoral Recital with Alexandra
David, ioano. 8.n.m. Friday, free
Midwestern Music Camp chamber ensemble. S.p.m. tomorrow, free
Midwestern Music Camp piano
recital. 1 o.m. Saturday free
Lied Center
Midwestern music Camp jazz ensemble 8.m, tommorrow, free
Midwestern Music Camp senior division concert 1 a.m. and 2 p.m.
division concert 2 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Bonner Springs
South Park Gazebo
Sandstone Amphitheater
Kansas City
Bon Jovi with Extreme, 8 p.m.
Lawrence City Band, 5 p.m. tonight.
free
tonight*
The Tempations and the Four Tops;
8 o.m. Friday*
Deibert McClinton, Molly Hatchett and Georgia Satellites, 7 p.m. Satur-
Kansas City, Mo.
Billy Ray Cyrus, 8 p.m. Sunday $ ^{*} $
Starlight Theater
Oliver*¹, 8 p.m. tonight through Sun
lav*
Gordon Lightfoot, S.p.m. Tuesday*
- Tickets available through Ticket master, (816) 931-3300