Play derides apartheid
South African playwright Athol Fugard uses humor
to portray an unfunny situation
Richard Devinki / KANSAU
Stacey MacFarlane, a graduate student in theater and film, rehearses the monologue in "Snow Bansi is Dead." MacFarlane plays the charming actress in the play, which will run tomorrow and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., in the Natural History Museum auditorium.
By James J. Reece
Kansan staff writer
n play be to perform to celebrate the history of African-American, a white woman will portray a Black man in apartheid-riddled South Africa.
But the play's director, Peter Upkokodu, assistant professor of African and African-American studies, said the fact that a woman had the role should not confuse the audience.
"There will be no doubt in your mind which part she is trying to portray." Ikupokdu said of Stacey MacFarlane, a graduate teaching assistant in theater and film. She will play the part of Styles, a Black South African man in the English Alternative Theatre's production of "Sixe Wansi Is Dead."
The play was written in 1972 by Athol Fugard, a white South African, and John Kani and Winston Nishona, two Black South Africans, Ukpokrodu said.
"It's that collaborative aspect of the play that made me bring in Stacey," he said.
MacFarlane said it would be a challenge for the audience to put aside the gender, and race-crossing role she plays, but she did not think it would contradict the message behind the story.
"The play is about identity, pretending and expectations," she said. "Sizwe Bansi loses his identity completely."
African-American history month
Ukpokdu, in his first directing job for English Alternative Theatre, said the play had a humor that became more recognizable with knowledge of South African laws like the Immorality Law and the Group Areas Act that carry the separation of races to an absurdity.
He said the first law restricted non-white people by outlawing things like misegement, the mixing of races in marriage or relationships. He said the second law restricted non-white people to certain living areas called Homelands and requires all citizens to carry passports when they travel.
MacFarlane, as Styles, opens the one-act play with a thirty-five minute monologue remembering life at a Ford automobile factory in South Africa. In the monologue, styles adopts the voice of people like Henry Ford's son and the manager of the factory.
She said the monologue set the cultural context for the actions in the play, set in Styles' photography studio.
With the passport, Bansi will assume the identity of a dead man and avoid being deported by his government to a Homeland, a barren, arid settlement where people of non-white races are sent as a gesture of freedom but where freedom is restricted by laws.
comes to pose for a photograph for his new passport
English Alternative Theatre founder Paul Lim, assistant professor of English at KU, said this is the third year the group has done a play in honor of African-American history month. Lim called Fugard the best-known South African playwright today. Other plays by Fugard include "My Children, My Africa" and "Playland."
"Most of his plays are set in South Africa and deal with human beings caught up in the problem of racism." Lim said.
The show will be at Downs Auditorium in the KU Natural History Museum at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Lim said the play also would be performed on Feb. 14 at Johnson County Community College. He said it would be the first road production ever done by the 3-year-old English Alternative Theatre.
He said as an activity of African-American history month, the play carried messages for people of all races.
"It focuses on some aspects of the Black experience and in many ways it celebrates the human experience." Lim said.
Lawrence radio station switches format
By Ezra Wolfe
Kansan staff writer
Hard-core heads will soon have another alternative-style radio station to stimulate their earrums.
KLZR, 106.9 FM will change their format from young adult contemporary to rock alternative. 5:50 p.m. Sunday
The station was using a live satellite feed from Dallas and only programmed local commercials and sports. There were no live disc jockeys at all. With the format change, the station will use local DJs to program and play the music.
"We decided the direction that we wanted to go was to target KU students," said Trace Taol, program director. "Our research shows that rock music with the cutting edge alternative music is the way to go. Years ago it was Zeppelin, now it's Nirvana and Pearl Jam."
Addison Parker, theater and film and broadcasting, senior, said the new format would entice him to listen to KLZR.
"KJHK plays stuff that is a little far out from what we tackle," he said. "We're more mainstream with the crossover alternative. We want to try and break the new music first. We still have a foot firmly planted in album-oriented rock like Van Halen and Aerosmith."
"KJHK is usually a little more hardcore than what I like to listen to," he said.
reaction that KLZR expected.
According to Taol, that is just the
Taol said student feedback would drive the station's music programming.
"We encourage everybody to tell us what they think. Now, when you call up and request something, there will be a live DJ who can play your requests."
Taul said running the station completely from Lawrence instead of just broadcasting a satellite feed would be a lot more fun.
"Oh my gosh, now it's just like starting over. It's been seven years since we did local programming." he said.
The station wasn't losing money on the old format, Taol said, but they weren't getting the 18- to 34-year-old listeners.
"We want to be in your face," Taol said. "We want to be your station. We want to be everywhere you look."
Your guide to Entertainment in the Lawrence Area.
calendar
Nightlife
Benchwarmers Sports Bar and Grill
1601 W. 23rd St.
Lost Bet, Thursday
Lost Bet, Thursday
Room Full of Walters, Friday and Saturday
$3
The Bottleneck
737 New Hampshire St
Leroy Shakespeare, Friday Caribe, Saturday
Stick playing with the Faith Healers, Thursday Leroy Shakespeare, Friday
Arcade playing with Channel Zero ($2, sub
ject to change)
Rest of the shows have $5 cover charge
The Crossing
12th and Oread
Shane Jackman, Friday
Lowlie, Friday
Trout 66, Saturday
Blue Fuse, Wednesday
All shows start at 9 p.m.
Dos Hombres
815 New Hampshire St.
Music City-country music
Thursday, $3
Gusto's
Costa
925 Iowa St.
Renegade Driver
Friday, $3
Secret Graces
Saturday, $3
Continued on Page 8.
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