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University Daily Kansan, April 26, 1983
Entertainment
KU theatre season closes with Chekhov's 'Sea Gull'
By LAUREN PETERSON
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
The KU theatre department will close its 1982-83 main stage season this week with a production of Anton Chekhov's, classic, "The Sea Gull."
The play, which is a curious mixture of comedy and drama, is easily understood by the audience, said John Gronckeb-Tedesco, KU associate professor of speech and drama and director of the play.
"The dialogue in the play is so simple and direct that it is almost like casual conversation," he said. "The audience can see themselves in the characters. The play looks at everyone's struggle to find their place in life."
struggle to find their place in the
Performances are scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday,
and Saturday at the Crafton Theatre in Murphy Hall,
and for a matinee show at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
THE PLAY, SET ON a country estate in provincial Russia during the turn of the century, looks at art and talent and how people come to grips with artistic ability. Gronbeck-Tedesco said.
"This is an atmosphere where artists gather," he said. "It's a magic place pointing out the wonderful things that can happen in the arts. The play looks at people's dreams and asks, 'How do I know my talented?'."
Gronbeck-Tedesco said the play also was about relationships.
The four-act show deals with the relationship between a famous Russian actress, Arkadina, played by Melanie Taylor, Union City, Tenn., graduate student, and her son, Treplov, performed by Steven Vincent, Abilene, Texas, graduate student.
Trelopl creates friction with his mother by writing a play, criticizing her profession.
pricing her profession.
AND TO COMPLICATE matters, his mother brings her
lives as well. The other brother and son's relationship suffers irreparable damage." Groebke-Tedesco said, "the son loses his love interest with his girlfriend, Nina, and eventually kills himself."
lover, who is a successful writer, to her estate where Treplov lives as well.
Nina is played by Phyllis Leach, Leavenworth senior
Treplov commits suicide, he said, because he has no way of changing the world around him. He wants to make an impact on Nina and his mother but is unable to do so.
on Nina and I, "character is trying to give love," Gronbeck-Terence said, "but the other doesn't want it."
Tedeschi said, "but the other does not." Chekhov is making a statement that, in order to be successful, people have to make an active pursuit of something. They have to be willing to take a risk.
rms is true in love and in the arts, he said.
THE PLAY ALSO makes a statement about freedom. The imagery of the sea gull, free to fly over the lake and land anywhere, brings up the question of "how much freedom do I really feel in my life?"
really seen in my life.
Delbert Urruh, associate professor of theater and scenic designer for "The Sea Gull," said that the props were made to give an impression of the provincial Russian setting.
give all impressions to the patient, then the
contours are typical for the era. Gronbeck-Tedesco said
sad.
Written early in Chekhov's career, "The Sea Gull," commu-
much of the romantic symbolism that characterizes his later work.
When it was first presented in 1887 in St. Petersburg, Ivan Leningrad, the play was a flop. The audience had come expecting to see one of the notorious vaudeville jests for which Chekhov was known.
Chekov was known:
A production two years later in Moscow was an overwhelming success and the wings of the sea gull were adopted as the emblem of the Moscow Art Theater.
Tod Mearedv/KANSAN
Melanie Taylor, Nashville, Tenn., graduate student, and David Schuster, Los Angeles doctoral student, practiced earlier this week for the KU theatre department's last main stage production this spring. Anton Chekhov's classic, "The Sea Gull" Tickets for performances are available at Murphy Hall box office; all seats are reserved and discounted are available for students and senior citizens.
Paintings by American Indian artists reveal native heritage
Staff Reporter
An exhibit featuring paintings by American Indian artists, inspired by Indians' traditions, rituals and daily lives, will open today in the Kansas Union Gallery.
The 54-piece display called "Indian Painbrush" includes renditions of dances, deer and horses, and a woman herding sheep.
sneep.
"It represents a very good collection of American Indian art," said Gerry Williams, assistant director of minority affairs, which is sponsoring the exhibit with Student Union Activities. "We knew maybe six months ago that we were going to have it."
Mid-America Arts Alliance, will be at the University of Kansas through May 29.
going to a display, which is owned by Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Okla., and is distributed through
Jerry Kramer, who transports and installs the display, said, "The subject matter ranges from every day life to ceremonial dances. They are all works of art on paper. They are for the most part, opaque watercolors.
most part, opaque watercolor.
"THEY ARE PAINTINGS done by Indian artists from 1930 to 1970. There is such a variety of paintings coming out of the Southwest.
"This is more of a historical perspective of what happened in the '30s, '40s and '50s."
The featured man is influenced by the "Kiowa Five," who were some of first Indian artists to receive formal training and recognition, he said. "Indian Paintbrush" includes works by three of the "Kiowa Five."
in bright colors.
Many of the paintings are flat with stylized figures, Kramer said.
Kramer said he thought that the style of painting which did not have a foreground or background originated in traditional forms of Indian painting.
for its ornamental painting.
"I THINK THE FLATNESS of the figures was influenced from that tradition — from sand painting and the winter count" be said.
the winter count was a form of storytelling, he said. During the winter, when the Indians were not so busy, they would draw events of the past year on the tent flaps.
"I think some of the paintings that resemble the winter count are very beautiful" he said. "I think that these days have been very cold."
"It's not even called Indian art any more — it's in the mainstream."
Norma O-hep, Maracay, Venezuela, graduate student, saw part of the exhibit in 1975 when it was still a part of the private collection of Nettle Wheeler, a native of Muskogee, Okla.
Ohep said, "She was extremely interested in demonstrating to this country and to the world that American Indian art was art and not craft. She was interested in giving it the rank of art.
"I think it is going to great for us to see all these paintings
"WHENEVER MY WHEELER was showing me these paintings, she would say, 'look at the movement of the figures.' According to her, the flow and the motion was a feature of Indian art."
Danny Miller, an Indian painting instructor at Haskell Indian Junior College, said, "Indian art isn't really noted here in Kansas. Most of the Indian art is in Oklahoma and in the Southwest where it is really appreciated."
Southeastern New York will be open for viewing Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
& KU's Interfraternity Council present
featuring Huey Lewis and the News The Fabulous Thunderbirds
ALL THE FREE BEER YOU CAN DRINK!
Sunday, May 1 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Memorial Stadium — "In the Bowl"
TICKETS----$3.00 in advance $4.00 day of the show
Tickets at the SUA Office, residence halls (during dinner), Pyramid Pizza and on campus Tuesday—Friday