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Theater Plan Covers State
By JERRY KNUDSON
The University Theatre under the direction of John Newfield hopes to inaugurate in the near future a plan to bring theater to more Kansas residents.
In March the first community theater institute to be held within the state brought together civic leaders for the purpose of combining ideas and energies in the creation of more community theater groups.
"I feel that the University Theatre is no different than the law school or the medical school in furnishing services to the people of the state." Dr. Newfield said, "We must advise and aid in every manner possible the establishment and activities of community theaters."
This will be done in various ways, he continued. One part of his "community theatre plan" calls for graduate students or instructors in speech and drama to be sent out to help direct and produce plays presented by home-town groups whenever requested.
Newfield said: it gives valuable training to the speech and drama major and at the same time creates in-state jobs for the graduate.
whatever requests
This serves two purposes, Dr.
The University Theatre also will strive to raise the level of plays given by home-town groups. "The University Theatre's productions must be a good example to go to." Dr. Newfield said. "They must be more perfect, more tending toward the professional."
University Daily Kansan
The drama loan service under the Extension Division already is servicing numerous play-reading groups within the state. Nr. Newfield feels that these groups can successfully become full-fledged community theater organizations.
This interest in extending theater to the people of the state is not altogether new. For five years road shows have been sent out over portions of Kansas and neighboring states each year, playing in high schools, churches, or any available building.
dent actors touring Kansas county during the summer months.
This activity may be expanded into a summer stock group of stu-
Dr. Newfield has other ideas that would foster the growth of community theaters. One is that a community theater could go together with the local high school in hiring a qualified dramatic instructor that would double as the director of the theater group. Now it is not economically feasible for either party to do this.
The coalition between community and educational theatre within the state must be gradual, Dr. Newfield believes. But at the present time a revival of the community theater at Garden City is planned, and several new ones are in the formative stages.
"If in the next five years we have encouraged even a few groups to become active we shall consider the plan a success," Dr. Newfield says.
"But I have warned not to start irresponsibly fast with a small clique," he added. "Alert community interest must precede a successful community theater."
Geological Library Stocks Rocks
Almost every day someone borrows a rock from the oil and gas office of the State Geological survey.
Lending rocks isn't an unusual vocation for the survey, however, since it maintains one of the largest and one of the few rock lending libraries in the world.
Actually, the survey has two "rock libraries." One is located at the University, and the other is located in Wichita. Together, they contain over 23,000 cuttings from exploratory oil and gas wells drilled in the state recently.
When a core sample is received by the survey, it is catalogued and filed away for future study. These cores, or rocks, can be borrowed by anyone who wishes to investigate the rock formations near the site where the core was obtained. Loans are made for a reasonable length of lime free of charge.
Frequent borrowers are oil operators, consultants, oil and gas geologists, petroleum engineers, land owners, and others having a direct interest in the search for oil and gas in Kansas.
According to Edwin D. Goebel, head of the oil and gas division of the survey, the number of request for rock loans have increased steadily since the library was founded.
Mr. Goebel said visitors come to the survey's office at the University almost every day to consult the library or other public file data that can be found there. He said in addition to the rock library the survey has 70,000 drillers logs, approximately 10,000 radio-activity and electric logs, and about 50,000 top cards of holes drilled in exploratory activity.
Fund at Halfway Mark
Funds for the new student union at the Medical center continue to trickle in, but less than half the $100,000 needed has been raised.
The building is at the roofing stage. Steel for the auditorium is on hand.
Contributions are being asked and should be sent to "The Continuation Study-Student Union fund, University of Kansas Medical Center."
Friday, April 17, 1953
Commercial Artists Give Free Service
Bv GLADYS HENRY
Does your organization need art work? Is so, why not contact the Commercial Art workshop set up this year by the School of Fine Arts.
This workshop, which functions as a class, handles projects for departments, schools, and organizations.
So far this year it has constructed posters for Religious Emphasis week and the Arnold Air society, made training aids for extension classes, and done newsletters for the School of Business and the Opera workshop. At present the class is working on a new cover design for the College bulletin.
The idea for this workshop was conceived by Ray E. Ottinger, assistant professor of design, who was looking for some way in which students in commercial art classes could obtain practical experience in working with engravings and various kinds of type, and could learn the problems connected in designing for laymen.
Any client contacting the design department with a project is turned over to the students who decide with him how the finished work should look. The student then takes the problem to Mr. Ottinger for further discussion, and upon approval work is begun on it. Several students may work on a project simultaneously, or each student may handle one individually so the client may have a choice of several layouts.
Posters, letterheads, and decals are limited mainly to graphic designs or type layouts which are easily reproduced. All printing is done by the University Press. While the actual art work is free, the client must pay for any paints or board used.
Material and pictures for newsletters are given by the clients to the students, who then must decide on the placement of printed matter and pictures.* and illustrate it accordingly. No slick figure illustrations are used.
One of the classes' largest projects was the designing of the coloring and lettering on the Pennell photographic collection which was on display recently at Watson library. They also designed luggage decals for persons attending the summer music camp.
Five students were enrolled in the class last semester, and three this semester. They receive three hours of credit, and meet from 1-3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and from 8-11 a.m. Saturday.
Mr. Ottinger, who also teaches junior-senior classes in commercial art, graphic arts, and fashion illustration, said the class will be offered next year to fine arts students interested in taking it. It is not a required course.
Here's the Dope
THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT EXTENDS A HEARTY AND CORDIAL WELCOME TO EVERY HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR COLLEGE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY COMPETITOR WHO WILL VISIT OUR CAMPUS THIS WEEKEND.
ARTHUR C. "DUTCH" LONBORG University of Kansas Director of Athletics