Page 6 University Daily Kansan, September 18, 1981
Spare time
Andersen's fairy tales to come true in KU children's theatre production
By STU LITCHFIELD
Staff Reporter
In the world of fairy tales, anything can happen.
In the 19th century world of Hans Christian Andersen, anything and everything did happen. The lowliest of people became kings and the nastiest of ducklings became graceful swans.
Today, it's still anything goes: anything from an old woman who dances to disco routines in praise of rotten apples to a well that magically comes to life.
These are just a few of the things that happen in the KU Theatre for Young People's production of "Tales from Hans Christian Andersen" by Mary Jane Evans.
According to Jed Davis, director of the children's theatre group, the play is a collection of stories by Anderson which has been put together in story theatre form.
"This is a type of theatre." Davis said, "usually an ensemble group of actors gathered together to make theatre. They have to be in a kind of team spirit—clawing, mime, dance, music, everything."
The cast plays all of the parts. Davis said.
Within the duration of the show, the actors play a variety of animals, and inanimate objects.
According to Davis, the show is composed of four fairy tales, "What the Old Man Does is Always Right," "The Princess on the Pea," "The UglY Duckling" and "Numbskull城 Davish Village. Dogger goes to small 19th century Davish Village, dogger visits the village alive with the magic of these tales.
"The village atmosphere is something we've added," Davis said. "The original production was done with an ensemble, but they weren't in a band. They were on a set surrounded by large books."
Davis said he added the village theme to the book because it seemed natural and it helped with the math.
"The actors enjoy the village theme," Davis said. "It ties together for me and the company."
Brian Rardin, Baxter Springs freshman and a graduate of the University of Colorado, said his approach to the show was innovative.
"Dr. Davis' technique is fabulous. I enjoy working with him," Dardin said. "He has us do improv, and based upon this improv and our own stories, the stories, we created our own characters."
Davis said he had worked with the story theatre format before but became interested in this particular show while working on his latest book.
"Mary Jane was a student of mine at Michigan State University." Davis said. "We also collaborated on my first book together. We use examples from the play. I got very intrigued with it when I was reading in our new book about it."
Davis said the play was interesting to adults as well as children.
"Fairy tales can be read at any level you wish to conceptualize them at." Davis said.
Michelle Stelting, Topeka sophomore and a number of the ensemble, the play was the "Rainbow."
"Each story has a different quality to it," Stelling said. "Even adults would like the humor in it. The emotional sincerity is there. In children's theatre, you have to act just as in other theatre. It's healthy for adults to go back and see these fairy tales to catch their symbolism."
The show will be performed for area school children Sept. 22-25 and will be performed for the general public Sept. 26 at 10:30 a.m. Admission is $1.50.
Schapiro says women artists' role difficult but encourages them to take risks anyway
By DAVID HENRY Staff Reporter
Throughout history, female artists have done
what they like and still do, morning, Mirai
Schlaepfer said Wednesday morning.
Staff Reporter
*Many times, you can't change the factors in your life, but you can always change your attitude.*
Many of Schapiro's paintings are now featured in a retrospective exhibition at the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art. Schapiro visited the University of Kansas Wednesday, speaking for art history classes and presenting an evening lecture at the museum on feminist art. In an interview Wednesday morning, she talked about her own art.
Schapira was born in 1923 to Russian Jewish parents and grew up in New York City. Both her father and mother were teachers at Columbia.
"My father was an artist, too," Schapiro said. "In fact, my parents were Bohemians. They were never really involved with money and they had deep spiritual values."
MONEY, IN FACT, was the primary reason (to) the University of Iowa University for her college education.
their only child. Peter was born in 1855
"We were poor, Iowa was cheap and they had a good art school," she said.
While at Iowa, she met Paul Brach, a fellow art student, and married him in 1946.
"In our society, a woman learns quickly how many things she can handle at one time. If she's ambitious and yet doesn't want to abandon the nest, she needs a lot of stamina." she said.
The 25 years before her involvement in feminism required a constant balancing of traditional female roles as wife and mother and her more unorthodox role as an artist. She smiled as she said that not much had changed over the years.
Schapiro confessed that frequently her personal and professional life were imbalanced.
"After all, I'm only human," she said. "I have moments when I frustrated and anxey."
IN 1970, she met Judy Chicago, another well-known feminist artist, during a class for female artists. Together, in 1971, they formed the Feminist Art Program in California. Schapiro and Chicago soon joined forces with other artists to create a series of art exhibitions, a cooperative art gallery in Hollywood, Calif.
"Womanhouse really changed my life," Schapiro said. "I was over 40 when my art really
EARL RICHIADSON/Kansan Staff
Miriam Schapiro
changed. I lust a lot of women friends then. They felt that he had the true faith (by embracing them).
The controversy focused on her innovative new artwork, "The Dollhouse," a collection of six miniature rooms filled with knick-knacks and fabric pieces. This project was a bold departure from her large abstract paintings done only a year earlier.
Many of her fellow artists also react negatively. Schapiro said, "Frank Stella, Elsworth Kelly, Kenneth Noland were my friends. Their investment in their system of was very powerful. A dollhouse demanded they rethink their aesthetics and values.
"Feminist art does not conform to the principles of other art. Minimal art or Baroque art, for example, have clear ways of being defined." Schapiro said. "Feminist art eludes this type of definition. Frankly, the only thing that links it is the different natures of women's lives."
"It was clear that 'The Dollhouse' was my whole life."
Despite the lack of support from some art circles, Schapiro continued her search for truly feminist art. She admitted the style couldn't easily be defined.
"The reason the public resists feminist art is that it isn't universal," she said, "but I don't understand why man's art is universal and women's is not."
CHAPIRO BECAME agitated as she began discussing why man people rejected feminist activism.
Schapira believes the problem exists primarily because we live in a patriarchal, or male-dominated society.
According to Schapiro, women are simply asking that their point of view be understood. "In art," Schapiro said, "it's a poetic appeal. It (the artwork) can't force you."
"Men now have the power—in business, in government and in art—and theirs is the power of government."
Her criticism of male-dominated society is not confined to the art world. In almost all areas today, she said, a woman has to create herself in the image of man.
"You see women in their gabardine suits and starched shirts with their hair all tossed back," she said laughingly, gesturing at her own simply-leaning woman. Her wife is willing to do that to understand a woman?"
Schapirio's recent works are collage-like combinations of fabric pieces, many of them meticulously cut, and acrylic paint. Her work is carefully thought out in advance, she said, but it is little or no correction in the process itself because she doesn't make the painting is the high risk involved."
Along with showing her own work, Schapiro revealed the amazing diversity of women's art in her evening lecture, "Women's Art of the 70s." Her work allows us as women to celebrate our differences."
RATHER THAN revising her work, Schapiro prefers starting over on a new canvas.
In spite of the difficulties, Schapiro concluded that the risks were worth it. Feminist art indeed had a beautiful past and could look forward to an equally productive future.
**WILLIAM JACK BONKANKS**
Rod Caldwell, Lawrence junior and stage crew member, staples ears on a donkey for the Children's Theatre production of "Tales from Hans Christian Andersen."
Schapiro, in discussing feminist art during the lecture, said, "You have to take risks. Risk having people laugh at you, risk people telling them how stupid and worst of all, risk being historically wrong."
Local band sings breakin' up blues
By SUAN JEZAK Staff Reporter
Uncertainty surrounds the breakup of a popular local group, the Moffet-Beers Band.
The group decided to break up last month.
“It’s been coming for awhile,” said Michael Beeers, one of the group's leaders.
"It'll be better for everyone. The band was kind of peaked out."
He said that the idea had been in his mind for some time.
Jaff McFoff, the band's other leader, declined to comment on the band's breakup.
Too many hard feelings are involved to talk about it, he said.
But Beers was eager to talk.
Everyone's music was going different directions in the band, he said, and it was time for a break. Three members of the band had been friends for 10 years and 'you can't demand of friends that they play only your kind of music,' he said.
Moffet's new six-piece band plans to start playing in the middle or end of October. He thinks the new band will be "musically more successful."
He said the band would be "More musically
oriented," playing jazz, juff and rock instead of dance music, as Moffet-Beers had done.
The band's name will not include his own,
Moffet does, and it will also look like
In a year he plans to try his luck recording in California, he said.
Beers has another group planned along the same lines as the old band, but bigger and more
He said he would continue to play what people wanted to hear at parties, but his club appearances would be more of his own style.
Beer's new band will have its grand opening in the middle of October. He plans to make his live show more exciting and to continue playing in Lawrence, Colorado and Kansas City.
"I'm planning a lot of surprises," he said.
"It'll probably be the 'Michael Beers and something' band," he said.
Beers has high hopes for a future in the recording business. He thinks he is "really close to selling," he said, but he needs more time to write his own music.
"I've got too many irons in the fire right now",
he said, and may have to stop playing for awhile to get them.
"If you're good enough, they'll find you," he said of recording companies.
Music
The five-piece Möbel-Feet-Band played together for three years, performing two or three nights.
Arts calendar
Get Smart and Embarrassment, pop rock bands, will perform at 9 tomorrow night in the Lawrence Opera House. Admission is $2 for members and $2.50 general admission.
Susan Cook, harpsichordist, will perform at 8 p.m. Monday in Sawarthat Ricketts Hall in the State Capitol Building.
John Hammond, rural blues soloist, and Colt 45, a blue band, will perform at 9 tonight in the Lawrence Opera House, 2. E. Th. St. Admission is free and members and $3.50 general admission.
Art
The Art Department Faculty Exhibition will be held from September 24. No admission charge.
The Kaw Valley Quilters Guild is sponsoring the Piece and Plenty Quilt Show in the Elizabeth M. Watkins Community Museum, 11th and 12th Floor of the Museum, on display through Sept. 27, Admission is $1.
"Dogman Paintings," by Dalton Howard, fine arts graduate student, will be on display through Oct. 2 in the Visual Arts Building Gallery. No admission charge.
TODAY
on campus
THE POLICITICAL SCIENCE PROSEMINAR will feature a discussion on "Sunspots, Food Production and Foreign Policy: the Impact of World Food Availability on Resources and Patterns of Soviet Foreign Policy Formulation." Ron Francisco, associate professor of political science, will conduct the pro-seminar at 3:30 p.m. in Room 251 Blake Hall.
THE BIOLOGY CLUB will meet at 3:00 p.m. in the Sunflower Room of the Kansas Union.
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP will begin at 10 a.m. in the Ecumenical Christian Ministries Center.
BICYCLE RACES, including the Chancellor's Cup Race and the KU Criterium Race, will begin at 7 a.m. in front of Strong Hall. Portions of Jayhawk Boulevard, West Campus Road, Memorial Drive and Sunflower Drive will be closed to traffic during the races.
Pence's Greenhouse 15th and New York A Greenhouse larger than a football field PLANT SALE
SUNDAY EVENING SUPPER will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Ecumenical Christian Ministries Center. Prayer begins at 7 p.m. and square dancing follows at 8 p.m.
- 40% off all tropical plants
- 30% off all Inglred pots ranging from
'4" to '20" in size—very decorative
- over 500 hanging baskets in stock
*16 quart-20 lb. potting soil only $1.49
Mon-Sat 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Sunday p.m.
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Limited Number of Charter Memberships Special Student, Faculty, and Staff Rate
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