The University Daily Kansan
Fine Arts
Section B • Page 4
Radio show offers imaginative product
By Katie Nelson Special to the Kansan
Imagination Workshop, a comedy radio show, will open this year's season with performances at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St.
The 8 p.m. show will be broadcast live on KANU FM 91.5 and on the Web at http://kanu.ukans.edu. It will also be broadcast throughout the country on National Public Radio stations.
Producer/writer Darell Brogdon said Imagination Workshop was a sketch comedy program offering the unique opportunity to see live comedy and be part of a live radio broadcast.
"Think Saturday Night Live when it was funny meets the golden age of radio," Brogdon said. "It is goofy, wacky nonsense turned into humor. It's something you can't really see other places."
The show is typically performed in Liberty Hall but has traveled to Salina, Emporia and Kansas City.
Brogdon said Liberty Hall had a relaxed comedy club atmosphere with the food and drinks.
"It is very conducive for what we are trying to do." Broedon said.
The show recently won a Gold World Medal for Best Writing at the New York Festivals and was named a National Winner for Best Audio Program, Entertainment, in the 2000 Silver Microphone Awards.
Cast member Kip Niven, 1968 KU graduate, recognized the oddity of coming to watch a radio show.
"But it's visually entertaining, with being able to see the sound effects, live music and the actors do voices and impersonations," Niven said.
Comical satire, spoofs and takeoff pieces will include topics such as the presidential election, summer Olympics, a soap opera entitled "Incompetents' Hospital," a celebrity "Survivor," a comic book spoof "The Legion of Stupid Heroes" and "Buck Naked Frontier Scout."
"We make fun of all of the national figures," said cast member Rick Tamblyn. "We spare no one."
Tamblyn is a 1979 graduate of the University of Kansas who went into theater after majoring in business. He has a morning show on 101 The Fox. He also works on commercials, industrial films and a weekly game show for the Missouri State Lottery. He has been with the Imagination Workshop for 15 years.
"I love doing it. It really is a labor of love. It is much more like playing than working." he said.
First developed in 1985 by Brogdon, Imagination Workshop is written and produced in Lawrence five times a year. The show has a cast of eight actors, a sound effects person, a musician, a crew of three and the producer.
"It's a tight group," Brogdon said. "Being together for so long is helpful when it comes to knowing the capabilities of the actors regarding voices, impersonations and creating characters."
Brogdon does most of the writing, but several cast members and freelancers contribute material.
"When I was at KU I was always on the look out for a cheap date." Niven said. "This is a great idea. You can drink beer, watch the show, have a grand time and still have, time to go to the big party afterwards."
— Edited by Amy Randolph
Plays will showcase weaknesses of men
Special to the Kansan
Bv Katie Nelson
English Alternative Theatre will present two one-act plays written by University of Kansas students Sept. 22-24 at the Lawrence Arts Theater.
Arts Calendar
The plays, "Bunnies" by Michael O'Brien, Winnetka, Ill., senior and "The Man Play" by Matthew Gaus, Lawrence senior, are comedies that concentrate on the weaknesses of men.
"Bunnies" is a farce based on the life of Hugh Hefner and his rise to fame with Playboy magazine.
O'Brien, an English major, said the idea to present the play took off after he received a good response to it from friends and teachers. "Bunnies" is his first attempt at play writing.
"The Man Play," although a comedy, has a more serious theme. Written by
O'Brien
Gaus, it centers on Tom, a 20-something bachelor who is fed up with the tribulations of dating. Tom then turns to "the man," a being who lives in his couch and enlightens Tom with a code of ethics emphasizing the unimportance of women in a true man's life.
"It came out of a conversation with a friend and turned into a play about an embodiment of all that is manly." Gaus said.
Gaus
his other scripts was selected for a staged reading at Smith Hall.
"Eventually, I would like to move to California and try to write screenplays and TV creative writing," he said.
tomorrow.
Inherit the Wind, 8 p.m. at Lawrence Community Theatre,
1501 New Hampshire.
Gaus said his work basically was a funny play about college
students
EAT performances of "Bunnies"
and "The Man Play." 8 p.m. at
Lawrence Arts Center, Ninth and
Vermont streets. $5.
The play is Gaus' third. One of
"It is a timely topic living in a post-feminist society, where issues like these get pushed under the rug except for in academic circles," he said. "This is basically wondering where there is a place for masculinity in the world. The play takes a position in the middle, but in a sense, it is a battle of the sexes."
The scripts were selected by Paul Lim, associate professor of English and theater producer, from plays written by his English 554 classes. He chose the two plays based on compatibility, technical simplicity and humor.
"EAT has a reputation for serious drama, and that doesn't seem fair to students who create comedy," he said.
The alternative theater has been around for 11 years.
Saturday:
Lim said its primary mission was to produce original scripts by students and sometimes plays that were being taught in class.
In a typical season, EAT stages two to three productions and six to 11 readings on campus, the Lawrence Community Theater, bars and cafes.
KANU's Imagination Workshop, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St. Cabaret, $12; balcony, $8.
Anything Goes, 8 p.m. at Lied
Center, Students, $20, $17; public,
$40, $34; senior citizens, $39,
$33.
Inherit the Wind, 8 p.m. at Lawrence Community Theatre,
1501 New Hampshire.
Sunday:
EAT performances of "Bunnies"
and "The Man Play," 8 p.m. and 11
p.m. at Lawrence Arts Center,
Ninth and Vermont streets. $5.
Selkie, KU Theatre for Young
People, 2:30 p.m. at Craft-Preyer
Theatre in Murphy Hall. Students,
$3; public, $6; senior citizens, $5.
Ying Quartet, 3:30 p.m. at Lied Center, Students, $13.50, $11; public, $27, $22; senior citizens, $26, $21.
Inherit the Wind, 2:30 p.m. at Lawrence Community Theatre, 1501 New Hampshire.
EAT performances of "Bunnies"
and "The Man Play." 8 and 11
p.m. at Lawrence Arts Center,
Ninth and Vermont streets. $5.
Pregnant?
FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL
Paid Internships
Birthright can help 1-800-5504900
for college students to promote ClickRadio on and around campus. Passion for music, marketing & cool technology necessary.
studentuniverse.com
800.272.9676
Send resume to interns@clickradio.com
www.cuckradio.com
Study Abroad
Low Student Airfares
Eurailpasses
More Than
100 Departure Cities
studentuniverse
IT'S YOUR WORLD. EXPLORE IT
Big Sale Selection Now! Car Stereo
Where it matters most.
As one of the world's leading diversified technology companies, we're breaking new ground in everything from defense and commercial electronics, and business aviation and special mission aircraft. As a Raytheon employee, you'll contribute to the development of exciting, revolutionary technology designed to make file better, easier, and safer throughout the world. Such as our STARS air traffic control system. And our award-winning NightSight™ technology.
but it all starts with you. Your creativity, Your knowledge and innovation. And enthusiasm about the future. In return, we offer exceptional training and professional development opportunities. A supportive, down-to-earth work environment. And incredible benefits including flexible schedules designed to respect your quality of life.
We have a lot to tell you about Raytheon and the exciting opportunities we have available. Plan on seeing our booth at your college career fair. If you are unable to attend the fare, please e-mail your resume to: resume@rayjobs.com (ASCII text only, no attachments), or mail to: Raytheon Company, Attn: National Staffing Data Center, P.O. Box 602046, MS-201, Dallas, TX 75256. U.S. Citizenship may be required. We are an equal opportunity employer.
So you can still show off all those great qualities of yours outside of work, too.
Opportunities are available for exceptional students with the following majors:
- Computer Science
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Math
- Physics
- Physics
- Chemical Engineering
- Aeronautical Engineering
- Finance/Accounting
- Human Resources
- Industrial and Labor Relations
- Marketing/Communications
- Management
Check out our Website at www.rayjobs.com/campus for further information including a calendar of recruiting events. At Raytheon, we strive to be the employer of choice for a diverse workforce by attracting, retaining, and recognizing the most talented, resourceful and creative people.
Bringing technology to the edge
Raytheon