10 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ARTS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3,2002
'Two Gentlemen'a tale of learning, growing
By Donovan Atkinson datkinson@kansan.com Jayplay writer
Actors Andrew York, Wichita sophomore, and Chris Wheatley Lawrence junior, portray characters Proteus and Valentine in the upcoming production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
John Nowak/Kansan
Moving into adulthood is a step every young person has to take. Leaving home, seeking knowledge and finding love are steps commonly taken. Add in betraying childhood friends, cross-dressing and fickle hearts, and growing up becomes a Shakespeare comedy.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona, one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, revolves around two young men and their experiences of moving from a small city to a larger one. Summer Eglinski, who plays the mother of one the protagonists in the University Theatre production, said the play connected with today's young people.
"It really parallels the transition from high school to college," Eglinski, Lawrence sophomore, said.
In Two Gentlemen, Proteus and his friend Valentine go to the court in Milan from Verona. Valentine seeks to improve himself, but Proteus is sent by his mother.
'The Two Gentlemen of Verona'
William Shakespeare's comedy, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Oct.4,5,10,11 and 12,and at 2:30 p.m. Oct.6 at the Crafton-Preyer Theatre in Murphy Hall. Tickets are $12 and $14 for the public,$10 for students and $11 and $13 for senior citizens. The play is directed by John Gronbeck-Tedesco,with sets and costumes by Beth Collins and lighting design by Elinor Parker.
Proteus' love, Julia, heads to Milan disguised as a man to reunite with him. Meanwhile, both gentlemen have fallen in love with Silvia, the daughter of the duke.
"A principal source of the comedy is the confusion the characters have in the context of love and relationships," said John Gronbeck-Tedesco, Two Gentlemen director.
The play, which opens the University Theatre's season, was selected for production because of its comedic aspects and educational merits.
"Shakespeare is a great training ground," Gronbeck-Tedesco said. "It poses challenges, and the effort to meet those challenges is educational for young actors."
Shakespeare also poses challenges for audiences. Some theater-goers may not understand an Elizabethan comedy set in 1590s Italy, so a change has been made for this production.
The University Theatre production of Two Gentlemen is set in the late 1950s, a period often identified with innocence.
"It may not be historically true," Gron-
beck-Tedescosaid, "butit is a popular image."
The period was selected to help portray the movement of the characters from innocent youths to world-weary adults.
Despite the serious subject matter of growing up and becoming an adult, the
play is still a comedy.
"If you're looking for two hours worth of smiles," Gronbeck-Tedesco said, "this is the play to go to."
—Edited by AmySchmitz
Seinfeld's new stand-up not as friendly, just as funny
Former TV comedian takes on heavier topics
By Henry C. Jackson
cjackson@kansan.com
Javplav writer
According to comedian Jerry Seinfeld, everyone's life sucks. And your life, Seinfeld concedes, probably sucks more than his.
Post-Sept. 11, 2001, a new, punchier Seinfeld has emerged. This bit, from Seinfeld's performance Saturday at Midland Theatre in Kansas City, Mo., is a microcosm of Seinfeld's latest material, a grittier selection than the normally enthusiastic comedian has previously performed.
Gone from Seinfeld's recent performances, for the most part, is his classic family-friendly humor — bits about standing ovations, overhead compartments in airplanes and the like have been replaced by racier bits about marriage, the Taliban, Subway's Jared and the many juxtapositions of the word "ass," in the English language.
The new Seinfeld looks harder at the world. He's still a brilliant observer of humans, he's just a bit harsher in his dissection.
Seinfeld's new approach is apparent from the start. In his opening monologue, he pokes fun at American-born Taliban member John Walker Lindh. Aside from taking Lindh to task — to great comedic effect — for "playing on the wrong team," Seinfeld isn't above making an innuendo about his sexual preference. It's no surprise to Seinfeld that Lindh is from San Francisco.
Racier bits like this one are commonplace in Seinfeld's newly liberated repertoire. Curse words, previously limited to the odd "damn" or "hell" for emphasis,
are used more liberally to season the new material. While Seinfeld has not resorted to dropping F-bombs for no reason, he's no longer above using "goddamn," "bitch" or "ass," to make a point. He even refers to one guy who annoys him as a "jerk-off," a distinctly eighth-grade insult that somehow feels right when uttered by a comedic demigod like Seinfeld.
Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of Seinfeld's latest routine is his desire to distance himself from his past, specifically his television show. He made only one vague reference to what was ultimately his vehicle to stardom. "I'm your friend from TV," he said.
Though he's previously allowed fans to persuade him into repeating catch phrases from his TV show — his trademark "Hello Newman" was always a favorite — he now seems happy to ignore his television past,
Classic fans should not worry. While Seinfeld's a bit more aggressive, he still uses the same painfully logical tactics to illicit laughs. For instance, in a bit toward the end of his performance, Seinfeld says he has discovered that the words "great" and "sucks" are basically the same thing. Seinfeld asked what people said when something that sucks happened, such as having an ice cream cone fall on the ground. They say "great."
awards shows such as the Golden Globes and the Emmys.
Despite the apparent attitude adjustment, which is more like a tweak than a change, Seinfeld is still Seinfeld. Finding the idiotic intricacies of human activity and nature remains Seinfeld's strength and his best source of material. And he's still hilarious. He's just a little bit more blunt now.
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