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theater
A novel opera
John Steinbeck's classic novel "Of Mice and Men" comes alive in an opera written by a U. S. composer.
Patrick Tompkins / KANSAN
Tracy Herron, right, Wichita graduate student, and Collin Dahiberg, Liberty, Mo., sophomore, portray characters in the opera version of "Of Mice and Men." The opera will run from Thursday to Sunday at the William Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall.
By James J. Reece
Kansan staff writer
"Of Mice and Men," an operato to be performed at the Inge Theatre, tells one of the most tragic American tales
of this century.
Composed by Carlisle Floyd in 1970, the opera is based on the classic novel by John Steinbeck. The novel, written in 1937, describes the perseverance that carried people through the Depression, and the misfortunes they often met.
"Ijust thought it had wonderful possibilities as an opera," said Floyd, a music professor at the University of Houston, who composed the music and wrote the lyrics of the opera.
He said the vivid characters and the novel's dramatic situations helped him put the literary work to music. The novel chronicles two farm workers' search for happiness and the eventual loss of the dream they both shared.
The University of Kansas department of music and dance is presenting the opera.
Stage director John Stephens, an associate professor of voice at KU, said the reason he chose the opera was because it was about an important time in U.S. history and was converted to the genre of opera by an internationally known U.S. composer.
Stephens said both he and music director Mark Ferrell were fans of American opera.
"The reason I most like it," Stephens said, "is
Of times and places
"Of Mice and Men" will be performed at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Inge Theater in Murphy Hall. A matinee will be at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $3.50 for KU students and $6
for the public.
because it has some air of familiarity."
Stephens said that opera written in the United States had evolved during the last 40 to 50 years. Before that American operas usually had a European flavor.
Despite a young tradition, more than 100 professional opera companies are operated in the United States today and perform any combination of foreign and domestic operas, he said. Operas imported from the United States often did well in Europe, although sometimes they were looked upon as a curiosity.
Stephens said Floyd was one of the most successful U. S. opera composers in Europe.
"He was very active in the 50s, 60s and 70s," he said. "He is one of the most important composers today."
Floyd estimated that "Of Mice and Men" had been performed from 100 to 200 times. Theaters in Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands have presented the piece, and in 1976 the opera was performed in Amsterdam to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial.
The opera follows George and Lennie, two unemployed farm workers who share a dream of
Fred Scheff, a Rhode Island graduate student in voice and music, who plays the character of Lennie, agreed with the reasoning that motivated Floyd to compose the opera.
earning enough money to buy a farm. They face hardships brought on by Lennie, who is mentally disabled and often harms animals and people when trying to caress them.
"The story is somehow bigger than life as it is," told Scheff, who has been in 17 musical productions at KU. "And the novel is somewhat romantic in its own way. That romanticism lends itself very easily to the opera. Something that would take 15 paragraphs to describe in the novel takes only a few seconds with music."
Scheff said an example of music enhancing the plot was when his character, Lennie, talked with George about the farm the two men dream of someday purchasing. The discussion of the farm has almost a therapeutic affect on Lennie, a child-like yet large man.
As George, his mentor, disciplinarian and friend speaks of the dream, the music becomes a simple folk song. Scheff said. George is played by Erich Tinkar, a Concordia senior majoring in voice and music.
Timkar agrees that the novel, equipped with many strong, emotional scenes, works well in the tragic genre of the opera. He noted the final scene where the two friends lost their dream .
"The ending is a really powerful scene," Timkar said. "It brings across the whole bleakness of the novel."
theater
Pink 1959 T-bird drives plot home
8 p.m.
Mari-
Crafton- Preyer Theatre
Jan.28-31.
By James J. Reece Kansan staff writer
Murphy Hall
Later this month, two 1-act comedies will dissect the passion that drives a small town love, and a 1950 pink Thunderbird convertible.
On Jan. 28-31, the University of Kansas Theatre will present "1959 Pink Thunderbird," two plays written by James McClure, at the Crafton-Prever Theatre in Murphy Hall.
The plays, written to be performed together, are "Laundry and Bourbon," and "Lone Star," both set in Maynard, Texas.
Martin said the car symbolized the mobility that Roy has, while Elizabeth was stuck on her back porch because Roy made her quit her job.
"Lone Star" is about a guy named Roy who used to be the James Dean of his small town," said director Rick Mundy. "He drove a 1959 pink Thunderbird convertible and got all the girls."
The University of Kansas Theatre
One of the girls was his high school sweetheart and wife, Elizabeth, who is the main character of the first play, "Laundry and Bourbon."
"Her world is very narrow." said Martin, "but it's stable--she knows who her friends and enemies are."
Elizabeth and another character, Amy Lee, are sitting around folding laundry and sipping bourbon while talking about their husbands, but especially about Roy and his car.
bolic link between the two plays, said both directors.
"They are two housewives who come to an understanding and an acceptance of their own and each other's choices for marriage," said
The first play is set on the back porch of Rov's and Elizabeth's house.
ann Martin, director of "Laundry and Bourbon," "With the assistance of the town gossip, a Baptist under the influence of bourbon."
"Elizabeth married out of love, Hattie got practical about it and married a stable man and Amy Lee married for money and is damn proud of it."
"If you look at what it's about."
Mundy said, "Roy had three big loves in his life. He loved his country,
he loved his wife and he loved his car. Then, in one night, Roy realized he was a lousy soldier, learns that his wife was unfaithful to him while he was in Vietnam and finally that his beloved car had been wrecked by the town nerd, Cleis."
rine car represents the good old days—the glory days," said Mundy.
"I hate to call him a nerd," he said, "but he's kind of a nerd."
said Mundy, "it's a
pretty serious play. But it's an extremely funny play. People don't have a chance to think about it until later."
The pink Thunderbird is the sym
Mundy said the serious but comical tragedies that plague Roy could be summed up in a sort of theme
song, which was played during the performance, called "Up Against the Wall Red-Neck Mother," by country singer Jerry Jeff Walker.
Jaimie Carswell, Lawrence junior, who will play Roy, said he enjoyed the part, his sixth at KU.
"Part of Roy's character is a longing for the past," Carswell said. "He's no longer the he was in high school."
People and places at the University of Kansas.
calendar
Theater & Dance
University Theater Auditions
7 p.m., Jan. 12-15, Murphy Hall
Exhibits
Open reception for KU Art and Design graduate students 4:30.7 p.m., Jan.15, Gallery, Art and Design build
Martin Luther King Jr. banquet
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Events
Martin Luther King Jr. Barclay
Speaker: Susan Taylor, editor-in-chief of Essence Magazine
Dinner at 6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 16 at the Kansas Union Ballroom. Tickets available at the Office of Minority Affairs, 864-4351.
Film "Eyes on the Prize"
Film "Eyes on the Prize
10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Jan. 18, 180 Smith Hall
Free gospel music performance 6 p.m., Jan.
17, Lawrence High School auditorium, 1901
Louisiana St.
Commemorative service 2 p.m., Jan. 18, Plymouth Congregational Church,925 Vermont St.
Guest Appearances: Rev. C. T. Hill from Los Angeles and the King Singers from Dallas
Lectures & Seminars
Panel discussion: "Dr.
King's value Revolution"
10:30 a.m.-noon, Jan.18, 100 Smith Hall
Panel discussion: "Beyond The Dream: Civil Rights Revisited"
6:30 p.m..8 p.m., Jan.18, 100 Smith Hall