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Thursday, September 24, 1987 / University Daily Kansan
Arts/Entertainment
KU theater opens season with dark comedy
By KIRK ADAMS
Staff writer
The costumes are colored foam rubber. The set is left to the imagination — and the whole play is the recollection of one character.
"The Marriage of Bette and Boo," a semi-autobiographical play by Christopher Durang, is a comedy that takes a satirical look at relationships between women and their institutions like marriage, religion and the medical and law professions.
The $2^{1/2}$-hour play consists of two acts and 33 scenes. It was first produced on Broadway in May 1985 and won 13 Obie Awards.
The University of Kansas play is directed by Glenn Q. Pierce, playster of theater and media arts, and opens the 1987-8 University Theater Series tonight. It has been selected as a member of the American College Theatre Festival.
Pierce said he chose to do the play because it was told from a college student's perspective and because the play expressed many of the same concerns that affected anyone in the university community.
Pierce described the play as a "dark comedy".
The play is told by the character Matt Hudlocke, played by Christopher Hayes, Olathe sophomore. Matt searches his memory and knowledge of his generation to try to better understand himself and who he will become.
Pierce said the script, the acting, the set and the brightly colored costumes expressed the distortions that existed in Matt's memory.
When characters are not active in scenes, they fade to the background but remain visible.
"It's a play that takes place in Matt Hudlocke's mind, and once an idea is
Hudlocke's mind, and once an idea is
firmly embedded in the mind it doesn't leave." Pierce said.
Costume designer Valerie Drake, Kansas City, Kan., graduate student, had a lot of input in choosing the costumes.
"I read the play, and my first reaction to it was that all the characters in the play lived in boxes. And I saw it in my mind as glass boxes. They were talking at each other constantly, but never really communicating. It was like walls between them." Drake said.
Thus, the creation of the foam rubber costumes.
"I think we've come up with some
that's probably prettie novel."
Drake
"It really adds an emphasis of exaggeration to the play. At first I thought, 'Oh dear, this is going to come across as too whimsical for the play.' But she said she changed her mind after she saw the dress rehearsal.
"The characters are very artificial, and I think the costumes do a good job of lending to that artificiality."
Drake and Pierce said the show was different from the Broadway play.
The set is a large circle surrounding the stage, meant to symbolize Bette and Boo's wedding band. Within the set are hundreds of sheets of paper that symbolize the pages of Matt's life.
Drake said, "The script's basically the same, but we took great liberties with it visually" — with the light, with the stage set, with the blocking on the screen. "We did this in the game that we could be as liberal with this as we wanted to visual."
"The attitudes toward the church are much a part of his writing. He went through Catholic school, so he started playing from that experience."
Pierce said he thought Durang was expressing anger at the church in many of the scenes.
Jay Karnes, Omaha, Neb., senior, who plays the priest, said, "There's a segment where I, as an actor, am afraid of offending black people in the audience. I am offended by it myself. I hope that people see it as a comment, not on black people, but on racism and close-mindedness of the individual, and not even, necessarily, on the Catholic church." Karnes said that the priest character was a racist.
Pierce said the author made social commentary throughout the play.
Phillip Schroeder, Olathe senior, who plays Karl Hudlocke, said he
thought the play had a meaningful message.
"I think it says, basically, to believe in yourself and not something the masses say is right."
Karl Hudlocke, played by Philip Schroeder, Olate the senior, loses his temper during a business conference with his son.
Some of the actors told how they dealt with nervousness. Sara Lahey, Fairway senior, who as Bette Breman has the largest speaking role in
the play, said she sometimes got nervous on stage.
"I have a lot of breathing and in-
ventive exercises and focus wort-
Schroeder said, "Everybody gets nervous, it's just a matter of how you deal with that nervous energy — you channel it, you make it a part of your
actions rather than letting it hold you back."
"The Marriage of Bette and Boo" will play tonight at 7:30 p.m.; tomorrow and Saturday at 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in the Crafton-Preyer Theater. Tickets are available at the Murphy Hall box office.
Members of Bette and Boo's family admire the new addition to their family. From left to right are Soot Hudlocke played by Hillary Weltz, Northbrook, ill., sophomore; Karl Hudlocke, played by Philip Schroeder, Olahtine senior; Boh Hudlocke, played by Brent Wright, Olathe senior; Bette Brennan, played by Sara Lahey, Fairway senior; Margare Brennan, played by Lynnae Lehfeldt, Olathe junior; and Paul Brennan, played by Kevin Crawford, Lawrence senior;
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UNDERGRADUATES:
For the first time in K.U. history, underclassman photographs will be allowed in the Jayhawker!! And what a great time to start a new tradition!! This is the Jayhawker's 100th edition. This year's theme "A step ahead-A glance back" emphasizes the type of hook it will be.
Improvisate the type We encourage you to join with us and help build a NEW JAYHAWKER TRADITION... A Yearbook photographer will be setting up at your location. All you need to do is smile! Below is the schedule, please place your date on your calendar. There will be a $1.00 sitting fee to have your picture in the yearbook. (This fee will be waived if you have purchased a Yearbook.)
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* Location of photographer will be at Stephenson Hall.
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For more information contact the Jayhawker at 864-3728 or University Photography at 843-5279.
Off campus undergraduates go to most convenient location.
PROBATION AND DISMISSAL NEW POLICY FOR ALL CLAS STUDENTS (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) Effective with Fall 1987 grades
1.0 KU GPA for students who have 6-14 total hours graded A,B,C,D,F
1.4 KU GPA for students who have 15-29 total hours graded A,B,C,D,F
1.6 KU GPA for students who have 30-44 total hours graded A,B,C,D,F
1.8 KU GPA for students who have 45-59 total hours graded A,B,C,D,F
2.0 KU GPA for students who have 60 or more total hours graded A,B,C,D,F
REQUIRED KU MINIMUM CUMULATIVE AND SEMESTER GPA TO BE IN GOOD STANDING;
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
FOR STUDENTS WHOSE FIRST SEMESTER AT KU IS FALL 1987 AND WHO HAVE FEWER THAN 24 TRANSFER CREDIT HOURS
To remain in good standing these students must:
1) from their first semester at KU maintain enrollment in English until they have passed ENGL 102 and
2) from their second semester at KU maintain enrollment in mathematics until they have passed MATH 101 or MATH 102
(Some students because of advanced placement exams, ACT scores, or high school work may be exempt from the continuous enrollment requirement.)
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