Thursday, October 28. 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 5
Theater to hold auditions
Local company prepares to open seventh show
By Becky Lake Special to the Kansan
Andy Stowers and Nathan Cadman had no money, no consistent rehearsal space and no sponsorship, but they always had wanted to start their own theater company.
After more than a year and six shows, their brainchild, EMU theater company, is one of the few independent theater companies in Lawrence. The group of more than 30 regular members is set to begin work on its seventh production.
EMU, which doesn't stand for anything, will hold auditions for seventh production at 7 p.m. today and tomorrow at Ecumenical Christian Ministries. Two 10-minute comedic skits, "The Butcher's Wife" and "Tea for Three" by Joel Reavis, will be cast. Actors do not need to bring prepared audition material.
"It kind of started by accident," said Cadman, a Lawrence resident.
EMU's show comes after a year of experiments, growth and success.
Cadman said that he and Stowers' boss at Java Break, 17 E. Seventh St., agreed to let the two use the coffee house as space for their first show. Stowers and Cadman made and posted filers requesting script submissions. From the 10 submitted, EMU's first production, a night featuring four short plays, opened Aug. 13, 1998.
"All the money we spent we put in out of our own pockets," Cadman said. "But we made back
what we spent, and we knew there was an audience in Lawrence."
EMU since has used its profits from one show to finance the next.
"We've been really fortunate that most of our shows have made money," Cadman said. "We just used money we already had and seemed to make more than we spent. We try not to spend much money at all."
Stowers, also a Lawrence resident, estimated that EMU had $1,000 but said that making money wasn't what EMU was about.
"The fact that I don't want to get involved in large-scale commercial theater shouldn't interfere with my opportunities for theatrical work," he said. "I know that with many core members of EMU, there's a very romantic and yet pragmatic side to doing 'poor theater.'"
"It's definitely art for art's sake," Stowers said. "The bottom line is not necessarily what's going to draw an audience. It's about keeping going as long as people want to do it."
Damon Klassen, Great Bend senior, said EMU's low budget and noncommercial style was more valuable to him as an actor and director.
Though EMU's budget can't and doesn't compete with those of University Theatre or Lawrence Community Theatre, some of EMU's participants think the company has some advantages when compared to more mainstream theater companies.
"One thing you get that you wouldn't get out of a university setting is interaction with the community," said Josh Meyer, Overland Park junior and actor for EMU. "Even though academic theater is supposed to be an environment for exploration and
learning, I feel like you can do more of that at EMU."
Melissa Shimkovitz, Glenview, Ill., senior, said that unlike University Theatre, EMU didn't have to worry about how its shows would register with audiences.
"We don't plan our shows based on the audience," she said. "We plan our shows based on what the artists want, and that finds an audience."
EMU advertises its script submissions and audition dates by filers and word of mouth. Though the deadline already has passed for the last round of script submissions, Stowers said EMU was accepting scripts all the time. Local playwrights can submit their works at Great Harvest Bread Co.. 807 Vermont St.
EMU has performed everywhere from Java Break to the ECM to the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., but Cadman said that EMU possibly could put on its next show at the Lawrence Arts Center. "The Butcher's Wife" and "Tea for Three" are scheduled tentatively to run Dec. 9-11.
Trevor Ruder, Lawrence resident, said he hoped to get two productions together by the end of this year and two or more in the spring semester.
Though many of the members of EMU will be graduating or moving away from Lawrence in the future, Stowers said he hoped EMU would continue long after he left town.
"I think the future's wide open," he said. "I hope we build a larger audience and do better and better work by local artists. As far as I'm concerned, EMU will be around as long as there are people around who want to do it. If you want the experience, and you have the desire, it will work for you."
Edited by Chris Hutchison
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