THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2006
NEWS
3A
》 ARTS
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
Peter Smith, a cast member with L.A. Theatre Works, responds to interview questions from Mechele Leon, assistant professor of theater and film, in Murphy Hall's Inge Theatre on Thursday afternoon. Smith will be appearing in the radio theater performance of "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" at 7:30 p.m. in the Lied Center tonight.
Versatility boosts career
Actor will perform tonight with radio theater company
BY DARLA SLIPKE
Actor Peter Smith encouraged theater students to be flexible in finding work after graduation Wednesday at the Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall.
Smith said he had excelled in the business by being versatile as a performer and a writer.
"You always need to create your own work and you should do other things," he said. "If you're just an actor, you're going to be twiddling your thumbs a lot — even if you're successful."
Smith is part of L.A. Theatre Works, a radio theater company performing "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial," a courtroom drama, at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Lied Center.
Smith said he struggled to pay his bills, despite starring in critically acclaimed shows in New York City, including "The Invention of Love" on Broadway. His acting credits include roles in both Broadway and off-Broadway performances, as
Leon said having professional actors speak to students built bridges between the Lied Center and the theater program.
"The Caine Mutiny" is a fictitious play about mutinous acts aboard a ship during World War II. It will be staged as a radio play, with the actors using scripts and standing behind microphones. Smith said it could be frustrating and challenging to use the microphones, but that the staging also has its benefits.
variation into his vocal performance.
It's a challenge to do that without looking like an idiot, he said.
Smith said holding the script forced him to put more emotion and
Smith said this style was appropriate for the courtroom drama, which centered around presenting arguments and twisting people's words.
Karen Christillets, Lied Center associate director, said the company was "legendary". She said audience members felt like the radio-play actors were talking to them, and personal exchange between the actors was enhanced without props to distract from their interactions.
Another benefit of the radio-play style is the Foley artist on stage who makes sound effects during the show. The audience can see how the sound effects are generated, and what props are used to create them.
Kansan staff writer Darla Slipke can be contacted at slipke@kansan.com.
— Edited by Catherine Odson
Universities vie for Cerner prize
》 SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
BY DANNY LUPPINO
The University of Kansas is used to going toe-to-toe with Kansas State in athletics, but KU engineering students are preparing to take the rivalry into the boardroom.
A group of 14 seniors and first-year graduate students in computer science and computer engineering will compete with students from Kansas State, Purdue and Iowa to see who can present the best software design to executives at Kansas City's Cerner Corporation.
"This is the first time we're trying this," said Arvin Agah, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science. "We've competed with these schools on the football field, but now we're going to be competing with them academically."
Agah has been preparing the students in his "Special Topics: Software Development" class for the
competition. He said he had taught the class before, with Cerner executives coming to Lawrence to judge the University teams.
Agah said students would be designing software for a doctor's hand-held computer device. Cerner, a medical technology company, gave the teams the assignment but won't necessarily be producing and marketing the winning team's software.
"The software will still be the property of the School of Engineering." Aah said.
Agah said students had traditionally enjoyed the class for the opportunity to work with realworld projects and acquire professional development experience. He said the competition had pushed the students to another level.
Benjamin Ku, Overland Park senior, agreed.
"the other teams are trying to be really secretive about what they're
doing, so we want to beat them because of that," Ku said. "We're taking the class for education purposes, but the winner does get a license for the software, so it encourages us to put out a better product."
Ku said hed continue working with Cerner after graduation.
Nine teams are competing, with four from the University. The teams will travel to Kansas City, Mo., Dec. 6 to make their presentations.
The winning team will receive prizes including its own handheld computer devices, but Agah said a winning team from the University would also help to further the reputation of the School of Engineering.
Kansan staff writer Danny Luppino can be contacted at dlupin@kansan.com.
Edited by Shanxi Upsdell