8A
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2007
Andrew Wacker/KANSAN
Adam Burnett, Topeka senior, is the author of *The Death of Romance*, which will be featured in this fall's theatrical line-up. Burnett spent part of his summer working with professional playwrights in Italy.
Student's script comes to life
ARTS
Adam Burnett's "The Death of Romance" hits the stage
BY MATT LINDBERG
mlindberg@kansan.com
The Department of Theatre and Film recently announced its cast for its first four shows and is excited for the debuts. Much consideration is taken when the Department of Theatre and Film decides which scripts make each semester's lineup. With hard work and dedication, dreams can often become reality. Just ask Adam Burnett, Topeka senior, who recently learned the play he penned, "The Death of Romance", will come to life with the help of the University Theatre this November.
"It's about a romance novelist who is writing the end of her ongoing series, similar to J.K. Rowling with 'Harry Potter' and she is trying to figure out how to kill off her characters." Burnett said. "Meanwhile, she is dealing with the death of her father and some other turmoil."
The script, which was recently finished, has been a work in progress for almost two years.
Expanding the script to its final product included meeting with the Department of Theatre and Film's Seasons and Selections Committee on multiple occasions. Those
"It itated as an idea I had that I made into a one-act play about two sisters whose father died and how they deal with the loss," Burnett said. "I expanded it to a two-act play and it went from there."
around Burnett think the length of work in progress on all his scripts pays off and those around him agree.
"Adam is very, very talented," said Charla Jenkins, Director of Public Relations for the Department of Theatre and Film. "I've looked at a couple of his plays and he has improved with each draft. He brings a lot more depth to his writing considering how young he is and he is just a mature writer."
As a writer, Burnett hopes he is able to give women significant roles in his works.
"My personal agenda has always been to write good roles for women, because women have not always played an important role in theater until recently," he said. "I want to give them a powerful voice."
Burnett's unique writing earned him a spot in the La MaMa International Playwright Retreat, which recently took place in Italy. Burnett said the retreat started in the 1960s and features the best playwrights.
"Lisa Cron a led the retreat. We would wake up each morning and work on partner activities until noon and then would focus on our own work for the following six hours." Cron is a playwright who was nominated for a Tony award for her play 'Welly'
Connor Boyle
Spencer Lott
Alex Nichols
Christopher Bohling
Sam Beasley
Garrett Kelly
Spencer Holdren
Chris McGillvray
Ryan Klames
Jeff Sears
Burnett said the experience was intimidating because he was the only non-professional playwright to attend the retreat.
"I felt like a tadpole in a large sea because there were playwrights from Yale there and some who had off Broadway shows," he said. "But it did allow me to make connections to 'the real world.'"
Burnett was able to meet a female lyricist who writes music for plays and will collaborate with Burnett in the fall on another one of his upcoming yet-to-be titled plays.
"I'm going to go to New York City in October to work on a script with her," he said. "The work shop helped build my craft—it was the first time I felt like a real artist."
"The Death of Romance" will makes its debut in November, but Burnett said watching his show as opposed to acting and directing in it will be nerve-racking.
"The Music Man" Cast
"I'm an actor as well, and when I go on stage, I have no thought and just go do it," he said. "But opening day when I sit down to watch it I will be nervous."
Burnett said being nervous never goes away and that all playwrights can learn from a bad experience with a show.
"The Death of Romance" will debut at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29 in Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall, Encore performances will follow Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. The Department of Theatre and Film is excited about the upcoming show as it will give them the chance to showcase original student work.
Dave Beals
David Stogsdill
Garrett Lawson
Lucas Walker
Logan Walker
Tosin Morohunfolu
Ben Cook
Andi Porter
Meaghan Deiter
Allyson Cripps
Cassandra Hollman
— Edited by Meghan Murphy
Felicia Farley Brittany Barney Whitney Juneau Cassie Stuckman Callie Schlegel Julie Bayliff Jackie Kelley Bobbi Rising Sylvia Nicumb Mary McNulty Kirby Anderson
Leslie Hodges
Joshua Cuff
Jordan Holt
Kyle Tichonner
Anson Ornery
"The Death of Romance"
Cast
Meg Saricks
Lara Thomas
Jenna Bleecker Matt Crooks Amy Virginia Buchanan Nate Totten
IRAQ WAR
"Translations" Cast
Skip Niven (guest artist)
Carter Waite
Alex Haynes
Brian Ervin
Erik LaPointe
Jon Matteson Adam Luke Hilary Kelman Courtney Schweitzer Cassidy Kirch
"Fool for Love" Cast
Kaci Dienstbach
Joe Carey
Brady Blevins
Rob Shulte
BY KIM GAMEL ASSOCIATED PRESS
Black Hawk helicopter crashes Wednesday night;14 killed
BAGHDAD — Fourteen U.S. soldiers were killed Wednesday when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed dur-
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ing a nighttime mission in northern Iraq, but the military said it appeared the aircraft was lost by mechanical problems and not from hostile fire.
But extremists are striking back
It was the Pentagon's worst single-day death toll in Iraq since January and indicated how heavily forces are relying on air power in offensives across northern regions after rooting out many militant strongholds in Baghdad and central regions.
A suicide truck bombing against a police station in the northern oil hub of Beiji claimed at least 45 lives — 25 policemen and 20 civilians — amid a series of deadly attacks north of the capital.
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Associated Press
The growing bloodshed in the
Mechanical problems seem to be the cause of the Black Hawk helicopter crash Wednesday evening in northern Iraq. Fourteen U.S. soldiers died in the crash, which made the worst single-day death toll since January.
Just hours earlier, al-Maliki lashed out at American criticism over his government's inability to
He declined to be more specific about the location of the crash, but said the facts gathered indicated it was almost certainly due to a mechanical problem and not hostile fire.
President Bush, speaking to a veterans' convention in Kansas City, Mo., called al-Maliki "a good man with a difficult job." Bush added: "I support him."
The UH-60 helicopter went down before dawn in the Tamim province that surrounds Kirkuk, an oil-rich city 180 miles north of Baghdad, said Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, a military spokesman in northern Iraq.
*CONTRIBUTING TO STUDENT SUCCESS
north carries a mixed message. It suggests some success for the U.S.-led security sweeps seeking to reclaim control of areas in and around Baghdad. But it also highlights the apparent resilience of groups such as al-Qaida in Iraq as they retaliate and seek new footholds.
The White House, meanwhile, sought to quiet a political tempest with Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.
The spat appeared to ease, but al-Maliki's sharp words signaled a fraying relationship with his key backer nearly three weeks before Congress received a pivotal progress report on Iraq.
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LEGAL SERVICES FOR STUDENTS
312 Burge Union *844-5663* Jo Hardesty, Director
bridge political divisions or stop the violence, warning he could "find friends elsewhere."
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