KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2010 / NEWS
ARTS
13
Theater company returns to University
Ryan Waggoner/KANSA Cast members of "The House of Fitzcarraldo" (from left) Val Smith, Hilary Kelman and Adam Burnett rehearse at Murphy Hall Monday. The production is being put on by The Buran Theatre Company, which was founded at KU in 2005.
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
BY JANENE GIER jgier@kansan.com
Five years ago, the Buran Theatre Company was founded by a group of KU students, faculty and Lawrence residents. The group's risque original show was the ground-breaking performance that determined the future success of he group. "Nightmares: An Artful Demonstration of the Sublime," was a sexually explicit and daring performance at The Lawrence Arts Center in 2008. Because of the show's success, the group knew it had the makings of a great future together. Now the group is back at the University to prepare for another show.
"It's great to bring back new work to the place that inspired us all," said Adam Burnett, original founding member, coartistic director and KU alumnus. The KU Theatre Department gave the Buran TheatreCompany residency for the summer, granting them free use of the-
The group, whose original goal was to serve new, free and explorative theater performances, is spread out across the United States and beyond, some in countries as far away as Lithuania.
"I can be myself and I am ready to rock and roll," Knudsen said.
Knudsen said that the familiar faces reminded him of when he was a student, and that the incredible energy in and around the building was invigorating.
"For me, it's where my involvement in theater really began, so it was the beginning and it keeps moving upward," Justin Knudsen, co-artistic director and KU alumnus, said.
Christopher Luxem, another
ater facilities as the group prepares for the premiere of "The House of Fitzcarraldo."
The Buran Theatre Company began as a group of six founding members and has grown to 29 core members, 75 percent of whom are KU alumni.
The group holds together with its passion and ability to take different ideas and work them together into something that reaches out to the audience, Burnett said.
"It was time to come back to where it began. We've been separate, but we can come back and recreate that same spirit," Burnett said.
Burnett said he doesn't know of many theater departments that are supportive in the way the University has been.
"It's a testament to the department itself and its support in alumni, which I think is extremely strong," Burnett said.
"A lot of people get together and make theater in college, but to be able to continue with a strong identity is important. The group has great flexibility," said Henry Bial, associate professor of theater and Buran Theatre Company member.
"It's great to bring back new work to the place that inspired us all."
ADAM BURNETT Buran Theatre Company founding member
member, wrote music for the upcoming performance. Bial said the group e-mails lyrics to Luxem in Staten Island, N.Y., and Luxem writes and e-mails the music.
Luxem and
Burnett have been "collaborating" since second grade, Luxem said.
"Lawrence and Kansas, and KU in general, have the same welcoming atmosphere in terms of being able to get together at a pace where we could take a couple of breaths and have our 'creative' not have to be rushed by any means," Luxem said.
The group members mentioned using Skype during the upcoming performance to include the distant members, but they're not sure whether the technology will be available.
Coming from the New York rat race, Luxem said he appreciated the times he shared with the group in Kansas even more.
Mechele Leon, artistic director of the University Theatre, granted the residency. Bial said the group is grateful for it, as without residency at the University, money would have to be spent on rent elsewhere.
"I also think that because this is an educational setting, people feel a little more free to experiment and
explore how creative they can get;" Bial said.
Campus, he said, is the perfect place to find trusted friends and colleagues to step in and help with the developmental process of the performance.
"The House of Fitzcarraldo" was
written and produced in collaboration with 12 members of the company. It opens July 26 and runs to Aug. 1 at the Kansas City Fringe Festival at the Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City, Mo.
THE HOUSE OF FITZCARRALDO
Showing at: Unicorn Theatre Jerome, 3828 Main KC, MO.
Show times:
7 p.m., July 26
8:00 p.m., July 27
7 p.m. July 28
10 p.m., July 29
8:30 p.m., July 30
11:30 p.m., July 31
4 p.m., Aug. 1
Admission price: $10 (with $5 Festival button)
Synopsis: "The House of Fitzcarraldo" offers a fresh and irreverent take on Werner Herzog's epic 1982 film, "Fitzcarraldo." Set in the jungles of Peru, the show proves that no man is an island, but some men are isthmuses.
—Henry Bial, associate professor of theater and Buran company member
INCLUDE KU ONLINE COURSES IN YOUR FALL SCHEDULE
Enroll Now · Start at Any Time
110044