B K -
la it r U
b th b e w
a o w i r f c
i r p a t t i r
o t h r a p f
h H e l t
s V a g p h s a
University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, July 20, 1988
7
Arts & Entertainment
Review
Confusion helps British comedy
By Monica Hayde
Kansan staff writer
Sometimes British humor is best left up to the British
But the British farce, "Noises Off," by KU's Summer Theatre, was enjoyable enough. That is, if you could get past some of the mediocre accents and manage to sit through a boring and frustrating second act.
The play is funny, and some of the actors put out gut-busting performances, especially Thelmay Helyar, Lawrence graduate student, who played Dotty, who played Mrs. Clackett.
Helyar who played Dotty who played Mrs. Clackett? That's right, this play is actually a play within a play.
"Noises Off," by Michael Frayn, is about a group of lovable but incredibly bad actors who can't keep their personal feelings about each other from interfering with their performances.
Nine people are cast in "Noises Off." Seven actors and actresses play actors or actresses. Kip Grosshans, Lawrence resident, plays bell. Nancy Bell, Hutchinson senior, plays Ponny the stage manager.
rehearsal for a performance the next day. How will they ever be ready when they can't even keep track of Selsdon, a slow-witted creeper? Selsdon is played by Charles Whitman, Lawrence resident.
By the second act, the audience discovers that they are not ready for their performance. The results are funny, especially from the backstage point of view; but the scene drags, despite the fact that the actors never stop running around, arguing and trying to sort out who is having an affair with whom. Actually, the act is fairly boring because all the lines are the same as in the first act.
The first act chronicles their
One hilarious moment in the second act comes when Dottie ties together the shoelaces of Garry, who plays Roger, both played by David Snell, Wichita senior. Garry goes out from backstage and apparently crashes down the stairs of the set. The audience cannot see this happening because they only see what happens behind stage, but the result is hilarious.
Mark Richev, Valley Center senior, and Thelma Helvar, Lawrence graduate student, play the parts of Philip and Dotty in "Noises Off."
In the third act, the actors again perform their play, but this time the stage is in view. Again, the same basic lines, but with a few twists. By now, the actors are not getting along at all, and they
completely batch their play. Basically, they ad lib the whole performance with extremely funny results.
At one point, three actors are on stage trying to play the same role. Trying to keep up with plates of
sardines which keep appearing and disappearing adds some more fun to this play. In fact, sardines, of all things, are more or less of a recurring theme throughout this farce.
Trying to keep up with pla
"Noises Off." a 1983 Broadway
hit, is real British humor, and the audience may have to listen carefully and even think a little bit in order to get a few of the jokes, but this three-act play is enjoyable and light-hearted.
at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday
and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the Crafton-Pierre Theatre of Murphy Hall. For ticket information and prices call the Murphy Hall box office at 864-3982.
"Noises Off" will be performed
Area culture inspires director to bring theater group to Lawrence
Kansan staff writer
By Debbie Bengtson
fessional theater company in Lawrence since October 1987.
John Dennis says there is more culture for each person in Lawrence than in New York City. He thinks Lawrence is simply a great town. That's why he wants to start a professional theater company here.
Dennis is a professional actor and director. He has a master's degree in fine arts from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, and has been working on establishing a pro
He and 12 actors, together called Theatre Central, will be performing plays at the Lawrence Arts Center starting Aug. 30. Dennis said the actors would come from New York, Denver and Lawrence. Three University of Kansas students will be part of the first production, "A Man for All Seasons." Jeff Hopkins, Prairie Village sophomore, and Bart Petty, Bolingbrook, Ill., junior, will be actors; Dennis Christilles,
Lawrence graduate student, will be a stage designer.
The underlying themes of most of the productions will be political, Dennis said, in the sense that the work will deal with issues of political injustice.
"It's going to be a quiet political agenda," he said. "We want to look at people of faith and conviction standing up against corruption."
Dennis said the company planned to have a summer festival next year.
would run from August through September. He said the team would like to play with them.
Dennis said he hoped the theater company would remain based at the Lawrence Arts Center. He said he wanted to explore a more intimate setting than larger theaters can. Being in a smaller theater will help, he said.
"The audience will be right on our laps" he said.
Dennis' inspiration came from a French theater called Le Theatre du
Soleil, meaning the Theater of the Sun. Based in a warehouse in Paris, the theater uses no sets, just backdrops, Dennis said.
"There will be a minimum of set and costume and a maximum of acting," he said. "We don't want some big budget, we the playhouses need to be fun in a world that's starving to be spending a lot on costumes and set."
Most of the theater company's budget will be spent on finding new talent and paying the actors, he said.
His organization is non-profit.
He chose Lawrence for this new professional company, Dennis said, because of its proximity to Kansas City, its reputation for alternative endeavors in the arts, and the presence of KU.
Dennis said he did not want to compete with the KU drama department or with existing theaters in order to work with the KU drama department.
Kansan reporter Monica Hayde contributed information to this story.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES PRESENTS A PAUL REUBENS PRODUCTION
PEE-WEE HERMAN
BIG TOP PEE-WEE KRIS KRISTOFFERSON SUSAN TYRELL PENELOPE ANN MILLER AND INTRODUCING VALERIA GOLINO AS GINA
MUSIC BY DANNY ELFMAN WRITTEN BY PAUL REUBENS & GEORGE McGRAATH PRODUCES BY PAUL REUBENS AND DEBRA HILL
PG PARental GUIDANCE SUGGESTED-BEST BUILT
HOME MADE, NOT BUY FOR SUCH A PURPOSE.
DIDCTOR RANDAL KLEISER A PARAMOUNT PICTURE
ON AIR ARTIST CHROME CAMETTES AND COMMON CDS
© 1985 BIG TOP PEE-WEE PICTURE CORPORATION
CATCH THE EXCITEMENT JULY 22 AT THEATRES EVERYWHERE!
pass to use our Hot Tubs or Pool Areas
Check in at our office to collect
1301 w 24TH
842-5111
---