THE MAG: Unforgettable horror
KC production of 'Playing for Time' examines an overlooked bit of Holocaust history
By Mitchell J. Near Arthur Miller's plays have created some of the theaters' most memorable characters, while in the process launching stinging indictments against the cruelty of a collective group-think society. "Death of a Salesman" rallied for the forgotten common man, while "The Crucible," which centered on the Salem witch trials, was actually an attack on the 1950s McCarthy hearings.
'Pirates' still a pleaser
By Mitchell J. Near Special to the Journal-World Gilbert and Sullivan's opera, "The Pirates of Penzance" made its New York debut in 1879, appearing on the scene long before automobiles or airplanes.
THE MAG: Model behavior
'Femme Fatale' examines history of marketing feminine image
By Mitchell J. Near Hollywood likes to roll out the biggest movies during the holiday season, hoping to garner critical consideration from pundits, while, more importantly, getting the consumers to part with their money before the year ends. But Hollywood studios are not the only group that plays that game; book publishers have been doing it for decades. And for many brick-and-mortar bookstores, the winter holidays are make-or-break time, where they gladly accept and stock a variety of items from suppliers that they know will be big sellers during the Christmas season.
THE MAG: A study in Scarlet
Pulitzer-nominated play 'In the Blood' offers modern retooling of literary classic
By Mitchell J. Near The latest production staged by The Unicorn Theatre is one of those rare adaptations of a known classic that can be viewed as an outright success in its own right. The fact that most people have yet to hear of it, or its playwright, makes that almost a crime punishable by a lifetime of attending New Theatre productions.
THE MAG: I want my MTV!
20th-anniversary tome celebrates network's cultural influence
By Mitchell J. Near In the beginning there was MTV. Music Television. And it was good. Very, very good. The fledgling network devoted to playing rock and roll videos debuted on Aug. 1, 1981, with the words, "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll," and love it or hate it, there is no arguing over the station's cultural influence since then. v
THE MAG: Though this be madness
A Kansas City theater troupe reinvents the world's most over-performed play
By Mitchell J. Near In the year they have been performing, the coalition of writers, actors and technicians that make up the Evaporated Milk Society have been determined to turn theatrical productions, and the way they are viewed, in a new direction. After mounting some original works including the outdoor version of "A Tall Tale" that featured actors on stilts the company is attempting a new version of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet."
THE MAG: Cover story - The Art of war
A Lawrence artist captures photos in the world's hot spots
By Mitchell J. Near When the World Trade Center towers were attacked in September, Lawrence photographer Gary Smith was in Amsterdam at an arts festival, doing what he does best: taking pictures of the local street scene. When he heard the first reports of the plane crashes, he ducked into a coffee shop surrounded by fellow Americans and a hodge-podge of nationals from all over the world. Smith knew instantly that he would soon be on his way to Afghanistan.
THE MAG: Lure of the rugged plains
A Lawrence sculptor is inspired by his roots
By Mitchell J. Near There is an old joke that says the speed limit on the nation's highways should be based upon how boring the scenery is in the area you are driving through the less spectacular vistas would allow motorists to accelerate accordingly. So, for parts of Western Kansas, that means the speed limit should be about 135 mph.
THE MAG: Cover story - Third annual good, bad, just plain stupid awards
Tragedy, comedy intermingled as never before
By Mitchell J. Near Like most people, I know exactly what I was doing the day the Twin Towers were attacked. I was sleeping in I am a professional writer, after all. My friend Becky called and said a plane had struck one of the towers, and then she hung up. I turned the tube on, thinking that I'd see a report on some out-of-control small turbo-prop slamming into the building, just in time to see the second airliner hit the other tower.
THE MAG: Hold your applause
The region's 2001 theater season offered only so much to clap about
By Mitchell J. Near The theater is exciting in that, unlike movies which mostly hover near mediocrity there is too much good material out there waiting to be performed onstage. Between show-stopping musicals, classic plays and independent new works, there is usually something happening in the area to get pumped about. And because most theater venues play to smaller crowds, they can get away with concentrating on a specific genre, or providing an interesting mix of shows, and still put enough bodies in the seats to break even. That means they can usually take more creative risks.
THE MAG: 'G' is for goodbye
Garth Brooks' quest to emulate idols falls short
By Mitchell J. Near This was supposed to be a humorous column. Garth Brooks just released his latest CD, "Scarecrow," and the 800-pound Gorilla of Nashville's Music Row he of too-tight jeans and too little hair under that 10-gallon Stetson usually makes good target practice. With his aw-shucks posturing belying an almost maniacal behind-the-scenes control of his career, it's like the gazillionaire good-old boy is just asking for a ribbing by still trying to pass himself off as a regular joe from Yukon, Okla.
THE MAG: Priority message
Lawrence writer Grout pens self-improvement book 'Living Big'
By Mitchell J. Near Pam Grout is big on making the most out of life. A writer with six books to her credit, her specialty is motivational, or self-help, tomes that show readers that some of the most extraordinary accomplishments have been carried out by the most ordinary people. Her message: If they can do it, then so can anyone else. It's all a matter of priorities.
THE MAG: Table manners
Cardtable takes jabs at current events and downtown hierarchy
By Mitchell J. Near By now, most Lawrence theatergoers recognize the folks at Cardtable Theatre for their creative stagings of original writings and cutting-edge established works. Throw in signature pieces like the company's "Victor Continental Show," and there are plenty of avenues they have devised to lampoon anything in sight: short sketches, wicked parodies, profane puppet shows and not-for-your-mother musical numbers.
THE MAG: Not another 'Nutcracker'
Kansas Regional Ballet selects a slightly different audience favorite this year
By Mitchell J. Near Like the fruitcake that becomes overwhelming popular at only a select time of the year, the "Nutcracker" ballet seems to make an appearance every December at most every area venue capable of holding an audience. For that reason, Dennis Landsman went looking for another piece for his Kansas Regional Ballet to perform. He didn't get very rowdy in his decision, selecting another popular ballet, Johann Straus' full-length "Cinderella" as an alternative.
THE MAG: An artist and her Internet
A Topeka painter uses every tool at her disposal to display images
By Mitchell J. Near Sherry Slaymaker started painting when she was 4 years old. By the second grade she was selling her work to fellow students, often earning enough money to buy her favorite candy bars. She grew up, studied and taught art, and has had her work displayed in galleries from Chicago to New York.
THE MAG: Angels among us
'Honky Tonk Angels' aims to please fans of traditional country
By Mitchell J. Near Topeka may be a sprawling city nowadays, but in reality it's really just an overgrown Kansas town whose roots are firmly entrenched in the country lifestyle. Lawrence has that whole arts community vibe going, and Kansas City is as metropolitan as any Midwest city can be, but Topeka is steeped in a twangier tradition.
THE MAG: Marginalized musicians
Forgotten stories of World War II's all-girl bands featured in KU prof's new book
By Mitchell J. Near All-girl bands have been around since the glory days of the 1920s, when bathtub gin flowed freely in illegal speakeasies. It was an unholy alliance: Powerful men got booze and great jazz, while also being able to gaze at pretty women onstage. And the female musicians got one more chance to play the music they loved, even if they were looked down upon for performing what was considered traditional, masculine music.
THE MAG: Organized chaos
An amnesiac searches for memories with help of several oddballs in Unicorn's 'Fuddy Meers'
By Mitchell J. Near It's relatively easy to explain the plot twists in the Unicorn Theatre's new production of "Fuddy Meers." The play is a lot like the movie "Memento," if that movie had been filmed by a cast and crew who were constantly chewing on hallucinogenic mushrooms.
THE MAG: Geometry in the john
Chris Messer is so devoted to art he'll show it anywhere
By Mitchell J. Near Chris Messer's artistic career is in the toilet and he wants it that way.
THE MAG: The art of improvisation
Lawrence artist Ken Grizzell home-schools himself in printmaking
By Mitchell J. Near Ken Grizzell started exhibiting his sculptures in 1958, after attending Fort Hays State University in Hays. And for 13 years his artwork went up on display at numerous Midwest galleries until he decided to make a change in his work based solely on the practical idea of creating art that was easier to carry around.
THE MAG: Night Owl
Playwright Philip blue owl Hooser works the creative late shift
By Mitchell J. Near Philip blue owl Hooser is not a drag queen. Despite attention-grabbing performances in such down-and-dirty "Late Night" theater productions as the all-male parody of "The Stepford Wives," Hooser insists that his work isn't for shock value, and that underneath all the bawdy double-entendres are productions embedded with a moral message.
THE MAG: 'Someone' to look up to
Former KU student Louise Voss authors a realistic musical tale
By Mitchell J. Near In her first novel, "To Be Someone," London-based novelist Louise Voss has done something highly improbable: She's refashioned elements straight from any big-screen dramedy and placed them into the world of big-time music business and rock & rollers. Her book reads like a cross-mating of Larry McMurtry's "Terms of Endearment" and Jackie Collins' "Rock Star." The most amazing thing is that Voss makes it work successfully.
THE MAG: Back to nature
Lindholm uses art to spread conservation message
By Mitchell J. Near Bob Lindholm uses his camera for more than artwork. Each time he points and shoots he's also working for a cause, that of reminding busy people about the need to conserve the nature surrounding them.
THE MAG: State of mind
Weaver runs gamut of roles without going nuts
By Mitchell J. Near No offense to actors or schizophrenics, but sometimes the difference between the stage and the mental ward is closer than most people might think. Cheryl Weaver is arguably the most successful of Northeast Kansas actresses, moving easily from film roles to voiceover work to theater productions. She's performed at every Kansas City theater, and usually goes right from one role to the next. Lately, though, the parts have literally come one on top of another.
THE MAG: An act of war
Sam Shepard's 'States of Shock' takes on the aftermath of violence
By Mitchell J. Near It's one of those "fortuitous" events that the staff of Gorilla Theatre wishes had never happened. The group has a new play up and running Sam Shepard's "States of Shock" that is trendy, edgy and evocative as it digs deep into the human psyche, and how it's ravaged by acts of warfare. The play has received strong audience support, and its message has never been more timely, but artistic director David Luby swears it wasn't organized in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist actions.
THE MAG: Onion blossoms
Satirical weekly newspaper the Onion views everything as a comedy target
By Mitchell J. Near In a world turned upside down in the aftermath of terrorist attacks and anthrax scares, one newspaper refuses to succumb to the sort of political correctness currently embraced by most major news media. It's not The New York Times or The Washington Post, that's for sure.
THE MAG: Quest for the West
A KU professor examines Western history
By Mitchell J. Near The Old West, as portrayed in film and TV, is so broad and spacious a place that it's easy to get lost in, whether traveling through it or trying to write about it. Because of that fact, most writers focus on a particular niche the black experience, the treatment of Indian tribes, the exploration by Spanish conquistadors because they know that trying to cover it all is like consigning yourself to an everlasting research assignment that ends up boring everyone who attempts to read it.
THE MAG: Ready to 'Ride'
One-man show brings African-American Old West experience to theater stage
By Mitchell J. Near Will Smith, the popular star of such flicks as "Independence Day" and "Men in Black," once approached Harrisonville, Mo., actor Wil Robinson and offered him an apology. It turns out that Smith had seen Robinson's Web site, and knew of his reputation as an actor devoted to real-life experiences of African-Americans in the Old West, and Smith felt a bit sheepish over his latest effort, "Wild Wild West," a movie featuring Smith as a secret agent cowboy. His character's believability was so negligible that he might as well have been from the moon.
THE MAG: Keyboard terrorist
A couple's privacy is invaded in theater thriller
By Mitchell J. Near Everyone is vulnerable. Private e-mail correspondence can be read, bank accounts broken into, identities assumed, all at the swipe of a mouse. It can be done out of greed, spite or simply because a person has the know-how and is in a serious mindset to ruin another's life. The obsessive lover tale has all but been beaten into the ground, but leave it to one of the grand old men of American theater to pump new blood into a dying storyline.
THE MAG: Immigrant song
Powerful 'Morning Star' gets a second chance
By Mitchell J. Near In 1911, the New York City Triangle Shirtwaist Factory caught fire. The building was overcrowded with immigrant women who toiled long-hours at low wages for their large families. Many found themselves unable to escape and either burned or leapt to their death to avoid the flames. One hundred and forty-six mothers and wives lost their lives.
THE MAG: One Moor time
InPlay's version of tragic 'Othello' captures one man's violent demise
By Mitchell J. Near In the latest Hollywood version of a William Shakespeare play, "Othello" was restaged as "O" and centered itself as a high school rivalry taking place on a basketball court.
THE MAG: Hail Mary
KU alum spins intimate tales of Catholic women
By Mitchell J. Near When Mary O'Connell set out to examine the effects of religion on women, she never intended to produce a dry treatise, or a literal history, or some ominously heavy tome doomed to purgatory in freshman literary classes at junior colleges everywhere.
THE MAG: One-woman Cho
Comedian Margaret Cho reflects on autobiography, career, influences
By Mitchell J. Near By now Margaret Cho should be a cliché, just another sad footnote in entertainment history.
THE MAG: Song and dance man
Entertainer Gregory Hines continues to expand his multidimensional career
By Mitchell J. Near Gregory Hines is being chauffeured through Los Angeles as he makes last-minute preparations for the rescheduled Emmy Awards (since postponed). The biggest difference between Hines and other celebrities is probably the fact that his teen-age son is doing the driving in the family automobile. His daughter, too, is involved.
THE MAG: Looking back at a legend
Mickey Rooney refuses to slow down after 80 years in show business
By Mitchell J. Near Mickey Rooney is a bona fide show-biz legend. And from the look of things, he is not going to retire. Ever.
THE MAG: Beer and pretzels theater
Lawrence theater enthusiast helps make a name for the town
By Mitchell J. Near In a city bustling with artists, musicians and actors, Jeremy Auman has provided a steady, quietly busy presence in the community. He acts, directs and writes, and at this point in his life, he has no plans to do anything else. Not that he doesn't dream big from time to time.
THE MAG: Getting an earful
Acclaimed radio comedy show finds a new name but keeps the same attitude
By Mitchell J. Near If there is one thing any performer does not want, it's to be saddled with a label that implies being average. How can you stand out in the crowd and grab the attention of fickle audiences if your name seems boring? That was the situation the rambunctious actors and writers of the award-winning radio program "The Imagination Workshop" found themselves in. They had great work, and people who heard them loved them. It was convincing listeners to get with the program that was a bit harder.
THE MAG: Toning it down
Annual Emmys ceremony will revamp festivities to reflect the national mood
By Mitchell J. Near Walter Cronkite is opening the Emmy Awards this Sunday night.
Jack of all trades
Actor Bruce Campbell traces the evolution of a B movie career
By Mitchell J. Near If Bruce Campbell had found a career in Hollywood during the 1940s, he would be what they call a B movie actor. He's generically handsome, with a square-jawed mug that is his trademark feature. He's got a great sense of humor, charm and solid acting chops. These attributes probably would have been a boost to his career if he'd have lived 50 years ago, when he could have swashbuckled alongside Errol Flynn, dated dames with Robert Mitchum, and rode backup to John Wayne. At least then he could've had numerous opportunities in a variety of films.
Escape from New York
Kansas City writer undergoes nightmarish adventure in Big Apple
By Mitchell J. Near In one day all of Whitney Terrell's priorities changed.
Grand 'Canyon'
Lawrence artist uses building as her palette
By Mitchell J. Near Diners at the recently opened Stone Canyon Restaurant can feast their eyes upon a structure that follows an integrated theme of design and artwork, courtesy of Debra Clemente. For years, Clemente and her husband, David, have chaffed at restaurants that provided first-class meals, but leave atmosphere to chance. They reasoned that edibles and ambiance should be of equal value for on-the-town couples.
The changing face of the Emmys
TV's grandest night gets update with Kansan's help
By Mitchell J. Near If the annual creative industry schmooze-fest awards were one big, dysfunctional family, then the prime-time television Emmy Awards has long been seen as the schizophrenic cousin no one in the family wants to talk about yet can't help but make jokes concerning his condition.
You've got male
Lawrence playwright takes on dating and romance from a male perspective
By Mitchell J. Near Playwright Danny Schluck understands the power of printed, particularly words that are bound to draw attention. He deliberately selected the word "Cock" for his first full-length play, knowing that it implied all sorts of images. But he insists that, ultimately, the word is what people want it to be.
Terrell writes instant classic
A Kansas City novelist fulfills his literary ambitions
By Mitchell J. Near Book critics are not having any trouble deciding whether or not they enjoy Whitney Terrell's new novel, The Huntsman" (Viking, 384 pages, $25.95). In fact, reviewers from every publication, including the Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, Esquire, The New York Times and The New Yorker are practically screaming their praises from the rooftops.
Hislope spreads 'The Fever'
Local performer brings one-man show into audience members' living rooms
By Mitchell J. Near Matt Hislope is not a lunatic, but he's crazy about theater. And sometimes his methods prove it.
Artistic merit
Posters review the best of American Indian art
By Mitchell J. Near The American Indian art scene is not only alive and well, but it's also literally bursting at the seams with new and established artists, creating a plethora of work in almost every medium imaginable. And Lawrence known as an enclave for burgeoning artists and home to Haskell Indian Nations University will soon find itself inundated with fairs and exhibits throughout the next month.
Debunking media myths
Critic Richard Roeper takes aim at popular urban legends of film, TV and music
By Mitchell J. Near As one half of the television team responsible for "Ebert and Roeper and the Movies," film writer Richard Roeper is often overlooked due to his pairing with power critic Roger Ebert. But fans of movies and other media-related tidbits may appreciate the fact that Roeper, and not his tubby companion, is the one authoring "Hollywood Urban Legends."
Into the eye of the storm
Local photographer seeks lethal situations for the perfect shot
By Mitchell J. Near Contrary to his lifestyle, Gary Smith does not have a death wish. Though he's served as a war correspondent, traveled to third-rate hellholes, dodged bullets, lightning, earthquakes, floods and erupting volcanoes, Smith would rather be out of harms way most of the time.
Laura Kirk is almost 'Famous'
Kansas University grad is winning raves for her celebrity-spoofing mockumentary
By Mitchell J. Near After years of taking acting classes, doing commercials and the occasional small movie role, not to mention scores of temporary jobs just to keep eating, Laura Kirk could be on the verge of fame. The trick to Kirk's garnering fame that rare commodity where people know you, or think they know you is that she's doing it by starring in her very own movie-within-a-movie about two wannabe actors obsessed with landing any acting role they can.
'Continental' drift
Card Table Theatre hams it up with 'The Best of the Victor Continental Show'
By Mitchell J. Near Since their inception three years ago, the revolving players in the independent acting troupe Card Table Theatre Productions have put out an impressive array of material, displaying solid acting chops, an ear for snappy dialogue, professional staging and fiercely irreverent wit.
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