Fort Hays State University - Reveille Yearbook (Hays, KS)

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The fall ' s first theater production was a combination of rock and religion and featured Jesus Christ as it ' s Leading Man Brton Dinges, Hays sophomore, and Amy Marshall, Greensburg Junior, sing Day by Day. (photo by Steve Rassmussen) he fall ' s first Fort Hays State theater production was a fast-paced, upbeat rock musical and featured an unlikely character, that of Jesus Christ. Rock, comedy, religion, and theater mixed to put a cap on an eventful Homecoming weekend, when FHSU theater presented Godspell. The play starred an ensemble of nine disciples and Jesus Christ, played by Brion Dinges, Hays sophomore. The play differed from most conventional theater in that there were no leads and no real scene changes. Each of the 10 characters were together on stage throughout most of the performance - singing, dancing and acting out the religious messages of the show. ’The pfay took some of the parables of the Bible and put them into a language that people could understand, Teri Clark, Hutchinson freshman, who portrayed one of the disciples, said. My father used to be a minister, so I ' ve had a lot of Bible study and have always understood them (the parables). The play took a lot of the finer points made in the Bibie and made sense out of them. You didn’t have to have a religious background to understand, or to enjoy the play. Clark said the characters in the play were all extensions of their own selves. We all have the same qualities as the characters we played -- they are just proportioned different. I was the youngest - inexperienced, and awestruck by everything. It was a learning experience for me because 1 was the youngest member of the cast. That came across in my character. Virginia Crabtree, Bucyrus sophomore, played another of the disciples. I played my character with the childish, exuberant, playful part of me. 1 was sort of the loving, supportive character. I didn ' t agree or automatically accept everything Brion said, but then, I don ' t think the disciples really did. They were human. I allowed my character to be human . In some shows, you find yourself going to the rehearsals all psyched up, and the rehearsal ends up draining you, Crabtree said. With Godspell it was the opposite. When we got out of a rehearsal, it was tike we walked out of the theater with our batteries charged. Dinges explained that although the show contained humor, its purpose wasn ' t to make fun of the parables but to make the audience more relaxed with the subject. We tried to encourage audience participation and make it fun, Clark said. Dinges found portraying Christ to be a challenge, but not an unsurmountable one. It really bothered me, playing Jesus Christ, until I realized that in the play I ' m not really playing Christ.. .you ' re seeing my personality in the part, Dinges said. I ' m not playing Jesus Christ as people expect Jesus of Nazereth to be. I ' ve incorporated a lot of myself into the part. Several members of the audience wiped tears from their eyes near the end of the play, when the crucifiction and rebirth of Jesus Christ was portrayed. By the crucifiction scene, we were feeling like he was really being taken away from us for some inexplicable reason. I must have done that scene a dozen times, and I cried every time, Crabtree said. The play also starred Shawn Stewart, Hays graduate student, Amy Marshall, Greensburg junior, Jeanette Pianalto, a 1982 graduate from FHSU who is presently coordinator of activities at the Catholic Campus Center, Darryl Corcoran, Bonner Springs senior, Marcie Hill, Russell sophomore, Christopher King, Bonner Springs freshman, and Kevin Weber, Park sophomore. Stewart designed the costumes and Dennis Grilliot, Pretty Prairie senior, was the stage manager. The play was directed by Stephen Larson, associate professor of communication at FHSU. Love, love, love your enemies, and pray for your persecutes, Jesus told his disciples in the play. Never set yourself against a man who wrongs you... Don’t make a show of your religion before men. When you do an act of charity, don’t do it with a synagogue of trumpets. Good deeds must be done in secret. by jill grant 22 - Godspell

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A member of the band Flash Cahan belts out a tune on his guitar, (photo by Steve Rasmussen) Much along the same musical style of John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, Flash Cahan stirred the crowd with their 50s hits, (photo by Steve Rasmussen) we ' re playing for 50 or 5,000 we have a lot of fun and we get the same kind of response. Many fans agreed with Cafferty -- they were having a good time. This (concert) is great, Dawn Loveali, a Hays High School student, said. We ' re all together and having a good time. Loveali and several of her friends were performing dance routines in the restroom to Cafferty ' s music during the concert. ' There ' s a lot more people here than I thought there would be,” Amy Grabbe, a Hays High student, said. The concert is just great. Denise Peters, Hays, said she liked the group. The guitar player reminded me of Bruce (Springsteen) and the saxophone player had good eye contact, Peters said. The way he (Cafferty) dances and talks about dreams and when he was young reminds me of Bruce, too.” He relates to the audience, Cassie Wilson, Colby, said. Cafferty said he was impressed with the stage crew at Fort Hays State. I ' d really like to be able to thank everybody, Cafferty said. They worked real, real hard. Antunes agreed. More goes on here than what ' s on stage, he said. Cafferty and the band have played Wichita and he said he likes Kansas. Kansas is a rock and roll time. It ' s unbelievable I The size and enthusiasm of the crowd were not the only things in Hays which caught Cafferty ' s attention. During his performance he mentioned the FHSU basketball team. After the concert he commented on that. I ' m a Boston Celtics fans and when ! go to Boston Gardens I look up to see their World Championship banners, Cafferty said. Whenever I go into a basketball arena I look up out of habit to see what ' s happening. I looked up in here and saw these two national championship banners and they said 1984 and 1985, he said. ' That’s pretty good! Cafferty is from a small Rhode Island community, so playing in towns the size of Hays does not bother him. ' We ' re about as small town as you can get. He commented on the group’s style of music. “We were all in our teens in the early ' 60s when Elvis, Buddy Holly, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Beatles were popular, Cafferty said. That period was very influential for the Beaver Brown Band. We play ' 50s and ' 60s because we love the spirit and the sound. We will continue to grow and learn something new just like anyone else in any walk of life. ' Cafferty said he realty enjoys what he does. It doesn ' t matter if you ' re a construction worker, or drive a truck, or teach school or play music. In this day and age you have to have a job you like. Fans seemed to enjoy the musical style of the band Flash Cahan as much as they did that of Cafferty and his band, (photo by Steve Rasmussen) John Cafferty - 21

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The disciples of Godspell: (1 to r) Darryl Corcoran, Bonner Springs senior; Virginia Crabtree, Bucyrus freshman, Kevin Weber, Park sophomore, Marcle Hill, Russell sophomore, Terl Clark, Hutchinson freshman, Shawn Stewart, Hays graduate, Jeanette Planalto and Christopher King, Bonner Springs freshman, (photo by Steve Rassmussen) Two disciples (Crabtree and Hill) are seen weeping at the cruclflctlon of Jesus Christ, (photo by Steve Rassmussen) As Jesus tells the story of how a man wronged his brother, five of the disciples enclose the disciple of whom he Is speaking, (photo by Steve Rassmussen) Godspell - 23