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

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PHOTO LAB Any cavities? Terry Bowers,, Hays junior, ponders what might happen as Charles Evans, instructor of communication, peers into the mouth of Audrey II. Bowers played the part of Seymour Krelboum and Evans played Mr. Mushnik in the fall production of Little Shop of Horrors. “ The human sacrifice. Bowers prepares to offer Ruth Casper, Hays graduate student, as a sacrifice to a hu ngry Audrey II. Casper played the part of Audrey, the woman Seymour has longed and for whom he named the plant. PHOTO LAE

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Alabama -- again by Eric Hodson Just two years ago, the country music group Alabama played in Gross Memorial Coliseum. This year they returned with a new and improved show and two opening acts, Billy Joe Royal and Eddie Raven. The stage show utilized multiple stage floors, suspended speakers and computerized lighting to give the 3,300 fans their money ' s worth. ' It was a good crowd. It wasn ' t as big as we expected, but it was still a good crowd ' Lance Demond, MUAB concert committee chairman, said. Lead singer, Randy Owen said part of the group ' s success has been their concert performances across the country. He said in order to put on a high quality, high tech show, they must have a good road crew. They ' re just as important as we are, if not more important, he said. We feel very strongly about doing a high class, high tech ' best show you ' ve ever seen ' type show, he said. Demond said the group contacted them and asked to perform. They called us and made us a deal wc couldn ' t refuse, Demond said. Owen pointed out that just because Alabama is a country group, they don ' t like taking a back scat to any group ' s stage show. When we go into a place, we like to feel like country music is taken to as high a level as it can be taken to as far as the show itself. I don ' t like to hear that some pop act or whatever had a better show light wise or sound wise, I love rock music and pop music and the people who play it. I just don ' t like country music to take a back seat and say ' We ' re country man, we can ' t do that Owen said, laughing. In order to keep pace with other a cts and to keep the show ' s high quality, the band has the lights, stage and sound improved every year. Our tickets are high, but actually what they ' re paying for is their money ' s worth. If I didn ' t feel like that, I couldn ' t get up on stage and take their money, the lead singer said. They put on a realty high class show, Demond said. I like to look at every show like we may never have another chance to come back here, Owen said. We want to give them something to remember Alabama by. Traveling in style. The north parking lot of Gross Memorial Coliseum was literally full as Alabama, Eddy Raven and Billy Joe Royal all used the area to park their busses and semi-truck trailers. A great opening act. Eddy Raven, a well-known personality on the country scene for the past 10 years, was an openi ng act for Alabama along with Billy Joe Royal. Concert 25 MIKIi I tAWLEY

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Anything for a laugh By David Burke A heavy dose of comedy dominated the theater department ' s season. Little Shop of Horrors was the homecoming musical. The show was based on a B-movie of the same name in the 1960s, and spoofed the ' 60s in many different ways. It was the first time di- recting a musical for Jerry Casper. I told everyone from the beginning that I wanted the rehears- als and performances to be positive, Casper said. I am pleased with the results. We all worked well together. Little Shop told the story of Seymour (Terry Bowers), a ncb- bish who worked for a floral shop owned by Mr. Mushnik (Charles Evans). Seymour has been secretly growing a special breed of plant, naming it Audrey II for his fellow floral shop employee Audrey (Ruth Casper), The plant, however, feeds on human blood. Its first meal is Audrey ' s boyfriend, a sadistic dentist (Maury Schulte). Also in the cast were Amy Marshall, Jackie Maxwell, Michelle Glad, Bill Culver, James Smith and Cliff Riggs. The performances of Bowers and Ruth Casper won them best actor and actress awards at the end of the season. The second show of the season was the only drama, The Night Thoreau Spent in JaiL It documented the imprisonment Faiiy tale fun. Cast members of the production Story Theater recreate a scene from the multi -story play. Cast members pictured, from left to right, include Debra Driscoll, Beloit senior; Karen Currier, Atwood sophomore; Squire Boone, Sharon Springs senior; Heather Thomas, Fort Collins, Colo., freshman; Rebecca Westblade, Mankato freshman; and Scott Parrott, Healy freshman. of author Henry David Thoreau (Riggs) for his refusal to pay taxes becau se of his country ' s support of the Mexican- American War. The play used flashbacks to recreate incidents in Thoreau ' s life with his brother (Smith), his prize student (Kelli Stegman) and his mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson (Bruce Bardwell), Shawn Stewart-Larson won a best supporting actress award for the role of Emerson ' s wife. Greater Tuna took a satirical look at small town life. The comedy was set in Tuna, Texas, the third smallest town in the Lone Star State. The eight actors in created over 20 different characters, each with their own little quirks and idiosyncracies, They have a certain kind of lifesy tie and a certain set of beliefs that are very conservative, quaint in some ways. They essentially do satire on those kinds of beliefs, its director, Lloyd Frerer, said. The fourth production of the season was Story Theater. Like Greater Tuna, Story Theater featured actors playing numer- ous different roles. The 15 actors recreated many fairy tales, including Henny Penny, The Bremen Town Musicians and ' The Robber Bride- groom. Raymond Brent won the best supporting actor award for his performance, including that of a dog. CHARLIE ri mm.