Nicholls State University - La Pirogue Yearbook (Thibodaux, LA)

Page 77 text:

Although Lily 'l'oiulin uixii in ide ini iostui i changes during the sliou lui I iii lor each character madi i ostun i by Kevin I-'amlirougli lfive months before presenting a cast of new characters in an off-Broadway show. Lily Tomlin stood on the Peltier llall stage. almost touching the floor with her head as she bowed to the audience. A large spotlight cut through the darkness over the heads ofthe packed auditorium as she used a collection of well-known and new characters to captivate the 7 p.m. crowd. But ten minutes into her 9 p.m. performance. before another capacity audience. Lily Tomlin walked out ofthe spotlight and did not return. For the first time in her career. the comedienne left the stage during a show. leaving SEB director Tommy Lyons to explain to the stunned students and Thibodaux resi- dents. Three students. Denise McRight. Donna McRight. and Sandy Bordes spoke to Tomlin backstage. She felt like she was giving part of herself to people who didn't care. llenise said later. . Both Ray Roy. concert series chairperson. and Lyons thought the audience was typical for Nicholls. Money was returned to ticket holders and Tomlin was not paid. since she did not fulfill the contract. The incident made it to the New Orleans media. where a iveek later she opened at the Blue Room of the Fairmont I lotel. reserved for top singers. comedians and solo artists. Tomlin wasn't hesitant about talking to the Times- PiCayune's Richard Dodds about the incident. I couldn't give a performance. If I did. it would have been for appearances. When I went on. I was drained. but I didn't expect not to do the show.'Q she said. I didn't say I didn't need the money like the papers said. I said the money wasn't important . . Tomlin toldn the reporter. The November '19 issue of People magazine which came out nine days after the walk-out. made brief mention of it. Over the next four months. features on Tomlin would appear in Newsweek, Time, and Rolling Stone. 'I'omlin's personality was a subject of each analysis. Brilliant, persuasive and very close to her own life. were some descriptions used. When tickets went on sale for her off-Broadway open- ing. Tomlin spent four straight hours handing out dough- nuts aund coffee as Mrs. Beasley. complete in Red Cross uniform. Although the ticket buyers were surprised. Tom- lin did not break character the entire time. The characters Tomlin brought to Nicholls included Sis- ter Boogie VVoman'. an elderly religious radio announcer: lleidre Dutton. an obnoxious reporter? a '50s teenager from Detroit: and Rick. a divorced singles bar cruiser and the first male character she'd done.

Page 76 text:

The many faces of Lily Tomlin

Page 78 text:

-1 I 4.. X L XE, as - .r.-,ata-may , 4: 42 ' by Claire Clements The Trekkies, a team composed of Henry Talbot, Al Heck, Al Feyerabend and Mike Graham, defeated the Team 320-205 to win the campus quiz bowl championship. Sixteen teams participated in the sin- gle-elimination competition. The com- petition was coordinated by Bill Bors- key, director of Student Union activi- ties. with the help of students Chris Portier and Barry Melancon. Thirty-minute matches were held on Tuesday and Thursday in the Union ballroom and conference rooms. Ques- tions were provided by faculty mem- bers until the official guidebook arrived. C Masters of ceremonies were Dr. Wade Ledet, dean of the University College, and Dr. Billy Holmes, assistant professor of math. All the games were pretty good, Borskey said. From fifty to one hundred spectators attended each match, he added. The championship game was taped by a television production workshop class and televised on cable Channel 5. The two teams received plaques for first and second place. Timothy LeCompte thinks about his answer during the campus quiz bowl championship, with his team finishing runner-up to the Trekkies. ini. llfll iv .-Name-f-,. lilttn ' 'fqfwif E. Champions in the campus quiz bowl tompa-tition are the Trekkies: Al Heck, Mike Graham, Henry Talbot and Al Feyerabend, t 1- tm REKK ES