University of Northern Iowa - Old Gold Yearbook (Cedar Falls, IA)

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IT'S SHOW TIME “Encore! 10 More! indicated the cel- ebration of the tenth anniversary of Strayer-Wood Theatre. Since 1978, the theatre department put on a variety of plays. Theatre had been a part of Northern Iowa's history for much longer, however. According to theatre publicist Kay Morgan, the earliest play recorded on campus was the 1878 pro- duction of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. During the 1988-89 season. Theatre UNI presented five plays: A Little Night Music, Getting Out, The Country Wife, Fifth of July, and Dialogues of the Carme- lites. The theatre faculty chose which plays would be performed. They considered educational value most important. Try-outs were not limited to theatre majors; anyone on campus could audi- tion. Two auditions were held each school year — one in August and one either right before or after Christmas. Faculty directors picked the actors. All actors, technicians, and others who helped put together performances may have earned credit, depending on their roles. Fifteen to twenty-five hours a week for four or five weeks was the average time spent in preparation for each play. For the first three weeks only the main actors practiced, and for the last week the other actors and those who worked backstage came for rehearsal. Additionally, all shops worked four to five weeks. While actors worked at night, the scene shop, costume shop, box office and front office worked afternoons. Morgan commented that the actors learned things about themselves from their roles. “When you perform, it gives you confidence and teaches you things, she said. It brings parts of you to the surface that you otherwise wouldn't show. Plays also served the purpose of broadening horizons and opening the eyes of those in the audience. For ex- ample, Fifth of July's first scene showed two homosexual men embracing in a kiss. You should have heard the au- dience when the curtain opened! said theatre tech major Jill Beebout. They were in total shock at first. According to Morgan, a typical show filled seventy percent of the theatre's auditorium. Tickets for a non-musical play cost $4 for students and $5 for non- students. Musical tickets ran $5.50 and $6.50. Show production cost a good deal of money. The theatre's cost to put on a play was around $3,000 while a musical cost $6-7,000. Theatre UNI actors had quite an im- pressive following. Brenda Bedard is a marvelous actress, said senior Steven Browne. Browne admired more than the acting. He added, Bill Ferrara did a su- perlative job of directing A Little Night Music Perhaps those who enjoyed the plays at Strayer-Wood Theatre were watching the stars of tomorrow! — Michelle Gardner Encore Ten More was the 1988-89 theme for Strayer-Wood Theatre. The theatre celebrated if tenth anniversary by performing various dramas musicals, and comedies. Photo fry PtMtc Motto . 26 Plays

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Rap often occurs not just between strangers, but with people previously acquainted or who have been dating. by Omul Wtgm. Student Ufe 25

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Fifth of July was the fourth production put on by Theatre UNI. The play dealt with a group of former student activists and the changes in their lives since College. Photo by DootJ V ifnrr. Student Life 27