OCTOBER 9, 1986
Collegian
PAGE 4
Director opens curtain
on studio theatre
by nuke NleAvoy
Collegian Contributing Writer
Apathy or lack of understan
ding. what could be keeping au
diences small at the on-campus
theatre?
Whatever the reason, the pro
blem of getting people to audition
and to attend the performances
presented at the Behrend Studio
Theatre has been plaguing director
nstructor Tony Elliot. Giving the
problem considerable thought, he
does not feel students necessarily
have a lack of interest.
"They just don't know," he ex
plains. "People have to be taught
about theatre before they can know
about it. I would like to see theatre
attendance encouraged in the
classroom."
He explains that if people come
from areas where no live theatre is
performed then people would have
had little exposure to theatre, if
any, before coming to Behrend. He
stresses how difficult it is to interest
people in theatre for the first time.
But, creating an audience is part
of his job. Maybe the hardest part;
however, he has several ideas he
hopes will be effective. Elliot plans
to have more on-campus publicity,
pass out handbills, and offer deals
on tickets.
"I'm not as interested in making
money as I am in providing a large
audience for the cast," he says. "It
is a disappointment to the cast
when just a few people show up for
a performance. Opening Night
should be special, and we are sen
Av Ei t e i M HIS CAlatitt7AVS
ding out special invitations to
assure a large audience that night."
Elliot was disappointed by the
relatively small attendance at some
of the performances of last
season's presentations: The Dining
Room and The Children's Hour.
The plays ran for ten performances
and he feels that people could have
found the time to attend, if they
had wanted to. "My job is to make
them want to! "
When compared to the popula
tion of Behrend campus, the atten
dance of student, faculty, and staff
is paltry.
Asked if his being a new director
in the area had anything to do with
the size of his audiences, he said it
might have influenced a few peo
ple, but he felt it would have been
more of a drawing factor than a
hindrance.
"I think they would have come
just to see what kind of work I can
do," he said.
He hopes the students from last
year who came will return and br
ing others with them.
"Many people," he says, "look
at the outside of the building and
think that because of its size that
good theatre can't be performed
here. They are wrong. We can do
different things here than they can
do in other theatres." He
says,"Here the audience has to be
considered a part of the show,
because of the theatre's intimacy.
This requires more concentration
and greater responsibility from the
audience. It becomes a shared
experience."
well as exterior of our college.
Ague, , pe
med—" The Reed Building really
needs help, but I feel that it's the
exterior that needs a lot of
reconstruction, especially the
sports fields. The fields should be
patched up and taken care of so
that when new prospective students
come to look at the campus it will
make us look good."
John Kennedy, eighth semester,
accounting—" The roof of the Reed
It is Elliot's opinion that having
a theatre on campus is a privilege
of which students should take ad
vantage. He points out that not all
colleges have theatres, certainly not
all Penn State campuses; therefore,
we should use it to its fullest.
Getting people in the theatre the
first time is difficult but once they
are there, Elliot plans on making
sure they have a good time so that
they will come back.
He sees this problem as a
challenge, "I want to make this
theatre more a part of the campus
and at the same time share this
outstanding facility with the
community."
The first Penn state-Behrend
production of the season is a
Richard Rodgers' musical, Two By
Two. It is a modern-day version of
the Biblical story, Noah and the
Ark, with touching moments
entertwined with hilarity. Cast as
Noha is Earl M. Kneissler who has
performed in Witness for the Pro
secution and Divorce Me Darling at
the Erie Playhouse; as Esther, Kitty
Dilley who has performed in Briga
doon and the Behrend production
of The Dining Room; as Sem, Brad
Hirsch who performed in Lovers at
Behrend; as Leah, Jennifer
Scherer, as Ham, Sean Gallagher,
and Japheth, Bill Hallinan--their
first appearances on the Behrend
John Kennedy
Steve McGarvey
idea to fix it) during the rainy
season. They could have fixed it
during the summer and saved the
students a lot of grief."
Steve NicGarvey, first semester,
business--"I feel that the Reed
Building is in basically pretty good
shape except for recent prblems
with the roof. I look forward to the
days when I will again be dry in
stage; as Rachel, Leslie Webb who productions of The Christmas
demonstrated her musical abilities Carol and as Cinderella in
in Behrend's productions of This Cinderella.
Joint is Jumpin' and Here We Are; Performance dates are: October
as Goldie, Betsy Watson, who has 31, November 5-8 at 8:00 p.m., and
appeared in Erie Playhouse youth 2:30 matinees on November 2 and
Entertainment scheduled
for Alcohol Awareness Week
by Jill Tourville
Collegian Staff Writer
Oct. 19-26 has been designated
alcohol awareness week in conjunc
tion with a nationwide effort spon
sored by the Inter Association Task
Force, which represents all college
personnel staffs across the country.
The residence life and Student Ac
tivities committees want to inform
students about problems related to
alcohol misuse so that students will
make wise decisions about alcohol.
This program has been initiated
ACROSS
1. Hits
li. Sir*.
11. Copy; mimic
12- Lull; quiet
14. Dikes
15. SucHleied Wick
17. Proescutiou officer (abbe.)
Is. The period
1. Flub
M. Fullet
21. Dictetion (eat.)
7:2. Book
23. Go by
24. Fur
M. Extempace
27. How ell prude end
25. line Zoos (abbe.)
9. Area
31. Deese
34. Htb aulle
35. Weed off
37. Near
M. Emil
M. Geo
40. Egg
41. homes
42. Tied up
43. Some
44. Disciabo
.a* PAP'S A.m
1402 State St.
Presents WEEKEND MADNESS
12:30 dl 5 a.m.
BYOB (FREE POP & ICE)
Every Saturday there
Every Friday is are 2 floors of
entertainment.
LADIES Upsta 40irs
TOP
NIGHTDANCE
- 41
All Ladies get in
for only Tao isrodte
$l.OO Admission ROCK sad ROLL
$3.00 Dowastairs
Must be 21 for 8.Y.0.8.
18-20: Free pop
"What things can be done to improve our college?
photos by Paul Duda
Reed 117 during Music. I feel that needs some serious improvements—
the administration is probably do- besides the obvious ceiling pro-
hlg all possible to deal with the in
convenience, but, in the meantime,
I wear a raincoat to class."
Shane Musich, third semester,
accounti■g and Tim Money, third
semester, major
undecided—" Besides the obvious
problems in the Reed Building, we
also believe that the clocks in all
buildings should be set at the cor
rect time and there should be one
placed in the Reed lobby. There
should be an express line for single
items in "the Gorge" (the
Wintergreen Cafe) and there
should be lower over all prices. We
also feel that music should be
played louder in non-studying
areas. Most importantly, we feel
that station channels on the Reed
television should be switched occa
sionally from day to day so that we
don't have to watch General
Hospital every day."
Rosanne Grygier, third semester,
accounting—" The Reed building
to deal with the reality that
underage drinking doess occur on
campus. The decision to obey or
disobey the drinking law of Penn
sylvania is ultimately the in
dividuals'. Thus only by knowing
the facts can each individual make
a responsible decision about
alcohol.
Many special activities are
scheduled daily, including: a mix
ologist, a lawyer who will speak
about the liability of drinking and
Police and Safety will conduct a
seminar about the breathalyzer and
K. Grew
M. Bede
0. auk tam
featu
Rosanne Grygler
blem. For example, more clocks
are needed in the lobby and it
should be cleaned more regularly
because it tends to get excessively
sloppy. Extra cleaning personnel
may be necessary. I also feel that
the Turnbull building needs more
lights in the hallways. The building
is quite old and needs definite
reconstruction."
9. For informationeservations, call
the box office at 898-6331,
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00
p.m. Reduced rates are available to
students, senior citizens, and
groups.
the drunken driving laws. On the
lighter side, a car smash, in which a
small fee will be charged to raise
money for a local alcohol reabilita
tion center. The Wintergreen Cafe
will have a "happy hour" on Fri
day where non-alcoholic drinks will
be served and the microphone will
be open to anyone who wants to
improvise comedy. Also Billy's on
State Street will be dry for an
evening.
Check the "Today" bulletin for
specific dates and learn the facts
this week!
DOWN
1. Hod&
2. Great Lake
3. Daft
4. hopes Wow
S. Hum
G. Almost
7. Owe
S. Hole le
9. Seudises MM. (abbr.)
15. Mast
11. A pies (*Weis*
13. Hoodoo
li. Deer
19. Hoe; dye
211. Hwy
22. alder
23. Doted; eiessiete
2S. Dime
211. SION
S. Peet
311. Ceednimise odd
31. Gresumled
XL Sleek birds
33. UpdOe Pedal*
35. Dams
M. 2419 pew&
39. Seeds
N. lapse
G. Seeks
43. brollimasst row (W.)
45. kiwi (WO
47. Sim m'