The Nineteen Seventies
1979-80
Lance was on leave this year and Bruce Manual took over as TD and designed the season opener of Man of La Mancha, directed by Larry Whitely and choreographed by John Command in the Thrust. This was the first time we auditioned a show in the previous spring quarter and we lost our lead over the summer. But in stepped Fred Wagner at the beginning of fall and he was a superb Don Quixote. We tried to burn the theatre down by focusing a backlight just a little to closely to one of the bridge ropes, but the wisp of smoke was
caught well before the potential conflagration. Playboy of the Western World directed by Marcia Gardner followed in the Arena (and the tradition of a green scoop for all Irish plays in the Arena was born). The end of fall semester found The Man Who Came to Dinner on the Proscenium stage with Graham Thatcher in the lead. This show also toured to ACTF regionals in Fargo, ND. Siri Senje’s haunting production of Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea was the fall Workshop in the Experimental.
Wycherly’s The Country Wife directed by Ken Bryant opened winter quarter in the Arena while YPUT performed Step on a Crack directed by Cheryl Featherstone (now Starr) in the Thrust. Gabrielle Cody directed a marvelously spare Our Town in the Proscenium, aided by Chris Johnson’s design. The Theatre of the Word presentation was Living Well is the Best Revenge.
Blues for Mr. Charlie directed by Elton Wolfe began spring quarter and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Robert Moulton in the Thrust ended the year. The Architect and Emperor of Assyria was the spring workshop directed by Yuki Goto.
Charley’s Aunt appeared for the second time on the Centennial Showboat with Craig Benson, Michael Phillips, and Gordon Purcell as the three friends who invent a necessary aunt to act as chaperone. The Peppermint Tent performed The Riddle Machine.
1980 marked the retirement of Kenneth L. Graham, who taught in this department for nearly 40 years. He served as chair from 1964-1977 and Director of the University Theatre from 1971 to 1977. Director of more than 50 plays, he will long be remembered for his contributions, scholarship, and leadership in the area of children’s theatre locally, regionally, and nationally. Signe Miller, long-time secretary to the chair and “mother of us all”, also retired.
