The Nineteen Nineties
1997-98 “celebrating 25 years at the Rarig Center”
The fall quarter of 1997 opened with Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: The Millenium Approaches directed by Lou Bellamy in the
Arena. The space provided a number of issues for scene designer/Scene Shop Supervisor Mike Horejsi and lighting designer Jean Montgomery, not to mention the director. Typically produced in a proscenium space with traps and fly lofts, ingenious solutions and an excellent cast produced a riveting production of “the most ambitious American play of our time.” Guy Wegener and Eric Severson carried the honors with Michael Schurter, Natalya Baldyga and Lawrence Ballard in support. Angels was followed by The Tempest in the Thrust directed by Bonnie Schock and designed by James Dorethy as part of their MFA degrees. This was the MFA-Acting project for the year and was held over into winter quarter to take advantage of additional audience potential. The “X” embarked on its second season with 3 One Acts, Fefu and Her Friends, and The Toothbrush in the fall.
The Importance of Being Earnest followed Tempest in February in the Thrust. Directed by guest Wendy Lehr, it featured scenery/lighting designs by David Orton and costumes by Carrie Lawrence as part of their MFA degrees. The entire MFA Acting class was featured in the stellar production: Sean Dooley, Tim C. Sharp, Rick Walters, Catherine Eaton, Sarah Overman, and Noë McKenna. UDT was entitled From the Ground Up in honor of the new dance center scheduled to open in spring 1999. The dance program commissioned choreographers to create new works “from the ground up”: “Field” (Bebe Miller); “Pillow Sonata” (alum Mathew Janczewski); “New Material Dance” (Neil Greenberg); “Moonlight, Lamplight, Firelight” (Shapiro & Smith); “Luna, Luna” (Svi Gotheiner); “Go Ahead Cling to Me, Dear” (alum Matt Jenson); and “Foot Fetish” (Danny Buraczeski). Danny Shapiro and Joanie Smith served as UDT directors and Marge Maddux was Interim Dance Program Director. Winter in the “X” was extraordinarily busy. Four Saints in Innumerable Acts written and directed by PhD candidate 
Patricia Ybarra opened in January; Bent directed by Sara Johannes followed; a double-bill of Diner written and directed by Amy Sevick and Bloodknot directed by Tokunbo Okanla played in February; The Lover and an actor workshop of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead finished the quarter.
Barbe Marshall gave a wonderful post-modern twist to The Bacchae in the Thrust in May, utilizing the Viewpoints movement technique made famous by Anne Bogart. And a whiz-bang offering of the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical Hair ended the season. This 
was a collaboration between the University Theatre and the Xperimental Theatre directed by guest Michael Brindisi, Artistic Director of Chanhassen Dinner Theater. The band was located in the fiber-optic draped setting and dressed in ‘60s hippie style – a treat for all of us who have known conductor Steve Schultz for lo these 25 years. And, yes, we did do “Where Do I Go” in the original costumes. The spring workshop season consisted of Suits, an original musical written and directed by Luke Walrath; Home Free directed by Jeff Larson; A West Lake Tragedy directed by Yin Chan; two Beckett one-acts Come and Go and Footfalls directed by Bonnie Schock.
Tamara Underiner joined the history/lit faculty for a few years before the desert southwest called her to Arizona State. Ginni Arons joined us as Graduate Studies Assistant and Shelly Emmel became our fiscal/financial wizard. David Bernstein also joined us as development officer and grant writer. Nancy Houfek departed for Harvard. We were hopeful that the 40th season of the Showboat would cap off this season, but it was not to be. We continued to host the Midwest Playlabs in summer. And, finally, after 25 of living across the street in a dorm, the faculty was relocated into remodeled spaces on the fifth floor of Rarig Center. Students were able to easily consult and find faculty and there were no more Middlebrook lock-outs, fire drills, or end of the semester exuberant music flowing out dorm windows and into faculty offices. Teaching Assistants were grouped into one large room (Studio A) and affiliate faculty had access to computers and office space. It was a good thing.
| << previous page |
| Jump to a season in the 1990s: 90-91 | 91-92 | 92-93 | 93-94 | 94-95 | 95-96 | 96-97 | 97-98 | 98-99 | 99-00 |