November 2002

UW-Green Bay saxophone, flute ensembles perform

GREEN BAY -- The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Saxophone Quartet and the Flute Ensemble will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4 in University Theater, located in Theater Hall on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr. Admission is free.

Prof. John Salerno, who directs, and students Karen Hoffman, Brian Greunke, and Rod Israeli are members of the saxophone group. They'll perform Barry Ulman's "Pollywog's Lake Talk," a take-off on Debussy's "Golliwog's Cakewalk." Their program includes "Sailor's Hornpipe," by 20th century American composer Henry Cowell, and an arrangement of "Scherzo," by German composer Hans Mielenz, also 20th century.

Nancy Collins directs the six-member Flute Ensemble. They'll perform a movement of a Baroque-period composition by Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, and several contemporary selections, including "Ceremonial Suite" by Kathleen Mayne; "Sonata per Cinque Flaute," by Henry C. Van Praag; and opus 107, "Cloud Forms," by Cecil Effinger. They'll also include a fantasia on "Greensleeves."

(02-228 / 27 November 2002 / VCD)

'Spinning Into Butter' spins children's tale into insights at UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY -- Student Sunam Ellis, Appleton, will direct "Spinning Into Butter" at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Dec. 9-12 in Studio Two of the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr. Admission is free.

The play takes its title from the children's story in which a little African-American boy's clothing is stolen by tigers who don the clothes, and then argue about which is the grandest. Their jealousy leads to a frenetic chase, and eventually they spin themselves into butter.

Set on a small college campus, the play by Rebecca Gilman explores the dangers of both racism and political correctness in America today. When one of the few students of color at the college is threatened, students and faculty try to prove their own tolerance by condemning one another. The play, which has won two awards given to new plays, premiered at New York's Lincoln Center in 2000.

Ellis says the play is less about the victims than about those who are racist. "I found it refreshingly honest," notes Ellis, who is half-Korean and who says she has encountered racism and prejudice. "Out of ignorance, we often struggle to be as politically correct as possible not realizing our 'political correctness' can be just as insulting."

Ellis says she hopes the play will cause people to think about racism on a new level, "not as something other people do, but rather as something we all do."

Two or three student-directed plays are presented each year at UW-Green Bay. Student directors are chosen based on proposals submitted to faculty.

The selection of "Spinning Into Butter" was the inspiration of Student Government multicultural affairs director Milos Sainovic. He witnessed the play at a conference and saw parallels in the drama to the size and make-up of UW-Green Bay. "The play makes you think about issues of diversity," says Sainovic. "It's a good way of making people aware."

Sainovic approached Theater Chair Laura Riddle and suggested the play be produced on campus. Student Government Association is providing some support for the production.

(02-227 / 27 November 2002 / VCD)

Men's choir, guest organist highlight 'Holiday Traditions' at UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY -- A 200-voice men's choir comprised of the UW-Green Bay Men's Choir, a High School Honor Choir, and the members of the professional choir, Cantus, highlight the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay choral concert, "Holiday Traditions," at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3 in the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr.

Also featured is guest organist Bruce Bengtson, music director at Luther Memorial Church in Madison, who'll perform pre-concert music and accompany audience-participation carols interspersed through the program.

The concert includes performances by the UW-Green Bay Vocal Ensemble and Concert Choir, directed by Director of Choral Activities William Witwer, and the University Chorus, directed by Prof. John Plier. The various UW-Green Bay choral groups will perform in English, French, German, Hebrew, Latin, Russian, Spanish, and Zulu.

The assembled men's choir will perform just after the opening audience-participation carol.

Minneapolis-based Cantus was formed in the mid-1990s by college friends at St. Olaf College, which has a highly regarded choral program. Cantus has since performed more than 200 concerts, and has made four CD recordings. Their repertoire ranges from Gregorian chant to jazz standards and pop. Cantus will perform in concert at the Weidner Center on Dec. 8.

Students from Ashwaubenon; Bayport; Green Bay East, Preble, Southwest, and West; Luxemburg-Casco; and NEW Lutheran high schools will join Cantus and the UW-Green Bay Men's Choir in the performance.

The 50-member University chorus will perform two 20th century works. "The Alfred Burt Carols: Set II," comprises five pieces by composer Burt. They'll also sing "The Shepard's Pipe Carol," by John Rutter.

Music for Chanukah and Christmas is on the Vocal Ensemble program. Their performance includes a pairing of "O Jesulein sŸss," by Samuel Scheidt from a 1650 songbook, and the same title by Johann Sebastian Bach from a 1736 songbook. Sarah Zickert will accompany the group on piano for "Over the River and Through the Woods."

Bengtson will accompany the Concert Choir on organ for "Christus" by Felix Mendelssohn, and Prof. Janice Cusano and Zickert will provide four-hand piano accompaniment for "Fantasia on a Ukrainian Carol."

Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for students. The numbers for tickets are (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587.

(02-226 / 27 November 2002 / VCD)

Future direction for the environment is panel topic at UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY -- "Environment on the Brink" is the topic of a panel discussion set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 in the Christie Theater, located in the University Union at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr. The program is free and open to the public.

Panelists Rebecca Katers, director of the Clean Water Action council; Prof. Troy Abel, assistant professor of Public and Environmental Affairs at UW-Green Bay; and Robert Bermke, environmental engineer with Georgia-Pacific; will offer three perspectives on the future direction of environmental issues. Questions and comments will be invited from the audience.

The event is sponsored by the Clean Water Action Council, and the Round River Alliance, College Democrats, and Public and Environmental Affairs Council at UW-Green Bay.

(02-225 / 27 November 2002 / VCD)

Kwanzaa is Dec. 7 at UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY -- Kwanzaa, an African-American celebration based on the African tradition of the harvest, will be celebrated from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 in the Phoenix Rooms of University Union at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr. The event is free and open to all.

Kwanzaa includes performances, story telling, a sampler of traditional African-American foods, and a morning jewelry-making workshop for children.

Performance groups include the New Bethel Baptist Children's Choir; Green Bay African-American Community Choir; Nia, Inc., a community-University dance group; and Kinkaviwo, the Lawrence University hand-drumming ensemble directed by Dane Richeson. The storyteller is Juliet Cole, assistant to the director of the Institute for Learning Partnership at UW-Green Bay.

The University's Phoenix Bookstore will have Afrocentric books available for purchase.

A jewelry-making workshop for children ages 5-12 is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon. African beads and other materials will be supplied. There is no charge for the workshop, but because space is limited, registration is required. Children must be accompanied by a parent. To register, call the Office of Student Life at (920) 465-2200, ext. 40.

The University's Office of Student Life sponsors Kwanzaa.

(02-224 / 27 November 2002 / VCD)

New works on UW-Green Bay percussion/drumming concert program

GREEN BAY -- A new composition and two pieces new to the repertoire are on the program for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Contemporary Percussion Quintet when it performs, along with the Hand Drumming Ensemble, in concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6 in University Theater on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr. Prof. Cheryl Grosso directs both groups.

The Quintet will give the premiere performance of Prof. Terence O'Grady's "Notes from the Underground," based on the Dostoyevsky novel, "Notes from the Underground." Prof. John Plier will be the tenor soloist.

"Timing" by David Macbride, and "Changes" by William Cahn, will be performed at UW-Green Bay for the first time. "Timing" will feature seniors Timothy Patterson and Ellen Simon in a duet. Cahn, the composer of "Changes," is a founding member of the renowned percussion ensemble, Nexus.

The Quintet also will perform "Ogoun Badagris," by Christopher Rouse, based on Haitian drumming patterns and aspects of Voodoo ritual, and "Canticle No. 1", by Lou Harrison.

The 10-member Hand Drumming Ensemble will play a traditional Ewe piece from Ghana, and four Grosso compositions, Rhythm Chants B, 17, MM and Nu-Sam.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students. The numbers for tickets are (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587.

(02-223 / 27 November 2002 / VCD)

UW-Green Bay Founders Association has five new directors

GREEN BAY -- The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Founders Association, the primary giving vehicle for annual gifts supporting UW-Green Bay, has added five new directors to its board of directors.

The new board members, each of whom will serve three-year terms, are:

• Diane Beinlich, employment law manager with Schreiber Foods, Inc.

• John Heugel, an attorney with the law firm Liebmann, Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry. Heugel, UW-Green Bay class of '71, received the 1995 Distinguished Alumni Award.

• Russ McCollister, vice president and Green Bay West Mill manager of Georgia-Pacific.

• Romaine Schanock of Schanock Investment Co., owner of the local McDonald's restaurants.

• Helen Schaal, UW-Green Bay teacher-in-residence and former president of the Green Bay Education Association.

The Founders Association encompasses community, alumni and employee giving that directly supports UW-Green Bay's academic mission.

Gifts to the Founders Association support student scholarships, specific academic units or activities, the International Studies program, faculty research and development, the Outstanding Thesis Award, the Lawton Art Gallery and much more.

(02-221 / 25 November 2002 / SH)

UW-Green Bay students win art awards

GREEN BAY -- Thirteen students received awards for their work during the opening reception for the 30th annual University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Student Juried Art Exhibition on Wednesday, Nov. 20 in the Lawton Gallery on the campus.

Chancellor Bruce Shepard, Provost Sue K. Hammersmith, and Communication and the Arts Chairperson Cheryl Grosso personally selected the awards that bear the names of their offices.

Michael Cepress, Montfort, received the Chancellor's Award for a mixed media work. The Provost's Award went to Sarah Pollpeter, Menominee, for a collograph print. Brian Berggren, Appleton, won the Communication and the Arts Award for a nickel silver/found object entry.

Other award recipients included:
Mark Bohn, Peshtigo, Academic Dean's Award; Angie Seidl, Denmark, Communication and the Arts Purchase Award; Jean Meissner, Mishicot, and Mindy Meyers, Florence, (collaborators), Lawton Gallery Award for Excellence in three-dimensional work; Dennis Rosloniec, Denmark, Lawton Gallery Award for Excellence in two-dimensional work.

Becky Stelter, Sherwood, and Paul Dax, Green Bay, each received Contemporary Craft Awards; Mary K. Wright, West De Pere, Art Agency Purchase Award; Alissa Kaull, Fond du Lac, Distinguished Painting Award; Kristy Baeten, De Pere, Distinguished Drawing Award.

Juror Wendy Cooper, director of the Wendy Cooper Gallery in Madison, selected works by 42 students for the exhibition.

The exhibit continues through Dec. 14. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The gallery is closed Nov. 28-30 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

(02-220 / 21 November 2002 / VCD)

Grant funds UW-Green Bay tobacco control project

GREEN BAY -- Prof. Regan A.R. Gurung has initiated and will lead a Comprehensive Tobacco Use Reduction Plan project at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, with the aid of a $41,720 grant from the Wisconsin Tobacco Control Board.

The grant for the calendar year 2003 is channeled through UW-Oshkosh, which developed a successful tobacco reduction program.

"The goal of the project is to reduce tobacco use on campus and to safeguard non-smokers from secondhand smoke," says Gurung. The plan aims to institute new policies to control tobacco use on campus, develop a "social norms" marketing campaign, educate campus individuals about health risks of smoking and secondhand smoke, help smokers quit, and build campus-wide collaboration on those issues.

The UW-Green Bay project is sponsored by the Human Development academic program in which Gurung teaches.

Gurung is a psychologist whose research interests include the roles psychological factors and social support from others play in individual's health behaviors.

(02-219 / 21 November 2002 / VCD)

Stevens Point group will join UW-Green Bay Vocal Jazz Ensemble concert

GREEN BAY-The Stevens Point Area Senior High School Counterpointers will perform in a concert with the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Vocal Jazz Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26 in University Theater, located in Theater Hall on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr.

The 22-member Stevens Point group will perform three numbers, and join with the UW-Green Bay Ensemble for three more. UW-Green Bay Vocal Jazz Ensemble Director Chris Salerno says she invited the Counterpointers "because they are an outstanding ensemble." Kevin Morrissey, who joined the Stevens Point staff in 2001, leads the Counterpointers.

The 11-member UW-Green Bay Vocal Jazz Ensemble program includes "Desafinado," which will be sung in Portuguese by freshman international student Ricardo Vogt, who is from Brazil. Katie Covi and Drew O'Brien will perform other vocal solos in English. The number includes a tenor saxophone solo by Steve Johnson.

Two acappella selections are "Acappella in Acapulco," featuring Covi, O'Brien, Leala Cyr, Nicole Eickert, Kari Moriak, and Melissa Staley; and "More I Cannot Wish You," featuring Caskey Hunsader.

Other numbers will be accompanied by UW-Green Bay alumnus Terry Iattoni on drums, and students Tim Patterson on percussion and Mike Ritter on bass.

Selections by the combined UW-Green Bay-Stevens Point groups include "Centerpiece," "Guarija Para Mi Jeva," and a Dave Barduhn arrangement of "The Star Spangled Banner."

The Counterpointers have performed before the Wisconsin Choral Directors convention, the Music Educators National Conference Central Division convention, the Wisconsin State Music convention, and a national convention of the International Association of Jazz Educators.

Prior to joining the Stevens Point staff, Morrissey was director of choirs at Sheboygan Falls High School. He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and the VoiceCare Network where he is the repertoire and standards chairperson in Wisconsin for jazz and show choirs. He is completing a Ph.D. in choral conducting at the University of Iowa.

The concert is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.

Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for students. The numbers for tickets are (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587.

(02-218 / 19 November 2002 / VCD)

'Environmental Justice in Wisconsin' lecture is Nov. 21 at UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY -- Prof. Troy Abel will reveal the first results of a study of industrial toxic releases into the air in Wisconsin during a lecture on "Environmental Justice" from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21 in Mary Ann Cofrin Hall room 103 at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Dr.

The lecture is part of a series of Oxford-style lectures initiated this fall at UW-Green Bay, in which faculty members invite the public into the classroom. Abel, a member of the Public and Environmental Affairs faculty, will be making a guest lecture before a class in Environmental Politics and Policy.

Abel's study was funded by the UW Institute on Race and Ethnicity located at UW-Milwaukee. The term "environmental justice" refers to the concept that environmental protection be equal to all regardless of race, color, national origin, or income.

The Wisconsin study is based on work Abel did in the St. Louis, Mo., metropolitan area with funding from the Institute for Urban Research at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, while he was on the staff there.

In the St. Louis study, Abel identified the industries that presented the most risk to residents, but he also challenged the methods used in previous environmental justice studies that have been used both to prove and to disprove that discrimination is a factor in locating polluting industrial facilities. "The other problem with existing studies is that they completely ignore risk," says Abel. "The question is: Where is the most risk and what can we do about it?"

(02-217 / 18 November 2002 / VCD)

Nature Conservancy Gives Point au Sauble Preserve to University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Contacts:
The Nature Conservancy, Cate Harrington, 608-251-8140 or charrington@tnc.org;
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Virginia Dell, 920-465-2144 or dellv@uwgb.edu.

The Nature Conservancy and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay are pleased to announce the Conservancy's gift of the Point au Sauble Nature Preserve to the University.

"For more than a decade, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay has been very ably managing the Point au Sauble Nature Preserve," said Leslie Shade, trustee emeritus of the Wisconsin chapter of The Nature Conservancy. "Because of the preserve's proximity to the campus and because of its value to the campus for research and teaching, it is very appropriate that the University has now become its owner as well as its caretaker."

Leslie Shade made her comments at a ceremony where The Nature Conservancy presented the deed to the Point au Sauble Nature Preserve to University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard. A sign, recognizing those who contributed to the preservation of the preserve, has been erected on the west side of County Highway A, just north of County K.

In accepting the preserve from The Nature Conservancy, UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard noted the "hard work and participation" that have gone into its preservation by private individuals, volunteer organizations, state agencies, the corporate sector, and others. "This is a gift not just to UW-Green Bay, but for the future," he said.

Located just six miles northeast of Green Bay, the 130-acre preserve contains the largest remaining wetland on the east shore of Green Bay and provides critical habitat for more than 200 different types of migratory and resident birds.

Thousands of ducks, grebes, cormorants, gulls, and other water and shoreline birds use the preserve as a stopover site where they can rest and feed during migration. The forests at Point au Sauble provide important habitat for migratory songbirds including northern orioles, scarlet tanagers, and 30 species of warblers.

UW-Green Bay faculty and students have used the Point au Sauble Nature Preserve for teaching and research since 1992. "My colleagues and I are very lucky because we get to work with students and see their excitement and growth as a result of the research projects they are able to carry out," said Robert W. Howe, director of the UW-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, which manages the preserve.

The Nature Conservancy initiated conservation efforts at Point au Sauble in 1991 with a 10-acre land purchase. Additional acreage was added over the years, culminating with a gift of 54 acres in 1997 from long-time Green Bay resident John M. (Jake) Rose.

The land that Mr. Rose donated, located at the tip of the peninsula, was acquired in 1903 by several men in the Green Bay area who formed a hunting club for ducks and geese. Over the years, Mr. Rose acquired the owners' interests to ensure that the land would never be developed.

In addition to Mr. Rose's gift of land, the Conservancy received substantial monetary donations from Appleton residents John and Mary Strange and Ducks Unlimited to purchase the parcels of land that today comprise the Point au Sauble preserve. The Conservancy also received a grant from the state's Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund to help acquire land at the preserve. Since its enactment in 1990, more than 250,000 acres of parks, forests, shorelines, and natural areas have been protected using the Stewardship Fund, which is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

In 1999, the University received a $120,000 grant from the Fox River Group to provide for the long-term stewardship of the preserve and for the study of the wetlands as a living laboratory by University faculty and students.

Since then, 21 graduate and undergraduate students have completed research projects on birds, mammals, plants, insects, fish, hydrology (the movement of water), and geographic information systems at Point au Sauble. These studies not only increase understanding of the ecology of the site itself but of the entire Great Lakes ecosystem, according to Howe. Results from many of the studies are posted on the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity web site at www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/.

In addition to students and faculty, the preserve is used by many other groups including the Midwest Birding Symposium, local Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups, and the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology.

This is the second gift of land from The Nature Conservancy to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. In the early 1970s, the Conservancy made a gift to the University of 608 acres at Toft Point, located in Door County near Bailey's Harbor.

* * *

The Nature Conservancy's mission is to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its 1 million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 12 million acres in the United States, where it owns 1,400 preserves - the largest private system of nature sanctuaries in the world. It has helped partner organizations to preserve more than 80 million acres in Asia Pacific, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America. In Wisconsin, the Conservancy and its more than 22,000 members have helped to preserve more than 63,000 acres. www.nature.org/wisconsin

(02-216 / 12 November 2002)

UW-Green Bay student art exhibit opens Nov. 20

GREEN BAY -- The 30th annual Juried Student Art Exhibit at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will open with a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20 in the Lawton Gallery located in Theater Hall on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr. Awards will be announced at 5 p.m.

Selections for the exhibit will be made from works submitted by students. The juror is Wendy Cooper, director of the Wendy Cooper Gallery in Madison. Cooper opened the Madison gallery in September 1999, after 15 years of experience in the New York art world. The gallery focuses on contemporary art by established and emerging artists from the Midwest and across the U.S.

Cooper will give a talk entitled, "Was I Crazy to Open a Contemporary Art Gallery in Madison, WI?" at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13 in Studio Arts building, room 351A. Her talk is free and open to the public.

The Juried Student Exhibit continues in the Lawton Gallery through Dec. 14. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The gallery will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday Nov. 28-30.

(02-215 / 12 November 2002 / VCD)

Economic impact of arts is topic of next Oxford Lecture at UW-Green Bay

GREEN BAY - The economic impact of the arts will be the topic of a public lecture Wednesday, Nov. 13 at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Ellen Rosewall, UW-Green Bay Assistant Professor of Communication and the Arts, will present the lecture from 1 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. in Room 316 of Theatre Hall. The lecture is open to students, faculty, staff and community members.

Rosewall’s lecture is part of the Oxford Lecture Series, a series of public lectures that started at UW-Green Bay this fall. The lectures provide an opportunity for UW-Green Bay faculty members to share their expertise with a larger audience. They also serve as a way to connect campus and community.

Thomas Nesslein, Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Studies, organized the lecture series. Rosewall’s lecture will be the third in the series.

Rosewall will discuss numerous studies that show how the arts can create economic prosperity in a community and why investing in the arts may pay huge benefits for local and state governments, businesses and individuals.

A recent study by Americans for the Arts showed that the arts have an annual economic impact on the state of Wisconsin of nearly $290 million.

Rosewall’s lecture is part of the Introduction to Arts Management course. Most students in the class are enrolled in UW-Green Bay’s new Arts Management minor and have majors in Music, Theatre, Art, Environmental Design, Communication and the Arts, and Humanistic Studies.

(02-214 / 8 November 2002 / SH)

UW-Green Bay experts guide available on Web

GREEN BAY - News media looking for experts to comment on a wide range of topics - from regional water-quality issues to the latest news in political campaigns - now have convenient access to experts at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

A guide to UW-Green Bay sources who can provide insights and expert commentary for the media is available on the University's Web site. The Web address for the UW-Green Bay Experts Guide is http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/experts/experts.htm.

The guide was developed to make it easier to connect reporters with appropriate sources who can provide expertise, background and commentary on stories the media is pursuing. It also highlights the range of issues on which UW-Green Bay faculty, staff and administration have expertise.

Experts are divided into 24 major categories, including Business and Finance, Children and Families, Communications and Media, Economics, Education and Learning and many other categories of interest to the news media.

The guide lists more specific categories of expertise under each of the 24 major categories. It also lists sources' areas of expertise, phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

UW-Green Bay's Office of Marketing and University Communication is available to assist both print and electronic media in matching experts with topics, contacting experts and arranging interviews. The Office also can provide assistance in finding an expert not listed in the guide.

For more information about the UW-Green Bay Experts Guide, contact Scott Hildebrand at (920) 465-2526 or hildebrs@uwgb.edu or Virginia Dell at (920) 465-2144 or dellv@uwgb.edu.

(02-213 / 7 November 2002 / SH)

UW-Green Bay will launch 'Dames at Sea' on Nov. 15

GREEN BAY -- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Theater and Music Departments will present "Dames at Sea," the 1960s tap dance-musical play that pays tribute to 1930s movie musicals, on Nov. 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23 in University Theater located in Theater Hall on the campus at 2420 Nicolet Dr.

"Dames" is a take-off on Ruby Keeler-Dick Powell movies of a time that seems more innocent. A country girl heroine named Ruby (Andrea Dahlke) arrives in New York bent on starring on Broadway. She quickly meets sailor/songwriter Dick (Steven Marzolf). But the show's star, Mona (Molly Mix), has designs on Dick, too.

Director Laura Riddle says the characters are archetypes of stereotypes seen in those movies-the diva, the ingŽnue, the hero. "To a contemporary audience, the play presents a very naive view of life," she says. "But it is meant to appreciate those values, rather than make fun of them. It is absolutely charming."

Riddle describes "Dames at Sea" as a small-scale musical, "distilled down to an essence." Says Riddle, "It has a very wide appeal. It's funny. It's a family show."

Musical direction for "Dames at Sea" is by faculty member John Plier. Choreography is by Denise Carlson-Gardner.

Other UW-Green Bay faculty credits include Jeffrey Entwistle, scenic designer; Kaoime Malloy, costume designer; and R. Michael Ingraham, technical director.

"Dames at Sea" was the off-Broadway vehicle that launched Bernadette Peters to fame. The musical has had several revivals. Peninsula Players in Door County produced it in summer 2002.

Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 at the door for adults; $12 in advance and $15 at the door for seniors and those under 17; and $10 for UW-Green Bay students with ID. For tickets, call (920) 465-2217 or (800) 328-8587.

The performance is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.

(02-212 / 6 November 2002 / VCD)