Thursday, August 23, 2007
The Deparment of Theatre and Film recently announced its cast for its first four shows and is excited for the debuts. Much consideration is taken when the Department of Theatre and Film decides which scripts make each semester’s lineup. With hard work and dedication, dreams can often become reality. Just ask Adam Burnett, Topeka senior, who recently learned the play he penned, “The Death of Romance,” will come to life with the help of the University Theatre this November.
“It’s about a romance novelist who is writing the end of her ongoing series, similar to J.K. Rowling with ‘Harry Potter’ and she is trying to figure out how to kill off her characters.” Burnett said. “Meanwhile, she is dealing with the death of her father and some other turmoil.”
The script, which was recently finished, has been a work in progress for almost two years.
“It started as an idea I had that I made into a one-act play about two sisters whose father died and how they deal with the loss,” Burnett said. “I expanded it to a two-act play and it went from there.”
Expanding the script to its final product included meeting with the Department of Theatre and Film’s Seasons and Selections Committee on multiple occasions. Those around Burnett think the length of work in progress on all his scripts pays off and those around him agree.
“Adam is very, very talented,” said Charla Jenkins, Director of Public Relations for the Department of Theatre and Film. “I’ve looked at a couple of his plays and he has improved with each draft. He brings a lot more depth to his writing considering how young he is and he is just a mature writer.”
As a writer, Burnett hopes he is able to give women significant roles in his works.
“My personal agenda has always been to write good roles for women, because women have not always played an important role in theater until recently,” he said. “I want to give them a powerful voice.”
Burnett’s unique writing earned him a spot in the La MaMa International Playwright Retreat, which recently took place in Italy. Burnett said the retreat started in the 1960s and features the best playwrights.
“Lisa Cron a led the retreat. We would wake up each morning and work on partner activities until noon and then would focus on our own work for the following six hours.” Cron is a playwright who was nominated for a Tony award for her play ‘Welly’
Burnett said the experience was intimidating because he was the only non-professional playwright to attend the retreat.
“I felt like a tadpole in a large sea because there were playwrights from Yale there and some who had off Broadway shows,” he said. “But it did allow me to make connections to ‘the real world.’ ”
Burnett was able to meet a female lyricist who writes music for plays and will collaborate with Burnett in the fall on another one of his upcoming yet-to-be titled plays.
“I’m going to go to New York City in October to work on a script with her,” he said. “The work shop helped build my craft—it was the first time I felt like a real artist.”
“The Death of Romance” will makes its debut in November, but Burnett said watching his show as opposed to acting and directing in it will be nerve-racking.
“I’m an actor as well, and when I go on stage, I have no thought and just go do it,” he said. “But opening day when I sit down to watch it I will be nervous.”
Burnett said being nervous never goes away and that all playwrights can learn from a bad experience with a show.
“The Death of Romance” will debut at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29 in Inge Theatre in Murphy Hall. Encore performances will follow Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. The Department of Theatre and Film is excited about the upcoming show as it will give them the chance to showcase original student work.
— Edited by Meghan Murphy
Buran Theatre Company to perform final show ...
“Enormous Weight,” by Carlo Matos, will be the final production in Lawrence ...
Theater major introduces, "The Sensualist"
A passion for directing and producing keeps Burnett, Topeka junior, thriving towards ...
Student’s ‘Nightmare’ raises eyebrows
Student playwright debuts edgy play at the Lawrence Arts Center tonight. Burnett’s ...
Playwrights compete in own Final Four
Four student plays will be performed at the English Alternative Theatre in ...
Theater alumni return to University
The Buran Theatre Company is back at KU to prepare for its ...
Professor weighs in on writers’ strike
Kevin Willmott, professor in the department of theater and film, says the ...
Who’s Who: Paul Lim
English professor and playwright runs club for students to write and perform ...
Paul Lim’s last act: playwriting in retirement
Playwriting professor and founder of English Alternative Theatre has decided to focus ...
Junior Whitney Rowland competes in playwright competition ...
Rowland’s plays have been performed in Lawrence.
Student to release feature film
KU student Jeremy Riggs is producing and directing his feature film, based ...
Student to compete in film competition
Senior Joe Carey will be participating in the 7th Annual One Night ...
Podcast: As Heard From The Hill
Episode three of KJHK's As Heard From The Hill. The weekly radio ...
University Theatre to feature undergraduate plays
Two student productions kick off this weekend in University Theatre’s unique undergraduate ...
Theater group to stage final performance
The nationally recognized English Alternative Theater will close its curtains after founder, ...
Filmmaker shoots new movie in Lawrence
Blake Robbins chose Lawrence for the setting of his newest feature film, ...
Award named after English professor
Paul Stephen Lim is also a playwright and the award will honor ...
Rumors are wrong; ‘Jocasta’ clothes stay on
Creating a scene
More graduates of the University’s film program are staying in Lawrence, creating ...
Taking a shot at the Vodka business
2002 KU graduate Cory Brock, and partner Josh Burnett, are turning heads ...
University Theatre puts twist on “Eurydice”
Student cast plays modern Greek myth characters in performance that opens tonight.
Noted Chinese director visits campus
Chen Shi-Zheng will be working with theatre and film students and discussing ...
Get some culture: Multicultural theatre initiative
It's not all about fast food and beer pong.
Department of theater and film splits
Theater, film and media studies will be separate with new School of ...
Pushin' Booze
The Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament sponsored nationally by Bud Light was more ...
Theater readies to curtain opening acts
More than 75 students showed up for auditions for the first four ...
Play illustrates sisters' complex relationship
The University Theatre's play, "The Maids," portrayed the relationship between sisters, which ...
Horror movies inspire student group
'Bleeding Kansas' looks to organize genre fans, campus events.
Actor’s memorabilia arrive home at last
Widow of KU alumnus Moses Gunn donates his professional collection to the ...
Actor Mandy Patinkin to appear at University ...
Aboriginal playwright visits University theater classes
David Milroy’s work examines the Australian Aboriginal experience from both a historical ...
Hello, my name is Mandy Patinkin
Students create television show
The completely student-run production will premiere this Friday.
Puppets bring fairy tale to life
The University of Kansas Theatre for Young People will perform “The King ...
University puts on student-directed play
Tennessee Williams’ one-act play “Auto-da-fe” will run Thursday and Friday night in ...
EMU Theatre: For the Love of Performance
This local theatre troupe gears up for its annual one-act play festival.
Film professor returns from Sundance
Wilmott and crew for “The Only Good Indian” turn focus to promotion, ...
From ashes to immortality
For more than 150 years, the face of downtown Lawrence changed as ...
Cannes winner draws crowd for campus show
Around 60 people attended a campus screening of Jon O'Neal's independent film ...
Mac gains popularity on campus
KU Bookstores have seen a recent boom in Mac sales.
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID