Actress brings enthusiasm
to lead role in ‘Funny Girl’
ay i\hi r u\ooWcLL
Of the Emerald
Sitting in the University Theater
Green Room, Sandi Puckett un
wraps a piece of gum and puts it in
her mouth. "I’ve earned my living
singing," she says. “And my place
in the world," She unwraps
another piece of gum, sticks it in
her mouth and lights a cigarette.
Puckett, a University graduate,
is starring in Carnival Theater’s
production of “Funny Girl," which
opens at 8:30 tonight for a two
weekend run (July 21-23, 27-30).
She talks about her part as Fanny
Brice, the stage and radio com
edienne, with enthusiasm.
‘‘I've loved it (the play) and
wanted to do it ever since it came
out. I bet I’ve listened to that album
upwards of 2,000 times.” She
laughed and then got serious. "I
feel very right about the part. It's
like I’m playing somebody I know
very well.”
Puckett waves her hand en
couraging cigarette smoke to
move to other parts of the Green
Room, and continues. "If you want
to know where it all began, I
started in church at seven, singing
‘I believe for every drop of rain that
falls, a flower grows,"’ she laughs
and shakes her head. “Oh, boy!"
Puckett, currently a music
teacner at Page Elementary
School in Springfield, is not a total
stranger to Carnival Theater, al
though she had been away for a
while. Along with performing in
several plays and musicals while
in college, she did “Hello, Dolly” in
the summer of 1970.
Describing herself as a guest
artist, she admits to channeling all
her energies into the part of
Fanny. Usually members of the
Carnival Company divide their
time between rehearsals and
working on props, sets, and cos
tumes for the various plays pro
duced during the season.
Puckett s singing experience
ranges from her debut in church at
seven to singing in night clubs and
a gay bar in New York City.
“The gay bar job lasted for one
night," she explains. “But it was
an experience. I went to New York
for the summer just to get away
from Eugene."
She found an accompanist and
got the job in the bar. “Things
didn't work out as planned and the
job lasted one night," she laughs.
"That was the extent of my career
in New York."
A third piece of gum is unwrap
ped and it joins the other two.
Sandi continues her recounting of
past summers.
“Last year I worked on a British
Organization seeks equality
‘ Our primary function is to monitor the University’s overall com
pliance with Federal and State Laws" says Ralph Rosa, assistant direc
tor of the University Office of Affirmative Action.
The grievance counseling office has moved to 472 Oregon Hall.
Affirmative Action deals with till complaints of discrimination involv
ing employment or education.
The University must seek out applicants if the hiring pool is lacking
in minority, female, or handicapped prospects. Law requires that minor
ity and female applicants are actively recruited to the same degree that
white males are sought. The Office of Affirmative Action is not only of
help to minorities, women, handicapped and aged, Rosa says. “In a
secretarial pod, we consider an affirmative action candidate a male,
because it's a stereotype female position.'’
Once a nondiscnminatory pod has been formed, the applicants are
judged on the basis of qualifications for the given job.
Myra Willard is the director of the University's office. Karen Al
varado is an assistant, dealing with scholastic transgressions, and
Ralph Rosa deals with hiring on campus. They must report their prog
ress to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare every other
year. Ralph says of progress so far, "It's not something that's going to
be tackled, and changed overnight. I do believe that the University is
making sencere efforts at it, and we re here to ensure they do. That’s our
purpose.”
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Cruise ship (she was singer in the
ship's bar). It was fun, really fun,
and it was beautiful. We took an
inland passage from Vancouver to
Sitka, Alaska,” she remembers. “I
sang a lot of songs I sing in this
show.”
She snuffs out her cigarette,
lights another, and returns to the
subject of Fanny and “Funny
Girl.”
“I’ve been looking forward to
doing this for so long that I want to
commit my life to it.”
One Carnival Company
member talked about watching
Puckett rehearse.
“It’s like she slips into a whole
other person. First you see Sandi
Puckett and then she turns into
Fanny Brice. Everything changes.
I mean I’d actually believe that she
came from a poor, Jewish, New
York family. It’s unbelievable. It’s
like watching a pro.”
Does she feel uneasy about
having a part that Barbra
Streisand originated? "I’m not de
fensive about that at all,' she said.
"I’m not even thinking aobut it.”
Puckett snuffs out her cigarette,
spits out her huge wad of gum and
stands up. “Veil, sweetheart, is
there anything else?” she asks,
becoming Fanny Brice. “No? Veil
then, I’m off!” And she walks away
humming the tune of “Don’t
Rain on my Parade.”
Tickets for “Funny Girt” are $4.
Reservations can be made by cal
ling 686-4191.
Photo by Erich Boekeiheide
University Theater’s "Funny Girl" Sandi Puckett.
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