The W’s ‘skid-il-ly-doo’
Christian pop and swing band the U/’s
has taken to the big stage touring with
bands such as D.C. Talk /PAGE 6
Orfgmi^jgmtraUj
(‘Fiddler’ at the Hult
I The acclaimed Broadway
1 musical will hit Eugene
ii March /PAGE 8
Volume 100, Issue 107
After three
years of writing
and a couple
of months of
rehearsals,
junior Thomas
Mele’s play,
‘Five Card
Charlie, ’finally
comes to life
£
By Nicole Garton
Oregon Daily Emerald
Relaxing in the folding wood
en chair with his arm draped over
the back, junior Thomas Mele
doesn’t look as though the culmi
nation of three years of work lies
just two short nights away.
In fact, he’s grinning as he re
counts the long hours he has
spent fine-tuning his play in the
Pocket Playhouse
“Last night I was here from 5
o’clock until two in the morn
ing,” he confides. He has brought
his laptop with him so he can do
homework while the cast re
hearses.
But he doesn’t mind. For Mele,
writing, directing and producing
the one-act comedy “Five Card
Charlie” has been a labor of love.
“To create a story, write a play
and watch it come to life is just
magic,” he says.
Mele began writing the play
while studying fdm and theater
at Cambridge University in Eng
Martin, played by
Brian Henderson,
yells at his
v«typewriter during a
mmm rehearsal of 'Five
Card Charlie.’
Amanda Gowan/EmenM
land three years ago. He recalls
attending a London performance
of the Neil Simon play, "Laugh
ter on the 23rd Floor,” starring
Gene Wilder.
After the show, Mele met the
entire cast, including Wilder,
who asked what he thought of the
show.
i was reany ner
vous — I’m not used to
speaking with stars,”
Mele said.
But Mele told the
truth, that he didn’t re
ally like the play.
“I regretted it. He
just looked at me, and I
swallowed,” Mele re
calls, laughing.
He went back the
next night, and this time
he took his journal.
Mele watched the play
during his favorite parts
and wrote the rest of the
time. He found himself
"really turned on” by
Simon’s dialogue, and
Coming up
■WHAT:'Five Card
Chart*.’a one-act
play by DO student
Thomas Mele
■WHEN:
Today and Saturday
at 5 p.m.
■ WHERE.
Pocket Playhouse,
102 Villard Hall
■ADMISSION:
Admission is free,
buta$1 donation
atthedooris
appreciated
he began writing “Five Card Char
lie.”
“[‘Laughter’) went from a show
I didn’t really like to a show that
inspired me,” Mele says.
The result is a punchy, sarcas
tic comedy about a man who is in
denial about his life. Mele is di
recting a cast of five for three per
formances at the student-run
Pocket Playhouse in Villard Hall.
Martin, played by sophomore
Brian Henderson, is a high school
Turn to PLAY, Page 10
Chico Schwall takes listeners far away
The folk
musician, who
incorporates
Welsh and
Malagasy
music into his
performance,
will entertain
crowds at The
BUZZ this
weekend
By Jack Clifford
lor the Emerald
Just because you’re stuck in Eu
gene this weekend doesn’t mean a
visit to Madagascar is out of the
question. In fact, you can probably
can even sneak in a side trip to
Wales.
Forget the travel agent, however.
Instead, take a short jaunt Saturday
evening to the BUZZ Coffee House
in the EMU for the eclectic sounds of
William “Chico” Schwall.
Schwab is well-known on the lo
cal music scene, having played gigs
ranging from appearances with the
Eugene Symphony and at the Ore
gon Festival of American Music to
more than a dozen shows at the
Willamette Valley Folk Festival.
Schwab recently expanded his cul
■ WHAT: A musical performance by
local musician William ‘Chico’ Schwall
■ WHEN: Saturday at 10 p.m,
■WHERE:
The BUZZ Coffee House at the EMU
■ADMISSION: Free, with free
coffee and snacks available
tural awareness with journeys to
Madagascar and Wales, and fans are
reaping the benefits.
“As a listener, if you tie yourself
to one music or another, you really
are limiting yourself,” Schwall said.
“As a musician, I love to play in
groups for the interaction, but I got
to a point where I had my own vi
sion to pursue.”
Schwall is yet another performer
making the weekends “buzz” at the
EMU. Mary Jo Kannasto, entertain
ment coordinator at the BUZZ, said
students have supported the recent
addition to the campus music
scene. Kannasto hasn’t heard
Schwall’s music, but she has been
pleased with his Eugene Folk Al
liance colleagues who have already
fit the bill.
“They’re all very talented musi
cians who write their own music,”
she said. “Chico's show will be a
new experience for me, too.”
Schwall’s musical philosophy
manifested itself a little over a year
ago in a two-week working vacation
in Madagascar, where he fine-tuned
his appreciation for Malagasy music
Turn to CHICO, Page 9
Courtesy photo
Local musician William ‘Chico’ Schwall has played
many times at the Willamette Valley Folk Festival.
Friday, February 26.1999 Oregon Daily EmetaU 5