Students create diverse theater ■ The Multicultural Reader's Theater Group reads plays by contemporary playwrights that address multicultural issues By Anna Saeley Oregon Daily Emerald Without lavish sals or fancy cos tumes, a now kind of theater group on camuus is working to address multicultural issuos using only tho words of plays. Tho Multic;ultural Header's The ater Group, started by two Uuiver* sity students, is seeking to expose multicultural issues and fill a void in the performance of multicultural playwrights. The group meets once a week to road ploys by contempo rary playwrights that address multi cultural issues, performing arts co ordinator Windy Borman said. And the students intend tu perform some of the plays for audiences. Erin-Michaal MacCiouuaith, co coordinator for the theater group, said one goal of the group is to ex pose students tu wurk they may nev er encounter elsewhere, Mo added that his interest in under-represent ed works of drama was a reason he wanted to form the theatergroup, "With all the talk ofmulticultumlisin on campus, I thought that this would ho a good opportunity to expand tho University’s mission," ho saict. Tho group moots every Sunday at 4 p.ui. in tho Arena theatre in Vil lard itali to road plays. Mao* Cionnaith said tho group will read through about eight plays and then decide on two or throe to perform• Alice Childress’s play "Wine in tho Wilderness’’'—a play about African American culture — is a play the group has road. "Those plays often dual directly w tth iss uus su rro uu d i ng m i nor i ty re* lations, racism, culture, stereotypes ur other topics relevant to women or minority groups," he said. During their performances, the actors will read the plays and mime some small actions, Borman said. Tho actors will each read a pert in tho play and someone will act as narrator, she said. Tho group's first performance will be Thursday at 6;3Q p.m. in the Bon binder Room. "It is a low stress version of put ting on a play," Borman said, "We wifi be focusing on the words and issues the play addresses." MauCionuaith said a broad range of students from different departments across campus are participating in the group, nut just theater majors. Ho said students chose to participate for a va riety of reasons, including an interest in multicultural issues and a desire to expand their play base, "Some want to explore multicul tural theater, others want to have an opportunity to perform," lie said, "Others would like to increase their drama knowledgebase." Theater group member Katie MacCionualth agrees, "I think it's important for multi cultural plays to be heard and seen," she said, Eric-Michael MacCionnaith said the theater group is an ongoing proj ect. If others are interested, they can just show up at the group's meeting, and the group will have something for the participant to read through) he said, He added that the group wants to build a bridge between de partments and others on campus who are interested in multicultural theater, and it is looking for input, "It is my hope," Eric-Michael MacCionnaith said, "that this proj ect will develop into a cohesive company of actor readers who will continue to read and bring their own ideas on content to the process," Anna Seeley is a student activities reporter for the Oregon Pally Emerald. She can Pa reached at annaseeley@dallyemerald.com. News brief Eugene drivers take the Challenge Sixty-five teams are competing in this week's Eugene Commute Challenge, whioh is sponsored by the City Transportation depart ment. Besides driving alone in a oar to work, teams can use any method of transportation to partio ipate in the week-long event, which will climax Wednesday with a ana-day contest, ”Wa promota tha whola week to get paopla thinking that If thay commute one day a weak, they can make a huge difference," said Di ana Bishop, the bicycle coordina tor for Eugene. "But Wednesday is the day we actually count," This is tha second year of the Commute Challenge. Bishop said she targets businesses for the event because it bas more impact than just approaching individuals. “The camaraderie of work — that idea of everyone working together — helps," she said, The businesses are a mix of pub lic and private agencies, Two Uni versity teams have entered the competition; One team is from the Knight library and the other is from the planning, public policy and management department, — Sue Hyan ir AIT Ways Travel 1 * \ii Eire SjM‘« i.ils • Nrn Voih >24>8 (10 IIoiioIiiIii t, 100.00' I oh \ o WJ8.00' Mexico ( ilv - 'M'Ji.OO' *1.1 iloi 111* l(l sun t tWQ?!! I in.ul lov 2(i MVcUoiO 1200 High Si. 1338-4199 ijilHdynt Trovol jE .If Where ah where has /limy Itto dog gone? Find him with an ad in the OPE classifieds * 346 -4343 vw’,ou ***<&. SPAGHETTI A garlic bread Every Tuesday PIZZA PETE’S 2b0fi Will.ihcii/M: 344 0998 Oasts ri.i/.i 2073 WllliHiMJlIe 4U4 0996 ■ 2/i/i and Willaintilte What are you looking for in a Graduate School? Chances are we have it! 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