Topeka Capital-Journal, The: 'THE Opry comes to casino

NAKED

PLAYS

[OPEN AT TPAC]

Lake Edun Foundation stages an evening of three one-act plays about nudism

ONE-ACTS

What: "No Sex, No Violence ... Only Nudity," original one-act plays about nudism

When: 8 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sept. 30-Oct. 1

Where: Hussey Playhouse, lower level, Topeka Performing Arts Center, 214 S.E. 8th

How much: $15

Buy how: At the door or in advance by calling (785) 357-6331

Warning: Plays contain full frontal nudity

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE SHEPHERD/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Steve (James O'Brien) is reluctant to sleep in the nude despite persuasion from his wife, Susan (Kate Dalton), in "Just Give It a Try," part of Lake Edun's "No Sex, No Violence ... Just Nudity."

Carl (Ryan Anderson) wears his jeans in an unconventional manner in "Birthday Suit."

BY BILL BLANKENSHIP/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

By Bill Blankenship

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Jon Lothenore was naked and sweating when he agreed to "No Sex, No Violence ... Only Nudity."

Lothenore is directing an evening of three one-act plays dealing with nudism. The plays open Saturday night in the Topeka Performing Arts Center's small theater, the Hussey Playhouse.

Nearly a year ago, Lothenore accepted a friend's invitation to the sauna at Lake Edun, a rural enclave southwest of Topeka where the clothing-free lifestyle is celebrated.

About 10 minutes into the sauna, Lothenore said he and Lake Edun Foundation founder Webb Garlinghouse "were talking about theater."

Lothenore said he quickly agreed to stage and direct the winners of the foundation's first one-act play competition in which playwrights were asked to deal with aspects of naturism and issues of body acceptance.

For the most part, the three winning plays are comedies, although one has some dramatic elements to it, said Lothenore, who wore a black T-shirt with white writing that says, "The Naked Plays," the nickname he and the cast have given the production.

The director described the one-acts this way:

- "To the Bottom of It," by Adam Burnett, of Topeka, "which is fundamentally a monologue with four interlocutors. It covers family, some religious and friendship issues from the point of view of one naturist and four others with completely different points of view, including his mother. It's very funny."

- "Just Give It a Try," by John Ladd, of New York, which "is a conversation between a married couple. He is extremely modest. She is extremely not. The conversation hovers on trust and honesty and intimacy in marriage. The whole thing takes place in their bed."

- "Birthday Suit," by Terry S. Davis, of Albuquerque, N.M., which is "about a business owner who for his birthday gives himself the gift of coming to work in what God gave him. It doesn't seem to sit well with his coworkers, and a couple of business partners, or a local reporter, or a local preacher, or a couple of policemen, who get called."

The cast of the plays, for which Adam Jenks serves as technical director, are Abbas Abdul-Khaliq, Ryan Anderson, Kate Dalton, Elaine Hoblin, Greg Myer, James O'Brien, Martin Cody Peterson and Scott Wells.

"And, no, not all of the players are nude all of the time," Lothenore said. "The only places that nudity is used in these scripts is where, if you'll forgive my saying, it fits the costume or where it fits the storyline, where it's intrinsic to development. None of this is gratuitous."

However, nudity on a Topeka stage is so rare that Lothenore did say, "It took me four weeks to fully cast these plays, which surprised me in such a healthy theater town as Topeka."

Lothenore also has encountered opposition both from within and outside the theater community to the production.

"I'm not sure I can repeat all the admonitions I have personally received," he said, but added he is proud of the cast, their commitment and the work they are doing on stage.

And there will be an audience for the shows.

"The tickets are selling," said Lothenore, who added the Hussey Playhouse will be set for an audience of 120 patrons. The front row of chairs is 13 feet from the stage, which Lothenore said he determined was a "comfortable distance" from full-frontal nudity.

The three plays will have a combined running time of just more than an hour.

"I know it's a short evening of theater, especially for Topeka audiences, but there's going to be plenty to think about, and it's going to be plenty entertaining."

"And it is a world premiere, and it's in Topeka, of all places," he added.

Plans are being readied for the Lake Edun Foundation's second annual one-act play contest, with details to be posted next month on the organization's Web site at www.lakeedun.com.

Lothenore said he would like to see the event expand to multiple plays and multiple venues in future years.

Please see NAKED, Page 3B

By Bill Blankenship

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

If American colonists put BYOB on their fall festival invitations, the beverage most people brought was cider.

Of course, back then cider had a kick as it was the alcoholic beverage of choice until German immigrants introduced the benefits of beer. Then came Carry A. Nation, the Temperance movement and Prohibition, and while beer made a comeback after repeal of the 18th Amendment, hard cider didn't.

However, the freshly squeezed, nonalcoholic variety of apple cider remains an autumnal treat and at the core of the Cider Days Fall Festival.

Kansas-grown apples squeezed into the sweet juice through an 1865 Buckeye cider press will flow Saturday and Sunday on the grounds of the Kansas Expocentre at the 24th annual benefit for the American Lung Association of Kansas.

Festival-goers don't thrive on cider alone, so Cider Days also offers one of the largest arts and crafts shows in the area with about 280 exhibitors selling a wide variety of wares inside the Expocentre's Exhibition Hall and Landon Arena.

Cider Days also offers living history through re-enactors, such as C.H.A.P.S., an Osage City-based gun-fighting troupe; Portals of Time, pioneer storytellers; Nanc's Covered Wagon, a look back at life on the trail; and History's Spirit, tales from cattle drives.

Other concessionaires and exhibitors will be present, and Cider Days also will stage an apple pie baking contest with judging at 1 p.m. Saturday and slices of the entries sold after judging is done.

There will be live stage entertainment as part of this fundraiser to help the American Lung Association of Kansas support public and professional lung health education programs, tobacco prevention programs, advocacy and research. The schedule is:

Saturday

10:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Silver Creek.

3 to 4 p.m.: Kardio Kids.

4 to 5 p.m.: PIK JC (People in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ).

Sunday

10:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Dan Kozak Ensemble.

11:30 a.m. to noon: Lisa Sandell.

1 to 3 p.m.: Cheap & Legal.

3 to 4 p.m.: Beverly Bernardi Post Dancers.

Bill Blankenship can be reached at (785) 295-1284 or bill.blankenship@cjonline.com.

Please see CIDER, Page 3B

ON STAGE

Movies . . . 2B

Calendar . . . 2, 3B

Comics . . . 4B

Advice & TV . . . 5B

Naked: Theater will seat about 120 patrons

Cider: Festival includes exhibits, living history