Troupe
raises
homeless
issue
BY DONNA IADIPAOLO
You're sitting in English class,
discussing oppression in Latin
America, when three shabbily-
dressed people abruptly enter the
classroom.
"Ignore them," the professor tells
the class, annoyed. "They're invisi-
ble." But they move their belong-
ings into the room, saying that it
looks like a good place to spend the
night.
"Hey, you can't build a home
here; you're trespassing!" a student
yells.
"You're mentally ill; get out of
here!" another protests.
BUT the people don't leave; they
begin to settle into the room. And
it's not until the lights go down that
you realize you're watching a play
about homelessness in Ann Arbor.
It's a story that doesn't end when
the script does.
"This is a real situation ," said
Ross Heine, a member of the
Homeless Action Committee's the-
ater group, organized hy former
homeless people, University stu-
dents, and English Prof. Buzz
Alexander.
"We're using theater as a tool to
enlist people - for concrete action.
This is not theater for enjoyment.
It's to get people to listen and act.
We wouldn't be doing it otherwise,
Alexander said.
In the play Heine portrays "Joey,"
who struggles to deal with the loss
of his home, job, car, and family.
He based the role on his own
experiences.
"I LIKE working with the
(theater) group," he said. "I've had
people help me in life, now I'm re-
turning it."
Alexander helped form the un-
I named group last winter in his The-
ater and Social Change class. Since
then they have performed in three
other classes.
"I think it's really good that they
are doing this skit because there is
so much misunderstanding concern-
ing the homeless and this helps to
educate people and get people in-
volved with the issue," said Liz
Kraut, an LSA junior, who saw the
performance of Joey's Story in
Alexander's class last Thursday.
Renuka Uthappa, an LSA senior
and group member, described Joey's
Story as "guerilla theater," because
the actors usually burst into class-
rooms and surprise the audience.
THE GROUP gave their first
formal, public performance Monday
night before a group of homeless at
the Ann Arbor Shelter. The
performers said they were seeking
See Theater, Page 5
The Michigan Daily - Friday, June 3, 1988 -Page 3
Michigan's
campaign for
SSC heightens
BY ERIC LEMONT "I must say, I thought it was a
Michigan scientists and politi- quite well-selected site," said STF
cians tried to convince t h e chair Wilmot Hess. He hailed the
Superconducting Super Collider Site abundance of open farmland and dis-
Task Force to choose Stockbridge as persed housing along and within the
the site for the $4.4 billion atom 53-mile oval ring the collider would
'We would be the center of high-energy physics in the
World for the rest of our lives.'
- Gov. James Blanchard
smasher during the group's visit last occupy.
week. The collider is an underground
The Department of Energy's task track through which protons will be
force toured the town and listened to accelerated at close to the speed of
presentations from state officials and light. The particles will then collide
" gscientists in a closed meeting. The head-on with each other, breaking
DoE will choose a site in November down into smaller particles. By ana-
from among the seven proposed lyzing these collisions, scientists
across the country. expect to gain new insight into the
ROBIN LOZNAK/Daily The STF kept most of its find- atom and the universe.
Renuka Uthappa, an LSA senior, and Earl Uomoto, an Ann ings and opinions confidential, but Many say the project will attract
Arbor resident, are both members of the Homeless Action members praised Stockbridge, physicists from around the world to
Committee's theater group working to recruit members in the Michigan's proposed site for the See SSC, Page 4
fight against homelessness. collider.
Non-profit groups seek space at Art Fair
BY RYAN TUTAK The Latin American Solidarity
Many non-profit groups which Committee, a student group aimed at
have participated in previous Ann raising community awareness of
Arbor Street Art Fairs may be ex- U.S. foreign policy in Latin Amer-
cluded from this year's eventbecause ica, is 18th on the waitlist. But
their designated space is under con- LASC member Thea Lee, a Rack-
struction, art fairs officials said. ham graduate student, said no group
For the past 10 years, these should be excluded from the fairs.
groups - many of which are politi- "They should commit themselves
cal - set up booths on the corner of to finding a space that will accom-
East and South University Streets, modate the 80 groups that had spaces
but the University has torn up most in the past," she said. "We're just
of East University north of South U. asking that they preserve the status
to lay electrical duct lines for new quo."
buildings.
Art fairs officials have reserved But Pellerito said the interests of
the part of the road not under con- local businesses are more important
struction for a large performing arts than those of the non-profit groups.
stage, said Peter Pellerito, the Uni- "THE ART FAIR will sur-
versity's senior community relations vive without the non-profit groups
officer who organizes the fairs' non- but the non-profit groups will not
profit groups. survive without the art fair," he said.
THE GROUPS probably will Pellerito, this year's chair of the
be situated on the southeast corner of Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce,
North University and State Streets, added that local business influences
Pellerito said. He said 50 non-profit art fairs management because the
groups have confirmed booths, and fairs are a "big drawing card" for
that another 37 are on a waitlist. tourism.
Lit)chef
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He said artists and store owners -"We're trying to provide the best
question the non-profit group's possible space for the non-profit or-
commitment, adding that some ganizations and to take care of the
groups who left after one or two needs of as many of neighbors and
days created empty space that other constituents as possible," he said.
artists could have used. He said Sue Froelich, who coordinates
artists also become upset when two out of three of the annual street
groups "corral people and pressure fairs, said proportionally more non-
them to look at material. profit groups will receive space this
Lee, who said she has been at the year than artists. She said 200 of the
art fair the last three years, disagreed, 1,000 artists who applied for booths
saying groups vacated few spaces, will receive spaces.
and don't have large enough staffs to
leave their tables and solicit patrons.
CITY COUNCILMEMBER U LOOK YOUR BEST!!
Liz Brater (D-3rd Ward), a member if your hair isn't becom-
of the Mayor's Art Fair Committee, * yu arintbcm
said a secondspot may be found to ing to you-You should
accommodate the remaining groups. be coming to us!
Pellerito said finding enough DASCOLA STYLISTS
open space is difficult since the ar- DA
rangement of the booths must com- ', 7ii itiu
ply with fire and safety standards.
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