Monday, February 8, 1999
UCLA law students, faculty act up during annual musical
PRODUCTION: Troupe takes break from studies to perform
adaptation of ‘The King and I’
By Brian Fishman
Daily Bruin Contributor
Disembodied souls mingled with garbage-bag adorned law
professors in the Northwest Campus Auditorium Saturday night, when
the 17th annual UCLAW musical, "Thinking An I," was presented by
403 N.W.2d 143, a theater company composed of faculty, staff and
students.
"Thinking An I," written and directed by professor Kenneth
Graham, adapted music from the "King and I" to suit his law school
oriented farce. The lightheartedness of the production has proved a
welcome respite for students bogged down by studies.
"It’s the most fun I’ve had in law school," said Meghan
Yamanishi, whose stage name Ida Zhoury was taken from the legal
book "I, the Jury."
The musical is different from other law school activities, said
Lora Blum, whose character Anna Niaz Andros is shot and an
overzealous angel preemptively takes her soul from her body.
To rectify this mistake, Anna’s soul is placed in the recently
heart attack-stricken body of her despised old law professor,
Nathan King. From there, she attempts to find her killer while
avoiding assassination attempts on her body by a deranged
animal-rights activist and her tag-along boyfriend.
Students play most of the major roles, said Graham, because
they, "are obviously more in touch with humor (than the
faculty)."
In fact, Graham has run into some opposition to the musical from
other faculty members.
"A lot of faculty think these are the law school goof-offs,"
Graham said. "That’s not true."
"These are people who can manage their time and are interested
in having a good time," Graham continued.
But the students downplayed the faculty’s lack of support.
Chaise Bivin, who plays Professor King, in his third and final
UCLAW musical, said he was confident the faculty would come watch
the show.
Bivin also said extra-curricular activities do not affect his
studies as much as some people may think.
"There’s not much going on early in the quarter anyway," Bivin
said.
While the notion of lawyers in a musical may seem comical, Blum
said the fit was natural.
"It’s good practice. I’ve heard a lot of lawyers want to be
actors," she joked.
Student-actors were eager to dispel myths about stuffy law
students who never have any fun.
"The law school is made up of all kinds of people. We’re
typecast as the tight-ass students," Bivin said.
This characterization could be extended to the faculty as well,
said Blum, who was quick to note the similarities between the
students and faculty involved with the drama.
"We have a similar desire to make fools of ourselves. It’s good
to make a fool of yourself every once in a while," Blum said.
To emphasize Blum’s point, Sean Nguyen, the hapless Angel on
stage, recalled last year’s production when some of the actors were
drinking backstage and consequently forgot their lines.
"I don’t think (the actor) would have remembered his lines
anyway," Nguyen said.
The annual musical is an offshoot of the now defunct Law Revue,
a variety show put on by the school in years past. When the musical
section of the show became too big, it broke away, said Graham.
Graham claims this year’s script was one of the best.
"I think that artistically, this will probably be the best show
this group has done," he said.
LEAH SWALLEY
(Left to right) students David Dawson, Traci Lawson and Meghan
Yamanishi take part in this year’s law school musical, entitled
"Thinking An I."
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