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Show AN UNCONVENTIONAL OPERA BY NICK GOCHNOUR /STAFF WRITER PHOTO COURTESY OF U OF U DEPT. OF THEATRE BY SAMANTHA PANNIER 0 /STAFF WRITER n first meeting the unassuming grin of freshman Conner Workman, you would never guess he is the mastermind behind the chalk art that appears in front of the Peterson Heritage Center every other week or so. The "doodles," as Workman calls them, have run the gamut from a Yik Yak crowd-requested "dancing majestic bagel" to his most recent edition, a rainbow cartoon entitled "Emotional Outburst." If you haven't seen Workman's doodles in person — and they are well worth the short shuttle ride — there's a strong chance you've seen pictures circulating on Facebook or Instagram like wildfire. They are usually limited to one 3-by-3 foot cement square in front of the Heritage Center on upper campus. They are cartoonish and realistic at the same time. Some, such as the "Boy and the Frog" and "Happy Halloween," convey a sense of curiosity and wonder, while others, such as "The Dance of the Bagel," are downright goofy. This all started during Workman's first week of college. In front of the Marriott Library, chalk was left out for students to draw with. "That was the first one I did, and it was the first time I realized this was something I enjoyed doing and could do other places',' he said. "I drew a little squid. In fact, it was pretty funny because it was just one squid in like a sea of phallic images that everyone else drew." Born and raised in a suburb of Cincinnati, Workman attends the U for the top-ranked Entertainment Arts and Engineering program and is working towards entering the film and media arts emphasis. He is a pledge in Beta Theta Pi and has a good group of friends, but he says his doodles serve as "an outlet." When asked if he ever gets nervous about campus authorities stepping in, he said, "It's harmless. I'm not drawing them on a wall, I'm drawing them on the ground." For now, fall's fading daylight is Workman's biggest concern. "I was trying to draw the other night, and it was frigid. I don't really see myself shoveling out snow in the winter," he said. The on-campus community has been similarly respectful of Workman's art, save an unfortunate incident with an ice cream cone positioned to look like a unicorn horn on one of the "Emotional Outburst" characters. Students and staff generally go out of their way to avoid stepping on Workman's art and are often seen drinking their morning coffee while taking in a recent drawing. One of Workman's favorite aspects of his art is the fact that it could be gone the very next day. "I like the fact that it's not permanent, like everything else. When rain hits it, it's gone. I'm a perfectionist, so the impermanence is pretty great in the sense of, if I do anything that I'm not the biggest fan of, it will only be there for so long," he said. Workman is turning into a campus celebrity. During our conversation, no fewer than four random passersby stopped to get a word in with the "Chalk Guy:' Workman says he doesn't mind the nickname. "I'll take 'chalk guy' over some other horrible college nickname',' he said. He's approachable and doesn't mind people watching him work. "It's always really satisfying to see people look at it and smile or take pictures. It just brightens my day and hopefully theirs:' Workman said. s.pannier@chronicle.utah.edu @ChronyArts IT'S TIME GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT WESTMINSTER 13 C urrently showing at the Babcock Theater is "The Threepenny Opera," a dark comedy that satirizes values, capitalistic vs. socialistic society, and love and marriage. The Babcock Theater, a small basement theater in the Pioneer Memorial Theater, allows for close, personal interpretation of this Utah Theater Department production. "The Threepenny Opera" is set in 19th century London. As stated by the production's first line, you are about to see "an opera about beggars." It is not an opera in the traditional sense. "The Threepenny Opera" has dialogue throughout, so don't go expecting to be serenaded by non-stop music. It is a romance, a comedy, a drama and a satire all mixed together. The show tells the story of Macheath, a criminal in London. He marries Polly Peach= after having known her for only five days. Polly's mother and father, Jonathon and Celia, are displeased with Polly and vow to see the end of this marriage. Since Jonathon runs the London "Beggar Business," he has many connections, including with one of Mack's former lovers, a prostitute. Peachum has much of London's lower class on his side, but Macheath has his ring of criminals and, shockingly, the London Chief of Police helping him. A humorous dance ensues with Mack trying to steer clear of execution for his crimes and Peachum doing all within his power to bring his son-in-law to the gallows. With a confounding plot twist in the last minutes, "Threepenny's" story does not stop with the surprises. Although the play is set in 19th-century England, iPads were used.The mixture of the modern and the old-fashioned provided different insights from the original 1928 opening in Berlin. The dark set and clothing also give a good sense of place. 10 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2014 } The "special effects" were some of my favorite parts of the U's rendition of "The Threepenny Opera." My favorite effect happened during the opening song, as a stabbed man fell slowly down the steep stairs of the set with red cloth spilling out of his jacket to depict blood — a perfect opener for this dark comedy. "The Threepenny Opera" runs November 7-23,Thursday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m. There will also be matinee performances on November 15, 16, 22 and 23 at 2 p.m. U students are admitted free with their UCards. n.gochnour@chronicle.utah.edu @ChronyArts GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: Business Communications Community Leadership Counseling Education Nursing WESTMINSTER SALT LAKE CITY • UTAH 801.832.2200 I westminstercollege.edu/grad |