The Capital Times from Madison, Wisconsin • 58

I 58 THE CAPITAL TIMES, Wednesday, Oct. 1 1 980 Author cites 'Economics of Fiction Hughes Neil Bright Claudia Fenton Michael Oberfield Music cast named By LAURA MILLER Capital Time Cormpondent Midwesterners don't deckle which books make the fiction bestseller list Neither do Westerners or Southerners. Affluent New Yerk weuiea, wke buy hard-backs to fill their leisure tine, determine whats oa the nations bestseller list. Wesleyan University English Professor Richard Ohmann had this and more to tell University of Wisconsin graduate students recently in the opening lectures of his course on the "Economics of Fiction. Ohmann said the best-seller list is the first step in a screening process that determines which of today's novels will be preserved as classics.

"First you look at the group that buys hard back books when they first come out," Ohmann said. "It tends to be college-educated, moderately affluent, upwardly mobile, highly social, in professionals, managers and technical peo- screening process. It weeds out the trash" on the best-seller list. These professors and critics writs best-seller reviews In gate-keeping Journals like Ike New Yerk Review of Books, the New York, and the New Republic. A new book doesn't have to be universally liked to pass this second test, but it must be taken seriously.

And if it's panned by everyone, it won't have a chance of being read 10 years from now," said Ohmann. 1 Of the books on today's best-seller list, which ones will be the classics of tomorrow? The earliest well know is the year 2000, Ohmann said. "The best test is whether book is taught in high school and college classes, Ohmann said. "We can tell now about the 1950s. 'Catcher in the 'The Naked and the Dead, and one or two of Saul Bellows novels the curriculum is beginning to get set Ohmann said most best-sellers are formula novels," novels based on one of 10 or 12 successful formulas.

These include horror stories, thick family histories, and international intrigue spy books. Today, the survival of a publisher means having some trashy best-seller, Ohmann said. "Those books run a predictable course: a big hardbound sale, a sale of two to five million in paperback, and then movie or television rights. The formula novels make ip the glut of Americas fktiea today. Ohmann estimated that only 40 to 50 books published between I960 and 1975 have a chance of being preserved.

Of these, Ohmann is betting on five: "Portnoys Complaint, The Bell Jar," Breakfast of Champions," Franny and Zooey, and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" They are all about unhappy people. At a time of seeming prosperity and continuing confidence," Ohmann said, these authors were saying Things are not right in America. Ohmann will finish his seminar course with a series of lectures on television and magazines in mid-October. The public is invited to attend. "Guys and Dolls, "CameloL "Jesus Christ Superstar and "The King and I.

She has danced with New Yorks Harkness House of Ballet Arts and the Wisconsin Ballet Company and studied jaa with New York's Lulgt A nightclub performer, Fenton has toured the Midwest and Canada and appeared in solo nightclub sets in Las Vegas and New York City. Wilson St East veterans Arcenla Rosal and Michael Oberfield return to play the Mother Abbess and Max. Rosal played Golde in the Wilson St East production of "Fiddler on the Roof, and wu recently seen in Madison Civic Repertorys The Club." An operatic performer, Rosal has toured In Europe and South America and has been featured in productions of "Faust "La Bo-heme," "Macbeth," Regina," "Toeca," "Capricdo," "Carmen" and "The Marriage of Figaro. Michael Oberfield has appeared in Wilson St East productions of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, "Same Time Next Year, "Fiddler on the Roof, "Brigs-doon," CameloL" "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and currently, "Deathtrap." Other members of the cast include Russ Ochockl as Frame, Christine Mayek as Frau Schmidt and Paul Brewer as Rolf. "The Sound Of Music marks the first time the playhouse has featured children In.

a regular production. More than 150 children were auditioned by director Reines before he arrived at two casts that will perform on an alternating basis. Playing the Von Trapp children are Margaret Knapp, Steven Muaha, Laura Morrison, Colleen Mortell, Tim VoU-brocht Jeff Morrison, Susanne Hoffman, Janet Erlich, Sherry Savee, Kit Wholihan, Corrimw Buszell and Gillian Glasser. For reservations, can 255-0303. Performances are nightly except Mondays, with Wednesday and Sunday luncheon matinees.

Discounts are available to students, senior citizens or groups (20 or more). tour. Refunds win be made at the Coliseum Ticket Center or via mall. Simply return tickets with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Beb Marley Concert Dam County Memorial Coliseum, Expo MaO East MaCsoasm Bob Marley ill; Madison gig cancelled Bob Marley and the Wallers have cancelled their Oct 15 gig at the Dane County Coliseum. Marley, the group leader, has been hospitalized for "exhaustion" in Florida, where he was performing.

The reggae stars managers have cancelled the remainder of their Richard Ohmann pie centered in the New York area. Ohmann said 60 percent of this group are women women who don't have regular jobs and so have more leisure time. Once on the best-seller list," Oh-maipi said, a book gets added momentum. And then, because it's a best-seller, the rest of the country starts reading it. A small group of Intellectuals is responsible for the second part of the paper art exhibit with fiberglass screening.

Maline Robinson received her BFA from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and her MFA from the UW. She is a painter and a. printmaker, and will be showing a group of serigraphs in this exhibit. The images in these prints are created by building up layers of color, creating a dense, rich surface. Mary lin Hart has been making her own unique works of paper at Joe Wilfers Upper U.S.

Papermill in Oregon, since 1676. She incorporates materials such as gloves, feathers and zippers by embedding them in the paper. The finished piece involves staining the paper, paintings and drawing with oil stick, pastel, pencil and sometimes pulling back the top layer of the paper to reveal the embedded objects. She will open her own papermaking studio in the near future. HEEF SflHS Arccnia Rosa! Mary Ann 'Sound of The cast for Wilson SL Easts Dinner Playhouse production of "The Sound of Music, which will open Oct 9, has been announced.

Heading the cast is actress-singer Mary Ann Hughes, who is making her Wilson St East debut after a critically acclaimed run as Nellie Forbush in "South Pacific" at Circa Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, I1L Hughes has been featured in productions of "The King and "Fiddler on the Roof, "Mousetrap, "Lovers and Other Strangers, "The Miracle Worker, "The Private Eye and "Ah! Wilderness" at The Forum Theatre in Arkansas, Bill Fegin Associates in Dallas and Nashvilles Professional Artists Products. Another newcomer to Wilson SL East is Madison native Neil Bright who will co-star as Captain Georg von Trapp. Bright also recently completed a successful run as Emile De Beque in "South Pacific at Circa 11 Dinner Playhouse. Locally, Bright has been featured in productions at The Compass Theatre, Madison Civic Repertory, Studio 406 Productions and Wiscon- sin Players. In Illinois, he played Joey in "The Most Happy Fella" at Northbrook Civic Theatre; Arthur in "Camelot at Glenview Theatre Guild; and Ernest in "The Idiots Karamazov" at Chicago's Wisdom Bridge Theatre.

Singer, dancer and actress Claudia Fenton joins the list of newcomers to Wilson SL East playing Elsa. Fenton has been featured in productions of "Fiddler on the Roof, "Brigadoon, FOR CONTEST RULES REGULATONS PLEASE CONTACT THE CAKE CORNER AT 231-3311 'Comparative Regions Comparative Regions," an exhibition of work on paper by Judith Uehling, Maline Robinson and Mary-lin Hart, will be shown at Center Gallery, 428 W. Gilman through Oct. 17. All three artists are long-time residents and have exhibited their work widely In the Midwest and elsewhere.

Judith Uehling received her BA degree from Smith College and has attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Atelier Nord in Oslo, Norway, and the Print Workshop in London. Her work has been exhibited internationally hi Poland, Norway, Germany, Austria and Japan. It is also part of many permanent collections including the Victoria Albert Museum in London. She will be exhibiting stencil relief prints, which involve using a metal plate overlaid IBEEF FRONTS Vi lOBi ANNIVERSARY CAKE Bmw SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5 PRIZES! TROPHIES! RIBBONS! CO-SPONSORED BY WEST TOWNE MALL AND IRENE HANSONS CAKE CORNER ENTRY FEE 3 FOR ALL CATEGORIES -CATEGORIES ARE- CHILDREN-AGE 8-11 UYOUTH-AGE 12-16 BEGINNER-0 to 1 YEAR EXPERIENCE INTERMEDIATE-1 YEAR OR MORE EXPERIENCE SENIOR-ABLE TO DO PRECISION WORK, IE LACE OR LATTICE MASTER-PEOPLE WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN BAKERS OR TEACHERS OPEN DIVISION-ANYONE MAY ENTER NO UMIT ON SIZE OR HEIGHT OF CAKE HHF MONIES 0IDEL Pork Dy tho Half or ib. All above BmI and Perk quarters and halvas.

Sold hanging weight and cut to your specifications. All prices include cutting, wrapping and freezing. i i i i 1 I I I I 1 OFFICIAL ENTRY BLANK NAME I APROX. SIZE OF CAKE BASE ADDRESS I CITY I CATEGORY AGE MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY 3" ENTRY FEE TO BE VALID I DEADLINE FOR ENTRY FRIDAY OCTOBER 3, 1980 SENT TO CAKE CORNER 3610 UNIVERSITY AVE MADISON, Wt 53705 I West Beltline Hghwoy Mon -Fri. 10.00 a p.m.

(Highway 12 8 14) 1 Sat. 10 00 a.m.-5.30 pm. at Gammon 8 Mineral Point Sun. 12 noon-5 0 p.m. i i I.