The Battalion
LIFESTYLES
Thur
Thursday, May 3,1990
Lifestyles Editor Lisa Ann Robertson
Oliver
TWIST,
By RUDY CORDOVA JR.
Of The Battalion Staff
to stay on stage for eight minutes while they
fixed their stuff.
“And that was the first time I did stand-
P c
Tull also plans to create an amateur com-
T
he hunger for success radiates in
the eyes of Oliver Tull - actor, comedian,
glgy^wright and U.S. Army Sergeant.
A senior Theatre Arts major from Dallas,
Tull has performed at comedy clubs th^i
range from The Laff Stop in Houston to The
Improv in Los Angeles.
A few weeks ago College Station got a taste
of his comedy when he performed a success
ful and funny show at the Sundance Club in
the College Station Hilton.
Tull’s ability to perform stand-up routines
has influenced his active role as playwright,
director and actor in the A&M theatre.
Born in Brooklyn, Tull says it was tough
growing up in a family where talent ran ram
pant.
During family talent shows, Tull says he
would sit in the back of the room and make
wisecracks at his brothers and sisters as they
sang or played the piano. He says his talents
remained untapped until he finished high
school and joined the military intelligence di
vision of the U.S. Army.
While stationed in West Germany, Tull un
veiled his comedic talents for the first time
when a simple group introduction turned into
a stand-up routine.
“I had to introduce an instrumental group
in the talent contest,” Tull says, “and they had
a lot of computers on stage.
“When it came time, I did this long intro
duction and told the audience the group’s
name. I turned around to walk off and saw
the guy’s computer screen go blank. So I had
Tull has written several, unperformed
plays. He says that playwrighting comes from
his natural ability to create stand-up comedy.
“As far as directing,” he says, “I think it
comes out of an actor’s drive for more con
trol.”
He recently directed “Goat Racers”, a pro
duction performed in the Fallout Theatre
and at Coffehouse in the MSC.
Director of Theatre Dr. Roger Schultz says,
“Oliver is one of the best students we have.
He’s a good playwright, director, and he’s
even played lead roles in ‘Waiting for Godot’
and ‘Hedda Gabler’.”
Tull was recently elected president of the
Aggie Players Association for the 1990-91
school year. The association is a student-run
organization that supports the productions
put on by the theatre department’s programs
such as Aggie Players.
A
Lmong many plans Tull has for next
year is his goal to make A&M more aware of
the Theatre Arts program and its abilities.
He believes that a great strength of the Ag
gie Players is the organization’s commitment
to cross-cultural casting.
“The Aggie Players are just making sure
that they get the best person for the role,” he
explains, “regardless of their race or color.”
Tull hopes that the creation of an improvi-
sational group will expose the theatre in a
more positive, educational light. The improvi-
sational group would provide a format for
students, not normally associated with the
theatre department, to voice their innermost
feelings and thoughts on subjects that range
edy club for beginning comics. He has been in
contact with stand-up comedians from
around the state about transforming his idea
into a realistic venture.
Another /goal of Tull’s is to expand the
realm of avant-garde theatre. Because of the
size of the University, he believes there is an
overwhelming amount of untapped ideas and
talent.
“We could be at the front of the next theat
rical trend,” Tull says. “It would be ^ shame
for us to miss out because vye’re afraid of
doing something, that somebody, somewhere
might not like.”
The Aggie Players say they have faith in
their new leader. “He knows where he’s
§ oing, he knows how to get there, and he’s
oing it,” senior Theatre Arts major K.C. Ra-
bensburg says. “Oliver is the Renaissance
man, today, at this theatre.”
With Tull’s raw talent, it’s easy for him to
look back at the people who have influenced
him. Tull says that his uncle gave him the
most important piece of advice: “Never eat
anything bigger than vour head,” a phrase
Tull claims he still lives by.
Tull adds that comedian Jay Leno, who he
met earlier this semester at The L.A. Improv,
is another person who has influenced him.
“He changed the way I look at comedy,”
Tull says.
Of course, this talented performer has
goals. “I think all anybody can hope for,” he
says, “is to do the best they can.”
He adds jokingly that his long-term ambi
tion is “to buy a house the size of Robin
Leech’s ego.”
Tull says his summer plans consist of tour
ing and working at comedy clubs. He says he
hopes to keep writing and doing stand-up
comedy, “and maybe make some people think
about life along the way.”
Talents roll on
and on and ...
By RUDY CORDOVA JR.
Of The Battalion Staff
With Oliver Tull’s many talents, his acting
career has flourished at Texas A&M. His
ability to play a wide range of characters has
enabled him to act in various productions,
including one in Germany and another at
Richland College in Dallas. Here is a partial
listing of Oliver’s acting accomplishments:
• West Side Story: While stationed in
Germany, Tull played the role of Riff in this
popular musical, the contemporary version
of “Romeo and Juliet.”
• Private War: In this production at
Richland College, Tull played the role of
Gatley.
• Pirates of Penzance: His first Aggie
Player production cast him as a pirate in this
musical by Gilbert & Sullivan.
• InVitro: Directed by Dr. Roberto
Porno, Associate Professor of Theatre Arts,
Tull experienced ensemble theatre in this
avant-garde play written by Matt Hunt, a
graduate of Texas A&M.
• Hedda Gabler: Tull portrayed Eliot
Lovburg in this Henrik Ibsen play that Dr.
Roger Schultz set in late 19th century Gal
veston.
• Roan Brown and Cherry: Pulitzer Prize
winning playwright Charles Gordone, Dis
tinguished Lecturer in Theatre Arts, wrote
and directed this play that featured Tull as
Ben Soloman.
• Waiting for Godot: This absurdist play
by Samuel Beckett was taken to the Ameri
can College Theatre Festival by the Aggie
Players earlier this spring, where they re-
cieved Honorable Mention at the National
level. Tull played the part of Vladimir.
Battalion File Photo byJ.Janner
John Flores, All Alford, Tull and Clinton Sam per
form in a scene from the Aggie Players’ October
production of “Waiting for Godot.” Tull played the
role of Vladimir.