July 22, 2014
Library gala will highlight Fuller’s work
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- R. Buckminster Fuller, the late Southern Illinois University Carbondale designer, educator, inventor and visionary, will be the focus of a performance and special exhibit coming to the university this fall.
D.W. Jacobs, the playwright, director, actor, producer and co-founder of the San Diego Repertory Theatre, is the author of “R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe.” Jacobs will perform the one-man play at 7 p.m., Oct. 18, at Morris Library. The 2½-hour presentation has drawn large crowds since opening in 2000. The evening begins with a 6 p.m. reception.
The play takes audience members on a journey with “Fuller,” the futuristic sustainability proponent and geodesic dome designer as their guide. Jacobs provides insight into Fuller’s life and his work, from his Massachusetts childhood to his meeting with Albert Einstein and through his work focusing on doing more with less for the good of the environment. The performance is an engaging and very human tale of a forward-thinking man, interspersed with videos.
The story of “Bucky,” as Buckminster’s friends knew him, has been told more than 800 times in venues across the continent. The Friends of Morris Library are again hosting the annual gala.
In conjunction with the performance there will also be a special exhibit at the library. The Buckminster Fuller Collection and other “Treasures from the Special Collection” will open at an 11 a.m. brunch on Oct. 19.
The R. Buckminster Fuller events will be open to the public. Complete details along with ticket pricing and purchase information will be available in the near future. Visit http://www.lib.siu.edu/gala for details or contact Kristine B. McGuire at 618/453-1633 or by email at kmcguire@lib.siu.edu.