Oregon State University Theatre unveils a circus of an original musical written by former National Endowment for the Arts head John Frohnmayer

Writhing and rolling in a circle across the floor, Maarika Teose contorted her body into a variety of bizarre poses, her curly ponytail flying to and fro. Around her, a group of actors gathered to applaud on one side, and mock on the other.

Was it art? Was it nonsense? Was it brilliance, perversion or both?

Those are the questions the new Oregon State University production "Spin," discusses, but it's up to the audience to decide.

The musical was written by John Frohnmayer, a Corvallis resident and affiliate professor at OSU, who based the play on his experiences as the head of the National Endowment for the Arts at a particularly controversial time in American history. Corvallis resident Sila Cevikce Shaman wrote the music to accompany Frohnmayer's lyrics.

In 1989, Frohnmayer was named to the post by President George H.W. Bush, but found he'd inherited some controversial decisions from his predecessor, including NEA grants given to photographers Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano, whose work included strongly sexual and anti-religious overtones.

Frohnmayer defended the decision to use public money to fund the work of the artists, but was eventually fired for taking that stand. His experiences in being the middleman in a battle between religious and social conservatives and artists pushing the boundaries of free speech still resonate with Frohnmayer, who originally wrote a book about his time with the NEA called "Leaving Town Alive," and eventually turned the adventure into "Spin."

Now that the musical is being staged for the first time, Frohnmayer, who is running as an independent for U.S. Senate, is spending all of his spare time on set, watching the production take shape.

"It's absolutely thrilling to see it come alive and see people take it in a further direction than I ever thought of," Frohnmayer said.

It's not always easy as the playwright to sit back and watch, he admitted, although he's thrilled with the direction by Marion Rossi.

"It's difficult to hear the words come out differently," he said with a laugh. "There is some ad-libbing there. My desire is to make sure the lines get out there."

For OSU actors Maarika Teose, who plays Polly, the controversial artist, and Nickoli Strommer, who plays Reverend JoeBob, the fiery evangelical preacher, being part of an original, never-before-staged production is a little intimidating. In a way, the actors are pioneers, and are figuring out their roles along the way.

"I've worked harder on this show than any other show I've ever done before," Teose said.

"It's hard practice," Strommer said. "We're here three hours a night."

But there's a lot of rich material to work with, they said.

"Polly is the loudest, most abrasive character I've ever come across," Teose said. Polly needs her art to be seen, and is a champion for the rights of all artists, but delights in her ability to offend.

"Mostly she is irreverent toward authority," Teose said, while secretly not taking anything, including herself, too seriously.

Strommer, who attended some evangelical churches while living in Atlanta, likes that Rev. JoeBob's religious fervor is mixed with both a grasping desire for money and an odd attraction to the controversial Polly.

"He has a deep desire for the unknown," Strommer said.

One of the best parts of the production for Strommer and Teose is working alongside veteran actor David Ogden Stiers of "M*A*S*H" fame. Ogden Stiers is an Oregon native, and he plays Senator Fudder in the musical.

"It's like a free Master's class," Strommer said.

"My mom went crazy when she found out" that Teose would be working with Ogden Stiers, she said.

It's been 20 years since Ogden Stiers took to the stage in a new play, but as a long-time admirer of Frohnmayer and a friend of the family, he was thrilled with the opportunity to play Senator Fudder.

Ogden Stiers is excited to be back on stage, but said the university rehearsal process, which must balance students' study and work life, is intense.

"I forget how incredibly taxing it is on students," he said. "They only get three hours of rehearsal a night where I am used to seven and a half hours."

That means actors have to learn parts hard and fast. But Ogden Stiers said because this musical has never been performed before, it's quite a liberating experience.

"There's no template. You don't have to follow anybody," he said. In many ways, the first actors to perform "Spin" are setting the stage, quite literally, for the next performers. "What they originate is what the next performers will be held to."

Senator Fudder is a "thinly disguised riff" on Senator Jesse Helms, Ogden Stiers said, and is flavored with Helms' Deep South, unyielding mentality. But although Ogden Stiers doesn't like the destruction Helms wrought, he admits that playing Fudder has given him a new appreciation of the man.

"The bizarre thing I found is I like the old scoundrel," he said with a chuckle. "As you get older, it becomes either easier to hate or much harder. I find myself becoming less judgmental."

Ogden Stiers doesn't find 2008 any more tolerant than the period when "Spin" is set, but instead believes tolerance is on a sort of wheel, and public opinion and the media shift the wheel back and forth, so that some things become more acceptable as others become more forbidden.

"I suppose we're working our way toward real enlightenment," he said, but he doesn't see much evidence of it currently.

The set of "Spin" is staged in a circus-like manner, with small puppet theaters flanking each side, where puppets occasionally mimic the action, and television screens also depict images that are being discussed on stage.

Spinning circles dominate the stage, which reflect the title of the musical, which can be interpreted not only as political spin, but also as the intricate spinning of a spider's web, or the fun of spinning around and around.

Before it's even opened, the play is receiving national attention. Frohnmayer has been interviewed by the Washington Post, and believes that the musical will be picked up by other stage companies after its premiere run at OSU.

Above all, the musical is meant to be fun, but dealing with such hot-button topics is a tricky path to tread.

"It's not preachy," he said, "but there is a point to be made."

Check it Out

"Spin" is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 8-10 and May 15-17. Tickets are priced at $14 for general admission; $10 for seniors, and $7 for students. The performance on Friday, May 16, will be sign-language interpreted.

Tickets will be available at the Withycombe Hall box office. Tickets are also available on-line at http://oregonstate.edu/dept/theatre/BoxOfficeInfo.html. For more information call 737-2784.