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APPEAL TRIBUNE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2016
Life in the
Valley y
sanews@salem.gannett.com
Life and love through a theater lens
ANNETTE UTZ
FOR THE STAYTON MAIL
Moving day is not the most pleasant
of occasions, even in the best of cir-
cumstances.
Aumsville Community Theatre pre-
sents the promises and pitfalls of the
experience with its tender comedy
“Things My Mother Taught Me,” open-
ing May 6.
Olivia (Stephanie Bednarz) and Gabe
(Jason Miles) have just packed up all
their belongings and driven half-way
across the country to move into their
first apartment together. Gabe has also
packed a surprise for Olivia as part
their new life: an engagement ring.
When both sets of parents suddenly
emerge to offer assistance, things be-
come much more complicated and it
sets off a series of unfortunate situa-
tions. The introduction of a quirky
building superintendent (Terri Swan-
son) doesn’t improve the scenario.
Throughout it all, however, touching,
supportive exchanges help ease the
bumpy road.
Shannon Rempel, who co-directs
with Beverly Wilson, said they have
taken a slightly different approach with
this version of the show.
“We’ve all had parental figures of
some sort and, in practice, have all
thought we were never going to be like
them. Then, as real life happens, we
find ourselves doing just that,” she
said. “In this case, Stephanie’s parents
(Linda Cashin and Craig Kalepp) are in
their forties and Gabe’s parents (Dar-
lene Delaney and Richard Leppig)
started later in life and are now in their
sixties. What we have, then, is actually
two different generation gaps.”
She noted that the cast cohesiveness
is what has makes it work.
“We have a great combination of
characters and a good balance of sea-
soned actors and newcomers,” she said.
“Together, this cast has really become a
family. They have been working really
hard and are very supportive of each
other … I think the audience will find
their interactions endearing and true.
It’s all about growing up and putting
into practice what we’ve learned.”
Jason Miles is one of the newcomers
involved. While he has done some im-
prov with the group, this is his first role
in a stage play.
“It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve done some
of ACT’s murder mysteries but this full
performance is more like a full-time
job,” he said. “It’s been a ball though
and the everybody has been really sup-
portive.”
Bendarz echoes the sentiments
about the cast unity.
“It’s been an incredible experience,
especially working with Jason since we
are actually a couple,” she said. “It’s
been great to work with him, help him
grow into his role and fall in love even
more with him on stage.
ANNA REED/STATESMAN JOURNAL
Terri Swanson as Max, from left, Richard Leppig as Wyatt Lawson, Darlene Delaney as Lydia Lawson, Jason Miles as Gabe Lawson and Stephanie
Bednarz as Olivia Keegan, rehearse "Things My Mother Taught Me" at the Aumsville Community Theatre in Stayton on Thursday.
"Things My Mother Taught Me"runs May 6 -
22 at the Aumsville Community Theatre.
While Jason Miles has done improv with the
group, this is his first role in a stage play.
“ACT is like a family to me. We all
work really well together,” she said.
“I’ve learned a lot about the people
around me and developing relation-
ships and it’s reflected in the play. For
example, there’s a lot of tension be-
tween my character and her mother.
We want so badly to be different from
each other but eventually we end up
accepting each other for who we are.”
Miles believes that guests will come
away from the production with more
than they anticipate.
“I think the audience will go in ex-
pecting to be entertained, but I think
If you go
What: “Things My Mother Taught Me”
When: 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, May 6 ,7, 13 , 14, 20 (sold out), 21; 2 p.m., Sundays, May 8,
15, 22. Doors open one-half hour before performances.
Where: The Little Red School House, 151 W. Locust St., Stayton
Cost: $15.75 adults, $12.75 ages 60+, $6.50 ages 4 - 12, free for those 3 and under. Tickets avail-
able via PayPal or at the door.
Contact: For information or tickets, call (503) 385-6635 or visit www.AumsvilleCommunityThea-
tre.com.
they’re going to end up laughing more
more than they thought they would,” he
said. “More than that, it’s also very
touching and something we can all
Co-director Shannon Rempel said the play is
all about growing up.
relate to. Life happens, and it’s about
how we deal with it.”
annetteutz1@gmail.com or follow at
twitter.com/AnnetteUtz
Winegrowers
Continued from Page 1A
vines, wine barrels and bottling equip-
ment, and representatives of wineries on
hand to explain their uses. Wineries in-
cluded AlexEli of Molalla, Aurora Cel-
lars of Aurora, Christopher Bridge of
Oregon City, Forest Edge Vineyard of
Oregon City, Hanson Vineyards of Wood-
burn, King’s Raven of Oregon City,
Pheasant Run of Aurora, Piluso Vine-
yards of Aumsville, Pudding River Wine
Cellars of East Salem, Silver Falls Vine-
yards of Sublimity, St. Josef’s Winery of
Canby, Villa Catalana Cellars of Oregon
City, Vitis Ridge of Silverton, Whiskey
Hill Winery of Canby and Wooden Shoe
Vineyards of Woodburn.
“I think it’s marvelous to bring all of
these wineries together and give people
a chance to taste wines from wineries
that they probably don’t get to visit,” Ma-
son Branstetter said.
“People don’t usually think of the East
Valley for wineries when they want to
visit wineries,” Marcia Branstetter said.
Brian Deckelmann from Vitis Ridge
was explaining an automated grape har-
vester to Betty Larsen as she marveled
at the huge piece of machinery. Nearby,
Sean Driggers of Pudding River Wine
Cellars was pouring samples of pinot
noir from barrels and explaining his
wine to Mason and Marcia Branstetter.
Clint Burfitt of Salem came with
friends to enjoy wines, the drive and the
weather. Burfitt said he enjoys wines but
has never been to the wineries in the East
Valley. “I think the great thing about
coming to this event is that there’s a huge
variety of the same wine (pinot noir) and
you can taste them all and compare,” he
said.
Chris Coon of Salem came with his
wife because he had read about the event
in the Statesman Journal.
“I’ve tasted a few of these wines be-
fore, but there are some newcomers and
we wanted to check them out,” Coon said.
Vitis Ridge’s Brian Deckelmann explains an
automated grape harvester to Betty Larsen.
More online
To find out more about the Cascade Foothills
Winegrowers, about its member wineries and
events, go to cascadefoothillswine.com.
“I like it a lot and I like the fact that it’s in
the Festhalle and that all of the wineries
are here — and someone close to each
winery or involved in making the wine is
here pouring for the wine. So you get to
learn a lot about the wineries.”
“This event is our coming out ball, so
to speak,” said Jason Hanson, owner of
Hanson Vineyards and also president of
the Cascade Foothills Winegrowers.
The association had sold about a hun-
dred tickets through its website before
the event and about hundred people just
showed up and purchased tickets at the
door, Hanson added.
“We didn’t know what to expect but
we’re pretty happy with the turnout of
200,” Hanson said.
After 15 years as the East Willamette
Wineries Association, the group started
a conversation two years ago as some
members felt like the term East Valley
was generic.
“It wasn’t descriptive of who we are,”
said Hanson. “So we spent a year soul
searching and brainstorming and
worked with Ferment Marketing and
thought that the name Cascade Foothills
Winegrowers was apt. We’re in the foot-
PHOTOS BY VICTOR PANICHKUL/STATESMAN JOURNAL
Cascade Foothills Winegrowers poured wines for visitors at their launch party at the Mt. Angel
Festhalle.
Mike Hinds of Hanson VIneyards visits with a
guest at the WInegrowers launch party.
Jason Hanson visits with Manny Rodrigues,
owner of Creekside restaurant in Silverton.
hills of the Cascades and we’re all wine-
growers,” Hanson said. “We’re small
family farms growing grapes and mak-
ing wines.”
“We’re trying to create more of a wine
culture in this part of the valley, and to
also create awareness that there are win-
eries here,” Hanson said. “That’s the or-
ganization’s mission.”