community
february28
Vernonia Community Theater Profiles: Part 3
Getting Involved in Community Theater
The Vernonia Community Theater (VCT)
was formed in 2010 with the intention of
bringing the performing arts to Verno-
nia. The VCT and their productions in-
volve both youth and adults and provide
a creative outlet for members of the Ver-
nonia community to express their artis-
tic talents. In this series of profiles over
several months leading up to the VCT’s
third production this April, Vernonia’s
Voice will visit with key members who
make up the VCT.
The Vernonia Community The-
ater has announced their newest produc-
tion, Vaudeville’s My Home, which is
scheduled to hit the stage in the Wash-
ington Grade School Auditorium on
April 13 and 14 at 7:00 PM.
The play, written by Ken Brad-
bury, is a semi-musical comedy set in
the 1920s. It starts out with two vaude-
ville troupers who are fleeing New York
following their robbery of a theater box
office. They become stranded in a rural
village that needs a new school (does
this sound familiar?). Broke and hungry,
the men devise a plan to swindle the lo-
cal populace by convincing them they
have enough talent to produce their own
vaudeville show to raise money for that
new school.
This event will probably be one
of the last public activities to take place
at the historic Washington Grade School,
which is scheduled to be de-constructed
after this school year.
The VCT draws a varied and in-
teresting mix of actors and actresses to
participate in its productions and has un-
covered some real local talent. In one of
their previous efforts, Robin Hood, the
VCT used a cast made up entirely of chil-
dren. Their holiday play, Expose’, Holi-
day Celebrities Tell All was filled with
hilarious skits and great costumes. Many
of the roles in their current production
are filled by community members with
very little or no previous acting experi-
ence. A few have some very real theater
background and training.
This production of Vaudville’s
My Home will stretch the talents of the
VCT even further. As a musical there
is a need to find actors with even more
skills and experience.
And of course, the VCT isn’t
just made up of actors—it’s takes a
whole village to put on a play. There is
a need for all kinds of behind the scenes
help--from set design and construction
to costume creation, lighting and sound
and of course, direction.
Vernonia’s Voice stopped by to
view an early practice session, and chat
a bit with some of the actors and actress-
es who will be taking the stage in April
for the VCT and find out who is getting
involved in local community theater in
Vernonia.
Jill Hult— This is Jill’s first time work-
ing with VCT. “This is the first chance
that I had time to get involved,” says Jill.
Jill has a strong supporting role in the
upcoming production and will play Elo-
ise Findley, an older woman who has a
key role in the story.
In the past Jill performed in a
musical, “Anything Goes,” when she
was a freshman here at Vernonia High
School. In college in Mississippi she
had a lead role in “Play It Again, Sam.”
She also has taken some college classes
that involved some acting practice, but
has no previous community theater ex-
perience.
“That’s why I think I jumped
at this opportunity,” says Jill. “I’ve al-
ways enjoyed the things I’ve been in and
enjoyed playing around with acting in
classes, So to finally have the time to
do it again is nice. I really want to see
this be successful and see more people
get involved.”
Jill says she thinks this is a great
play. “It’s hilarious and very fitting for
our town and the time and things we are
going through right now,” says Jill. “It’s
funny with a lot of slapstick comedy.”
Mackenzie Brown—Mac is a recent
graduate of Vernonia High School and
is studying Music at Longview Com-
munity College. He played Cupid in
the VCT’s 2010 production of Expose’,
Holiday Celebrities Tell All. “I tried out
for a much smaller role, but they con-
vinced me to take a bigger part.” says
Mac about his last experience with VCT.
The same thing happened again
this time—because of a busy school
schedule, Mac was looking for a small
part, but ended up with one of the two
lead roles and will play Clyde Fish, one
of the con men in the story.
Diana Peach—Diana was a theater
major as an undergraduate at Millbury
College in Vermont. She has performed
Shakespeare and sang in the chorus of
several musicals (“I don’t have a great
WELLER & SON’S
STEVE
HM: 503-429-3400
CELL: 503-313-9006
SELF LOADER
LONG LOGGER
CUSTOM LOGGING
DENNIS
HM: 503-429-2810
CELL: 503-313-9044
1264 G ST.
VERNONIA, OR 97064
O.P.L. CERTIFIED
O.P.L.H. CERTIFIED
ROAD BUILDNIG
LAND CLEARING
EXCAVATION
reach thousands of potential customers
advertise here!
email us: ads@vernoniasvoice.com
call us: 503.367.0098
2012
9
voice,” she says). After college she did
some work in local community theater,
but then decided to start a family. “Fam-
ily and rehearsal don’t go real well to-
gether, so I haven’t done any theater
since.” It’s been about thirty years since
tion along with a musical number with
her acting family.
“I think it will be fun and fun-
ny,” says Brianna about Vaudeville’s
My Home, although she says her part is
“kind of serious.”
Diana was on stage in a theater produc-
tion.
Diana will play Mrs. Gagliano
in this VCT production. “I think I was
the only one who could do an Italian ac-
cent,” she laughs. Diana says it’s not a
big part but it is really fun. Her role calls
for her to play a “loudmouthed, obnox-
ious, country woman” which I thought
might be a bit of a trick for diminutive
and usually soft spoken Diana. “No, I
can be very loud,” she says, “and I get to
do a lot of sight gags. I’m practicing my
Italian accent around home,” she adds.
Diana likes the script the group
is working with and likes the minor
changes that have been made to make the
story more Vernonia oriented. “There
are some things that are not supposed to
be funny in the script, but when they are
changed to be Vernonia references, they
become pretty funny,” says Diana.
John Wacker—John is new to the Ver-
nonia community, having just moved
here this past August. John retired in
2008 and spent three years traveling
around the country before returning to
his home state of Oregon and landing in
Vernonia.
“I read about the auditions and
this is something I’ve always wanted to
try, so here I am,” says John about land-
ing a lead role in this VCT production.
“It was on my bucket list—not real high,
but now I’ll be glad to get it off.”
John says he no previous theater
experience. “Not even in grade school!”
says John. “I never would have stuck my
hand up and volunteered to be in a play,”
says John. John was a school teacher, so
he is comfortable in front of an audience,
even a hostile one.
John, who has one of the lead
roles, has one big hurdle to overcome
for this musical—he says he doesn’t
sing. “My first wife kicked me out of the
church choir she was directing,” he says
with a laugh. “They needed people and
I said I would help out—I lasted three
weeks and then she told me they didn’t
want me!” The VCT group has commit-
ted to teaching John to sing for his role.
“I’m looking forward to it,” says
John about acting in VCT. “This is what
I wanted to come to Vernonia for—to get
involved in the community a little bit.”
Brianna Gardner—Brianna is an
eighth grade student at Vernonia Middle
School and is thirteen years old. For this
VCT production she will play twenty-
two year old Imogene McDowell, who
falls in love with one of the two con
men, Clyde Fish.
Brianna says previously she had
a role and singing part in a sixth grade
musical and this will be her first expe-
rience working in community theater.
She will sing a duet in this VCT produc-
Sick or Cranky Firearm? I Can Help!
flean, Lube, Safety fhecks & Repair
All Work Fully Guaranteed
The Gun Doctor
NRA fertified, ORE foncealed farry
Permit instructor
(503) 475-3563 fell
http://www.wolfgangthegundoctor.com/
Wolfgang@WolfgangTheGunDoctor.com
We saddle shoe. Do you?
Muffy’s
950 Bridge Street
Vernonia, O8 97064
503.429.5050 or 866.524.5050
www.muffys.com
World Headquarters Vernonia, Oregon
Grey Dawn Gallery
879 Bridge St. (503) 429-2787
Photography - Bronze
Jewelry - Glasswork
Pottery - Custom Framing
www.greydawngallery.com
Featuring the finest in northwest art
