Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1980)
[Low item on totem-pole CLACKAMAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARCHIVES Drama head sees vision of arts center “innovative” structure. “There is a set of ‘ed specs,’ educational specifications,” he says, “and I’ve been involved in their development. I’ve been looking around (for the best ideas) both here and abroad, for several years.” The building portrayed in ar chitectural terms in the “ed specs,” would be unique, ac cording to its booster. Shields’ voice takes on a near reverence as he describes it. “The bits and pieces of this Concept exist,” he says, “but nobody actually has it yet. The design is the ‘black box’ prototype.” Eighty-five feei square and approximately 55 feet high, the structure would be similar to a large gymnasium, says Shields, but with the capability of ex tremely flexible seating arrangements. It could house 400 people, in either presidium (“audience on one end; stage on the other ), arena (“stage POUND—Worker tends to new science facility. Photo by surrounded by audience”), or stadium (“audience on both Ramona Isackson. [Second in a series need against need. “I’m not sides of the stage”), seating Illy Sandy Carter sure there’s any way to styles. Or, it could be quickly Ki The Print measure the relative value of converted by ceiling-hung, mobile baffles into soundproof, [ How does Jack Shields, these things,” he muses. lead of the College drama He owns up to his bias in pie-shaped quarters, creating lepartment, react to the fact favor of the performing arts four meeting-room type areas, ■at the performing arts center, center, saying reflectively, “If it each with the capacity to seat I dream project that has taken were my job, I might have 75. Terming the technology of ihape primarily out of his work done something differently. nd research over a period of But then again, I may not have the flexible seating modules “moderately expensive,” the ■even years, is low item on the all of the information.” college’s building priority Adding that College man with the dream adds that item -pole? President John Hakanson consultants have indicated that I The large man behind the agrees with him that a larger the innovative structure of the lurly black beard leans back in theater is something “we’ve present ‘ed specs’ could be lis chair as he considers the needed for a long time,” built at “about the same cost” ■uestion. “Dammit,” he says, Shields expands on the as the traditional, fixed-seating ■ith a wry grin. “There’s no multiple purpose design of the style of facility. [uestion about the need for a building he has in mind. He The administration, mean ■eater. It’s way past time for stresses its potential as a con lie College to take its rightful cert hall, permanent art gallery while, has spoken of plans to conduct a countywide survey lace as the cultural center of and meeting center. As he talks about his visions of cultural needs. Shields sup le county.” ■ Weighing his words of the performing arts center, ports the idea, saying “A sur jarefully, Shields discusses the listener can see stored vey may help us redefine. We ■her present and future needs images of years of may be talking about two ■ the institution, which have traveing—searching for the spaces: a concert hall and a ten evaluated by the Long perfect theater —crossing theater. But there’s no doubt lange Planning Committee before his eyes. Shields spent we need a theater. Entering Ind the administration and last summer in the British Isles, McLoughlin Theater is like en laced before the theater com- putting 8,000 miles on his car, tering ä concrete bunker.” lex in the time frame of future visiting more theaters of all Shields says several in lilding needs. shapes, sizes and descriptions I Acknowledging the need for than the average playgoer sees dividuals on campus suggested that there may be private sector ■wary expansion and in a lifetime. ■location of student health He describes the proposed monies available for the arts tvices, the drama instructor performing arts center, now center if need is proven by the tphasized his understanding tentatively scheduled to be built survey. Private and federal ■ the difficulty of weighing in the 1985-87 bennium, as an foundations, according to him, are other possible avenues to funding the project. But the survey must come first, he says. “If we can’t rely on foun dations and that sort of thing, then it (the tentative time-frame for construction of the center) probably couldn’t be speeded up.” Asked if he felt the College location is suitably central for the purpose of serving as a county cultural center, Shields indicated that it is possible that the proposed facility wouldn’t actually be on campus. He cautioned that speculation is pointless until the survey is done. Unfortunately, as in all con struction projects, passage of time means increase in cost. Shields puts the original pricetag on the performing arts project at “under $2 million four years ago.” Now, he says, best estimates put the figure closer to $5.5 million. Like some sort of migratory bird, instinctively winging his way across the ocean each year, Jack Shields plans to teach this summer, so that he can return to the British Isles next fall. He intends to learn theater management at the elbow of the manager of the Clwyd County Theater, in Wales. But right now, Shields is back home in his familiar bunker: a man awaiting the realization of his vision. Unless the vision is given an assist by a groundswell of public cultural support, or unless a fiscal miracle takes place, the per forming arts center vision must w|ft at least five more years. ROCKET MAN—Students oversees making of missile parts for Estacada’s entry in the nationals. Six machine shop three- and four-term students spent class time plus 6 to 11 hours overtime completing the parts. Those students were: Ed Grauw, Howard Lillie, Richard Parker, Mike Shannon, Dale Troutman and Henry Secrist. Photo by Duffy Coffman. CLACKAMAS COMMUN i T t kchives centimeters Colors by Munsell Color Services Lab