Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 1983)
Technical crews of ‘Androcles The playwright comes up with the ideas, the director molds them into reality, and the actors express the con cepts. But all of this is for naught without the technical assistance , of the crew. In theater parlance, the “crew” is the back-stage per sonnel. They are the ones who build thé sets, paint the “flats,” run the electrical boards and help mold the audiences “will ing suspension of disbelief,” all without the applause or, most often, the recognition they deserve. The crew for Clackamas Community College’s Winter term production of George Bernard Shaw’s “Androcles and the Lion” include costumers Lynn Myers, Dianna Hardy and Charisse Smith, properties people Donald Williams and Roger Nuffer, sound technician Jody Sherrill and the lighting crew of Neil Hass and Ed DeGrauw. Co-Stage Manager David Harvey Rounding out the crew are David Harvey and Roberta Ellsworth, the co-stage managers. “The stage manager is, like the title suggests, one who manages the stage,” Harvey explained- “The acting area, the off-stage ‘wings,’ tbe case and crew . . . everything.” Most shows do not need co-managers, but “Androcles,” by virtue of its large cast and crew (which, when combined, are called the “company,” and which number 26 people in this show) needs both Harvey and Ellsworth. “We’ve got more than 25 people working on this show, and it gets a little crazy back- stage,” Ellsworth said. Harvey has stage manag ed before. He worked on several shows while attending Molalla High School, and managed last year’s College production of “Monique.” However, stage managing is not an end-goal for Harvey, 20. He is an actor, singer, author and wishes to eventual ly try his hand at play-wright. “The trouble is, I hate doing dialogue,” Harvey admits. For the present, he is working on a fantasy novel. His first love is directing. He was the assistant director under Jack Shields for “M que.” Sheilds is the Colle chairperson for theater communications arts, and, the in-house director, is di ting “Androcles.” . Ellsworth has less perience in the theater dep ment. This is her first yea the College. “I guess a good desc tion for my job is goph Ellsworth,. 18, said. “My jc to keep track of people, make sure they’re here. A to just help out everyone much, as I can.” Unlike Harvey, who acted extensively at the I lege, Ellsworth is m fascinated in the technical of theater. “The ‘techie’ par terests me more and mo she said. “And so far, this s! is going great.” When asked if she w< rather be on stage, recei the applause, Ellsworth no. “I have some small intc in acting, but I’m scarec death of being on stage.” However, the size of “ drocles” has forced Ellswori swallow her fear. She plai Christian in the show, as c Myers delves into Androcles’ history By Barbara Bragg For The Print What is theater? A group of people who put on odd clothes and face-goop and cavort in front of hot lights and strangers, all the while spouting memorized words written by another stranger? For Lynn Myers its been an almost obsessive learning experience. Sure, she gets to cavort and wear the goop and garb in the College’s upcoming “Androcles and the Lion,” but as costumer she first had to deal with her curiosity: Did Androcles real ly exist? When? Where? Lynn’s curiosity was satisfied by more than 20 books addressing early Roman history in the College’s library. In Homan Life and Manners Under the Early Empire by Ludwig Friedlander she found that one Apio of Alexandria had testified of, and Claudius had recorded the story of, “An- droclus.” The Greek slave had once removed a thorn from a lion’s paw in Africa and, when he was thrown to the beasts later as punishment for being a runaway slave, the same now-captured lion recognized him and refused to eat him. In “Androcles and the Lion” Shaw has Androcles facing Christian martyrdom- -a Joan of Arc rather than a Dred Scott. Shaw has included two gladiators in his script, named Retiarius (played by Ed DeGrauw) and Secutor (played by Joseph Schenck). During Myer’s search to find descriptions of gladiator costuming she found that secutor and retiarius were two out of 14 classifications of gladiators. The retiarius’ weapons were always net and tri dent; the secutor was armed with the tradi tional short sword and shield. DeGrauw has already started practicing his net- throwing technique. Although Lynn Miller (Please see story, this page) has brilliantly designed the costumes to be made of foam rubber rather than bronze and carpeting in place of leather, they are historically based. As Myers said, “Once you get the correct historical reference, you take as much license as you want.” By letting the cast in on her finding Myers has progressed from learner to teacher. She doesn’t want to be the only one to know that Retiarius’ trident is historically correct. Miller designs Rorr By T. Jeffries Of The Print “I can’t think of one aspect of theater that I haven’t done,” said Lynn Miller, set designer for KATU TV and costume designer for the .Clackamas Community College theater presenta tion of Bernard Shaw’s “Androcles and the Lion.” The play, directed by Communica tion and Theater Arts Chairperson Jack Shields, is set in ancient Rome. “Jack and I are old friends. We were in many a show together. ‘Androclesxtakes a lot of armor and he knew I knew how to make it,” Miller said. The armor, for soldiers and gladiators, is being constructed of light weight foam rubber. The polyfoam is cut and the pieces formed with contact cement. “I don’t know of anyone else who uses polyfoam for armor,” Miller, 48, said. “A lot of these techniques I’ve in vented. I developed them during my years in puppetry.” Miller taught puppetry classes at the College in 1976. A graduate of Portland State University, Miller worked as the technical director for the Universi ty of Utah through the early 60’s. After wards he used his puppetry skills at the Ladybug Theater in the Washington Park Zoo for eight years, before coming to the College and then moving on to KATU. Researchist Lynn Myers Page 4 “I’ve worked at KATU for six years now,” Miller said. “I used to do ‘Sinister Cinema’ and for a short time I appeared on the old ‘Kidwitness News’ show.” As well as set design, Miller has also designed and built specialty costumes for commercials and demonstrations including giant bananas, giant telephones and ventril- quist dummy heads. Clackamas Community College