Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1988)
Technical theatre crew shines Behind scenes at ‘ Happiest of the Three’ by Michelle Walch Staff Writer Photo by Julio Church Mountaineer uses Randall Hall to practice climbing. Students leam to climb every mountain bv Lisa Snider Staff Writer_________________________ Every Tuesday and Thursday night in Randall Hall, instructors Gary Nelson and Ron Theod have students climbing the walls. It may sound like a calculus or physics class, but it’s not. Instead of climbing the walls out of frustration, the students in moun- tineering are climbing out of determination. Located in the Randall Hall, the gym, SE and SW stairwells are practice areas for aid and free climbing. Both stairwell walls are designed to be climbed by using strategically placed hand and foot holds. Aid climbing, in the gym and SE stairwell, uses artificial means for the climber to make progress. In free climbing, the climber is unassisted. Safety harnesses are used in both types of climbing to prevent injury. Gary Nelson, music teacher and acting chairman of the music department, started the moun taineering classes and practice areas five years ago after seeing some similar facilities in Wales. An experienced climber for 12 years and president of World Wide Expeditions Inc., Nelson said that originally the college wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of a mountaineering class, But with the support and enthusiasm of Chuck Adams, also a moun tainclimber, the program was able to get off the ground. March 2,1988 The practice areas have been built and planned entirely through Nelson, Theod and students. The class’ lab fee covers the basic cost of rope and other essentials, but the financing of the routes has come from Nelson and students. Nelson said that he believes he has sunk $4000 in per manent structure for the facilities. With the lab fee, Nelson said that believes he can break even in 10 years. The original focus of the class was rope management skill. This has progressed into the current class focus of learning to develop safe climbing skills. Both Nelson and Theod were quick to point out the moun taineering as very much a per sonal sport where the climber determines and sets his or her own goals. Of the 500 students in the past five years, Nelson and Theod have taught all ages and abilities including blind and one- armed and one-legged climbers. Nelson said that he felt that the practice facilities are not just for young and fit enthusiasts. He said that he sees it primarily as a place for people to leam and maintain mountineering skills as part of a ■-life time avocation. He said that the practice area gives climbers reason to work out and also an observable gauge of ability. It’s a good judge of fitness, he said, and it’s an excuse to get back in shape. You go to a play. The actors act. The effects are in effect. At the end of the play, the actors take a bow. What about the lights, the sound, and anything else that goes on? It looks like the actors did it. They had some help. Let me introduce to you those who keep the show going: Keith Fleschner, Stage Manager; Pamela McConnell, Properties and Set Decoration Assistant; M. Leigh Hagen and Dona C. Miller, Make Up Assistants; Melissa Olmsted, Sound Design and Engineering; Ron Theod, Lighting Design and Engineering; Lisa Hartenstien, Costume/War- drobe Assistant (to Merril Lynn Taylor); and David Smith- English, Technical Director, and Director/Costumer, Merril Lynn Taylor. Producing a play is probably more complicated than many people expect. “During rehear sal, I keep things running smoothly,” said Fleschner of a stage manager’s job. “I feed the actors lines and keep in contact with the lights, props, and sound crews. I will call cues and open and close curtains.” Making ends meet gets a little tricky, as Fleschner explains, “I can’t see said. “It’s a fun job and you get (what’s going on on stage) and to be creative. The hardest part is the technical people can’t hear,” to pull things together. The most so the crew relies on one another interesting thing to find was a to keep the show going. “It’s a stag’s head. I had to go to a few big team sport,” as Fleschner taxidermists to get one. I set describes it. “The crew is cast things up and ready foK^e actors when the characters are cast. and then put them awa/and There are a lot of people who packed for the coast (Carhion have been here before - this is my Beach’s Coaster Theatre). People second term here.” don’t realize what a big job it is.” When asked of his own stage How do you like working with experiences, Fleschner suggested Merril Lynn? “I really like her, it was not his hand, and finds she’s easy to work with, really “backstage work satisfying,” focused, and open to and a chance for some creativity. suggestions.” “There’s imagination in what we While loitering backstage and do.” asking people for interviews, I Melissa Olmsted’s duty with often heard remarks like, “Inter sound is to set the mood of the view Ron, he’s the guy who play. “I’m getting a lot of upbeat makes the theatre work.” Who is French music to add even more this elusive Ron? Ron Theod, the silliness to the play because it’s a guy who does lights. “I’ve been farce,” Olmsted explained. In infatuated by the illusion,” quest for music for this play Theod said of his interest in Olmsted had to, “look for music technical work. “I don’t act. I that fits the time and place, and feel pressure, but it’s a lot easier put it through the sound system. than acting. It takes a tremen The hardest part is integrating it dous amount of time as any ac- into the play.” ‘itor.” Pam McConnell handles Theod has two associates of props, along with the part of sciences, two certificates of com Hemance’s Aunt. “Merril Lynn pletion in different areas from wants the set to look elaborate CCC, and is assistant teacher in and wealthy. Anything that’s on another program. stage, I set up. Anything besides Any parting words? “Come set and costume,” McConnell 1 see the play.” Student dancer takes craft to heart by Michelle Taylor Staff Writer _______________ “I use a lot of emotions when I dance,” Karen Dudley, a freshman here at CCC, said when she was asked what she likes most about dancing. Karen has been doing ballet since the age of eleven, and modpm dance for five months. Karen said a major motivation to start dancing was that her great aunt was a ballet dancer and she was influenced by her. When ask ed why she has continued dancing all of these years she said it was “just because I love it, it’s something I can call my own.” Karen is now taking lessons at Ballet Oregon, and practices bet ween 12-15 hours a week. She is also taking a modem dance class here at CCC. At the present time Karen is in volved in the production of the Easter dance. This production is being produced by Jane Ricken- baugh, a ballet and modem dance instructor here at CCC, and Ken Auldrigh. Karen is going to have a large variety of dances in the work. In one dance she will be a man. In another dance, the “Egg Dance” she will have to dance blindfolded over a cross lined with eggs and not break any. “I don’t see how I’m going to do it,” Karen said while describing the dance. She said she enjoys learning liturgical dance, the kind of dance being performed in the “Easter Dance.” “It’s a différait kind of dance, it’s like some I’ve never done before,” Karen commented (dance) lets me be creative, (it) when asked about the dance. relieves stess.” Karen says she loves “How it pitota by Bath Coffey Karen Dudley finds creativity in dance. P«ge9 • v V-nA*