FEATURE
Clackamas Community Collega
June 1,1988
Page 12
From the world of greasepaint and spotlights. ■..
From Santa to CCC, Shields’ career diverse
by Pat Eamon
Staff Writer
photo by Beth CoHey
Jack Shields, theater department head, spends his
summers working at the Cannon Beach Coaster Theater.
From his debut, playing Santa
Claus in the first grade,
Clackamas Community College
Theater Department head Jack
Shields has been immersed in the
exciting world of greasepaint,
spotlights and standing ovations.
For the past 10 years, Shields
has been involved in the Cannon
Beach Coaster Theater during
the summer, both acting and
directing. In the past 16 years,
the CCC Theater Department
has brought its Winter term play
there for performances each spr
ing break. Shields feels that the
most challenging summer was
that in 1985, when the theater
did four plays; he acted in two
and directed one Shields express
ed, “The hardest job I’ve ever
had was singing and dancing in a
demanding
musical
production.” He directed a com
edy titled “A Couple of White
Chicks
Sitting Around
Talking,” which he called “a
whale of a play.”
Some plays that Shields found
particularly challenging at CCC
were “A Comedy of Errors,”
performed in 1976, and
“Nightwatch,” in which an
equity actress took part. The set
requirements for this play were,
According to Shields, “really
quite staggering.” Another pro
duction that involved elaborate
setting was “The Secret Affair
of Mildred Wilde,” with multi
ple sets and props. Shields ex
pressed that the “space is so tiny
and hard (concrete)” that new
challenges are always being
presented. A problem with the
“77ze field of theater is so
vast, I don ’t think
anyone can know it aU.”
current space that Shields
pointed out is that it limits the
scope of the productions that the
theater department is able to put
on.
Shields knows what he’s talk
ing about when it comes to
stages; he’s been on many. Aside
from his work at CCC, Shields
has worked at the Coaster
Theater, Portland State Univer
sity’s theater, Portland Civic
Theater, and the Slab Town
Stop, a now defunct theater in
Northwest Portland. He has also
done a summer of repertory
theater at Reed College in the
early 1970*s, and worked for
Kaylee’s Playbox Players in the
Ladybug Theater for Children.
In comparing his work in both
college and professional theater,
Shields stated that he has a larger
task working in college with
coaching actors, a process that
he says he enjoys. When work
ing with professionals, Shields
finds that he can put more
energy into conceptual and fine
.tuning aspects,' which he states is
“also great fun”
As a director of productions
at CCC, Shields’ time is spent
coordinating rehearsals, being a
“clearinghouse” for materials,
coaching actors, and interpreting
material. Speaking as an actor,
Shields commented, “The most
fun in the process of acting is
establishing a rapport with a new
and unknown character.”
Whether acting or directing,
Shields feels that each produc
tion is a new beginning.
Despite all of his work here in
the theater, Shields feels that
there is still much left to learn.
He expresses, “The field of
theater is so vast, I don’t think
anyone can know it all.”
Vocal Jazz and Chamber Singers busy...
Choirs wrap up year, prepare for Australia journey
by Carte Hussey
Feature Editor
The CCC Vocal Jazz and
Chamber Singers groups have
made tremendous efforts
toward attaining enough money
to go to Australia this
September.
Unfortunately, they are still
about $23,000 short of their
goal. “It’s been an uphill battle
for fundraising,” said Lonnie
Cline, director of vocal ac
tivities, “The whole event has
been a learning experience as far
as what monies are available ...
it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot
of support out there, for
outstanding student groups to
travel and share what they have
with qther parts of the world.”
The groups have tried to raise
money in a variety of ways;
newspaper, bottle and can
drives/ many performances,
direct solicitation, writing
($200,000 worth of grant pro
posals (only $750 out of this was
given), gift book sales, coupon
book sales, and one student sold
his father’s original artwork in
the form of postcards. Future
fundraising may include a
phone-a-thon or a bowl-a-thon.
If the goal is not met through
fundraising then the balance of
the money needed will have to
come out of the students’
pockets. But, Cline assures,
“We’ll make it, we’ll go.”
As far as how the year went,
Cline commented that,
'“musically, we’ve been very
successful.” He feels that when
1 they perform in Australia,
“We’ll be extremely well
prepared... they’ll remember
uS.” The groups are very ex
cited about their upcoming trip.
“We’re very anxious to per
Australia Sister City Celebra
tion at George Rogers Park at 2
and 7 p.m. The guest artist for
that event will be Helen Reddy.
On the same day, the groups
will be performing at the
Carnegie Library in Oregon Ci
at 4 and 5 p.m. There are also
“We’re very anxious to perform, but we’re ty
some tentative plans for a tour
more excited when w ? consider the cultural kick-off concert around the
exchange in the clinic situations; it’s a way of third week of August.
Cline concluded that, “We
sharing with them what we know about music
appreciate each and every per
and what it means to us. ”
son within the student body and
The choirs are still accepting Band Classic; they will be the the staff who has shown sup
tax-deductable donations. closing act. The event will be port, especially President
These should be made out to the held June 9 and runs from 7-10 Keyser and his staff. I would
Clackamas Community College p.m. in the Arlene Schnitzer like to give my personal thank
Foundation.
Performing Arts Center. June you to John Hooley for the op
at 3 p.m. in the CC mall, admis 25, the Vocal Jazz and Chamber portunity to pursue this whole
sion is free but donations will be Singers will perform three selec project and I would also like to
accepted. The Vocal Jazz and tions; “Waltzing Matilda,” the give my personal thank you to
Chamber Singers will be Australian National Anthem my students.”
featured as guest artists for the- and the American National An
Portland Rose Festival Stage them for the Lake Oswego
form,” expresssed Cline, “but
we’re more excited when we
consider the cultural exchange
in the clinic situations, it’s a
way of sharing with them what
we know about music and what
it means to us.”
People are urged to read the
newspapers for upcoming per
formances. In the near future,
the Chamber Singers along with
the College Chorale and the
Wind Ensemble will present
their spring performance June 5
Students display artistic talent in the Pauling Gallery
by^MEamon
Pauling has sprung to life,
gaily decorated with everything
from Cubist-inspired' paintings
to soapstone carvings, work of
Clackamas Community College
students in the student art ex
hibit, running from May 19 to
June 9.
Les Tipton, jewelry and
sculpture instructor com
mented, “It’s enjoyable to have
a chance for the college to see
what the art department is do
ing.” The exhibit took three
weeks to coordinate, and is
composed of students’ works
from the past year.
A great variety of mediums
are displayed in the show, due
to the large turn-out from the
different art classes. Classes in
volved are painting, drawing,
sculpting,
jewelry,
photography, calligraphy, basic
design, art history, and
ceramics..
Criteria for the selection of
pieces being shown generally
varied from instructor to in
structor; one quality looked for
by most was a correspondence
between the attitude of the in
structor and the work of the stu
dent. Tipton stated that “We
try to show as many of the
students as we possibly can.”
About one-fifth of the submit
ted work was shown, and that
one-fifth was more than suffi
cient to fill the Pauling
“Gallery.” *•'
Tipton sees the exhibit as “a
chance for /the students to
become/ public-oriented.” He
pointed this /Out as a valuable
experience for students to
prepare for “being able to pre
sent themselves.” This includes
working oh a finished product,
and being able to ready it for
showing. Working on pieces for
the show was, he expressed, the
culmination of the processes
they had been involved with all
year; their knowledge and ac
quired skills came together to
form a cohesive product.
Students are also being given
the chance to see their works in
contrast to that of other people,
and learn something of the com
mercial that it might have.
The teachers and advisors
that worked to make this possi
ble are: Ellen Menefee, Lelend
John, Nancy Travers, Les Tip
ton, Diane Tipton, Rick True,
Mick Templeton, Fred Wilson,
and Bill Garnet.