The Clackamas Print hZk
Wednesday, February 21,1996
Feature
Guest performer Lennie Edwards Getting to know
set to play lead role in CCC play your ASG President
Joel P. Shempert
Staff Writer
Several drama students, un
der the watchful eye of instructor
David Smith-English, met on
Feb. 14 for a rehearsal of the Ed
ward Albee play, The Lady From
Dubuque. Lennie Edwards joins
them as a guest performer, play
ing the role of a {Pivotal charac
ter. After warm up and-stretch
ing exercises, the players took
their positions and began rehears
ing Act 2.
Unfortunately, Edwards was
not in attendance, he is an instruc
tor at Jefferson High School who
was detained on school business,
he was expected to arrive some
time later. The clock was tick
ing, however; and a girl took the
stage with lines in hand to stand
in for Edwards.
As the rehearsal progressed
and the plot unfolded, the char
acters solidified and the story
came to life. Something, how
ever, was obviously missing. The
students were all quite capable
actors, but the story’s flow was
impaired somehow and at times
seemed to lack punch. The char
acter of Oscar, played by the
stand-in, had virtually no pres
ence and came across as awk
ward, erratic and at times even
annoying.
Then, at 4:30 p.m., Lennie
Edwards arrived. His lanky form
leaped on stage and he took over
his role. Immediately the char
acter gained new dimensions and
when they rehearsed the earlier
portions of the act, everything
became much clearer and fasci
nating. What had before been
interesting, but hard to follow, be
came compelling, entertaining
and dynamic.
The Lady From Dubuque is
the story of a dying young woman
and her friends. It also involves
the title character, who arrives
claiming to be the woman’s
mother, though the woman’s hus
band knows better. Edwards’
character, the Lady’s conspicu
ously black companion, is delight
fully eccentric and alive and car
ries most of the action. Thus, the
play suffered without Edwards’
abundant acting talent.
Surprisingly, Edwards has
had but a smattering of formal
acting experience, though he does
affirm that there is considerable
acting that he does every day.
Edwards, a teacher of Television
Productions and a linguist by
trade, has performed most of his
theater work at Jefferson High
where he teaches. He also per
formed several walk-on parts in
various productions during high
school and produced a video
around 1990 in which he played
a guidance counselor.
It could be said that Edwards
is self-taught as an actor, he
agrees that he comes by his abil
ity naturally. Edwards is defi
nitely a eharacter actor, which is
no doubt because he is such a
character himself.
In relating how he came to
play the role of Oscar, Edwards
confides, “I must admit that it’s
ordinarily not anything I thought
I would have done... but it’s been
very enjoyable working with the
students.” Edwards had not had
any contact with CCC and its sur
roundings at all, except hiking
and camping in the area. Until he
received the call from Smith-En
glish to play the part. He has now
come to enjoy familiarizing him
self with the college and its drama
department.
, As far as the work of Edward
Albee is concerned, Edwards con
fesses only cursory familiarity.
“I knew Edward Albee much
more by his reputation than his
work,” Edwards disclosed. He
had seen part of The Zoo Story
during high school, but the expo
sure didn’t reach much farther
than that. However, that doesn’t
mean Edwards doesn’t enjoy
Albee’s work. Very hopeful that
many people would come to see
The Lady From Dubuque,
Edwards asserts that “it’s an in
teresting play. I think that differ
ent people will get different things
from it. It’s not one-dimen
sional.”
The play opens on Feb. 29.
The actors are all talented and en
tertaining, and the rare opportu
nity to see Lennie Edwards in ac
tion is not to be missed.
-
r
1
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Photo by Lora Wahrgren
ASG President Mike Caudle says he ran for office
¡because he wanted to make a difference.
Brad Zimmerman
spare time watching C-SPAN (a
Assistant Feature Editor
political news channel), and
“I guess the reason I got into spending time with family and
it [ASG] was because I thought I friends. While Caudle is work
could make a difference. I’ve ing as ASG President, he attends
always had a desire to do what’s the “President’s Council,”
right. And, I’ve always had an headed by CCC President John
interest in politics...I thought this Keyser, where issues are first
could be a way to do both...to brought up and discussed.
have a positive effect on the po
After discussing any rel
liticai arena, as well as to help evant issues at the President’s
the CCC community,” said ASG Council, Caudle presents them
President, Mike
to the ASG for
Caudle.
further discus
it
Caudle is 19
sion and com
years old and has
ment.
After
been attending
ASG reviews
CCC since Fall of
the ideas, they
1994. Caudle de
are rehashed at
cided to go to
President’s
C C C , e v e n
Council.
th o ugh
One of the
Chemeketa was
many issues fac
closer to his
ing Caudle is of
-Mike Caudle, the
hometown of
alleged
ASG President statement about
Canby.
“The reason
——9 9 the faculty staff
that I decided to
member who re
come to Clackamas is two fold: putedly said that students ought
I’ve
always
considered to be graded down for behavior
Clackamas County my home. outside of class.
Also, I came up here and the girl
On Feb. 14, ASG sent a let
who gave the tour was real nice ter to the Faculty Association
to me.^.she was nicer than the President, asking for a public
lady at Chemeketa,” said Caudle. apology in relation to that al
He got involved in ASG dur leged comment
ing the winter term of 1995 by
“There are faculty here who
being elected as a senator and h^ve a lot of honor and are very
working on legislative issues. In big people...and there are a lot
the spring term of 1995 he was of faculty here who aren’t. I
elected as ASG President.
think that this is a microcosm
“Well I think that this ASG for politics in the state, and in
group is, in my honest opinion, the nation...There are people
a culmination of probably 16 of who are willing to take the lead
the best student leaders in the on some things. And then there
state...and that’s regardless of are the people who aren’t,” said
whether you’re talking about Caudle, when asked how he felt
community college student gov on Faculty Association’s refusal
ernment or four-year student to make the audio tape (with the
government,” said Caudle.
alleged comment) available to
Caudle spends his available The Print and ASG.
I’ve
always had
a desire to
do what’s
right.
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