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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1997)
4 Wednesday, May 21, 1997 Dragon boat races build emphasis on teamwork Dragon Boat Team Members CHRISTINA MUELLER Feature Editor In approximately two weeks 21 Clackamas women will paddle to a hope ful victory. The Portland Rose Festival will kick off soon with a number of events. The Dragon Boat teams have already be Bev Doolittle gun practicing, and they are off to a Maggie Pedersen good start. June 7 and 8,90 teams sponsored by Janet Baer different companies or organizations Lori Balbi will meet their match as they paddle down the Willamette River from the Mary Boyd Marquam to Hawthorne bridge in Down Liz Clark town Portland. Clackamas has its own team compet TonieCoe ing this year. The team consists of 21 Sharon DeBolt people who have completed one of the life and career options programs in the Carole Gaffey past. PatHedahl Two-thirds of the team are currently students at Clackamas. Kim Lockwood This is the second year that Jane McWilliams Clackamas has been involved in the races. The Clackamas foundation Debra Noles makes it possible for the college to par “Amy” Alice Perry ticipate by donating the $ 1000 entry fee. “The purpose of it is to build team Debra Schmidt work among these women,” said team Donna Snoke support person Maggie Pedersen. “There is team spirit being built. Joy Taylor People are supportive of one another Bonnie Thomas and concerned if a person doesn’t show up,” she continued. Pam Wheeler The team has been practicing three Kathy Wiltshire times a week since the second week in April in order to improve from last year's Jane Holcombe placing of second to last with a men’s and women’s team. “One of the big things is that people are losing inches around their waistline, and we’re building up stamina,” Pedersen explained. This is the second year on the team for Captain Bev Doolittle. “I like being in the water, being down town and having interaction with other women," she said Doolittle explained that the team is a way for her to do something she nor mally would not have done. She stresses the importance of the 15- minute exercises led by Donna Snoke, who is also a second year member. The exercises are needed to increase safety and prevent injuries. The team practices a number of drills during their practice sessions. One is a “power stroke.” First they make strong paddles then lighter ones. It’s a way of using 100 percent of their effort, then down to 70 percent and back up to 100 percent at the end of the race. The practices also help the women to get synchronized. “It takes a bit of everyone to get in unison,” said Doolittle. Jane Holcombe, the boat tiller, claims she has the best job on the boat. Al though the tiller seems to be the most fun position, it is poten tially danger ous.. It is Holcombe’s job to steer the boat clear of other boats and other ob stacles in the river. “I learn something new every day,” she shared. Holcpmbe must steer against stron ger currents from the wind and other The women prepare for a night of Dragon Boat practice on the Willamette River. Photos by Christina Mueller boats, such as pleasure boats. “Some aren’t as considerate as oth- ers, she said of the wakes some boats leave be- hind. Everyone on the team en joys their part in the prepara tion for and actual races of the dragon boats. “This is my sec- ond year and I still love it,” said Pam Wheeler. Many of the team members stress the teamwork of the activity. “It’s a great opportunity to be part of a team, setting goals and achieving them,” explained Sharon DeBolt. Deborah Schmidt said she looks for ward to practice and loves the exercise. “I got into doing this, and I didn’t know anybody. It was taking a risk, but it turned out good,” she shared. The actual races are done in heats of threeboats at a time. Doolittle keeps roll in order to determine who will race in each heat. She selects members accord ing to their amount of practice. It was a team decision that the racing would go to the members who put in the most ef fort by attending practices. Due to the small number of team members, everyone will probably com pete in all three races. However, the attendance encourages people to come to practice. Pederson explained that there will be a Clackamas tent set up at the races, and the team would like school sup port. Everyone is welcome to come and cheer them on. The musical Chess: now playing in Portland JOSEPH BALLAS Contributing Writer The musical Chess, by the Lake wood Theatre Company, is as appro priate for the 90s as Oklahoma! was for the 50s. Set in Bangkok and Budapest, this play, carried largely by its music, is thoroughly charming. The action is as fast paced as the music. You never feel the urge to rush out for a cookie while the lead croons an other melody. Rather, the music is almost “new age,” with synthesizers used through out. If anything, the music regularly overpowers the performance of the actors/singers. While the music is loud enough to drown out the lyrics of several of the songs, the audience never loses track of the story line. The 4 Wednesday, May 21,1997 actors and stage setting convey exactly. what is happening and how the story is progressing. Chess uses a championship chess match as a metaphor for the contrived political intrigue of the cold war. It not only plays off the gamesmanship be tween the United States and the USSR, but it also plays off the gamesmanship involved in marriage and love. Virtu ally everyone is a victim of the game. Love for the family competes for pas sionate love, and obligations are chal lenged by emotions. The protagonists exploit all these feelings to manipulate the participants in this game. Adair Chappell as Florence, the fe male lead, seems a little too'intense throughout the play. The most notice able weakness in her performance comes when the music overwhelms her voice. Gary Wayne Cash as Anatoly, the Russian chess master, is believable and suits the role of a Russian who dreams of freedom to play chess for the love of the game but ends up being a pawn in a larger game. Wade Williams is adequate as Freddie Trumper, the American chess champion, and does a credible job of conveying the "avirtues" of American greed and a belief in winning at any cost, as long as you make money. One of the best performances of the evening was given by Kellie Johnson as Anatoly's beleaguered and mis treated wife, Svetlana, The only real disappointment is that she had so few scenes in the play. Another strong characterization was developed by Rebecca Kimball as Ivana Molokov, the Russian's chess second and KGB guardian. From her clothing to her demeanor, she con Chess veyed the starkness of the Russian state as she sought to control — first directly and then by subterfuge W- the actions and choices of her charge, Anatoly. Stuart Cabe plays Walter Anderson, an unscrupulous American promoter who is really a CIA operative. He por trays, a thoroughly scurrilous charac ter and convincingly delivers.that im age through his actions, the tone of his voice and his facial expressions. The play flows smoothly, but never telegraphs exactly how the story will end. The actors are marvelously or chestrated as the director,-Stan Foote, expertly weaves music, dance, singing and scene changes into a mosaic that is wonderfully entertaining. Chess is well worth the $ 18 price of ad mission. It plays at Lakewood Center for the Arts, Lake Oswego, through June 14. • Chess is appearing at the Lakewood Center for the Arts In Lake Oswego. • Cost is $18 • The play runs through June 14 • The musical spotlights many actors and actresses Wade Williams, Kellie Johnson, Rebecca Kimball, Stuart Cabe and Adair Chappell. Volume XXX, Issue 26
