Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (April 10, 2002)
A&E The CL ac I camas P rint _____ L WedNEsdAy, ApRil 10, 2002 'Dirty Blonde' has all the fun SHADRA BEESLEY Staff Writer “When I’m good, I’m very good. But when I’m bad I’m better,” -Mae West. “Dirty Blonde” is a hilarious, quick-witted play by the Port land Center Stage, with themes including celebrity idolization, female empowerment and cross-dressing. I was fasci nated and surprised by this unique dramatic comedy by Claudia Shear. The physical elements of the play were pared down to emphasize the dimensions of the main characters: The set was stripped to bare walls and a few simple pieces of furni ture to ensure that spectators focused on the characters. The costumes displayed neu tral colors and simple de signs. Except, of course, for Mae West. Dripping with dia monds and wrapped in bright colors, West was the only vi sual spectacle present. Her flashy garb appeared espe cially outrageous surrounded by plain clothes and sets. Three actors portrayed all the characters in the show. Transitions between charac ters were performed bril liantly, each depicting mul tiple ages and personalities. Jennifer Taub played both Mae West and her biggest fan, Jo, adding depth and meaning to the play. Colin Thompson and Roy Abramsohn played all the male characters. The unconventional timeline of the play was interesting and complex. The setting shifted rapidly between several differ ent time periods, including the early 30's, the late 70’s, and present day. Near the end of the play, time shifted so quickly that past and current events seemed to happen at the same time. “Dirty Blonde” delivered 90 minutes of fast-paced dia logue and action. Every scene produced a new devel opment in the lives of the present-day characters or added history to the life of Mae West. There was no “down time,” just humor, drama, and character develop ment. To reach Shadra Beesley e-mail her at shadrab@hotmail.com or drop by B-104. —— Dirty Blonde Newmark Theatre Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Runs until April 14. OWEN (503) 274-6588 CAREY/PORTLAND CENTER STAGE Mae West, played by Jennifer Taub, is the centerpiece for glamour In "Dirty Blonde." Students contribute to Arbor Day celebrations left: Kate Yoder, a Clackamas student, bags fertilizer for trees that will be sent to local grade schools for Arbor Day celebrations. She prepared the tress In Clairmont Room 127 last Monday, April 8. In Oregon, Arbor Day is the first full week in April. The state tree is the Douglas Fir. Quick facts and quotes: "One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people." -U.S. Department of Agriculture "Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20 percent." -Management Information Services/ICMA "No shade tree? Blame not the sun but yourself."-Chinese Proverb Arbor Day has now spread beyond the United States and is ob served in many countries of the world. Th« CI ac I c AMAS ftiNT Everything you want in a newspaper and more.... SALENA DE LA CRUZ / Clackamas
