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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 2002)
8 October 16, 2002 The Clackamas Print Former student's art is on display of hei^smaller pieces entitled “Hair #1 ,” by collecting the hair out of her brush. She then kept it for a while before she knew exactly what she want ed to do with it. The long, connected maze of lines is what was constructed. This then led to the creation of “Hair #2.” It was com posed by the accumu lation of hair from all of the salons in Molalla. Not only is her work magnificent, but also Simmons herself is an extraordinary person. While waiting for her presentation to begin she took the LUKE MAHAN Clackamas Print time to talk to any body who wished, Practically all of Simmons’ art work is made after she collects natu including longtime ral materials. This piece, entitled “Hemp #2” is made of hemp fiber friend Bee Smith, who that has been glued together and shaped into rolls. met Simmons while So what’s next for Kate of her time working on. Everyday taking a ceramics class at the col Simmons? She just recently she works from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at lege. When complimented Simmons received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts two different jobs. On the weekends shyly blushes and turns her head. and would like to get her masters, she remains social with her family “One day she’ll be rich and famous though she is undecided on a and friends. Simmons’ art is on display in the and I can say I knew her when,” school. Smith tells an onlooker. With this But art is not the only thing that Pauling Gallery located outside of Simmons quietly chuckles and keeps Simmons busy. In fact, it is the lecture rooms. It will remain on embarrassingly looks the other way. probably what she spends the least exhibit until Dec. 2. A & ^Editor " Her work is constructed in a bam belonging to her parents in Molalla. Admirers will notice at first glance the time and effort put into each one of her pieces. They all seem as On Wednesday, Oct. 9, Kate though they would be quite tedious Simmons presented her artwork that to construct, but Simmons is very is going to be up on display in the passionate about her work. Many of her pieces may not be Pauling Gallery. Simmons, a former Clackamas student, has a number of recognizable as art until they are large and medium-size pieces, all of actually hung on the wall or dis which are crafted out of natural played in a case. Who would think that a grouping of rolled up scotch materials. To admire her work, you don’t tape would draw a lot of attention? even have to enter the Pauling build But it does. “There’s a lot of materi ing. Outside of the annex by the als out there to use,” Simmons notes. Community Center sits a set of size “You shouldn’t limit yourself.” able, welded wire pods that are rust The motivation for “Sticks #1“ came ed. This piece is also part of to Simmons while she was watching her mother prune their cherry tree. Simmons’ collection. Each of the branches stemming out from the center is actually a year’s worth of growth. “A lot of my work is about collecting materials,” Simmons Kate Simmons’ created her piece “Hair #2 says. She created one after collecting hair from different salons. ‘Exit the King’ receives a rave review Feature Editor When Imago actors can make me flashback to 10th grade Health and Wellness class clearly enough to remember the DABDA acronym and still send me home happy, you know something powerful has hap pened onstage. At times humorous but eventually sobering, the compa ny’s current project, the rarely-per formed “Exit the King,” is Eugene Ionesco’s painstaking look at the stages, of death: denial, anger, bar gaining, depression and acceptance. As if taken straight out of Elisabeth Kuebler-Ross’ treatise, King Bcrenger’s (director Jerry Mouawad) moods change as his confidence in his immortality erodes. He’s scornful when his grimly realistic Queen Marguerite (Carol Triffle) announces he will die “at the end of the show.” When confronted with the surrealistically rapid disintegration of his body and kingdom, he tries to cut a deal with no one in particular: “Let every human créature die but me. I’ll miss them quite sincerely!” Once you realize the play .con sists entirely of Berenger’s progres sion through these stages—and that doesn’t take long—the other actors become much more interesting. The servant girl Juliette (Amanda Wilkins), guard (Timothy Scarrott) and doctor (Song Kim) recall details from the king’s life, shedding light on a self-absorbed 400-ytar reign. The two queens, Marguerite and the romantic Marie (Tina Satter), exert opposite influences on Berenger. Marie indulges him, reassuring him that he can recover. Marguerite, who delivers her lines in an increasingly aggressive monotone, seems to take pleasure in the king’s frailties. She is Berenger’s guide to the end. The magic here is in what Imago has added to the text. Although Ionesco wrote in amusing anachro nisms, such as a modem wheelchair for what Ionesco called his “vague ly gothic” kingdom, it’s Imago’s own intercom, which the guard uses to give verbal press releases. Saber in hand, he bellows the updates he’s gleaned from conversation: “The charm of Queen Marie no longer casts its spell over the King!” and “Constellations old or new no longer interest King Berenger!” Dr. Johns Pub is throwing the biggest Halloween bash in Oregon City! Where will you be getting your groove on? Drink specials from 7-2a.m. Saturday, October 26 ■■ INTERNET PHOTO The sobering play “Exit the King" is now playing at Imago Theater and will run until Nov. 3. Another special Imago addition is the use of microphones to express the most personal part of a charac ter’s lines. Mouawad, who directed as well as acted, adopted the style “to create kind of a subconscious.” At best, the lines come across as the characters’ private thoughts. At worst, it’s merely extraneous. Most of the appeal of “Exit the King” is in the words. The stage is a bare, decrepit throne room; props are minimal and intentionally ridiculous. When the cast members finally move with any real haste, it’s exciting. “We were surprised at how much laughter there was,” Mouawad said in a meeting with the audience after the opening show. “It’s a really hard play. I think we just tried to do this play. We didn’t try to experiment too much.” “Exit the King” runs through Nov. 3 at Imago Theatre, which-is- located at 17 SE 8th Street in Portland. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $21 for senior/youth or $24 for adults. Do you like dancing in the moonlight? Well fancy that, so do we. Contact A&E Editor Jen Kane with entertaining events Barlow 104 ext. 2309 cccprint@clackamas.cc.or.us
