The Clackamas print., May 28, 2003, Image 1

Inside
Opinion...... 3
Feature...... 4
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Sports........ 7
The
Clackamas
lackamas Community College • Oregon City, OR • May 28, 2003 • Issue 19 • Volume 36 • http://www2.clackamas.edu/theprint
7
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When: May 29-31 at 7 p.m.
June 1 at 2:30 p.m.
Cost: $5 for students & seniors,
$8 general admission
Of thQ
ROBB EGAN Clackamas Print
Mike (Matt Morrison) hovers over sister Beth (Dawnie Drebin), promising to protect her and seek revenge on her abusive husband in ‘A Lie of the Mind. ’
Talented, versatile cast gives sincere
performance of controversial drama
Shadra Beesley
Editor-in-Chief
When it comes to taking risks and
resenting well-done, hard-hitting
irama, the Clackamas theatre depart-
nent has outdone itself.
After last term's hilarious rendi-
ion of "Lend Me a Tenor," it is sur-
trising to see that the same group of
teople can also produce a serious,
:ontroversial drama with just, as
nuch talent and believability. "A Lie
)f the Mind" is an enticing, shocking
story about two families brought
together by the marriage of their chil­
dren.
In the opening scene Jake (Tom
Cavanaugh) calls his brother Frankie
DEAN WALCH Contributed
Damien Norwest adds a
little comic relief as Baylor.
F ive day
FORECAST
C ourtesy
of weather . com
(Bob Alsman) from a payphone, and
Jake says he has beaten his own wife
to death. From there, the audience is
taken to a hospital room where Beth
(Dawnie Drebin) lays, not dead, but
badly brain-damaged. Beth's brother
Mike (Matt Morrison) sits in the hos­
pital room, telling Beth that he'll take
care of her and that he will protect
her from Jake from now on. Through
her bandages, Beth tells him in awk­
ward, mumbled sentences that she
still loves Jake.
"He's my heart!" Beth says.
Except for these and a few other
early scenes, the play takes place
entirely inside the houses of the two
families. The set actually plays a key
role in the play. Jake's childhood
bedroom and Beth's parents’ living
room are built on two separate, mov­
able platforms. This made it possible
for each scene to take place much
nearer to the center of the stage than
would have been possible otherwise.
It also provides a way for a few sur­
realistic scenes to come to life in an
interesting way.
As usual,* the acting is superb.
Cavanaugh, Drebin, Morrison,
Damiori Norwest and Jayne Stevens
have all been seen on the
McLoughlin stage multiple times.
All five actors display their talent and
experience fantastically. The rest of
the cast is made up of Bekah Finch,
Cindy Smith-English and Alsman.
These three actors have large roles to
Wed May 28
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fill, but all are up for the challenge.
In her lead role as Beth, Drebin's
portrayal of the injured character is
realistic and heartfelt—no surprise
coming from Drebin. As Clackamas'
artist in residence, Drebin is required
to perform in every stage production,
which has benefited the shows on
campus. Her presence brings a whole
new level of talent to college theatre.
As Jake, Cavanaugh has the
unique challenge of working mainly
in a costume that covers far less than
the typical male is comfortable with,
but he presents his role with confi­
dence and nonchalance, bringing the
intimidating,- uneducated, jealous
husband to life.
With conviction and feeling,
Morrison plays a shockingly scary
character. His performance as Mike
received many well-deserved com­
pliments from audience and stage
crew members after the show.
"You were really scary," Annie
Rimmer, light technician, said to
Morrison on his performance.
Norwest portrays a man much
older than himself with surprising
accuracy and credibility. Norwest
plays Beth's father, Baylor. His gruff,
overbearing demeanor adds some
comic relief, but also a lot of
heartache to the show.
The role of Baylor's wife, Meg, is
played by Stevens, who also serves
as costume assistant for the produc­
tion. Stevens depicts the sweet,
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naïve, slightly mentally-handicapped
mother brilliantly, creating one of the
most lovable characters in the show.
Alsman turns Frankie, the loyal
yet disapproving brother, into a real
person. In his quest to discover
whether Beth is actually dead,
Frankie takes a bullet to the leg.
Alsman meets the challenge of play­
ing a debilitated character with unin­
terrupted sincerity.
Another new face on the main
stage, Bekah Finch, plays the prag­
matic, level headed sister to Jake,
Sally. Finch's charismatic presence
on the stage adds another level of
depth to the show.
As Lorraine, $mith-English plays
a loud, ridiculous mother who is
completely blind to her son's faults.
Smith-English has performed profes­
sionally in Portland for over 20
years, and her experience and insight
are apparent in "A Lie of the Mind."
The play runs May 29-31 at 7
p.m. and June 1 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets
are $5 for students and seniors, $8
general admission.
DEAN WALCH Contributed
Beth (Dawnie Drebin, left) avoids the watchful eyes of
her brother (Matt Morrison) and mother (Jayne Stevens).
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