6
Clackamas Print
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Arty
ntertainment
I believe in ‘Yesterday’
Liz Travers
I The Clackamas Print
“The first audience is like
[your] training wheels,” said
Kelly Renee Miller, who plays
Mrs. Hedges in the Theatre
Department’s production of
Garson Kanin’s play, Born
Yesterday.
However, this cast definitely
didn’t need any training
wheels.
Born Yesterday debuted on
Thursday night at 7 p.m. The
lights came up at 7:03 p.m. to
a beautifully crafted hotel set,
complete with railings, foyer
and a chandelier.
Each character makes his or
her appearance with flair, from
Harry Brock (played by Matt
Morrison) to the maid in the
first scene (Jennifer Whitten).
The story starts out with
Brock coming to Washington,
DC to buy a governor (played
by John Schmidt). He is a
devious, selfish, self-centered,
arrogant snake played perfectly
by Morrison. It appeared that
Morrison had absolutely no
trouble learning the part as he
swaggered across the stage,
barking orders at his cousin,
Eddie Brock (played by James
Sharinghousen).
Bille Dawn is Brock’s
girl in the story. She is
sweet and naive, and has no
sense or manners. Played by
• POETRY
• CREATIVE NON-FICTION
• SHORT FICTION
• LITERARY ANALYSIS
- Open to students at Clackamas, Mt. Hood, and Portland
Community Colleges
- Postmark deadline: May 1 st, 2007
- Contest sponsored by the Thomas Binford Endowment for Writing
- Submission details: www.marylhurst.edu/writingcontest
- Writing scholarships and classes, call 503.699.6268
r
FIRST PLACE WINNER: $ 100, a free 3 credit Marylhurst
University English Literature and Writing class, publication in
Marylhurst's M Review.
SECOND PLACE WINNER: $100
THIRD PLACE WINNER: $50
• US News & World Report BEST COLLEGES 2007
"Number one in the Northwest for small classes"
MARYLHURST UNIVERSITY
JUST 10 MINUTES SOUTH OF PORTLAND
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities accredited
17600 PACIFIC HIGHWAY (HWY. 43) MARYLHURST, OREGON
Serving students since 1893.
I THE D-FñD
Heather Ovalle, she gives the
impression of being as dumb
as a bag of hammers, but
as the story progresses, her
shallow exterior cracks, giving
a glimpse of the intelligent
woman underneath.
Every character in the show
has a depth to him or her that
isn’t seen until much later.
The reporter, Paul Verrall
(played by Mark Polendey),
starts off being a little devious
after he takes on the project
of refining Dawn for Brock.
As the lessons continue, Dawn
begins to understand the power
of knowledge as Verrall falls
in love with her.
The costumes, which were
fashioned for about 1946,
were just great. The hotel staff
(played by Jennifer Whitten,
Dawn Quick and Emily
Yakoola) had very authentic-
looking uniforms, complete
with brass buttons and bellhop
hats.
For some of the cast, this
was their first show. Quick
and Yahoola have both been
involved in theatre before.
“I got talked into it,” said
Quick.
Sharinghousen, a
little
newer to the stage, said, “I was
threatened with naked mole
rats.”
Born
Yesterday
will
continue to run through March
11. For more information, or
for tickets, contact the Theatre
Department.
Writing
Contest
www.marylhurst.edu 800.634.9982 *
1
By Jeff Sorensen
‘The Caiman’ repulses
Rachel Gillette
The Clackamas Print
Weighing in that die average
American knows very 1ittle Italian and
next to nothing about Italian politics,
77re Caiman was already playing to a
tough crowd.
Indirect tactics and drudgery were
not sufficient ways to win viewers
over.
The Caiman is a political, Italian
film directed by Nanni Moretti. It stars
Silvio Orlando as bumbling producer
Bruno Bonomo, who is watching his
production company and marriage
slip through his fingers.
Despite my lack of insight con
cerning corrupt Italian Prime Minister
Silvio Berlusconi, I managed to grasp
that he is a charismatic and likable
leader who held Italy in a headlock
by controlling the media, namely tele
vision. He has also been tried on
numerous accounts regarding extreme
financial discrepancies.
The jabs at die prime minister
would have been a decent plot if that
was the clear agenda of The Caiman.
It was hard to decipher if this was the
focus, or if we were to be empathiz
ing with Orlando’s character and his
woes.
His woes are plentiful, and Orlando
does a terrific job of tugging die heart
strings. He is a wonderfill lead with
witty, dry one-liners and honest inten
tions. His liability was die only draw I
felt to the film (aside from the hilarity
of the subtitles, in which “pajamas”
is spelled “pyjamas” and an “S” is
placed everywhere a “Z” should be).
Bonomo grapples for footing in his
waning marriage, trying desperately
to keep it together. His debt is over
whelming, and he pitches for a script
before he has read its entirety.
Only after the script is accepted
to be filmed does Bonomo realize
he is now producing a blatantly left
wing movie that aims to crucify Prime
Minister Berlusconi before Berlusconi
charms his way through the next elec
tion.
Powerfill leaders appear to be taboo
in Italy, and films that dare to show
them in an unfavorable fight are sim
ply unheard of. Unfortunately, there
is more mention of how these films
are never made than of the fraudulent
Prime Minister himself It would seem
that The Caiman was trying to inform
Italy of Berlusconi’s slimy nature, but
it only toyed with this concept and
never actually accomplished the feat
While struggling with whether I
was to care about Bonomo’s love
life or the roundabout at Berlusconi, I
somehow got lost and stopped caring
about both and waited for the lights to
come up so that I could give my best
death-stare to the lustful couple behind
me who kept kicking my seat
I think it’s fair to consider«
myself both a gamer and al
journalist, and I’m worried that«
a time is approaching where 1’11«
be forced to choose between I
the two.
I doubt I’m the first!
“gamer” to pursue “real jour-«
nalism,” but I’ve always seen I
this column as a way for al
“gamer” to offer insight on!
our culture for some readers I
who might otherwise be left«
unaware. Well, things are heat-1
ing up for gamers in the media I
again, and somebody has to I
say something about it
Roughly a month ago, 11
found a video clip from a Fox«
News affiliate in Milwaukee I
where they “reported” that it I
was possible for children to be 1
approached by sexual preda-l
tors using their Nintendo DS I
while driving down the high-1
way.
Luckily, die idea of some-«
body communicating with al
stylus (a small, pen-shaped!
object) while operating al
vehicle is absurd enough. I
never mind the fact that com-1
munication like that is impos-1
sible while the kid is plavingt
a game.
Then there was a story that I
CNN ran two weeks ago and I
disgusted me on multiple lev-1
els. The story was about a 15-1
year-old boy who, along with!
some friends, killed a home-1
less man and rubbed their own I
feces on his face.
CNN reported that the!
boy told police the beating«
“reminded him of a video«
game,” and without any expla-1
nation or further mention of!
gaming, the story continued.!
Now, anyone who reads the!
stoy will believe the kid was!
acting out a video game where!
the purpose is to kill a home-1
less man and mb feces on him!
... a game I’m almost positive!
doesn’t exist.
Which brings me to just«
this last week, where a trial«
began for a murder in Klamath«
Falls, Ore., of a 20-year-old«
man who killed a 15-year-old«
boy in a motel and blamed ®
on video games. The attorney«
said they’re just looking fix ®
sentence less than murder, an®
neither he, nor the Associate®
Press, nor the Medford NBC®
affiliate, gives a damn abo®
the effect this kind of reporn n®
will have on the public’s opin®
ion of video-gamers.
The reason I’m bringing®
these stories to light is because®
they are all high-profi le exam®
pies of how the media is fuel®
ling a new kind of discrim®
nation. Soon, gamers migh®
be expected to attend “anony®
mous” meetings, use separate|
bathrooms or even sit in th®
back of the bus!
Does that sound absurd®
Of course it does ... but it’s fa®
less absurd than the idea th®
I’m somehow' less of a per®
son or more prone to violent®
because of the way I choos®
to spend my free time. Medi®
outlets that recklessly portra®
gamers this way are the reasoi®
so many people think it’s oka®
to blame video games for th®
actions of psychopaths.
So, if forced to choose, I®
stick with my video game®
The things I’m capable of as a
journalist are much worse. I