6 The Clackamas Print
Arts Cultu
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Actors play at good and- ev
Dylan Marchek and Athena Folk demonstrate some of the intensity portrayed in the one-act plays they are involved in. Folk is the director of one of this
term’s productions, “Common Graves.” The age-old conflict between good and evil features prominently in both of this year’s plays.
By Nathan Sturgess
Associate Photo Editor
The theater students may have sold
their souls to the devil this term because
both of the one-acts that were put on had
to do with supernatural entities struggling
for victory over the other.
The first of the two is entitled
“Specimen” and was written by Michael
Gerber, the director of the theater depart
ment in David Smith-English’s absence.
The play was directed by Heather Ovalle,
the current artist in residence.
According to Annie Scharich, who
played the part of the devil in the one act,
it is a story about a woman who is going
Patrick Waller and Amanda Sutton both
about her normal activities when she is
suddenly whisked away into a teleologi played minions of the devil in this one act
cal game show where God and the devil and both mentioned how fun it was to be
use her as a means to decide the fate of a part of it but also how challenging it was
acting in the play’s first production. “It’s
humanity.
“She’s just getting a glass of milk and a world premiere. The blocking has been
then she’s suddenly on this game show. constantly changed. We’d learn one thing,
The devil is behind one door and God is come back another day and be told to do
behind the other door, and they make her different blocking. It was rough,” said
do all these things to see if the human race Waller.
Athena Folk directed the play and said
is worth saving,” said Scharich.
If that weren’t enough,- the second how apprehensive she had been about hav
one-act, entitled “Common Graves,” is ing to cast nine people for the play. “But
an abridged version of a script Jessica it’s worked for die best. We have a great
Sheppard has been working on for the last cast, and they love it. They love their char
five years, in which the devil and an angel acters,” she said.
Scharich, who also has a role in
play a chess game in a coffee shop, each
one trying to out-do the other as they each “Common Graves,” talked about how the
conspire to enlist converts to their side of play are different from the full length pro
ductions in that they allow for .more atten-
moral understanding.
tion to detail and characterization. I
“It’s short, so you have a lot ■
to work on a small amount of stufl
can work through it really thoroil
she said.
To be part of the -one acts that I
on every term you first have to ail
be selected and then you are allow
take the class that produces it. Eacl
act has its own class and is worth on
credit. Because of this, many studeJ
several classes and are part of seven
ductions at once. Many of the studl
both a one-act and the comedy imprd
tion class. Some also take Chris Wil
stand-up comedy class. All these cl
perform for the student showcase
fellow students and the public are ini
to come see the student’s work and p
ress as actors and comedians.
Leadership class reformed at Clackamas - literal!
By Joshua Baird
Arts & Culture Editor
Leadership is action, not position
~ Donald H. McGannon
There are some who would say that a leader is
made and not bom, whilst others would say that a
leader is simply someone in a position of ^¿lthority.
Now at Clackamas Community College we are finally
being offered a course that will examine the true
nature of leadership, and what better medium than
through literature?
Led by the joint forces of Bill Waters, business
department chair, and Amanda Coffey, an English
instructor at CCC, this revitalized course is sure to be
a breath of fresh air to both departments.
“The class is Leadership in Literature and is listed
under both BA130 or ENG130. Students can sign
up under either of these numbers. The class is
fascinating look at leadership through an unusual
lens. In it, we will discuss leadership by analyzing
characters in major literary works. In experiencing
these characters and studying how they lead, we will
see connections to how we and those around us make
similar decisions and resolve issues and conflicts,”
stated Waters in an e-mail.
Even in these trying times, Waters and Coffey are
pushing to build this class from the previously solely
English elective to a broader group of students.
“Faculty is certainly mindful of the budget, but
we are teachers first and foremost. Our greatest joy
is dreaming up new and dynamic experiences for our
students - and then making those experiences hap
pen,” stated Coffey.
For a number of students, this concept is complete
ly foreign. A class that mixes fiction into the lessons
of a leader is highly likely to make people wonder
where the idea came from.
“Badaracco’s text brings these two seemingly dis
parate disciplines together in his book. It just makes
sense to bring instructors from both disciplinfl
the classroom. Bill brings a significant share ofl
ness experience and knowledge to the course cfl
making our collaboration an obvious win for thefl
dents,” stated Coffey.
I
A vast majority of students who are transfel
may be interested to find out that this course i| al
able as a way to fulfill their Arts and Letters
“Whether you sign up under ENG 130 or fl
this is a great way to satisfy some of your |el
education requirements. In fact, BA130 is the!
business class that counts toward a student’s gel
education credits,” stated Waters.
Some students may wonder how this class
work for them amongst their busy school schedu
“I think that’s a great concept and it sounds j
interesting, if I had time with all my other requ
ments that I have to take,” said Aubrey LaskiJa f
motions officer for Associated Student Govern™
BA13O/ENG13O will be offered effectij 1
spring on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1- 2:50 jtni