4% e Clackamas Print
aced@clackamas.edu
Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012
Artffàulture
‘Body Worlds’ horrifies and captivates
By Joshua Dillen
Associate News Editor
A grotesquely powerful to u r o f beau
ty, O M S I’s latest surreal expression o f the
h um an form , G u n th er V on H agens ‘Body
W orlds and the Brain is a vividly real and
m ind, bending exhibit.
Body W onds is an enlightening journey
o f the hum an body th a t will enthrall and
develop the m in d as you witness the in-
your-face expansion o f several figures and
the incredible com plexity o f h um an physical
form . Tastefully displayed, all the specimens
evoke curious em otions. M y first im pression
was alm ost “too m uch inform ation, b u t it
quickly lost the shock value an d ! çontinuèd
th e journey w ith awe and enthusiasm .
A dult price is $25, .and the parking fee is
$3. C hildren ages three through 14 get in for
$17. S tudent (fourteen and older w ith stu
d ent identification) and senior price is $20.
T h e experience will give you a new per
spective o f your ow n body and those around
you. I certainly have looked at m yself dif
ferently after enjoying the exhibit last week.
W hether you are studying anatom y or don’t
even have an interest in w hat th e m o st in ti
m ate parts o f the body look like, I urge you
to see the exhibit before it leaves Portland
in early M arch. D on’t miss this w onderful
thought and em otion evoking example o f life
frozen in action, oh yeah — w ith the skin
peeled off.
I th o u g h t a microscope in biology class
was cool, b u t plastination blows th at kind o f
observation away. T h e process literally turns
a body (or a slice, section o r p ortion thereof)
in to a plastic replica o f itself. O nce com plete,
depending on the particular process used,
it results in a spectacular and m in d bend
ing (literally) 3D view o f all the details o f a
Different organs and sections o f the body
are processed separately and reassembled
in varying1 configurations to give visitors a
plethora o f paths into the inner realms o f the
h um an body. Bones are w hite and muscles
are clearly defined. Nerves and blood vessels
are distinctly revealed in their respective net
works in the body.
T he huge collection is o f plastinated bod
ies is arranged in various configurations to
highlight different features th at have been
revealed by the process. All o f the bodies are
•donated b y people w ho w ant their remains
to furtherscience.
T h e displays are an incredible spectacle
o f nature revealed, from a tiny fetal skull
th a t first-rem inded m e o f a South Am erican
shrunken head, w hich was strangely cute, to
views o f organs in various states o f disease.
T h e examples o f cigarette blackened lung?
had a som ber effect on me, as did the inge
nious placem ent o f a receptacle to ditch your
cigarette pack, next to a sign th at encouraged
visitors to do so. T here was also a list o f the
im m ediate an d cum ulative benefits to your
body from giving u p the dang cancer sticks.
Examples o f th e fatty plaques th a t develop
inside arteries and the heart were enough to
m ake m e seriously th in k about becom ing
vegan. N eed I describe the liver display? I
should have visited here before the N ew Year!
T h e example o f the brain and nervous sys
tem is a ghostlike, alm ost alien display th at
was one o f m y favorites. T h e plastination o f
.a giraffe can only be described as “W O W .”
I can’t even im agine how they got th at huge
naked anim al inside or even able to hold
itself up. A nd just like the h u m an specimens,
he was anatom ically correct.
Several- examples o f genitalia and repro
ductive organs are pretty m uch unavoidable
to see. You m ay w ant to th in k about that
w hen bringing your children. You W ILL be
asked lots o f questions.
Especially striking were the circulatory
system displays. T h e blood vessels o f a
hum an arm and lungs were next to the com
plete vascular netw ork o f a lam b and rooster;
all rendered in a scarlet brilliance. A teen
skateboarder, soccer player and tw o ice skat
ers all posed in their respective activities were
all very interesting displays. Also very cool
were w hat I call the “cyborgdisplays.” These
were the bodies o f people w ho had knee and
hip replacem ents, o r other shiny pieces o f
stainless ste elin their bodies w hen they died.
All o f th e exhibits are num bered to use the
audio device th at will cost you an extra $4.
T h e recordings were very inform ative as well
as the signage next to each o f the specimens.
T h e whole bo d y displays have detailed dia
grams th at describe the different organs 'and
features shown. Poignant quotes from great
thinkers o f the w orld are inscribed on huge
pictures o f people in various landscapes to
add to the pow er o f the overall experience.
All in all, I have to say this has been a greatly
enjoyable an d educational experience and
very w orth o f the trip.
T h e exhibit runs from 9:30 a.m . to 5:30
p.m . Sunday through T hursday and 9:30
a.m . to 9:00 p.m . Friday and Saturday. T he
ticket price includes general adm ission to
the other O M S I exhibits.
For m ore inform ation, call 503-797-
4661. Internet users can visit www.omsi.
com or ww w.bqdyw orlds.com . .
A plasticized hum an body imitates a statue. A ll the bodies in the
exhibit were donated to science. Get to O M S I before M arch to see this
unique exhibit!
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Theater dusts off old costumes in preparation for directors final fundraiser
By Isaac Soper
Arts & Culture Editor
The practice schedule is intense; actors rush to relearn
their lines from 10 years ago. Costumes are taken from
the archives and repaired if necessary; others that are
too fa fg o n e a re remade. Cast and crew are in a flurry
to prepare for the one-night-only performance of, “The
Travis N odurft acts as John Worthington a n d Jayson
Shanafelt as Algernon M oncriejf in a production o f
“The Importance o f Being Earnest. ”
Importance of Being Earnest.”
Clackamas Repertory Theater is starting its eighth sea
son this year. At the beginning of every season, CRT puts
on a fundraiser, which in this case is a one-night-only show
taken from the 2002 season.
The preparation for the fundraiser is very fast-paced;
according to Theater Instructor and Director, David
Smith-English, the whole production takes only two
weeks to arrange. “It’s about a 90-page script and we were
within 17 pages after five rehearsals. It’s a quick process,”
said Smith-English. “These guys are really good and really
quick. They come in knowing all o f their lines and'some of
them have done the show before.”
Chris W hitten, set and lights designer and tech theater
instructor, is in the process o f creating the set for “Earnest”
so that it can be used for the fundraiser and the upcoming
student production o f “The Crucible.” Though the lights
aren’t finished for the upcoming production, W hitten said
that particularly in Act II, “lighting can help [tell] the
story.
W hitten has worked with Smith-English in the theater
department since 1996.
“It is a very flexible and very clever way that he’s created
the set,” said Smith-English.
The fundraiser is meant to bring in money for CRT’s
upcoming season, which consists o f three productions that
will be revealed on the night o f the fundraiser.
“[It will bring in] a nice chunk o f money, but it’s
nowhere near what it costs for a season, because everybody
gets paid at Clackamas Rep.; we bring in professional actors
from all over the place,” said Smith-English, “There’s a lot
o f money involved, so this is just a small portion, but it’s a
nice portion.”
All of the actors and theater techs in CRT are profes
sionals, meaning that they are paid for their efforts; it is
an extension o f the college program that provides jobs that
pay from approximately $500-$2,100, according to Smith-
English.
Alva Bradford, has been the costume designer for the
theater department since 1993. She has been working hard
with her staff to prepare all o f the costumes for the upcom
ing show.
“Several [costumes] are from 10 years ago — mainly the
women’s,” said Bradford.
O n the CRT Facebook page, they have taken old cos
tumes out o f the archives and spoofed many musicals and
stage productions to tease their followers. O f these false
productions, they have included.such productions as “Cats”
and “Grease.”
The fundraiser will take place on Saturday, Feb., 4. and
to the happiness o f Smith-English, it is currendy sold out.
“We [will] have a party after the show, we also announce
our season, which has been a secret up to this point and
then people can start buying season tickets right after that.”
Season tickets for the upcoming season cost $36 for
youth (aged 26 and under).