The Clackamas print., March 08, 2017, Page 6, Image 6

COLLEGE PRODUCTION BRINGS NEW LIFE TO OLD CHARACTERS
BY NICHOLAS ALLISON
It’ s Labor Day. Vacations ire ending and the sun is sweltering.
The setting takes place in a sm all town in Kansas, and it’ s
filled with people preparing for a picnic that very night.
Hal Carter, played by Mykel Ilia, is a drifter, who just arrived
in town. The effect he, and this night, w ill have on those he
m eets will be momentous.
. “ Picnic,” written by W illiam Inge, opened Thursday, March
2 at Clackamas Com munity College in the
Niemeyer Center. The play is directed by
Jam es Eikrem , w ith scenic and lighting
design by Christopher W hitten, costume
designhy Alva Bradford and choreography
by Laura Sue Hiszczynskyj.
“ P ic n ic ,” com pared to “ The G la ss
M en agerie” from fa ll te rm , has a cast
alm ost thrice the size, with a total of l i
actors and actresses. Yet, it is clear they
are as at home on stage as any of us would
be in our own backyard.
“ The aspect o f being an unconfident,
unsure person who’ s trying to fit in with
a group o f people w ho, are definitely a
high er class th an m e, it’ s d efin itely a
task,” said Ilia.
He enjoyed performing in the play. “ I’ve
never done a play this old, there’ s a lot of
ups and dow ns,” said Ilia. “ It’ s a roller
coaster o f em otions. You get som e lau ghs, you get som e
‘awws,’ and you get some ‘oh snaps.’ ”
M olly Bowman, who played Millie Owens, also found the
play interesting.
“ I really wanted to be in this show because it was something
different,’’ said Bowman. “ It was som ething a little closer to
real life than a big farce or som ething like th a t.”
The set o f “ P icnic” is th e backyard o f two houses, one
owned by Flo Ow ens, played by Katrina C an n o n . It’ s also
inhabited by her daughters Madge Owens, played by Astrid
Bloodgood, and her sister M illie Owens, as well as Rosemary
Sydney, played by Allison Andresen, a school teacher renting
their spare room.
The other hom e belongs to Helen Potts, played by Susan
M cK en n a, a w om an ta k in g care o f her
mother. The stage is well crafted and feels
natural, with both hom es reflecting their
owners well.
Sixty-four years from the play’ s original
premiere, the humor is still strong today.
“ {The play] still touches us, however many
yearslater,” said Eikrem. “ You recognize the
people and you recognize the relationships.”
One thing that stands clear is th at, in its
tim e, this play was clearly unique, with a
num ber o f unique characters. Exam ples
include th e sm art but tom boyish M illie
O w en s, w ho recen tly gain ed a college
scholarship, her single mother Flo Owens,
caring for o f both her daughters alone, the
supremely independent Rosemary Sydney
and the shy but boisterous Hal Carter.
Every character has depth, and it feels like
you could meet one o f them on the street
today. It would only Stand out because they drew your interest,
not because they don’t fit in. The actors portrayed their parts
Well, creating a memorable experience for any who sees it.
“ Picnic” will continue playing through March 12, Thursdays
through Saturdays at 730 p .m ., w ith Sunday m atinees at
230 p .m . Tickets are $11 for adults, $9 fo r seniors and $5 for
students.
“ I really wanted to be
In this show because
it was something
different. It was
something a little
closer to real life
than a big farce or
something like that.”
-M olly Bowman
Top left: Madge Owens, played by Astrid Bloodgood, shares
a kiss with her boyfriend Alan Seymour, played by Chayne
Husband.
Middle left: Hal Carter, played by Mykel Ilia, left, catches up with
his college buddy Alan Seymour.
Bottom left: Flo Owens, left, played by Katrina Cannon, tries to
convince Madge to stay.
Top right: Rosemary Sydney, played by Allison Andresen, talks
to Irma Kronkite, played by Nicola Sampair, and Christine
Schoenwalder played by Rachael Batey.
Bottom right: The cast of “Picnic” pauses for a photo after a
dress rehearsal on March 1.
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