PAGE A8, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 10, 2017
KeizerCommunity
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Celt rapper takes top spot
among McNary talent
Made at McNary
Drama fest is written, directed and acted by students
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
For the fi rst time, the Mc-
Nary One Act Festival will
feature a short fi lm.
Along with six student
written, directed and acted
plays, senior Ashton Thomas
has turned APEX, a script by
Braden Bedingfi eld intended
for the stage, into a movie.
“My passion is really fi lm-
making and (I thought) if I can
fi nd something that could eas-
ily be translated into the fi lm
world, then I would love to
take on that challenge,” Thom-
as said. “Then when I read
Braden’s script, it was great
and I thought that I could to-
tally see it as a fi lm. I just start-
ed and now that it’s coming to
a close, I’m happy that I did.”
The One Act Festival began
Thursday, March 9 and con-
tinues Friday and Saturday at
7 p.m. in the Ken Collins The-
ater. Tickets are $5 and on sale
at https://mcnaryhs.ticketleap.
com.
The fi lm, starring Tyler An-
derson and Hannah Collee,
tells the story of a man tasked
with monitoring a woman for
three years. Since the woman
is stuck in a room, the man’s
only companion is an artifi cial
intelligence module named
APEX Seven.
After graduating from Mc-
Nary, Thomas plans to go to
fi lm school. He’s already been
accepted to fi ve programs, in-
cluding Biola University and
Azusa Pacifi c in California.
“I’ve defi nitely learned a
lot,” Thomas said. “It’s been
a blast. I’ve had so much fun
making it. There’s been so a script by Alayna Sykosky
many cool people that I’ve got starring Jordyn Maret, Kend-
ell Tacchini and Zachery Sell
to work with.”
Thomas chose APEX from about a girl trapped in a long-
23 scripts written by McNary term relationship, who gets
students in drama director advice from an old lady she
Dallas Myers’ playwriting class. meets in a park.
“I think it’s very realistic
“There were some (scripts)
that didn’t get picked this year and it’s honest and it’s impor-
that were just incredible,” My- tant for high schoolers to see
ers said. “I had a real good crop a relationship like that and
in playwriting this year, unreal what’s best for the people in
it,” said Friesen, whose play In
kids. They’re all so creative.”
Thomas and six others took the Garden, a modern day ver-
part in a directing class with sion Adam and Eve, is being
directed by Emma Blanco. It
Myers.
stars Wocus
“It’s a re-
Gibbons,
ally good learn-
Steven Cum-
ing process for
mings, Anni
them,” Myers
Sykosky
said. “They had
and
Noah
a book to read
Schnell.
and then we did
All of the
some exercises
shows have
in class, very
freshmen and
minimal
and
— Jacob Grimmer
sophomore
then they just
actors.
get tossed into
Senior Jacob Grimmer,
the fi re, here you go, you’ve
got to do it, and every time who is directing Hays’ piece
The Truth About Jaipur, found
they’ve risen.”
The directors also cast their the experience harder than he
expected.
shows.
“It’s really interesting be-
“It teaches the kids how
much it takes,” Myers said. cause I’ve been directed by Mr.
“My favorite part is always Myers a lot,” said Grimmer,
casting because I talk to them who was recently in Defying
every time about how I hate Gravity and The Addams Fam-
casting because I have to see ily musical. “I thought if he can
them the next day, sad, sad fac- do it, I’m sure I can handle it.
es. They go through the same There’s only two actors. But
emotions. It’s a good learning it’s so hard. I have to run a
scene and block it. If I don’t
experience.”
Three of the directors, like how it looks, I have to
McKinley Friesen, Heidi Hays change it. If they’re not quite
and Kailey Rondo, also had memorized and one of them
can’t make a rehearsal, then I
scripts chosen.
Friesen is directing Benched, have to change things.”
“There’s only
two actors.
But it’s so
hard.”
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
Senior Giancarlo Marcelo
bested nine singers, a dancing
trio, two beatboxers, a standup
comedian and another rap-
per to win the 2017 McNary
High School Talent Show on
Friday, Feb. 24.
“I spent a long time pre-
paring for this and just mak-
ing music so it’s really cool
to share it with people and
for them to show me their
appreciation,” said Marcelo,
who began rapping in middle
school but became more se-
rious when he got to high
school.
Marcelo, who received
$100 for fi rst place, said he
wrote the song he performed
in the talent show in just an
hour a couple days after a
loved one died. One of the
lines is “I wrote this song
the day after my homie died,
locked inside my room in the
darkness.”
“It was fl owing,” Marcelo
said. “I was in the zone when
I wrote that. That’s a huge
song for me. It means a lot to
me.”
Marcelo, who takes notes
on his phone when he thinks
of a funny line or word he
can turn into a rap, said he’s
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
Giancarlo Marcelo performs at the annual McNary High School
Talent Show in February.
But Marcelo also has big-
ger plans.
“I want to be the fi rst one
in my family to go to college,”
he said.
Yasmin Bresino, joined by
friends Millie Meier and As-
pen Searls, danced their way
to second place. Beatboxer
Tyler McVay was third and
Simone Shoemaker, singing
and playing I’m Yours by Jason
Mraz on the ukulele, won the
audience choice award.
inspired by “anything and ev-
erything.”
“A lot of things inspire
me,” Marcelo said. “My main
motivation would have to be
my family, for sure. I like a va-
riety of music.”
Marcelo has seven songs on
his SoundCloud and plans to
continue to make music after
high school.
“I like the feeling. I like be-
ing on stage. It’s awesome,” he
said.
CERT classes begin in April
Keizer’s
Community
Emergency Response Team
(CERT) is offering training
for new CERT members in
April.
The four-day course will
run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
April 8-9, April 22 and April
29. All classes will be held in
the community room at the
Keizer Fire District at 661
Chemawa Rd. N.E. Students
must attend all four of the
classes in the course.
The course is free, ap-
propriate for ages 14 and up,
nications, disaster psychology
and more.
There is a maximum of 40
spaces for the April course.
Register at bit.ly/2mPeN4l to
reserve a spot.
Contact Linda Pantaloon
keizer@comcast.net
with
questions.
and all materials are provided.
There is no requirement that
you join a CERT Team upon
completion.
During the course attend-
ees learn about risk factors
and natural hazards both lo-
cally and across Oregon while
learning how to help the com-
munity both prepare for, and
recover from, natural disasters.
The course modules will in-
clude such topics as light fi re
suppression and HAZMAT
awareness and reporting, mass
patient triage, radio commu-
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