PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, AUGUST 13, 2021
HOMEGROWN, Continued from page A1
of the Week
presented by
JIM & JO GRIFFIN
Where and how
do you volunteer?
“I believe that this show is a real slice
of humanity. The psychological intrigue
is fascinating,” said Omission director
Loriann Schmidt. “People are going to
talk about this after they see it.
The story of Omission involves a pro-
fessor, Rue, on the hunt for her missing
wife. She fi nds herself as one of four
strangers trapped in a jazz bar during
a terrible storm. Alliances are formed
and broken, getting-to-know-you games
take dark turns, and things quickly spiral
towards the surreal as the night wears on.
As the storm continues to rage, Omission
races towards its nightmarish conclusion.
“It is pretty exciting. I love that Keizer
Homegrown is working with a new play
and is embracing a new piece and bring-
ing it to life. I am really excited about it,”
said Julianna Gibbons, who will be play-
ing the role of Rue. “I was drawn to those
layers and the depth of the show. There is
so much in it to explore.”
While Schmidt has directed multiple
KHT productions in the past, she admit-
ted that directing a world premiere made
her a bit nervous, but her enthusiasm
about the script outweighed any pres-
sure she may be feeling.
“When I have looked at the list of peo-
ple that have purchased tickets, I feel a
little bit of pressure. But it is really excit-
came during the height of the COVID-19
pandemic while she was attending the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts in
New York, away from her family and sup-
port system in Oregon.
“Learning fi rst-hand about loneliness
and isolation is really what fueled me
to write Omission,” Maeve Z said. “I just
had this vision of a woman desperately
searching for her wife and asking for help
from patrons in a bar. I didn't know where
Despite being only 20 years
old, Maeve Z has written
dozens of scripts for many
diff erent theater groups.
ing.” Schmidt said. “One of the things I
have really enjoyed is the relationship
with (Maeve) and being able to work with
her to bring this show to life.”
Despite being only 20 years old,
Maeve Z has written dozens of scripts for
many diff erent theater groups. She said
her motivation behind writing Omission
Four cast members from Omission acts out a scene during dress rehearsal.
Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes
it was going when I wrote it, but I like
where it ended up.”
Maeve Z also wrote a script for the
KHT virtual show Let the Right One Burn
in October of 2020, a play that, similar to
Omission, involved some scary and sus-
penseful content. While she writes about
a wide variety of subjects, Maeve Z said
that she is drawn to stories that tend to
be more on the dark side.
"We volunteer in three primary
areas. The fi rst is CASA of Marion
County which we have been a part
of it for 11 years. CASA stands for
Court Appointed Special Advocates
for foster children. As volunteers
we are assigned to a case when
children have been removed from
their home for safety reasons and
stay on for as long as it takes to
resolve the issues. We visit the kids
regularly, write court reports, and
appear in court to advocate for their
needs. It is said we are the eyes
and the ears for the judge. We also
volunteer at our Nazarene church
and at Hope Station. Hope Station
is for people in our community
who work, aren't on government
assistance, but need help. We drive
for them to pick up food from
various sources."
What does volunteering
do for you?
sudoku
brainfood
sudoku answers pg A26
"It meets a deep need; brings such
meaning to our lives not found in
other endeavors. There is an old
song, 'I'll get by with a little help
from my friends,' that fi ts with
volunteering. We all need help at
one time or another."
How would you get
others to volunteer
in their community?
"A commercial from years back
said in part, 'You only go around
once in life.' That being the case,
we want to make the most of our
time and energy and volunteering
does that. Jump in somewhere. In
time, you'll be glad you did! "
Enter digits 1-9 into blank spaces. Every row must contain
one of each digit. So must every column, & every 3x3 square.
maze by Jonathan Graf of Keizer