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(Elje ^Portland ffibseruer-------------------
November 01, 2000
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Page 3
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Arts
Quality T hat “W on't Let You Down"
100% Bio Degradable Latex Balloons
Concordia Theatre Begins the
New Season with The Odd Couple
m ation or for ticket
reservation, please
call 503/280-8614.
Scott Thurm an
w ill direct the Odd
Couple and is ex
cited about the tal
ented new faces in
the theater depart
m e n t th is y e a r.
“ M ost o fth e cast is
young, but his year
we are blessed with
a
tre m e n d o u s
am ount o f new tal
ent. These students
have terrific energy
an d e n th u s ia s m ,
an d th is s h o w ’s
great fun.’’
C oncordia w ill
Concordia University's Fall producton o f THE ODD COUPLE. Pictured from left
to right: Tim Winterstein, Jamin Becker, Phillip Kennedy, Jonathan Ndukewe, Nick present the m edi
eval m ystery play
Schmitt, Paul Bentley
The Second Shep
herds
Play
in
D ecem ber. W ork
C o n c o rd ia U n iv e rsity T h e 4 ,5 ,1 0 , 11 and 12. A ll show s
has
already
begun
for the spring
ater w ill b eg in its 2000-2001
b eg in at 8 p.m . e x cep t the tw o
season w ith p ro d u ctio n s o f both
S unday m atinees N ov. 5 and 11, m usical The C hildren o f Eden.
the m ale and fem ale v ersio n s o f w hich beg in s at 2 p.m . A ll p e r “We are m aking a lot o f positive
N eil S im o n ’s cla ssic A m erican
form an ces w ill be held at the changes this year,” Thurman says.
com edy. T he O dd C ouple. Each F in e A r ts B u ild in g on th e “W e’re im proving the building,
cast w ill p erfo rm on a lte rn a tin g
C o n co rd ia C am pus (NE 27,h and expanding the theater program ,
nights starting w ith the m ale cast H olm an). T ick ets w ill be $5 for and reaching out to a w ider audi
on N o v em b er 3 at 8 p.m . T he stu d e n ts/se n io rs and $7 for the ence. We have a lot to look for
sh o w c o n tin u e s N o v e m b e r g en eral p u b lic. For more infor ward to this year.”
/SMB m
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503-33 l-l 100
Profession Balloon Artist: ‘‘I’m not selling balloon I ’m selling my ideas”
Shakespeare meets Bladerunner in Otello
Shakespeare meets Bladerunner
in this unique twist on V erdi’s dark
classic, Otello. Performances o f
Otello will be on Nov. 4,6,8 and
1 lat the Portland Opera, located at
1515 SW Morrison.
Staged by Portland O p era’s
G eneral D irector Robert Bailey,
with sets and costum es by ac
claimed Viennese designer W alter
Schw ab, this all-new P ortland
O pera production offers a daring,
unconventional vision o f a w orld
set apart in time.
W ith a lib re tto b a se d on
Shakespeare's play, Otello tells the
story o f a Moorish war hero who
falls prey to jealousy and self-doubt.
Stationed on the remote island out
post o f Cyprus with his new bride
Desdemona, Otello doesn ’ t suspect
that his right-hand man Iago is plot
ting to undermine him. Desdemona
is virtuous, but Iago persuades
Otello that she is unfaithful. V erdi’s
soaring, impassioned score propels
the tragedy o f a great man who will
ultimately destroy that which he
loves most.
Written when Verdi was in his
70s, Otello represents one o f his
greatest achievements. The fresh
ness o f the score and the dramatic
depths o f the principal characters
reflect a milestone in the history of
opera. In creating this new produc
tion, Bailey chose an innovative
approach that would reflect Verdi’s
own unique contribution to the rep
ertoire.
“Just as Verdi discarded the trap
pings o f traditional operatic forms,
so we have tried to avoid old-fash
ioned notions o f pomp and spec
tacle," said Bailey. “We have striven
to bring out the timeless nature of
Shakespeare’s play and the psycho
logical issues that are clearly as
relevant today as they were 400
years ago.”
Schwab’s striking set and cos
tumes blend both innovative and
classical elem ents to suggest a
mythic world not tied to a particular
time or place.
Schwab, who collaborated with
B ailey on the aw ard -w in n in g
A m erican prem iere o f The M er
chant o f Venice several seasons
ago, d escribes his designs as
“ im aginative and expressionistic
w ith strong contem porary no
tion.” D ark costum es splashed
w ith m etallic trim gleam against
the backdrop o f a m achine-like
set, w hile huge m irrors hang sus
pended above the stage.
The m irrors are a crucial com
ponent o f the design, explains
Schwab, because they literally re
flect the psychological states o f
the c h aracters as w ell as the
“shaky ground" on which the com
m unity stands. The unusual set
presented special challenges for
veteran lighting designer Barry
Steele who collaborated closely
w ith Schw ab to create lighting
that corresponds w ith both the
music and the em otional states o f
the characters.
Thu. NOV. 16 THRU
Sun. NOV. 19
DOSl^NOI
Buy tickets at
www.DisneyOnke.coin
tic k e tm a a te r
or call
outlets, Arena Box Office
(503) 224-4400
TICKET PRICES STARTING AT $12.75
(Service charges and handling fees may apply; no service charges at Arena Box Office)