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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 2015)
1 B SIUSLAW NEWS Siuslaw Valley Senior News: The Siuslaw News P.O. Box 10 Florence, OR 97439 FAX: (541) 997-7979 pressreleases@thesiuslawnews.com WEDNESDAY A 14 • 2015 PLACE to call High hopes as CROW seeks new nest for children’s theater program HOME B Y C HANTELLE M EYER Siuslaw News Artistic Director and Founder of Children’s Repertory of Oregon Workshops Melanie Heard (left) joins board member Polly Fleming in look- ing through Fleming’s cramped closet of costumes. Exclamations of “How did we get three Peter Pans?” and “Where did that come from?” accompanied their search. A new building, which CROW hopes to fund through the community and grants, would allow Fleming to design, store and fit costumes on location. PHOTOS BY RYAN CRONK/SIUSLAW NEWS C hildren’s Repertory of Oregon Workshops (CROW) is in the process of launching a large- scale fundraising campaign to create a permanent perform- ing arts facility for youth. Melanie Heard, artistic director and founder of CROW, has high hopes for the project, which would include purchasing and renovating a building to use for auditions, rehearsals, voice and dance lessons, prop and costume storage and set construction. “We’ve located a building already that will meet most of our needs. … It’s fabulous because it has space for the artistic needs that we have such as classes and workshops and summer camps and rehearsals,” said Heard. On Saturday, Jan. 17, there will be an infor- mational meeting at Siuslaw Public Library’s Bromley Room to talk about the building proj- ect. The meeting will run from 4 to 6 p.m. and also will introduce the upcoming “Share Your Heart” fundraiser, to take place Feb. 13. Heard said, “People are very supportive of CROW. I think they see the value, which is a good thing.” CROW aspires to obtain $75,000 in direct donations from the community, and will then apply for match- ing grants from large local and national foundations. “We’re hoping that this first fundraiser will gener- ate enough community buy-in that we can then go to some of the large foun- dations that are looking for exactly our kind of proj- ect,” Heard said. “This is the first time CROW has ever tried to do anything like this — to raise this amount of money. So we don’t really know how long it’s Fleming currently going to take or when this will happen. makes and stores We would like it to happen soon so we costumes and props in can begin our exciting projects. We her home. She uses have so many cool things planned. The recycled and “upcy- sooner the better, but we’re also realis- cled” clothing and tic,” she continued. materials to make the The community is already a big sup- costumes by hand. port to CROW. Her request with the “We have a wonderful relationship new building would be with the Siuslaw School District,” said a place to sew and fit Heard. “We also have a wonderful part- costumes. “It would be nership with John Flaherty of the nice to be able to work Florence Playhouse. He is very gener- on stuff for the current ous to the kids and lets us use the show while there,” Florence Playhouse for the purpose of she said. And in the summer camps.” future, Heard envisions Heard added, “We are so grateful, Fleming teaching but I think it’s time for CROW to take CROW youth sewing the next step and have our own space.” and other life skills. The building would help Heard and “Absolutely,” Fleming CROW benefit the community. said. “I’ve had friends CROW students currently perform ask and suggest that. portions of their play at senior centers That would be great.” in the area. “We would like to expand that program. I believe that the kids have a lot to learn from the stories and build literacy and engage the sen- seniors and the seniors have a lot to learn from iors,” said Heard. the kids. And I think it would be really neat if CROW also would like to implement an anti- we set up kind of a program where they could bullying theatrical program for the middle and go in more regularly and sing songs and read high schools. The new building’s rehearsal space would CROW’s “Little help get the Mermaid Jr.” program going. cast members “Building lit- wear costumes eracy is impor- made by Fleming tant to me. I for last year’s would like to show. Its next grow that production, through the “Once Upon A arts,” Heard Mattress,” is set said. “I have a to premiere in program in April at the mind where Florence Events children would Center. A new write stories space would and we would allow for more take several of rehearsals and our older kids prep time. and adult actors COURTESY PHOTO into the schools and act out their stories — make them come alive — which will increase the excitement about writing and reading. Those are three things I’m thinking of, and I can’t do them from my living room.” Space is the biggest thing CROW seeks with its new building. Currently, CROW students audition and rehearse at Siuslaw Middle School. Set con- struction takes place in volunteers’ homes and garages. A packed storage unit holds most of the props. Board member Polly Fleming has a full-scale costume shop in her home. “I have to pull everything out to get to what (I want.) There’s stuff under those layers that I totally forgot I have,” Fleming said. “It would just be easier. It wouldn’t be quite so packed in. If we had an ‘under one roof’ type space, I could have materials and stuff I was working on down there.” A new space would give CROW more time to focus on the needs of its students. See CROW 2B CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK JANUARY