16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 27, 2015
Polk County Education
ACADEMIC HONORS
Local students to graduate from OSU
EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer
Belladina Starr, as Frankie, takes the audience on adventures inspired by toys found in Frankie’s toy box.
EXPLORE THE FANTASY
‘Frankie’s’ takes audience through imagination of a child
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
MONMOUTH — Journey
back to a time when the
whole world was an oys-
ter — and found deep within
a toy box — at Western Ore-
gon University’s spring play,
“Frankie’s Flights of Fancy.”
“Kids come up with the
craziest, fun things,” said
Belladina Starr, who plays
Frankie in the devised play.
“Putting myself in the shoes
of a child like that, it’s like, ‘I
can do whatever; I’m a little
kid,’ it’s really fun.”
The play was created by
Western students, from the
conception, writing of the
script, making props, casting
and production.
Andrew Thornton was
part of the process from the
beginning. Now, he works
with Edgar Lopez to bring a
two-man puppet to life.
“We wanted to do a child-
hood fantasy,” he said. “We
thought it would be fun to
get inside a child’s mind.”
Puppets were inspired by
traditional Japanese bun-
raku theater.
In the play, Frankie takes
the audience on six adven-
tures, inspired by various
things found inside her giant
toy box. Actors wear masks
and use puppets to illustrate
the parts — no lines are spo-
ken by the actors. Instead,
recordings and music help
tell the story.
“No one says anything,”
said Natalie Piper, assistant
director and Western senior.
“ No o n e m a k e s v o c a l
sounds.”
It made the audition
tricky because actors were
judged on how well they
could express a situation
physically, Piper said. Stu-
dents were cast based on
how clear their movements
were to understand what
they were doing.
Fo r St a r r, p l a y i n g a
masked child has been a
challenge for a number of
reasons, not the least of
which is restricted vision.
“It’s super crazy and weird
because I’ve got this much
vision,” she said, making cir-
cles with her thumb and fin-
gers and holding them up to
her eyes. “And it’s very phys-
ical, and so much different
than anything I’ve ever
done.”
The other big challenge
was playing and moving like
an 8-year-old child, Starr
said.
“Frankie’s” is a family
friendly play, and on pur-
pose. Starr and Thornton
agree writing a play the
whole family could enjoy
was part of the goals from
the beginning.
“It’s not a children’s show,”
Piper said. “But everyone, all
ages should enjoy it. There
are things that I still think
are funny.”
Because it’s a devised
piece, the actors and direc-
tor Michael Phelps are still
working things out together,
Thornton said.
“Phelps is good at finding
the little things that make
people laugh, because they
make us laugh, and we want
to share that joy,” he said.
Childhood
Dreamland
What: Frankie’s Flights of
Fancy, produced by West-
ern Oregon University’s De-
partment of Theatre and
Dance.
Where: Western Oregon
University’s Rice Auditorium.
When: Curtain is at 7:30
p.m. Wednesday (today)
through Saturday, with a 2
p.m. matinee showing on
Saturday.
Admission: $12 general;
$7 students; $10 seniors.
For more information:
503-838-8461.
CORVALLIS — Oregon State University will hold its 146th
commencement on June 13 in Reser Stadium. Here are the local
members of the OSU Class of 2015:
Dallas: Niccolle L. Breeden, Bachelor of Science, botany; Crystal
L. Chrisman, Bachelor of Science, accountancy; Corey J. Crook,
Bachelor of Science, psychology; Christopher R. DeMara, Bachelor
of Science, finance, Bachelor of Science, accountancy; Natalie N.
Eriksen, Bachelor of Science, psychology; Thomas W. Guffey, Bach-
elor of Science, civil engineering; Erica L. Kreiley, Bachelor of Sci-
ence, exercise and sport science; Kevin B. Locke, Bachelor of Sci-
ence, recreation resource management; Sidney E. Mulder, Bache-
lor of Science, natural resources; Glen D. Nicol, Bachelor of Sci-
ence, Magna Cum Laude, computer science; Andrew J. Pfau, Bach-
elor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, chemical engineering;
Mitchell J. Senger, Bachelor of Science, Cum Laude, physics.
Grand Ronde: Elyssa S. Akers, Bachelor of Science, merchan-
dising management.
Independence: Pedro Baÿuelos, Master of Arts in interdiscipli-
nary studies, ethnic studies, ethnic studies, ethnic studies (not
sure why this is repeated three times); Gene T. Biggs, Bachelor of
Science, public health; Eduardo Campos, Bachelor of Arts, digital
communication arts; Meranda D. Caulfield, Bachelor of Science,
management; Alisha R. Jones, Master of Public Policy, public pol-
icy; Miranda L. King, Bachelor of Science, human development
and family sciences; Terra D. La’Gere, Bachelor of Science, an-
thropology; Kaitlyn E. Mason, Bachelor of Science, exercise and
sport science; Kaitlyn N. Muller, Master of Public Health, public
health; Michaela A. Nichols, Bachelor of Science, public health;
Jessica A. Schwarz, Bachelor of Science, human development
and family sciences; Samuel A. Sprague, Bachelor of Science,
economics; Andrew M. Tanner, Master of Science, public policy;
Cody J. White, Master of Business Administration, business ad-
ministration; Olivia M. Zuercher, Bachelor of Arts, English.
Monmouth: Merrie-Chris S. Agag, Bachelor of Science, human
development and family sciences; Michael L. Brewster, Bachelor
of Science, computer science; Derek A. Burbank, Bachelor of Sci-
ence, agricultural sciences, Master of Science, agricultural educa-
tion; Keri R. Clarkson, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, veterinary
medicine - DVM; James M. Dolciamore, Master of Natural Re-
sources, natural resources; Kate M. Fitzgerald, Bachelor of Sci-
ence, natural resources; Natalie J. Gordon, Bachelor of Arts, soci-
ology; Ralph Kaman, Bachelor of Science, economics; Katherine
A. Keuneke, Bachelor of Science, interior design; Ivan E. Kuletz,
Master of Public Policy, public policy; Margaret F. Malloy, Doctor
of Philosophy, public health; Christine H. McDowell, Bachelor of
Science, microbiology; Curtis J. Minks, Bachelor of Science, digi-
tal communication arts; Trenton A. Nettles, Master of Science,
college student services administration; Matthew J. Osborn,
Bachelor of Science, civil engineering; Nicholas A. Silva, Honors
Bachelor of Science, Cum Laude, chemical engineering, Honors
Bachelor of Science, Cum Laude, sustainability; Peter J. Teague,
Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, civil engineering;
Samuel T. Thompson, Bachelor of Science, psychology; Emily J.
Uhrig, Doctor of Philosophy, zoology; Hawkeye C. Von Hoffman,
Bachelor of Arts, history; Ryan F. Wruck, Bachelor of Science, lib-
eral studies; Logan M. Yliniemi, Doctor of Philosophy, mechani-
cal engineering.
Rickreall: Angela J. Porter, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, edu-
cation, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, liberal Sstudies; Audrey R.
Regan, Bachelor of Arts, English.
Roberson graduates from MIT
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Daniel Roberson, a graduate of Dallas
High School’s Class of 2003, is graduating from MIT (Massachu-
setts Institute of Technology) on June 4, with two degrees, Mas-
ter of Science in aeronautics and astronautics and Master of
business administration.
After graduation, Roberson will return to work as an engineer
with Boeing.