14A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 8, 2015
Polk County News/Education
Dream: Shakespeare Calling all cake bakers
Polk County Fair seeks talent of all sorts
modernized for youth
By Jolene Guzman
Continued from Page 16A
Shane Mickelson, 14,
plays an actor in the produc-
tion, and so ends up playing
multiple roles.
As Francis Flute, he is part
of a cast within a cast, put-
ting on a special drama-
turned-accidental-comedy
production in honor of a
royal wedding.
“At one point, I have to
play a girl named Thisbe,”
Shane said, which is the
most challenging part of this
play. “I have to act like
something I’m not — a
woman. I can’t really do a
good girl’s voice because my
voice cracks. The clothes you
have to wear are scratchy.”
Playing Flute playing
Thisbe, Shane said he start-
ed to feel a little empathy for
women, especially in the old
times, having to wear such
scratchy dresses.
A young actress piped up,
“That’s what we like to wear!”
The normally three-hour
play was shortened signifi-
cantly and modernized for
the young actors, said An-
derson, an adjunct professor
at WOU and local play-
wright.
The Itemizer-Observer
EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer
Lysander (Joseph Harriman) and Hermia (Jillian Flanna-
gan) scheme on how to get married without Hermia’s fa-
ther putting her to death because of their actions.
“Shakespeare says every-
thing five times,” she said. “I
went through and could take
out the three times that weren’t
as good as the other two.”
While she kept the lan-
guage intact as much as pos-
sible — all the lines people
will expect to hear were
kept — other words were
modernized.
“There’s just archaic lan-
guage that nobody uses any-
more,” Anderson said.
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Proud Owners & Local Citizens
POLK COUNTY — If you
have a hidden talent —
such as growing what you
think are prize tomatoes in
your garden, a knack for
baking the perfect cake, or
an eye for photography —
you should show it off at
the 2015 Polk County Fair.
“We have a lot of very tal-
ented people in Polk Coun-
ty,” said Anna Scharf, fair
board chairwoman. “Bring
us your talent in our open
class exhibits. It’s more than
canning, it’s more than
quilts. Showcase your per-
sonal talent at our fair.”
And you still have plenty
of time to sign up for the
fair’s open class exhibits.
Fair Manager Tina Andersen
said people have been call-
ing about the deadline for
open class exhibits, think-
ing they have missed it.
“They think they have to
preregister, so they get close
and think it’s too late,” An-
dersen said.
It’s not. Unlike 4-H ex-
hibits, most open class en-
tries for adults, juniors and
youth aren’t due until just
days before fair, Aug. 6-8.
Categories include art-
work, photography, potted
plants, vegetables raised in
a garden, farm products
(including honey and
grains), forestry products
(including Christmas trees),
EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer file
Canned cherries present well at 2014 Polk County Fair.
Open class entry schedule:
• Poetry — July 22.
• Fine arts, photography, crafts, textiles, youth arts and
crafts — Aug. 3.
• Foods — Aug. 4.
• Grains, honey, forestry; floriculture; horticulture —
Aug. 5.
Entries are taken from noon to 8 p.m. at the fair office,
520 S. Pacific Highway West (99W) on the designated day.
For a full list of open class categories, see an exhibitor
book online at www.co.polk.or.us/fair.
For more information: Polk County Fair Office, 503-
623-3048.
crafts and textiles.
“I don’t think people real-
ly understand the breadth of
classes they can enter things
in at the fair,” Scharf said.
Professional judges eval-
uate each category and
winners earn prizes — ei-
ther gift cards or cash do-
nated by area businesses.
“There is an opportunity
for you to get recognized in
our county for your talent
and also receive a little bit
of a gift certificate or a prize
cash award,” Scharf said.
She added open class is a
great place for children who
don’t have time to join a 4-H
club or FFA to participate in
the fair with other talents.
“They can still enter that
beautiful piece of art that
they did at school this year
under our junior class or
our youth classes,” she said.