Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1977)
- ft" y .j"' )-"'- fif" - K W The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, Nov. 10, 1977-NINE . JFityJlJtjrlJt l'Sl'S7Jt 45ft&FCtJl2f d&& -yr isC .ptf ft' "' Every Tuesday and Thurs day night, at a time when most Heppner High School students are studying or pursuing interest far removed from schoolwork, nine students en rolled in Jane Rawlins' drama workshop class are making things happen in the school cafetorium. Mrs. Rawlins said the twice a week, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., time slot is being tested for the first time by the administration to avoid scheduling conflicts. Many students interested in drama are also taking a full load of college-oriented aca demic courses plus "being involved in sports and other acitvities. Enthusiasitc about the qua lity of student the class has attracted this semester, Mrs. Rawlins commented, "The kids who would take a night class are very committed and involved." She added that for many, drama is the eighth credit course on a full schedule. The entire class plus four persons not enrolled are pre sently hard at work polishing performances for the fall production of "Arsenic and Old Lace", scheduled for Friday, Nov. 18 and Monday, Nov. 21. The popular comedy was chosen after much discussion by the students because it is expected to be enjoyed by a wide audience. "It's a challenge, too," Mrs. Rawlins said. "It's not easy for a high school girl to portray an old lady or a mild-mannered boy to play a slick criminal. The kids are having a lot of fun with it." As an introduction to drama this semester, the students played games designed to , develop team work and confi dence in each other. A favorite was the making of a human Arsenic and Old 66 Play When you come to think about it, a story of two spinster sisters, living alone in New York City and murdering people with a dose of elder berry wine laced with arsenic, could be tragic. But play it for laughs and throw in one nephew in the classic villian tradition and another who thinks he's Teddy Rossevelt, and the sisters take on a different role. "Arsenic and Old Lace" was originally written by Joseph Kesserling as a melodrama until the mood at rehearsals for the show's 1941 New York opening shifted to farce. It has kept audiences in stitches ever since and is one of the funniest plays written about murder. The drama class at Heppner High School has chosen "Ar senic" for its fall production with two performances sche duled for Friday, Nov. 18, and Monday, Nov. 21. Both per formances will begin at 8 p.m. The story revolves around the sweetly homocidal mania of Martha and Abbie, the mild old-maid Brewster sisters of Brooklyn. They comfort the local police on cold nights, they're charitable, they're lovable and they're amusingly deadly. Acting with the best huma nitarian motives, the lethal spinsters welcome lonely, friendless old gentlemen into their home, ply them with elderberry wine spiked with arsenic, and cart the bodies off to the cellar. But the insanity in the Brewster house is by no means limited to the parlor For Class help call 676-9228 1 i! ' ' . -. r ,; t I -j , ' v . . " I "machine" out of bodies, each student "cog" using their own sounds and motions to contri bute to a total machine affect. The class also prepped for public performance by devel oping imaginative skills, por traying different emotions and situations in pantomime skits. After their two perform ances of "Arsenic and Old Lace," the drama students have several ambitious pro jects in mind before the semester ends in mid-January. The class is planning to make audio-visual tapes hop ing to actually broadcast programs over cable televi sion channel 13 Heppner's open channel. The students aren't quite sure what format or kind of television programs they will put on, but watch for announcements of their ef forts in the future. Mrs. Rawlins said her students also want to put on some kind of children-oriented presentation for the elemen tary school, possibly a puppet show. The class is also Lace it for laughs" activities of Martha and Abbie. Nephew Teddy Roose , velt Brewster, who lives with his aunts, is pleasantly crack ed. He digs the Panama Canal in the basement and con stantly charges up the stairs blowing a bugle for the taking of San Juan Hill. Teddy's canal serves as the perfect resting place for Martha and Abbie's "victim". Nephew Mortimer, a drama critic who loves the minister's daughter next door, is the only one around with enough sense to realize what's going on. About the time he discovers what his aunts are up to, nephew Jonathan arrives. Jonathan is a sinister char acter who travels with his personal facelifter and plastic surgeon to avoid detection by the police. Not to be outdone, Jonathan is also in the business of accumulating corpses. The police finally account for Jonathan but Mortimer arranges to have his aunts secured in a private "home". When the attendant arrives to take them away, Martha and Abbie suggest he have a drink before they leave. They break out the elderberry potion as the curtain falls. The 13-member cast of "Arsenic" has been rehears ing for the past five weeks under the direction of Jane Rawlins. Mrs. Rawlins, who is starting her second year of drama direction at the high school, says "Arsenic" is ATTENTION MAS0MS Annual Past Masters & Old Timers Nite Heppner Lodge No. 69 AF & AM ' Tuesday, November 15th. Oyster Feed starting at 6:30 P.M. Stated Communication at 8:00 P.M. planning to work on some one-act plays before the end of the semester. Although Jane Rawlins has been an English teacher at Heppner High School for the past 20 years, and has long been a theater enthusiast, she only began her drama instruc tion last year. Mrs. Rawlins is a 1938 graduate of Heppner High School and taught for three years in Roseburg and lone after graduating for the Uni versity of Oregon. She inter rupted her career to marry Bill Rawlins, a rancher on Eight Mile, and raise four children before becoming an English instructor in Heppner. Experience in directing class plays as class advisor plus some acting background, aided Mrs. Rawlins when she stepped into her new role of , drama instructor last year. She encourages everyone-to r come to "Arsenic and Old Lace" and promises that it will be well worth the time spent. basically a comedy, "with a little something extra added". "I think the Heppner audi ences enjoy comedies and this is something they can just sit back and enjoy," Mrs. Raw lins said. Leading the cast will be Alice Abrams, in the role of Abbie and Linda Bier as Martha. Mark Piper is cast as Teddy, Bob Miller plays Mortimer and Debby Klaus takes the role of Elaine, Mortimer's fiance. Glenn Diehl will perform as Jonathan the role played by Boris Karloff in the original 1941 production. Jeff Forten berry will be Jonathan's sidekick surgeon and Ron Ward plays a double role as Dr. Harper and Mr. Wither spoon. Scott Groshens appears as Sgt. O'Hara and Scott McEwen plays Officer Klein. Three teachers will also perform in the play with Gordon Munck as Lt. Rooney, Tom Day as Gibbs and Jim Ackley taking the role of Officer Brophy. Behind the scenes, Mrs. Rawlins is assisted by Bob Miller, in charge of lighting; Joan Warren, costumes; Kathy Wolff, stage manager and Claudia Huston, in charge of props. Tickets, priced at $2 for adults, $1 for students and $5 for families can be purchased in advance at the high school main office or at the door on the nights of the performances. Jane Rawlins, drama in structor, directs the action during a recent rehersal of the upcoming HHS production of "Arsenic and Old Lace". From the top Cathy Wolff (1), stage man ager, fills in at rehersal for Linda Bier, playing "Martha" opposite "Abbie" portrayed by Alice Abrams. Stock a 1973 CORVETTE I 1976 DATSUfl I 1971 INTERNATIONAL I 1968 PONTIAC 280 Z PICK-OP STATIOH IVmQO;! 4 speed, mags, 454 V, T-top, silver AMERICA'S TRUE SPORTS CAR 8Pe8d' airconditioning mags, fuel injection aut0 powef steerlngi canopv, mags s(eerng SUPER CLEAN! GOOD TRANSPORTATION! $5990 $5990 1890 290 OPEN 7 DAYS 255S.Hwy.335 Uermlston (Formerly Columbia Motors) nji LfU tl r . . 1.4. FULL SELECTION OF PICK-UPS 1977 S7.vS No. P-236 m V.J' M t 1 in- iii Jiittii 1 a OPe vz ton 48 Months FINANCE MANAGER ON DUTY AT ALL TIMES TO HELP WITH PARTIAL OR COMPLETE FINANCING M)OTJa 1 1 o) III 1 i & m TRUCKS 449. Less TRADE IN $1250. Balance to Financa $3299. Finance Charge, Deferred Payment. . $924,04 APR 12.68 $5,473.04 Christmas toys needed It's time to start looking through your children's over loaded toy boxes for dolls, trucks, games, stuffed ani mals, or just about any toy which can be contributed to add to this year's annual Christmas baskets. Work on toy repair has already started by the Juve nile Advisory Council under , the direction of Carolyn Holt. Maxine Gray is dressing the dolls as she has in past years. Toy donations can be drop ped off at the Heppner Neighborhood Center on West Willow Street. WHEN A HEARING AID WIU HELP y JOE SINGLETON 414 S.E. Dorian St. Pendleton, OR 97801 Phone (SOS) 276-3266 Mon.-Fri. 8:30-8:00 SATURDAY-SUNDAY OPEN TIL 8:00 567-6115 mm . - Don Gilliam, Secretary k 4ar'---' Gt -k
