- 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