Theatre Newsletter: February 2003

February 2  edition 1 - 03. St. Ambrose University
Department Chair- Dr. Corinne Johnson-  (563) 333-6427
Newsletter Editor: Megan O'Connell SAUTheatreNews@hotmail.com

SAU Junior Dan Hale wins KC/ACTF Region V!

On January 22, after three grueling rounds of auditions against 331 other Irene Ryan nominees, Dan Hale was announced as one of the two Irene Ryan nominees selected to compete at the National American College Theatre Festival, held at the Kennedy Center this April. This victory for Hale (and his scene partner, junior, Rusty Koll) and for St. Ambrose University is all the sweeter given the competition comes from larger theatre departments and graduate programs.

This momentous announcement means much for the junior Theatre and Art major. The National KC/ACTF offers dozens of workshops and master classes, 10-minute Play productions, and scholarship/ fellowship/ internship auditions for the Irene Ryan nominees and their partners. Such esteemed playwrights as Edward Albee and Neil Simon have written and watched the performance of their works in the 10-minute scene showcase. The national festival also offers many opportunities for nominees to have their work seen by well-known producers and directors. Theatre Department chair, Dr. Corinne Johnson commented on the KC/ACTF National Festival. "It's difficult to understand the magnitude of this festival. The opportunities and learning experiences are overwhelming!"

Hale's scene was from "Scapino" by Jim Dale & Frank Dunlop. Working with partner Rusty Koll, Hale performed a physically comedic scene that would make the founders of Commedia del' Arte proud. Through slaps, trips, and pratfalls, Hale and Koll captured the audience's attention through their perfect execution of the demanding art. Afterwards, Hale held the audience in the palm of his hand when he performed his quiet, but intense monologue of a priest torn from Martin McDonagh's "The Lonesome West".

When Beatte Pettigrew, chairman of the Irene Ryan competition for Region V, announced Hale as the finalist selected to represent the eight state region, SAU was not the only school to applaud for Hale's victory. "The entire auditorium of 3,500 began clapping, cheering, and gave him a standing ovation as Dan reached the stage" junior Jill Schmits said. "It was incredible!"

Everyone at home in the SAU community was equally thrilled for Hale and the Theatre Department. Congratulatory phone calls, interview requests and publicity flooded the department.  Plans for the near future? Hale mentions the possibility of an appearance on the Paula Sands Live television talk show, Koll's high school is in preliminary planning for an assembly to welcome him back and perform the award-winning scene in front of the student body, and of course, the National Evening of Irene Ryan Scenes, performed at the beautiful Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C.  When asked about the future Hale commented, "It looks great. There are so many opportunities out there for me, for all of us. I can't wait to explore them."

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Meritorious Achievements for SAU's Technical Theatre

At the final awards assembly of the KC/ACTF SAU's technical theatre department shared the spotlight of achievement. Meritorious awards were presented to costume designer Brian Hemesath and lighting designer Brad Frazee for their work on "Macbeth." "Gypsy" also provided a bevy of winners: Eric Behnke for his stage management, and the Gypsy Costume Running Crew for their super speedy and successful changes. The awards are an honor bestowed on the technicians who support the production and add to its success. Technical director Kris Eitrheim, "I think they are tremendously well-earned awards.  It is great that each of them found recognition!"
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More Than Meets the I: Irene Ryan Successes at ACTF!

As explained in previous newsletters, the Irene Ryan scholarship competition is named after the actress, Irene Ryan who is best known for her work as Granny Clampett on "The Beverley Hillbillies."  =Each region holds auditions to narrow down the competition and award the scholarship to two individuals and offer them the chance to perform at the Kennedy Center. However, getting to regional KC/ACTF festival as an Irene Ryan is enough of a challenge.

When a representative of the KC/ACTF two members of the cast are often selected to be the nominees adjudicates a production. The respondent then selects two members of the cast who best represented their characters. Size of the part is not the most important, rather, the commitment and sincerity the actor brings to the role. This year, SAU brought six Irene Ryan nominees to the Region V Festival. However, before the Irene Ryan nominees attend the festival, SAU ensures they are prepared for an audience and for judges. Each nominee is offered the opportunity to work extensively with the theatre faculty and peers at SAU for input on their scene and monologue.

Nominee Heather Starns performed a song from the opera "A Doll's House", and a broad comedic scene from David Ives' "Mere Mortals." Partnered with Scott Peake, Starns proved a powerful force, and an entertaining performer. Also nominated from "Gypsy," Trina Gillen performed a monologue from Shakespeare's "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" and a scene from Arthur Miller's "The Crucible." Her monologue was charming as she viciously tore up a love letter, and later regretted the action. Her scene with partner Matt Erkel sizzled with the fire that the character Abigail brings to the intense scene.

Daniel Sheridan and Dan Hale nominated from last spring's production of "Macbeth" proved successful.  (See front story: "Dan Hale Wins") Sheridan performed a scene from  Martin McDonagh's "The Lonesome West" with Rusty Koll that utilized non-sequitors to keep the audience laughing and wondering.  Sheridan followed with a monologue from Nicky Silver's "Raised in Captivity" where he describes the pain of losing a lover and surviving.

Megan O'Connell and Beth Curley, nominated from "How I Learned to Drive" completed their final KC/ACTF on high notes. O'Connell performed a scene from Nicky Silver's "The Altruists" with partner Matt Cox, and a monologue from Shakespeare's "King John." Curley, partnered with 2002 Irene Ryan finalist, Jill Schmits, brought truth and humor to a scene by Christopher Durang from his play, "Baby With the Bathwater."  Her monologue from "Back Story" by Joan Ackermann, moved he audience as she portrayed a woman describing her father' s detachment from the family.

With six well-prepared nominees SAU approached the semi-finals. The first round is the most difficult cut to make, the numbers?  Only 36 semi-finalists are selected from this year's 331 Irene Ryan nominees. The great part?  Four out of six of SAU's nominees were selected as
semi-finalists.  Curley, Hale, O'Connell and Sheridan, were selected as semi-finalists, a congregation so large in numbers as was never seen by SAU. The small theatre department was 11% of the semi-finalists, and competing against larger departments with graduate programs.

All of the nominees performed well in the preliminaries and semi-finals, yet a final cut must be made for the finals. The numbers drop from 36 contestants to 16.  The top 16 contestants then compete for the two positions as national Irene Ryan competitors.  However, SAU emerged victorious again with TWO nominees in the finals: Beth Curley and Dan Hale. When Hale and Curley performed back to back in the finalist showcase, the audience was enraptured by the four actors from SAU.  Hale and Curley received thunderous applause during and after their performances. Clearly, SAU and its participating student body were held in high regard.

The most breathless part of the evening occurred as the crowd fell silent and Ryan Coordinator, Beatte Pettigrew stepped towards the lectern to announce the two alternates and two finalists. While no SAU student was called as an alternate, and with only one more position left for national winners, Pettigrew slowly pronounced to the crowd the final winner: "Dan Hale."  In a moment of deafening applause, cheers, and ovation, Hale stumbled towards the stage, taking all five steps in one leap towards his victory. Representatives would later describe the moment of pure adrenaline, bliss, or, are unable to remember the moment so acute was the thrill.

Leaving the auditorium to wait for Hale to return after paperwork for his success was filled out, the SAU students began calling family, friends, and teachers back home. Although not everyone appreciates the enormity of SAU's success, the pride for the department's achievement will shine for years to come.

--------------------- Quick Stats -------------------------
+ SAU brought 6 Irene Ryan Nominees.
+ Out of 331 Irene Ryan Nominees, 4 SAU students made it to the top 36 of the 8 state region.
+ Of the top 36 Irene Ryan Nominees, 2 students made it to the final 16.
+ Of the final 16 nominees, 1 SAU student made it to the top 2 National qualifiers.

That's 1 out of 330 people; Congratulations Dan Hale, and to ALL of SAU's Irene Ryan Nominees!

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One Author in Search of a Title: A Night With Rusty Koll

After a summer of writing and compiling his best works, junior Rusty Koll will perform nine of his favorite monologues in a one-man show entitled: "One Author in Search of a Title: An Evening with Rusty Koll."  His monologues cover such diverse topics as life, writing, success, and women.  His work has been heralded as one of the favorite acts seen at SAU's open mic forum: "Inside Down There." His production team includes Eric Behnke as lighting designer, Beth Curley as costume designer, Dan Hale, Allison Costello and Daniel Sheridan as voice-over artists, Megan O'Connell as respondent, and Jill Schmits as a guest artist.  Performances are Friday and Saturday, February 7-8 @ 7:30 pm, in the Studio Theatre.  Admission is free, and everyone is welcome!

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ACTF Supplies College Theatre Outlet

Along with going to the festival itself, performing for scholarships, and participating in workshops, many other schools bring plays to share.  Plays are chosen by respondents who go and see different shows throughout the eight state region.  In order to be chosen to perform, the school must state that they are interested in bringing the said play.  After the plays are performed at the festival, they may be chosen to move on to the finals in Washington D.C.  Many of the shows are student written and/or directed.  This article is a brief summary of the plays that were viewed this year.

"21 A"  by Kevin Kling
Directed by Nita K. Ritzke
Produced by the University of Mary

"21A" is the name of the bus route on which the show takes place. It is a one-man show and all the characters monologues interact with other characters that are present on the bus, but not seen. Later, the interactions made from character to character make sense, as the monologues overlap one another. Gregory J. Myhre, the man who played all the parts, did a brilliant job. The distinct characterizations were memorable and done well enough to carry the audience from character to character. The only downsides to this play were the gunshots, which were far too loud, and a slight lack of physical interaction between the characters. Beyond that, the show was brilliant.  St. Mary's deserves a standing O for a job well done.

Mancherios  by Nathan Louis Jackson (student author)
Directed by Tiffany Lee
Produced by Kansas State University

Mancherios is a show that deals with family values as a whole. William King, played by Timothy Taylor, is an elder father who has two sons in their early twenties. William is plagued by Multiple Sclerosis and puts his oldest son Innis, played by Keenan Ramos, in a difficult decision. Innis needs to move his life forward, but has too high of family values to do so. The show was extremely well written for a student playwright, in particular. The doors to the theatre did not open, however, until five minutes after the scheduled time.  A majority of the tech seemed sloppy, with quick fades up and quick fades down. The uneasy tech may have been in part to a bad load in.  The best performances came from Keenan Ramos and Nathan Jackson, who also wrote the play.

"Up Against the Wall Mother" by Gayle Shanoa Weber
Directed by Camille D Ambrose and Gail Smogard
Produced by Metropolitan State University

"Up Against the Wall Mother" is a compelling story that takes a somewhat dry and metaphorical approach. The show is about four women who are in a nursing home and no longer needed by the world. It is almost as if the women are in Limbo waiting judgment. The show was done with no set. It was simply different boxes and belongings that were brought in with the women. This was an interesting choice because it made very apparent that these women had no one but each other to rely on, as there were no walls to keep the others out. Young Lady 1 & 2, played by Gail Sollee and Cana Erdem, seemed to be odd additions to the show. They were basically the keepers of the nursing home and came in with the different women. They interacted almost as if they were Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum from "Alice in Wonderland." Mabel, played by Kathryn Hume, was the most interesting actress to watch, even though she did not have many lines. The show definitely made the audience think about what they just viewed.

"Survival Dance" by Kate Beneking Kogut
Directed by Suzanne Burgoyne
Produced by University of Missouri-Columbia

"Survival Dance" is a play that deals with women being raped and/or physically assaulted by an intimate partner. The show follows Annie, played at different ages by Patricia Downey, Lauren Palmer, and Chrishon Baynese, through her childhood with her grandmother, her midlife with her abusive husband, and to now, where she is attempting to come to grips with what happened. The set design was very conceptual, with the breaking of glass being a driving theme. Above the actors were large pieces of broken glass, suspended in air. All the set was zigzagged with white paint on black boxes to show the struggle of the character. At times, the show became too metaphorical. At one point a group of actors, played like a Greek chorus, begin to argue amongst themselves about who is going to play a part in Annie's life at a critical moment. The main lacking element was solvency in the script.

"Iphigenia at Aulis" by Euripides
Directed by Sara K. Armstrong
Produced by The University of Kansas

"Iphigenia at Aulis" was truly the gem of the entire festival. This Greek play was taken out of its ancient setting and placed in modern day, presumably an American army in the Middle East, as the costumes reflected that of desert storm. The audience was split up between men and women, facing one another on opposite sides of the stage. This was extremely effective, as the play is on war and men and women's views differ. A chance to watch the other sex react, and for the characters to address a certain group, added an amazing element. Joseph Edwin Boothe, as Agamemnon, gave a brilliant performance, as a father struggled with the grief of having to sacrifice his own daughter to the Gods. The most astounding part of the whole production, however, was the student director Sara K. Armstrong. Not only did she direct, she also designed the costumes and sound to boot. Truly an inspiring show on all aspects of the stage.

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SAU Send-Off Performance for Dan Hale

A showcase of scenes is planned for the SAU Theatre Department, Saturday, April 12.  The event will begin at 4:00 pm, and will include all of the Irene Ryan nominees and their partners performing their same audition pieces. The evening will conclude with Dan Hale and Rusty Koll, as an enthusiastic send-off for the pair.  A reception will follow afterwards, and "A Man for All Seasons", directed by Mike Kennedy, will have its Saturday performance that evening at 7:30 pm.

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Cory Johnson Stars in New Ground Theatre's Production of "Wit"

Margaret Edison's "Wit" is an honest and gripping look at a professor battling and eventually succumbing to cancer. Johnson plays Dr. Vivian Bearing, a philosophy and English professor at a prominent university, who specializes in the poems of John Donne. Her critical eye once turned towards literature and her students is now forced to witness the scrutiny of doctors and medical students bent on research. With wry humor and candor, Bearing brings the audience on her final journey through her passion of words, and her strength in life and death.  Johnson's involvement in the professional production offers her a renewed look at acting, as opposed to her usual involvement as a director (such as "Brighton Beach Memoirs" February 21-23).

The show will be performed at the Rivermont Collegiate in Bettendorf on Jan 30, 31 & Feb 1, 6, 7, and 8 at 7:30 pm and also on Feb 2 & 9 at 2 pm. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors.

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