Altus Senior High School - Bulldog Yearbook (Altus, OK)

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etting the stage no time to Spare Immediately following the Christmas vaca- tion, tryouts for the all school production were held. Results were posted at the end of the week and rehearsals began immediately. The next few weeks were a blur as orchestra members began furiously learning new music. The singers had to learn their songs and everyone had to memorize lines and cues. Flats and props were dragged out, spruced up and made ready. The news stand, telephone booth, and other props were built by wood working students. Mrs. Janet Diltz did most of the painting on the sets. After the cast members had frantically learned their lines, the play had to be blocked. Mr. Kenneth Cox and Mr. Maurice King helped to add the professional touch to the students’ performance. The entertaining crap shooters’ dance proved to be one of the highlights of the pro- duction. It called for the transformation of awkward boys into capable dancers. Mrs. Gloria Rustmann made sure that the dancers executed their somersaults and handsprings Out for a stroll on Broadway, Jason Wall as Sky Mastcrson tries to persuade Kerri Brinkman as Sarah Brown that she needs excitement in her life such as a trip to Havana. Her agreement will insure he wins another bet. As the cast takes a break in the action, Mr. Maurice King gives Robert Hildinger instructions as to how to play the role of Big Jule. without landing on top of each other. Melissa Patterson, General Cartwryte, said, “They were my favorite part. I can’t believe how well they learned the dance and how well they did it.” Getting costumes together presented another hill to climb. Most could be rented, but Kerrie Brinkman was in luck. Mr. Cox dug her Save a Soul Mission uniform out of the prop room. Unfortunately, her hat was slightly crushed so she had to carry it throughout the play. “These are the best costumes I’ve ever had,” said Ronda Shepherd. As Miss Adelaide, Ronda got to sport chiffon, furs and sequins. Late night practices forced students to do their homework in snatches. The strain took its toll on some members as they succumbed to a bout of the flu. On Friday, Vicki Bellizzi was so sick she had to turn in her hoe and skip the “Bushel and a Peck’’ dance. Traci Vaughan lay down on the clothes racks between appearances on stage. The rest stifled their sniffles and continued practicing for the first performance. After more than a week of late night practices members of the cast were able to go to sleep just about anywhere. Elizabeth Lowell and Erica Rydjord catch a wink between appearances on stage. As gamblers who will take on a game of chance anywhere, the crap shooters practice throwing dice and money and at the same time performing an acrobatic dance. behoof Production 25

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Gamblers through and through, the characters por- trayed by Brett Willey, Robert Hildinger and Trey Rustmann discuss where to conduct the next crap game. In order to get a part in a musical, one first had to audi- tion. Shannon Herbert tries out for General Cartwryte but is willing to take another part. Members of the all school production orchestra had to be willing to give extra hours. Tom- my Ferenczhalmy plays the trumpet in the orchestra. Tommy Ferenzchalmy Being a member of the orchestra for the school musical “Guys and Dolls, ’ ’ was a fun yet challenging experience. The whole thing seems kind of crazy when you first think about it. One might ask, “Why would anyone want to work four or five weeks, three to four hours a night on music that is hardly legible and sounds almost Greek?” I did it because I get a lot of satisfaction from performing music. Also, I did it because it broadens my music capabilities as an instrumentalist. 24 'clioof production

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uccess story 9n just jour short weeks hi “I’ve got my hat, pearls, neck band, leg garter, two bracelets and a waist band. I’m ready for the show,’’ said Elizabeth Lowell as she was about to go on in “Take Back Your Mink.” Dancers in the musical “Guys and Dolls” were responsible for all the parts of their costumes. “Because I was in two dances, it was especially hard for me to keep up with all the parts of my costumes,” said Vicky Bellizzi. A major part of the play was the crap shooters. “We all had to be pretty athletic in order to be a crap shooter dancer. In our main scene, there was a lot of tumbling,” said Wade Douthit. Concentration and making the most of rehearsals always contributed to a successful play. This year, that was the case all the more because it was put together in record-breaking time. Mr. Kenneth Cox, general director, said, “Besides producing a show that received much acclaim, we wound up putting everything together in just over a month.” But, once the tickets were printed, the show had to go on as scheduled. Whether or not it was a success had to be determined by those who went to see it. If the editorial that appeared in the Altus Times on the morning after the first perfor- mance was a gauge of the musical’s reception, then it had to be termed a smashing success. After losing a bet to Sky Masterson, Nathan Detroit and the craps shooters attend a midnight prayer meeting at the Save a Soul Mission. Richard Stevenson as Nicely Nice- ly Johnson gives testimony as he sings “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat.’’ Sinners can always be found on Broadway. Members of the Save a Soul Mission Band, Karen Smades, Shannon Herbert, Chuck Hansen and Kim Duffy sing of heaven’s delights in order to get sinners on the road to glory. As members of the gambler trio of Nicely Nicely Johnson, Benny Southstreet and Rusty Charlie. Richard Stevenson, Jason Armstrong and Tommy Brooks sing Fugue for Tinhorns’’ as the opening number. Jason Armstrong Being in the all school production was both interesting and fun. Although we did get a late start and did a lot of cramming, we pulled together in the end and produced, as some people called it, the best that has come out in a long time. The reason for that was because it was a fun musical. It had good songs that weren't those “ a- a” songs that people are accustomed to hearing in musicals. It also had a bunch of neat dances that were enjoyed immensely by the audience. In the end, we got to chalk up one more for Altus High. on