Cowley College - Tiger Daze Yearbook (Arkansas City, KS)

Page 25 text:

LITTLE THEATRE Facelift gives fine oris professional appearance by Sandy Wood ■he new academic year brought a welcomed addition to the college when Galle-Johnson Auditorium un- derwent reconstruction to be come the Little Theater. Plans for the Little Theater began about 17 years ago and the planning was done by a bunch of people said Sid Regnier, dean ofad- ministration. The final project was the result of decisions made by the Board of Trustees and Charles Thoma, Arkansas City architect. The Little Theater is a project that has needed attention for a long time, said Margaret Wheeler, humanities department chairperson. She remembers what the room looked like before the remodeling. It was only a flat room with a plat- form at the end of it about 18 years Backstage (Continued) Warrington who also wins her heart at the end of the melodrama. It was the first dramatic production to be held in the Little Theater and, although the royalties and scenery expenses caused it to realize a $600 deficit, Yarbrough believed it to be a success. The royalties were $375 and by the time we took care of our other ex- penses, we had quite a bill. There were good crowds all three nights butso many were admitted on college passes that we just lost money, Yar- brough said. I ' d rather have a good audience than make money on a play any day. ago. Little by little the room has been built up. It has been a thrill to see it develop. The s age was built up at fir- st, bu the students performing had a tedious job. There were no con- necting halls from the changing rooms to the stage which caused the students to run outside, sometimes in the snow, to get backstage for their part. Sharon Yarbrough, drama director, says that it is a much nicer facility to work in. She explained that the students used to have to create a din- ner theater atmosphre by setting up card talbles and decorating them with crepe paper. Now, when a play is finished we can just go home instead of repairing torn crepe paper and redecorating. It ' s so much easier, Yarbrough said. The entire atmosphere of the room has changed since the reconstruction. Regnier uses the words dark and drab to describe the appearance before the remodeling. For per- formers, the change to a more professional atmosphere made a big difference. Before, it was very unprofessional with just a plain floor with tables and chairs. The sloped floor makes it easier to see the stage, said Leigh Austin, freshman choir member. Yarbrough says the sound and lighting systems mean the most to the student performers. Now I can effectively light the stage where before the front lights were so close that there was no capability of back lighting. The only problem is that we need some other way of getting up to the lights. The ladder can be almost too much for a person she said. The new stage, ceiling and the in- stallation of insulation improved the acoustics markedly and according to Denah Spongier, CowleyCO Singers member, that helps makeperforming easier The reconstruction of the Little Theater took place in two phases. The first was done by Bob Sherrand Builders, Winfield. At that time the air conditioning and heating were in- stalled and the music practice rooms were added. The final bill on Phase Iwas $96,500 The second phase in- cluding new windows on 4 he west, the sloped floor, theater seating, new lighting and an improved stage area totaled an additional S8 : 1 15 and was accomplished by the Midland Development Corporation In- dependence. Even with the additions made there are still things some would like to see Hone to the facility. Some people would like to see a front curtain ad- ded and Margaret Wheeler favors ar- twork on the walls and near the en- trance. Others have suggestions that are strictly practical. I love the new theater and the stage, but the stage needs to be resanded, Jay Huston, sophomore said. I got som splinters after playing the part of Chief Brown Bear in the fall play little Mary Sunshine. Although there may still be problems to iron out most agree the Little Theater is an important addition to the campus. I appreciate having the Little Theater to perform in compared to what it used to be. Kenneth Judd, director of vocal music, said.

Page 24 text:

1J 8 c ' Little Mary Sunshine by- Brian Howell ■ s the lights dim and the crowd grows quiet, the cast of Little Mary Sunshine ' finds that the time backstage is a lonesome wait before entering the glittering limelight of a melodramatic world. The moments before the play begins are filled with last chances to tune up vocal chords and rehearse lines that seemingly just can ' t be remembered. Final make-up retouches make face and body highlights near perfect. In spite of the nervous activity there is also a sense of oneness throughout the cast. They were, for the run of the play at least, a family. It was a good group of students to work with, Sharon Yarbrough, direc- tor said. They took a tremendous amount of work off my shoulders. If they heard me say something needed to be done, they used their own initiative and just did it. Wayne Greenlee cleaned up the backstage area before we opened and David Stanley brought his truck in and hauled off a lot of trash from the back. Debbie Brown took all the cast to the costume place in Oxford. ..They worked together to help each other and that made them the best cast and crew I ' ve ever worked with. At times the actors would be out in the hall or in a dressing room when their cue came near and it was the job of David Stanley, stage manager, to make certain all the actors were on stage at the right time and no cues were missed. My job was mostly to make sure SUNSHINE GIRL. Little Mary Sunshine (Shari Stantbarger) and Captain Big Jim Warrington(Wayne Greenlee) are reunited af- everything went well and that there were no snags in the rehearsal, Stanley said. It ' s really time con- suming when you practice from 6-9 p.m. on the stage and from 9 p.m. to whenever on music for the produc- tion. Keeping the atmosphere backstage relatively sane was also the job of Leigh Austin, Sarah Phillips, Bettina Heinz, Teresa Theilen and Sheila Guinn. I try to calm everyone ' s nerves and am just an all-around do-gooder on the props and stage equipment, Austin said. I also help with make-up and just have a lot of fun with it. Some of the cast required in- dividual help during the play and it was the stage crew who was able to provide this. I help Nancy (Debbie Brown) Twinkle change clothes four times in each performance, Guinn said. It ' s a lot of fun to be a part of a play. Although on stage the actors may have appeared the picture of con- fer her safe return from being captured by Yellow Feather (Donald Read II). (Photo by Don Shrubthell) fidence for the 500 people who saw the play during its three-night run, their feelings ranged from calm and collected to terror of a tongue gone stiff. The audience is different tonight, said Denah Spongier between scenes. They ' re laughing at different spots. Did I sound OK? Was I too low? asked Wayne Greenlee. Was I too close when I stepped up to you? John Dalton wanted to know. The tension let up during in- termission when the lights went on and Yarbrough had the normal pep talk with the cast. ...and work on concentrating on your lines, she cautioned as the in- termission came to a close. The lead in the melodrama was played by freshman Shari Stan- sbarger, a sweet innocent who was losing her Colorado Inn to the govern- ment because of a mortgage. She is rescued by Big Jim (Wayne Greenlee) Continued

Page 26 text:

Virginia Dickson: What ' s cookin ' ? by! Mike Ennis |f irginia Dickson, head cook at the Nelson Student Center Cafeteria, loves kids and she loves cooking for them. I guess it was about two years ago that the whole oven blew up and singed her hair and eyebrows off, recalls B.J. Fritz, American Food Management (AFAA) manager. Well, she went on to the hospital, was treated and released with third degree burns and by the time she returned to work they had fixed the stove so she finished the meal and served it. She did it all because she loves the kids. Dickson is no stranger to kids; she has six of her own and nine grand- children. One son, Chris Hass, works with her in the Nelson Student Center kitchen. I ' ve tried other things but I just keep coming back to cooking, Hass said. I learned from my mom and I even did a lot of the daily cooking when I was growing up because she had to work so much. Even now on Thanksgiving, Christmas and special days, we work togethr to fix the meal. Dickson still works more than one job. In addition to cooking three meals a day for the students who eat at the cafeteria, she also works as a bartender at the Tropics. She come in here at 6 or 6:30 a.m. and fixes the meals. Then at 4 p.m. she leaves and goes to work at the Tropics until midnight, B.J. Fritz said. my way, she said. Her way makes cooking a unique experience, especially for those who try to follow her directions. If you ask her how to make something she will probably say, ' Oh, a pinch of this, a splash of that, ' and if you don ' t know what a pinch or a 44 She made it clear that I could run the office but the kitchen was her ' s. 9 I tease her and suggest that she needs to find something else to do between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. when she comes back to the college to work. Dickson received her cooking background from her mother in Ada, Ok la. , when she was growing up. I guess I was about eight or nine when I started helping my mom cook for the 25 or 30 people on the harvest crews, Dickson said. My first job away from home was in a restaurant, too. After 28 years as a professional cook, Dickson says she has little need of a cookbook. We have receipe books, but unless I don ' t know how to cook it, I just do it splash is, you might be in trouble, Hass said. Fritz is quick to point out that when he first met Dickson she outlined the territory and set down the ground rules. She made it clear that I could run the office but the kitchen was hers, he said. Now, I could not show up for work all week and everything would be OK but if Virginia left, it would take two or three people to replace her. Years ago, before Fritz was the AFM manager here, the students were unhappy with the replacement hired while Dickson was on a leave of absence. Parks Jewelers Holiday Season Sale 20% to 50% savings every department 218 South Summit Arkansas City 442-3310 ARK CITY MIRROR GLASS RONAL GEE Bus. (316) 442-2630 Res. (316) 442-2372 III Illlllllllllllll IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIU