Oral Roberts University - Perihelion Yearbook (Tulsa, OK)

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l And now, coming to you hu ul if'i'i'tS Sunday Night Live by ,Eve Patterson One hour before showtime . . . The dimly lit control room is suddenly energized as Matt Connolly, director of Sunday Night Live With Oral Roberts, runs through the format with the produc- tion crew for a quick confirmation on the prerehearsed segments. Thirty minutes before showtime . . . Lynwood Wells, warmup host, stands on the brightly lit stage leading an audience of area residents, students, and visitors in a variety of religious choruses. Fifteen minutes before showtime . . . The production crew, cameramen, light- ing, floor, and audio personnel, take their positions and put on headsets, keyed up for the final countdown. One minute before showtime . , . The orchestra members raise their instruments, anticipating their opening cue from floor manager Tom Dooley. The drum rolls . . . And then it begins . . . And now, com- ing to you live via satellite from the campus of Oral Roberts University, Sunday Night Live With Oral Roberts! ' For the next hour, the newest addition to the Oral Roberts television ministry com- bines non-stop singing, preaching, inter- views, prayers, pre-taped stories, and even award-winning commercials to a potential 15.5 million cable television viewers. Sincelanuary 4, 1981, SATCOM I, the pri- mary cable television system, has been picking up the weekly broadcast from the huge white satellite dish on the north side Richard Roberts, left, takes time out from his own evangelistic meetings to lead the sophisticated musi- cal efforts for the tapings of Sunday Night Live. Floor manager Tom Dooley, below, receives an ex- planation of the format of the World Action Singers from Assistant Musical Director Gordon Twist. 2 8 Sunday Night Live of the Mabee Center, sending it to various cable stations scattered across the country from San luan to Detroit. PTL and CBN networks also pick up the show. Airing live at 7 p.m. tcsn, Sunday Night Live is rebroadcast at 10 p.m., as well as being shown in some cities at a later time from a taped copy. Matt Connolly, who also directs Oral Roberts and You productions, sits in the director's seat each Sunday night. He en- joys not having to do any postproduction editing, but admits there are some draw- backs. There's much more pressure to get it right the first time, he explained. You can't cover any mistakes. Director of operations David Moore says the show is a new venture for the ministry. We're in the experimental stage right now, trying to determine a new format from the half-hour shows. There are differ- ent ideas incorporated into each show. Moore says the number of viewers is un- determinable, since the show is broadcast on the PTL network. But, he added, we receive at least an average of ten nurse ap- plications per week for the medical staff of the City of Faith, probably as a result of the show. Hundreds have applied for the mu- sic department and much support comes from regular viewers. . Since additional workers are needed to help with the production of the show, many students have become involvedg Production assistants, cameramen, O and audio and lighting crews all consist of part- time students devoting Sundays as well as scheduled blocking times during the week, They not only receive invaluableexperi- ence, but also enjoy the behind-the-scenes Students also serve as special the show. Several gcamtpusemusic .groups tPrrsm, Souls. AfFire, , the .Keith .Ch-iidresgi Singers, Master' so Touchif supply contemporary Christian son85?i The basketball and golf teams and nursing students have also -beentyilinten viewed on the show, as well as evangelistsl such as Dr. jimmy Buskirk. Dr. james Winslow provides frequent updates on the City of Faith. And a special appearance was once made by Geese ofthe Harlem Crlobetrotters. t 1 Pretaped interviews and special-interest stories are frequently used in the format. The remote crew, under coordinator Phil part they play in the ministry. 7

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on e-as Sollilo tuioaa and Seoeotts by David Ault Come on, Iet's have more feeling! Think about what you are saying - invision it! O.K., let's change this part of the block- ing in scene five because it's not working. What I want is for you to be at an angle when you talk to her - not profile. Everyone who isn't in this group scene go over to the costume shop to be fitted. No, say your lines sooner, not faster! When you finish with your prop it is your responsibility to put it back on the table. Hurry, sew on these hooks and eyes! Do whatever you have to do - just don't miss an entrance! Project! With directions coming from upteen dif- ferent sources, yards of fabric needing to be sewn, and countless set pieces awaiting creation, the production of a play can be- come nothing short of chaos. Yet, despite these odds, the productions for this year became polished works of art reflecting an unmatched ensemble in both performance and cast unity. The first production of the year was Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music. Directed by Laura Holland and as- A scene from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, right, was enacted by David Morris and Connie Mash for a Showcase Theatre directed by jeff Moon. Maria, played by Tara Brecher, teaches the von Trapp children how to sing with the melody Do-re- mi. Evelyn Richardson gave a superb performance as Ophelia during the production of Hamlet. After the death of her father, Polonius, Ophelia finds her grief too much to bear and coupled with rejection from Hamlet, she slips into insanity, below right. sistantVicki Wilson and choreographed by Donna Oberstein, The Sound of Music ran for four sold-out performances on Novem- ber 13, 14, 15. The Tulsa Tribune called it beguiling, stunning, an entirely su- perior productionf' And that it was. The story is about Maria, a young woman who is faced with making a deci- sion of loyalty, love, and a service for God. Maria becomes the governess for the chil- dren of Captain Georg von Trapp. lt is then that she learns the vastness of love and devotion to the children, the Captain, and Austria. The takeover of Austria by Hitler was at hand and was devastating to those whose love ran deep for the country and its peo- ple, especially the Captain's. At the height of this turmoil, the von Trapps have no other choice but to flee Austria. Director Laura Holland revealed the se- -Ei ..