Saint Ambrose College - Oaks Yearbook (Davenport, IA)

Page 30 text:

A WORLD CF IT OW Act l begins and the audience is miraculously transported to the future, the past, or some faraway place in the present. Privacy is stripped away and lust, power, greed, hate, love and humanity are artfully re- vealed. Talented actors and technicians join efforts to create a magical fantasy land . . . a play. Magical perhaps to the audi- ence, but not to the many dif- ferent people involved in pro- ducing a play. Their magic po- tion consists of hard work, determination, and skill. The audience's few hours of plea- sure in the result of many weeks planning and work. ln planning a theatrical sea- son, choosing the right play is vital. After the plays have been chosen, students must be selected to fill the various roles. This is done at open au- ditions - where all students, not just theater majors, are encouraged to audition. Those chosen show skill, po- tential and a little luck some- times. After the actors are selected, rehearsals begin. Rehearsals generally last from three to four weeks, depending upon the show and the director.

Page 29 text:

sg. ff: K R T is X 1 is in use 55 l E - lt seemed as though Homecoming ended as quickly as it had come. Homecoming 80 became a celebration for Ambrosians old and new and yet to come. The week's festivities concluded with the traditional semi-formal dance. The Plantation in Moline was the site and The Movies provided the music. As daring and exciting as the Roaring 2O's, Homecoming 80, The Sting will be long re- membered. sbmfzlffafff QW ii

Page 31 text:

The Fall Play was an election year selection called The Best Man. The winter children's play was The Emperor's New Clothes. Nina Mokhiber and Julie DeWitt greet children from the audience after the matinee. A good actor doesn't just walk around a stage and say some lines. Learning lines is one of the more difficult tasks but that is only the be- ginning of an actor's responsi- bility to his character. An ac- tor must also know exactly when and where to move on stage. Perhaps the most diffi- cult of an actor's tasks is to bring something new and original to each performance. Actors receive adulation and the applause, but they are not the only members of a pro- duction. A play cannot be ef- fective unless it is presented to the audience complete with authentic costumes, stage settings and props. To move through scene changes smoothly and quickly, a play depends upon a competent backstage crew. Technical members of a production may be overlooked by theater go- ers, but they are highly re- spected by the directors and actors. Building a set, procuring props and constructing cos- tumes require a great deal of time. Over l,2OO cumulative work hours go into the techni- cal end of producing a play. A play must have an audience and an audience does not sim- ply appear on opening night by magic. Time is also spent on publicity. Producing a play may seem glamorous, and is certainly in- teresting, but is far from easy. When the curtain falls on closing night, the audience returns to reality and the ac- tors and technicians plan the strike. Not long after the last performance all the sce- nery is taken down, lumber is salvaged and the theater cleaned. The magic has ended until the next show and its cast prepares for the next production.