As a freshman at LBCC at the ripe age of 62, I decided
to take a course, theater, which sounded like fun and would not require an
extreme amount of time. This is one of
the best decisions I have ever made. In
trying to lessen my load at school, I have enriched my life tremendously. I have met some of the most talented and
friendly people at this school. It was a
pleasure interviewing some of the people who work in our theater.
Talking with Katrina DiFonzo, stage manager, who has shown with A Christmas Carol what a great job she does on productions at the
theater with Dan Stone, director and educator. Per Dan, this is one of the most important
jobs in the theater and should always be regarded as a position to aspire to. Kat took a stage management class when she
enrolled here at LBCC and developed a love for the theater. She is the assistant director for our new
play, Wiley and the Hairy Man, which
will be performed at the end of February and early March. Later, she will be transferring to Portland
State University to continue her major in theater with a minor in fine arts for
tattooing.
Tinamarie Ivey, Technical Director, is one of those people
you should never underestimate and always appreciate as she makes sure the
production is actually portraying the story the way the writer meant it to be
and the way the audience will totally enjoy and understand. TinaMarie knew she wanted to be an artist in
grade school, specifically an actress.
Her parents encouraged extra activities to keep her busy, so she made up
plays to be performed by children in her neighborhood. One of her favorite performances is in South Pacific in the Riverside Civic
Opera at Riverside Community College.
From her bio, I gleaned the following information. “As a performer, she has appeared in numerous
venues with favorite roles including: Claire in Fuddy Meers,
Sextuplets in Wonder of the World, Mrs. Bramson in Night
Must Fall, Mommy in American Dream, Pantalone in A
Christmas Commedia, Claire in Rumors, Woman in Rockaby,
Polly in Three Penny Opera, Rizzo in Grease and
the role of Nellie in the production of South Pacific with the
Riverside Civic Light Opera.”
And, let’s not forget, Laura Blackwell, a veteran actress
who has a repertoire that makes us amateurs blush. From an article written by Kay M. Roth in
the Commuter, we discover that Laura “has appeared in The Producers, Alice in
Wonderland, Steel Magnolias and as Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker. She also played four roles in “Nick Tickle,”
last year’s children’s show at Linn-Benton.“ Most
recently, Laura performed magnificently as female Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, which really showed off
her talents. Laura is in the process of
getting her Bachelor of Fine Arts on her way to Broadway.
Kassandra Morris, a returning actress, is not aspiring
actress but has always viewed acting as an escape from life, just as I do with
books. She played Mrs. Cratchit and a chorus member in A Christmas Carol last term. Also, she is playing a part of the chorus
in Wiley and the Hairy Man, which is
being put on here at LBCC in the spring.
Although she will be pursuing a degree in Law and a minor in Spanish, Kassandra
plans to continue acting.
As you can see, actors and theater personnel come in all
personalities and walks of life but all have the same love of theater. I knew I loved watching people perform but
did not know that I loved the theater as a performer until I tried out for a
part in Wiley and the Hairy Man, a
puppet show, where I will be the voice of Mammy, “the best conjure woman in the
whole Southwest.” I hope to continue
acting or assisting in the theater in the background. Acting is definitely fun and life enriching.
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