Document text
SUNNY Temp: 57 °F Wind: S at 3 mph Saturday, September 27, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 14, 2003 Brianna Houck as the Wicked Witch, left, menaces poor little Dorothy, played by Megan Rapp, during a rehearsal of the �Wizard of Oz� at the Oregon Conservatory of Performing Arts� summer camp. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Young actors present ‘Wizard of Oz’ By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune Sixty young talents squeezed into a single room at the Medford Congregational Church Tuesday to dance, sing, shriek and rattle off lines to the "Wizard of Oz" like a team of professionals. The children, ages 6 to 17 and participants of the Oregon Conservatory of Performing Arts’ third annual summer camp, are more than winged monkeys, witches and friends of Dorothy. They are part of a quickly growing program aimed at exposing Southern Oregon children to the arts. The four weeks of six-hour daily training will come to fruition Friday during a 750-seat, sold-out performance at the Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater. Advertisement On Tuesday, cast and crew were perfecting lines and working out kinks for the conservatory’s biggest summer show to date. Each year, through spring, winter and two summer camps, shy kids come out of their shells on stage, kids with no acting experience look like pros in a month and those with experience gain more, says Executive Director Jeff Tabler. Tabler, who studied acting in New York, founded the conservatory in 1997 with fellow teacher Dennis Foster during a stint as video production instructor at Eagle Point High School. While the focus of the conservatory is to expose children to acting, voice and dance, Tabler said it’s much more than that. "All these kids come together as strangers and in four weeks they become the best of friends," he said. "I’ve been at this over 30 years, and this is the only thing like it in this area and probably the state. We want to give these kids a great experience and a taste of professionalism." Aside from putting on top-notch shows, Tabler said the camps give children a sense of teamwork and confidence that goes beyond the stage. The program has become so popular that 50 students wound up on a waiting list this summer. "This is not only designed for those that end up in theater at some college or a drama school in New York," Tabler said. "If they want to go on, great, if not, they’ve discovered something new in themselves." While the program helps fill a void at a time when schools are cutting back more than ever, a run-of-the mill school program this is not. Grace Katzmar, an 11-year-old "Auntie Em," is spending her second consecutive summer at acting camp and has no doubt where she’ll spend next summer. "I think the best part is that we have so much fun," she said. "I love the acting but also that I get to meet so many new friends every year." Brianna Houck, a most-convincing evil witch, spent her first summer in Oregon acting out a dream. "When we moved here (from Florida) I saw a show at the Craterian and I was like, ‘Wow, I have to perform here,’" she said. "Then we heard they were doing a children’s show at the Craterian and I knew I just had to be part of it." While 14-year-old Brianna is practically a veteran of children’s drama, having been in numerous shows and classes since the ripe age of 7, she said the conservatory’s program was one of the best. "I’ve been acting for seven years and I just love it. I love being center stage and I love being the evil witch because I can’t be evil at home but I can be here," she said with a laugh. "Even though I’ve acted a lot of other places, the people we worked with here have just been great. I hope I get to do this again because I learned so much." Though Friday’s evening performance is sold out, tickets are available for a dress rehearsal at noon that day. Tickets will be $6 and go on sale at the Craterian beginning at 10 a.m. Friday. The adult cast working with the students includes director Tyrone Wilson; choreographer Wendy Spurgeon-Couraud; musical director Marsha Katzmar; technical director Charles Spurgeon-Couraud; and pianist Hillary Hall. For more information about the conservatory or on after-school classes beginning Sept. 15, contact Tabler at 776-9118. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times