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School, theater swap space for production roles By Wendy Siporen of the Mail Tribune ASHLAND -- After producing plays without a stage for the past eight years, Ashland Community Theater is starting its 2000 season with a new lease on the future and a new lease at Ashland Middle School's commons area. It's a unique symbiotic relationship between the almost all-volunteer theater group and Ashland's school for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders. Both groups have high hopes for the partnership. "There's so much theater in this valley and in this town -- so many professionals," said Ashland Middle School drama teacher Dianna Warner, who also serves on the board of ACT. "This will be a great way for students to learn about the profession." While the theater benefits from having the use of a proper stage -- the theater group has used the Ashland Town Hall on Pioneer Street for the past four years -- Warner says her students will benefit by being involved in backstage work, set construction and running the technical aspects of a performance as well as acting in ACT performances. She will also draw on the knowledge of those involved in ACT to speak to her drama classes. The collaboration is based on Ashland High School's vocational theater program with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival that Warner initiated before she began working at the middle school five years ago. As an added benefit, ACT artistic director Joe Fenwick says the free rent should free the theater financially to do other things -- such as improve the sparse facilities of the middle school commons and stage. It currently has no curtains and not many lights. Any improvements ACT makes will become a permanent part of the middle school and will be available for student use. "Hopefully by pooling resources, righting grants," Warner said, "we can have a great performance space." The groups are also considering summer workshops for students in the region on everything from improvisation to lighting techniques. Another possibility is a youth-only ACT production. The 36-by-31-foot stage in the commons will enable the theater to experiment with different stage-audience seating arrangements, said Fenwick. ACT opens its 2000 season Feb. 4 with the comedy "Table Manners" by Alan Ayckbourn. The production will be staged in the round, with both actors and audience on stage. A second play, "Ten Little Indians" by Agatha Christie, will have traditional staging, with the audience facing the stage. For the third show, "Living Quarters" by Brian Friel, some of the production will be on stage and some on platforms thrust into the audience, with seating on three sides. Best of all, said Fenwick, the theater group won't have to take the set down every weekend. The middle school commons is used as a cafeteria during the day, but has sufficient space to store theater seating during the day. The contract between the school district and the theater guarantees ACT use of the facilities on the weekend, but Warner says the two groups have been able to plan ahead to accommodate middle school needs for the facility. "Education comes first," she said. "That was the bottom line in the beginning. (The arrangement) really does allow for multiple use." Warner says this first play will enable the theater to get accustomed to the stage. After that, the collaboration will begin, working up to a December production of "A Christmas Carol" in which Warner hopes her students will be heavily involved. "It's a great two-way street," said Fenwick. "We're hoping the relationship will be a long one." Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA