New stages and beyond!

Discussion

November 2, 2008

By Tim Smith The Democrat Sun Nov 02, 2008, 03:00 PM CST

I hope you will enjoy learning about this new educational offering for Pauls Valley High School students.

New Stages is a for credit course that began this past Thursday evening at the high school’s auditorium.

The course’s syllabus is structured around three major emphasis’ - the presentation of an overall review of theatre and its history, projects and discussion focusing on contemporary communications issues and then winding up the year with a class project, tentatively set for next spring. This offering may feature a live theatre production.

My appreciation goes out to Superintendent of Pauls Valley Schools, Mr. Bobby Russell, and Pauls Valley High School Principal, Mr. Peter Campbell, for their support of this new endeavor.

The students have the opportunity to be on the ground floor of an exciting new educational direction in the theatre and that is not available to many students anywhere in this area.

I hope that you were able to enjoy the arts potpourri last weekend featured at the Valley Vineyard. On Saturday, special arts workshops were followed the next day by Ms. Rebecca Bowen and guitarist Edgar Cruz in separate concerts. This past Monday evening, the community welcomed back the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America – The Shades of Blue Jazz Band to the Pauls Valley High School auditorium. This season’s evening, I believe, was one of the best as the band’s orchestrations and vocals were sharper and brighter. When you add to all of that weekend activity the Toy and Action Figure Museum’s third birthday party celebration also on Saturday, there was plenty to see and do in this, not your ordinary small town.

And while I am thinking about it, I received some positive feedback on last week’s column where I mentioned that on a recent flight from Tucson to Dallas I found myself sitting next to a New York Times writer who was more interested in reading The New Yorker than talking with yours truly.

Yes, it was hard not being able to get the latest buzz on the upcoming theatre season. I just knew he had some insider information. I guess I should have been more aggressive in dropping subtle conversational hints.

I have mentioned my growing interest in the You Tube website. I follow a few Internet sites on a regular basis, and this one provides me with an opportunity to listen to extensive interviews by those who have made an impact in the arts and history.

Most of you have probably followed Charlie Rose’s career and I am amazed at the amount of information that one can learn by spending time with Mr. Rose and his guests.

A recent example: Mike Nichols, the director of the film classic,The Graduate talked about the evolution of the Tony award winning musical, Spamalot.

He was the show’s director (where he would also win a Tony) and his incites into the development of the musical theatre genre were almost at a “graduate” level. And all of this information in about one hour.

I hope you had a wonderful Halloween.

Remember, there may be an opening night, in your town too!

T A S

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