Come out and enjoy the Kiwanis fireworks on Saturday the 4th at the Pauls Valley High School football stadium. It is always a great show.
Travel safely over the days ahead, and see some good theatre when you can.
And speaking of good theatre, (how about that for a segue): I really must share with you something exciting that happened last week.
First, some background information: I serve on the board of directors of the Oklahoma Community Theater Association (OCTA) and The Poteet Theatre from Oklahoma City won our state’s competition for community theatres during OCTAFest 2008 at the Pollard Theatre in Guthrie. Poteet’s production, “Jon and Jen,” then went on to win regional competition qualifying it for the national competition at AACTFest held in Tacoma, Washington. (AACT is the acronym for the American Association of Community Theater.)
The national event was conducted on June 23-27, 2009 and Oklahoma’s production won third place overall.
One of the theatres competing in Tacoma was the Chino Community Theatre (CCT) from Chino, California. Their production, “Scooter Thomas Makes It to the Top of the World” won first place overall.
What makes this such a special story for me is that from 1984-1987, I helped to launch CCT. The founding couple of CCT, Paul and Karen Larson, have remained special friends over these many years.
During the competition, they would call me on a regular basis to keep me informed.
In fact, on the Sunday following the finals, and on their way back to California, they called to give me a ‘play by play’ review of the entire event.
As an obbligato: The actor who won the Outstanding Performance by a Leading Actor for the festival, Jeremy Magourik (from CCT), studied theater at Southeastern in Durant. Oklahoma’s theatre traditions are alive and well, and we need to foster them whenever we can. Are these great states or what?
During this same period, the entertainment world lost Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.
Pausing to reflect on their contributions, each certainly played a significant role shaping our cultural landscape.
I was fortunate to see Mr. McMahon ply his trade on three Tonight Show telecasts, once when Bob Newhart filled in for Mr. Carson and later with Carson himself behind the desk.
My most vivid memory of McMahon was watching him ready himself for his trademark, “HEEERRRREEE’S Johnny” opening.
He held the show’s script as he went through the normal pre-show announcements and in just that split second before the camera zoomed in to show him delivering that famous opening, he let the script slip ever so gently from his hands so his presentation would appear on screen as being totally natural, which it was. What a pro.
Live from the Highlands: It is 1983 and I continue trying to generate theatre work while con-currently building what would become a lifetime career in training and development.
Around this time, I would also work with a performing group in Pacific Palisades as their interim director on two musical theatre reviews.
Theatre too, on a summer evenings in our towns, stretching now from Oklahoma to Washington State. T A S
Arts & History
Bragging, but just a bit!
- Arts & History
-
-
‘Anonymous’ decent fiction, though pretentious
The art of the lie is one thing humanity has never let fall into disuse and it has many uses from trying to hide something to creating a good old fashioned conspiracy theory when we don’t want to accept the facts.
-
Maysville history comes to life one act at a time
Ever since the dawn of classroom based learning, teachers and administrators have struggled to find ways to engage their pupils in each semester’s curriculum.
-
‘The Iron Lady’ an emotional ride through adversity
As someone who has easily dedicated a lifetime’s worth of television hours nerding out to stuff like the History Channel, it is no wonder why I always eventually cave to biographical movies on some of the most famous/infamous people to make something of their humanity.
-
‘J. Edgar’ a win for DiCaprio, flat elsewhere
History can often favor the victorious and ignore a lot of wrongs, but sometimes the most vile cannot completely wash away the grime.
-
Team recycles for fashion
Art in some ways can always involve taking an otherwise cast aside object and giving it new use, but for three Pauls Valley business owners, it’s also a chance encourage environmental responsibility in others.
-
‘Hugo’ a beautiful exposition of art in film
Though I tend to feel slightly squeamish when it comes to movies which go overboard in the artsy department, there is a way to incorporate a refined feeling without boring the heck out of everyone.
-
‘The Conspirator’ perfect commentary on blind justice
In this episode of Oklahoma Ezra and the Temple of Film we dig up yet another movie lost to the box office ages, one with a fascinating premise, but lousy attendance.
-
Missoula prepares for audition rush Feb. 20
Every community has traditions which carry with them a guaranteed level of excitement and one synonymous with Pauls Valley for the past 15 years has been Missoula Children’s Theater.
-
‘Moneyball’ cash in the bank for best actor
Maybe it’s because math was always a special kind of hell for me throughout the education process, but any sort of award attached to a movie where it is the major dynamic seems like a cruel joke.
-
‘The Grey’ follows typical blah early year trend
As a relatively balanced movie fan, I tend to be open to the possibility of any time of the year having the chance to win over audiences, though there remains reasons why most of the awesome of the box office begins around summer.
- More Arts & History Headlines
-
Secret Service Boss: 'I Apologize'
Giant Bull Head Draws Drivers to South Dakota
Astrodome Fades As Houston Decides Fate
Egyptians Vote in Historic Presidential Election
Franciscan Files Tell Stories of Priest Abuse
Wildfire Destroys 2 Homes
Flight Diverted After Suspicious Note
Joplin Remembers Deadly Tornado, 1 Year Later
Panel Recommends Against Routine Prostate Test
Fired Lingerie Employee Claims Discrimination
Joplin Marches to 'Remember' Tornado Victims
Facebook Shares Continue Negative Slide
Cuba Waiting for Cyber Age to Come
8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff
Sheriff: DNA Links Suspect to Missing CA Teen
US Airways: Diverted Flight Has 'Landed Safely'
Revived Focus on Regulation After JPMorgan Loss
