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Reaching out to young people to help them explore the difficult issues they face is a challenge for the entire community. For educators, new approaches are always welcomed, and this Saturday at 7 pm at Thurston High School, they will have a chance to view and book for their schools a show that uses art to establish dialogue. Look Away is an energetic, fast-paced performance piece that explores such issues as bullying, cliques, violence, harassment, gender, alienation and identity using stories, movement, text and music. It was created by Michael Rohd, artistic director of Portland-based Sojourne Theatre and author of Theatre for Community, Conflict, and Dialogue, an internationally used text on youth and community issues. Rohd developed Look Away in collaboration with John Lenssen from the Oregon Department of Education and Laura Eason, director of the acclaimed Looking Glass Theatre Company in Chicago. The show was created during Sojourne's residency in Salem last summer, working with Willamettte University and the Oregon School for the Deaf. Sojourne Theatre sprang up in the sprawling, rural town of Blacksburg, Va., home to Virginia Tech., where Rohd was a guest artist. All of the founding company members were students in the theater department. They worked on several projects together and then, in an amazing illustration of the company's bonding, all up and hoofed it out to Portland together, led by Rohd who'd been in and out of Oregon several times over the past decade. During the company's cross-country trek, the members talked to young people interviewing, researching, getting an idea of what issues kids all over the U.S. are grappling with. "As adult artists, if we're going to make a piece of art about youth, it would be presumptuous of us not to include youth in the making of that art," says Rohd. He's quick to point out however, that Look Away is not a "message play." It's "about questions, not about answers," he says. After settling down in Portland, establishing the Salem residency and fine-tuning the production, Rohd and company have toured the show to various high schools around the state. It was presented at Thurston High School to a student assembly in February. Mike Fisher, Thurston theater teacher, booked the show as soon as he heard about it. "Rohd is the penultimate teacher and workshop leader, he's amazing," says Fisher, who took theater workshops with him several years ago. "After Bang Bang Your Dead [an original theatrical production written by William Mastrosimone and Thurston students that explores school violence and is currently being filmed for Showtime], I was looking for followup materials," says Fisher. He found that with Look Away. Although Fisher says the best way to see the show is with kids (only a few will probably be in attendance on Saturday night) he says this show will still be effective. "It's a profound production. The shooting was three years ago now, and most of those kids have graduated. Even though we've gone through the whole lesson of respect and non-violence, it's amazing how much that message is still relevant." In fact, says Fisher, the students liked the production so much, the Student Council is talking about bringing it back again in the fall for a mandatory assembly. "I'm very committed to this show and believe in it as a piece of theater as well as community dialogue," says Rohd. "If people are interested in nontraditional theater, in something that folks all over the state are seeing and talking about as an alternative way to have a dialogue of issues that affects our communities, I guarantee they will not be bored." The piece lasts 45 minutes and is at 7 pm Saturday, May 19 at Thurston HS. $5 suggested donation.
While Born Yesterday is obviously a comedy -- and a hilarious one at that -- it also contains poignant moral lessons, insightful questions about the state of the world and the people in it, and plenty of room for personal interpretation. I walked away from Born Yesterday feeling both introspective and uplifted, a feeling I greatly appreciate and owe to the purity of this show. The actors are impeccable in their characterizations, deliveries, and comic timing. Their bonds with one another are seamless: The relationships glow with truth as kinships between lovers, cousins, associates and friends are developed. Instead of weakening, as they could, the bonds between these people only grow stronger as the actors build on the complex themes of love, betrayal, greed and pride. Harry Brock (Michael P. Watkins) is a bullying entrepreneur who has traveled to Washington, D.C,. for the purpose of wooing a senator (William Campbell). The millionaire brings along his friend and advisor, Ed (John L. Muellner), his henchman cousin, Eddie (Jesse D. Lally), and his longtime girlfriend, Billie Dawn (Storm Kennedy). Neither Harry nor Billie are educated people and for this reason in particular they have been stuck in the same pattern for nine years. Though Ed advises that it would be wise to do so, Harry refuses to marry Billie because the idea of it intimidates him; while Billie, in her wide-eyed ignorance, consistently fools herself into believing that she has no desires in life beyond jewels and expensive clothes. They have both come from lower-class backgrounds, and have battled their own difficult way to the top. As the play unfolds, we watch each of them struggle as they try to believe that everything in their privileged but empty lives is perfect, and they need nothing beyond what they already have. However, things are thrown into chaos when Harry hires a journalist, Paul Verrall (Michael Walker) to "culture" Billie so that she can fit in with Washington society's bridge-playing politicians' wives. But when Paul and Billie are unavoidably drawn to one another, things become increasingly confusing for everyone involved. The humorous script and spirited performances keep the story from being too heavy or depressing. Michael P. Watkins is a joy to watch. As an actor, his incredible charisma paired with skilled subtlety enable him to create a detailed character. Storm Kennedy, tackling the challenging role of Billie Dawn, embraces her role with gusto and in making brave choices, she gives Billie a touch of a devil-may-care attitude that adds dimension to a character that could otherwise be an unvaried caricature. John L. Muellner's effortlessness establishes strong believability as Ed. Michael Walker is charming as the careful, considerate Paul, a man whose integrity is too strong to be worn down by the corruption that goes on all around him, and Jesse D. Lally is so funny as Harry's dim-witted cousin that at times his movements were so distracting I wanted to just watch him for his next animated gesture. Megan O'Connor Allen and William Campbell are excellent as the political Hedges couple, and each of the individuals making up the remainder of the supporting cast (John Elliott, Eric Murray and Michelle Nicola) are delightful additions to this shining production. When a show leaves you with new questions and reflections on your own life, you know you've seen good theater. And if you hurry to the Actor's Cabaret to catch Born Yesterday (which runs through June 2) you will have the opportunity to see some of the best theater this town has seen in a long time.
Some years ago, I wrote a column about fuchsias that didn't mention Delta Farm and Nursery, the ultimate local source. The truth is, I had heard of Delta Farm but I knew almost nothing about it, and a phone call (on the day of my deadline) was not returned in time. Little did I know that a book on my desk, just arrived in the mail, could have answered all my questions. Since then, Faye and Ron Spidell's already impressive fuchsia inventory has grown to more than 600 varieties, with an emphasis on hardy garden kinds that return year after year. How do I know this? Did I put in another call to Delta Farm? No, I just picked up the latest edition of A Gaga Gardener's Guide to Nearby Nurseries. The first edition of Ellen Schlesinger's inspired little book appeared in 1996. It described 22 sources for ornamental plants in the Eugene-Springfield area. Nurseries come and go. Some had disappeared by the 1998 edition, but the total listing had risen to 31. Once again, a few have fallen by the wayside, but 17 new entries more than compensate. The guide now describes a whopping 45 places to buy plants. What's more, an arbitrary and not particularly useful list of plants at the back of the book has yielded space to descriptions of local public gardens, garden clubs and societies, garden tours and annual plant sales. Schlesinger is a gardener, writer and neighborhood activist who is seriously passionate about plants and the process of acquiring them. My own plant lust pales by comparison. The warmth of her writing gives the reader a feel for the great variety of people who grow and sell plants in our area. Whether you are looking for a day out with the children, a hard-to-find plant or just the best price on colorful annuals, there is plenty here for you. Do you insist on plants that never had a chemical fix? Would you like to know which nurseries have great display gardens, or where to find the best selections of Japanese maple, lavender, vines, water plants or woodland perennials? The Gaga Guide will point you in the right direction, tell you when the nurseries are open, and let you know if you should you wear your gumboots. There is some very good news for gardeners in the latest edition. For one thing, native plants are more available locally than ever before. Not only is Bloomer's stepping up its inventory of natives, but Trillium Gardens, previously the only specialty natives nursery featured, has been joined by two new listings on the other side of town, or three if you include a source for native trees. Fans of Heatheroak Rhododendron Nursery who went into mourning when the Hopewells retired to Hawaii will want to check out a new nursery on the same site. Prices are reportedly still low, and the rhodies have been joined by Del's Japanese Maples. Forget Mail Order Kenan Rowlett (The Artistic Gardener) sells bamboo, grasses and cannas at the Farmer's Market. Now he has opened the small but crammed garden and nursery around his home to shoppers. Grasses never look their best in nursery pots, but they are a terrific addition to perennial gardens. Go and visit some of them in action, and I am sure you'll see what I mean. The Gaga Guide is available from garden centers and nurseries (Bloomer's, Gray's, Greer's, Baltzer's, Down to Earth and Johnson Bros.). Or send a check for $14.95 (plus $1.50 for S&H) to: Waccabuc Books, P.O. Box 26009, Eugene 97402 Plant Sales Coming Up: -- Mount Pisgah Wildflower Festival and Plant Sale, 33735 Seavey Loop Road, Eugene. Sunday, May 20. Opens at 10 am. Another good sale, well known for bargain prices in a fabulous setting. Some native plants are usually available.
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