Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / Sept. 16, 1980, edition 1 / Page 3
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'm JHm " WBSm B> 4 Ik. ~ 'iihdß - IK. &&.# &*&m ~- x i .JoBHSH^^HI^^I iMWpjp^Bl - hi ■ ***** ■ . ,*•> *"'" V**"T£ - Shakespeare comes to Carolina by Sara Bohn Within a twenty minute drive : Guilford College is one of the nest professional regional the res. the North Carolina lakespeare Festival. Mike janel, a former Cuilford stu ?nt and a Duke University aduate, is the Director of Audience Development at the Shakespeare Festival. In a re cent conversation with Mike Spanel, The Guilfordian learned of the background and develop ment of this remarkable the atre. The North Carolina Shakes peare Festival was founded in 1977 by two actors from New York City, Mark Woods and Stuart Brooks. Disillusioned with Broadway and concerned that the quality of theatre in New York City was incommen surate with ticket prices, Woods and Brooks sought to establish a professional regional theatre. After investigating several large cities across the country, Woods and Brooks settled on High Point, North Carolina, a seemingly unlikely site. There were attractions to High Point, however, that seemed advan tageous to the development of a theatre. There was an ultra modern theatre empty in the summer and a central location in a growing cultural and eco nomic area. There were problems, how ever, with starting a professio nal theatre in this region. Although North Carolina boasts the first state-supported School for the Arts in the country, traditionally there had been little support for theatre. Lack of professional quality and fiscal mismanagement had doomed previous theatre compaies. Au diences were unsophisticated and their experience with the atre was limited to travelling Broadway shows, dinner the atres, and local high school and college drama. The North Carolina Shakes peare Festival has broken the trend and set an example for regional theatre. "The theatre was a phenomenal success and defied marketing pre dictions" says Mike Spanel. "The theatre was critically ac claimed, financially sound, and an audience success." The unique fund-raising ap proach, the quality of actors and directors, and the type of dra matic works selected were con tributing factors to the theatre's success. The inital monies had been secured without a guaran tee of box office success, allow ing the theatre to return any profits made back into the budget. Actors and actresses came from New York, Chicago, and the School for the Arts, Getting away from it all by Howard Luehrs After a late start, the Biophile Club roamed off campus last Saturday, on a field trip to Stone Mountain State Park Taking 2Vi hours for a V/t hour drive, we visited glorious Elkin and Arlington, N.C., before arriving at Traphill, the nearest corner to the park. Rambling down the one-lane dirt road into the park, immense granite outcropping loomed in front of us. Lacking 'a fear of heights, we practicably ran up the trail to the toweripg peak of Stone Mtn. Sidetracked onto the rockface, four of' us learned how to lower our center of gravity while ciimbing.i While our free-lance photo grapher took light meter read ings, the rest of us testetjl wind attracted by the promise of more challenging roles and an opportunity to work in an ear nest and sincere company gui ded not by avarice, but a desire to perfect their craft. North Carolina audiences were ready for quality theatre. "The theatre has increased in scope, quality, and size and is gaining a national reputation" claims Mike Spanel. "People literally plan their vacations around the summer festival, which is composed of entirely classical works from Shakes peare to Moliere." Mike is quick to say, however, that the theatre does not close in the fall. "Our season runs through December, offering a selection of contemporary drama and our traditional finale of A Christmas Carol." As a former Guilfordian stu dent, Mike enthusiastically in vites students and faculty to enjoy the theatre. "The aca- PAGE THREE currents with the official Bio phile frisbee. After posing for our group picture, hunger drove us to "Eagle 1" and lunch. Munching out on PB&J, apples and oranges, we prepared for the second half of the day, to be spent in the lower half of the park. Walking down the near-level trail, a break from the morn * IH Kant* demic perspective is invaluable and the theatre lends itself to different levels of people's in tellectual perception." "Be sides," he adds, "it's great entertainment and a change of pace from television, the stereo, and your dorm room." The fall season this year includes contemporary works by American playwrights: Born Yesterday (September 16-21), The Last Meeting of the Knights of the White Magnolia (October 14-18), and The Heir ess. (November 11-16). It is an outstanding fall line-up of comedy, a Pulitzer award win ning play, and a play with an unexpected ending. The North Carolina Shakes peare Festival is easy to find. Take 1-40 West and exit on Highway 68. Take a left towards High Point and follow this road for about 8 miles. Turn left on Main Street and go 3-4 miles. Turn left on Commerce Street. The theatre is on the right-hand side of Commerce Street and is a huge building, taking up an entire city block. Parking is available across the street in the Sears parking lot. The number for reservations is 887-3001. Be sure you tell them you are a Guilford student or faculty member in order to get your discount prices on tickets for Born Yesterday. - GUILFORPIAN. September 16. 1980 ing's mountain climbing, we anticipated sliding into the re freshingly cool waters of Middle Falls. The walk was worth it; for the next 2 hours, the rocks were our waterslide. Leaving, at the invasion of the Boy Scouts, we descended to Lower Falls. Here, a second waterslide pro vided entertainment for our last hour in Stone Mountain State Park If you missed out in being a dorm representative but still would like to become involved in the Community Senate, you could be in luck. This week four Academic Senators will be se lected to represent the entire student body. Academic senators have the same responsibilities as dorm representatives. They differ in that they are not elected, but are selected by a Senate com mittee, and in the fact they represent the whole student body and not one particular dormitory. They also are inten ded to be especially concerned with the academic welfare of the college. To become an academic sen ator, petition the senate, in writing, by noon Wednesday the 17th. Include in the peti tion the reasons why you would iike to oecorne an academic senator A senate committee will the-, select tour academic senators from the petitions.
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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Sept. 16, 1980, edition 1
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