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Opinion, Page 4
% Senior John Morris
‘V models life of
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Volume 83 No. 6
Grimsley High School
801 Westover Terrace
Greensboro, NC 27408
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Seniors take to the stage, call it their own
BYBROOKEBLOOMQUIST
Staff Writer
Audiences will have an
opportunity to view a selec
tion of one-act plays directed
by senior drama students
in late March in Chance
Cousins Auditorium at 7:30
pm. Exact dates have not yet
been chosen due to conflicts
with band and chorus trips
since several . students
will be involved in these
other activities.
Seniors have been making
directorial debuts annually
at Grimsley since the 1970s.
The young directors assume
responsibility for setting up
rehearsal times, auditioning
cast members, and oversee
ing all aspects of preparing
the plays for show time.
Those involved embrace the
opportunity as a trial to see
if fhey can handle the pres
sure and to determine if di
recting is truly their career
choice for the future.
Several of the senior
drama students take the In
ternational Baccalaureate
(IB) Theatre Arts course, so
those directing use this expe
rience for their required in
dividual projects; however,
any Playmaster can apply to
direct their own play.
"Seniors who wish to di
rect find the plays they want
to do and clear them with
me," said drama teacher Ri
chard Zaruba. His involve
ment is to function as the
producer, coordinating re
hearsal times, managing
technical details, and ensur
ing that productions run
smoothly for fhe directors.
"Financing of shows
works fhe way it does for any
Playmasfers show—money
raised from prior shows
funds these. Proceeds from
these shows fund the next,"
said Zaruba
Depending upon the
number of plays, all shows
will be presenfed on
bofh nighfs.
"If we have more fhan we
need, we use a fesfival ap
proach," said Zaruba, which
means rotating perfor
mances on different nights.
Matt Taylor, Teddi
Burnett, Costen Warner,
David Tookey, and Amanda
Oha all have stepped up to
the challenge. Their first ob
stacle to overcome is finding
cast members because so
many of the drama students
are directing these plays.
Therefore, they are seeking
younger students to play the
various roles.
Taylor is directing "The
End," "a surrealist take of
life, deafh, and the afterlife.
Characters include G-d and
the devil with scenes taking
place in heaven and hell,"
said Taylor.
Teddi Burnett's directing
debut will be a parody of
"Cinderella" called "Final
Dress Rehearsal."
"When I read it as a fresh
man, I was blown away by
Forgay photo
Senior Teddi Burnett directs seniors Liz Fletcher and Evita Freeman in “Final Dress Rehearsal,” stressing
breathing techniques, the importance of remaining in character and the effectiveness of good blocking. Theatre fans
can enjoy the one-act plays in March, directed by seniors and produced by drama teacher Richard Zaruba
the images that came into my
mind. It was playing out in
my head, and I knew I would
have to direct it eventually,"
said Burnett.
Cast members include
seniors Evita Freeman,
Katherine Valchar, Liz
Fletcher, Ava Michelle
Brewer, and Nathan
Milholin. Junior Ashley Wolf
and freshmen Olivia
Campbell, Sarah Jacobs,
Nicole Iman, and Mary
Baynard also perform
in the play.
Because of the numerous
people involved, "Blocking
was my biggest obstacle. It
was an interesting process
getting everyone set on
stage," said Burnett.
Novice directors Costen
Warner and David Tookey
are collaborating on their
project. They wrote "Un
titled Self-Written One Act,"
and both co-star in the play
and direct it. Other cast
members include senior
Danielle Lee and junior
Janie Sizemore.
"Our biggest obstacle was
our script, but once Costen
and I finished it, worked out
the kinks, and made it sound
realistic, it was smooth sail
ing," said Tookey.
"The Campout"is the
play Amanda Oha will direct
"Dahlia Gutterman and I
were talking about what we
would do for our senior
projecfs, and we fhoughf it
would be great if she wrote
a play and I directed it,"
said Oha.
Juniors Ashley Oha,
Brittany Windham, and
Patrick Cassidy comprise
the cast. All three students
are inexperienced in
stage performance.
"This will be my first time
directing," said Oha, so
directing them will be
challenging yet gratifying for
Amanda, especially since her
younger sister is one of
her proteges.
Patterson named fourth poet laureate
BY HALEY PHILLIPS
News Editor
Senior Alex Patterson recently
became Grimsley's fourth poet lau
reate in this year's annual contest.
Patterson was chosen from a field of
fifteen aspiring poets for dufies that
include reading at graduation and
promoting poetry in a high school
environment. Other finalists in
cluded senior Lizzie Chadbourne
and junior Amy Allen.
"It is a collaborative effort be
tween the Greensboro Public Library,
friends of the library, and the media
coordinators from the different
schools. All high schools in the
county are encouraged to participate.
We invite private schools to partici
pate also, and each year about 12 to
14 high schools participate," said li
brarian Kate Cummings, who helped
coordinate the event.
The competition results in the cre
ation of a book featuring the work of
poets laureate from schools fhrough-
out the county.
"At each high school they adver
tise, put it out to the whole student
body to anybody who wants to en
ter, and then each person who enters
has to submit three original poems
and those entries are read by the
judges, who narrow it down to three
poets," said Cummings.
Judges of the recent contest in
cluded English teacher Evan Post,
former English teacher and UNCG
professor Matthew McNfees, and
2004 poet laureate Travis Diehl. En
tries were then sent to Jennifer Grotz,
a published poet and a professor at
UNCG, who selected the
winning poet.
"At first, I didn't want to apply
because I don't like literary contests,
but Ms. Cummings encouraged me
to submit some of my writing. I re
ally appreciate the judges who took
the time to read my work, along with
the poetry from many ofher sfudents.
It's really an honor to be named Poet
Laureate, but at the same time. I'm
nervous about writing a poem for
graduafion and reading it in front of
so many people, said Patterson.
Continued on page 2