Volume 32
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William OwikowsH playing
the part of Eugene Gant (Tho
mas Wolfe) and Janet Whisnant,
Parkway Playhouse Opens
Twenty-Third Season
For twenty-two season!.
Parkway Playhouse has presen
tsd l*of theatre in Burnsville.
This season should prove tS be
no exception.
One need only lode at the
season’s opening presentation
for an example of the high cali
ber of shows Parkway will pre
sent for 1968. Look Homeward
Angel is Ketti Fring’s stage ad
aption of the novel of the same
title which was authored by
Thomas Wolfe, the great Amer
ican novelist and one of North
Carolina’s most honored sons.
The play recreates the heart
warming story of Wolfe’s youth
which was spent in nearby As
heville of the 1920's as he,
himself lived it. Look Home
ward Angel recreates the life of
the Wolfe family and the event*
that took place in their board
ing house. “The Old Kentucky
Home’’, the Dixieland of his
nlay.
Look Homeward Angel la e*
pable of moving an audience to
tears one moment and causing
tears of laughter in the next.
Here is truly a show for every
single member of your family
one it is hoped, you will never
forget.
Look Homeward Angel has
always proved to be a popular
show with North Carolina audi
ences. This season makes the
third time Parkway has pre
sented this play. The show has
always played to capacity au
diences and at final curtain has
left them a little warmer than
at the moment of their arrival.
This season every effort has
been made to make this the
best production to date of Look
Homeward Angel, Director Lau
ren K. Woods, in his 6th year
at Parkway, has insisted upon
keeping his play as realistic as
possible. Frank Silherstein's
set is as close to tre real Dixie
land as the stage permits.
Recently Director Woods
THE YANCEY RECORD
his girl Laura, rehearsing for
Friday’s opening of "Look Home
ward Angel’’.
brought his entire cast to the
Wolfe home in Asheville for an
porch.the set
ting for the play, Woods felt
the cast benefited by seeing
the actual locale where their
individual characters lived.
The cast itself is a most
capable one. Portraying Eugene
Gant, Thomas Wolfe in the olav.
will be William Owtkoski, be
ginning ms fourth year at
Parkway. Bill, a graduate stu
dent at Smith College in Mass
achusetts, is a fine actor hav
ing played Eugene once before
while a student at Monmouth
College in West Long Branch,
New Jersey. Last year’s audi
ences will remember him for
his excellent portrayal of Mr.
Maningham in Angel Street.
Janet Whisnant of Asheboro,
N. C.. portrays Laura James,
Eugene’s first love. At Gard
ner-Webb College, Janet recent
ly appeared in such shows as
Our Town and South Pacific.
W. C. “Mutt” Burton, a fam
iliar face to Parkway audien
ces, once again brings his fine
acting talents to the part of
W. 0. Gant, Eugene’s father.
Mutt has been a favorite at
Parkway since he appeared in
the first production of Our
Town, 22 years ago during the
Playhouse’s first season. This
week, 22 years later he is still
pleasing audiences.
Blanche Kelly, also a fami
liar personage at the Parkway
Playhouse will bring her pro
fessional talents to a difficult
role. This year Blanche will
portray Eliza Gant, Eugene’s
mother.
Last year’s audiences enjoyed
Blanche’s portrayal of Opal in
the Comedy hit, Everybody
Loves Opal. v
Madame Elizabeth . will be
portrayed by Mary V. Cwikow
ski. Mary’V., the wife of lyill-
Burnsville, N. C.
Bowditch On
Duty In
Vietnam
WITH U. S. COMBAT AIR
FORCES, Vietnam Airman
First Class Harold E. Bowditch,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank W.
Bowditch of Rt. 5, Burnsville,
N. C’„ is on duty at Phan Rang
AB, Vietnam.
Airman Bowditch, an air
frame repairman, is a member
of the Pacific Air Forces. Be
fore his arrival in Vietnam, he
was assigned to the 19th Mili
tary Airlift Squadron at Kelly
AFB, Texas.
A graduate of East Yancey
High School, he attended Wes
tern Carolina University.
iam Cwikowaki met Bill last
year when they starred oppo
site each other in Parkway’s
production of Angel Street. A
professional relationship blos
somed into love and this year
they return to Parkway as hus
band and wife.
Robert Leh, a member of
Parkway’s ’66 Company returns
this season. Bob plays Ben
Gant, Eugene’s bother. Two
season’s ago Bob appeared j»
such snows as Our Town and
See How They Run.
Rounding out an experienced
cast will be Sharon Mills,
Claire Marty, Gerald Carter,
Carlton Ward, James Burgin,
Julia Willis, Jane Banks, Burke
Downing, Charles Jayce, Laura
Gilden. Stephen Edelstein, Fam
es Kuntz, and Edward Barrett.
Assistant to Mr. Woods will bo
Larry Bloom.
When the curtain rises on
performance nights, July 12, IS,
15, 16, every effort will hare
been made to make Thomas
wdfre’s, Look Homeward Angel
an evening of theatre to re
member.
mgam
Mrs. Downing opens 'country store' oo oast corner Os Sgunre.
Thursday, July 11, 1968
Hylemon Awarded Bronze
Star, Other Medals
: ;S €. IP
Jw
Specialist E-5 Danied R
Hylemon, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Ray Hylemon of Bald Creek,
left a couple of weeks ago for
Hunter Air Force Base, Savan
nah. Ga., after a year spent iu
Viet Nam and a 57 day leave
Before leaving Viet Nam,
Hylemon received a number of
commendations and citations,
as well as the Purple Heart.
Hylemon received the Bronze
Star Medal for distinguishing
himself by outstanding meritor
ious service in connection with
ground operations during the
period May *1967 to May 1968.
The Air Medal was presented
to Spec Hylemon for disting
uishing himself by meritorious
achievement while par.impaling
in sustained aerial flight in sup
port of combat ground farces of
the Republic of Vietnam during
the period May 20, 1967 to May
29, 1967.
Number Forty Five
Hylemon was awarded th
Army Commendation Medal for
Heroism in connection with
military operations against a
hostile force. On Jan, 31, 1968
while serving as a crew chief
of an armed helicopter during
a combat mission near Quant
Tri, when a helicopter was
downed in enemy controlled
territory. Spec, Hylemon’s air
craft landed near the disabled
helicopter. Disregarding a own
safety, he exposed hi;? ,-]f to
the enemy fire as he -ft his
aircraft to assist with he eva
cuation of the injur crew
members'.
The Purple Heart was given
Spec Hylemon for worlds re
ceived in action on A; gust 9.
1967. The Purple Heart is one
of the oldest Medals given by
the President of the U S. It
was established by General
George Washington at New
burgh, N. Y„ August 7, i'7B2.
Hylemoi.'a First Cavalry Di
vision Combat Certificate reads:
"Let it hereby be known that
fMrUfer "Kir niJw
with Troop C, Ist Sqdn. 9th
Cavalry in the. Repute of
Vietnam for the period April
1967 to April 1968.
We must all agree that this
is a “heap of honors” to come
to one 20 year old your =tler.
Yancey County should be justly
proud of SPS Daniel Hylemon,
as well as many other Yar.cey
County boys who have disting
uished themselves. Contrast
this, please, wi'h young men in
other areas who are tea fog
down and burning our Flag anJ
burning their draft cards!