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Tag: Whidbey Island Center for the Arts

Gordy’s Song: Written for a ‘Rural Character of High Degree’

BY RUSSELL CLEPPER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
December 24, 2014

Gordy Adams is a Rural Character. In fact, according to a song his fellow Rural Characters wrote for him, he is “a Rural Character of high degree.” When he walks onto the stage he becomes the visual centerpiece of the group with his shuffling gait, his big cowboy hat and his ready smile, which the stage can barely accommodate.

Gordy Adams on blues harmonica (photo by Martha McCartney)

Nine years ago, Adams underwent his first surgery to have a brain tumor removed. When he came home from that operation on the left side of his brain, he couldn’t speak. It was a difficult time for Adams and his wife, Kitty. His bandmates dropped by to visit and see if they could cheer him up with a song they had composed for him. For Kitty Adams, it turned into one of the most memorable experiences in his 15-year association with the locally renowned island folk ensemble.

“They brought the song they wrote to him,” she said, “and he started singing! I’ll never forget it. It was an act of love.”

Tom Walker, who—along with Randy Hudson—does most of the songwriting for the group, said “We didn’t know what shape he would be in, or what the future would bring. In our first show after that, the three other guys walked onto the stage and we told the audience that Gordy had had brain surgery. There was a chorus of ‘Aw’s.’ And then here came Gordy with his ukele and he sat down and sang a song. The place went wild. It was a great way to start the show.”

The Rural Characters perform at a recent fundraising event at WICA for the South Whidbey Schools Foundation. Left to right: Tom Fisher, Gordy Adams, Randy Hudson and Tom Walker (photo by Martha McCartney)

Since that first operation, Adams was in a bad car accident and had another tumor removed. It has all hit him hard physically. His eyesight is failing, his memory and speech have been affected and he needs a couple of canes to support him when he walks. Still, Walker said that his bandmate retains his basic onstage persona—just “toned down a bit. He is a very enthusiastic singer. He’s the best singer in the group and loves to sing harmony.”

Randy Hudson (photo by Martha McCartney)

Hudson smiles when talking about how Adams’ main focus during band practice is to get on with actually playing. As he and Walker and Tom Fisher toss ideas around as they collaborate on a new song, Adams grows impatient to begin playing. “Someone tosses out an idea for a line,” Hudson said, “and Gordy says ‘That’s it! Let’s play.’”

Hudson’s wife, sculptor Georgia Gerber, said Adams’ fellow Rural Characters “have been guiding souls for Gordy. They all share and support each other. They laugh a lot during practice.”

Kitty Adams appreciates what her husband’s participation in the group means for him. Despite all the serious setbacks of the last decade, “he can still sing, still do his main passion. They enable that. They have given up trying to perfect things. It’s more about heart and soul.They find ways to adjust to his needs.”

Jim Freeman, local humorist, writer and self-described Conductor of Fun, is one of the many fans of the Rural Characters. “Nobody does it better,” he said, underscoring the rare blessing the group represents for the community that inspires their songwriting and performances. “You could never get enough. The joy they have when they create! The laughter begins the moment they get together and doesn’t stop. When they get their camaraderie clicking, nobody—pro or amateur—can do it like they do. It’s a genuine circle of good feeling.”

Tom Walker (photo by Martha McCartney)

Freeman tried for years to get the Characters to perform at the Loganberry Festival before they finally accepted. “They’re very picky,” he said.

“We say ‘no’ more than we say ‘yes,’” said Walker. “We’re a group that isn’t looking for a gig. Part of it is that we put five months of work into our WICA gig. It takes us all the time we have to be as unpolished as we are.”

That gig at the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts is a two-night gala. They strive to create fresh material each year, to make it a new show. As are most of their other performances, it’s a fundraiser that benefits WICA’s Local Artist Series, which provides an opportunity for area musicians and songwriters to play on the Michael Nutt stage—the island’s premier facility for showcasing talent.

The Rural Characters have probably the best draw of any local band on Whidbey. Islanders thoroughly enjoy the humorous parodies the group creates about the idiosyncrasies of island life. The song titles themselves bring a smile: “The Commuter’s Lament,” “Shopping in Clinton,” “The Whidbey Beach Walk Song,” and the “Power Outage Song.” (They are all on YouTube.) “It’s important to be able to laugh at yourself,” said Walker, speaking of life on Whidbey. “We celebrate it and laugh about it at the same time.”

Tom Fisher (photo by Martha McCartney)

You have to love someone or something a lot to put in the time and effort and talent it takes to create the kind of show the Rural Characters present. “They’re a benevolent bunch,” said Tom Fisher, speaking of his bandmates. “They love the community and they love each other.” And their fans love them in return.

Jim Freeman said, “That love of the Rural Characters—that got translated into a love for Gordy. It’s like crowd-sourcing for Gordy Adams. If a person knows that people care about him, he will fight the fight. It’s life affirming.”

Kitty Adams said this time in her life is one of “huge mixed blessings. It’s very sad and it’s very precious. I don’t take anything for granted. I’ve learned to live in the present and look for the blessings each day.”

She recalled something her husband wrote in a Christmas letter a few years ago in which he said that “music was his source of healing.”

“At this point in time,” she said, “his joy in it is singing to make people happy. He said he felt like he was giving back to the community he loves so much. We all need to feel like we are contributing to the good of others.”

For more information about the Rural Characters visit the following web pages, and be sure to look them up on YouTube!

http://www.wicaonline.org/events-calendar-view/2015/5/15/the-rural-characters

http://ruralcharacters.com

Image at top: Gordy Adams onstage during a recent performance by the Rural Characters. (photo by Martha McCartney)

Russell Clepper is a singer-songwriter who plies his trade locally and around the country. He also is a substitute teacher for the Oak Harbor School District.

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December 24, 2014
Acting and the Art of Wine: Vino Amore

BY KATIE WOODZICK
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
December 17, 2014

It all began in Mr. Pendrick’s ninth grade acting class. Brian Plebanek and Gail Liston met as high school freshman in California. They were acquaintances—nothing more. They wouldn’t meet again until their 20^th high school reunion.

Liston went on to get her BA in Design and Technology for the Theatre, with an emphasis in Costume Design and an MFA in Acting, both at California State University, Fullerton.

When they reunited at their class reunion 20 years later, sparks flew.

“I had just arrived, alone, and was frantically scanning for someone I knew,” Liston recalled. “He came in, also alone, shortly after I did. I saw him and his nametag and thought, ‘He’s gotten even cuter! I went up to him and said, ‘Brian Plebanek!’ He obviously had to check my nametag to figure out who the hell I was, but seemed pleased, and within 60 seconds had asked me to be his dinner partner. I think he hurried because another single classmate was about to swoop in. They were kind of vying for my attention most of the night. Ah…the good old days!”

Liston and Plebanek in “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” (photo by Ned Farley)

Plebanek had already moved to Whidbey Island and he found excuses to make business trips to visit Liston, a freelance costumer designer working with prestigious performing venues such as the Los Angeles Opera. After a year of travel and racking up lengthy phone bills, Liston took a leap of faith and moved from Garden Grove to Whidbey Island.

She started directing shows at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, casting Plebanek as Paravancini in The Mousetrap—his first acting role in more than two decades. He succumbed to the acting bug and the pair has now acted in over fourteen shows together, including “The Rocky Horror Show,” “Guys and Dolls,” “The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” “Cabaret,” “Inspecting Carol,” “The Murder Room, “See How They Run,” “August: Osage County,” “A Murder is Announced,” “Night Watch,” “Blue Virgins,” “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “On Golden Pond.”

Buddy and Koa help ring in the holiday season at Vino Amore. (photo by Gail Liston)

They married in 2000. The first show they acted in together was “Sylvia.” Director Tim Rarick, who cast them as husband and wife before he knew they were a couple, was delighted when they showed up at the first rehearsal together. The comedic play about a dog fit them perfectly; they have two dogs of their own: Koa, a Golden Retriever, and Buddy, a Pug they adopted from WAIF.

Liston loves dressing the canines up in costumes of her own creation. “I’m a stage mother,” she boasted proudly.

Shortly after they got married, the pair decided to start a small business on the island. “Gail’s folks were small business owners and they were encouraging us,” Plebanek explained. They consulted with Bob Betz, who graduated from the Institute of Masters of Wine in London. With Betz’s encouragement, they opened Vino Amore in Freeland in May, 2002.

In the 12 years since, they have grown from carrying 500 labels to 1,300. They were aided in their early years by Stefano Carosi, who would sit with them, on Friday nights in the summer, on the grassy spot behind their shop and teach them about Italian wines.

“A lot of Americans are used to fruit forward wines,” Plebanek said, “and then you taste this Italian wine where you can taste the earth. That launched us with food and wine pairings.”

Plebanek and Liston surrounded by over 1,300 wine labels in their Freeland shop. (photo by Patricia Duff)

They encourage customers to bring in the actual recipe that they want to partner with a wine from their store. The greater specificity helps them to find the perfect wine to pair with the meal.

When asked if their theatrical lives intersect with their small business, the answer is simple: “Actors drink!” Liston said with a smile.

They are grateful for the patronage of the Whidbey community and find that both fellow actors and audience members make a point of getting their wine at their shop.

If you’re looking for a recommendation for a wine to bring to a holiday party, Liston suggests Delmas’ Blanquette de Limoux, a sparkling wine. Plebanek suggests Betz’s Blos de Betz, a Bordeaux blend.

For these two, the pairing of wine with acting is a match made in heaven. “We love working together onstage,” Liston beamed. “We really do look forward to those opportunities.”

“I just love working with her,” Plebanek said with a smile.

Vino Amore is located at 5575 South Harbor Ave., Suite 102, in Freeland. Find out more about them and their business at their website: http://www.vinoamore.com.

Image at top: Plebanek and Liston starred in “Inspecting Carol” at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. (photo by Tyler Raymond)

Katie Woodzick works at Hedgebrook as an External Relations Manager. She is also an actor and director who can be seen on local stages. Learn more at katiewoodzick.squarespace.com.

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CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

December 17, 2014
Performing Artists Young and Old Raised Funds for Educational Projects on South Whidbey

BY RUSSELL CLEPPER
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTHA McCARTNEY
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributors
December 3, 2014

The first-ever South Whidbey Schools Foundation Talent Show, presented last Sunday, Nov. 23 at WICA, featured a wide variety of talent both young and, well, younger. From perennial island favorites, the Rural Characters, to middle school jazz musicians to a very polished second grade garden project presenter, the show offered a well-paced mix of music, comedy and information.

Island jazz musician Danny Ward played a couple of pieces accompanied by the South Whidbey High School Jazz combo. Bass player Joe Ballestrasse is pictured here with him.

Producers Jean Shaw and Tom Walker drew upon the island’s deep well of multi-generational talent to put the SWSF fundraiser together. In addition to fine performances by a number of student groups and ensembles, the show featured appearances by past and present South Whidbey School District teachers and personnel. Money raised from the event will help SWSF fulfill its mission of supporting educational projects that are outside the scope of the school district budget.

Members of the South Whidbey High School show choir, Music in Motion, perform onstage. Pictured (l-r) in the foreground are Bayley Gochanour, Lauren Damerau, Chloe Huffman and Sarah Merrow.

One of those projects is the school farm and the Fresh Food for Lunch program that Cary Peterson is overseeing. During her presentation, Peterson said that SWSF support through recent years has culminated in a mandate from South Whidbey School Superintendent Jo Moccia to develop a K-12 garden curriculum. Students are already eating lunches featuring produce from the half-acre garden behind the old primary school. The program is the first of its kind in the nation.

Other funded projects include underwater robotics, salmon raised in the classroom, professional musicians visiting school music classes and various art projects. More than $23,000 in funds raised by the organization last year are contributing to more than 20 projects this school year.

South Whidbey School District Superintendent Jo Moccia re-interprets a Lily Tomlin character, five-year-old Edith Ann, from the hit comedy show “Laugh-In” of the ’60s.

Shaw not only co-produced the show but served as the single emcee when Jim Freeman had to stay home for the evening due to illness. She also participated in some of the performances, including a lively and well-executed rendition of “Fugue for Tinhorns” (from “Guys and Dolls”) with Mike McInerney and Bill Humphries.

“I can’t say enough about Jean Shaw,” said Susie Richards, an SWSF board member. “It’s amazing to watch her weave her magic.”

Shaw helped start SWSF in the 1990s. She taught art, drama, journalism and English “off and on” for 30 years in South Whidbey schools and continues to contribute through volunteering and substitute teaching. She currently serves as secretary of the SWSF board.

Gordy Adams of the Rural Characters enjoys the show with son David and granddaughter Lucy before taking the stage himself for the closing act.

Her co-producer, Tom Walker, is a newcomer to the role, although he has deep experience in musical presentation. Walker is the spokesperson and perhaps the most prolific songwriter in Whidbey’s well-loved Rural Characters, who wrapped up last Sunday’s show. He adapted a Bob Dylan tune, “Ring Them Bells” to express the spirit of the evening’s mission and performed it solo. He performed his version as “Ring THE Bells,” perhaps as a nod to the English instruction local students receive.

The Rural Characters continued their English lesson a couple of songs later with a song, “That Is the Way to Spell Chicken,” that they penned in response to errors they noticed in a local news publication.

Music in Motion member Carmen Warwick performs a solo.

More information about the South Whidbey Students Foundation is posted on their website at http://southwhidbeyschoolsfoundation.org.

Image at top: SWSF Talent Show co-producer Jean Shaw, dressed for her performance from “Guys and Dolls,” shares a moment on stage with South Whidbey School Superintendent Jo Moccia.

Russell Clepper is a singer-songwriter who plies his trade locally and around the country. He is also a substitute teacher for the Oak Harbor School District.

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CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

December 3, 2014
REFLECTIONS FROM THE HOOD: A Haunted Halloween at Whidbey Island Center for the Cursed Arts

BY DIANNA MacLEOD
Nov. 5, 2014

On Friday night I had the pleasure of leading tours through the haunted house at Whidbey Island Center for the Cursed Arts (WICCA: old English for witch, wizard, sorcerer, soothsayer). For the frighteningly low price of five dollars, folks got a spine-tingling tour through a haunted forest.

I wore a cape supplied by the costume department. Knee-length, made of thick felted wool, the cape looked to be sewn somewhere in the forests of Bavaria, so seemingly authentic it could have been worn by Red herself. My face was shadowed by its deep hood; the weight of the cape hung heavy on my shoulders.

Buttoned into my cape, my curly silver hair covered by a long, dark wig, a lantern in my hand, at five o’clock on All Hallows Eve I was ready to venture into the WICCA woods.

The entrance to the forest—a gentle and dark incline, my lantern the only light—gave me time to whisper a hushed warning to my first group of tourists to stay together and keep moving. Ah, the power of suspense. Things that go bump in the night.

The things that bumped in WICCA’s haunted wood were fairy tales characters. In the spooky forest and maze-like passages of the theatre, we encountered iconic fairy-tale beings in extremis. Rumplestiltskin screamed at the miller’s daughter to spin straw into gold. Cinderella’s stepmother caned the cinder-covered girl as she scrubbed. Among tall, mossy trees lit by sporadic flashes of lightning to a soundtrack of cawing crows, muffled screams, crashing thunder and a giant beating heart, an evil queen ordered the woodsman to take a hatchet to the fleeing Snow White. Down a dark passage, a half-baked Hansel fell out of the witch’s oven in a cloud of smoke. Further along a wolf gobbled up granny as she dozed in her cozy fire-lit cottage. Fractured fairy tales, indeed.

Near the end of the tour we paused at the top of the ramp leading to the lobby—lit EXIT sign in sight. Ah, safety. It was here my tourists were set upon by the axe-wielding woodsman and ravenous wolf, who’d stepped out of their scenes to become the bogeymen they were all along. These apparitions sent the group running down the ramp and out into the lobby, where golden lights and cider and doughnuts awaited.

I realize that tour guides are not often called upon as authorities on human behavior. But after you’ve watched 75 or more people over five hours respond to exactly the same stimuli, you can’t help but make some observations.

Here are mine.

We are all intrigued by the unknown; some hang back, others rush forward.

Certain children are either very brave, indifferent by nature, or top-notch blusterers. You-can’t-scare-me kids. Nothing could rattle ’em. Good thing? Bad thing? Who knows? I doubt anyone is tracking the correlation between fear shown in haunted houses and eventual life outcomes.

Kids under the age of eight or nine are willing to be entranced, those between 10 and 14 eager to show disdain, those 15 and over once again willing to suspend disbelief (or act as if they have). Is this a return to innocence? Nostalgia? Something else entirely?

Small children can be very brave—if their mothers go first.

Teenage girls find strength—and humor—in numbers. (They proceeded in lockstep with arms tightly linked, as if they were glued together, laughed nervously the whole way in and screamed the whole way out.) Teenage girls are great examples of the therapeutic effects of full-throated screaming—especially screaming while running, arms linked, with best buddies.

Some kids freely dispense advice. (One came to me with suggestions of how it could be a better haunted house: “More technical effects and not so many real people.” He put me in mind of a little entrepreneur finding ways to automate and outsource. Another kid cornered me after the tour to deliver a dissertation on what makes a haunted house haunted. “More people jumping out at you more often.” The fairy-tale vignettes were wasted on him. And I’m not sure he’s wrong: startled and scared are pretty close together.)

Adults are more spontaneous masked than unmasked.

Women wearing wings are tougher than they look.

In dark unknown places, we don’t tiptoe. We shuffle.

“Smoke and mirrors” is the perfect phrase for various kinds of skullduggery. You see things that aren’t there and don’t see things that are.

Tall men hunch in dark places.

Some children have a heightened capacity for empathy; they are more worried about the fate of fairy-tale characters than they are about their own safety.

Small groups of people following each other through a dark passage form lines, but not straight lines; they zig and zag. (Is this a survival thing? You don’t want to be first to confront danger and be sacrificed, you don’t want to be last and be picked off; the safest place is somewhere in the middle, but not squarely behind the person in front of you, because that person reduces your ability to see what’s coming and what’s going.)

People like clinging to each other—all for one and one for all—and we look for reasons to do it.

When a child says, “I might need to hold somebody’s hand,” they mean yours.

An effective antidote for fear is the immediate application of powdered-sugar doughnuts and apple cider. (Fear is a basic instinct, but so is food—most especially fat and sugar.)

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I’m counting on the wizards and witches at WICCA hosting another haunted house next Halloween. In fact, I wish they’d do it more often—like, say, every full moon.

Think how much I’d learn about my fellow human beings.

Not to mention all those chances to wear that splendid cape.

Dianna MacLeod holds a degree in journalism from the University of Michigan. An alumna of Hedgebrook, she moved to the island in October of 2011 to complete a novel—and never left.

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WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

November 5, 2014
Acting and the Art of Communication: George Henny

BY KATIE WOODZICK
Whidbey Life Magazine contributor
October 15, 2014

George Henny loved to tell stories from an early age.

Henny first found himself onstage in a kindergarten production directed by Ms. Wills. He was a painfully shy five-year old, but his first foray into acting thrilled him and helped him gain confidence. His mother kept both a black-and-white picture of his first performance and the purple mimeographed script.

His passion for performance followed him through high school and into his college years, where he majored in Drama at the University of Washington. His theatre training manifests itself in his professional life as Co-CEO of Whidbey Telecom.

George as Alan in “God of Carnage” at WICA (photo by Tyler Raymond).

“Theater and music are two of my passions, and I was fortunate to cross-pollinate them in college,” said Henny. “So how do those have a connection in the telecom and technology world? Simply this: theater and music are avenues of storytelling. And when you can draw upon the elements of good storytelling, you realize that a great public presentation or speech is more than just sharing a subject matter; it reaches into the hearts of your audience to create an emotional connection. And I owe a lot of that to my training in the drama school.”

When he heard that Whidbey Island Center for the Arts was opening their 2014-2015 season with ‘Into the Woods,’ he was immediately drawn to the musical but unsure if he could be a part of it due to his myriad personal and professional commitments. Luckily, his supportive family encouraged him to audition.

George in “A Murder is Announced” (photo by Jason Dittmer)

Henny shares the stage for the first time with his 15-year-old son, Liam, in this production. Liam portrays the iconic character, Jack, who climbs the beanstalk and slays the giant. Rehearsing the show has created many performance memories that father and son can share.

According to Henny, “Some memories have been tender, like singing ‘No One is Alone’ with him in the box boom, and some laughing-till-it-hurt moments during rehearsals. I remember when he first sang ‘Giants In The Sky’ during an early rehearsal. I was so blown away by it, it brought me to tears. It has brought us much closer together, and I shall always treasure this show for that.”

Director Rob Prosch cast George in the leading role of the Baker. ‘Into the Woods’ follows the characters of the Baker and Baker’s Wife (played by Marta Mulholland) as they meet the challenges thrown at them by a neighboring witch, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Little Red Riding Hood and a colorful ensemble of fairy tale characters. The musical was written in 1986 by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine.

George with Marta Mulholland in “Into the Woods” (photo by Jim Carroll).

Henny described the complexities of the production and his gratitude to both his cast and director.

“‘Into The Woods’ is the most difficult musical I have ever performed in, and it is not an understatement to say that it is an audacious production for WICA,” commented Henny. “Special thanks to Rob Prosch for carrying the vision and tirelessly encouraging us all to be our very best.”

Henny currently serves as the Board Chair of Whidbey Island Center for the Arts in addition to his other philanthropic endeavors.

“To me, serving as Chair of the WICA Board is the opportunity to serve and inspire others, to lead through service, to collaborate with people for the pure joy of the arts, and to champion the amazing team of staff and volunteers that truly make the magic of WICA happen, on-stage and behind the scenes.”

Executive Director Stacie Burgua spoke warmly about Henny’s onstage work.

“I work with George in the business of WICA and when I see him onstage, his artistic abilities never fail to amaze me. It’s a truly humbling experience. George is a successful business owner; an involved father, husband, and son; and also has this incredible ability and talent. I’m always really happy to see him fulfilling the artistic part of his life and feeding his soul.”

Ethan Berkley and Liam Henny rehearse with George for “Into the Woods” (photo by Kathryn Morgen).

Programming and Production Director Deana Duncan has shared the WICA stage with Henny several times.

“The thing about George is that he’s that rare true left/right brain type. He is super smart and amazingly creative,” observed Duncan. “He brings this sense of almost childlike exuberance to his work. The reason I think ‘Into the Woods’ is one of the best roles I’ve seen him in is that he’s forced to bring his father memory to the role of Baker. George Henny is simply heartfelt in this role of a man desperate to be a father, deeply in love with an unhappy woman and willing to risk everything for true happiness.”

In addition to performing in ‘Into the Woods,” Henny is enthusiastic to share new Whidbey Telecom projects with the Whidbey community. At the top of his list are Mixby, a location-based storytelling app, and WhidbeyTV.

“I’m very excited about what we are doing with WhidbeyTV locally in our community, and to be able to share and reflect the specialness of Whidbey through our local channels,” said Henny. “We believe in sharing and inspiring the best stories, people and experiences within our community. It is part of our commitment to serve and enrich people’s lives here. And whether you are a newcomer or a long-time islander, we hope to deepen each person’s appreciation and connection to our community and to the people who believe in it. We believe that each person makes a difference here, but it takes all of us together to make this a wonderful place to live, work and play. The more people know, the more they appreciate, and the more they appreciate, the more they love.”

Katie Woodzick works at Hedgebrook as an External Relations Manager. She is also an actor and director who can be seen on local stages. She is excited to act with George as Little Red Riding Hood in “Into the Woods,” which runs through October 25 at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts.

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CLICK HERE to read more entertaining and informative WLM stories and blogs.

WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

October 15, 2014
True Performance Art—Larger than Life—Courtesy of Matthew Statz

BY MARTHA McCARTNEY*
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
September 10, 2014

If Matthew Statz was nervous at the thought of being watched while painting a large scale mural on a public street, it certainly didn’t last.

Statz was eight years old when his parents realized that the images he was drawing were not being traced and they enrolled him in art lessons. He continued taking art classes throughout his school years and, after his graduation from South Whidbey High, he earned a degree in art from Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon.

His skill with large-scale projects has been an asset to the Whidbey Island theatrical community. He’s painted sets for Whidbey Children’s Theatre and for Whidbey Island Center for the Arts.

Matthew Statz at work on Django mural, 2013 (photo by Somer Kreismen)

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts commissioned an outdoor mural of Django Reinhardt for DjangoFest NW, which is held annually in Langley. In just five days during the summer of 2013 Statz completed the large-scale painting of Reinhardt and a group of musicians.

“I couldn’t believe the number of people who stopped to chat. Some people stood and watched for what seemed like hours. I was surprised and touched by the community support,” Statz said.

“I heard the most amazing stories from people who watched. One little girl wanted her photo taken. A South Whidbey Transit driver told me that she had been fascinated by the transition. She drove back and forth past the painting during the entire time and was finally able to stop and let me know what fun it was to see the progress.”

The new backdrop in process for 2014 DjangoFest NW (photo courtesy of WICA)

The backdrop panels behind the musicians who play for the DjangoFest NW concerts are also his work and he’s adding a third panel to that venue this year. “Patrons like to make clandestine recordings of gypsy jazz concerts and later post them on YouTube,” said Stacie Burgua, Executive Director of WICA. “We always know if it’s from DFNW because Matt’s painting is in the background. It’s become iconic to our festival!”

In addition to the 2013 mural, WICA commissioned Statz to do an additional painting this year. This year’s painting is being incorporated into a poster and promotional merchandise for the 2014 DjangoFest NW. The original painting will be sold at an auction with a portion of the proceeds going to WICA.

“I’ve done a lot of research and reading about Django Reinhardt,” Statz said. “He was a man who faced many hardships. He depended on music for his living and then was burned in a fire. Instead of letting that be his downfall, he retrained himself to play and was forced to use a completely different method. He was quite a guy.”

Statz works in oils and loves painting both landscapes and people. While in college he painted a series of thirty students he didn’t know. For each portrait the model sat for about four hours. “You would not believe the things people will say after that amount of time. It turned out to be a socially fascinating project as well,” Statz said.

Inspired by the works of Edward Hopper, Cezanne, Degas and John Singer Sergeant, Statz uses very saturated colors and bold strokes in his paintings. He has painted several landscapes of Whidbey Island capturing the windswept and vibrant natural settings.

“Whidbey Island” Painting by Matthew Statz (image courtesy of the artist)

Matthew Statz is currently living, working and painting in Seattle. He can be reached at matt.statz@gmail.com.

*This article is an expanded version of one that appears in the Fall printed edition of Whidbey Life Magazine, now out in stores around the island (click here to see a list of stores that carry the magazine). It can also be ordered online by clicking here.

Time-lapse Video

Watch a 3-1/2 minute time-lapse video of Matthew Statz creating the latest backdrop panel that will be used behind the performers in this year’s DjangoFest: CLICK ON THE LINK: http://youtu.be/RoB5E62LWHk. This video, created by Tyler Raymond, Technical Director at Whidbey Island Center of the Arts, has been provided exclusively to Whidbey Life Magazine courtesy of WICA and we appreciate their generosity.

Image at top: Matthew Statz working on backdrop for 2014 DjangoFest NW (photo courtesy of WICA)

Martha McCartney is a poet, photographer, mixed-media artist, persistent gardener and candle-maker.

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September 10, 2014
The Heart and Art of Wood: Woodpalooza

Jim Short turns a wooden bowl in his Coupeville workshop. (photo by Martha McCartney)

BY MARTHA McCARTNEY
Whidbey Life Magazine contributor
August 27, 2014

There is a light that shines from the eyes of an artist if you’re lucky enough to discover the essence of his or her creative spirit. And then there’s even more, if you’re allowed to look deeper—as you discover the “heartwood.”

In a tree, the heartwood is the substance that gives it strength and form; cutting through the bark and sapwood is required to reach this essence. It is at this point that the “story” is revealed.

The 12^th Annual Woodpalooza—put on by the Whidbey Woodworkers Guild—will open with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday Aug. 29 and continue through Monday, Sept. 1. And even though the artisans are busy in their studios, I was able to speak with two of the participants. Both of these woodworkers carve only “salvaged” wood and do not harvest trees for their art work.

The gouge removes layers as the lathe spins the attached wood. (photo by Martha McCartney)

It was in a pig shed where Jim Short first discovered his affinity for collecting wood. He realized the shed was constructed of black walnut timber and dismantled it to begin his collection. Now, both inside and outside his wood shop are many different kinds of found and salvaged wood he plans to repurpose into something beautiful.

A Coupeville resident, Jim Short is a wood turner. I observed his process and he described the excitement of watching patterns and colors reveal themselves in wood. A turned object is fashioned from wood attached to a spinning lathe; the woodworker uses a gouge to create a form. As the layers of wood are cut away there are rays and waves that could not otherwise be seen. Turning is a multiple-step process that leads to sanding, followed by the application of finishes that enhance and preserve the wood.

A collection of wooden ornaments by artisan Jim Short (photo by Martha McCartney)

Short makes bowls, vessels and ornaments in a variety of shapes and sizes. His work is sometimes functional and sometimes purely decorative and sculptural. He likes the unusual twists and compressions of the wood—the flaws inherent in nature.

Short reads the stories of trees told in the growth rings. He reads about droughts, disease, insects, and the passage of the seasons. The thicker rings in the center, he explained, are young growth that is more vigorous than the growth of a mature tree. Often he can determine, by looking at the rings, a time when tree growth was slowed due to some environmental event.

The work of Jim Short can be found at the Penn Cove Gallery in Coupeville. He can be contacted by phone at 360-969-3044 and is available by appointment.

Baseball glove chair by Pat McVay will be shown at Woodpalooza. (photo by Martha McCartney)

Pat McVay, an artist living near Clinton, approaches his work from a different perspective. For McVay, it is less about the material and more about a story he is telling. He has carved stone, sand, snow and ice.

Pat McVay explains the design process. (photo by Martha McCartney)

“I made the ice sculpture for my own wedding,” he said and laughed as he told how his soon-to-be wife called on the day of the ceremony to make sure everything was going smoothly. She questioned the best man when she thought she heard a chainsaw in the background. Pat said that he finished the ice sculpture, jumped in the shower and made it to the wedding with only minutes to spare—his hair still wet.

He carves large wood sculptures using chainsaws, power and hand tools. His work can be found in public installations and private collections all over the west coast and Washington. The “Welcome to Whidbey Island” sign on the way from the Clinton Ferry is his work. McVay has a wry sense of humor and likes to create art that will make people laugh. A great example is his sculpture outside the Clinton Post Office of a man being overcome by junk mail.

Pat McVay credits his brother for getting him started in chainsaw carving and there are several other members of his family who have also taken up the art form. Some of their work can be seen in the book “Art of Chainsaw Carving” by Jessie Groeschen.

Bench back showing dogwood blossoms by chainsaw carver Pat McVay (photo by Martha McCartney)

McVay enjoys working with people to create sculpture that is highly personalized. He has done memorial carvings and feels very connected to those honored in this way. His work ranges from playful and whimsical to realistic and inspirational.

Pat McVay uses a torch to burn and darken the centers of dogwood blossoms. (photo by Martha McCartney)

These two artists, along with sixteen others, will be showing their work and telling their stories at the Whidbey Island Woodworkers Guild’s 12^th Annual Woodpalooza. The Guild was formed in 2001 and has allowed the woodworking community on the island to build connections by sharing knowledge and resources. A wide variety of highly skilled wood artisans will present work at this year’s show.

The free exhibition takes place at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts (WICA) in Langley. The show will be open from 12 noon to 5 p.m. daily and run thru Monday, Sept. 1. More information on the show is available at www.woodpalooza.com.

To contact Jim Short email morshort@comcast.net. Additional details and contact information for Pat McVay can be found at www.mcvaysculpture.com.

See more images from the woodworkers in the August WLM Virtual Gallery show.

Image at top: Bowls and vessels made by Jim Short show several different woods and styles. (photo by Martha McCartney)

Martha is a poet, photographer, mixed-media artist, persistent gardener and candle-maker. She has never really gotten over not being photographed for a Richard Brautigan book cover. Currently she is learning to navigate by using her inner compass, which she keeps pointed towards her own true north.

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August 27, 2014
Open Auditions for WICA’s 2014-2015 season scheduled for August 11 and 12

July 8, 2014

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts will hold auditions open the general public (with an appointment) from 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday, August 11 and Tuesday, August 12 for the five productions in their Theatre Series next season:

• “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim, directed by Robert Prosch – shows in October 2014
• “A Christmas Story” (rights pending) based on the stories of Jean Shepherd – shows in December 2014
• “Other Desert Cities” by Jon Robin Baitz, directed by Andrew Grenier – shows in February 2015
• “White Liars and Black Comedy” by Peter Shaffer, directed by Tristan A.B. Steel – shows in April 2015
• “Emma” adapted from Jane Austen by Michael Bloom, directed by Matthew Gregory – shows in June 2015

Participants are asked to prepare two contrasting (for example: classical and modern, or dramatic and comedic) monologues.

For more information or to reserve a five-minute audition slot, interested parties should call the WICA Admin Office at 360-221-8262 or email Production Director, Deana Duncan, at deanaduncan@yahoo.com.

Callback auditions will be held from , 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, August 13 through Friday, August 15.

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving the community of South Whidbey Island and beyond. Founded in 1996 by Island Arts Council, WICA’s mission is to inspire, nourish and enhance the artistic, social and economic well-being of the community.

July 14, 2014
An Actor in Our Town | Phil Jordan

BY DIANNA MACLEOD
Whidbey Life Magazine contributor
June 11, 2014

“When you put on a good show, everyone remembers it—creative team, actors, audience. ‘Our Town’ is a good show,” said Phil Jordan (a.k.a. Doc Gibbs in WICA’s current production of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” running through Saturday, June 21).

This deceptively simple play is no less than a love letter to small-town life. Written in 1938, the playwright evokes an earlier time, yet never lapses into sentimentality. Wilder’s love for Main Street USA does not go unrequited; although the playwright died in 1975, “Our Town” is performed somewhere in America at least once a day every day.

Jordan is extraordinarily pleased to be part of the performance here on Whidbey Island.

Phil Jordan (photo courtesy of the subject)

Schooled in creative dramatics as a child, Jordan appeared in several productions at Seattle’s Roosevelt High before majoring in acting at the University of Montana. Discouraged by the relentless self-promotion required in the acting profession, he took a hiatus that lasted 20 years. “I felt I’d hit a wall artistically.”

Moving to Clinton in 2008 ended his self-imposed exile from the theatre world. “When I arrived here, I immediately auditioned. I jumped in with both feet.” The welcome he received from the island theatre community caused Jordan to dust off his directing skills. After appearing in several local productions, Jordan decided to try directing “Blythe Spirit,” WICA’s first play of the current season.

“I always wanted to direct,” commented Jordan. “Actors have an understanding of how they fit in the play, but it’s hard for an actor to get the bigger picture.”

Directing, Jordan rediscovered, came with its own particular challenges. “Theatre is a collaborative art. Theatre is story telling. When several people pull in several directions, things can go awry. The director’s job is to get everyone telling the same story.”

Jordan credits Deana Duncan, WICA’s Programming and Production Director, with helping him ease back into directing. “As a director, you try to understand what makes the story tick. You try to communicate your vision of the story to the creative team—set, lighting, and costume designers.” According to Jordan, that’s just the beginning. “The creative team has its vision gelled before the actors walk through the door—bringing their own talents and personalities to the story.”

The differences between acting and directing don’t stop there.

“As an actor, you don’t direct other actors, because you’re working hard to understand your own character, to comprehend a life that isn’t your life. In most productions, a deep camaraderie develops between the actors; during rehearsals, you are putting yourself out there for everyone to see. By definition, the director stands outside that.”

No matter who does what, mounting a play is an enormous act of trust by everyone involved.

“We all go through life seeking special, intimate relationships. Theatre demands you go there faster,” observed Jordan.

For the 26-member cast of ‘Our Town’—ranging from the very young to the fairly old—those relationships have proven to be particularly rich. Perhaps quixotically, the ensemble has become its very own small town, due in part to director Tim Rarick’s sensitive interpretation and palpable love for the characters, the setting, the story.

It was Rarick who converted Jordan to the play.

“I read it when I was young, and I hated it. I thought it was oversimplified and silly,” Jordan recalls. “Now, I find it exceptionally well written and thoughtful. Tim brought me back to it. It’s a play that holds the specific and the universal at the same time. It’s a play for people who have been alive for a while.”

Poster for WICA’s “Our Town”

In WICA’s production of “Our Town,” there is no curtain. There are few props. There is barely a set. But there is a moon. Featured prominently in “Our Town’s” publicity and production, the moon has a starring role in the sky and on the stage. Rounded, it rises over Georgia Gerber’s sculpture of boy and dog on the Langley waterfront. Apricot tinged, it hovers over the small-town folks who populate Thornton Wilder’s imagination. Eternal and luminous, it looks down on birth, on death, on the moments in between.

And “Our Town” looks right back.

Dianna MacLeod studied playwriting with the former dramaturg at Seattle’s Intiman Theatre. Her plays have been produced by The Women’s Theatre, included in the New City Playwrights Festival and performed by students of the Yale School of Drama. An alum of Hedgebrook, Dianna moved to the island in 2011.

Image at top: Phil Jordan as Doc Gibbs in Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. (photo by Tyler Raymond)

Visit WICA’s webpage for further details about WICA’s production of “Our Town.” For online purchase of tickets, visit Purchase Tickets Online.

NOTE: At the request of director Tim Rarick, there will be NO late seating for this production; please arrive by 7:15 to ensure your entrance into the theatre! The play runs approximately two hours, including two intermissions. Patrons who arrive late will be seated in front of the television screen to watch in the lobby until the next intermission begins.

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WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

June 11, 2014
‘Our Town’ Pares Life Down to its Essence

BY BETTY FREEMAN
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
May 28, 2014

No curtain.

No scenery.

The audience arriving sees an empty stage in half-light.

Presently the Stage Manager, hat on and pipe in mouth, enters and begins placing a table and three chairs downstage left and a table and three chairs downstage right. As the house lights go down he has finished setting the stage and leans against the right proscenium pillar watching late arrivals in the audience. When the auditorium is in complete darkness he speaks:

“This play is called ‘Our Town.’”

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts presents Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” as the finale to the 2013-14 season. Opening on Friday, June 6, the play will run for three weekends, through June 21, on WICA’s Michael Nutt Mainstage.

Jim Scullin As “Stage Manager” (photo courtesy of WICA)

This simple drama of daily life in the mythical village of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire is Thornton Wilder’s most frequently performed play. “Our Town” first appeared on Broadway in 1938 to wide acclaim and won the Pulitzer Prize.

“Our Town” explores daily life in Grover’s Corners and, in particular, the relationship between two young neighbors—George Gibbs and Emily Webb, whose friendship blossoms into romance and culminates in marriage. The circle of life portrayed in the three acts of “Our Town”—growing up, adulthood and death—is fully realized.

Thornton Wilder wrote “Our Town” in a “metatheatrical” style, in which the play’s Stage Manager (and narrator) has a relationship with the audience, breaking the fourth wall and giving him artistic license to address them directly.

Wilder’s other break from theatrical tradition was to insist that the play be done without scenery and props. The characters mime their actions, and the set is sparsely furnished with a few chairs, tables, and ladders to suggest upper floors.

Wilder wanted the words to carry the play, not the sets and props.

Rehearsal (photo by Betty Freeman)

Just as the audience willingly suspends disbelief when the Stage Manager joins the action and then withdraws from it, so they can imagine the clink of milk bottles placed on a front porch, peas being snapped into bowls on ample laps, the weight of schoolbooks held by a strap, or the creak of a front gate being shut.

“The lack of props forces the audience to listen to the words,” said Tim Rarick, director of WICA’s production of “Our Town.”

The play is full of memorable, timeless lines that resonate with audience members of all ages and hold different meanings for each person experiencing it.

“Edward Albee said ‘Our Town’ is probably the best American play ever written,” said Shelley Hartle, who plays Mrs. Soames and is also the play’s music director.

WICA’s production of “Our Town” meshes seasoned local actors with newcomers and creates its own supportive community within the play. “We’re bringing young and old together and speaking to the universal human experience,” Rarick said.

Rehearsal (photo by Kathryn Morgen, courtesy of WICA)

Rarick last directed “Our Town” 25 years ago at North Idaho College where he headed the theatre department.

“Now, coming back to it in this production, the play is richer for me,” said Rarick. “I’ve lost my parents, and have grandchildren, so its truths are filtered through my own life experiences. This play asks the audience to bring what they know to the performance.”

Some of the actors in WICA’s production are coming to an appreciation of “Our Town” for the first time.

“There are 25 people in the play, and we were surprised that it was new to so many of them,” said Rarick.

Jim Scullin, who plays the Stage Manager, had never read or seen the play before. He feels that’s actually an asset to making it a fresh experience for others too.

“I’m looking forward to engaging with the audience as the Stage Manager,” said Scullin. “I have so much regard for our community that it’s not daunting to recognize people I know in the audience.”

Nancy Pfeiffer, who plays Julia Gibbs, acknowledges that the play is physically demanding because of the lack of props and the imperative to mime the action.

“I have to create the spaces in my own imagination—the kitchen stove, or a mixing bowl and spoon—and find authenticity so I can share it with others,” said Pfeiffer. “Simple acting is the hardest acting to do, looking always for the essence of the character.”

As we watch the inhabitants of Grover’s Corners attend to daily life—going to work and school, eating meals together, doing homework, chopping wood, attending choir practice—the “layers and layers of nonsense” that Our Town’s Stage Manager alludes to when he speaks of the human race are stripped away and the essence of life in all its wonder is revealed.

“Our Town” plays weekends June 6-21 on WICA’s Michael Nutt Mainstage. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available at wicaonline.org, at the box office at 565 Camano Ave. in Langley, (open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 1-6 p.m.) or by phone: 800-638-7631 or 360-221-8268.

Image at top: section from “Our Town” poster (designed by Kathryn Morgen, constructed by Susan Reed)

Betty Freeman is an award-winning writer and editor who frequently writes about the arts for Whidbey Island publications. She lives in Clinton with her husband Dan, a sculptor.

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WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.

May 28, 2014