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The Citizen, 2007-09-06, Page 18Now in its fourth year, Serious FUN! Theatre Company, has moved into some different real estate and decided to go professional. This year, founder Shannon Scott decided that in order for her students to make the push to the professional stage, they needed more attention. This year, the program surrounds going pro. Competitions, festivals, agents and demo reels all come with the territory. She hand-picked 10 students from previous workshops to participate in this intensive 37-day summer ses- sion, with additional work to follow. Students will receive a weekly one- on-one session and three to four group sessions a month until June. The workshop works towards the Fringe Festivals of Ontario in the summer of 2008 and ensures thateach student will leave with a pro-fessionally-edited demo reel fromJuicy Fusion Films and distributionto agents in the business. The program intends to work towards two plays that will be sub- mitted to the Fringe Festivals of Ontario. In addition to the work for the Fringe Festivals of Ontario, the stu- dents also intend to compete in the Stratford Kiwanis Festival of the performing arts. This program requires dedication and determination, as it is involving and time-consuming, however, Scott says that over the summer, she has often had to pull the students away from their work, even as they spend 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Serious FUN! Farm every day. The move to Scott’s farm from The Livery Theatre in Goderich was one that increases intimacy, says Scott. “I can spend more time with each student here, and it helps that we have a studio that is set up around the clock that we don’t have to keep taking down and putting back up,” she said. “In addition to that, the space is much more open and gives the kids lots of choices for their recreation time.” The farm provides more focus space, says Scott. While the students spend nine hours a day at the farm, they break frequently. They take 15 minutes off per hour, they have a two-hour lunch break and a small break in the morn- ing. Scott, who is a graduate of the the- atre program at Fanshawe College, says that she refuses to talk down to her students or take it easy on them, as she says, most teachers will when teaching theatre to children. “I’m teaching them stuff that I learned at the college level and they’re just eating it up. In a way,they’re performing better than wedid, because they don’t have theinhibitions that we do at their age,”she said. “These guys keep amazing me more every day. Theatre programs are very hard to get into at the col- lege/university level, and I think this gives them a head start. I think they could be accepted into any school.” Over the course of the program, students learned improvisation, Shakespeare, modern monologues, musical theatre, acting for the cam- era as well as voice and movement exercises. Scott says that through this pro- gram, the students have become a very tightly-knit group. Support, confidence and trust come with the territory. The group is an all-female one, all ages 10-14, something that Scott says was not intentional. The students include Sadie and Mackenzie Chalmers of Blyth, Lexi Aitken of Londesborough, Kelsey Falconer of Auburn, Regan and Rachel Bezaire and Kelsey King of Clinton, Emma Dunlop, Samantha Edwards and Nicole McDonald of Goderich and Katherine Dwyer of Wingham. The program will end in June. Scott has not decided yet whether she will begin a new workshop or begin auditioning herself, as a recent college graduate who is eager to get out into the business. For more information, e-mail seri- ousfuntheatre@yahoo.ca PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007.Summer company offers Serious FUN Things are smokin’ at the Goderich Co-op Gallery. September brings an exhibition of smoked fired pottery by member Paula Letheren. Included in this display will be bowls and Letheren’s contemporary interpretation of the death mask. Historically, Death Masks were developed by taking a casting in wax of a person’s face for the purpose of portraiture or to be used as part of the effigy of the deceased and dis- played at state funerals. These masks are part of the tradi- tion of most nations. In Egypt, the mask was placed in the sarcophagus of the deceased and it was believed to have strengthened the spirit of the mummy and guarded the soul from evil spirits in the after- world. Letheren has created a modern interpretation of the mask using pot- tery. After applying moist plaster impregnated gauze to the subject’s face, the dried mould (and often hair) is gently pulled away. The pieces are constructed in white earthenware clay laid in the plaster mould. The clay is then air dried and bisque fired at 1600 degrees celsius, a process that takes up to ten days. This gives the clay strength. Then the pieces placed outdoors in a “fire-pit kiln” and layered in saw- dust that is ignited and left to smol- der for up to three days. During this process, the potter is at the mercy of mother-nature which explains the diversity of colouration in the pieces. This is in contrast to elaborate painting of historical death masks. In addition to the deaths mask, she has produced a series of hand built decorative bowls using the same fir- ing technique. The colour variance is the result of exposing the bowls to combination of additives in the saw- dust. A mask from this series was awarded first prize at the Hensall by Design Art Show in 2007. Letheren’s work may be seen at The Goderich Co-op Gallery which is open on the Square, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Saturday. Serious Fun After three successful summer terms at The Livery Theatre in Goderich, Shannon Scott has moved her Serious FUN! Studio out to the Serious FUN! Farm. She says the atmosphere pro- vides a more intimate setting and taking only 10 students gives her plenty of one-on-one time with each student. Students were invited personally by Scott, hand-picked from previous years’ workshops and this year’s program extends into the fall and winter months with week- ly one-on-one sessions and three to four group sessions a month. From left: Kelsey Falconer, Nicole McDonald, Lexi Aitken, Samantha Edwards, Sadie Chalmers, Katherine Dwyers, Regan Bezaire and Kelsey King. (Shawn Loughlin photo) For a better Ontario Come out and meet Rob Morley at a local BBQ, celebrating the opening of his campaign office in your area. Goderich, Sept. 4 11:30 am Wingham, Sept. 5 5:00 pm Kincardine, Sept. 6 5:00 pm Port Elgin, Sept. 7 5.00 pm Walkerton, Sept. 10 5:00 pm Exeter, Sept. 11 5:00 pm The Rob Morley Campaign 1-866-615-1203 rob@robmorley.com www.robmorley.com authorized by the CFO for The Rob Morley Campaign LEADERSHIP MATTERS LAWN QUESTIONS? Organic Programs Available 524-2424 -Trust the Professionals - ACCREDITED Give us a call 519-887-9061 Fax 519-887-8734 Cell Phone 519-357-6547 R.R. 2 Bluevale John CONSTRUCTION LTD. • Licensed Septic Installations • Screened & Field Topsoil • Bark Mulch • Sand • Gravel • Fill • Backhoeing • Bulldozing • Excavating• Loading & Hauling By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Smoked pottery exhibit at Co-op Gallery ARTIST’S INTERPRETATION OF DEATH MASK BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED