Times Advocate, 1997-02-19, Page 13Downtown Variety
NOW OPEN
414 Main St.
EXETER
(Ranch House Inn Complex)
OPENING SPECIAL
Free Polar Bear Cup
with every Can
of Coke
Be prepared. From left, Kristen Hefley, Meaghan Ellison, Deb Homuth, Mitch Homuth and
Shawn Ellison go through the steps of a dance number.
Dancers rehearse 'The Circle of Life' opening number for the Lion King musical, which will
be performed by local talent at the South Huron District High School small gym from Feb.
26 to March 1. From • left, clockwise, Katie Graham, Katie Hefley, Brook Ramsey and Fai-
thann Wagler create a circle for Stacey Campbell to pass through.
Lion King musical showcases local young talent
By Chris Skalkos
T -A Reporter
EXETER - The small gym at South Huron District High
School will be transformed into an African landscape roamed
Wafting for the cue. From left, Rachel Steele, Katie Gra-
ham and Katie Hefley wait for their cut prior to the dance
number 'Hakuna Matata. '
by lions, monkeys, hyenas, a meerkat and a wildboar next
week as a large cast of young actors come together to
perform a production of the The Lion King musical.
What started as an idea from organizer Deb Homuth will
become reality on Wednesday, opening night, and for the
next three nights as 105 children and high school students
perform the popular Walt Disney storyline for a live
audience. .
Homuth said she is pleased with the way the singing and
dancing has developed since the cast began rehearsing in
September, but it has been a lot of work.
"We took a lot of kids with no dance or singing experience
and made dancers and singers out of them," said Homuth,
adding she has enjoyed watching the transformation. "It's
rewarding to see them develop the confidence and become
the characters they are playing."
By participating in a live theatre production the children
are learning about choreography, set design, lighting and
blocking. But according to Homuth the most difficult skill
they need to master is the art of. silence.
"The biggest challenge has been getting them to be quiet
and stop chatting. Their exuberance is wonderful but we
need to channel it."
Any large two-hour production, consisting of two acts
with 13 scene changes, takes a combined effort of many
people who lend their specialized talent behind the scenes.
Homuth credits stage manager Theresa Wilhelm and
assistant director Gavin Poole for their help on the set as well
as singing coach Susan Graham and orchestra director Rob
Robilliard for volunteering their time.
Profits from the musical will go to the Exeter Public School
Parents Association which is selling tickets and promoting
the event. With half of the tickets already sold, Homuth is
expecting a full house for each night and She guarantees
audiences will not be disappointed.
"You can expect to be quite dazzled when you see the
children transform themselves. They're going to do it."
Where A. reWhere Are They Now? is an extended series on South Huron
Now? District High School graduates and their career choices
Mary Anne . Per tsch = a travelling" y g nurse
MICHIGAN - "This type of work seems to be the most...steady," said MaryAnne Pertschy
of her nursing career that requires travelling to the United States and on occasion, to England
while she works on contract.
With a limited number of full-time nursing jobs available in North America, Pertschy meets
many Canadian nurses who journey from hospital to hospital.
According to Pertschy, "you have to be very adaptable, very fast," and at the same time
maintain prdfessionahsm in order to be successful at the job. Although it's a challenge for her
to deal with a stereotype that regaids temporary nurses as less committed to their work, she
predicts many future careers, including nursing, will require additional temporary employees
who have multiple skills.
Pertschy works for Olsten Flying Nurses, a Targe American agency based in Dallas, Texas'
that arranges contracts with hospitals needing additional temporary staff. Due to resuucturing
and tourist demands, many US hospitals find it more convenient to hire contract nurses.
Pertschy, who specializes in intensive and coronary care, also applies her skills to a casual
position at St. Joseph's Health Centre in London where she works with "a really nice family
type of group."
She began the travel aspect of her career at an Arizona burn centre. Between contracts,
which typically last between eight and 26 weeks, she spends time with family in her home
town of Crediton. She reflects on her years at South Huron District High School as a time of
football and wrestling champions combined with "nightmares about calculus."
After spending time with a small, close-knit nursing class at Lambton College in Sarnia,
Pertschy was unable to find a local job in the 1970's and ended up working at a Methodist
hospital in New Orleans for eipht months. She then spent eight years as a charge nurse at the
University of Michigan Medical Centre.
"1'm a die-hard Michigan fan," she said, adding her hobbies include supporting
college football as well as delving into craftwork, reading and
--_ ficin her skills as an "amateur film critic."
Her intensive care work in
Michigan
included treating football fans who suffered from injuries and in some cases, heart attacks.
Since 1990, she's been enjoyin# the freedom and independence her job offers, crediting
the 1989 Free Trade Agreement for making it easier to work in the US.
"The best part of it is 1 like going to new places, meeting new people," she said. "1 have
made friends everywhere."
On the other hand, she admits the greatest challenge of her
work is "going into a new place and not knowing what to
expect." Maintaining a consistent attitude helps her in work
surroundings that constantly change.
Although she considers travelling an opportunity to gain new
experiences and perspectives, she finds it difficult to leave an
area after establishing friendships. Her longest contract lasted 11
months in Lakeland, Florida.
"1 really felt like that was my home there," she said, adding
she makes it home to Crediton an average of three times a year
for a minimum of a few weeks at a time.
1n January Pertschy returned from a five-month contract in
England, which she described as "poles apart" front an
economically -driven health care system in the States. "Everyone
is experiencing financial restraint and restructuring...it's tied up
in a political process no matter where you are," she added.
Pertschy describes her job as one that requires both technical
know-how and the ability to help patients and families through
trying times.
"I give a lot of life-saving drugs and 1 need to know how they
work in the body," she explained, adding there are other instances
when she spends "an entire day giving emotional support."
She admits she grows more comfortable dealing with death and dying issues she
encounters in intensive care work, not due to familiarity with the job but as a result of her
own life experiences.
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