OCR Text |
Show WEDNESDAY, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 10 - DIXIE SUN Artist Feature: Theater major likes designing, making costumes MARCH 19 Enchanted life is whirl for IVlisS Pettigrew Amy Adams Post- - co-st- ar NEW YORK (MTC) - The word "focus" comes up a lot in conversation with Amy Adams, mostly at her end. And when she's in conversation, you understand why. She shares with the more successful contemporary politicians the ability to aim her bright blue eyes directly at your dimmer, darker pair arid make you feel as though you're the only one in the universe she's noticing. Of course, that's easier to hotel-rooe pull off in colloquies like the ones star of the Spencer Potter, a freshman theater major from Ogden, concentrates on adjusting his costume for his role in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Potter has been acting since he was young and has recently developed a knack for sewing and costume design. the play Dancing at He also helps tutor in the BY ASHLEY BLAKE Dixie State College Writing Lughnasa. Dixie Sun Staff Writer Spencer Potter didnt have much of a normal childhood moving place to place every school year, but thats what helped him discover his passion. Thats when I got into a freshman theater major from Ogden. art," said Potter, I just started sketching and doodling because it gave me something to do, but I ended up enjoying it. Its also therapeutic because even when you are mad about something you end up making something beautiful. Since then Potter does pretty much everything in the book when it comes to theater and art, including photography, drawing, oil painting, writing, set design and costume design. Potter said: Thats why I love theater; its a place to bring all interests because there is a great need for all creative abilities. If you're a writer you can write plays, if you like art you can design posters. If I was to be just a writer I would have to give up everything else that I enjoy doing. Center but really has a passion for creative writing. I just like to help others utilize writing because its just so powerful," Potter said. Writing is really timeless because it could be stored away in an attic for 80 years and would still hold true to people. One thing Potter said he hasnt tried but would like to is direct his own play. Ive been an assistant director in plays in high school and Ive been an actor in student directing projects, but Ive never been able to do it myself, Potter said. I hope to either end up being a director or to teach acting. Among Potters many proj- ects, costume design is what he will be working on for next fall. Potter said: Its not like Im an astounding tailor or designer, but I came to help with costume design, and they showed me how to sew. I helped them with simple things like a pillowcase, but for next fall I will actually be sketching, designing and choosing color pallets for Brent Hanson, associate dean of the fine arts division and a professor of theater, said Potter is one of those students who tries to broaden his talents in theater to be more successful in life. When he was cast into the production of An Ideal Husband he brought real energy on stage and was disciplined during rehearsal, Hanson said. Hes a model student of having different talents to be versatile in this business, and he is very talented in all of them Being in college and away from home is a hard thing, Potter said, so finding a group he can identify with has helped fill that void a little bit. You set aside your differ- ences and your selfish wants and you become a group, a family of sorts, Potter said. When you're in a show you watch out for your cast mates, you help them if they are sick, you give them emotional support, you hug them if they are having a bad day, and give them a shoulder to cry on." "Enchanted" had been having all day recently to help promote her newest film, "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day," which opens Friday. But you do get the feeling that she'd behave the exact same way toward you in a crowded room to the. exclusion of everyone else. But most times, Adams admits, she's so focused on whoever's closest to her, at work or at play, that she's barely had time to notice how much more recognizable she's become since "Enchanted," the blockbuster Disney musical fairy tale that opened last Thanksgiving to reviews that praised her magnetic performance as a fairy princess marooned in Manhattan. 'The first day of this junket," she says, referring to the "Miss Pettigrew" campaign, "I'm out with my brother and sister-in-lawho are in town And theyre the ones who are looking around and noticing how people are responding to me in a different way. I honestly have no sense of this whatsoever and I don't know if its because I have blinders on or not." Even when "Enchanted" opened to shimmering acclaim Adams says she was g I so embedded in rehearsals for "Doubt," the forthcoming film version of John Patrick Shanleys Pulitzer Prize-win ning stage play, in which she costars with Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, that she barely noticed the reaction 'The only way I was able to sort of get any kind of an honest reaction to ' Enchanted' was with this class of kids I was working with in Doubt.' (Adams plays s a nun teaching in a New York parochial school.) And most of them knew me from playing Giselle in ' Enchanted and I was picking up their excitement and enthusiasm, which is so much more valid than, you know, all the celebrity mid-1960- hype." Adams seems to have kept her head down in a perpetu- al state of busyness since she was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar two years ago for playing a winsome Carolina naif in "Junebug." She's since taken on roles of all sizes in such disparate projects as Talladega Nights," Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, "Underdog" (that's her voice speaking for Polly Purebred) and "Charlie Wilson's War." The script for "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day came to Adams while she was working on "Enchants and she immediately vent England to work on this brightly colored farce, setr War II London which she plays a flighty! ambitious actress named pre-Worl- d Delysia Lafosse, who befriends the dowdy d erness (Frances McDormand) she's unwiy I ly takbn on as a social secn( tary. "I'd met Frances whence ( been nominated together T that same year for the sac. I Oscar," Adams says. "I ah, knew she was a fantastic r actress. But working with her, I got so much out ethic, generosity her sense of play. She most of the movie, especis. the first part, reacting to a this wild stuff Delysia doe; But she's got such an ... act sense of reacting that I ne felt I was doing everything isolation. I learned so muc ' from her." Both the Southwest Symphony and the Utah Heritage Choir plan to kick off concerts at the end of March The first one is the Salute to Youth concert for the Southwest Symphony on Friday at 7.30 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium. Tickets will be $12 for adults, $10 seniors, and $3 for students with an ID card. Executive Director Cheryl Scott said the concert is an orchestra Easter concerto aimed to get budding musicians performing in public. The instruments that will be played will be the violin, the piano and the oboe. , Violinist Josh Winder will be playing "Op. 16" composed by Scherzo Tarantelle. Pianist Jacob Sullivan will be playing in minor "Op. 18" composed by Rach Maninoss. Pianist Micah Putnum will be playing a song by Khachaturian in B flat. Patrice Ramsey will be playing a song composed by Vaughan Williams in A minor on the oboe. Violinist Megumi Gass will be playing "Op. 21" by Lalo Symphonie. All these musicians are younger than 23, and it is a prestigious honor to be able to play, Scott said. These musicians have worked over a year to prac- - Classifieds F ' v ''." NANNIES WANTED East Coast www.TSNnannies.com tice and get ready for this concert," Scott said. They have to compete and audition to get their spot in this concert. Scott said this is a tradi- people and place God back in the center of socie- tional concert they have every March and has been going on for more than 20 years. The other concert is a free Easter concert for the Utah Heritage Choir held on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the Cox Auditorium. Publicity Director Bonnie Caldwell said the Easter concert is a gift to the community from the Southern Utah Heritage Choir. Everyone is invited to share this evening of music. According to the Heritage Choir mission statement, it is the desire of the Heritage Choir to point to the goodness in all familiar classics as well as ' (c) 2008, Newsday. Distributed by McClatcl Tribune Information Services. Jun prei T foo Ca in the movie Miss Pettigrew Amy Adams, left, Day, with Lee Pace, right. Lives for. . aw, as Ca pr I Ba Bel ser Fivi Ass Southwest Symphony, Utah Heritage Choir to perform BY ASHLEY BLAKE Dixie Sun Staff Writer ana spe-- abc tyi: the the stuc can she Sha box ty. Director Keith Bradshaw and Associate Director Nancy Allred have selected some new compositions to celebrate Easter. Some of the songs the choir will be singing are I Walked Today Where Jesus Walked, Go to Dark Gethsemane, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," O Divine Redeemer, and I Know That My Redeemer Lives. Paul Abegg, assistant professor of music at Dixie State College, will be a guest soloist accompanying the choir on the violin, along with Allred and Carol Larson on the piano, according to a press release. ers d; iffe or Dffi Receive up to $200 a month Bring this coupon in for an additional $5 WMr?V' 'Ihftj.fcj ' ' m : :ert ;om equ Hr :s, l ibeii If Open Feb. 5 Hi- r Call now to make your appointment. 816 N. 2860 East behind Costco. For questions call It Infc &fsll to PLASMA SERVICES PREGNANT??? THINK YOU MIGHT BE?? Theres Always HOPE :Free and Confidential services :Pregnancy Tests Accurate Information on options :Post Abortion Support :Peer Counseling 427 West 100 South Suite Call for an appointment B cl,? St. George P 652-834- 3 HOPE PREGNANCY CARE CENTER v SU s) jr: i J 4 r ,!,, ifei fA .rik. Tiiirifi , 3of i kif,' GujPjW ,,i Oifife |