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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1990)
c [ The Battalion LIFESTYLES Lifestyles Editor Lisa Ann Robertson 845-3313 4 Thursday, August 30,1SS ] osen eac iur time ven-day-; txxbtnt^ step into ltmeltgt|t ftnttj stple^ grace ^ expertettce By RUDY CORDOVA JR. When the Granbury Opera House’s sumer stage call went out, three Texas A&M students answered. Ronda LaVoyce Shepherd, Suzanne Shaw and Monique Daniel each prepared three vocal numbers for April auditions with a shot of joining the compa ny’s summer intern program. Shaw heard about the opera house by checking the summer theatre directory provided by the Theatre Arts department. The opera house is located in the historic town square of Granbury about 30 miles south of Fort Worth. Sixteen interns from around the country received six hours credit towards their college degree for act ing, dancing, singing and even building costumes for the company. They also received room and board and a $1000 stipend. The interns were involved with were three shows this summer — “The All New 1919 Ziegfeld Follies,” “42nd Street,” and “Guys and Dolls,” which has its fi nal run this weekend. The interns say their summer was filled with lots of hard work and loads of fun. Daniel said their typical day began with a dance class at 9 a.m. and ended with rehearsals lasting until 11 p.m. Shaw, a senior theatre arts major from Friendswood, added, “sometimes during tech week, we’d stay up until 4 a.m. working on putting up the show.” Shepherd had her work cut out for her when she performed the lead role in the first production of the summer, “The All New 1919 Ziegfeld Follies.” She played Ethel Waters in this show created by the Ma naging Director Jo Anne Miller. Shaw and Daniel, a junior political science major from Galveston, kept busy with chorus parts in this production. Shepherd, a senior journalism major from Dallas, recalled the highlight of her summer with the Opera House. “We were told that Governer Clements was going to attend the show one evening and of course we were all very excited,” she said. “But the best part was after the show when I was walking back to the dorm and Governor Clements was getting into his car with his wife. “He jumps back out of the car and screams, ‘There’s Ethel Waters!’ He came over to talk to me. He was a downhome, country guy. Very pleasant.” As interns each had the opportunity to work with the different crews that make up the production com pany. When they were not in rehearsal or in a class, Shepherd, Shaw, and Daniel devoted their time to building costumes in the costume shop. “What impressed me the most,” said Shepherd, “was that they could make beautiful costumes out of rags. They knew how to make use of their resourses.” Daniel said she had a lot of respect for the theatre. “Granbury depends on the Opera House,” she said. “It’s a historical landmark which is privately funded by the patrons.” The Opera House seats 300-330 people and brings in 72,000 people yearly. Half of those people attend the musicals during the summer. All three women expressed how much fun they had meeting new friends and learning more about the theatre. One thing Daniel did during her spare time, which was minimal, was to walk up and down the streets by the Opera House where five or six law firms are located. “I want to go to law school, so I decided to go into the law offices and talk to people,” she said. Meeting new friends was also something Shaw liked most. She added that besides all the work they had to do, she always found time to enjoy herself. Her most memorable day involved the entire company. “During my birthday, the cast and crew surprised me in my room with a little bash,” she said. “They gave me Depeche Mode tickets for the concert in Dal las.” The Granbury Opera House operates 46 weeks a year. It receives donations to support the Intern Pro gram by the community. The project is also sup ported jointly by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Photo Courtesy of Suzanne Skt Backstage in costume at the Granbury Opera Shepherd and Monique Daniel. They spent tfie House are (l-r) Suzanne Shaw, Ronda LaVoyce summer performing in the historic theater. ‘Guys and Dolls’ meet in 1990 summer season finale By RUDY CORDOVA JR. If you’re headed for the Dallas- Fort Worth area this weekend, stop at the Granbury Opera House for a Texas-size look at musical theatre. The 1990 sum mer company will close the sea son with their final performances of “Guys and Dolls,” a classical Broadway musical. “Guys and Dolls” involves two love affairs between typical Broadway musical characters. It is a show about two gamblers named Sky Masterson and Na than Detroit who are trying to keep their money and their “dolls” at the same time. They both run into trouble when the Salvation Army tries to reform them. Popular tunes from “Guys and Dolls” include ‘Lucky to be a Lady,’ ‘A Bushel and a Peck,’ and ‘Sit Down Your’re Rocking the Boat.’ The Granbury Opera House, a professional theatre and educa tional institution, is located 30 miles south of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in the historic town square of Granbury. The Opera House began showcasing many forms of entertainment in its first season in 1886. After be ing shut down for over six de cades, it was re-opened in 1975. The Opera House was restored entirely with private money. Three Texas A&M students were chosen this summer for the Intern Program at the Granbury Opera House because of their tal ent, skill, and proficiency in Musi cal Theatre. They are Ronda LaVoyce Shepherd, a Journalism major from Dallas; Suzanne Shaw, a Theater,^rts major from Friendswood; and Monique Dan iel, a Political Science major from Galveston. Performances are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday st 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 5:30 p.m. Three matinee performances will begin at 2:00 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with a special Labor Day show also at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are from $7 and may be reserved by calling the Box Office at (817)573-9191 or (817)573-3779. "Seasons oice of t ually ftp 1 [ter we fil :'ll pull i e regulai Inform ndividual ect to cha FL’ At Non Drive. Al nore info Thursday Rock. Star Friday — dong. St; cover. I Located 725 A Uni admitted, informatic Friday anc and Friem No cover. G In the C 801 E. L ages 21 at 693-7500 I Thursday tening. St cover. Friday an Bendiksen 5:30 p.m. Saturday. 1 Wednesda Foul ‘Men At Work’ creates awful stink By CAROL GLENN Of The Battalion Staff Emilio Estevez tries directing a second time in the new comedy “Men at Work.” Unfortunately, he leaves the audience grossly discour aged by his directing abilities, or lack there of. Following Estevez’s first acting/di recting failure, 1986’s “Wisdom,” he demonstrates how writing, starring and directing in the same motion picture can be a smelly combination for a movie about garbagemen. Estevez and his brother Charlie Sheen star in this comedy that lacks in both plot and laughs. Estevez and Sheen are buddies James and Carlos. They work in Las Playas, California, and dream of sav ing enough money to open their own surf shop. I kept thinking to myself, “It has to get better,” but it never did. it only got worse. While on their garbage route, James and Carl discover a dead body stuffed in a toxic waste metal drum. They learn that the corpse is Jack Berger, a mayoral candidate the au dience already knows as a corrupted politician illegally dumping toxic wastes into the Pacific Ocean. The contrived story slowly unrav els to show how Carl and James as sume they are responsible for the city councilman’s death. Later they realize that they are wrong and de cide to hide the body until they can find the real killers. Haphazardly weaved into the plot is a Vietnam combat veteran who has flashbacks. He watches over Carl and James and reports on their be havior to their boss. When this combat-crazed lunatic learns of the corpse, he decides to help Carl and James find the mur derers, which somehow leads to the kidnapping of a pizza delivery man. As if the predictable plot isn’t enough, you may get sick after watching the poor acting job done by nearly everyone in the film, includ ing Estevez and Sheen. Estevez and Sheen stumble through their lines, as do most of the amateur actors and actresses in this film, creating anything but a com edy. This is a direct result of both acting and directing. Estevez and Sheen insult both of their acting careers with “Men At Work.” This is really sad since both actors were in fairly good movies earlier this summer (Estevez in “Young Guns II” and Sheen in “Navy Seals”). I guess the really amazing thing about this whole ecology-conscious movie is that Estevez spent the last five-years off and on working on this flick. How could anyone, professional or amateur, work on a movie that long and achieve such a horrible end product? The movie took more than two and a half hours to watch, because of a 20 minute delay and four mechani cal failure interruptions, and I found myself aggravated but de cided to stay for the incredibly stu pid ending. I kept thinking to myself, “It has to get better,” but it never did. It only got worse. The whole movie comes off as a low-budget comedy with cheap laughs and virtually no entertaining value. I feel sorry for everyone that had their intelligence insulted by seeing “Men at Work,” and strongly advise those who have not to avoid it. Spend your money elsewhere. oncM) By Erika Gonzalez-Lima, Ph.D. Two Texas A&M students suf fered from heat exhaustion Mon day, the first day of classes of the fall semester. With temperatures in the 100s and high humidity, heat emer gencies such as dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat strokes are likely to occur. Heat emergencies can be serious if untreated. Stop what you are doing (exercising, playing, working in the sun) and seek medical atten tion immediately if you develop the following warning signs: dizziness, nausea, headache, fatigue, chills, faintness, muscle cramping, rapid pulse, sweating block (dry skin) and a body temperature over 104 de grees. The best defense against heat emergencies is prevention. Preven tive measures to avoid the conse quences of overheating include: • Avoid over-exertion: Work outs in the heat should be moderate in intensity and short in duration. Exercise sessions should be light and 15-20 minutes long. Try to resched ule your outside activities and exer cise for early morning or evening hours. • Adequate hydration: Keep your body from losing too much fluid from continuous sweating. Since about 70 percent of the human body is made of water, you should drink plenty of water, even if you do not feel thirsty. Drink one cup of water for every fifteen minutes of exercise. Carry a liquid container along with you (filled with cold water, soda, Gato- l '' ; .Starts 'Strict \ Vi served. i acre; or plan water oreaKS your exercise routine. Avoid alcohol because it acts diuretic resulting in faster waterlos Sweating also causes you to salt. You may need to increase Wit salt intake. Consult with yourpni cian if you are on a salt-restri diet. • Appropriate clothing: loose-fitting, light-weight, lighten. ored and cotton or cotton-bto : clothes that let air circulate. Av« ; synthetics (nylon, lycra, polyestfi that prevent body sweat fromeva| rating. Wear a wide-brimmed hat sunglasses that absorb ultravtf . v rays. Also, protect your exposedst (face, neck, arms, legs) with a watt resistant sunscreen of at least 15si protection factor (SPF) 30 minut before sun exposure. • Keep cool: Avoid being out for more than 30 minutes, es_ between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and^ low 30 minutes of cooling offbefo 11 exposing yourself again to the sun Stay in the shade or indoors much as possible. If possible,^ your activities in air-conditio» f pei E laces. Use fans to improve airdtf" ition. Take frequent cool shorT and avoid hot foods and heavy i# which add heat to your body. Following sensible hot- protective tips will help you to the heat, prevent heat-related 1 nesses, and enjoy a safe and tive semester. Erika Gonzalez-Lima, Ph.D., is Health Education Coordinator at Texas A&M A.P. Beutel Health and a health columnist for TheBai .-weaii" i ^ ch; istening. cover. KA At Post older adn For more 9191. Thursday Starts at 9: Friday — ■ Starts Saturday - Wends. £ Starts at 9:! M At 1601 lege Static For more Sunday — at 9 j /ednesda; 3pen stag \'o cover. TEXA! On FM 5 Fc call 822-22! Thursday • ■ Starts a p.m. $3 c ID). Friday — Country. S )pen at 8 p tii* Saturday - Easy Coin 9:00 p.m. $ FROM In Bryan All ages rved. Fo all 846-LT i" ,f ; Thursday unk. Stai Over. riday — T on Smith 1 m. $5 cov iaturday — karts at 9 p Tuesday 'tarts at 9 arge TB^ it*