ing (Tony Bono) , " Doubting Thomas ." 4. A WRITING of Erma Bombeck is interpreted by Tracy Crum and Joe Aaron in the fall pro· duction, "So How's the Family.., 5. CAST member of ' '$0 How's the Family, " L isa Taylor, portrays a teacher systematically explaining "New Math " to a child 's father . Mostly One-Acts, Mostly Fun Each year has its Shenan· doah or Sound of M.uslc, when for a weekend much of the cam· pus' attention is focused in on drama. However, to those that love the art, drama is more than a lead actor in one enormous production. Yes , it is Ray Wright leading a struggling family through hard times ... but it is more, much more. Drama is the guy who ham· mered the first nail into some elaborate set. It is the make·up girl who subtley masks the hero's face from blemishes. It is the lights ... the stage ... the people. One aspect of drama was un· veiled this year to a small crew of Harding men and women. This University contingent was asked to direct a play. Mostly they were one acts, and mostly they were fun. "I liked it, " said Kim Styron, director of The Bear by Anton Checkov. '·It challenged me and was different because I had to assume an authoritative posi· tion. It was hard to be critical, but I tryed it in a way so that the actors would eventually feel good about themselves." A majority of the directors were from Speech 310, a play directing class, and they looked back upon their directing philosophically. Student director Cliff Thomp· son said, "I learned how to be diplomatic with people. It was a situation where I had to think on my feet. Some rehearsals I went in a little cold and had to be creative." Thompson 's play was crea· tive enough in itself. His troop of troubadors performed The Bald Soprano, an avante garde anti-pl'!Y on the miscommunication nltm~1L beings seem to have on every hand. Joe Aaron, director of Cornered, was happy to get the directing experience to add to his acting background. "I was glad to do the direct· ing, not just talk about it," Aaron commented. "The actual experience was better for me than a text knowledge, " Gregg Lotane learned a way to take his drama out into life. His play, The Stili Alarm, was a dry comedy with two men conversing in a burning hotel. Lotane stated, "It taught me how to better manage people; how to work and cooperate with them." There were children's plays, dramas. comedies and reader's theatres. Each had a unique student touch and flair. Behind the scenes, people worked hard. On stage, the actors performed with a special touch of class. And out in the audience, a few student directors smiled at what was really their play. ~ -Jimmy Allen _ Susan R. Pryor Plays·41
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