Sophomores W. John Curtis/Sea rcy, AR Lisa Denae Curtsinger/Rogers, AR Cary Daniel /Memphis. TN Mollie DaniellTexarkana. AR Teresa Daugherty/Terre Haute, IN Larry Daughety/Searcy, AR Kent Davidson/Martinsville, Il Laura Davidson/Hou ston, TX Michelle Davidson/Gainesville. FL Shannon V. Davidson/A rnold, MO Brenda Sue Davis/Fa irfax, VA kelly Davis/Fairfax, VA Lisa Dawn Davis/Amagon, AR Tammie Davis/ Bald Knob, AR Terri Davis/Va n Buren. AR Tina Davis/Rolling Fork. MS Michael Day/Garland. TX Juan Dederscheck/Pe rchtoldsdorf, Austria Valerie Dees/New Boston. TX kimberly Beth Deleon/Ceda r Rapids, IA Angela Lyvonne Delimar/Sava nnah. GA How Did it Happen? Drawn into Aunt Eller's farmyard, the audience at "Ok lahoma! " mayor may not have noticed how detailed the scenery was. A feeling of the Old South in " The Pride of the Brittons" gave the theater-goer another chance to view intricate set design. Throughout the year, plays, Readers' Theater, and lyceum events had backdrops, lighting, and props that created an effect and helped carry the action. How did all this come about? The behind-the-scenes work of theater technicians , more commonly known as " techies, " provided the creativity and labor necessary to produce a set. The techies worked in various areas behind the cu rtain. One might have found Anna Brenton at a sewing machine saying, "Someone help this girl!" A further glance might fall on a f.ast-working Leigh Ellis mumbling, " From 40 feet they will never notice that zipper. " Lighting, a crucial facet of theater setting, was the bailiwick of Jerry Justice and Barry Fisk. It was possible to see Justice crawl - ing around 30 feet above the Benson stage or Fisk climbing a pole in the Administration Auditorium trying to get the lights in the ideal position to enhance the actors. Faculty members in the speech department, which was responsi - Cynthia Dennis/Memphis, TN Katrina Derrickson/ licking, MO Paulette Dickerson/Rock Hill, MO Terry Lee Dinterman/Wa lk e rsville, MD Charles Dismuke/Atlanta, GA Lynette Dowdy/Costa Mesa, CA karen Dowell/Metamora, Il Theodore Duffy/Brooklyne, OH Suzanne Dunigan/Corning, AR Wade Dunn/ logan, OH David DwyerlJackson, MS Gary D. fads/Sea rcy, AR Melanie Earnhar t/Conway, AR Edward Elliott/Melbourne, AR Andrew Edgar Eno/Boise. 10 Louisa Estes/Southaven, MS Mary Ruth Eudaly/Rolla, MO Tonda Michele Evans/Dexter, MO Kevin D. Evins/Newport, AR Debra Fairleigh/Rose Bud, AR Alisia Felts/Greenv ille, MS 246/Sophomores ble for dramatic productions, provided carpentry experience. Morris Ellis, assistant professor, and Robin Miller, instructor, concentrated their wood-working ta lents on various backdrops and props. Make-up was the special area of techies like Rona Lyon . She could be heard three hours before the curtain went up on " Oklahoma!" call ing people's names and checking them for costume and make-up. Commenting on why people wanted to put in the long hours of work which many in the audience would take for granted, Fisk said, " Everyone has expertise in different areas. Some are not good in acting; others are_ I'm good with electronics; others are good with set design." Techies exercised their creativity and then received the gratification when they saw the completed set (often just minutes before the curtain went up) and how it enhanced the play. According to Fisk, "People look at theater and see just the acting. They would not see theater as theater if it weren't for the props . I know I am successful even when the audience doesn' t know why or how a good moment in the play was achieved. " Even though they may not have had the desire to be on stage when the curtain was up, techies were a major factor in the degree of success of the production . They, too, had been bitten by the show-biz bug.~ - Steve Bender Barry Fisk lights the Administration Auditorium for practice and performances. i .,
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