Page 122 - ThePhoenix1984-85

Page 6/Westem Maryland College/April 25, 1985 Gypsy brings back Even as dean, Palmer lavish musicals remains an avid student by Frances Ward piece orchestra will be con- by Scan Anderson What upcoming event at ducted by Professor Carl Die- and Frances Ward WMC 'features striptease trich, and former faculty dancers, includes live animals member Harvey Doster has Del Palmer. For many of us onstage, has over 150 cos- returned to serve as special at WMC, that name embodies tume changes, and stars both consultant to the cast and many images: teacher, ad- students and community resi- crew. Among the local actors ministrator, dean, colleague, dents? appearing in Gypsy is Arnie advisor, and friend. Since his If trivia buffs answered Gypsy Hayes, who has appeared in arrival at WMC in 1965, to all of the above, they were a number of Carroll County Palmer has. moved through certainly correct, for the productions, and is best the academic ranks from in- Broadway musical based on known to the community as structor to department head the memoirs of the famed the founder of "September to Dean of Academic Affairs. stripper Gypsy Rose Lee pre- Song," a summer theatre Yel he sees his career as miers this weekend in WMC's company, His last WMC ap- "different jobs among peers," Alumni Hall Mainstage. Ac- pearance was in the 1983 not as an upwardly progres- cording to director Ms. Phyllis Theatre on the Hill production sion. M. Thompson, head of the of Caberet. In addition to the As dean, Palmer admits he Department of Performing adult talent in Gypsy, there misses teaching full-time, but Arts, Gypsy was chosen for a are 14 children featured in the for him the switch to adminis- number of reasons: there had show, mostly drawn from local trative duties has been a keyboard and have a page of garden and meditate at the not been a major musical at schools such as West Middle positive one. He also admits the Encyclopedia Britannica same time," he says. One WMC for several years - the that his work and schedule displayed on a screen in front might also find Palmer with cast size allowed for commu- This is the first time that a are more organized than of you." his Walkman on listening to .nity involvement, and the con- theatrical production will be when he was in the Dramatic Palmer finds, though, that Mozart, his favorite composer. solidanon of the music and presented over two consecu- Arts Department. "Over there today's students have a more An avid fan, he has seen dramatic art deoartments into tive weekends and Thompson in Drama I'd leave unorgan- serious attitude toward their Amadeus three limes the Department of Performing anticipates a heavy turnout ized. I'm much better organ- work than their 60's counter- Palmer feels honored to Arts made a musical produc- from both the college commu- ized now," he laughs. parts. He thinks that there have been twice awarded for tion more feasible than in the nity and the local residents. recently have been three dif- distinguished teaching. "I was past. Gypsy opens this Friday, April Palmer compared the learn- ferent generations of stu- really flattered." But what The cast at 48 includes 26 at 8 p.rn. in Alumni and ing atmosphere of today with dents, each with different makes a teacher distin- both student and local talent. continues April 27, 28 and on that of 20 years ago. "Today's goals and priorities. Students guished? "A desire to be WMC veteran performers in- May Day weekend, May 3, 4. students are hampered. They of the 50's, he says, were informal and loose ~ listen elude Julie Ann Elliott, Laura Tickets are $2.50 for the are the product of a loose' "serious, hard working and and respond. One of the most King, Steve Rossman, and WMC community and may be secondary and primary edu- goal oriented," and had many important things to remember Wendi Moore. Sue Udy is reserved in advance by call- cation. They're not as well more options for employment is that a teacher is still a dance captain for the produc- ing extension 599, or pur- prepared. The foundation (of in those prosperous times. learner. A teacher has to tion, and Tinamarie Jones will chased at the Information education) was better in my The 60's, although a time realize that he or she is still a be stage manager. The 15- Desk. day than now. Then there was -when there was much cam- student, obviously further the loosening of standards pus unrest, was "an exciting alonq. A student may ask a and a mushiness of curricu- time" when students and question about a story from a Child prodigy performs lum." He added that when he teachers were "imaginative, perspective I've never thought classics for piano went away to college it was 10 risk taking people." about before." get away from distractions. Although as dean most of Today's atmosphere is "less "Teaching is a lot like qar- Palmer's time is consumed by Yolanda Liepa, a young from the Cincinnati College- conducive to study. There are dening," says the dean. "In committee meetings and ad- contemporary pianist, will per- Conservatory of Music and a more distractions ...stereos, gardening you work with the ministrative duties, he still form in Alumni Hall Friday, Master of Music degree from TVs, and electronic media. earth, it's tangible and you finds time to teach an IDS May 10 from 8 p.m. Liepa will Yale University, School of Electronic media ha.s ,it~ see the results as they grow," class twice weekly. "Teaching be featuring music from Bach, Music. While at Yale, Liepa pluses. Eventually you WIll be A native of southern Georgia, is like a garden," he said, Beethoven, Schubert and was the recipient of several- able to be in your room, Palmer spends his leisure "you can see things get Schumann. honors and awards, including punch a few buttons on a time gardening. "You can done." Liepa was a child prodigy the Grumman Award and Win- Cincinnati Symphony Orches- achievement in piano per- Greek added to fall schedule highest for Award who made her debut with the chell tra at age 11. AI sixteen she formance. there has been a change of century during the time of I She received her Bachelor of Liepa's performance is free Ever wanted to sail the heart within the past year as Plato.Ancient Greek is chal- ~:~o~~~tg~~;jnW~~~p!7iti~n~A~~~:~~r~~Im~i~gc~~:~~by Robin Adams lenging but Evergates feels students showed interest in LM:U:S:ic:d:e:g:ree=Wl~'t:h:d:is:tin:c:tio:n=a:n:d:o:pe:n:t:o:t:he=PU:b:liC:.=~ Greek islands? Perhaps the Greek course, confident that the students ~ you're interested in Greek civ- Dr. Donna Evergates de- will enjoy the course. ilization, Or maybe you're just cided to teach one section of The Greeks of W.M.C. looking for a change of pace the course because of the speaks fluent Greek who Junior Leslie Shipp, requests in your class schedule. If you Al- and she received, cordially invite you to attend answer yes to any of the though the class is a lan- spent most of last year in above questions then Greek guage course, Evergates will Greece, seemed quite excited just might be the language for put some emphasis on Greek at the prospect of having The Greek you. civilization and no lab or drill Greek return to the curricu- You may have noticed that class will be required. lum. Leslie learned modern next year this language will This language can be diffi- Greek and she agrees that be offered 10students here at Semi-Formal Dance WMC. Greek has been taught cult because it is inflected the language is difficult to and has a completely differ- learn. The hardest part, she . twice before by the language ent alphabet from the Arabic felt, was that the language , department and has been alphabet used in Spanish, does not compare to others listed in the course book for French, German and Latin that many of us learn today in featuring "Fast Break" I Saturday A II 2 f rom 9 pm- am the past few years. Because language courses. Greek lan- alphabet and grammatical guage is now in two recog- of the great demand for the 1 construction. Shipp feels that 7 pr I $5/couple $3/slngles Latin course however, it was Ancient. parts, modern will be expanding the language de- nized and Evergates partment is a positive step nf~ g~c:~:~~t~~:r::~r;,~~gn L ....J offered. It seems though, thai teaching the Ancient or and Greek will be an excellent "classical" Greek of the fifth addition.