Day Two Of The Princess Theatre Camp Brings More Fun

Day 2 of the "theatre camp" got even more fundamental and fun.  By the time the show starts at 2, or 3:30, Saturday, the edges will have been polished and everyone will be ready to "break-a-leg"!  

Yes, wishing them bad luck is supposed to bring them success.  Theatrical types are well known for their belief in superstitions, or at least for their willingness to make a show of pretending to believe in them.  The term 'break a leg' appears to come from the belief that one ought not to utter the words 'good luck' to an actor.  By wishing someone bad luck, it is supposed that the opposite will occur. Other superstitions are that it is bad luck to whistle in a theatre, or to say the final line of a play during dress rehearsal.

Today's agenda included warm ups, rehearsal, and a costume design workshop with Kathryn Nabors.  And yes, she is kin to Jim Nabors!  (You young people will have to Google him!)

Kathryn is a Roane State graduate who is currently working on a "set design" degree in the theatre department a UT.  She showed the class her ideas on costumes for the upcoming play, and they began learning the finer "points" of a needle and thread.  We'll see what they came up with later.

I must say, at this point, after watching and listening to Clarissa's directions to the students of the first "theatre camp", that Roane State Community College has a great asset.  She knows how to schedule, plan, and direct student actors.  Her interpersonal skills with the students is remarkable.  She knows how to get them to do what they should without raising her voice.  Her directions are educated, thoughtful, and concise.  You can also sense that the students believe in her, and consider her a knowledgeable resource.

I have the feeling that with Clarissa's help, this "theatre camp" will continue to grow, year after year!  Thank you Clarissa.

Oh yes, this is the class, during lunch break, Googling this blog to see photos from the first day of class!

Roane State Music Department Winter Concert - FREE!

Dec 5 2015 - 08:00 PM

The RSCC Music Department offers a traditional concert of Christmas favorites and winter inspired arrangements, featuring Celebration Singers, Concert Choir, Jazz Band, Bluegrass Band, Stage Band, faculty, and lots of guest performers!

Free Admission – Donations accepted at the door

Presented by : Roane State Music Department

October 3rd...Roane State's Got Talent!

WHAT ROANE COUNTY NEEDS IS MORE INVOLVED YOUNG PEOPLE!

I introduced my son Corey Mashburn, Harriman High School's Guidance Counselor, to Megan Anderson, the new Princess Theatre Manager, Friday.  They seemed to hit it off right away and began discussing Corey's memories of the Princess, what the Princess wants to offer area schools, and generally what the Princess will mean to our children that want a career in the arts, media, and communication.

But, all I could think about how much Roane County needs young people like this!  While listening to their youthful ideas from these two "go-getters", I was thinking "how do we get young people involved".  We need their youth, their ideas, their determination, and new vision of the future so much!

Megan and Corey talked about getting together with the other area counselors, and interested teachers, to brainstorm ideas for classes and hands-on involvement.  They think that the high schools could offer "dual enrollment" credit courses in partnership with Roane State, which would be wonderful for everyone involved.  These courses would be in the catalog under THEATRE.

That's it, we need to find ways to get them together and let them think out of the box with their young minds.  I'm afraid we may have become to set in our ways to see past the past and into the future!

The Princess Dream is to make the Princess a unique educational tool that will prepare students who are interested in stage, sound, film, television, radio...all of the "media/theatre arts".  The Princess, and the Channel 15 studio, will be a hands-on tool students can use as they do class study.

Did you know that Harriman doesn't have a drama class or club?  I found that so sad.  The Princess will be able to stir up interest again in the arts in all our schools.  Not only could those interested students act in a play, they could also learn to do the stage preparation, the direction, the producing, the lighting, the sound, and how to record the performances on film for broadcast.  Man, how I could have gone for something like that when I was in high school!

My suggestion to any parent or student reading this post is GO to your school's guidance counselor, or any teacher, and tell them you are interested in pursuing your interest in the arts!  And how much your school offering such classes would mean to you.

Dual credit courses could be available to any student scoring a 19 on the ACT test.  The PLAN test is given during a students sophomore year, as a preliminary to the real ACT given the junior year.  Therefore, a student could be potentially be eligible for the "dual enrollment" courses for the last three years of high school!

The English portion of the test is probably the portion in which a 19 will be required.  It's seems to be the best fit anyway.

Even if a student fails to make a 19 in that area of the tests, they could still pay Roane State for the courses.  But, if the grade is made, then it's all free!

Going to a community 2-year college program next year may even become more possible for more Roane County students.  A new program call tnAchieves will provide up to $3,000 dollars annually for tuition to students who meet the criteria and maintain a 2.0 GPA.  This is on top of any Lottery Scholarship and/or PAL grant monies!

All this simply means, that you may be able to go to Roane State FREE!  So, look into it today!

Oh yes, everyone needs to see how they can get involved at the Princess too!  If you would like to volunteer, contact Wilma Mullins right away!

ROANE STATE WANTS TO PARTNER WITH AREA HIGH SCHOOLS IN ARTS EDUCATION

Dr. Myra Peavyhouse and other members of the Roane State Community College staff visited the Princess Complex this past Thursday.  The purpose of the visit was to see first hand the progress being made on the Princess Theatre, and to see the wonderful things Bill Radice is doing with the all digital equipment in the Channel 15 studio next door.

Pictured above (from left) are Owen Driskill, news coordinator; Pat Pate, assistant librarian for audiovisual services/associate professor; Myra Peavyhouse, dean of the college's Humanities Division; and Malinda Yager, secretary III,  Humanities Division.

They, like other recent visitors, were amazed at the capabilities Bill has built into the electronic equipment he has assembled.  Bill was recently told by a Comcast executive that Channel 15 has one of the most elaborate equipment setups in the state, already surpassing Murfreesboro's local station that was once the benchmark station on the Comcast network in Tennessee.

Dr. Peavyhouse pointed out that the college welcomes opportunities to partner with area high schools. High schools are welcome to contact Myra Peavyhouse at (peavyhousem @ roanestate.edu) or (865) 354-3000 ext. 4317.

Harriman High School is already looking forward to creating media classes and joining in this partnership with Roane State next school year.  The classes would utilize the Princess Theatre and the Channel 15 studio.  Dr. Peavyhouse is hoping other schools will follow in this same direction.

"SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN"*

"What? What is going to happen?"

"Something wonderful."

*The character Dave Bowman, in the movie "2010", speaking to Dr. Heywood Floyd and telling him of "something wonderful" that's about to happen. Isn’t it the same with spring each year…something wonderful does happen!

That's kind of the way I felt last weekend. So many wonderful things were going on in and around Harriman, that I had a sense, and I think those around me had similar feelings, that "something wonderful" was about to happen. Something so unique and so good for us all that you could almost feel it in the air.

Spring seemed to break last week, and my wife and I enjoyed a part of the "Dogwood" trail in the Fountain City area. Everything was new, fresh, green, colorful, and alive! It made us feel new and alive too!

Back in Harriman Saturday we took in the "Cruisin' in Harriman" (2^nd Saturday each month), the first one of the 2010 season. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood and all the cars were freshly washed and waxed. People milled about Roane Street once again and passed hopefully under the Princess marquee. Like me, they wondered about what the future would bring – about the new spring season and about the Princess.

Having been to 2 or 3 "Cruisin's" previously, I was shocked to see that 90% of the cars present last Saturday were new to me. I had no idea there were that many classic and hot rod enthusiast in the area. Therefore, you cannot say "if you seen one, you've seen'em all!"! There will always be something new and unique to see.

Down at Roane State, Bill Landry finished his 3rd performance as Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird", and then celebrated his 60th birthday with his wife Becky, the cast, crew, and the audience. He too seemed excited about the good things happening around him, and about the kindness of Roane County folks to stick around after the play to wish him “Happy Birthday”!

What is it? What is going to happen? Well, I don't know officially, but I do know that the TVA money has been received, and that the contract with Frank Sparkman has been “gone over with a fine-toothed comb”. So, it could only mean that our Princess should soon be receiving a brand new spring bonnet, and then soon after she will be redressed in a brand new fresh dress. Her dress should resemble her original frock, but underneath it will be supported by the latest in modern fire protection and technology. She will once again be ready to entertain us with live shows and events!

No, she will not be ready by the previously promised fall 2010, but will probably be ready about three months later than first thought.

I don't know about you, but as long as I know spring is coming, and I can see its first hints, I can wait for it! Just knowing our Princess will actually be restored is enough for me...I know it will happen! I know something wonderful is about to come true!

ROANE STATE’S “THEATRE” CATALOG OFFERS A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE OF THE “PRINCESS PERFORMING ARTS, EDUCATION, AND CONFERENCE CENTER”

Roane State Community College currently offers a large curriculum in “Theatre” courses. If you follow the embedded link, you will see a wide variety of course descriptions that provide our local students a pathway to their dreams – a career in the arts!

I visited one of the classes last Thursday evening titled, THEA 236, Media Production I. Students enrolled in this class receive 3 credit hours for writing, producing, and directing a short narrative or television program.

In this intensive classroom project, taught by, local celebrity Bill Landry, students also explore the crafts of editing, screenwriting, and cinematography. In addition to producing their own television show, students work in key positions on each other's projects. The class goal as a group will be to workshop a teleplay script for a scheduled shoot at the end of the term.

Mr. Landry could not be in class that evening, but he turned the class over to two local personalities with a wealth of television and movie making experience.

Andy Garrett, station manager of Channel 95 in Anderson County, and Brooks Benjamin, a local Roane County school teacher with three movies under his belt, filled in perfectly Thursday. Topics covered ranged from how to manage a television station single handedly, to how to produce and direct your own movie!

Andy often has to be fleet of foot to cover all the events at Anderson County Schools, city meetings, and to keep the screen from going black at Channel 95. I was impressed with all the hats Andy has to wear, and all the equipment he has to program and manage to keep that from happening. Andy has been the station manager since 2008.

Brooks, of course, is a wealth of information when it comes to movie/commercial making, editing, writing, and producing. He has been in the business since 2004.

He is currently riding a high with the recent news that Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon, Turner Classic Movies, and others, are offering his “Boys of Summerville”!

Brooks was born here in Roane County and got his bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University. While in college, Brooks was an actor in the independent movie, "The Oak of Weeping", where he played the part of Robert "Moose" Wade.

Since college, Brooks has written and directed several commercials and short films, including his award-winning short comedy, "Minor Mutants". He also wrote, produced, and directed his award winning feature thriller, "Point of Fear".

Brooks and his wife, Jackie Barnes, are the owners of Lycan Entertainment, their production company.

Andy and Brooks, along with a couple of others, recently outlined the equipment that a television, radio, and sound studio would need in order to provide a state of the art experience for the students of Roane State involved in the “Theatre” curriculum. Their expertise in this area has been invaluable to the success of the Princess dream!

These “theatre” classes are just a small glimpse into what Roane State will be able to offer from the planned “PRINCESS PERFORMING ARTS, EDUCATION, AND CONFERENCE CENTER”. Once the dream begins at the Princess Complex, there will be hands on education and training in radio, television (Channel 15), movie and stage productions, lighting, sound, and cameras.

What gets me excited is all the entertainment it will bring to Roane County. All the class projects, and all the local music, art, and acting talent, will have a beautiful venue in the Princess – its stage, studios, and broadcasting capabilities!

Students of the arts, and their dreams, will come to Roane County to learn and experience what they need for a career in arts and media!

There are other media production schools in the United States that can give you a better view into what the Princess dream is for our students. Schools like the Alpha Pacific Institute in Arizona, Full Sail University in Florida, and many others you can Google. However, none of these campuses offer a fully functioning and broadcasting radio and television station, sound studio, or a 900 seat auditorium with a state-of-the-art stage!

The dream is already coming true in the courses offered by Roane State – they are the ground work! We should be hearing about TVA releasing the promised restoration money any day now. On that glorious day, the dream will begin to really come true!

BEHIND THE SCENES WORK ON MAY 16th SHOW SPEEDING UP

The poster at right is the final draft poster advertising the May 16^th stage show at Roane Theater. Mark your calendars now, watch this blog, and your local news for more on the finalized “multi-media variety show” that will benefit the efforts to restore the Princess Theater!

This last week saw Bill Landry, Doug Mills, Brooks Benjamin, Michael Golebiewski, Gary Baker, and Paul Mashburn in the field interviewing and getting video footage of our beautiful area. You’ve probably already seen the special on J. D. Williams, local war hero and antique car collector which aired last week on WBIR. Bill Landry talked with J. D. this past week while Brooks Benjamin manned the video camera. Even more footage of the interview will be shown during the Roane State Theater stage show.

While that was going on, Doug Mills, videographer for the “Heartland Series”, and Paul Mashburn were out shooting video and stills from Buzzard’s Bluff and in Riverfront Park in Harriman. (A funny little thing happened on the bluff that you might find interesting! CLICK HERE!)

Earlier that morning the field-team met at the College of Veterinary Medicine on UT’s Knoxville campus. An interview with Dr. Terry Stevens was conducted and will be shown during the May show at Roane State. Doctor Stevens was adopted and raised by Eugene “Gene” Monroe Pickel, giving him a chance at a future he may not have had otherwise. Mr. Pickel is active in the Roane County politics and has become “the man” to talk to about historical facts involving Roane County. His book “A History of Roane County, Tennessee to 1860” was published in 1981.

So, as you can see, there is a lot of action going on behind the scenes and I’m sure you will like the final product. Please, mark you calendars and make a special effort to come see what promises to be a very entertaining stage show!

If you have ideas for the show, or future shows, please let us know! Send you thoughts to: princess.theater AT yahoo.com.

BILL LANDRY BEGINS FIRST CLASS IN MEDIA PRODUCTION AT ROANE STATE

Bill Landry, of the "Heartland Series", began the first class in Media Production Monday evening at Roane State Community College.On hand to commemorate the occasion as the first project undertaken by the Princess Theater Foundation and Roane State Community College, were (left to right): Bill Landry (Creator & Producer of the Heartland Series), Michael Golebiewski (Humanities Department at RSCC), Gary Baker (Local businessman), Chris Mason (Mayor of Harriman), and Bill Farnham (local Princess Foundation supporter). [Photo by J. Paul Mashburn (Foundation Supporter & Photographer)]

These two organizations are working hand-in-hand in an effort to revitalize Downtown Harriman and restore the Princess Theater.

This first ever Media Production class, with 17 enrolled, met at 6:30 Monday evening with Mr. Landry getting to know the class, their backgrounds, interests, and hopes for the class. Their first assignment was a little "acting" for the camera!The class project will culminate on May 16th with a public showcase of their work. Regional entertainment will also be presented to make up what promises to be a very entertaining evening at the RSCC Theater. This program will kick off public awareness and support for the restoration of the Princess Theater and the plan to make this area an arts education and conferencing center, with the express intention of revitalizing downtown Harriman by bringing business and attention back to Harriman.

Stay tuned...a lot is about to happen!