FC group attends annual ASF trip

By Eric Rose
Staff Writer

Fifty-four people took part in Georgia Highlands College's annual trip to Montgomery, Ala., for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Over the weekend of April 6 and 7, trip participants saw two plays and received a tour of the theater.

An itinerary was provided to help students keep track of the many events.

The first stop was for lunch at the Eastdale Mall in Montgomery. The mall features an indoor ice-skating rink, where several students skated.

The group then visited the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts to see the ï¿½A Brush with Historyï¿½ exhibit, a collection of paintings on loan from the National Portrait Gallery that have captured and even influenced American history.

The group saw Smokey Joe's Cafï¿½ on Saturday night. It is a musical review featuring the songs of the songwriting team of Leiber and Stoller. Smokey Joe's Cafï¿½ features many popular songs such as ï¿½Kansas City,ï¿½ ï¿½Yakety Yakï¿½ and ï¿½Stand by Me.ï¿½

Dr. Kristie Kemper, professor of English and one of the trip coordinators, described the performance as ï¿½lively.ï¿½

On the second day of the trip, the group visited the ASF complex for a tour of the 21.5 million-dollar facility. The modern complex is architecturally styled like a castle from Shakespeare's own time. ï¿½It doesn't look that big, but it's actually an eight story building,ï¿½ said Kemper.

The group then saw Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House. The drama is lively and filled with social commentary. It is about a married couple and their struggle with social issues and roles. ï¿½Secrets, conflicts over money, balance of power, division of labor, duties and expectations, the needs of individuals within a partnershipï¿½these and other issues are raised in A Doll's House, and they are issues we recognize still,ï¿½ said Bruce K. Sevy, the play's director.

This play was presented on the Octagon Stage, a smaller stage that brings the spectators closer to the performance.

Clarissa Snow, student, said, ï¿½It was fun, the hotel was clean, we ate at a nice restaurant, and Smokey Joe's Cafï¿½ was awesome. I'm going next year.ï¿½

The ASF is a professional theater company, which holds plays year-round. ï¿½They audition actors from New York, Chicagoï¿½various places,ï¿½ said Kemper.

The ASF complex is part of the Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park, which also houses the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. Students had time to explore the park, which features a lake, gardens and sculptures.

This year's trip was planned by Kemper, Ashley Wood, director of student life, and Fred Green, associate professor of English and program coordinator for English.

The ASF trip is sponsored jointly by the social and cultural studies division and the Office of Student Life.

The trip is held annually during spring semester. ï¿½We want it to be in the spring because the park is so pretty,ï¿½ said Kemper. Another factor the planning staff must consider is the selection of plays to choose from. Although Shakespeare's works are the theme of the trip, none were playing during this year's trip.

Those interested in next year's ASF trip can register at the start of spring semester in the Office of Student Life. A deposit is required to reserve space, and then the balance is to be paid before the trip. Although the trip fills quickly, a waiting list is provided and spaces usually become available.