'Lady of Shalott' has performances left

Nov. 12—Odessa College's production of "The Lady of Shalott" has three more performances left — Nov. 14, 15 and 16 all at 7 p.m.

It will be staged in the courtyard outside the Globe Theatre on campus and in the Black Box Theatre.

Theatre Director Aaron Ganz said it offers a chance for audience members to move around.

"If you want a better angle of something live happening in front of you, we encourage people to move and see it, and the actors are rehearsed that way," Ganz said.

The theatre department collaborated with the Fab Lab, culinary program and construction department for the production.

Students in the culinary department have crafted complimentary treats themed to the show. Ganz said this was something they did for "'Much Ado About Nothing' and have continued to do, and will continue to do moving forward, because theater is a full sensory experience at the Globe."

The play is based on a poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson.

According to the Odessa Arts website, the work takes the audience "on an unforgettable journey into the heart of Arthurian legend."

"Tennyson's poem The Lady of Shalott has enthralled readers for over a century. The mysterious tale of a woman cursed and trapped in a tower has captivated artists the world over, inspiring countless paintings and songs, all in service of answering the ultimate question: Who was The Lady of Shalott?"

Ganz said he knew the poem as a song sung by Loreena McKennitt.

"My mom bought the CD when I was a little Canadian Aaron and growing up, and she would play the CD over and over again. I never even knew it was a poem. I just knew it as a song. Later, when I got to school, I discovered it was a poem," he said.

Ganz could identify with the story.

"I have a bunch of teammates right now in set and costume and actors and choreography who can feel that story, too, and who don't want to just put up a show, but want to unlock something; want to bring audiences to a type of truth, not just about Arthurian legend, but about everything that's hidden in art," Ganz said.

"This is not a show that's right for Odessa. It's a show that's right for human beings," he added.

The show has a cast of 15 actors. Ganz is the director and there is a costume designer, stage manager, lighting designer and set designer.

"We flew in two fight choreographers from Los Angeles to help with some elaborate sword fighting that we have in this piece. But more importantly, to increase the professional aspect of our program. We want this program to be a platform — a trampoline — for people to be professionally successful in the performing arts. And now that I'm here, I'm bringing the connections that I have made in the profession from California and New York so that our actors get to work with people who are in the profession, who are, yes, helping them in the show, but are growing their abilities in life," Ganz said.

The fight choreographers were from Sword Fights Inc. in California. They had a guest artist from Colorado to help with lighting.

"He's an expert at voice and speech, textual work with actors, so he put in that time as well," Ganz said.

He added that the guest artists were flown in for about a week through a grant from Odessa Arts.

"It's part of the direction our program is moving in the future, which is for every main stage production that we do in the spring and in the fall, we're going to fly in two guest artists to be able to elevate the production and elevate the professional know-how of our performing artists, also to build bridges ..." and teach cast members about their craft, Ganz said.

In the spring, they will stage the Shakespeare play "Cymbeline." The show will be in the outdoor amphitheater and they will do a special performance at the downtown location.

"It's about a king at the end of his life, just like Shakespeare was at the end of his life, whose kingdom is one; who has everything going for him. The only thing he hasn't settled is his own family, his own daughter, who loves somebody who is not of royal lineage, gets married right at the start of the play to somebody below royal lineage. King Cymbeline thinks of that as a long-term threat to his kingdom, and banishes her husband, and therein starts the madness," Ganz said.

Advance tickets for "Lady of Shalott" are sold out, but there will be a waiting list at the gate. Tickets are $15.

As the theatre program grows, Ganz said they will start to have main stage productions and student productions.

On a separate note, Ganz said they will be introducing a Marjorie Morris scholarship starting next year.

"If a person wants to do this professionally, we are going to make sure they can train with us and it won't cost them a penny," he said.

For the first year, they are looking at five awardees who will be able to study in the drama program and "not have to pay and have all of their courses taken care of, and still have extra money on the side to be able to pay for stuff like gas and some other things that they're doing."

Students have to get high grades in their classes to be part of the show and contribute to the cabarets that are held each month.

"They have to be fully immersed in the muscle building that we're doing over here, and assuming they do their work, we're investing in them, because we're in the space right now where we want to grow out our program, and we want to prove to people that our program creates professional success stories.

"It's not just about a place where you could study and train, it's about a place where you can make something of yourself in the world," Ganz said.

Those selected for the scholarships will be announced sometime in the late spring or early summer.

A Globe film festival is also in the works for the end of January and early February.