Introducing the cast of 'Fifth of July' BY PHIL NARSH STAFF WRITER PSNSOOI @PSU.EDU Holidays are a great time for family and friends to get together and have fun. However, the next morning is usually a downer. "Fifth of July" is a lot like that. Written by playwright Lanford Wilson in the late 70s, "Fifth" takes place a day after the Fourth of July in 1977, a year after the bicentennial. Set in rural Missouri, the play is one of a trilogy of plays by Lanford about the Talley family and their friends, and focuses on the disillusionment with America after the Vietnam War. Four friends had planned to be The cast gathers with director Jim Johnson to discuss a scene draft dodgers and run away to senior Media studies major. Europe at the height of the war, He has appeared at various but one was left behind. Many regional theaters in the Central years later, all four are reunited at Pennsylvania area, including Major spotlight: Communications By MARIN ALICE ASSISTANT EpITOR MABS33B@PSU.EDU The Penn State Harrisburg Communications major combines the study of media and the arts, with actual application. Students take a wide array of courses, from public relations to film, to journalism. Students are required to take courses studying the media, giving them a foundation in the subject. Classes like Nature ofMedia show students the impact the media has on daily life and culture. Students must also take courses that give them experience in different types of media. News the old Tally farmhouse. Andrew Lehmann (Ken) is a sophomore here at Penn State Harrisburg, who you might have seen in the Capital Players' first Harrisburg's first productions: "All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten," or heard him sing a song in Godspell, the spring production. Andrew plans on pursuing his college days as a Theater major. Andrew Soback (Jed) was in a play once called "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying." Andy claims he does not really know much about plays, but says that he has some hoi scenes in "Fifth" and hopes the audience will enjoy them. Philip Narsh (John) is a writing classes offer students the opportunity to practice writing for print journalism or broadcast. Video production classes teach students how to film and edit their own movies and commercials. The major prepares students for careers in any medium. Careers in print journalism, television, film, public relations and advertising are just some options that students have. comunications students have access to many different tools to help them in their studies. A mac lab in the basement of Olmstead, as well as a photography lab and access to filming equiptment give students a professional experience while still in college. THE CAPITAL TIMES The cast of "Fifth of July" has already begun rehersals of their show. Open Stage of Harrisburg, where he performed in such shows as "A Christmas Carol," "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "The Threepenny Opera." Narsh has been in three independent films and hopes to be in more and more. Sara Powers (Gwen) is a junior and a marketing major who discovered the Capitol Players this semester. She was involved in numerous plays in high school, but this is the first time she's been able to say so many swear words on stage. Sara is more like her character than she likes to admit. Scary as that may be, she is still very excited to be involved in this production. Nicole Styer (June) is freshman Elementary education major and wants to teach fifth grade someday. She went to Donegal 2006 graduate, Kristen Poole began freelancing graphic design jobs for two years, and now is a Traffic Manager at Cimbrian, a graphic design company in Lancaster. "The classes that helped me the most were the graphic design, photography and advertising ones." said Poole. For students interested in graphic designPoolehasafewsuggestions. Networking .and internships are the most important things for a student looking to get into advertising or graphic design. Poole also said that building a strong portfolio will help. Poole did the layout for the Capital Times, as well High School where she was involved in many shows, including "The Little Shop of Horrors" in which she played a Ronnette. Julie Dauber (Sally) is in her third semester here at Penn State Harrisburg. This is her first time being on stage, although she has been part of the drama club since its beginning last fall. She was a part of the crew for PSH's productions of "Everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarten" and "Godspell." She was also on the tech crew for her high schools productions of "Feiffer's People" and "Into the Woods." She is very excited to be involved in this production. Layla Dideban (Shirley) is a Communications major in her senior year. She has been doing theatre since she was 12 years as helped to design posters around campus. She says that this experience helped her prepare for the real world by showing prospective employers that she was able to go above and beyond. Only having a 4.0 GPA is not good enough to get a job in a competitive mrker anymore. Employeers want to see that you can go above and beyond according to Poole. Stacey Cleary, a 1993 graduate of the program found a job after graduation working as a communications assistant at The Easter Seals Society. Cleary relied on the broad background of media to help her write Oct. 8 2008 old, and has been in musicals such as "The Wizard of Oz," "Crazy for You" and "Fiddler on the Roof." Layla has performed in both of the previous Capital Players productions, "Everything I need to know I learned in Kindergarten" and "Godspell." Eric Stump (Weston) is an English major in his senior year. He has been working in theater since middle school and was very active in the drama club at his high school, Schuylkill Haven High. Eric has also done a lot of work with the Schuylkill County Acting Guild, with such performances as "Picnic" and "Gibbsville." A talented musician as well as actor, Eric will be playing the guitar in "Fifth," but is perhaps best known for his ability to play the bagpipes. The play has been entered in the American College Theater Festival (ACTF) sponsored by the Kennedy Center. According to Kennedy-Center.org, the ACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide which has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. Showdates are Nov. 13, 14, 15, 21 and 22 in the Olmsted Auditorium. Staff writer Phil Narsh is an actor in the play "Fifth of July." newsletters and design brochures for the nonprofit. Cleary's advice to current students in the communications major is to narrow down a field of interest. "I wish someone had told me to really narrow down an industry that is interesting. The degree gave me a wonderful basis but I did not understand the difference between the non profit and private industry." said Cleary. Communication students who choose to continue their education can earn a masters degree in Humanities from PSH. The program is more interdisciplinary, including philosophy, writing, art and media theory.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers