The Garden City Telegram
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Arts continue to thrive at GCCC
Published 9/12/2009 in GCCC Anniversary
By Laurie Sisk
From Tuba Christmas to the GCCC String Camp to the Garden City Piano Festival to the college's theatrical performances, Garden City Community College has had a long-standing tradition of incorporating community talent into its artistic programs.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Helen Lynn, left, and Mary Lake perform an acustic guitar duet as they and other Southwest Kansas Music Academy students hold a spring rectial at GCCC's fine arts auditorium in April 2007.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Lumiere, played by Trevor Green, jumps into the arms of Babette, played by Darcy McDaniel, in fear as their master, the Beast, calls for him in October 2008 during a dress rehearsal for GCCC's production of "Beauty and the Beast".
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Jim Matthews looks over a group of the 65 pieces of art on display and for sale at Garden City Community College's Mercer Gallery in February 2009. The art is part of the GCCC Art Club's Six by Six show where artists create their original works on a piece of six-inch by six-inch redwood.
Leading that charge is the GCCC Theatre Department under the direction of Ryan Peterson. For decades, the department has utilized local talent as performers and area craftsman to help build sets and run the technical aspects of the college's theatrical performances. After more than three decades with Skip Mancini leading the local theater scene, Peterson stepped in two years ago to continue that tradition.
Peterson said community participation provides a great advantage to GCCC theater students.
"Most of the community members that are involved have been involved in theater most of their lives," Peterson said. "They bring experience, discipline and provide an excellent example for our students, many of whom have been involved in theater a very short amount of time or for very few productions."
Peterson also said local talent provides a steadiness to the cast, and they often help mentor or focus younger cast members.
It's not only actors from the community who have been an integral part of GCCC theater, but technical workers, as well.
Take Diane Wilkins, for example, who is serving as stage manager for GCCC's next musical production, "Lucky Stiff," which opens in late October. Wilkins is helping train her assistant stage managers, all GCCC students, who may take what they have learned to possibly manage a production of their own at a later date.
But it's not only the GCCC students who benefit from the relationship.
"When a community member is involved in one of our shows, they know that it is going to be very well supported and have solid leadership behind it," Peterson said. "I think the Rec (Garden City Recreation Commission) under Brian Seagraves has been making great strides, but it is unfortunate they don't have the resources that we have available. They do good work, and their summer program is always successful."
Peterson said the college's financial resources allow the community performer a chance to be involved in shows that might not otherwise be viable in the community.
"We put a great amount of the college's resources at the disposal of our community shows," Peterson said. "The college is committed to involving this community in virtually every aspect of its operations, and the fine arts is no exception."
Peterson said that typically on a two-year rotation, one show in six -- a fully mounted musical with a large cast -- will be billed as a community show.
Last year's GCCC production of "Beauty and the Beast" involved more than 90 cast and crew, and Peterson estimates more than half of those were community members, including numerous high schoolers. According to Peterson, "Beauty and the Beast" sold out all but one show, which still reached about 75 percent capacity.
Peterson said GCCC is having a musical again this year, to realign its two-year schedule so as not to interfere with Garden City High School's musical productions.
Peterson said to change that dynamic, GCCC will do a musical a second year in a row, so the college can begin producing musicals on odd years and the high school will do musicals on even years.
Peterson said because of the large casts, the musicals are typically community-driven shows, but the community also is involved in GCCC's other productions.
"I always encourage community members to audition for our other shows, but because we rehearse those in the afternoon, very few community members are able to meet that schedule. But those that can, we love to have be involved with the understanding that generally we try to do those shows as much as possible with students. We can always use community members in our other shows, we just don't bill them as community shows, to insure that our students have plenty of opportunities during the year."
On the Web:
Listen to a podcast of Steve Quakenbush, information services director with Garden City Community College, discussing the history of the college and Sunday's 90th anniversary celebration at GCTelegram.com/podcasts.
Garden City Community College: www.gcccks.edu
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