OU University Theatre's final main stage performance of the Semester comes to a close

The University Theatre’s Mary Stuart has wrapped up its final performances of its main stage production this past weekend.  The performances took place at the Weitzenhoffer Theater on campus, on various dates from February 10^th through the 18^th.

            Mary Stuart, by Friedrich Schiller, is based on true events and real characters from 16^th century England in which Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, vie for power in England in the year 1587.  This is the University Theatres only main stage production for the semester, which was a two-month process for everyone in production.

            The University Theater puts on mostly small plays, called “Lab Theatre” and will put on three or four more this Spring.  The shows are performed by students and produced by students as well, with this one including a cast of 19 students and a production staff of more than 60 students. Students moved in a week early to begin rehearsals in early January.

            Andrew Rathgeber, who plays William Cecil/Lord Burleigh in “Mary Stuart” believes that the students run the very complex show very well.

            “The cast and crew really put 100% into each show every time out. People talk for long periods of time, but storyline is complex enough that [the audience] stays engaged and listens to the cast.  The crew is always back there hustling and bustling to make it all look good.”

           The University Theatre’s next “Lab Theatre” production is They Promised Her the Moon, from April 12^th to the 15^th.  Tickets are $6 for OU students/faculty or $8 for the public. For more information contact the OU Fine Arts Box Office at 405-325-4101.

Program for Mary Stuart
(Courtesy: University Theatre)

UNC Professor's Documentary sheds light on group of Argentinean Grandmothers

Professor Charlie Tuggle, of the University of North Carolina, has created a documentary titled Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, viewed in Gaylord Hall on the OU campus this past week by students. In the documentary, Tuggle sheds light on a group of grandmothers in Argentina who are searching for their grandchildren, after the Dirty War left many children orphans in the late 1970's.

There were thousands of people were murdered during the Dirty War during the 70's and the children whos parents were killed, became orphans and were adopted by other parents.  Some of the "adoptive" parents were even involved in the killing of the children's original parents. Tuggle highlighted some of the reunions of these grandchildren to their original grandparents, and the stand that these grandmothers were taking to find their grandchildren.

Tuggle interviewed many people, about their reunions with their grandchildren and the realization they went through when they found out that their past was not what it seemed.  Some of the people did not want to be on camera, because they were afraid of what officials may think if they saw them in the film.  Tuggle spent 10 weeks in Argentina with his crew, with a budget of around $15,000.

Tuggle, describes how some of the grandmothers who had been searching for years to find their grandchildren, and some of them never lived to see their reunions.

"They stood up for what's right, and some of them died because of it" Tuggle explained in his post-movie Skype interview.

Tuggle hopes that this documentary will shed light and scratch the surface of what Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo are doing, and the lives that they are changing.  Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo have been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize and according to Tuggle, "should win one in the next 2 or 3 years."

HSLC

The University of Oklahoma’s High School Leadership Conference, a leadership conference for high school juniors sponsored by Campus Activities Council, takes place February 17^th through the 19^th on the Norman campus.  The HSLC website describes the conference purpose “to equip, empower and inspire high school students with valuable leadership skills that will benefit them in their daily lives… Our goal is to show the students that leadership is more than a responsibility, but rather a lifestyle.”

More than 215 high school juniors from 4 states applied to attend the conference, however after review of the chair, 6 vice-chairs, and 28 executive members, 165 are chosen to attend the conference.  The 26 counselors will take the 165 students throughout the Norman campus to engage in leadership activities and listen to motivational speaker, Marc Wayshack.  Wayshack will speak about “breaking the barrier” and students will participate in breaking actual wooden boards.

The 13^th Annual High School Leadership conference’s theme this year is “Leaders: always a beat ahead.”  Students will not only be attending leadership activities, but will also be touring the campus throughout the weekend, including he dormitories and cafeterias.  The University of Oklahoma’s Housing and Food is ta main sponsor of HSLC, as well as the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art and Coca-Cola.  Housing will also be provided for all the high school students and OU students at the Sooner Legends Hotel.

Ganga Moorthy, chair for the High School Leadership Conference, told me that “The conference is based off of leadership activities and is focused on teaching students what it takes to be leader back in their high schools.”  She also told me that she hopes that what these students take away is influential in their lives and based on the leadership activities these students partake in, that they will be able to use what they learned, in the future.  Moorthy told me that the total cost is $100 which includes everything, “including two nights lodging in Norman, all meals, materials and a conference t-shirt.”

The High School Leadership Conference hopes to continue to grow and to continue to build upon the success that has kept this one of the more prestigious events that CAC sponsors.  Almost all of the OU students involved attended HSLC when they were in high school, and if they can instill the qualities they learned as high school juniors, then this conference will continue to be as successful as it has been.