SHADY LADIES WORKSHOP --- PATH TO POLISH


by Pam North

What tricks of the trade does a Shady Lady wish to learn?  If it's
Gilpin County's own Shady Ladies of the Central City
Motherlode, then the answer is lessons in stage expertise, the subject
of a half-day theatrical workshop held last Saturday
at the Gilpin County Library.  Nine ladies, all veteran performers,
participated in the event, which was closed to the general
public.  The focus of the workshop was to bring even more punch and
polish to the Shady Ladies' popular educational program series called
"Survivors:  Unconventional Women of the West," in which the group's
members portray various female personalities who actually had roles in
frontierAmerica.  Joan Hemm, founder of the Shady Ladies, has compiled a
list of over 100 women who were uniquely important in Western history,
from which each member chooses characters for succinct stage portrayals
in the first person.   This dramatic historical presentation has been
widely acclaimed by audiences fortunate enough to have viewed it.

Sheldon Craig and Susan Youel, recent arrivals to Central City from
California, conducted the workshop (more on these two talented people in
an upcoming article).  Craig and Youel are now, respectively, the
artistic director and musical director for Central City's Belvidere
Theatre, which is in the process of being restored for future glory as a
community theater featuring melodramas, operettas, plays and whatever
other fun stage productions that can be devised for public enjoyment.

The morning portion of the seminar focused on a variety of topics.
Following some brief warm-up, tension-relieving exercises,
each participant delivered a short, prepared, self-written commercial
(these were all so well-done that the products touted were viewed as
instant successes).  A discussion of commercials ensued, exploring their
relevance to theatrical performance in general, then more specifically
to the portrayals the women engage in as part of the "Survivors"
series.  Sheldon Craig ventured into some  aspects of "performing
theory," which provided many useful overall ideas, then Susan Youel
eased into "physicalization," which covered posture, walking, sitting
and appropriate gestures, all of which combine to effectively convey the
intrinsic feeling of the Victorian era, the primary time period in which
the women's portrayals are centered.

After a lunch break, new directions were taken, encompassing such
subjects as making entrances properly, effectively interacting with
other characters, song presentation, stage presence and handling props
with ease.  All instruction was relevant to the portrayals subsequently
presented by the women.  Each of the Shady Ladies has been responsible
for researching at least one, and usually two, unique women of the West,
and then developing an accurate script and appropriate costume for a
5-minute portrayal of the characters chosen.  These characterizations,
all part of the "Survivors" program,  undergo constant development,
interpretation and revision as the women continue to delve further into
the many layers of the personalities, and as the women themselves
comfortably settle into their roles and hone their theatrical skills.
The culmination of the workshop's purpose focused here, as each
characterization was constructively critiqued by the presenter's peers,
and by instructors Craig and Yeuel.  The thoughtful comments and
suggestions for improvement were logical, diplomatic and often
innovative, and the women snapped them up, eager to add to the
dimensions of their characters, and to their own knowledge and
presentation ability.   While the workshop was designed to improve their
performance skills,  it also brought out the bright talent and
creativity existing in this lively and dedicated group.  The diversity
and dynamics of the characterizations were exciting, and it was obvious
how much effort lay behind each performance.  Even without the usual
costumes, stage sets and theater ambience, each woman managed to very
effectively portray the essence and integrity of the character she had
assumed.  The variety of the many personalities also was notable.  Gutsy
Nellie Bly (Giselle Denton), spirited Prairie Rose Henderson (Kyle
Neidt), incorrigible Lola Montez (Joyce Nelson), brassy Belle Starr
(Sandra Hines), and feisty Poker Alice (Shirley Voorhies) sharply
contrasted with more reserved Augusta Tabor (Roma Thompson) and gentler
Mary York Cozens (Robbie Zmuda).  The unfeminine Jo Monaghan (Joan Hemm)
and Charley Parkhurst (Frances Black) were especially intriguing
profiles, as two frontier women who surprisingly lived their adult lives
successfully masquerading as men.

It was evident by the interest and enthusiasm of the group that each
member had embraced the valuable instruction and was already devising
ways to incorporate the information into her future presentations, ready
to travel even farther along the path to the goal of perfection.  These
talented ladies just get better and better!