The pandemic put a roaring stop on drama productions throughout the state, as folks could no longer gather to watch and be entertained, but Gerry Large wants it to make a comeback.
Large, Whatcom Community College’s Visual & Performing Arts Department Lead, had decided that this quarter his actors would put on a show: “Waiting for Lefty”.
“Waiting for Lefty” was a first for playwright Clifford Odets. Debuted in 1935, the show is centered around a meeting of cab drivers who are planning to strike as a union with audience participation.
With the original play run time being an hour long, Large decided to shorten it to within the class time limit while still retaining its meaning.
“After Russ Nelson, previous technical director, accepted another position here [at WCC], we do not have the class time, nor the resources to do the full show. We don’t even have theatre management now,” Large explained. “Students are helping out with sound and lighting.”
At the beginning of Spring Quarter, Large asked previous WCC student Kate Daily to help as an assistant director. “I’ve been in theatre since I was 10 years old, mostly tech but when he (Large) asked me to help, I was all for it,” Daily said.
The first production ran on May 23, but Large is hoping to have the Lunch Time Drama Workshop be a new and hopefully continued tradition here at WCC.
