By Tom Rohrer
For nearly thirty years Brenda Amburgy has been teaching and directing theatre at Timberline High School in Lacey.
Amburgy has seen the Timberline High School add a beautiful performing art facility which features a sizeable stage, audience seating and state of the art technology equipment for lighting and special effects.
Starting this weekend, that facility will feature Timberline Theatre Company’s fall production of Moon Over Buffalo, a farce written by Ken Ludwig. The performance runs from Thursday, Nov. 1, through Saturday, Nov. 3, with a Thursday-Saturday performance next weekend as well.
Helping Amburgy with the stage direction and character development for the last four years has been Angela Haw, 81, who Amburgy refers to as her mentor and the grand dame of theatre in the Olympia area.
The daughter of two professional actors growing up in Great Britain, Haw was involved in the early theatre scene of Olympia, performing at the original Harlequin Theatre and other theatrical outfits.
With the lessons she learned from her parents, and her decades of experience in community theatre, Haw has been a terrific addition to the THS productions.
“Having her around takes a lot of pressure off me,” Amburgy said. “I trust her judgment and know she will take care and focus on some particular areas. That allows me to put my focus and teaching towards other areas (of the production) that need my attention.”
“I know that she has really seen it all and doesn’t miss anything,” said THS senior Madi Sylvester, who will be playing the lead female roll of Charlotte Hay in the upcoming production. “So when she tells me something, I take it to heart. With her and (Amburgy), you know that they will tell you what needs to be done and it will be the right direction.”
Haw focuses a lot on the fundamentals of theatre – how a performer should walk across the stage, what their facial expressions should be, the pitch of their voice and how they deliver their lines.
“If you see something on the stage, it just feels right or wrong,” Haw said. “If it doesn’t work well or looks wrong, I say it, and I tell Ms. Amburgy. That’s just part of having experience and an understanding of what is needed to bring the best out of an actor or actress.”
Haw’s daughter Gwen, a registered nurse (Haw is a former psychiatric ward nurse), has directed choreography for Timberline productions for the last eleven years, including the performance of Chicago last fall. Haw enjoys that her love for the performing arts has continued to another generation.
“It’s just in your blood I think, and you have to have a feel for it,” Haw said. “This is really nothing new to my family. My daughter was always there, reading people’s lines and seeing the cast interact. It’s been nice to work with her. She’s very talented in all avenues of performance.”
Having Haw around to give advice and tips on performance improvement has helped the cast as they prepare for show like Moon Over Buffalo.
“There is a lot of humor in this show and you need to have your delivery and your perceived actions down,” said THS Senior Austin Tibbits, who is playing the lead male role of George Hay. “This is my first lead role, so having Ms. Amburgy and Angela around has been great. She helps me slow down and take a closer look at what I’m putting off to the audience, both through my voice and my actions.”
The camaraderie within the cast, director and teachers has also been terrific.
“We really get along with one another,” Tibbits said. “I think that carries over from the leadership and learning from (Ms. Amburgy) and Angela what it takes to have a successful show. There is a lot of chemistry.”
“It’s not a serious show, it has every type of humor for every type of person, teenager or adult,” Amburgy said. “That has been a part of why our shows have been successful is that they hit a chord with everyone in the audience and I think (Moon over Buffalo) will do the same thing.”
For Haw, the real reward is seeing the final product on stage for a performance, along with the development of her pupils.
“Sitting in the audience when the curtains are drawn, that’s what it’s all about. It’s exciting to see all the hard work and preparations come to light,” Haw said. “I love to see the kids take that journey over the course of rehearsals. They put in the hard work and learn what they need – to see them apply it is very fulfilling.”
Each performance of the Timberline Theatre Company’s fall production of Moon Over Buffalo will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors.
