Scholarships at stake in Donna Reed performances
By Tim Gallagher Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, June 23, 2007
It's been 69 years since Donna Bell Mullenger left Denison, Iowa, to chase her dream in Hollywood.
For the last 21 years, aspiring performers have started their Hollywood dream-chase here in her hometown at the Donna Reed Performing Arts Festival & Workshops. The festival, which began with classes Monday, culminates tonight and Saturday with performances by Reed Scholarship winners past and present.
Donna Reed, as she was known in Hollywood, earned the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1954 for her racy role opposite Frank Sinatra in "From Here to Eternity." The Oscar statuette is kept at The McHenry House, 1428 1st Ave. North, in this Crawford County community of 7,339 residents.
Reed died of pancreatic cancer 21 years ago.
While she had at least 40 feature films to her credit and her own network television show, Reed might be best remembered for her role as Mary Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life," the 1946 Christmas classic which the American Film Institute last year dubbed its most inspiring movie.
Denison has adopted "It's a Wonderful Life" as its official slogan, and has attempted through an ambitious streetscape project to capture the Bedford Falls aura shown in the movie.
"The town is just beautiful," says Kenny Kahl, 2007 festival coordinator. "I fall in love with this town more and more all the time."
While the charm brings him back, the Donna Reed Festival brings others, like Denison native Molly Breen, now of Sioux Falls, S.D. Breen, a 2002 Donna Reed Scholarship winner, headlines a slapstick stage production of Shakespeare's greatest works at 7:30 p.m. today at the Donna Reed Theatre.
"After that, we'll have open mic on stage," says Kahl. "We've done this in the past and it has proven to be popular as it's a chance for our students to ad-lib and show the public what talent they have."
The open mic session sets the stage for Saturday's scholarship showcase, which takes place at 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center at Denison High School. Students who earn scholarships through evaluations made throughout the week of instruction get to perform at this time.
There are 18 full-time and 46 part-time students receiving instruction this week from pros like Eddie Foy III, a casting director who has done work for NBC, ABC, Fox, The Disney Channel and more. Full-time students have come from Los Angeles, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois for the week.
Prior to the scholarship showcase, a children's musical theater performance of "Junglebook Kids!" unfolds at 2:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center. Children have prepped this performance since Monday.
The performances are open to the public.
Gai Jones, a theater teacher, will also conduct a workshop Saturday for middle school and high school theater instructors. Jones, who teaches from a textbook she authored, has designed the workshop for teachers who are new to the field, or veterans of large productions.
For information about the teachers' workshop or any activities, call the Donna Reed Theatre for the Performing Arts at (712) 263-3334.
For the last 21 years, aspiring performers have started their Hollywood dream-chase here in her hometown at the Donna Reed Performing Arts Festival & Workshops. The festival, which began with classes Monday, culminates tonight and Saturday with performances by Reed Scholarship winners past and present.
Donna Reed, as she was known in Hollywood, earned the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1954 for her racy role opposite Frank Sinatra in "From Here to Eternity." The Oscar statuette is kept at The McHenry House, 1428 1st Ave. North, in this Crawford County community of 7,339 residents.
Reed died of pancreatic cancer 21 years ago.
While she had at least 40 feature films to her credit and her own network television show, Reed might be best remembered for her role as Mary Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life," the 1946 Christmas classic which the American Film Institute last year dubbed its most inspiring movie.
Denison has adopted "It's a Wonderful Life" as its official slogan, and has attempted through an ambitious streetscape project to capture the Bedford Falls aura shown in the movie.
"The town is just beautiful," says Kenny Kahl, 2007 festival coordinator. "I fall in love with this town more and more all the time."
While the charm brings him back, the Donna Reed Festival brings others, like Denison native Molly Breen, now of Sioux Falls, S.D. Breen, a 2002 Donna Reed Scholarship winner, headlines a slapstick stage production of Shakespeare's greatest works at 7:30 p.m. today at the Donna Reed Theatre.
"After that, we'll have open mic on stage," says Kahl. "We've done this in the past and it has proven to be popular as it's a chance for our students to ad-lib and show the public what talent they have."
The open mic session sets the stage for Saturday's scholarship showcase, which takes place at 7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center at Denison High School. Students who earn scholarships through evaluations made throughout the week of instruction get to perform at this time.
There are 18 full-time and 46 part-time students receiving instruction this week from pros like Eddie Foy III, a casting director who has done work for NBC, ABC, Fox, The Disney Channel and more. Full-time students have come from Los Angeles, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois for the week.
Prior to the scholarship showcase, a children's musical theater performance of "Junglebook Kids!" unfolds at 2:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center. Children have prepped this performance since Monday.
The performances are open to the public.
Gai Jones, a theater teacher, will also conduct a workshop Saturday for middle school and high school theater instructors. Jones, who teaches from a textbook she authored, has designed the workshop for teachers who are new to the field, or veterans of large productions.
For information about the teachers' workshop or any activities, call the Donna Reed Theatre for the Performing Arts at (712) 263-3334.
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