1988 Miracle Yearbook

Students portray bookstore employees in Winter Drama —84Charing Cross Roads" portrayed the long-distance intercourse between a salty, New York author--Helene Hanff--and the Marks& Corn- pan--a purveyor of rare, sec- ond-hand books. James- Roose Evans has adapted Helene's letters almost ver- batim for the stage so that all the communication is ad- dressed in an off-stage focus between New York and Lon- don. Twenty years after He- lene's first letter on October 5,1949, Helene finds herself on the floors ofthe shop with which she had exchanged books,observations, peeves, A more unlikely confronta- tion;a more amusing,charm- ing, feisty, and loving rela- tionship is hard to imagine. and humor--even recipes and holiday gifts. She never meets the staff at Marks & Company nor does she ever see Frank Doel,the articulate manager with his very British manners of conducting busi- ness. Butafter twenty years of correspondence, they had become friends. Directed by Donald M. Jones, the winter play brought a new flavor of per- - formance to the Alford stage. — A visitor representing Nation- al Arts commented on the significant challenge of pro- - ducing such a work, adding — that Mr. Jones had done ex- - tremely well. The set depict- ed the apartment and the — shop with the detail and tex- - ture associated with the tech- nical genius ofDonald Jones. _ The play attracted him be- cause it deals with actual people and real places. - The employees ofthe London Bookstore were excit- ed as the package arrives from Miss Hanff in New York. Included here are Kevin Tupps, Alicia Diller, Pam Oswald,Jeff Cyzyzk,JeffJoiner,and Gary Clem- mer. — Cast:Helene Hanff- Cindy Helmick and Lyndell Rising; — Frank Doel - JeffJoiner; Cecily Farr - Pam McDonald; _ _ Megan Wells - Alicia Diller George Martin - Gary Clem- - mer;William Humphreys- Kevin Tupps;Makine Stuart :- Robin Semonian; Matthew - Jeff Czyzyk. - - - Winter Drama Production 167