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Setting his part on fire

The Bakersfield Californian | Wednesday, Sep 02 2009 06:39 PM

Last Updated Wednesday, Sep 02 2009 06:40 PM

To get the feel of portraying a firefighter on stage, East Bakersfield High English teacher David Lollar decided to get some insight from men who fight fires in real life.

In "The Guys," which opens Friday at Bakersfield Community Theatre, Lollar plays the part of a New York City fire department captain who must prepare eulogies for eight of his men who died in the collapse of the World Trade Center.

In preparing for his role, Lollar first met with Chief Ron Fraze of the Bakersfield Fire Department and two deputy chiefs, Doug Greener and Gary Hutton. Then he worked the evening tour with the C shift crew at Station 1 at 20th and H streets.

Capt. Steve Woodward invited Lollar to do a ride along if the crew got a call but it turned out to be an uneventful night. There were no calls or fires during that time. This, however, gave him the opportunity to see the inside of the engine and ladder truck, have a thorough tour of the firehouse facilities and to get acquainted with the firefighters on a first-hand basis.

"They were all so informative, helpful and respectful," Lollar said. "They are smart and honorable men and I haven't had so much fun in a long time. I got to play fireman for a few hours and I learned a lot about my character for the play.

"I feel truly blessed as a Bakersfield citizen to have been so welcomed -- and truly safe in the knowledge that we are all in very good hands."

The play by Anne Nelson is based on a true story. Carla Stanley is director.

Lollar and his co-star, Sheila McClure, plan to present Fraze with a gift to local firefighters at the Sept. 11 performance of "The Guys." The show continues through Sept. 13.

'Grapes' at Spotlight

A stage play that strikes a familiar chord on the heartstrings of just about anyone who's spent any time in Kern County opens Friday at Spotlight Theatre.

"Grapes of Wrath" is an adaptation by Frank Galati of John Steinbeck's poignant Dust Bowl-era novel of the same name. Brian Sivesind is the director.

In a switch from musicals, where he has put his powerful singing voice to good use, Joe Cannon has a straight dramatic role in the show as Tom Joad, an ex-convict and head of the family who has been driven off their farm in Oklahoma.

"I have not done many straight plays in my time on stage but I would have to say they are much harder," Cannon said. "Brian is a brilliant director and is working with me to get me where he needs me to be for this show."

It's a large cast -- 24 in all. Among those playing lead roles are Jack Slider, as the preacher, Ron Fox, Teri Gann, Tim Fromm, Norman Colwell and Joyce Weingarden. Performances continue through Sept. 19.

Great news, artists: a new venue for your work

Artist Charlotte White, show coordinator for the Bakersfield Art Association, seems to have scored a first with an exhibit opening this evening at Bakersfield Mazda.

"This is our maiden voyage," she said. "It's a whole different venue for us."

Patti Doolittle and Charles McHose, the featured artists, will be in attendance. White often sets up shows for member artists at book stores, coffee houses and at symphony concerts. But in this case, it was Reza Bashirtash, owner of the car dealership, who contacted her and suggested the idea of doing an exhibit in his showroom at the Auto Mall.

"By no means do I fancy myself an art connoisseur," Bashirtash said in an e-mail. "I simply enjoy visual art of all types -- everything from traditional to abstract. I also believe that educating others, especially children, can yield lasting benefits to any community as a whole."

The businessman added that he's pleased to promote what he sees as a heightened activity in the arts in our community.

"It seems as though interest in the arts is on an upswing in Bakersfield," he said. "We simply wanted to help draw more attention to the creations being made by what seems to be an increasing number of local artists."

White said the current exhibit will be up through Oct. 31 and can be seen any time the dealership is open. Other shows, each lasting two months, are scheduled for the Mazda showroom through 2010.

One of the advantages of the new venue is that it is suitable for large pieces and more paintings than in other retail establishments.

"It's a pretty big space," White said. "We can handle 12 large paintings -- say 16-by-20 inches -- or 16 smaller ones."

Bashirtash is hosting this evening's reception, White said. Each artist will receive 75 percent of the sale price for any painting he or she sells; the other 25 percent goes to the art association.