news For more information contact: OU Sophomore “Stages” Fund-Raiser for Tornado Victims So, what did you do with YOUR summer? Probably not as much as Stephen Miranda. The University of Oklahoma sophomore, a product of Houston’s Carnegie Vanguard High School interned at Elmore Public Relations. And served as marketing director for The Landing Theatre Company. And produced the play “Grace & Glorie” which raised more than $2,500 to provide relief to victims of the May 20 Moore tornado. And to top it off, made a trip to Winona, Minnesota, for the closing weekend of the Great River Shakespeare Festival. Other than that, Miranda had a relaxing summer vacation back home. He answered questions about his fund-raiser. Q. How did you come up with the idea to do a one-performance show to raise money for tornado victims? I am on the Board of Directors of a theatre company in Norman (The Namron Players) and we actually had a show running during the onslaught of storms. So our initial response was to offer free tickets to anyone who was affected, as the arts and entertainment are extremely valid services to those who have experienced tragedy. As director of that show ("Flush" by Steward Savage), there was no need for me to remain in Norman for the duration of the run and I had other theatre work with The Landing Theatre Company awaiting me in Houston. While I was in Houston, I received many invitations to work and to attend benefits in the Oklahoma City area to aid in the relief. I was saddened that I could not be there to take part. That's when it hit me. Even though I was 500 miles away, there still was a way for me to be involved. Q. Why did you choose to do a performance of “Grace & Glorie” by Tom Ziegler? I bought that script at Half Price Books on a clearance rack for $1. I had no idea what the show was about but I saw a picture of Lucy Arnaz and Estelle Parsons on the cover (the premiering actresses) and I became interested. So I bought it and it sat on the bottom my bookshelf for over a month gathering dust. Once I came up with the idea to do this show, I knew that it was going to be difficult to put it together with a large cast and so I began perusing my collection of 700+ scripts for ones which featured both small casts, and brilliant writing with the potential to teach and leave a lasting impact. That narrowed it down to about four. And then in rereading those four, I knew that "Grace and Glorie" was it. I just had a feeling in my gut and I went with it. Q. How did you find your venue and actors (Pamela Vogel and Sue Marsh) for the show? A. Having worked in Houston's professional theatre scene for several years, I knew how much spaces were to rent. And the numbers are staggeringly exorbitant. So I began to go through my Rolodex of non-theatre venues that I knew I could either get for free or at very little cost. Our budget was low ($250.00) as we were trying to maximize the profits and minimize the expense. I turned to my church, St. Stephen's United Methodist Church. Fortunately, they were instantly interested. As far as the actors go, let's start with Pamela (Glorie). I marvel at the random coincidences in which we meet people who become a significant addition to our lives. I began a class with Rainey's Studio for Actors at the Alley Theatre which Pamela was also taking. I had heard of her; her impressive reputation as an actress preceded her. She is a true asset to Houston's arts industry. Because of my intensive work schedule, I had to stop attending the class. But that did not terminate my relationship with Pamela. I ran into her about a month later at a show I was marketing/house managing/box office managing (yes I do wear many hats from time to time) and I was talking to here about what I wanted to do with “Grace & Glorie." She seemed intrigued and impressed. With sneaky intentions I asked if she would be interested in getting involved in the production and she bit the hook. Sue (Grace) was a different story. We have mutual friends with the Hunt-Farrar family and I was at dinner with them one night talking about the show and they recommended I get in contact with Sue. Having never met her before, I was very nervous about simply offering her a role blindly, but given my budget and my time-frame, I didn’t have much choice. So I took the gamble and am very happy that I did. She accepted the part instantly. Q. How much time did you have to prepare the show? A. We had one read-through (which due to a medical emergency in my family really was just a read through of Act II, Scene I), five rehearsals, and one load in/tech/dress rehearsal. So, we got together seven times in total. It was roughly 23 hours of rehearsed work. Plus, a lot of the finished production, the props and staging, was put together at home. We have a very limited amount of time to throw everything together. But, I think it worked. The fellowship hall at St. Stephen’s was packed the night of the Sunday, July 28 performance. The church’s senior pastor, Kevin Otto, welcomed the gathering and recognized Miranda for his dedication in putting the fund-raising effort together. Vogel and Marsh, reading off scripts, gave outstanding performances in their roles as a stylish but lonely hospice volunteer and an elderly widow suffering from terminal illness. Creative staging, innovative use of props—both real and imagined—and an engaged and supportive audience made the evening as compelling as any to be found on Broadway. Proceeds from the event went to UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief which has committed to a two-year presence in Moore to provide relief and support to low-income individuals and families affected by the spring tornado’s devastation. As for Miranda, he’s a bit of a one-man “tornado” himself. Remember that name, and don’t be surprised to hear of bigger things from the National Hispanic Merit Scholar as he pursues his degree in theatrical arts from the OU School of Drama.
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