Program Rundown

KET’s 30-minute Electronic Field Trip to Horse Cave Theatre is divided into three main sections: a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into creating and staging a theatrical production, a look at the history of Horse Cave Theatre and the business of operating a regional theater, and an excerpt from a Horse Cave production of George Bernard Shaw’s Candida.

Following are details of what you’ll see in each segment.

Act 1: Putting on a Show

The field trip begins with a look at what goes into making a dramatic production a reality—both onstage and offstage:

• What does it mean to say “I’m an actor”? Various actors talk about roles they play, both onstage and off.
• Ron Satlof, guest director of Candida, reflects on building a plan for a play.
• Clip: reworking a scene from Candida.
• Horse Cave Theatre’s stage manager and lighting designer talk about the importance of their jobs.
• Artistic/Producing Director Warren Hammack tells about his interest in bringing a Kentucky playwright to Horse Cave each year.
• Kentucky playwright Liz Bussey Fentress introduces a performance of the 17th annual Kentucky Voices production: her own Liz’s Circus Story.
• Clip: excerpt from Liz’s Circus Story.

Act 2: Behind the Scenes at Horse Cave Theatre

The next segment considers regional theater, and Horse Cave in particular, as a community institution and a business, offering many career opportunities beyond acting.

• How was theater revived in Horse Cave? Hammack reflects on his involvement in theater and on how he returned to Kentucky as the director of Horse Cave Theater. This interview with the director takes us through the history of Horse Cave and asks us to consider what makes an enduring theatrical tradition.
• Marketing Director Jaana Sipila talks about her work.
• Robert Brock, Horse Cave’s director of education and outreach, discusses how he shows students what theater is about.
• Interns reflect on their work at Horse Cave Theatre and how they learned about the process of production. This segment explores the many ways an individual can contribute to the success of a production.

Act 3: In Performance

The last section of the field trip includes a performance piece and some final thoughts on theater.

• Clip: excerpt from Shaw’s Candida. What happens when a young poet, houseguest of the Reverend Morell and his wife, Candida, falls in love with Candida and declares himself the better man for her? In this excerpt from Act 3, Morell (Robert Brock), Candida (Pamela White), and Eugene (Rick Margaritov) consider the dynamics of a love triangle and move toward a solution.
• Pamela White, the actress who played Candida, reflects on acting.
• Hammack offers final thoughts on the vision of a director.

KET’s Electronic Field Trip to Horse Cave Theatre was produced and directed by Gary Pahler, written by Ron Cooper, and hosted by KET Distance Learning humanities instructor Liz Jewell. The video, along with several other KET electronic field trips, is available from KET Tape Duplication. Call (800) 945-9167 or e-mail for information.