Elbert County
News
November 8, 2012
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
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Elbert County, Colorado • Volume 117, Issue 41
Toddler continues to fight for life Family hopes for ‘any signs of improvement’ By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com
Oberon and Tatiana, played by Ethen Woolf and Robyn Tapp, are locked in dispute over a young boy she has adopted in Elizabeth High School’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The classic Shakespeare piece takes on an ’80s theme, complete with decade-appropriate wardrobe and music. Photos by Deborah Grigsby
Play a total Shakespearience New director gives Bard’s standard a radical twist By Deborah Grigsby
dgrigsby@ourcoloradonews.com Drama students at Elizabeth High School have taken a popular William Shakespeare classic and made it, well, “pretty gnarly.” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” came to life on stage with a funky 1980s twist for two performances, under the direction of the school’s new drama instructor, Emma Michel. With a cast and crew of more than 40, the Bard’s famous comedy of love, drama and sorcery donned a more contemporary look, complete with glitter, headbands, leg warmers and decade-appropriate music. Some scenes also included the obligatory use of a fog machine and strobe lights. “I’ve always loved setting Shakespeare in untraditional time periods,” said Michel. “Because `Midsummer’ is such a fun and colorful show, I thought it would lend itself well to a 1980s theme.” But seriously? Doing Shakespeare in a rural school district? Then mixing it with
Lauren Turner portrays William Shakespeare’s Helena in the Elizabeth HIgh School production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The production marks the first performance of Shakespeare in the school’s history. a pinch of Valley Girl and Goth? It had to raise a few eyebrows, right? Michel admits not everyone was completely sold on the idea. “While it wasn’t met with quite as much resistance as I had feared, there were a few honest people who came forward and said they were not so sure about
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how the play might be received, but they still planned to come.” And they kept good on that promise. Michel said the school sold more than 300 seats for the Nov. 1 performance, which is an unusually high number for a Thursday night show. According to Michel, this is the first time in the school district’s history that Shakespeare has been performed. “And since it’s my first year, too, it makes it kind of appropriate,” she said. “I am always looking for ways to make Shakespeare more accessible, and I thought setting the play in the ‘80s, with all those popular hits, might help to do that.” Michel said the school’s spring production will be Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!”
The Black Forest boy who nearly drowned in a family duck pond now fights for his life at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Two-year-old Conner Kuczborski wandered off from his mother, Dorit White, on Sept. 22 and was found floating face-down in a shallow stock trough outside his 5-acre rural home. The toddler was transferred from Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs to Children’s Hospital in Aurora in late October to begin intensive physical therapy and to investigate an abscess that had developed on his brain. “The abscess is gone now, but we just wait and hope for any signs of improvement,” said White. “No matter how small they are.” White and her boyfriend, Matt Kuczborski, Conner’s father, have maintained a constant presence with the child since he was first admitted to the hospital. The couple have been splitting long shifts between the two of them, said friend and family spokeswoman Marion Rhodes. “Neither one of us is comfortable with him sleeping alone,” said White. “I know the care here is good, but he is just so little; I realize this feeling is more emotional than it is logical.” The boy’s condition is still very serious, but he has been able to open his eyes, said Rhodes. “He’s expressed some feelings, such as fear of the MRI machine and dislike of some of the physical therapy treatments, but for the most part, he’s still `not there,’ as his mom puts it,” said Rhodes. White said her son’s condition is reevaluated each week and the length he will remain at Children’s Hospital is yet to be determined. “But it really comes down to three things,” she said. “Our insurance, how well he responds to the treatments and to physical therapy.” While many medical expenses are covToddler continues on Page 5
Conner Kuczborski is hospitalized after nearly drowning in a duck pond at his home near Elbert. Courtesy photo