Page 2 | July 14, 2011
www.shakopeenews.com | Shakopee Valley News
Miss MN Valley crowns four
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The local theater company will debut its backstage murder mystery Friday at the Shakopee High School auditorium. The play runs weekends through July. By the creators of “Cabaret” and “Chicago,” the musical comedy is about a group of actors and producers attempting to put on a western version of Robin Hood in 1959 Boston. When the unpopular leading lady Jessica Cranshaw dies on opening night, the mystery begins. The struggling show attempts to rehearse as actors point fingers, lovers get crossed and more people drop dead. Theater-loving Detective Frank Cioffi attempts to solve the murders — and offer production advice — to get the show back on track in time for its next theatrical review. First produced on Broadway in 2007, “Curtains” received numerous Tony Award nominations. David Hyde Pierce won for best actor in a musical. Creating a play within a play hinges a lot on artistic presentation. To stay true to the play’s name, RVTC’s production includes a lot of fly-ins, such as backdrops ordered from two East Coast playhouses. “I think it creates a sort of magic when things come flying in,” said RVTC spokesman Daphne Siegert. It also means a lot of costume changes. Costumer Kristy Rae Limberg created approximately 100 outfits for the show — five changes each for the 20 cast members. From western wear to 1950s’ formal, Limberg of Shako pee hunted through RVTC’s stock before hitting the thrift stores. Limberg, who has a master’s degree in theater arts, constructed approximately 70 percent of the costumes, often piecing together tops, bottoms, skirts and dresses. Limberg estimated she’s spent 500 hours on costumes since early June. In addition to the sheer number, Limberg had to design costumes from two different eras. Plus, the western costumes are not from a 2011 historical perspective, but with 1959 “Bonanza” styling. It involves a lot of bright colors, cowboy hats, fripperies and Limberg’s favorite, saloon girls. Properties Managers Gary and Pat Hawley of Shakopee
O
PHOTO BY KRISTIN HOLTZ
Leading lady Jessica Cranshaw, played by Carly McWilliams of Prior Lake, isn’t well liked by her cast but they still want to find her murderer when she collapses on opening night.
MORE ONLINE CHECK OUT A PHOTO SLIDESHOW FROM RIVER VALLEY THEATRE COMPANY’S PRODUCTION OF “CURTAINS”
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have also dedicated hundreds of hours to recreate the 1950s. Their biggest projects are a boat and three rafts, used in the number, “In the Same Boat Completed.” “It’s not just an item in their hand. It’s not just an item placed somewhere. This is something they have to wear and move around in,” Pat said. Pat does a lot of conceptualizing for the props, talking to actors about how they will use the props and how to make them feasible to being on a stage. Gary is a master builder, turning out wooden guns and ’50s-era flashlights that look so real it’s hard to believe they were carved. His last project is a target in which a hole pops out with smoke. Whether creating props or costumes, the design team’s vision is about being true to 1959 theater. “This play is a play within a play. It’s not supposed to be totally perfect,” Pat Hawley said. Swanson ag reed, noting that much of what makes “Curtains” unique are the hiccups to getting “Robbin Hood ! ” ready. It’s not helped by the actors’ poor attitudes, many of
whom are being blackmailed to perform. Despite that, “Curtains” is fresh and funny and really about what musical comedy started out as, Siegert said. With big, theatrical show tunes, it’s your quintessential musical from the golden age of theater, she said.
RVTC MISSION The opportunity to premiere “Curtains” was a perfect fit for RVTC’s mission of bringing high-quality drama to the Shakopee stage, Swanson said. However, RVTC board members knew producing an unfamiliar play is a risk. While the group received a rights and royalties discount, “Curtains” requires new creative techniques the company has never done before, like the multiple fly-ins. This production is growing the actors’ and creative team’s abilities, Swanson of Shakopee said. “I think that’s what makes community theater and makes it strong,” Limberg agreed. The company also received a big boost from the community, receiving 20 business sponsorships which Swanson believes is a strong show of support for its work. RVTC cast and crew are now just hoping the community opens itself up something new. “Take a chance on this because you might be able to expand your repertoire of theater and you’ll find it very enjoyable,” Swanson said.
n June 25 at Neisen’s Event Center in Savage, seven Miss MN Valley candidates were judged on their sponsor jingle, dress and on-stage question. Those scores were tabulated with previous scores from applications, essays and candidate attendance and this year’s winners were named. Jessica Skjonsby was crowned 2011 Queen of Summer. Jessica is the daughter of Daniel and Julie Skjonsby of Prior Lake. She will be a junior at Prior Lake High School. Jessica volunteers for Shephard of the Lake Church, Feed My Starving Children and the Carver-Scott Humane Society. Jessica would like to attend the University of Washington to major in pre-med. Kjerstin Jovaag was crowned 2011 Queen of Fall. Kjerstin is the daughter of Jeff and Melissa Jovaag of Shakopee. She will be a senior at Shakopee High School. Kjerstin volunteers for Link as a student ambassador, Feed My Starving Children and the Carver-Scott Humane Society. Kjerstin would like to get a degree in mathematics and education. Kylie Andersen was crowned 2011 Queen of Winter. Kylie is the daughter of Christian and Jeanne Andersen of Carver. She will be a senior at Chanhassen High School. Kylie volunteers for the Carver Lions Club, Ridgeview Medical Center, the city of Carver, Miracles for Mitch, Funky Minds, and Feed My Starving Children. Kylie would like to attend the University of California in Berkeley to receive her undergraduate degree in biological sciences and eventually become a cardiologist. Dana Jeter was crowned 2011 Queen of Spring. Dana is the daughter of Gary and Kara Jeter of Eden Prairie. She will be a senior at Eden Prairie High School. Dana
Jessica Skjonsby
Kjerstin Jovaag
Kylie Andersen
Dana Jeter
volunteers for Prop Shop, Border Collie Rescue of MN, Face Aids, and Feed My Starving Children. Dana plans to attend college and is considering majoring in chemistry, math or pre-med. At the coronation, the candidates learned two dances from Nicole Bladow and Cathy Christenson of Metropolitan Dance Alliance in Shakopee, which were not scored. Jay Whiting of Shakopee was the emcee for the evening. The following fi refi ghters helped escort the candidates to the stage for their onstage question: Mike Jernander from the Chaska Fire Department; Ward Park from the Eden Prairie Fire Department; Nate Crooks from the Shakopee
PHOTOS BY LAURI GLENN, FIRST CHOICE PHOTOGRAPHY
Mdewakanton Fire Department; Tim Carroll from the Carver Fire Department; and Ron Benck of the Belle Plaine Fire Department. The Miss MN Valley Program is accepting applications for two Jr. Miss MN Valley Royalty. Qualifying ages are from 11 to 14 years of age. Contact Rebecca Loerzel at (952) 456-1499. The Miss MN Valley Program is accepting applications for four Little Miss MN Valley Royalty. Qualifying ages are from 6 to 10 years of age. Contact Joy Newgard at (952) 6935688 or joynewgard@yahoo. com before July 30.
The smart way to go from renting to owning
T
he housing market continues to struggle. From a seller’s perspective, that makes life a lot harder. But for a buyer, the current market can mean a wider world of options and opportunities. For those who want to become owners rather than renters, it’s vitally important to make smart decisions—as the markets have shown. Many factors contribute to the real estate market’s current sluggishness, and one of them is the fact that lenders are reluctant to give loans to homebuyers. After the housing market crisis, it’s not surprising that they would be more demanding in their lending practices, but for those eager to buy, this current lending climate means that you need to present a pristine financial profi le. There is no limit to the amount of real estate browsing you can do — either in the newspaper or online — but before you get serious about purchasing a
home, take these tips into consideration.
Pay down your debt. Before you even apply for a mortgage, reduce your debt load. The smaller it is, the better for your debt-to-income ratio, which lenders use to determine how much they’ll allow you to borrow. Items like car loans, child support and alimony, credit card bills and student loans are all factors that the lender will consider. Paying down debt can have the added benefit of improving your credit, as well. Check up on your credit. Having good credit is another essential element in smart home buying: it can affect how lenders view you, and the terms of your mortgage. The better shape your credit is in, the better your potential to get the mortgage of your dreams. Every year, you’re entitled to a free credit report from one of the three major reporting agencies, like Equi-
fax. Use it as a starting point that will give you an idea of your overall credit picture. Look for areas that can be improved upon and track your progress by checking your credit again after you’ve put in some work to bring it up.
Make the biggest down payment possible. The era of zero-down is over, and for good reason. A down payment, and a sizeable one, can help ease the strain of a mortgage in coming years. A minimum of 20 percent down is a good idea, and if you can do more than that, so much the better. If you don’t think you can afford a down payment of 20 percent or more on a house you’re considering, it might be time to shop around for a less expensive home that is more budget friendly.
Be an informed buyer. There is a seemingly endless list of things to know about buying a home, and the faster you want to buy, the faster you’ll need to learn it all. One of the best
things you can do is take a first-time homebuyer class offered by a reputable organization; some cities even offer them for free. Be sure you know the ins and outs of items like closing costs, ad-
justable rate versus fi xed rate mortgages, how your credit report affects mortgage rates and the documentation you’ll need to get a mortgage. The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to make
smart decisions that will make you a happy homeowner for years to come. Source: ARA Content
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