Ripon College Days

Media Credit: Photo courtesy of College Relations Opening curtain. Theatre students, (front) Chelsey Patti, Amber Kind-Keppel, Bill Gehrke, Mary Beth Grimm, Katherine Schoofs, (Back from left) Thayne de Best and Paul Gallagher, rehearse a restaurant scene in the department's spring play scheduled [Click to enlarge]

The Ripon College Reading Experience book "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich will be presented again to the Ripon College community in a new light. The theatre department will be adapting the book for the department's spring play.

Director and lighting designer of "Nickel and Dimed," Professor of Theatre Bob Amsden, says, "I thought first year students would begin to understand the inequality in our culture and being able to see it would be able to reinforce it. The people who haven't read the book will be able to experience it as well."

Ehrenreich's book documents her exploratory dive into the lifestyle of an average, under-paid, full-time, year-round, poverty-stricken American. With a Ph.D. in biology and a colorful background as writer and journalist, Ehrenreich was far from the lower

class citizens, so she limited herself to find housing and food that her wages, at whatever jobs she found, could pay for.

Throughout her experiment, designed to discover how the underpaid manage to get by, Ehrenreich goes through six jobs across America and stumbles upon many everyday inequalities. The book was only recently turned into a play and Ripon College will be among the first schools to perform it, according to Amsden.

Senior Amber Kind-Keppel, who plays the lead role of Ehrenreich, adds that performing a new show allows the cast and crew more opportunities for freedom and creativity. "It's actually really exciting because it is so new it's really exploratory. I really like that aspect," says Kind-Keppel.

The role of Ehrenreich is a large undertaking, but Kind-Keppel is up for the challenge. To prepare herself for the role, Kind-Keppel has read most of "Nickel and Dimed" as well as other articles by Ehrenreich. "I really like how Barbara is portrayed in the play," says Kind-Keppel.

Kind-Keppel mentions that her role as Ehrenreich is a fun part. "It's the most lines I've ever had to memorize for a play," she adds.

Aside from the lead role, the rest of the cast consists of 4 other females and three males. Other than Kind-Keppel, the cast members have more than one part in the show. "It's written for five or six women and one man. I've cast it for eight, with five women and three men. I divided up the male roles to be played by different men, instead of the same one," Amsden explains.

For this production, the performers will have to do more than act. The show has been designed for the actors to do the actual scene changes.

"The show is about work, so it fits this show to have the actors do the work on stage," says Professor of Theatre Ken Hill.

Hill also mentions that with the actors doing the scene changes, time will be saved between scenes. "We've got the scene changes down to about one minute," says Amsden.

The play so far calls for twelve elaborate scene changes. To capture the feel of Wal-Mart (in the play the store is called Mall-Mart), projections, checkout counters, and shopping carts are included for the props. Hill says, "There is a 6-page list of props. It won't be totally realistic because we try to simplify it. It will be very suggestive."

The crew has gone to lengths to ensure that the cast looks the part of lower class citizens. Susan Hill, educational studies department assistant and adjunct assistant professor of theatre, is costume designer for the show. She and the crew have been shopping around thrift stores to find clothing that the characters of the show would most likely buy.

The show will be playing at Bernstead Theatre of the Rodman Center March 2-5 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are free for students, but reservations are recommended and can be made at 920-748-8791.

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