Our Artists:

Partaking in the performing arts

Name: Lorraine Patria Age: On the bright side, let’s just say, I am not pushing 70 anymore.

I am dragging it!

Town: Priest River Artistic medium: Live theater, volunteering for Newport Creative District Question: Why do you make this type of art?

Answer: When I was in first grade my class put on a Christmas play. I didn’t know my class was doing the play! When mom brought me into the school the teachers took me aside dressed me up like an angel. Then, they picked me up and sat me on top of a big table covered with cotton-like snow, everything was all sparkly! Then the lights came on and the whole room was dark except for the lights that shined on me.

My job was to sit there looking all angelic! I probably got chosen for that part because I couldn’t sing a note! From that moment I was very interested in the live play world.

Here and there I did a few normal school plays. I just liked practicing with my class.

Q: What does your artwork represent?

A: It represents a way of understanding and sharing a moment with a group where everyone has a part in the story. Each person learns their part and all the parts circle around one another’s parts and a 3D vision can be seen by everyone in the room.

Q: What inspires you?

A: The fact that everyone involved has a private life separated from the story being told on the stage. And yet, during the show it seems to be the only life that any of us have at the time. No matter how many shows I have done, during this show right now, it seems like it is the only life I ever have.

Q: How do you make it?

A: Directing is my part of the show. My preference is directing because I get to read a script, beginning to end, over and over as many times as I need to until I see it and feel it in 3D. Then I need to find the right actors that can make their character come to life. I like it when they can turn into that character so well that the audience feels like the actor has never said that line before.

After all, in real life we just talk and share without thinking about it. And that makes it all seem so normal and real.

Q: What does your art mean to you?

A: My art means that I have been able to study something so deeply that through other people I can take my inner thoughts and share them with the audience as if they are looking into my mind and seeing exactly what I have been seeing for weeks and weeks. Being able to plan the movements of each character along with lights and sound then, have it all happen at exactly the same time is magic.

Directing is never a one-person job. It takes many people to be able to see what is in my mind and at the last moment be able pull it all together at each performance.

Once a show opens the greatest challenge lands in the hands of lights and sound. Reason being, if an actor drops a line or ads a line the tech people need to be able to make it look like everything is fine, nothing to see here! And, in my opinion that takes serious concentration and self-composure. And more importantly they all need to go off stage and break out laughing just thinking that they pulled it off and no one even knew anything went wrong.

Q: Do you have any exhibits/ shows coming up?

A: Out of the Box Entertainment will be doing a radio show event starting in February with casting and rehearsals. Show performances are in March at Create Arts Center in Newport.

I will be helping with those shows in any way that I can.

We take pride in being able to introduce people to the art of live theater. Or perhaps, helping someone get back into it after years of being involved, then stepping away for a while and they feel that they are ready to be involved again.

Radio shows have no lines to remember, and experience has nothing to do with anything at Out of the Box Entertainment. Just a desire to be part of it.

If anyone has any questions about anything, please feel free to text or call me at 407-864-5029.

We are all happy to take the time to answer your questions.

SOPHIA MATTICE-ALDOUS IS A MURROW NEWS FELLOW WORKING DIRECTLY WITH NEWSROOMS AT THE NEWPORT MINER AND RANGE MEDIA THROUGH A PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY. HER REPORTING IS AVAILABLE FOR USE VIA CREATIVE COMMONS WITH CREDIT.