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2002
'Odyssey of the Stars'
brings Hollywood to Missoula
Two
UM alumni -- one who works behind the scenes and the other
who acts in front of the camera -- will be honored during
the second annual "Odyssey of the Stars, A Celebration
of Artistic Journeys" on campus this spring.
The
star-studded event begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6,
in the University Theatre. All proceeds will go toward UM
School of Fine Arts scholarships.
Emmy-award
winning set designer John Shaffner and movie-television
actor J.K. Simmons will be inducted into the School of Fine
Arts Hall of Honor during the production, which will feature
performances by Department of Drama/Dance students and faculty
and music by top UM ensembles and soloists.
Fine
arts Dean Shirley Howell said the stage event provides the
school the opportunity to applaud the success of special
alumni who have come to UM to stand in the spotlight and
share their artistic gifts.
For
more information about tickets or sponsorships, call 243-4970.
Sponsors receive preferential seating and tickets to a meet-the-stars
reception and other benefits.
John
Shaffner
From magical moods and perfect sitcom sets to the super
spectaculars of David Copperfield, the "American Music
Awards," and, yes, even the 2000 National Republican
Convention -- this UM alumnus has designed them all, yet
you may not recognize his face.
John
Shaffner, a Missoula native and three-time Emmy award winner
for set design, started his theatrical career on the stage
of Missoula's Sentinel High School.
He
studied stage design at UM under the guidance of technical
theatre Professor Bill Raoul before graduating in 1974.
After completing his Master of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon,
his professional design work took him coast to coast, including
stints with the Los Angeles Opera Repertory Theatre and
the Production Company of New York.
He
was "discovered" by the New York Shakespeare Festival
and designed "The Taming of the Shrew" set that
featured Meryl Streep and Raoul Julia. From the stage he
expanded into the field of television and film. Teamed with
fellow production designer Joe Stewart, Shaffner
has designed sets for television hits "Friends,"
"The Drew Carey Show," "Dharma and Greg,"
"Three Sisters," "Inside Schwartz,"
"Nikki," "Veronica's Closet," "Jesse,"
and "Hope and Gloria," as well as sets for "The
Emmy Awards," the "Jerry Lewis Telethon"
and 10 David Copperfield specials, in addition to settings
for the Presidential Inauguration and the Olympics.
A
list of talent that has performed on stages set by Shaffner
include Carol Burnett, Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, Kenny
Rogers, Dolly Parton, Bill Cosby, Grahm Nash, Willie Nelson,
the Oakridge Boys, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and many
others.
One
of the country's top set designers, Shaffner still finds
time to assist young hopefuls trying to break into the business,
and he continues to work closely with the School of Fine
Arts at UM.
J.K.
Simmons
He's a television guest in America's living rooms almost
every day, and chances are you've seen him in one or more
of a dozen movies, but you may not know that his career
started at UM.
Actor
J.K. Simmons has captured the hearts of Montanans since
he first took the stage as a vocal performance major. Participating
in University choirs and UM's Opera Workshop, and inspired
by music faculty, he later became active in musical theater.
Simmons appeared in Missoula Children's Theatre productions
and spent several summers performing with the Bigfork Summer
Playhouse.
After
his starring role as Charlie Russell in the premiere of
Richard Riddle's "Cowboy," he was encouraged to
head to New York. The rest is history. Numerous Broadway
and film roles, from "Guys and Dolls" to "The
Mexican," have put his name in lights and on the big
screen. His credits include "The Gift," "For
Love of the Game," "The Jackal," "Hit
and Runway," "Above Freezing," "The
First Wives Club," "The Ref" and others.
Early
television work included roles in "Homicide: Life on
the Street" and his performance as Benny Southstreet
in the PBS special "Guys and Dolls." He is perhaps
best known for his recurring roles as psychiatrist Dr. Emile
Skoda on "Law and Order" and Vern Schillinger
on HBO's series "OZ."
In
the midst of a very successful career, his Montana connections
remain strong as he returns to the stage where his odyssey
began.
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