April | 2010 | Ashland Theatre

David Rowley, former ad-man and eternal Beatle-maniac, is making his acting debut in “LOVE’S NOT TIME’S FOOL”, Ron Danko’s adaptation of the sonnets of William Shakespeare, opening Friday, May 14, at Rogue Community College in Medford. I met David, who sports a slight Yorkshire accent, in the lobby of the Higher Education Center on the Riverside Campus for “a few giggles”. We were joined by director, Ron Danko.

EH: How is it that you’re here acting?

DR: I’ve always been interested in acting, but I owned an advertising agency, and my working life took so much of my energy and time. It’s just that I throw myself into whatever I do, and give it my all. I just knew that there was nothing left. Having been involved in this production for the last month, I see how much time and energy it takes, I was right-on about that. I’m really enjoying it a lot. And it’s a big-time challenge for me. It’s a challenge to learn the lines. But the fun begins once the lines are learned.

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From an after-school activity stemming out of her ESL classroom in South Medford High School, Victoria Snow Mountain developed an enduring and successful multicultural performance group. I met Snow at El Tapatio Restaurant here in Ashland. As we enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast with her three delightful granddaughters, Snow described the evolution of her remarkable dance troupe, Ballet Folklórico.

EH: How does participating in Ballet Folklórico affect the character of its performers?

VSM: We’ve always seen that performing makes people feel poised and proud of themselves and have more self-assurance. Our vision is a community where the kids are poised and confident. Our mission is to empower kids to dance, and to feel comfortable with their cultural heritage, whatever their cultural heritage may be. We are preserving some of the cultural traditions of Mexico in particular, in the costumes and performances that we do. The majority of our dancers are Latino kids, yet our group is open to all people. Many of our dancers aren’t Latino. We are preserving and transmitting the traditional cultural values of respect, responsibility, and collaboration that are found not only in the Latino culture. Most cultures have that same basis, so it’s for everybody.

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