Lakeland Mirror

Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: Features

Media Credit: Brian Moser New theare director, Charles Krebs is bringing "The Importance of Being Earnest" to Bradley this fall.

Charles Krebs, or Charlie as he prefers, is the new head of theatre at Lakeland College.

His selection for his debut at Lakeland is "The Importance of Being Earnest." The show will run Thursday Oct. 25 through Sunday Oct. 28.

Charlie said enthusiastically, "I'm very excited to work in this theatre and to be somewhere new. It's a new style of theatre than what I'm used to working in. The proscenium [stage framed by an area] style allows me to do scenery in a way I haven't been able to do in a long time."

He also is looking forward to the productions he will be able to put on. "Over the course of four years I want to do a range of styles of musical theatre as well as dramatic productions of comedy, tragedy, Shakespeare, and things like that," he said. He is also looking forward to increasing community attendance.

Lakeland can look forward to a new production and entertainment in December for a re-vamped Christmas at Lakeland. There is going to be an eight-foot ramp over the audience. The orchestra pit is being opened up for full use and there will be risers put on the stage. Charlie is looking to involve the faculty and staff a lot in Christmas at Lakeland and other theatrical productions.

"When I came here, I didn't know how things had been before, so I'm not trying to change things just to change things. I'm just trying to do things the way I know how to do them," Charlie said.

Originally intending to major in Spanish and French as an undergraduate, Charlie became involved in a school production, landing the lead role. "Once I got involved in theatre, it was like, this is it!" he said.

He comes to Lakeland after spending seven years at UW-Sheboygan. He has two master's degrees. After receiving his bachelor's degree in acting from the University of New York near Buffalo, he obtained his first master's in acting from Louisiana State
University in New Orleans, and he has his master's in directing from Southern Illinois.

"One of my favorite parts of directing is actor coaching," Charlie said. He works with the idea of impulse-based acting. "Life is an improvisation, and as we put life on the stage we need to present it with the same impulse that drives us as humans."

Charlie's work in theatres around the country has groomed him to ask these three questions before selecting a show to put on: "Why this show, at this time, for this audience? And I'd better have three good answers, or I shouldn't pick that show."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools