Thursday Concert Series

The Los Angeles Pierce College (LAPC) Theater’s spring production of “Incorruptible” opened quickly and kept up the pace throughout the show with its energetic action, snappy jokes and capable cast. The play, written by Michael Hollinger and directed by Pierce College instructor Valorie Grear, is dedicated to the memory of cast member Dana Craig who died “quietly in his home” according to the program, one week before opening night.

William Walsh filled Craig’s role of Charles, abbot of the church, with one week to prepare.

“Dana Craig, who was doing the part, died on Thursday a week ago. So we mourned him on that day and on the next day Valorie asked if I thought I could do it, and I said I’d try,” Walsh said. “I tried out for it but she [Grear] chose Dana, and she chose my wife to play the nun, Sister Agatha. I was driving my wife here so I had seen her scene done a lot and I had worked with her on her scene but I didn’t know the rest of the play.”

Walsh handled the role proficiently and combined well with the rest of the cast, which was vital to the material as many of the jokes relied on crisp delivery. The chemistry went beyond the cast and the audience was very receptive with frequent and genuine laughs.

Brian Park, a 20-year-old

“I thought it was very well made. There was an instant connection from actor to audience,” Park said. “It just constantly kept me interested and laughing and it was very light on a very touchy subject.”

Taylor LeClere played oneeyed minstrel Jack in his first Pierce College production and was grateful for this opening night audience.

“The energy was really good. We had an unbelievable audience. That’s lucky,” LeClere said. “Sometimes you get people that don’t laugh, but everybody was cracking up and it gives you an energy on stage. It kind of ups the tempo I think for everybody.”

The set was well crafted and particularly impressive during a few significant moments in the story with some effective lighting, courtesy of assistant professor and department chair Michael Gend, which served to intensify those scenes.

The production will continue next weekend, April 4-6, with 8 p.m. shows on Friday and Saturday and a 2 p.m. show on Sunday.

Tickets are $12 for students and $15 for general admission and can be purchased by calling 818-719-6488 or by visiting brownpapertickets. com/event/601583..

Valley shelter dogs get snapped Photographer works to make dogs adoptable

Lynn Levitt A&E Editor

Armed with dog treats, a squeaky toy and leash, a volunteer enters the West Valley Animal Shelter kennel area on their day off.

Ellen Zuckerman works in the healthcare industry and is a business systems analyst. For fun and a hobby she runs a photography group called the Northridge Outdoor Photographers.

“What I’ve done is recruited about two dozen people from the group to rotate at the shelter to assist in taking pictures,” Zuckerman said.

different way,” Zuckerman said. “I have the skill in photography and because I’m an animal lover I felt this was something that I really wanted to do.”

It is a way of giving back to the community. Zuckerman chose West Valley for a number of reasons. It is very close to her home, so she can come to the shelter more frequently, and she also chose it because it is a kill shelter. She believes it is important to help as many animals find a home as she is able to.

“I think that my photographic studies at Pierce College helped me to decide to do this,” Zuckerman said. “I really put my love of animals and new photography skills to work.”

Walking through the dark extended hallways where the dogs are in their small cells, Zuckerman reads the kennel cards. Tyson, Tiger, Mickey, and Harley. She looks for dogs that have been in the pound for long periods of time and dogs that are seniors.

She extracts a dog named Tyson from its cage, pushing back the other dogs in the small enclosure.