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Sisters, Oregon
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The contents of the on-line edition of The Nugget represent a selection among the stories that appear in the weekly print edition.

Sisters woman is a stage manager/domestic engineer
By Tom Chace

The program credits Rosalie Van Ness as Assistant Director of "Final Reunion," the highly successful play currently running at the 2nd Street Theater in Bend.

It also calls her a "domestic engineer." It was the latter that got a reporter's attention and brought about a meeting "backstage" and a subsequent telephone conversation.

Van Ness (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), resident of Sisters, worked as a dramaturge on "The Lion in Winter," a previous play at this intimate theater. A dramaturge is one who knows the time period and makes sure all accouterments are correct. She is responsible for screening the period costumes, properties and set dressings.

Her other theatrical credits, according to the program, are her work on "Greeks," "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Pippin" at Central Oregon Community College. She also had a recent part in "Twigs" with CTC (the Community Theater of the Cascades).

"I didn't get into theatrical work until I was 45," said the resident of the Plainview area just east of Sisters. "Lillian Foreman, drama coach and teacher at COCC, was my mentor. She instilled in me a love of the theater and I took to it like one of our Canada geese to the Deschutes."

A native of Carpinteria, California, a community not unlike Sisters immediately south of Santa Barbara, the 48-year-old actress also calls herself a Domestic Engineer.

"(It is) a coined name to describe the things I do when not acting or directing. It is much like being a wife without a husband," she said. "I not only house-sit, but take care of animals, big and small, clean the house, stay with the kids as a Nanny and a hundred other home-oriented things.

"Being unmarried, I get others' homes and families on a temporary basis. I have nine clients for whom I now work," she said.

The Van Ness name is synonymous with Southern California street names and community areas being named for her family.

"Seems there has been a Van Ness down there since the revolution," she said.

She said that she was recently appointed food and beverage manager at Aspen Lakes Golf Course.

"This will still give me time to do my theater work, mostly as a volunteer, which I adore," she said.

The author of "Final Reunion," Nicco Montefeltro, was visiting here this past week and saw his play performed.

"I am very impressed with the local talent up here and the professional treatment they gave my play," said the resident of Ojai, California. "It was very well done and I am very proud."

He did apologize for the strong language in his play, which premiered in Los Angeles at the Whitefire Theater. It won awards from the L.A. Drama League for "Best Ensemble Cast" and "Best Direction."

The next production at 2nd Street Theater is Moss Hart's "Light Up The Sky," scheduled for May 22 through June 8.

"Final Reunion" continues through this weekend, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The final performance will be a Sunday matinee (3 p.m.).

"That last performance is always the most exciting to me," said Rosalie Van Ness. "It is also melancholy, the end of an extremely close relationship with cast and crew."

If you go: Tickets are $15. No reserved seating. Doors open 7:30 p.m. Play starts at 8 p.m. 2nd Street Theater, 220 NE Lafayette. Take Revere off-ramp from the Bend Parkway, left to 2nd Street, right to Lafayette, left into an alley. Phone: 312-9626.

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