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Improv Spotlight: 2 Crazy 8s Perform Their Final Show

At 8pm Saturday, April 21, The Crazy 8s will take the stage at Towngate Theatre. This evening of improvisational comedy is certain to make you laugh.

While young members of the troupe are guaranteed to bring the funny, there is a some bittersweetness for this performance. It is the last show for two of the troupe members, who have been around for a long time.

With college just around the corner, Wheeling Park High School seniors Mary Prather and David Gaudio perform their final regular show with The Crazy 8s.

Both Mary and David joined The Crazy 8s in 2014 when they were 14 years old. The experience for them has been very beneficial, they said.

David Gaudio and Mary Prather.

“It’s been very freeing,” Mary said. “I used to have horrible stage fright, but that has all but vanished. Improv kind of reminds me that no matter how bad things go, you can always turn it around.”

“It’s kept me sane for the four craziest years of my life,” David said. “It’s given me a bit of confidence and made me a little more open to others. And it’s helped me realize how much I love teaching people stuff, which is what I want to do with my life at present. It’s shaped me in a lot of important ways and I can’t thank it enough for that.”

Mary said making friendships is one of the best things about her experience.

“Improv has helped me make a lot of close friends that I never would have had otherwise,” Mary said. “It’s a great feeling, knowing that you have a dozen or so people who have seen you at your absolute dumbest and still support you and want to be around you. No matter where I go or what I do, I know that the other Crazy 8s will always have my back.”

David thinks the skills that performing improv have given him will help him going forward in his life.

“A big part of improvisation is figuring out how to think on your feet and trust yourself, and those skills have already come in handy pretty often,” David said. “Sometimes it forces you to be more truthful and open than most people are comfortable with, and that, in turn, teaches you more about yourself. It also teaches you the values of listening to people, working well with a group, and keeping your mind open and thoughtful, all of which are skills that have helped me in countless ways.”

“If anything, it’s made coming up with excuses as to why I forgot my math homework much, much easier. So that alone has probably made it worth it,” he added.

David and Mary met as three-year-olds at Montessori School at Mt. de Chantal.

David plans to attend West Liberty University in the fall and hopes to continue on a path in the arts and performance.

He said he plans to “study acting, with a minor in singing…but these things are hard to decide.” He said he also thinks that he may one day like to be a teacher.

Mary has been accepted to Amherst College and said it seems likely that she will attend there in the fall.

Towngate Theatre director of performing arts Tim Thompson said that he has watched David and Mary grow up.

“They have been taking classes for at least 10 years and been Crazy 8s for four years,” Tim said. “They are the first in nine years of Crazy 8s to take on assistant directing the company and serving as hosts for the performances. They are both very talented, smart and above all…fearless!”

Mary and David both said that they will miss The Crazy 8s when they are finished.

“It’s been a wonderful experience in every possible way,” David said. “I’ve been a part of this group during some of its greatest high-points and most heartbreaking low-points and I wouldn’t change a second of any of it. But most of all I’m going to miss the people with all my heart. They’re all wonderful, and I can’t say enough good things about them. They’ve been undoubtedly the best part of my life for the last four years. Thanks, guys.”

Mary shared the sentiment. “The troupe is a collection of some of my best friends, and I’m going to miss them so much,” she said. “Not to mention, I’ve known Mr. Tim, our director, since I was a kid. He was my first director, and I’m going to miss having him to turn to. Honestly though, I could write a book on how much I’ll miss everyone. There are going to be some tears shed after this show.”

Laughs and tears…sounds like a great night.

GET TICKETS

Tickets for the show Saturday, April 21 are only $5 and on sale now. Purchase online or call 304-242-7700. You can buy tickets at the door, too.

Take a Hike for Earth Day April 22!

By Laura Jackson Roberts

April means singing birds, greening grass, and blooming daffodils (even if they’re dusted with snow). It’s a time of rejuvenation. The earth’s long winter exhale has ended and now nature takes a breath and prepares for busyness. It’s no wonder the powers that be chose April 22 for Earth Day.

The first Earth Day was held in 1970. The previous decade had been an active one for ecological advancement and awareness, especially with the release of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, a book about the detrimental environmental effects of pesticides. Earth Day is now celebrated in 193 countries around the world.

At Oglebay Institute’s Schrader Environmental Center, Earth Day—and April—are a big deal. It’s why they’re in business, why they’re working hard to educate and serve our community. In the past, the Schrader Center has hosted different sorts of Earth Day festivals. Lately, though, they’ve held their annual Eco-fest during the Oglebayfest weekend, when lots of folks can attend. What to do in April, then?

Take a Morning Hike at Oglebay

Molly Check is the director at Schrader. This year, she envisioned a quieter celebration, one designed to connect visitors to the heart of Earth Day’s message.

“This year we’re going to just try to get people out into nature,” she said. On April 22nd, you’ll have two chances to do just that. At 8am, a Schrader naturalist will lead a hike on the paths behind the center down to the waterfall. You’ll look and listen for birds and explore new life as it emerges along the path.

Cost is $5 per person/free to OI members.  Register online for the morning nature walk or call 304-242-6855.

Visit Bear Rocks Lake in the Afternoon

At 1pm, visitors will meet a naturalist at Bear Rock Lakes. Molly says that the Schrader staff loves Bear Rock Lakes. It’s a wildlife management area just east of the Highlands, and though it’s only a short distance from the interstate, it feels remote and quiet. Managed by the WV Department of Natural Resources, the 242 acres offer four lakes and a looped hiking trail. It’s a popular spot for fisherman and dog-walkers. In the past, I attended an evening moon walk at Bear Rock Lakes with naturalist Mike Hensley. We watched green-winged teals, called owls, studied spiders, and peered at constellations. There’s a lot to see and hear out there. Molly Check agrees.

“It’s a great place because it’s pretty easy walking, with that little loop up around the ridge and then back down by the water,” she said. “It’s pretty accessible for most people, and it’s such a nice little habitat there. It’s a great time of year for birds right now. Anyone who is a big birder knows that April’s always the best time of the year. So we’ll definitely be looking for birds, but then it’s also late enough in April that—as long as it stops snowing—flowers will be coming up. So, we’ll be looking at flowers and birds and identifying things as we go along.”

Though it still feels as though the forest is sleeping, tiny flowers called “spring beauties” are beginning to rise up from the ground as the soil warms. There’s a lot of movement in the woods—migratory birds like tree swallows are returning for their summer stay in the northern latitudes. The naturalist will point out animal tracks and find creatures the average walker might miss.

Cost is $5 per person/free to OI members. Register online for the nature walk at Bear Rock Lakes or call 304-242-6855.

Enjoy Nature Story Time and Astronomy, too, April 21

The day before Earth Day—Saturday, the 21st—will offer plenty of family programming, too.

“We have a program in our new children’s library inside the Schrader Center,” Molly said. “We have our nature story time program. And that’s going to be talking about pollinators and bees. We’ll start in there, and we’ll read a story, and then we’ll head outside to our butterfly garden to search around for some pollinators. We’re going to make a bee hotel which they can then take home with them. We’ll be talking about native pollinators.”

The mason bee is one such native pollinator. Mason bees live solitary lives, nesting in tunnels in wood or stone. You may see them around the foundation of your house. An excellent pollinator, mason bees are ideal garden residents because of their gentle nature—they rarely sting. If you’ve got mason bees, be kind to them.

Nature story time takes place from 10-11:30am Saturday, April 21. Cost is $5/$4 OI members. Register online or call 304-242-6855.

Later that day, the Oglebay Astronomy Club will be hosting daylight astronomy from 1-4pm at the observatory in the field across the street. While daylight astronomy sounds a bit like an oxy-moron, there’s a good deal to be seen. The sun is always alive with activity, and families can get a look at the corona, solar flares, and sunspots. Night owls may want to come back when the stars come out; the Astronomy Club will return from 8-11pm that evening for more traditional nighttime viewing.

Astronomy programs are free and open to the public.

Astronomy

Molly envisions a fun family day on April 21st. Families can start with the kids’ pollinator program, bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the picnic tables, and do some daylight astronomy in the afternoon.

Construct a Rain Barrel April 28

If you’re really feeling April nature, or if you miss the Earth Day weekend events, you’ll have another chance to head up to the Schrader Center the following weekend. On Saturday, April 28th, you can build your own rain barrel and learn how to capture and use what nature offers us for free. I did this a few years ago and use the barrels all summer to water my plants and fill up my fish pond. The class is for adults and interested, older children.

The rain barrel workshop takes place from 10-11:15am on April 28. Cost is $75/$70 OI members and includes step-by-step instruction and all parts, including the barrel to take home.  Register online or call 304-242-6855.

Living Green Lecture Series April 29

On Sunday the 29th you can catch the last lecture in the Living Green Lecture Series. Although Dr. Zachary Loughman is known for his crayfish research at West Liberty University, he’ll be speaking about Appalachian wildlife at 2pm. The program is free and open to all.

Every Day is Earth Day at Schrader!

Of course, you don’t have to stick to the schedule of events. The Schrader Center is always open on weekends, and it can be a great place to bring your kids and let them enjoy a hands-on experience. In addition to the hiking trails, children can explore the new exhibits. There’s a giant bluebird house to play in, new skulls and furs to touch, and a water exhibit where they can use a dropper to move the water around and see how much of the earth’s water is actually potable.

Schrader Environmental Education Center
Schrader Environmental Education Center

While it’s important to acknowledge Earth Day, it’s also good to celebrate it in the way that feels most appropriate to you. Whether that’s with fanfare, a solitary walk in the woods, a recycling venture, or a family day at the Schrader Environmental Education Center, we can honor our home planet by renewing our connection to its wild and wonderful places.