Matthew Russell Hendrickson
THEATER scene
Matthew has been involved with community theater for over 35 years.
He is currently a designer’s assistant for Brotin Design, a founding
member of a local film production company, Oscar Dante Motion,
and is still heavily involved with local theater.
Meet
C
arol Harris grew up in Cheek-
towaga, N. Y., a small suburb of
Buffalo. The first play she was in
was Lonesome Valley, a musical, and the
first stage production ever produced at
her school. It was in 1955, her senior year
of high school and she landed the lead.
Before that she was in many talent shows,
concerts and dance recitals. She also
enjoyed writing and participating in skits
at summer camp.
As a younger child Carol grew up
before TV, and videos. So instead, she
listened to the radio. Her favorite program
was Let’s Pretend with Billy Burke. She
would recreate the program, adding her
own embellishments, and would put on
neighborhood shows with her friends.
From the beginning she has always
gravitated towards music. “I played air
piano, using every flat surface in the
house as a keyboard until my father went
to the Wurlitzer piano company in Buffalo
and bought a piano. I was the kid who
never had to be told to practice. I also
played flute/piccolo in the school band.”
Carol went on to earn a Bachelor’s
Degree in Music from New York State
University in Fredonia. She majored in
Piano/Voice and became proficient on
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brass, woodwind, string and percussion
instruments. She earned her spending
money playing for the college’s dance
classes and opera productions. During
her college yeas she only performed in
two productions, Tomfoolery and The
Women, although she designed and made
costumes, created sets and directed
student productions. In her junior year her
percussion teacher started a Scottish band.
She joined as a dancer and also played
tenor drum in the ensemble. Dressed
in Frazier plaid kilts and tams her band
played at the Scottish Games in Canada
and various venues in NY including the
state fair.
After graduating, Carol took a job
teaching elementary school music in
Niagara Falls, NY. Part of her job was to
write and host music enrichment programs
for children for WNED-TV in Buffalo. Her
first show was the story of Francis Scott
Key and The Star Spangled Banner. She
became involved with Community Theater
in Hamburg N.Y. and landed the role of
Gladys in The Pajama Game and Adelaid
in Guys and Dolls. In in 1962 she married
Dave and they moved to Rome, NY. She
did graduate work in theater at Oswego
State College and Oneonta College and
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
december 2018-january 2019
became active in the Rome Community
Theater and the Rome Singers. Her
involvement was mostly at the piano
but she did get a chance to act. “I was in
two productions of God Spell, one with
RCT and one with Upstate Lyric Theater,
a semi pro company. We did a summer
tour of the resorts in the Catskills and
Dave and our 3 children got to go along
at the company’s expense. I was involved
in many productions with RTC, both
adult and children’s shows. My favorite
rolls were Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel,
winning best supporting actress, and Myra
Bruhl in Death Trap.” She also played Eve
in Applause with Ron Medici Productions
at the art deco style Strand Theater in
Rome NY where she had her own dressing
room with a star on the door!
Carol and Dave moved to California in
1983 and in 1985 she and her daughter,
Nancy, auditioned for and were cast in the
Gilroy Community production of South
Pacific. George Costa was the director and
Richard Nelson was the music director.
At the first rehearsal, Richard announced
that the piano player was ill and asked if
anyone could help out. Carol volunteered
and after the rehearsal Richard asked her
if she would be willing to play for the
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THEATER
Carol Harris