LUTHERAN QUILTERS – Members of the Quilts for Comfort Group stand between pews draped with some of the 205 quilts they made, in the Sitka Lutheran Church Tuesday. The group made the quilts for five local non-profits and one in Anchorage. The remaining quilts are sent to Lutheran World Relief which distributes them to places around the world in need, such as Ukraine, as part of Personal Care Kits. Pictured are, from left, Helen Cunningham, Kathleen Brandt,Vicki Swanson, Paulla Hardy, Kim Hunter, Linda Swanson and Sue Fleming. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Daily Sitka Sentinel
Sitka Writers Ready 'Wait Wait' for New Run
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
There were some tense moments for the writers when Sitka’s version of “Wait Wait ... Don’t Tell Me!” went before a live audience.
They needn’t have worried.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Elena Gustafson, one of the writers. “In the first couple of minutes, I said to Hillary (Seeland): They’re laughing, they’re laughing. We were really shocked.”
The mock game show staged last year at Odess Theater was enough of a success that the Greater Sitka Arts Council decided to try it again, with the show going up at 7 p.m. April 17, this year at Centennial Hall.
Jeff Budd, then GSAC director, came up with the idea for a Sitka-based show after he looked into bringing the popular National Public Radio show “Wait Wait” to Sitka.
“They told me – not making this up – $100,000,” said Budd, who has been lined up to produce this year’s show. “I said to myself, ‘Self, we don’t need them. We can do our own version – and we did. The first show went really well, the responses from the audience and the cast and crew were raves. So, why not do it again?”
He said the game show was a decent fundraiser for the Greater Sitka Arts Council, and was in line with the mission of the nonprofit organization.
He summed it up this way in an email to the Sentinel from Nome, where he is visiting his daughter.
“To work with others, give people an opportunity to do something outside the box, give Sitkans something fun to see and showcase a different part of the Sitka talent pool.”
“One of the things I have enjoyed about being in a producer’s position is watching the writers go through the different bits – I had never been a part of or seen a collaboration like that – it is fascinating,” he continued. “The writers for the first show and this show really worked well with each other, and I think this time have produced a show every bit as good as the first.”
Budd said he likes the change-ups in the program this year – Stefanie Ask will be host, and Seaton Bryan the announcer. Collette Costa of Juneau will be back as a member of the panel, teaming up with two new panelists, Blatchley Middle School Principal Ben White and Erin Fulton, a roller derby skater with the Sitka Sound Slayers. Bellymeat will be back as the musical entertainment.
“The Sitka audience will not be disappointed,” Budd predicted.
The national program “Wait Wait,” carried on Saturdays on KCAW-FM, is like a game show in which panelists – who are national celebrities – answer questions about national politics and current events. The show is not really competitive – although points are awarded – and relies on the panelists’ wit, intelligence and ability to think on their feet.
“It’s a chance to bring up taboo topics and have a laugh about it,” said GSAC executive director Sarah Lawrie, an Americorps volunteer. “It’s things people have been thinking about, and haven’t been saying it in polite company ... Bringing things up so we can laugh about it. Generally people can relate to it.”
In a similar style to the national program, the local panelists were selected for their relative celebrity in Sitka, with Costa – a well-known humorous performer in Juneau – joining Fulton and White.
The success of the show, though, relies heavily on the program put together over the last three months by the writing team: Tom Hesse, Robert Woolsey, Rachel Waldholz and Elena Gustafson – all of whom are back from last year – and Sally Helm from the Island Institute.
Gustafson said the task is a difficult one: to come up with questions and answers that will mean something to people in Sitka – and that will stimulate humorous comments from the “Wait Wait” team and also entertain a broad audience.
“Last year when Jeff Budd pulled me in to it, I think I was shocked ... so I said yes without knowing what I was getting sucked into,” she said.
After the success of last year’s event, when the audience actually laughed at the jokes and enjoyed the show, she had no problem when asked to do it again. She remembers the show getting off to a good start with a standing ovation for Ed Ronco (Ronco, a popular KCAW reporter who had recently moved to Seattle, had come back to be host of the show), but she was holding her breath till the first responses came in to the writers’ work.
“It’s hard to know if the humor will land,” she said. It turned out to go a lot better than anyone had expected, she said.
The show this year will be a little different, with the new host, announcer, panelists and fresh jokes from a year’s worth of news from Sitka and around the state.
“Everything is on the table to be part of the questions and the jokes,” Gustafson said. She gave credit to head writer Tom Hesse for keeping the crew on task, and said she saw her own role as one of “editor” more than writer. The job of the panelists is to be ready for anything: they’ve only been given the format of the show and are expected to provide “comedic relief” as well as answer questions.
Gustafson said she’s looking forward to seeing how it all comes together next Friday.
“We set a high bar for ourselves,” she said. “Hopefully, we rise to the occasion.”
At some point, she said, it’s difficult to know what is funny in the script until it goes before an audience. After three and a half months of preparations, and script readings, she’s not sure what will resonate with a fresh audience.
“There are still jokes that get to me after the 10th time of reading them,” Gustafson said. “Writing comedy is hard. Everyone has different styles of jokes that they like ... Tom has been good at getting us to create things.”
As to whether it would be possible to hold the show year after year, she said, “I don’t think the well will ever be tapped dry.”
The host, Stefanie Ask, teaches drama and English at Sitka High School, and is a seasoned performer as the host of events, an actress in high school, college and Community Theater – and as a teacher. But she said it’s a little intimidating to take the helm of the show.
“I am nervous,” she said. “It’s very hard to walk in Ed Ronco’s footsteps.”
But she guarantees that the show will be fun and full of surprises, and she plans to be well prepared for the evening.
“There’s something different about being in front of a huge crowd,” Ask said. “It’s a little different from being in front of 25 students. ... I’m excited. I think it’s going to be a really fun show. I think the crowd is going to enjoy it.”
Tickets are $15 ($5 for under 12) and available at Old Harbor Books.
Lawrie agreed that if it’s anything like last year’s event, it will be good. In addition to running the arts council, Lawrie has been working on a number of other programs for GSAC, including accepting applications for scholarships up to $500 for students pursuing dance or music. A scholarship is also available for one Pacific High School student. Those interested may contact Lawrie at 738-5234.
GSAC also is getting ready to put on a melodrama June 25 and 29; is helping out with the opera to be staged here May 1 and 2 by the Juneau Lyric Opera from Juneau; and is accepting entries for the Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines, which must be submitted by July 4.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Advertisement: Tea-Licious Tea House & Bakery 315 Lincoln Street Grand Opening! Freshly Baked Scones, Cakes & Pastries Innovative Salads, Soups & Sandwiches Harney & Sons Tea. Lunch * Afternoon Tea * Supper.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Photo caption: National Republican Chairman George Bush takes a drink of water offered by Jan Craddick, Sitka delegate, during the Republican convention held here. Mrs. Craddick explained to Bush that the water was from Indian River, which means, according to local legend, that he will return.