Page 47 - Southern Oregon Magazine Fall 2022

years before I moved here. Shakespeare is my first love. I got
interested in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in my senior high Q. YOU HAVE A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND A
school English at Roosevelt High School class in Des Moines. We PRACTICE FACILITY NAMED AFTER YOU. YOU ANNUALLY
were studying Othello and a photograph caption said, “taken at the SUPPORT BRITT, CAMELOT THEATER, ROGUE VALLEY
Oregon Shakespeare Festival.” I told myself, “Someday I'm going SYMPHONY, SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL, CHORAL
to see those plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.” I started REPERTORY SINGERS, AND MANY MORE. WHY IS THAT
coming to OSF to see plays in 1970, after I moved to California. IMPORTANT TO YOU?

JIM: Because I lack talent and I appreciate others who have talent in
the performing arts. Some people have asked, “Why spend money on
something that is not very important?” But to me, it's very important,
because the audience feeds off the play and performers feed off the
audience. The interaction of performers and audience members is very
exciting.

Q. WHAT DID YOUR PARENTS DO FOR WORK?

JIM: My mother was the daughter of a Baptist minister. She was not
interested in being a homemaker. She wanted to work outside the
home. Her bachelor’s degree was in business. She went to work for
the U.S. Department of Agriculture keeping track of and containing
diseased cows and farms. She also started teaching high school business
classes, which was mostly typing and shorthand.

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