Archer joins Theater Department; brings acting experience

 

Mace Archer, the new Artistic Theatre director at MHCC, has been acting for more than 25 years and hopes to apply his experience to help his students. “I love providing ways for people to tap their own creativity,” he said.

Archer left his previous job as theatre department chair at Randolph College in southern Virginia to take his position at Mt. Hood. “When I interviewed, it seemed like I could do something really exciting here,” he said.

In June, Archer spent one day in Portland interviewing for the MHCC position and five days touring the city. He witnessed Portland’s yearly Naked Bike Ride—and it sure made an impression. “I just thought – that doesn’t happen everywhere.”

That quirky character played a role in his decision, he said.

“There’s such a free-spiritedness in Portland, and a lot of culture. I mean, all the arts are represented well here and I think it’s just a place where there’s a lot of creativity, and a place where people in general aren’t afraid.”

Currently, Archer is directing MHCC’s Children’s Theater production, “Alice in Wonderland,” which opens in early November. The play is actually rehearsed within his Theater Workshop class, so its cast consists of his class members.

He said the play is going well. “Children’s theater is always a lot of fun because the actors get to do kind of crazy outlandish things that they don’t get to do in contemporary realistic plays,” he said.

The play will include lots of colors and will capitalize on the “clownish nature of the characters,” he said.

While Archer thrives on helping actors improve their skills, he also enjoys teaching those new to the field. “Non-majors that take an acting class almost always walk away from the class just sort of feeling better about who they are – being able to communicate better with other people, not being afraid to stand up in front of groups,” he said.

“I think the ability I have to bring things out of people who are new to the game is going to serve me really well here.”

He hopes to bring some “gutsy and gritty” plays to Mt. Hood. “Sometimes it’s not even the particular play, it’s just the way we do it, that makes it an event,” he said.

Working as an actor as well as a director, Archer has played a variety of roles: personal favorites include the ghost of Marley in “A Christmas Carol,” and Hamlet, he said. He enjoys lesser-known roles, too. “I really like small plays that nobody would have heard of.”

In the spring, he will direct MHCC’s rendition of “Footloose.” He hopes a wide variety of students, as well as community members, will show up for auditions. “I want everyone to know that theatre at Mt. Hood is for everybody… whether they are an audience member, or if they decide to audition, which we want everybody to do,” he said.

Auditions for “Footloose” will be held Nov. 19 and 20 at 6 p.m. in the MHCC College Theater.