The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 49

Lesly Dislikes Growing Up Lesly Fredman, student at Florida Presbyterian College, is now working at Atlanta Children's Theatre as part of her winter term project. Spending much of her time behind stage, Lesly says, "I feel I don't know what to know about the theatre yet. In the theatre, you have to do it to learn about it." By CATHY YARBROUGH "I haven't grown up yet, and I don't want to." Lesly Fredman explains her involvement in children's theater with as little self-consciousness as one would expect from the little people she entertains. Lesly is a junior at Florida Presbyterian College in St. Petersburg, and is working at the Atlanta Children's Theater during January as part of her winter term project.

At Florida Presbyterian College, students spend one month in intensive study of one area. Majoring in humanities with emphasis on theater, Lesly selected children's theater for independent study. She organized the project herself and secured sponsorship of her professor, Dr. James Matthews. KEEPS JOURNAL "Last fall while I was visiting my sister here, I saw play bills for the Atlanta Children's Theater.

So that's how it started," Lesly explains. Learning as much as she can by working behind the scenes with the theater company, Lesly comments, "I just do things that need to be done like painting, and gluing. I watch rehearsals, and I'm always taking notes." Lesly also keeps a learning journal of her experiences and is reading extensively to find stories to adapt to stage. "It's fun reading children's literature and drama, especially books that I read as a child. I like fantasies, and 'The Little Prince' is my favorite.

And, it's really not like a children's story, because I don't think a child reading it can appreciate it fully." QUESTIONS PEOPLE According to Lesly, adults reading children's stories will obtain more than a rediscovery of their younger years. "They can enjoy fantasy and wonderment and get an understanding of human relations, especially children and what's important to them." As part of her project, Lesly will be directing a play this spring. "I want to know how you go about directing a play," she says. So, Lesly questions actors, technicians and producers of Atlanta Children's Theater. "The actors have been great in telling me what I need to know." she said, "One actor said that children were more of a challenge than adults as an audience" "EASY RIDER" Lesly agrees.

"Some people think children's theater is for dumb kids. And a lot of scripts are written as if children couldn't understand anything. see, I have this frustration that I'll be jealous of people who will be 20 or 8 years old, when I'm 95." not sure I want to be alive 20 years from now. I want to be everything and do everything. I want to be old gracefully.

You Students Walk Miles To Collect Dimes "Walk a Mile for the Life of a Child" is the theme of the first pledge-walk of the Fulton-Dekalb-Clayton Chapter of the March of Dimes, 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 30. Clubs, fraternities, state officials, professional athletes and radio disc jockeys will join students from Key Clubs of area high schools to raise funds for the fight against birth defects. Starting at Atlanta Stadium, the walkers will proceed through major downtown streets and later will return to the stadium.

The Atlanta Police De partment will furnish patrolmen along the entire route. Gov. Jimmy Carter and Lt. Gov. Lester Maddox plan to participate.

Spearheading the event will be Barry Chase, WQXI-Ra-dio, and Skinny Bobby Harper, WIIN-Radio. Walkers will obtain sponsors, or individuals, organizations or merchants, who agree to pay a certain sum for each mile walked. Registration forms for the pledge walk are available from Key Club members of local high schools and from local March of Dimes headquarters. Kids can tell when you're a phony, and you can't just act funny or play down to them." A friend of Lesly once suggested that Lesly adapt "Easy Rider," '1969 motion picture which received an (restricted) rating, for a children's play. "It would have to be a satire.

Can you imagine the two main characters in the film on tricycles?" During plays at the theater, Lesly observes the play from the projection room, at the rear of the theater. "It's strange to watch the play when I know what's going on backstage. I don't really watch the play, but the background." WOMEN'S LIB At 1 i a Presbyterian, Lesly is a member of an active women's liberation group. "We've formed encounter groups and have set up an organizational structure of a floating coordinator as director, so that all the responsibility does not fall on one person." Several members of the group visited a Florida state senator who is sponsoring an abortion bill for this spring's legislative session. "The bill is fine, but the senator sponsoring the bill well, he just wasn't the type of person who I think cares about the abortion or population problem or anything." After college graduation, Lesly hopes to work in the theater, but, she says, "First, I want to travel.

I love adventures." LEGALLY "GROWN-UP" "I feel I don't know what to know about the theater yet. In the theater, you have to do it to learn about it." Lesly says, "I have to find my own talents. Now I don't feel skilled in anything." As for now, acting and directing are her 'loves." And, Lesly says that her experiences with the Atlanta Children's Theatre have inspired her to direct her own show. Although she may not feel "grown-up," Lesly will be legally classified as such with her lsthiitffiday arriVing sodri. "I'W I- vw.

pa---- I 1 i. li 4 I 0 lit Staff Photo Marlon Crowe Although acting and directing are her "loves," Lesly Fredman enjoys painting the scenes. "I'm having; a ball ting into all those colors," she comments. TI1E ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, Jan. 2ft 1971; U-X.