The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 34

LMflng at Wednesday. Sept. 22. 1976 Section The Sun-Telegram. San Bernardino, Oil if.

Staff photos by David Rees Ron Cocking leads dancers Steve Hatch and Mansa Win i I I "Si 4. I I 5 "'iV 'A fit', V- 1 -J v. i nm TiiiinWritf ili a firinl 0 Students silently prepare for theater game Drama coach Gloria McMillan Poise grows through the Looking Glass opportunities Sondra Theodnre, who was The partners said they don't promise better grades in public school for their students, but some cases have been reort ed. One girl who had trouble speaking before a group won a school sp-ech contest after training at the studio, Gloria uses a combination of approaches in teaching theater games, scenes, dialogue, pantomine. Ron offers tap, jazz and ballet dancing He has taught at the Vera Lynn School of Dance and been in Civic Light Opera productions.

"Drama and dance complement each other so much," he observed. "In acting you hear that you mustn't break your character; in dance you have a character which must Ik1 maintained too." He is pleased that as a team the partners offer "nialeness and femuleness," so Ixtth boys and girls can feel a part of the acting dancing world. "When I was 5, a teacher told me the Itams studied ballet and dance for coordination," Ron said. "1 still tell my students that." Even though the studio was not organized to prepare young people for professional careers, some of them have found her best know role remains that of Harriet Conklin. the principal's teenage daughter on "Our Miss Brooks." which starred Eve Arden on radio and television for many years.

While acting, the energetic blonde served as a children's drama coach for several Hollywood studios, and her interest in working ith young people has never stopped. "I think it's too bad we consider drama only as a professional field," Gloria said. "Lots of adults are afraid to get In front of a group. Theater games are being used in therapy and given all sorts of marvelous names drama is the core of it all." Ron added, "Everyday living is a form of drama you have to express yourself in some way." The studio, newly painted a bright tropical green, has one long wall of mirrors where students watch themselves dance and perform. 'They need to like that person they see In the mirror," Gloria said.

"We work In small groups so everyone can feel at ease. They learn to utilize that wonderful instrument, the body. They really feel free to express themselves, to be themselves." By ROSEMARY HUE Vn-Ttgrm Stif Wrltr SAN BERNARDINO At the tender age of 4, Gloria McMillan began her theater career. She believes early trainHig in the many aspects of dramatics helps a child develop as a "total person," which is one reason she opened a drama studio here. With partner Ron Cocking, who teaches dance and body movement, Gloria started the Looking Glass Studio for children two years ago.

The studio has been at 3258 N. St for about a year. "I think our concept in this studio is different from most schools where they train children primarily for professional roles." Gloria said. "We are interested in the development of the child into a total person. We want to build a feeling of self- confidence and self -respect" Gloria's own acting career continues in selected assignments.

She played the part of Sister Ann, a nun, in the 90-minute pilot for "Most Wanted," Robert Suck's fall television series on ABC. She was also in a recent film, "Smile," with Bruce Dern and Barbara Feldon, but the first student to sign up when the studio oH iied, had a role in the Bill Cosby television special Sept li. She was also Miss Bicentennial for San Bernardino, and bad the leading role in the California Stale College production of "Tobacco Koad" here. Gloria had worked with her in past years in Junior t'niversity. "We are not a referral agency," Gloria emphasized," but my mother has Inm a Hollywood agent for children for 2.r years and I know many cople in the profession.

Sometimes, opportunities come to us. If someone asks, do you have any really talent ed kids, I don't turn them away." She said Sondra made her own contacts in Hollywood Students at the studio, who range In age from 4 to 19. have two major drama dance lcrformaiices each year, one at Christinas and the other in the sprmu Tuition is $IH a mouth for each class or til for a comluna Hon drama and dance package, which amounts to two hours a week Classes average 8 to 10 students and are Monday-Thursday afternoons and evenings and during the clay on Saturday Family rates are available. -r-m a Mi v(' A doubly happy ending for Dr. James Lowman Evangelist If James Lowman and Maybelle Jack Blue on people i If 1 I mention the scene In a column and then let It drop Into my File of Unsolved Problems.

The phone rings. 'This Is Dr. Lowman," says a cheerful voice. "Those buses you saw are mine. The old Fontana one 1 use to haul people to Sunday School." "Yeah?" I say cannily.

"How about that Kent State one?" "That's our converted motor home. My son took it on a trip last year. He picked up stencils of places he visited. Kent State was one. You'll find a Yosemlte sticker and a dozen others, too." "Who are you, Dr.

Lowrnan?" I ask. "I'm an evangelist. I hold teaching seminars for young preachers. 1 marry half a dozen to a dozen! people a month. I married a couple (Continued on C-2, column 1) I read the little book, and it's a thriller.

Won't win any literary prizes, but It holds you spellbound. The title, a long one, Is: The MIRACLE that saved me from the ELECTRIC CHAIR. Its cover show? James W. Lowman, then a singing evangelist and now a Pentecostal doctor of divinity, standing beside a very lethal-looking electric chair. I open it and read the first sentence: "Since the night I gave my heart to God, the devil seemingly has had a peculiar spite at me and deliberately planned to wreck and ruin my life I turn to the back (I'm a cheater at finding how things come out).

It goes, "I take It that whatever happened to me was for God's glory I believe today I am a better Christian for the experience I learned lessons which have been of untold value. A happy ending! I'll Ml you what came In fH-tm-en after I Ml you how I got the book. I'm walking along Sierra Way hen I pass by a house enclosed by trees. I glimpse a bus with FONTANA painted on the side. I see a couple of trailers, a big car and another bus with Kent State University stenciled on it.

I walk on, wondering. That Kent State bus, did they buy it from the National Guard? Have I blundered upon a nest of bus and car thieves? Maybe someone buys old buses and converts them Into motor homes?.