By CEECY NUCKER
Correspondent
On Friday, May 4 in the Aleshire Theater at Hartnett Hall, students who have benefitted so much from Conrad Davidson's direction are asking the public to help them give him something back.
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Conrad Davidson
Davidson, a member of the faculty Minot State University since 1986 and dean of the college of Arts and Sciences since 2008, has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which is a cancer of the plasma cells responsible for producing antibodies. His medical expenses are increasing as treatment continues, so Christopher Stroschein and Penny Lipsey talked about holding a benefit for their instructor and friend.
"There is nothing any of us can do to help in any direct way," said Stroschein, "so we had a thought of how to help him and honor his work at the same time."
They enlisted the aid of Audra Myerchin, an instructor in the communications arts, who offered the students in her public relations principles class the chance to use promotion of this event as a final exam in the class.
"Zac DeMers, Jeneba Detlaff, Megan Wolf and I all decided to do it," said Lipsey. "We went into the community and got raffle items from local businesses, things like membership at the YMCA and vouchers from hotels and restaurants.
"We'll be selling the raffle tickets at the door for $5 each, and raffling things off throughout the evening."
The show, which begins at 7:30 p.m., is open to the public with a free will offering only. Many audience members will recognize Davidson not only as a director and actor at MSU but with the Mouse River Players. He also was the script writer for the Nodakords Fall Harvest of Harmony, tying their songs together with humorous plots.
The benefit show's entertainment consists of staged readings of some of Davidson's many plays, some performed at MSU, some only shown elsewhere, and several never seen before.
"Conrad sent us some that he thought he wanted to see," said Stroschein. "We'll have some poetry and prose he's written too, and cuttings from a musical. It'll be a nice night of hanging out."
Lipsey added that there might be live acoustic music as well. Stroschein has also arranged for online donations if people aren't able to get to the benefit, by going to (pangeahouse.org), courtesy of Pangea House.