THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410050158
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FRANKLIN LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
He's been a blind umpire in an S&K Clothes commercial and a pitchman for Circuit City, Southern States, Best Products and Mrs. Fearnow's Brunswick Stew.
At the moment, he is a king.
Gordon Bass is the name, ruler of the empire wherein resides ``The Frog Prince,'' a Theatre IV production coming Sunday to Franklin High School.
The children's play, a musical based on a story by the Brothers Grimm, has a fairy-tale soap-opera plot: A frog wants a princess to give him a smooch.
``This is my second shot at `The Frog Prince,' '' Bass said. ``I was a king four years ago.''
He was a bearded king then. Nowadays, Bass is a clean-shaven monarch.
Bass' acting job is like that of a teacher. The theater season, September to May, gives Bass the June-through-August freedom to do industrial films, radio work and commercials.
He has been with Theatre IV a dozen years, and for several good reasons.
``The freedom of not being in an office every day, the love of my job, the love of seeing kids' faces light up. I get to travel a lot - I love to drive. I get to see a lot of the country.''
Theatre IV travels to such places as Missouri, Colorado, Washington, Louisiana, Florida and the cities of New York, Chicago and Atlanta and, of course, most areas of Virginia.
Bass is an Old Dominion native. Marion is home, Virginia Commonwealth University was his school.
For young people with acting ambitions, he has this advice: ``If you have it in your heart, if you think you have any talent, don't let anyone squelch it. Go out and do it. There's no better experience than actually doing a play.'' The local production is presented by Paul D. Camp Community College, Office of Community and Continuing Education; Franklin Kiwanis; the PDCCC Circle K Club; and Camp Family Foundations. MEMO: Theatre IV begins the 1994-95 Family Playhouse season with ``The Frog
Prince'' at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Franklin High School auditorium.
Tickets are $5. The $15 season subscription tickets include all plays of
the season. The others are ``Raggedy Ann and Andy,'' ``Rumpelstiltskin''
and ``Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.'' For tickets and information,
call 569-6790. Single tickets also may be bought at the door. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Gordon Bass is the king again in ``The Frog Prince.'' This time, he
appears without a beard.
by CNB