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This Summer, Oregon Coast Community College’s community education lineup runs across time (and tortured rhymes) with classes featuring Layers, Lairs and Players.
The non-credit/enrichment workshop lineup for the summer term is the leanest of the year, as attendance is traditionally far lighter than during the school year as would-be participants and instructors balance such activities with summer travel, seasonal work demands, peak coastal vehicle traffic and more. What this lineup lacks in sheer numbers, though, it more than makes up for in variety and content.
Layers
First, there’s “The Geology of Roads End,” a one-session workshop designed to help teach participants how to “read the rocks” at this beautiful Central Coast destination. Every attendee will receive a field trip guide so that they may visit Roads End on their own schedule and experience the geology firsthand.
The class is led by Lincoln County native Margery Price, who will complete her Master’s degree in Earth Sciences at the University of Oregon this Winter. The course is $20 and runs from 2 to 4:30 pm on Thursday, July 11, at the North County Center in Lincoln City.
Lairs
Next up are two sessions led by Jake Holshue, an introduction and a deeper dive into one of the most iconic of all table-top role-playing games – Dungeons & Dragons.
Originally created in the 1970s, it is a game that generations of enthusiasts have enjoyed. Now in its 5th Edition, the game is seeing a rise in popularity.
The 10-session introductory course will explore the rich history of DnD, the evolution of tabletop role-playing games, game mechanics, Lore 101 and, of course, the playing of a game or two.
The class will be held from 4 to 5:45 pm Mondays and Wednesdays, July 8 through Aug. 7, at the Central County Campus in Newport. The cost is $75.
For those who have played D&D before, or who may have previously taken the world-renowned class Dungeons and Dragons 101 at the college, may be ready for Dungeons & Dragons 202: a more comprehensive dive in a boot-camp-style gaming session where the first class is a character-sheet creation. From that point, the group will delve into an adventure about which the bards will sing tales for generations.
D&D 202 will be held from 4 to 5:45 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 9 to Aug. 8, at the Central County Campus in Newport. The cost is $75.
Players
The final offering in the summer Community Education Lineup is Improv Comedy. In this program, taught by members of the Porthole Players Theatre Company, participants will learn to improve their stage wit and wisdom. The class will include elements of movement, accent work, sketch writing, content editing, prop mastery, scene work and general fearlessness on stage or wherever fun times are to be had.
The class will use theater games, work groups and real-time evaluation to help attendees refine their skills as comedy writers and actors. All ages are welcome.
Led by Sean Orton, the eight-session class will be held from 4 to 5 pm on Thursdays, July 11 to Aug. 22 at the OCCC Central County Campus in Newport. The cost is $15.
For more information and to register, go to oregoncoast.edu/communityed.