A who's who guide to the people that bring you the Entertainer

Jake TenPas

JOB: Editor and head writer for the Entertainer

Age: 28

Hometown: Wiesbaden, Germany

Last CD purchased: The Boredoms, "Seadrum/House of Sun"

Last movie watched: "Crash"

Currently reading: "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72" by Hunter S. Thompson

Though my parents have done their best to keep this from the community at large, I was born from a test-tube womb, the genetically-spliced child of Sam Peckinpah, Stanley Kubrick and Grace Slick.

At the age of 2, to escape any attempt to unearth this strange lineage, my "parents," William and Kathleen TenPas, brought me to Corvallis, where they raised me with all the love, affection and encouragement normally reserved for a biological son.

As is common knowledge, the schools in Corvallis are some of the best in the world, and the teachers here did their best with me. But I was an incorrigible, anti-authoritarian joker, and soon tired of the tedium of all subjects but English, history and the study of all media.

After a closet folksinger and avid rodeo enthusiast took me in and taught me to read and write, I eventually went to OSU, where the intellectually free environment of the Barometer mutated me into the monster hybrid of celluloid, guitar strings and printer ink that you see before you today.

My passions include the writing of Hunter Thompson, Tom Robbins, H.P. Lovecraft, Iceberg Slim and Phillip K. Dick; the films of my genetic parents, along with Terry Gilliam and Quentin Tarantino; all forms of music except "New Country" and whatever MTV is playing at that particular moment; and intelligent television such as "Farscape," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and Cartoon Network's "Adult Swim."

I also love foosball, Kentucky Straight Bourbon, the night, my girlfriend, cats, friends and, of course, my extremely understanding family.

Joseph Battrick

Job: Entertainment and listings writer, copy editor

Age: 30

Hometown: Corvallis

Last CD purchased: Journey - Greatest Hits

Last movie watched: "Spanglish"

Currently reading: "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams

Inside stage-shy Joseph Battrick loomed a booming tenor voice just waiting to be unleashed. His senior year in high school, Battrick finally put aside nerves and joined his school choir. Now you can't keep him out of the spotlight.

Battrick regularly performs with the Corvallis Reparatory Singers and on stage with local theater com-panies. While at Brigham Young, he sang high tenor for Vocal Point, one of the top collegiate a cappella groups in the nation.

When he leaves the limelight, Battrick enjoys watching football, hiking and being a patron of the arts and entertainment world. He likes listening to classical music, 1970s rock, jazz and Broadway musicals.

He likes settling in with his wife to watch movies and admits that he likes romantic comedies and chick flicks, but he is also an avid science fiction fan.

Battrick is a "Jeopardy" addict. He also likes "CSI," which makes sense, seeing as how he moonlights as a corpse removal technician for local funeral homes. His bedstand is littered with books either recently finished or in progress. Battrick especially enjoys the tomes of Orson Scott Card and Isaac Asimov.

Theresa Hogue

Job: Features writer

Age: 30

Hometown: Portland

Last CD purchased: "Charmed: The Book of Shadows," various artists

Last movie watched: "Sin City"

Currently reading: "The Forsyte Sage" by John Galsworthy

Theresa Hogue was born and raised in Portland, where she spent her younger years attending plays, visiting museums, and listening to her father's vinyl collection, which was heavy on Pink Floyd and Santana. She cultivated an early love for dance when her mom enrolled her in tap classes at age 5, and by her teen years had moved onto ballet, jazz, modern and African dance.

After years of too much Jane Austen and "Masterpiece Theatre," she fulfilled a dream in her last term of college, when she went to live in London for three months. There she took as many opportunities as possible to enjoy theater, musicals, concerts and everything else London's night life had to offer, culturally speaking, that is.

Watching Bob Hoskins perform on stage while Lawrence Fishburne sat in the audience in front of her was a transformative experience, as was the chance to watch the Royal Shakespeare Company perform in London and Stratford.

After returning to Oregon and graduating from college, she took a job in Forest Grove, where she eventually became entertainment editor, focusing on Washington County's thriving arts and theater scene. When she arrived in Corvallis, her main focus was higher education, but she eventually added arts coverage to her list of duties. She now writes features for the paper.

In addition to journalism, she spends her free time traveling, knitting, taking photographs, buying too many books, spending time with her partner and her cat, Angelou, and watching independent films. Rumor has it, she owns too many shoes.

Mary Ann Albright

Job: Higher education reporter, entertainment writer

Age: 23

Hometown: Portland

Last CD purchased: "Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company"

Last movie watched: "Crash"

Currently reading: "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

For Mary Ann Albright, life is all about appreciating and enjoying the beauty around her. Be it film, literature, music or dance, she delights in the creative process.

She developed a love for music at a young age. She enjoys listening to a diverse collection of artists, ranging from Mozart to Maroon 5. Lately, she has been taking an "aural trip around the world" with Pink Martini's latest album, "Hang on Little Tomato."

Albright enjoys singing. A soprano, she began taking voice lessons from a family friend when she was young. This led to performing with the Portland Symphonic Girls Choir and eventually with the Willamette University Chamber Choir. She's toured with these groups throughout the United States, Europe, Australia and South Africa.

She also loves taking in operas and musicals. "Hello Dolly," "Aida," "The Lion King," "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Chicago" rank high on the long list of shows she's seen. If she could choose any show to see right now, it would be the Broadway production "Wicked."

An Anglophone and world literature aficionado, she's poring through Julia Alvarez's "In the Time of the Butterflies." She loves to travel, and Vienna holds a special place in her heart.

When she's not writing for the Gazette-Times, Albright enjoys dancing, tennis, yoga, running, hiking, and watching "Desperate Housewives" and "Seinfeld" reruns.

Heather Crabtree

JOB: News clerk and entertainment writer

Age: 24

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Last CD purchased: "Seventeen Days," by 3 Doors Down.

Last movie watched: "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"

Currently reading: "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Heather Crabtree was born in Columbus, Ohio, living across the United States before moving to Lebanon in 1991.

From the time Crabtree was a child, music and the arts have dominated her life. Her mother's family - made up entirely of sisters - was all gifted with the ability to sing. Family functions were always littered with music from their choir, singing everything from hymns to Motown to opera.

In high school, her fascination with the arts soared as she read Shakespearean plays, saw her first opera, "The Barber of Seville," on a drama club trip to Eugene's Hult Center and participated in drama classes her sophomore, junior and senior years. Crabtree also discovered the Broadway musical "Rent," which is still her favorite show.

As a junior in college, Crabtre studiedin Germany for four months and traveled across Europe, visiting many cities including London, Vienna, Brussels, Rome and Bern, Switzerland, and taking in the cultural aspects of each city.

In her free time, Crabtree can be found attending local plays as well as events at the Hult Center, spending time with her boyfriend and family, and playing with her border collie, Bandit.

Wendy Geist

Job: News clerk and entertainment writer

Age: 31

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Last CD Purchased: Enya, A Day Without Rain

Last Movie Watched: Fever Pitch

Currently reading: The Everglades, River of Grass, by Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Hi, my name is Wendy Geist, and you may have seen some of my articles on recent plays and art exhibits in The Entertainer.

When describing my personal interests in the arts and entertainment, I tend to call myself a sampler. For example, I find it difficult to listen to only one type of music. A 10-minute trip to work consists of scanning through every station on the radio dial at least two or three times, and anything from classical, to country, to '80s or hard rock may catch my attention.

I must confess, though proud of it, I was a band geek in high school. I played the flute and continued to do so in college. I also fell in love with the French impressionists, and the works of Claude Monet graced my bedroom walls.

I also discovered that ushering is a great way to see a show for free. I spent a number of weekends ushering for Broadway hits such as "Starlight Express" and "Cats," which came to the Ohio Theatre.

After a couple art history courses in college, and after my brain had become full of memorized dates, artists and titles of works, my interest in the visual arts broadened. I highly recommend a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago if you make a trip to the Midwest.

Since moving to Oregon, I have been both impressed and wowed by the passion, dedication and shear number of local artists. To have the creativity and ability to take something that comes from within and paint it on a canvas, mold it in to a sculpture, or sing it on a stage is awe inspiring.