By Quinton Prudhomme
Co-Editor-in-Chief

For the first time in 50 years, Clackamas Community College did not put on a mainstage fall play. 

The lack of a fall play is the latest in a long list of problems hitting the CCC theater department since the 2022 departure of theater instructor Jim Eikrem. 

Eikrem was fired after walking into the women’s dressing room unannounced while actors under the age of 18 were working on the play “Number the Stars.”

Various other complaints were lobbed against him, including improper firearm safety on campus and making two female students rehearse a wrestling scene for the show “Number The Stars” for a prolonged period of time.

Eikrem, who was a full-time faculty member represented by the full-time faculty union, challenged the dismissal. 

An independent arbitrator said Eikrem was owed his job back, according to an agreement between the college and Eikrem that The Clackamas Print obtained through a public records request.

But the college ultimately paid Eikrem not to return to work. According to the public records, the college paid Eikrem $95,000, plus back pay and an early retirement bonus.  

The college’s total payment came out to just over $200,000, according to an email obtained by The Print. 

Jim Eikrem Addresses the audience before the show ‘Number The Stars’. Photo by Joseph Lohmolder.

Eikrem did not respond to texts or voicemails asking for comment. 

Since his departure, CCC has not hired a full-time theater instructor, despite the theater department staff asking to fill the job every year since Eikrem left. 

Instead, the college has hired part-time instructors who have worked for the college for short tenures: Jayne Stevens, Jessica Wallfenfels and Allison Moon.

The college administration’s decision not to hire a full-time theater instructor is impacting the ability to put on shows, according to theater department staff.

David Plotkin, the Vice President of Instruction and Student Services said, “The Dean of Arts and Sciences, in consultation with me, suggested to the Theatre program this fall that they not have a mainstage show because of capacity issues in the department, including the resignation of the associate faculty member teaching acting classes last spring.”

Jennifer Jett, administrative assistant for the communication, theater and journalism department, said, “Because we don’t have a full-time theater person, and they’re [College administration] wanting us to partner with Clackamas Repertory Theater, and everything that happened with Jim, they’ve asked us to take a break from mainstage production.” 

Chris Whitten, department chair, said the administration asked the theater department to not put on a fall mainstage production.

“That was mostly about finding us the time to get some of these other pieces in place without also trying to put on a mainstage show,” Whitten said.

Instead of a fall play taking up a whole term of planning, staging and performances, the theater department held a Halloween-themed “Boo Bash” in October. Roughly 600 people came to Niemeyer on a Sunday afternoon for fall treats, a performance by Oregon Children’s Theater  and CCC theater students wearing costumes.

The Boo Bash drew in hundreds of visitors that one student described as “the absolute best outreach I’ve seen.”

Wallenfels, who directed three shows for the college during the 2023-2024 school year after Eikrem left, said the theater department is competing with other departments across campus for full-time faculty positions.

“There is a need for so many positions and only so much money for a certain number of positions, so they make the staff go in front of the administration to plead their case.” Wallenfels said. “Either Chris just didn’t make the case well enough, or the administration was worried about giving more resources to the department given what had happened with Jim.” 

Another problem the theater department ran into in the spring term of 2024 was poor reception of the student-written and produced show “Fire Season,” directed by Wallenfels.

Students performing ‘Fire Season’ in the Niemeyer Center. Photo by Evan Tichenor.

“We did a student-written show and there was controversy over the amount of swearing in the show,” Wallenfels said. “We had many conversations with Chris and Jennifer about what we should do. Should we take it out? Chris said, ‘I think we should leave it in’ and he’s the guy that’s been there since 1997. I just got there in September, so I believed him wrongly, and that ended up to be a poor judgment call.”

Whitten said he thought the swearing should come out.

Regardless, the swearing was so profuse that some students in attendance from neighboring schools walked out of the show during the performance. Staff from those schools complained to college administrators.

That show was the last that Wallenfels directed before deciding to end her work at the college and take a new job at Portland State University as a theater instructor. 

Plotkin said none of the circumstances around Eikrem’s retirement, the complaints from “Fire Season” and the high turnover rate of associate faculty in the department, had affected the hiring process. “None of the things you mentioned above determined the prioritization of position,” he said

Matt Mazza, who’s acted in several mainstage shows at the college, said the lack of a fall show affected students who wanted to be on stage. He said as many as 40 students auditioned for the student performance showcase.

Mazza pictured during the ‘Number the Stars’ performance. Photo by Joseph Lohmolder.

“All of a sudden, we’re in a position where we need opportunities for these people to do things and learning opportunities and performance opportunities,” Mazza said. “So not having a mainstage show was very unfortunate.” 

Mazza said the showcase received more resources to fill the gap of the mainstage show.

The student showcase is a smaller set of student-driven performances with everything done by students. 

Moon is the third and most recent instructor to take the reins of the acting class and is also a part-time faculty member. Moon stepped into the position after Wallenfels quit in the spring.

Moon, who helped to stage the student showcase, said her time at the college so far has been wonderful. 

“Honestly, I’m so impressed with the caliber of talent and passion of the students here,” said Moon. “Even though acting is not a major here, I’ve got students who care enough to still show up to class every day and dedicate themselves. So my students are wonderful. It’s made the work really fun.”

Clackamas Community College is planning on staging a mainstage show in winter term called “Silent Sky” and it will be directed by Moon.

“I will be directing ‘Silent Sky,’ which is a beautiful play about the women who helped map the sky at Harvard University. It’s a historical drama with some romance, certainly a lot of science.” The show will be staged at the end of winter term.