Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Oak Yearbook / INSTANO Yearbook (Indiana, PA)

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HANSEL AND GRETEL iMi MaMliii lMia lUP Music Theater presented Hansel and Gretel , an opera version of the chil- dren ' s story, Nov. 14-16 in Fisher Auditorium. This was first production specifically for children that the department has per- formed. The performances had to be adapted to the younger audiences by in- serting dialogue while keeping the music score intact, said Dr. Herbert Wildeboor. We hope this will be the beginning of annual productions to children of West- ern Pennsylvania, he said. A small cast and no chorus allowed for easy travel to the different school districts. There were two five-member casts which Top Leil: Wendy Rodgers as the Wicked Witch and her famed Gingerbread House. Top Right: Hansel and Gretel are held by the Wicked Witch. Middle: Hansel and Gretel argue with their mother. Bottom. ' Chris Sciullo as the father. included: Kathy Ciampa as Hansel, Alyce Grimm and Karen Hartman as Gretel, Beth Hinkle and Julie Kemper as the mother, Chris Sciullo and Michael Horowitz as the father and Craig Cramer and Wendy Rogers as the witch. I had so much fun doing this musical for the kids. They loved it and they really got into it. They laughed and screamed the whole way through the play, cast member, Julie Kemper said. Even though the opera applied mostly to children it was enjoyed very much by all ages. It gave the adults in the audience a chance to go back and enjoy part of their childhoods all over again. According to Wildeboor, the scenery and costumes were professionally done for the lUP Music Theater in the studios cf Roy King and Associates, West Islip, N.Y. The production staff for the productions included: Roy King, stage director; Hugh Johnson, music director; Herbert Wilde- boor, producer; Bill Stabnau, stage man- ager and Kristie Dearing, accompanist. The proceeds from the show went to the music scholarship fund. Partial funding for the show came from the concessions committee of the Student Cooperative Association. -Lesley Holton 28 Activities

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it YENTL 95 Outstanding performances by every cast member made Theater-By-The- Grove ' s Yentl a very special production. Each character was convincingly por- trayed and brought the setting of late 19th century Polish villages to life. Yentl , not to be confused with the musical made popular by Barbra Strei- sand, is the story of a Jewish girl who abandons her female identity to study reli- gion and get an education, an opportunity denied to women in 19th century Poland. After the death of her father, Yentl, skill- fully portrayed by Debra Wisniewski, takes on the male identity of Anshul and goes off with the other scholars to study. She befriends the scholar Avigdor and eventually falls in love with him. Things then become complicated as Hadass, the woman who Avigdor was suppoed to mar- ry, falls in love with Anshul Yentl. Matthew Giehl brought warmth and feeling to the character of Avigdor and the youthful confusion of Hadass was brought to life by Donna Lubrano. Wis- niewski sailed smoothly through the com- plex character of Yentl Anshul, from a head-strong, independent young woman to a renzied boy lost in his own charade. The play, directed by Dr. Donald Eisen, was enhanced with the scenic and light- ing desigh of Mark Zetterberg. Other cast menbers included David R. Tabish as Yentl ' s father, ]eni Sanders as Rivka the matchmaker and Bill Martinak, Eric Wolf, Kevin Renshaw, D. Andrew Manuel, Keith Edwards, Richard Nowell, Noele Battick, David Kinkead and Andrew Bak- er as various townspeople and scholars. -Dana Smith Lett: Cast members of Yentl gather on- stage. Right: Yentl Anshul. played by Debra Wisniewski, receives advice. Activities 27

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SOUTH PACIFIC Wi iR 1 Kl f A r ' y F- H i - lUt m B H r If Vwl ' Ib H I nHi ■ - i i HH lUP ' s Music Theater Department pre- sented Rodgers and Hammerstein ' s South Pacific on Jan. 30, 31 and Feb. 1 in Fisher Auditorium. The cast of 45 was headed by Alice Grimm as Nellie Forbush, Robert McCon- nell as Emile de Becque, Jim Furlong as Lieutenant Cable and Barbara Stahl as Bloody Mary. The realistic, lavish scenery which took the audience effectively to a South Pacific island was provided by Roy King and Associates. They are a New York based company of consultants who tour the country provid- ing in addition to scenery, costumes and professional technical assistance for oper- atic and dramatic productions. Dr. Hugh Johnson of the lUP Music De- partment conducted the orchestra, which included 30 students. Dr. Herbert Wildeboor also of the lUP Music Department was the producer for the production. This was his last produc- tion before retiring, after 20 years with lUP ' s music depjartment. This production was very special to me because of the number of people that worked on it. It was the most elaborate and best produced production we ' ve done, Wildeboor said. More profession- als were involved in this than any other production. We have wanted this type of production for 20 years. Now that we ' ve done it, great things are ahead for the Music Theater Department. All of the people involved with the pro- duction put a lot of time and effort into it. which was evident after seeing South Pacific. It took place during World War II while American sailors and Marines took over an island in the South Pacific. Emile de Becque, a wealthy, middle- aged planter, moved to the island from France before the outbreak of the war. He falls in love with Ensign Nellie Forbush, an American nurse, and asks her to marry him. Nellie calls off the marriage when she learns of his previous marriage and his two children. Emile then decides to help Lt. Cable spy on a Japanese-held island nearby. Ca- ble is killed but Emile survives and returns to find Nellie caring for his two children. Cast members performed the songs in the musical expertly, such songs as: I ' m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out-A-My Hair, sung by Nellie and the nurses; Bali-Hai, by Bloody Mary; Some En- chanted Evening, by Emile. It was a great feeling to end with such high achievement, said Wildeboor about his last lUP production. - Lesley Holton Top Leit: The sailors enioy a momeni ol relax- ation and fun on the beach. Top Right: Nellie sings I ' m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out A-My Hair. Middle: Nellie and Ll. Cable have lunch at Emile ' s plantation. Bollom: Emile and Nellie share a romantic evening.