'One brief, shining moment...'

In 1972, while still in grade school, I attended my first real, live stage production. And I was in love. In love with the pageantry, the music, the story that is "Camelot." And it sparked a love of live theater that continues to this day.

Fifty years ago, Notre Dame High School performed that musical "in a round" on a stage built in the middle of the school's gymnasium. It was a unique presentation at the school and a first for high schools in the region.

The memory of "Camelot" is even more special for me because Big Sis was on the costume crew and one of my dearest friends was Guenevere.

The Southeast Missourian published an article about the upcoming production on Saturday, April 1, 1972:

THEATER IN THE ROUND

STAGE TIME FOR 'CAMELOT' DRAWS NEAR

By LEE HUCKSTEP
Missourian youth editor

Cape Girardeau theatergoers will be initiated into a new concept of drama -- theater in the round -- when Notre Dame High School presents "Camelot" April 6-9 at 8 a.m. Abandoning the conventional stage of their past musicals, a new stage built of 22 movable platforms has been erected in the middle of the school gymnasium.

Sam Swan, director, says the center stage will bring the audience closer to the players and that everyone in the audience will be closer to the action than the persons who sat on the front row last year. He says he is trying to create a situation of "elbows and empathy" between the actors and the audience.

Tickets for all four performances are still available and may be purchased from any Notre Dame student, at the school office or at the door. Prices are $2.25 for reserved floor seats, $2 for other floor seats and $1.50 for general admission bleacher seats.

As in past years, each Notre Dame student was given a quota to fill in either patron donations or ticket sales. This year's quota was $10 per pupil.

In this scene where King Arthur (middle) is confronted by Guenevere and Lancelot, the Notre Dame actors are trying out their costumes. About half the costumes were rented from State College and will help give the show a professional touch. From left are Dave Wulfers (Lancelot), Bill Schlitt and Miss Kathy Reynolds (Guenevere). Southeast Missourian archive)

Convert gym

The entire gymnasium has been converted into Camelot and by not limiting the atmosphere just to the stage, Mr. Swan says, the audience should feel they're a part of the play.

The theater in the round concept helps alleviate three problems Mr. Swan says has plagued Notre Dame musicals in the past years: the audience could not see or hear well and the scene changes took too long.

Bringing the stage into the middle of the audience has alleviated the visual problems and by putting the orchestra off to the side on the old stage instead of between the actors and the audience, the singing will now be louder than the orchestra. Mr. Swan says that with the theater in the round "everyone is guaranteed to see and hear."

One of the highlights of "Camelot" will be the use of lighting. The theater in the round does not lend itself well to conventional settings, according to Mr. Swan, and therefore lighting will be used extensively to signal scene changes. He notes that most of the lighting equipment has been rented from State College.

For the fourth straight year, Mrs. Richard (Gardis) Kump is in charge of choreography. Mrs. Kump, who danced professionally in her native Germany, says that "Camelot" has presented no big problems but plenty of big challenges. Assisted by her daughter Maria, Mrs. Kump says she got involved in the Notre Dame musicals four years ago after hearing from many people how successful the Notre Dame musicals were.

Challenge

One of the big challenges Mrs. Kump spoke of was the differences in contriving dances for the theater in the round than for the conventional stage.

The lack of scenery on the center stage puts the emphasis on acting and costumes. In charge of costuming is Miss Barb Wulfers.

Musical director is Sister Loretta and the music will be provided by Dr. Dan Cotner's orchestra. The orchestra is made up of townspeople and eight Notre Dame students.

Miss Jane Christoff is in charge of make-up and in a cast which has over 200 persons making stage appearances, much of the make-up will be self applied.

Assisting Mr. Swan are three student directors who do the "dirty work." They are Ed Radetic and the Misses Marjie Scheu and Pat Steimle. Young Radetic says that the role of student director "was a learning thing ... we watched for things that were wrong." Miss Steimle, who also handles publicity, refers to herself as "mainly an errand girl." She also calls actors to the stage and does prompting chores.

The technical director is Dick Nenninger, a State College graduate with a degree in drama. Working under his direction are stage managers Charley Morrill and Dick Knaup.

Also in the technical aspect are lighting and sound. Lighting will be handled by Dennis Drury and sound by Pat Bradshaw and Dan Drury.

The lack of scenery in "Camelot" compels the actors to be more proficient in the roles. The acting, along with skillful use of lighting and the new stage in he center of the gymnasium, make this production a "first" among Cape Girardeau high school musicals. Shown polishing up their roles are, from left, Bill Schlitt, Bob Westrich and Miss Kathy Reynolds. (Southeast Missourian archive)

Leading characters

Leading characters in "Camelot" are King Arthur, played by Bill Schlitt, and Queen Guenevere played by Miss Kathy Reynolds. Major supporting roles are Lancelot, played by Dave Wulfers; Pellinore, Bob Westrich; Merlyn, George Magaletta; Modred, Tom Boos, and Morgan Le Fey, Miss Kathy Moore.

The three knights are played by Jack Rickard, Gary Seesing and Steve Pierce. The three ladies-in-waiting are played by the Misses Susie Rhodes, Maria Kump and Eva Miller.

Unlike last year's musical, "The Music Man," which featured light comedy, "Camelot" has a more serious tone centering on a story of corruption and greed -- the story of King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone until the time his queen, Guenevere, leaves him for the love of Lancelot.

The role of King Arthur is the second lead in two years for Bill Schlitt. He played professor Harold Hill in "The Music Man" last year. Young Schlitt says he finds "Camelot" easier to play but admits there are a "couple of demanding scenes which require a lot of emotion."

Miss Kathy Reynolds, as Guenevere, says her favorite scene is the last one in which she says goodbye to Arthur. And Dave Wulfers as Lancelot says his favorite scene is his love scene with Guenevere in which "I appear in only tights and a short tunic and Guenevere in her nightgown."

Bob Westrich, as Pellinore, provides a measure of comedy. An old blustering king, he spends his life in search of the "questing beast" when he happens to stumble upon Camelot.

More than a play

Mr. Swan says he thinks people who see "Camelot" will be very impressed. In describing "Camelot" he says it is "much more than a play. It is the story of corruption and greed. It is the story of eventual hope. ...the hope for another world like Camelot."

The Missourian's photo archive yielded only three images that went unpublished in 1972.

Left to right, Dave Wulfers (Lancelot), Bill Schlitt (King Arthur) and Kathy Reynolds (Guenevere). (Southeast Missourian archive)

With Bill Schlitt (King Arthur) looking on in the background, left to right are Dave Wulfers (Lancelot) and Bob Westrich (Pellinore). (Southeast Missourian archive)

Left to right, Bill Schlitt (King Arthur), Bob Westrich (Pellinore) and Kathy Reynolds (Guenevere). (Southeast Missourian archive)