CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN

When Marty Strohmeyer is ready for courtroom drama, his notes will be anything but cheaper by the dozen.

For now, however, the Southeast Missouri State full-time student turned part-time director is offering his services and vast expertise for free.

Strohmeyer is directing "Cheaper By the Dozen", a play set in the 1920s that will come to life in the form of the Broadway Players at the Concord Theater Jan. 28-30.

The curtain will rise for Strohmeyer's directorial endeavor at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

"Things are going pretty well right now," said Strohmeyer, who was filling the better part of three pages of his notebook with reminders that would become improvements for the final rehearsal.

He had plenty of notes from his observations after just the first act of Monday's dress rehearsal. He emptied even more lead from his pencil during Tuesday's rehearsal.

"I'm just noticing some minor things that need to be adjusted, like the children having their backs turned to the audience when the boxes are brought in," said Strohmeyer.

"I think we can do some work on the timing of some of the lines before opening night. I also noticed that the children and parents weren't touching each other at all. It just didn't look like a family until we got that straightened out."

In the final analysis, however, Strohmeyer, with the assistance of his father, Gerry, some minor adjustments would enable the project to "snap into place" by the final dress rehearsal on Thursday night.

The story involves a family of 11 run by a strict father, Frank Gilbreth.

Mindful that his weak heart might fail him in the near future, Gilbreth strives for an efficient household that will churn out self-sufficient children.

That Frank and his wife fell just three short of the dozen children they once hoped for is of little consequence when Frank considers how smooth his household is run.

"Any time your mother and I teamed up on something, we knew it would be a success," boasts Frank to his children.

Frank Gilbreth calls the family to order using the same whistle that keeps his crew in line at the factory. He refers to his wife, played by Claudette Hency, as boss. She returns the stilted sobriquet when referring to her husband.

And so we are launched into familial dialogue that is both funny and poignant. The story is skillfully woven into a conflict that is resolved in an interesting way.

We soon learn that the children, particularly the oldest girl, Anne, played by Lauren Hirschburg, are going to do everything in their power to make sure Frank's "democratic" council functions like a democracy rather than a dictatorship.

Ann leads the crusade to wear silk stockings rather than the less appealing cotton socks her parents approve of. Therin lies the conflict between Anne and her father. It becomes more complicated when she chases boys with more fervor than she pursues an early graduation date.

The conflict is not resolved until both Frank and Anne are willing to give something of themselves to understand each other.

A third-year speech communications major with a minor in political science, Strohmeyer isn't planning on making a living in the theater of the arts.

But he has an itch to explore several regions of the stage before he moves on to his true calling.

"I've been around the theater so much, it's very enjoyable to experience as much as I can before I eventually go into law," he said.

Marty Strohmeyer learned how to apply greasepaint and throw himself into a role with aplomb from Gerry, who served as a community play director in Ozark, Ark., for 10 years before moving to Kentucky. Gerry drove from his job in Hickman, Ky., to help out with the rehearsals.

"Right now my role is to build sets and help out any way I can," said Gerry Strohmeyer, whose daugher Sarah was doing much of the same. "Normally I'm in charge, but tonight and the rest of the week it's Marty. He's the boss in this one," said Gerry.

Three more members of the Strohmeyer family are involved in "Cheaper By The Dozen."

There's Danny Strohmeyer, who has a minor part as a highly energized cheerleader named Joe Scale from Clairmont High. Danny's real high school is Notre Dame.

Then there's Joan Strohmeyer, Marty's mother, who plays Miss Brill the school teacher. Finally there's Andrew Strohmeyer, who plays one of the children named Dan.

"My part is already over," said Danny after the first act. "It's a lot of fun to play this part. It's not too complicated, so it doesn't interfere with other things I'm involved with right now."

He has participated in "eight or nine plays" and a few musicals including "Kid's World". "My second love is to build sets, but of course my first love is to act and sing in musicals," said Danny Strohmeyer.

Hirschburg has been exposed to serious drama on two continents. "I lived in London for a year," said Hirschburg, 13, a student at Cape Central Junior High.

"I've seen shows like Les Mis(erable) and other very good shows," said Hirschburg, whose roles have included Belle in "Beauty and The Beast" and others.

"I was a little nervous tonight and I'll be like that up until the first night," confessed Hirschburg, who has ambitions of becoming a professional actress. "The second and third shows are usually my best," she said.

With the help of observations jotted down in Marty Strohmeyer's busy notebook, of course.