COMMUNITY THEATER MAKES COMEBACK; BROADWAY PLAYERS RESTRUCTURED, ORGANIZERS HOPE FOR PRODUCTIONS BY LATER THIS YEAR

Org~an~izers hope to have community theater in Cape Girardeau back at center stage later this year with productions involving many people from the community.

After several months of work, Cape's community theater group, The Broadway Players, has been restructured.

The new group, called Broadway Community Theatre, is beginning to seek community support, said Susie Felker, who is coordinating theater efforts. She explained that community theater was in danger of dissolving at the end of last season.

The Broadway Players, which had operated community theater in Cape Girardeau for the past 10 years, was looking for reorganization.

"Over the years, it had gone through several transitions," said Felker. "After last season they felt the organization needed some new blood to get it started again."

A seven-member board of directors of people who are not interested in directing or acting has been assembled to lead the new community theater. Board members are Marlene Rosengarten, Terry McDowell, Carol McManaman, Laura Brothers, JoAnn Ruess, Joe Domian and Felker. Dennis Seyer, chairman of the theater department at Southeast Missouri State University, is serving as adviser to the group.

"The first brick wall we faced was that the last group had let their tax-exempt status lapse," Felker said. The new group is in the process of applying for a new tax-free number and is establishing a new corporation.

"In the meantime, the (Southeast Missouri) Arts Council is allowing us to operate as a satellite organization," Felker said. "This way donations can be made to the community theater through the Arts Council."

The group's first production, a fund-raiser, is scheduled for May. "We are planning a one-night dinner theater," Felker said. "We hope to have 150 people attend."

The group will present the play, "Our Town." "It requires no set and no costumes," she said. "That's perfect because we have no money for a set or costumes."

Following the May fund-raiser, Felker said, the board of directors hopes to schedule a membership drive.

She said the group also plans to do three productions next season, starting in September. "We are hoping to do a children's production not one for children; one with children."

A musical and a comedy-drama are also planned for the season.

"We are looking for people to volunteer to direct, to act and to work in other ways," she said.

Plays will be carefully selected, Felker said, to appeal to a wide range of audiences.

"We want to involve different age groups from senior citizens down to children in the first and second grade. With that, you get your audience," she said.

"We want to get a lot of different people involved. That's what makes a viable community theater. People want to see their postman, lawyer, doctor, teacher on stage."

Felker said building a community theater will take work.

"Plays are produced here all the time. The university has quality productions every year. Central High School does excellent plays, as does Notre Dame.

"But I think, if we work with those groups, there's room for community theater here," she said. "We have to start small and work our way up. I hope the community will be patient and supportive of us as we grow."

For more information, contact Susie Felker at 334-5484.