LET'S PUT ON A SHOW!

Since its inception in 1986, the Southeast Missouri State University Touring Theatre has presented plays during the summer to localities within the university's service area. "Some Enchanted Evening" is the troupe's first musical performance.

Director Dennis Seyer has concentrated on musicals during his directing career at the university 1990's "The Fantasticks," 1989's "Two By Two," for instance. He also is a designer and technical director for university productions and business manager of the University Theatre.

Seyer said some of the Rodgers and Hammerstein songs were familiar to the student members of the company, others they'd heard before. A few tunes were completely new to them.

The concentrated two weeks of rehearsals have been accompanied by a hot market in movie musical videos as the students have tried to revisit as much as possible the material's roots.

"They're very excited about musical theater," Seyer said. "It's a great interest that's mushrooming."

How to interpret these songs minus the context of the musicals they were written for is just one of the difficulties the performers face.

"The song stands by itself because people know it," Seyer says.

He and wife Ellen Seyer, who is the production's musical director and choreographer, helped the performers build their interpretations by focussing on the music and asking a simple question: "What are the composer and lyricist saying in this song?"

The Touring Theatre members are paid a stipend during the intense schedule of 21 rehearsals over a two-week period and 10 performances in 12 days.

This kind of whirlwind tour presents young performers with many opportunities for learning, says director Dennis Seyer.

It's not only a vocal and performing lesson, Seyer said, "It's a lesson in life, in how to deal with different personalities."

Each member of the group, which includes costumer Diana Mays, helps out with unpacking and packing the equipment in each town.

"It's the idea, `Hey, we're gonna do a show," Seyer said. "They depend on each other."

"...It makes it feel like a real company. You work together and you breathe together."

They also must learn how to adjust to wildly varying performance venues. Only some places will have stages. "That's part of the fun What about the lights, entrances and exits?" Seyer says.