The 63rd season of Emporia State University Summer Theatre will begin June 14 at 7:30 pm with “The Star-Spangled Girl” by Neil Simon.
Directed by Theresa Mitchell, “The Star-Spangled Girl” is a classic Neil Simon tale of romance and comedy. The show’s main characters include a duo of publishers, Andy (Matthew Mahr, Overland Park) and Norman (Tyler Lang, Wichita) who use their San Francisco apartment as an office for their “protest magazine,” and an Olympic swimmer and all-American girl, Sophie (Rachel Muirhead, Hays) who moves into another apartment on the same floor. Norman’s obsession with Sophie causes trouble, and Andy ends up having to hire her just to keep their magazine going. A love triangle soon emerges between the three, adding onto their already hectic lives filled with fielding calls from an irate printer and distracting the landlady with motorcycle rides and surfing expeditions to avoid paying rent.
Scenographer Rick Rasmussen designs the set and costumes for the show. Isabella Harvey (McPherson) designs the lighting. Fran Opheim (Olathe) and Zulema Renteria (Emporia) serve as Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager while Paige Lundin (Wichita) coordinates promotion and publicity for the production.
Chris Lohkamp is the technical director overseeing the work of scene shop workers Samantha Garcia (Emporia), Evan Grantham (Girard), Stephen Holbert (Olathe), Justin Scheck (Gardner), Madison Joye Schultz (Topeka), Nathan Dale Short (Paola), Semaj Smith (Salina) and Kaitlin Pelegrin (Olathe). Amanda Dura is the costume shop manager and its crew including Torin Horvik (Fargo, ND), Kun Li (YanTai ShanDong, China), McKenzie Needham (Andover), Maddie Simmons (Emporia) and Lizzi Tate (Sand Springs, OK).
“The Star-Spangled Girl” runs June 14-17 at 7:30 PM in the Karl C. Bruder Theatre in King Hall at Emporia State University. For tickets to these performances, visit the Memorial Union Ticket Office, go online at tickets.emporia.edu or call 620-341-6378. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students.