Theatre Eastern To Present 'Oklahoma'
(Press Release 04-16-07)
Hank Mooney, Office of Public Information

Theatre Eastern’s final production for 2006-07 will be the spring musical Oklahoma! by Rogers and Hammerstein.  In conjunction with the Eastern Music Department, the production will be April 26, 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. each night at Mitchell Auditorium on Eastern Oklahoma State College’s Wilburton campus.  Ticket price is $5 for general admission.  For reservation information contact Bailey at (918) 465-1758. Eastern students, faculty and staff can attend the performance free with proper identification.

Oklahoma!, based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs by Oklahoman Lynn Riggs, is the story of cowboy Curly McLain’s (Tarrant King, sophomore, McAlester) love for farm girl Laurey Williams (Kendra Click, freshman, Muldrow).  Their romance is rocky because of Jud Fry (Kyle Littlejohn, sophomore, Wilburton), Laurey’s surly hired-hand, who wants Laurey for himself. Oklahoma! also tells the high jinks of Laurey’s friend Ado Annie Carnes (Tiffany D. Craig, sophomore, Wister) who can’t decided between the cowboy Will Parker (Daniel Bacorn, freshman, Quinton) or the peddler Ali Hakim (James Neill, sophomore, Canadian).

“Because this is the state of Oklahoma’s Centennial year we, for the first time, opened the show to anyone in the surrounding area who wanted to take part,” stated Theatre Eastern director Debra Collins Bailey. “We have several Eastern faculty and staff members who are participating, as well as several persons from the area. While we still need a few men in the chorus, we are excited that so many outside the Eastern family want to be involved.”

Others in the cast are:  Aunt Eller Murphy, Jayna Santine (McAlester); Marshall Cord Elam, Devin Wylie (freshman, Quinton); Andrew Carnes, Clem Santine (McAlester); Ike Skidmore, Tom Bailey (Wilburton); Gertie Cummings, Maggie Barber (freshman, McAlester); Slim, Nicholas Santine (McAlester); Fred, Nick Hill (freshman, Wilburton); Sam, Heath Shoulders (sophomore, Wilburton) and Viola, Cheryl Hassell (Wilburton).

Also, Ellen, Veronica Allen (sophomore, Wilburton); Vivian, Whitney Waldrop (Wilburton); Virginia, Marissa Scott (Wilburton); Faye, Crystal Needham (sophomore, Enterprise); Sylvie, Jacalyn Hulsey (Red Oak); Sarah, Julia Murphy (sophomore, McAlester); Aggie, Shawna Vercruyssen (freshman, Red Oak);  Mary, Helen Scott (Wilburton); Kate, Wendy Hubbard (Broken Bow); Martha, Viki Vogt (Wilburton); Betty, Barb Gilbertson (McAlester) and George, Jay Gilbertson (McAlester).

Musical director is Eastern’s music instructor, Paul Enis and accompanist is Mary Ford, Eastern music instructor. Jolene Hill (sophomore, Wilburton) is the stage manager for the musical production.

Caption info::
Theatre Eastern’s upcoming production of Rodger and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, is the story of cowboy Curly McLain’s (Tarrant King, sophomore, McAlester) love for farm girl Laurey Williams (Kendra Click, freshman, Muldrow). The production will take place April 26, 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m. each night.

Ticket price is $5 for general admission. Eastern students, faculty and staff can attend the performance free with proper identification. Ticket required.

For reservation information contact Bailey at (918) 465-1758.