Musical comedy opens

Students produce, direct, star in play

By Jerrica Hutchison, Herald Staff

Students at Arkansas State University have worked for the past five weeks to produce, direct and star in "Lend me a Tenor," a play by Ken Ludwig.

"Lend Me a Tenor" is a musical comedy based on Tito Morelli, a famous opera tenor.

He passes out right before a big performance, which leaves only Max, an aspiring singer, to become a tenor on loan.

However, Tito awakes in middle of the performance, resulting in two lead tenors for the performance.

Bob Simpson, chair of the Department for Theater Arts, is looking forward to the three performances.

"It's a comedy about mistaken identity," he said.

The comedy is completely run by students, from the acting to the scenery.

Students Michael Miles, Phillip Bryan and Jason Henson are in control of the backstage area.

Jared Gann, Davie Watkins and Sheridan Essman will star in the show.

Gann, a senior theater arts major of Jonesboro, is playing Max.

"The play is really fun, and I think the audience will really like it," Gann said. "It's fun to perform, and the audience should be able to see that."

Dustin Brown, a sophomore theater arts major of Little Rock, is playing the bellhop. "This play shows that ASU students are proficient in every area ­ be it acting, scenery or direction," he said.

The play's first performance was Wednesday night.

It will continue showing through Friday, each show beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door.

Brown said that ticket sales have gone well so far. "We only had 15 tickets left last night before the show," he said.

Simpson said the play has material in it for mature audiences only, so children ages six and under are not allowed.

"The play involves some sexual innuendo, and includes other subject matter children wouldn't really understand," he said.

Audiences are advised to come early, as there is limited seating.

Gann said he is really excited about the play. "It's an infectious show," he said. "There's no way to go see it without having a good time."