Shawnee Theatre: Curtain call costly but a great community affair

A scene from the 2007 production of "Hank Williams: Lost Highway", from left, Shelly Cooper, Tim Parker and Kevin Lee Guthridge. (Submitted Photo)

Shawnee Board President Jack Terrell said everything is in place for the launching of the 51st season.

The theatre started in 1960 -- the brainchild of Adrian Rehner, a survivor from the USS Indianapolis sea disaster.

Shawnee moved it to current location on the southside of Bloomfield, just off U.S. 231 on Furnace Road, in 1961.

Shawnee Summer Theatre [Click to enlarge]

Putting on the summer theatre is a costly task -- costing about $123,000 for a season. Salaries for the staff and performers account for about 40 percent of the budget, Terrell pointed out.

More than half of the theatre revenue is generated by ticket sales, most coming from season ticketholders.

The theatre also receives state and some local grants and is also underwritten, in part, by corporate sponsorships that range from $10,000 to $500.

This season's productions include:

* "Honky Tonk Angels" -- June 10-13 and June 17-20.

* "In Escanaba in da Moonlight" -- June 24-27.

* "Steel Magnolias" -- July 1-4.

* "The Curse of the Doom Mine" -- July 8-11 and July 15-18.

* "Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure" -- July 22-25.

* "The Man Who Came to Dinner" -- July 30 - Aug. 1.

Terrell said picking a production schedule is based largely on what has worked well in past years.

Traditionally, comedies and country western themed musicals have played best to local audiences.

"We see what worked last year. We pretty well know the audience here. We're an anomaly as far as things go in theatre because when you think theatre and you think professional quality summer theatre you probably don't think of Bloomfield necessarily. We're not a Nashville. We're not a Bloomington. We're not a hotbed of fine arts kind of activities," Terrell said in noting the theatre is actually a school of performing arts.

He added, "Things that don't work historically are really heavy drama or really heavy deep in thought kind of things that are real artsy...We bill ourselves as family theatre. We typically do things that you can bring the kids too."

Famous actors like John Belushi, Ken Kercheval, Leo Bermaster and Marie Masters have graced Shawnee's stage in past years.

Terrell continued, "We're still out there after 51 years so I guess we are doing some thing right."

Terrell, who has served as board president that last three seasons, said musicals are always good to stage.

"The good thing about musicals is you get a lot of people involved and you can use a lot more people out of the community," Terrell said. "The bad thing about a musical is some times they are very expensive. Just the music fees is sometimes $10,000 for just one production."

The theatre is trying a new kind of a pre-season fundraiser this year in April.

A night of murder and mystery is planned at the theatre April 24.

"Of Sound Mind and Body" will be an interactive kind of exercise with the audience to try and figure out who is guilty of murder.

One of the world's foremost magicians dies during his own act, leaving millions up for grabs. Who will receive the money from the late Great Scott and which greedy character is responsible for his death?

"We're going to get someone murdered," Terrell said in saying the show somewhat resembles the popular board game 'Clue'. "This group is out of Michigan and they put on murder mysteries. This is kind of a first for us, thanks to the generosity of (Utilities District of Western Indiana) REMC and Q-T's Shop, who are sponsoring it. This is somewhat out of the box because we've never done anything like this before. For an hour and half or two hours they spend giving clues about who murdered who."

He added, "We're asking local restaurants to set up some of their food products."

Restaurants from the area will provide a taste of their favorites to those who attend, starting at 6 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. curtain call. More food will be served during intermission, Terell pointed out.

Tickets are $15 a person.

Call (812) 384-3508 to reserve tickets.

Greene County native Matt Graber returns as the theatre's producing artistic director:

Graber grew up his family farm located between Worthington and Coal City.

After attending Owen Valley and White River Valley High schools he went on to obtain his B.S. and M.A. in Theatre from Indiana State University. Matthew also worked for six years as an actor, technician and director for SummerStage in Terre Haute (now known as the Crossroads Repertory Theatre Company). Some of the theatres he has worked with include The Indiana Repertory Theatre, Theatre on the Square, The Phoenix Theatre, The New Ground Theatre and The Showboat Becky Thatcher. He is currently attending California State University-Long Beach to obtain his MFA/MBA in Theatre Management.

Shawnee's annual Children and Teen Theatre Workshop, is scheduled to place midseason this year, July 12 - July 24.

The two-week workshop will provide a chance for young people ages 7 - 17 to work with the theatre's professionals, culminating with performances at the end of the program.

Terrell said the theatre's 23-member board is looking for ways to utilize the 325-350 seat auditorium during the off-season to help with revenue for the not-for-profit organization.

"You're always going to be looking for money," he added.

The best way to attend is the Shawnee Theatre flex-pass.

This pass gives six open date tickets than can be used in any combination.

The flex pass is $60 before April 1, or $65 after that date.

They can be ordered by sending checks to Shawnee Theatre, P.O. Box 22, Bloomfield, IN.

Regular adult ticket are $14 or $16 for musicals. Children tickets are $7 or $8 for musicals. A child season pass is $32.50.

Group rate for 10 or more tickets is $12 a person.

For more information contact go to www.shawneetheatre.org.