SE offering comedy, thriller
for spring campus theater
by Amanda Leduc
se news editor

 A classic comedy and a thriller will comprise the spring season for SE drama.
Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon, a contemporary American comedy, opens the semester.
“It’s just a fun, fun show; it’s just a good comedy,” John Dement, director of SE theater, said.
Dement said he has students with potential to be very good performers in such a piece.
The department will finish its season with the musical Philemon, set in 146 A.D. Rome.
Dement said the performance and design will contrast with the modernism of Barefoot in the Park by highlighting the story’s antiquity.
“Philemon is not a happy musical; it’s sort of a thriller,” he said.
The musical is the story of a petty criminal captured by the Romans.
In order to save his life, the criminal must infiltrate a secret organization and betray its members so the Roman authorities can catch members of the organization.
“It just so happens the secret organization is the early Christian church,” he said.
Dement said Philemon is not a religious play.
“The lyrical and situational content is by no means something that you would see in church,” he said.
The musical, Dement said, should have wide appeal.
“It does make for a very interesting story. At that time, they [Christians] were a secret organization and subversive. The Romans were trying to suppress them,” he said.
Dement said the plot has meaning and lessons that could apply outside of the idea of one’s converting to Christianity.
“What happens is, in a sense, the guy is converted, but it is not a preachy Christian drama. It’s just that he sees the importance of loyalty and love of family and learns to put those first. In the end, he gets killed because he betrayed the group he infiltrated,” he said.
Although the spring season will contrast last fall’s productions, Dement promises to keep the productions interesting.
“I’m trying to pick shows that the students are going to find more interesting. When you can get a drama that pushes into life and death, it’s always more interesting,” he said.
Dement tries to select productions that not only an audience will enjoy watching but his students will enjoy performing.
“It’s always more interesting to see characters who are struggling beyond the mundane. Plus, the students find it more interesting because it gives them more opportunities to stretch what they’re doing beyond everyday behavior,” he said.
Dement said much of modern drama and television is blasé, and he wants to push past that and give people something “cool” to watch and perform.
“I enjoy the mythic, the noble and the larger than life. It fascinates me, and it pushes us beyond paying the bills,” he said.
Students interested in being involved should contact John Dement at 817-515-3599.
Barefoot in the Park will run March 2-5 while Philemon will run April 28-May 1 in the Roberson Theatre on SE Campus.