Published: June 28, 2008 09:09 pm            

Indiana State alumni to lead Greene County Shawnee Theatre

BLOOMFIELD — The Shawnee Theatre is an icon in Greene County. About to enter its 49th season, the theatre has seen its share of changes. Two years ago, a young playwright and director who had recently graduated with his bachelor’s and master’s in theater from Indiana State University took the helm as Producing Artistic Director, and good things have been happening for the summer theater since then.

This season he is joined by Lauren Morris, a 2001 alumna of ISU’s theater department. Morris will act as Associate Producing Artistic Director, and two plan to share the leadership duties, such as overseeing business management, public relations, production management and company management. Both Graber and Morris are attending graduate school in Long Beach, Calif., to receive their master’s of fine arts and master’s of business administration in theatre management. Graber says, “This is a three-year degree program, but I can come back to Indiana in the summer and apply all I’ve learned.” Morris echoes, “It’s very satisfying to know that my graduate work can immediately go to use creating theatre in a community I care about.” Since Graber took over in 2006, income for the not-for-profit theatre has increased by more than $40,000.

Other ISU alumni who can be seen on the Shawnee boards this summer are playwright and actor Alan Shepard, who will be creating an original adaptation of “Dracula” for the theatre’s final show and performing several roles in the fifth production of the summer, “Almost, Maine.” Shepard is currently attending graduate school in Hawaii for both acting and playwrighting. Indianapolis musician and 2002 ISU alumnus Kevin Gutheridge will design sets and local businessman and 2001 ISU alumnus Joe Rayes will be featured in the Frank Sinatra tribute “My Way.”

        

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