"Tales of the South Pacific," excerpt from The Exeter Bulletin, Winter 2007

Members of the women's chorus dance in the Thanksgiving Follies show

Sixty-five years and one day after Pearl Harbor Day, Exeter presented Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic World War II musical, South Pacific, whose themes seem newly relevant in a post-9/11 world.

The Fisher Theater production drew on the talents of a sizable squadron of Exonians, starting with its student cast, crew and 12-piece orchestra; director Sarah Ream ’75, chair of the theater and dance department, and music director Jean Strazdes; Cary Wendell, Fisher Theater’s technical director, who designed and built the Quonset hut set; lighting designer Brad Seymour and costume designer Vivian Brown ’75. Roger Wakeman, Exeter’s director of facilities management and a former Navy officer, coached the cast on correct naval protocol and bearing, while Denis Brochu, Exeter’s dean of academic affairs, helped several cast members perfect their French accents.

Read the rest of the article, with pictures from the performance and comments by stage manager/assistant director Megan Gilbert ’07...

Learn more about Exeter's theater and dance department...

Learn more about student drama organizations at Exeter...

See the full Exeter Bulletin, Winter 2007...