Senior students raise money for annual New York showcase

Theater and dance students at Southeast Missouri State University are giving a taste of their talents to the community in hopes of raising money for their annual senior showcase.

The Department of Theatre and Dance's third annual Extravaganza will be held at 5 p.m. Jan. 28 at Celebrations Restaurant and Bar and The Crowe Gallery in downtown Cape Girardeau. The Extravaganza will feature entertainment and art provided by theater and dance students, as well as a dinner prepared by Celebrations.

According to Southeast's Department of Theatre and Dance chair Dr. Kenneth Stilson, a main focus of the event is to raise money for the New York Senior Showcase. The showcase is a trip that seniors in the department take to New York to work and perform with professionals.

Theater majors perform with professional casting directors, producers and agents during the trip. Dance majors participate in a series of master classes taught at the Peridance Capezio Center, a New York dance center.

"It's a chance for people to see how you dance and to meet other people," Southeast dance student Danielle Albertina said. "The dance world is pretty small, so this is a good opportunity to get your foot in the door."

Eighteen seniors will be demonstrating their individual talents during the Extravaganza at Celebrations. The presentations will contain a combination of dance and excerpts from the department's upcoming production, "The Pajama Game." The Extravaganza will also have a silent auction, which will feature a variety of artwork, River Campus event tickets, gift baskets and collectibles.

"We have some pretty high-class stuff at the silent auction," Stilson said. "There's some really nice auction items."

The turnout for the event has helped the department reach its financial goals the last two years, according to Angela Wilson, the director of development with the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

"In each of the first two years we have had between 100 to 120 in attendance," Wilson said. For the Extravaganza, Wilson works to secure corporate sponsors to help raise funds for the department.

Preparations for the Extravaganza started early in the 2011 fall semester.

Upcoming events for the Department of Theatre and Dance include "The Pajama Game," "Lend Me a Tenor," "Spring Into Dance" and "Young Frankenstein." For the full list of events, visit southeastarrow.com/entertainment.