The enchanting tales of Hansel and Gretel brought to you by the River Campus

On the weekend of Jan. 17, Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus put on the opera of Hansel and Gretel at Bedell Performance Hall.

Each year, a class puts on an opera at the beginning of the spring semester. This year is no different, with the opera being Hansel and Gretel. This opera was especially challenging for the performers as they did not use microphones.

This production leaned into the background of two children, a brother and sister, who got lost in the woods.

This portrayal of Hansel and Gretel was directed by Christopher Goeke, who made this special story come to life with artistic backdrops, silly characters and talented singers.

Sophomore theatre and music major Cailey Sharp portrayed Hansel on the 17th.

“It was one of the most difficult roles I’ve ever prepared for. Opera, just by nature, is so much harder, because acting and singing without a mic, and just all of it being music, was really difficult, but it was so rewarding,” Sharp said.

Junior vocal music education major Asa Faust played the role of Peter, the father of Hansel and Gretel. He described the journey behind getting the role of Peter, and preparing for it over the past four months.

“We’ve been doing this for a long time. This is four months in the making. I think we get to come back a week early from winter break to help build the set and help get everything cleaned up and all that stuff. It’s just like you prepare for anything else, just practice it,” Faust said.

Sophomore musical theatre major Abbie Van Pelt played the role of Sandman. She spoke about the creativity and hard work put into the production.

“The backdrops and the sets were so creative and well done. Those would be my favorite,” Van Pelt said.

This show marks the first production of the 2025 spring show season. If you want to see more from the River Campus, the Winter Dance Collection will be the weekend of Feb. 6 at the Bedell Performance Hall.