2008 Woodie Awards
SectionsMilitary entertainment showcase
Jeremy Kirbey
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: Features
All this week, the Special Collections and Archives Department in Meyer Library has been showcasing items from past endeavors in entertaining the nation's troops stationed overseas.
In the past, the school's Theatre and Dance Department has worked alongside the United Services Organization (USO) to entertain troops in tours overseas, said Shannon Western, who works in the Special Collections and Archives Department. The school participated in five tours between 1961 and 1976.
Each of these tours involved a musical, and in the latter four, a variety show was also performed. The display includes cases for four of the five, as the final one, "Godspell," has no records or items except old articles from the school paper. However, all other shows have several items to display. These include various pictures, articles, and other memorabilia from each event.
Among the cases displaying each tour, there is one dedicated to Irene Coger, after whom Coger Theatre in Craig Hall was named. Coger was a professor at Missouri State University from 1948 until 1981. She was the director of the first four shows. "Godspell" was directed by Michael McElhaney, Western said.
"Upon her passing in 1999, Coger's collection was donated to the university, and many of the items in our display come from this collection," she said.
Each of the musicals was first performed at Missouri State before being taken overseas. The USO would select colleges to invite to an overseas tour by requesting samples of their shows.
Then, along with the American Educational Theatre Administration, they would decide the best shows and ask them to perform for the troops. The tours were generally somewhere between six to eight weeks, and students involved earned class credit for their performances, Western said.
The first tour the school participated in was in 1961. The musical was titled "Finian's Rainbow," and was performed in Germany and France. The second tour was in 1965, when the school performed "South Pacific," as well as a variety show called "Watching All the Girls - Wow!" The shows were performed in Greenland, Iceland, Labrador and Newfoundland.
The third tour consisted of the musical "Wonderful Town" and the variety show "The Laugh-In." It took place in 1968, and traveled to the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan and Okinawa.
In 1972, the fourth tour traveled to Azores and Germany to perform "Anything Goes" and "American Pie."
The final tour took place in 1976. The school performed "Godspell" and a variety show in Germany.
There is also a virtual display online, containing the majority of items displayed in the library.
The exhibit is located on the third floor of Meyer Library in the Special Collections and Archives Department. It is open from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
In the past, the school's Theatre and Dance Department has worked alongside the United Services Organization (USO) to entertain troops in tours overseas, said Shannon Western, who works in the Special Collections and Archives Department. The school participated in five tours between 1961 and 1976.
Each of these tours involved a musical, and in the latter four, a variety show was also performed. The display includes cases for four of the five, as the final one, "Godspell," has no records or items except old articles from the school paper. However, all other shows have several items to display. These include various pictures, articles, and other memorabilia from each event.
Among the cases displaying each tour, there is one dedicated to Irene Coger, after whom Coger Theatre in Craig Hall was named. Coger was a professor at Missouri State University from 1948 until 1981. She was the director of the first four shows. "Godspell" was directed by Michael McElhaney, Western said.
"Upon her passing in 1999, Coger's collection was donated to the university, and many of the items in our display come from this collection," she said.
Each of the musicals was first performed at Missouri State before being taken overseas. The USO would select colleges to invite to an overseas tour by requesting samples of their shows.
Then, along with the American Educational Theatre Administration, they would decide the best shows and ask them to perform for the troops. The tours were generally somewhere between six to eight weeks, and students involved earned class credit for their performances, Western said.
The first tour the school participated in was in 1961. The musical was titled "Finian's Rainbow," and was performed in Germany and France. The second tour was in 1965, when the school performed "South Pacific," as well as a variety show called "Watching All the Girls - Wow!" The shows were performed in Greenland, Iceland, Labrador and Newfoundland.
The third tour consisted of the musical "Wonderful Town" and the variety show "The Laugh-In." It took place in 1968, and traveled to the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan and Okinawa.
In 1972, the fourth tour traveled to Azores and Germany to perform "Anything Goes" and "American Pie."
The final tour took place in 1976. The school performed "Godspell" and a variety show in Germany.
There is also a virtual display online, containing the majority of items displayed in the library.
The exhibit is located on the third floor of Meyer Library in the Special Collections and Archives Department. It is open from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
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