The theatre department at Gibson Southern has grown in its 50 years of existence. From the first theater director to the most recent, the department has flourished and grown more than founder Kathy Parks could believe.
There have been six theater directors in the halls at Gibson Southern since its founding: Parks (1974-1988), Anne Muehlbaurer (1988-1989), Lori Humphrey (1989-1992), Holly Hathaway (1992-1996), Matt Hart (1996-2013) and Adam Bledsoe (2013-present).
Bledsoe has directed 36 shows since his hire in 2013. His 2020 spring musical was canceled the Friday the show was to open due to COVID-19, as well as “Vaudeville” 2021. However, that did not stop him or his young actors. They performed Roald Dahl’s “Matilda the Musical” in the spring of 2021 for a limited audience of friends and family.
The first musical directed by Parks could have had the same deviation as the one Bledsoe produced in 2020.
“We didn’t have money,” Parks said. “We didn’t have costumes. We did not have lumber to build the sets. I went to the athletic director and said, ‘I need to borrow $500.’”
Finally, with cash in hand, Parks was able to buy lumber, nails and everything needed for the first musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” After the show and paying everything back, the fledgling theatre department profited a mere $23.
Parks realized something was not adding up. She needed a filler program to help fund the spring musical.
“I was against selling candy bars and washing cars for the theater department,” Parks said.
To Parks, fundraising for the theater department should somehow involve the theatre. Talking with students in the department, they came up with an idea to have a variety show similar to vaudeville performances of old. The entire student body was invited to audition and be part of the show with singing, dancing, skits and other things that showcased the school’s talent. Thus, “Vaudeville,” as the South Gibson community knows it, was born.
In the academic year of 1975-1976, the first season of Vaudeville was held, called “Vaudeville 1975.” “Vaudeville” has lasted more than 50 seasons, where Bledsoe produced the golden anniversary show, “Vaudeville Hee Haw.”
While some schools like the one Parks attended had fully functioning auditoriums, Titan actors had a different situation.
The original Gibson Southern theater was built in 1974, but it lacked the accommodations most performers are used to having. There were no dressing rooms and limited space for storing sets and props. It was simply a semi-circle with narrow wings on each side of it.
“The kids would come on stage and run like maniacs to what is now the computer rooms, and they would be the ‘dressing rooms’,” Parks said.
Finally in 2010, Gibson Southern actors had an auditorium with the amenities they needed to keep production moving smoothly – no more dashing to the academic wing to change clothes between scenes. There was ample space to work on sets. Storage was plentiful for props and costumes.
“It was amazing.” Parks said.
Today, the Gibson Southern Theatre Department and its productions are known throughout southern Indiana, but that was not always the case. Gibson County was used to football, basketball and baseball games, so theater etiquette was not known.
“Nobody here knew how to go to the theater; they were used to going to baseball games,” Parks said. “So, you would have parents who would yell in the middle of the show, and we would have to explain to them that they can’t do that.”
Students who enjoy theater were given the opportunity to expand beyond acting. Gibson Southern started Young Playwrights in 2012 under the direction of former director and theatre teacher Matt Hart. Students in theatre arts classes wrote plays, directed staging, as well as figuring out sound and lighting. This project showcased the talent of the student body.
“I got to see wonderful skits and beautiful singing talent,” sophomore Ashley Martin said, who was part of last year’s project. “I get chills every time I hear or see the talent we have in the theater department.”
From humble beginnings to producing award-winning shows, the Gibson Southern Theatre Department has a storied past. No longer does the department need to ask for loans, and the auditorium allows for grandiose productions. However, the department does not plan to rest on its laurels. Each year the department wants to continue to build and improve on what it has previously done.
“It has gotten to the point I hoped it would, but there is still room for growth, always,” Parks said.
