Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
              Date: 6/7/01
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   98

Editors: Photos accompany release
GUEST DIRECTOR ARRIVES IN "ANNIE-LAND" FOR SLU PRODUCTION
     HAMMOND -- Wendy Taucher is in what she describes as "'Annie' Land." She is
totally immersed in the multi-faceted responsibilities of guest directing Southeastern Louisiana
University's June 28-30 production of the hit musical "Annie." 
     "I came straight from the airport to my first rehearsal," laughed Taucher as, 48 hours
later, she prepared for what was already her third session with the 30 local girls and boys who
have been cast as Annie's fellow orphans. 
     But, the hectic, here today-gone tomorrow pace is a way of life for Taucher, who is an
internationally acclaimed  freelance director and choreographer. In her three-decade career, she
has earned a degree in music from Northwestern University, founded a dance company in
Chicago, worked extensively as a teaching artist with prestigious groups such as the Lincoln
Center Institute, directed more than 25 opera and musical productions in ten states, and presented
her own theater-dance works at venues from the United States to Scotland to Italy.
     When the Pottle Music Building Auditorium curtain goes down on Southeastern's
"Annie," she will immediately head to Connecticut, where she will direct two operas at the new
Intermezzo Opera Summer Festival near Hartford.
     Taucher's rehearsal style is just as fast paced as her lifestyle. "She has enormous amounts
of experience in working with children and children's theatre," said Scharmal Schrock, director
of the university's Opera-Music Theatre Program and "Annie's" producer. "I adore watching her
with the orphans. She has them working like pros."
     Taucher is equally complimentary of the huge 100-person "Annie" cast, orphans at all.
     "The sound here, I'm telling you, is very good, from the adults and kids both," said 
Taucher, who was familiar with Southeastern's vocal program, having presented an opera
masterclass at the university four years ago. She had also heard good things about Southeastern's 
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WENDY TAUCHER   Add One
voice students from her friend, Chuck Effler, the music director for "Annie."
     "Southeastern's program has a lot of really, really good singers. They sing in a particular
style," said Taucher. "Chuck and Scharmal have cast people who can sing in a really
sophisticated way. Even with the kids, I think they looked for a certain sound. It's not as brassy
as is sometimes done, it sounds more like children singing. I've always wanted to do the show
that way." 
     Taucher has directed "Annie" before. "When you're doing a show you end up really
liking it otherwise you shouldn't be doing it," she said. "'Annie' has a lot of variety, a great
message and it's lots of fun. And I like a lot of bodies on the stage." 
     Under Taucher's cheerful leadership, rehearsal for the orphans is fun, frenetic and
focused. She makes learning roles, stage movements and choreography child's play for the young
actors. 
     "I do a lot of things with cues," she explained. For instance, in pre-rehearsal warm-up
exercises, her command of "Michael Jordan!" launches the group into Jumping Jacks. When she
calls out "Wilma Rudolph!" the kids jog energetically in place, knees high. "Quicksand!" is the
signal for them to merge into a tight group, while "Molecule!" means to scatter. Each stage
position has one word  description    "home pod spot," "rotation spot," "semi-circle spot," "grid
spot"   and when she sings it out, the kids exuberantly and instantly flee to their appointed place.
     "I do a lot of theatre games that apply directly to what they're doing   concentration
games, counting games," Taucher said. "Everything that I'm doing is for a particular purpose, but
they may not know that. We're having a lot of fun."
     Curtain time for the June 28-30 productions is 7:30 p.m, nightly with a 2 p.m. matinee
also scheduled on June 30. "Annie" is co-sponsored by the Southeastern College of Arts and
Sciences, Gulf States Theatre's Hammond Palace Theater, North Oaks Health System, Hibernia
Bank, Wal-Mart and the Southeastern Development Foundation. Tickets, will go on sale June 18
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pottle Music Building lobby and Bayou Booksellers in downtown
Hammond. They also will be available at the door. 
     Tickets are $15, general admission; $10, Southeastern faculty and staff, senior citizens,
and non-SLU students. Southeastern students are admitted free with their university I.D.
     For additional information, call 985-549-5938.
                             -SLU-
Press release available online at www.selu.edu/NewsEvents/PublicInfoOffice/newsp01.htm