“The Emperor’s New Clothes,” a Michele L. Vacca play, is Theatre MSU’s current live production in the McComas Hall Theatre.
The show will run the entirety of this week, with most of the performances being shown during the daytime for local schoolchildren.
Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. show will be open to the public on McComas Hall Theatre’s Main Stage.
This is the 17th production Mississippi State University’s theater group has
performed specifically geared toward local students.
Junior risk management, insurance and financial planning major Lindsey Soboul, who plays the Empress Fatimah, said she enjoys performing for the groups of children.
“It is a really funny show, and it’s geared toward children,” she said. “It’s good to see the children take a field trip to come out and see the show and laugh at the humorous parts we put into it.”
The plot follows the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale which the play is based on. Within the play, Emperor Abu Abdullah Abdul, the ruler of Zanadum Zanadu Zan, has a major wardrobe dilemma.
Despite wasting his time and his country’s wealth on hundreds of clothing, he feels as though he has “nothing to wear” to the Great State Occasion three days before the event is supposed to take place.
This is when Emperor Abdul’s tailor slyly convinces him to wear the non-existent outfit, therefore embarrassing him in front of his country.
The emperor’s actions and those around him help illustrate to the audience the damaging effects of vanity and greed.
MSU communication instructor and play director Marianne Ulmer said she is very excited about the project.
“I think the best part about the show is that we get to introduce over 1,500 kids a year to their first theater experience. We have anywhere from 4-and 5-year-olds to 10-year-olds come. They are from several different counties,” Ulmer said.
The students acting within the play also find the experience rewarding.
“I took acting as an elective, and our teacher told us about the auditions. I went, and I’ve really enjoyed being a part of the show,” Soboul said.
While the students within the show find the play personally rewarding, they also find interacting with the children to be a fulfilling aspect of the play.
Senior communication major Jessica Taylor, who plays the Emperor’s 129-year-old grandmother, said the kids in the audience are especially enjoyable.
“The best part of the these kinds of shows are the kid’s reactions,” she said. “I enjoy talking to them when they come up to us after the show and discuss whether you were their favorite character or not.”
Though this play is geared toward children, Ulmer said she believes it can still relate to MSU students.
“This play puts a different spin on the original story. It’s fun to go see fellow students do a children’s story,” she said. “You can get your feet wet in the theater easily because the play only lasts an hour, while a typical play usually lasts two and a half hours,” Ulmer said.
Soboul said everyone involved in the production has been working hard to make the show a success.
“We have been rehearsing for three or four weeks almost everyday,” she said.
Tickets for MSU students and children are $5 and general admission is $10.
For more information about the play contact Ulmer at 325-7841 or Melanie Harris at 325-9162 or [email protected].