Brooke Rowzee, a Campus Player and a Southwestern College graduate, has left New York City to stage manage the Southwestern College spring musical “Sweeney Todd” March 1 through 9 at the college.

Rowzee graduated from Southwestern in 2010, and quickly moved to New York to pursue her dream of being a Broadway stage manager.

“I’d never been to New York before and never in my wildest dreams thought that I would end up there, but I knew I didn’t want to move home after graduation,” said Rowzee.

New York has offered a multitude of opportunities for Rowzee so far, including interning as a stage manager for Broadway’s “Wicked” and at Julliard, the prestigious New York City performing arts school.  Luckily for Southwestern, Rowzee had a gap in her busy schedule that fell at the same time as the production of “Sweeney Todd.” Director Roger Moon knew “Sweeney Todd” was going to be an enormous production for the college, and asked Rowzee if she wanted to come be a guest artist for the college.

“I had wanted to come back and work for Roger or Allyson for a long time,” said Rowzee, “and I knew I had to do it before I became a part of Actor’s Equity.” (Actor’s Equity is a union for professional actors and stage managers that has very strict rules concerning where its members work.)

Rowzee feels that this experience will not only benefit her career, but benefit the students at Southwestern.

“I’ve never stage managed a musical before, and I love getting to have that experience,” said Rowzee. “But I also love that I’m getting to mentor students on not only stage management, but life after college: things like networking, taking risks, and going for your dreams.”

Rowzee is teaching the students at Southwestern as much as they are teaching her about stage managing a musical. She has introduced many new techniques to the rehearsal process, techniques learned during her experience in New York.

“It’s been a great experience, and I’m sure I’m learning just as much as the students are,” said Rowzee.

“Sweeney Todd” will open March 1 at Southwestern College. A dinner theater experience is available for those who are interested (dinner seating is limited). Friday, March 1, dinner will be served at 6 p.m. and the show will start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 3, dinner will begin at 12:30 p.m. and the show will start at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 7, and Saturday, March 9, dinner will be served at 6 p.m., and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m.  All performances will be in the Richardson Performing Arts Center in the Christy Administration Building.

For more information about dinner and ticket prices contact the SC box office at (620) 221-7720 or email performingarts@sckans.edu.