Southwestern College Campus Player alumni of the late 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s, along with friends, will present a short musical version of “Tom Jones” on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 10:30 p.m., in the Helen Graham Little Theatre.

According to Allyson Moon, director of theatre at Southwestern College, the first production of “Tom Jones,” produced in 1969 as a student project, was also in the Little Theatre.

“George Jason Johnston was a theatre and music major at Southwestern,” says Roger Moon, associate professor of theatre.  “He and Gayle McMillan took the music off a vinyl recording of a BBC 1960s special, and Jason directed it as his senior directing project.  The crazy musical comedy is based upon the ‘Tom Jones’ novel by Henry Fielding.   The next year in the spring of 1970, the Campus Players, led by Norman and Roxy Callison, did it as dinner theatre, and it was a huge success.”  

Moon adds that this will be a “senior” senior project since many of the 15 alumni returning to do the show are now in their 60s.  Allyson Moon will direct the production which is being designed and built by Jason Johnston.   Gayle McMillan is returning as musical director and to accompany.  

The cast features John Marshall of the class of ’70 in the role of Tom Jones, which he created in both the’69 and ’70 productions. Alumni from the class of ’69 and ’70 returning to play in the production are Roxy Clark Callison, John Esche, Ronda Sims Marshall, Donna Bean Mercier, Marci Brown Monteith, and Roger Moon.  Other Campus Players from the 1970s and ’80s returning to act or assist in the production include Terry McGonigle, Robbie Gilger Banks, David Lungren, Kathy Hampson Baker, Suzanne Smith, Kathy Cooper Delcarpio, and Jessica Callison Fisher.  Local, area, and regional performers adding to the cast are Martin Rude, Dan Campbell, and Heather Marshall.

Seating in the Helen Graham Little Theatre at the 10:30 p.m. performance is restricted to 75, so tickets are limited.  

“It may be more like a late night party,” says Moon, “but we’re going to give ourselves a heck of a show and have a great time” 

For information about tickets contact Rose Hanna at the SC performing arts office, (620) 229-6244.