Original musical premieres

This weekend, a world premiere musical written by an IU student and her husband will open at the John Waldron Arts Center at 122 S. Walnut. Senior Catherine Peterson-Smith wrote the book and lyrics; Koven Smith wrote the music. \n"Neenog and the Fish for a Long Time" is Peterson-Smith's final project in her individualized major in playwrighting, directing and performance in musical theater.\nNew plays by IU undergraduate students -- especially new musicals -- are rare. With the help of the B-town players, which Mrs. Peterson-Smith helped found, this rarity will come to fruition.\nThe musical's title refers to a place of the afterlife, a major theme of the musical. The musical also tackles, "...the unfreezing of emotion, the quest for passion and the ultimate attainment of peace," according to a press release.\nThe couple proceeded to gather a production staff and cast of mostly undergraduates to put the piece together in what Richard Rundle, a senior and the show's director, is calling a workshop.\n"Many plays have been workshopped such as 'Godspell' and 'A Chorus Line,'" Rundle said. "In essence, they used the simple text of the Bible to create something out of nothing. My expectations are that the audience will walk out of the show feeling that they have seen a theatrical production completely different than anything they have seen before."\nFor the writers, its gestation was a taxing, but productive, experience for both.\n"It was actually a very freeing dynamic because it was a creative process between two people, not two married folks hoping a comment wouldn't affect me deeply and cause me to poison his dinner," Catherine said of her husband. "It was a joy working with his brilliant musical mind."\nPutting together a new musical is no easy task. No Broadway cast CD or book serves as a guide for the staging and set designs; everything will be original.\n"It's different putting together a new musical because there aren't any tapes to listen to, no previous singers to emulate," said Carly Roetter, a senior. "You are the first person to bring life to this character. And it's fun to think people will emulate you someday and learn the nuances of the character through you. It's amazing to play a part that someone you know wrote."\nPeterson-Smith and her husband said that they are pleased with the talent, progress and dedication their group has put forth but that diving immediately into another musical might not be first on their "to do" lists.\n"I just believe so much about what musical theater can be in the future that I wanted to make something of a gleaming light of hope to a world of skeptics and an eye-opener to all those tried-and-true 'Oklahoma!' lovers," Peterson-Smith said. "I pray this is not the last time the world sees Neenog."\n"Neenog and the Fish for a Long Time" opens at 8 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Waldron. It runs through the Oct. 28 with all shows at 8 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door for $6 and by members of the cast and production staff for $5 prior.