PRESS RELEASE

IU Kokomo presents Fiddler on the Roof April 3-6 in Havens Auditorium

KOKOMO, Ind. — Wendy and Garry Grice have always wanted to direct a production of Fiddler on the Roof.

With plans to retire from Indiana University Kokomo in May, they decided now is the time — and the experience has exceeded their expectation.

“It never seemed like it was the right time,” said Wendy Grice, director of music. “It seems surreal knowing it’s our last production here.”

Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 3; Friday, April 4; and Saturday, April 6; and at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 6 in Havens Auditorium. General admission is $10, $5 for all students and children 7-12, with children 6 and younger admitted free. Tickets will be sold at the door. 

The classic musical, set in the fictional Jewish Russian village of Anatevka during the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, tells the story of poor dairyman Tevye. He and his wife, Golde, have raised five daughters in the Jewish tradition, but one by one, his three oldest daughters resist tradition by marrying men they choose, rather than those selected by the matchmaker. At the end, with the tsar removing the Jews from Russia, Tevye and his family prepare to start their lives in new places.

“It’s a very complex story,” Wendy Grice said. “It’s not happy-go-lucky. The students have had to dig down deep with the characters. They’ve had to learn about Jewish culture and what was going on in that time period. It’s been a growing experience, not just learning their lines and the music, but learning about the culture and the history.”

Senior Clarissa Kepner portrays oldest daughter Tzeitel, who refuses to marry the man chosen by the matchmaker in favor of her childhood friend Motel.

“There is heavy subject material, but it tells a really great story of the daughters and the family really breaking against tradition and against the beliefs they were raised with, and embracing new ideas,” said Kepner, a criminal justice major from Alexandria.

“It has a great message, and the audiences will enjoy watching it come to life,” she said. “It has a powerful story to tell, and I think people will enjoy it.”

It’s bittersweet participating in her last IU Kokomo production before she graduates, Keppner said.

“I’m enjoying the chance to work with this group of people from the last time,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed the chance to work together in dance rehearsals, collaborating and running lines and getting together outside of rehearsal. It’s really nice when you can get close with the people you’re working with.”

Growing a community is one of the benefits of participating in theater, Grice said.

“When students are in a show, they learn to work together,” she said. “They have to pitch in to help with the set. They spent two days with Garry building the set and painting it. They take ownership in the production.”

The Grices plan to move to West Virginia after their retirement, but she said they can be resources for future directors moving forward. She anticipates that Garry Grice, who has been an adjunct faculty member, will find a place to direct near their new home.

“If we have to retire and go out, this is a good group to do it with,” she said. “We’ve loved doing this, and we’ve loved the students. They are such a great ensemble, and they work well together.”