The 野狼社区 University School of Theatre will induct three new members into its Hall of Honor during a dinner ceremony Oct. 27 in the Bass School of Music atrium.
University alumnus Jeffrey Meek (BS Technical Theatre 鈥�95, MPA Technical Theatre 鈥�97), resident costume designer for Lyric Theatre; alumnus James Stuhlmiller (BA 鈥�78), who recently retired after 34 years as OCU School of Theatre technical operations manager; and Professor Emeritus Billie Boston, OCU鈥檚 costume designer for 24 years, have been selected as the first of six inductees this year.
The School of Theatre Hall of Honor ceremony will kick off the 2022-23 OCU Homecoming festivities and will be held in conjunction with the opening night of the Lawrence Olivier Award-winning comedy 鈥淭he Play That Goes Wrong.鈥� The play marks TheatreOCU鈥檚 first co-production with Lyric Theatre, Oklahoma鈥檚 official state theater.
鈥淛ust as the theatre industry is growing and changing, so are we at OCU, and we鈥檝e renewed our commitment to ensuring that the sense of community we build doesn鈥檛 end at graduation,鈥� said W. Jerome Stevenson, associate dean for the School of Theatre. 鈥淓ach artist who shares their gifts with us is an important part of the OCU legacy and we are exceptionally proud to induct these extraordinary theatre makers into the Hall of Honor.鈥�
To purchase tickets to the induction ceremony dinner or to 鈥淭he Play That Goes Wrong,鈥� contact the OCU box office by calling 405-208-5227 or go to .
鈥淭he Play That Goes Wrong鈥�
Directed by Ashely Wells, 鈥淭he Play That Goes Wrong鈥� is a hilarious hybrid of Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes. It is set on opening night of 鈥淭he Murder at Haversham Manor鈥� where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can't play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines) this riotous farce proves the adage that whatever can go wrong, usually does.
The play will be staged at 8 p.m. Oct. 27-29, and at 2 p.m. Oct. 28 and 29 in the Burg Theater.
The play closed as a Broadway hit in 2019 and was named the Comedy Pick of the Season by The New York Times. It is scheduled to go back on tour in 2023 and is currently running off-Broadway at New World Stages.
More about Hall of Honor inductees
The Hall of Honor was introduced in 2013 to celebrate the contributions of distinguished alumni, former faculty and staff who have demonstrated a commitment to the continued growth and development of the OCU School of Theatre while making a significant impact on the local, state, national or international performing arts community.
Jeffrey Meek serves as resident costume designer for Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. His work has been seen across the country in the 2021 National Tour of 鈥淢erry Christmas Charlie Brown.鈥� Meek has also worked with the Point Theatre, Jewel Box Theatre, the Eastman School of Music, Colossal Studios, Reduxion Theatre Company, Casa Manana Theatre, Tulsa Opera, Stage One and Carpenter Square Theatre. He served nine years as principal costumer for the Ohio Light Opera and designed 鈥淎 Very Merry Pops鈥� for 17 seasons with the 野狼社区 Philharmonic. He is a 2017 Helen Hayes Award Nominee for his work with 鈥淛ames and the Giant Peach鈥� at Adventure Theatre in Washington, D.C. His work can be seen in feature films including 鈥淧earl Carter Scott,鈥� 鈥淔ingerprints鈥� and 鈥淎genda.鈥�
James Stuhlmiller served as the technical operations manager for the School of Theatre until this fall. He has worked as a designer for theater groups including Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, the 野狼社区 Repertory Company and Carpenter Square Theatre as well as the Perot Theatre in Texarkana, Texas. He has designed scenery and lighting for a myriad of theater productions including plays, musicals, dance, opera and concerts. Some of the numerous productions include 鈥淏onnie and Clyde,鈥� 鈥淪weeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,鈥� 鈥淭he Elixir of Love,鈥� 鈥淏iloxi Blues,鈥� 鈥淭he Light in the Piazza,鈥� 鈥淭horoughly Modern Millie,鈥� 鈥淟es Miserables,鈥� 鈥淔ive Guys Named Moe,鈥� 鈥淭he Fantasticks鈥� and 鈥淥ur Town.鈥� In addition to his work in scene design, James has lit many musicians in concert including Ray Charles, Don Mclean, Philip Glass, Taj Mahal and others.
Billie Boston retired after 24 years as costumer designer with OCU. Her designs won the Excellence in Costume Design award from The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival twice. During her career, Boston has designed costumes for theatre, opera, ballet and major events across the country, including her work in the Sooner state at the 野狼社区 Philharmonic, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma and Ballet Oklahoma. Boston鈥檚 costume designs for 鈥淟ittle Shop of Horrors鈥� have been used by Red Oak Music Theatre in Lakewood, New Jersey, and her costume designs for 鈥淢ame鈥� were rented to Connecticut, starring Patrice Munsell. Her designs for 鈥淐arousel鈥� have been used by the Mobile Light Opera in Alabama and by Jupiter Theatre in Juno Beach, Florida. She designed the Dolly costumes used by Joanne Worley in the Sacramento and the Houston鈥檚 Tutts Theatre productions. Boston designed 鈥淜iss Me Kate鈥� and 鈥淪howboat鈥� for the Opera House Theatre Co. of Willington, North Carolina, and 鈥淧hantom鈥� for Music Theatre of Wichita. Boston has also designed for BBC Children鈥檚 Theatre, the Winter Olympics skating events and the 1988 Miss America Pageant. She has earned the Leon Rabin Award for Costume Design of a Musical.
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