Central's Red Dagger club reaches 50th production under Cindy Bradshaw's direction

The oldest student organization at Central High School, The Red Dagger, was formed in 1918 by William Schaeffer and Mrs. A.W. Robertson. By 1924 new members went through initiation that included drinking egg white after taking the secret, and now unknown, Red Dagger oath, according to a student publication found in the school archives.

The school's theater group has seen growth, changes, lack of interest and now success. The club produces at least two shows a year under Cindy Bradshaw, the theater director.

The club's spring play, "Twelve Angry Jurors," will be the 50th production by Red Dagger under the direction of Bradshaw, who also teaches at the school. The school is hosting a Fabulous Fifty party to celebrate the milestone from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Cape Girardeau Central High School Library. The play will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday in Central Junior High auditorium.

Bradshaw has been directing since 1985. She said she plans on directing for as long as she can meet the challenges of a show, from casting to final production.

"The abundance of talent surrounding me makes casting the toughest part of the job," Bradshaw said. "I do my best to pick the best, but no matter what I do, someone's feelings always get hurt."

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comCindy Bradshaw directs student actors Monday for the Red Dagger production of "Twelve Angry Jurors." This is the 50th production Bradshaw has directed for the Cape Girardeau Central High School theater group.

"It's always been about the kids," Bradshaw said. "I had my time on stage. It was humbling."

Bradshaw graduated with a bachelor of science degree in speech and theater from Murray State University in 1980. While working to get a minor in vocal music from Murray, she took the position as a teacher and director of Central High School's Red Dagger theater group.

Her most prominent role in college was Amanda, the mother in Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie," said Joe Bradshaw her husband, and Red Dagger technical theater director.

Cindy Bradshaw said she understood how an actor can get sucked into a role emotionally after playing Amanda.

"I was sad all the time," she said.

In the 2003 Red Dagger production of "The Diary of Anne Frank," Bradshaw saw it happening to her students. They had a tough time coming out of character for bows at the end, she said.

"Many of them were crying," Bradshaw said.

In 50 productions she has learned patience.

"It's a step-by-step process," she said. "Typically you hit the same bumps and hurdles each time. I tell them this could be a good high school production or this could be a great show. Do what you want."

Bradshaw's effect on former students has carried many of them to careers in theater or performing arts.

Jason Vivone graduated from Central in 1989 and has stayed active in theater. He is an artistic director for CinnamonEye, a Kansas City, Mo. theater group. Vivone said he's been blessed with a lot of mentors but Bradshaw was his first significant one.

"You know what her biggest trick was? Believing in you," Vivone said.

He said making the transition to college was easy because her standards were equal to those of his instructors at Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) where he majored in theater.

"She could be really intimidating as well. She had really high standards," Vivone said.

Aside from challenging and believing in her students, Bradshaw enriched the high school experience for some like Christopher T. Robertson, who graduated in 1993 from Central High School.

"In high school I took every class she offered," Robertson said. "It was great because she really paid attention to every student she worked with."

Robertson is now a Harvard Law School academic fellow and lecturer on law.

"Miss Wyatt made my experience in high school meaningful and gave me a real change to grow and develop as a person. I learned about leadership and getting things done on a deadline," Robertson said. "She gave me confidence, hope and understanding on how people work together. She also made CHS a kind of home."

Besides advocating leadership and self-esteem, Bradshaw helped some of her students round out their artistic talents.

Neil Totton, a 1998 Central High School graduate, finished his role in January as Seaweed J. Stubbs in Hairspray at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pa.

Being able to act, sing and dance makes him the triple threat theater companies look for. Without Bradshaw laying the foundation, "I wouldn't have anything to stand on," Totton said.

He has been making his living as a performer since 2002 when he moved to N.Y. to become a professional dancer. Significant in his high school career was being the first and only male dancer on the Central High School pompon squad. He knew he could sing and dance, but one of his first acting roles in "You can't take it with you," a Red Dagger production, gave him an opportunity to explore theater.

"Miss Wyatt was a catalyst that moved me in the direction I've gone in," said Totton.

Totton said she helped him realize he had the aptitude to be a performer.

"She gave me the encouragement to go in this direction," Totton said. "I didn't realize the importance of what she was bringing into my life back then."

cpagano@semissourian.com

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