Southeast Missouri State University River Campus officially kicks off its 2018 Summer Arts Festival season Thursday, with a performance of �Little Shop of Horrors: The Musical,� with �The 39 Steps� and �Legally Blonde Jr.� opening Friday, followed by a day full of art, music, performances and concessions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Rhonda Weller-Stilson, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and director of the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts, has organized the event since it began and said last year there were nearly 3,500 in attendance during the one-day event, not including performance turnout.

�We�re in our fifth year,� she said. �It�s literally a two-week period here at the River Campus for us to celebrate the arts. We call the entire umbrella the River Campus Summer Arts Festival and the shows are part of the whole festival.�

She said the first event is Thursday, which will be opening night for �Little Shop of Horrors.� On Friday, �The 39 Steps,� opens, which Weller-Stilson described as the adult comedy for the festival.

Weller-Stilson said �Legally Blonde Jr.� also will open Friday in Bedel Performance Hall. On Saturday, �Legally Blonde Jr.� will run two more times at 10 a.m. and at 3 p.m.

�Little Shop of Horrors,� one of the longest running Off-Broadway shows, is a dark sci-fi comedy musical with a 1960s pop/rock score. The story follows Seymour, a meek and dejected floral shop employee who finds an unusual plant, which develops a soulful voice, a sailor mouth and a taste for human blood.

�Legally Blonde Jr.� is a family friendly musical based on the book by Amanda Brown that was a made into a film then a hit Broadway musical about Elle Woods as she addresses stereotypes, snobbery and scandal while chasing her dreams.

�The 39 Steps� is about an ordinary man thrust into a nationwide manhunt while trying to evade the mysterious 39 Steps organization.

She said �Legally Blonde Jr.� closes June 17, but �Little Shop of Horrors� and �The 39 Steps� will run until June 27 � the last day of the Summer Arts Festival season � with alternating performance nights.

Weller-Stilson labeled it as a �total summer festival,� with Saturday being the one day that is free to attend with �all the unusual activities.�

�If you�re someone who has children, then you�re going to want to head down to the bottom of the hill where they have the big kids art tent,� she said. �That�s also where the magician is. But, we have bouncy houses in the quad, so they love that, too.�

For adults, Weller-Stilson said, there will be a World War I exhibit in a mobile museum, along with an entertainment stage featuring the Jerry Ford orchestra.

One of the big activities will be the �avenue of art,� Weller-Stilson said, which is where people can create their own art with chalk on a piece of the patio.

A new event this year will be yoga for kids on the patio, according to she said.

This year�s festival will also feature film, along with showings of Fault-Line Film Festival movies and a class in which people can experience aerial dance.

�In the museum, chief White Eagle will be here sharing stories and information,� Weller-Stilson said.

The food truck lineup this year will include Sugar Chic Creamery, Kona Ice, Caribbeana Creole Taqueria, Easy Street SoCo Food and Chartwells, she said.

Weller-Stilson said in previous years, people have arrived at 10 a.m. and didn�t leave until 5 p.m.

�And it�s all free, except if you choose to purchase food and drink,� she said. �But you can bring your own food and drink. You can bring a picnic if you want.�

One major thing Weller-Stilson wanted to emphasize is the free shuttle service during the festival, made possible by the Rotary Club.

She said the shuttle � which will run on a half-hour schedule � will start at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, with stops at the corner of Normal Avenue and Pacific Street; Broadway and Pacific Street; a couple stops along Broadway; one at the bottom of the Common Pleas Courthouse steps at Spanish and Themis streets; and one at the River Campus.

Weller-Stilson said the shuttle service is primarily for people who don�t have a car or for those who choose not to drive.

Parking is free during the event, though, she said.

For the full River Campus Summer Arts Festival season schedule, visit www.rivercampus.org.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632