DRAMA TEACHER'S STANDING OVATION

Twenty-five years of elaborate musical productions at Notre Dame High School inspired an elaborate thank-you Sunday to the woman who has directed those shows.

Notre Dame drama and English teacher Cindy King was given a surprise party by more than 100 friends, students, former students and family members at the school gymnasium.

As she was led in, expecting to find a somber school meeting in progress and the principal needing a microphone hooked up, she was greeted by a standing ovation. She was seated in an easy chair at the foot of Notre Dame's stage and a series of former students sang songs from some of the productions King has directed since 1973.

"I hope somebody got a tape of it because I was just in shock," King said after the party. "There have been a lot of cover-ups this week that are starting to fit into place now."

King began directing shows at Notre Dame her first year as a drama teacher. Her shows have ranged from the first production, "Fiddler on the Roof," to "West Side Story," "Guys and Dolls" and this year's show, "Annie Get Your Gun," which begins in April.

"It just makes me realize how important this is to their lives," she said. "Not necessarily me but the performance aspect. The chance that they get when they're in school to be able to do that and it's a positive influence on their lives from then on.

"I guess eventually I'll sit down and really cry this all out. But what kept coming to me as they were performing was, Wow look how they've grown and what beautiful people they all are."

The presentation was led by 1985 Notre Dame graduate and Broadway actor Roger Seyer, who was able to take some time off from performing in "Miss Saigon" to travel from New York for the party.

"It means a lot to me to be here for her, obviously, or I wouldn't be here," Seyer said. "She kind of helped inspire my love for theater. I think it was always there but she was one of the important people in my life who said it was OK to like that.

"As far as musical theater is concerned here at Notre Dame, that's Cindy King. She's the person that does it and is the driving force behind it."

King's mother, Lourine King, was in the audience and predicted beforehand that her daughter was going to be more than surprised when she came in the auditorium.

"She's going to cry," she said. "The theater is really her life, it's what keeps her going. That and the students."

Sister Mary Ann Fischer, Notre Dame's principal, said King is impressive in motivating as many as 100 students per production.

"Some people can just teach but some people are very creative. I have never seen a more creative drama person who can get so many kids involved in the learning process while putting on a production," Fischer said. "That sums it up, that's Cindy King."

That creativity, Fischer said, is what led to such an elaborate celebration, which took a year to prepare.

King said as the shock began to wear off she realized that she was being treated to a good bit of theater on its own.

"All this entertainment and I didn't have to plan a thing," she said. "Truthfully, teaching is wonderful some of the time. But every year the musical is really where my heart is. When you pile that up for 25 years, I can't believe I lived through it to tell you the truth.

"This sure gives me a lot of energy for this year."