After two years, several workshops, an off-off-Broadway reading and many revisions, an original musical collaboration between a Southeast alumnus and a department chair is finally coming full-circle.

“An American Hero” will house its world premiere in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall beginning Sept. 27. The musical is the brainchild of Southeast alumnus Cody Cole and Conservatory of Theatre and Dance Chair Kenn Stilson, and it began as a simple idea just a few years ago.

Originally, Cole approached Stilson to write the book for a creative concept he had involving an Irish immigrant and his romance with an American woman during the turmoil of World War II.

Director Michael McIntosh has been with the show since its beginning and said the experience has been a long process culminating in a rare and wonderful opportunity.

“The show was workshopped twice at the River Campus and we got audience feedback both times, then we were able to bring it to New York for a staged reading and now we’re back here for the world premiere,” he said. “This kind of thing doesn’t really ever happen at a university level.”

__Creating the look: 1940s fashion__

World War II is a prominent feature in “An American Hero,” so it is important to get the authenticity just right. In addition to civilian clothes, costumers for the show also have to recreate military uniforms that are true to the era.

Costume shop supervisor Deana Luetkenhaus is in charge of all the military and combat costumes for the show. She faced an interesting challenge when trying to achieve the desired looks for the show.

“The costumes were new replicas when we got them in, but we’ve had to make them look distressed, muddy, bloody and like they’ve gone through a lot,” she said. “We’re using paint, nail files and wax crayons to get the desired look. We want them to look like they’ve been through battle at Normandy Beach.”

For the civilian costumes, it was important to consider the social status of the characters to get an accurate portrayal.

“Most of the civilians are working men and women,” she said. “We have to take that into consideration when picking out pieces.”

In addition to the wardrobe of the show, cast members also received haircuts in the 1940s style so helmets and other headpieces would fit properly during the fitting process.

“It can be difficult to get authenticity,” Luetkenhaus said. “We do a lot of research to make sure everything is accurate.”

__Going to battle: choreographing D-Day__

While “An American Hero” is essentially a love story between an Irish immigrant and an American woman, the main focus of the show is the hardship of war and discovery of what makes a true American hero.

Thomas O’Brien, the show’s protagonist, gets drafted to fight in World War II, leaving his wife Mary to stay on the homefront. Throughout his journey, Thomas must face the gritty realities of battle, including combat.

To bring these elements to the show, assistant professor of theatre in stage combat Bart Williams was brought in.

“I’ve been involved with the show since April,” he said. “We’re showing the journey of the story through the fights.”

There are several fight and combat scenes throughout the show, and while believability is important, Williams said his No. 1 priority is ensuring the safety of the actors.

“I want to make sure the actors are safe ‘in the moment,’” he said. “We have to choreograph everything so that there’s no winging it onstage.”

__Bringing it all together__

Director Michael McIntosh feels the show will be a touching and relatable story for everyone who comes to see it.

“Everyone’s gonna see a little piece of themselves in [the show],” he said. “It’s a show about love, determination and heroism that we can all relate to.”

“An American Hero” will show at the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall of Southeast’s River Campus Thursday, Sept. 27, through Sunday, Oct. 1. Southeast’s student government will offer discounted student tickets for the Sept. 28 performance. More information can be found by visiting www.rivercampus.org or calling the River Campus Box Office at (573) 651-2265.