NW Missouri Times

The students of Alpha Psi Omega, the theatre honor society at Northwest Missouri State University, are preparing to present their annual children's play this holiday season. The original play, titled "Plot Twisters," is written by Grace Garrigan, a senior majoring in speech and theatre education from Council Bluffs, Iowa. It tells the story of a young girl seeking companions who share her passion for reading and writing.

Paige Waddingham, also a senior in speech and theatre education from Creston, Iowa, directs the play. Waddingham expressed hope that the production would "inspire people to be imaginative and reignite their love for literature."

The performance will be open to the public on Friday, December 13th at 7:30 p.m., held in the Studio Theater at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. Admission is free, but donations of canned food for local pantries will be accepted.

Following this debut, Alpha Psi Omega plans a tour from December 16th to 20th visiting elementary schools around Maryville and in other locations such as St. Joseph in Missouri; Council Bluffs in Iowa; and Omaha in Nebraska.

Waddingham explained that "APO is about bringing theatre to others and keeping the art alive," noting that one goal of APO is "to relieve some of that stress that others might have about theatre."

Alpha Psi Omega is a national honor society dedicated to students majoring in theatre with membership criteria based on both production involvement and academic success. Besides its annual children's show tour, APO sponsors various events throughout the year supporting charitable initiatives.