NW Missouri Times

Northwest Missouri State University is set to continue its 2024-25 theatre season with "A Spring Evening of One-Acts" from February 13 to 15. The event will showcase two student-directed plays, each lasting between 10 and 15 minutes, at the Black Box theater in the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts on campus. Performances start at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are available for $6 online or at the box office an hour before showtime.

The first play, "Lures," written by Jeanette D. Farr and directed by Chloe Petersen, a junior theatre tech and design major from Blue Springs, Missouri, explores a conversation between two strangers with hidden motives. It reveals how their feelings of vengeance and retribution help them move forward.

The second play, "Ashes to Ashes," written by Emily McClain and directed by Paige Waddingham, a junior speech and theatre education major from Creston, Iowa, delves into themes of letting go and releasing past traumas. Waddingham describes it as a story about family dynamics that offers closure through healing wounds.

Petersen notes that both plays tackle darker aspects of the human condition: “Both Paige and I have shows that relate to the darker, more taboo topics around the human condition and how to overcome them.” She emphasizes the importance of representing such stories as they are often overlooked.

These one-act plays are part of Theatre Northwest’s Lab Series, which involves students in directing, acting, designing, and stage-managing roles. Participation is mandatory for speech and theatre education majors.

Theatre Northwest's spring schedule will also feature "Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors" on February 21-22 and "God of Carnage" on March 28-29. The season concludes with "Pride and Prejudice: A New Musical" from April 10-13.