Theatre Northwest to present two student-directed plays

Theatre Northwest kicks off its spring season this month with two productions depicting humor, personal connections and love.

"The theater is a place where people can experience something that they have never seen before," Korbin Horton, a Northwest student directing one of the plays, said. "Seeing people move, talk and feel live is unlike anything you can experience watching a movie or a TV show. At Theatre Northwest, we tell stories that are meaningful and entertaining for all audiences whether you've seen countless plays, or this is your first one."

The first show, "Treehouse," written by Joe Musso, is directed by Remington Carter, a junior speech and theatre education major from Dearborn, Missouri. It will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, in the Studio Theater at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts.

The play follows 17-year-old Johnny and his two friends who enjoy spending time in their treehouse and talking about girls. Everything is typical until Johnny insists he has the mind of a 53-year-old. Johnny grapples with adolescence, love and the mind's ability to heal from great loss. He discovers what he calls "the eternal summer that shall not fade."

Appealing to a wide audience, Carter hopes the play and its characters resonates with viewers as they reflect on their own lives.

"I like the message behind the story," Carter said. "In my opinion, 'the eternal summer that shall not fade' is also symbolic of the things in life that we may take for granted. It's important just to appreciate those things, find the meaning in your life and appreciate it while it's still there."

For the remainder of the weekend, "Hearts Like Fists," written by Adam Szymkowicz, takes the stage. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, in the Studio Theater.

Horton, a junior theatre performance major from Treynor, Iowa, is directing the superhero comedy, which portrays the dangers of love when Dr. X sneaks into apartments and injects lovers with lethal poison. The Crimestoppers must work to stop evil and save the city.

Geared toward a young audience, the play shares common experiences of how to handle love and heartbreak. Horton chose the show for its unique, entertaining storyline.

"Behind all of the weird, silly, fun stuff that's happening, there are actual, real themes and messages that people can apply to their everyday lives," Horton said. "It does a good job of mixing both dramatic themes while also having a good, comedic and fun story."

As part of Theatre Northwest's Second Stage Repertory series, the productions are directed, acted, designed and stage-managed by students. Participation in the series is required for speech and theatre education majors.

"One thing I like that Theatre Northwest offers is they give you plenty of opportunities to be able to participate in your own way," Carter said. "You can act in shows that are led by faculty, but many of the shows are actually led by students. Having that opportunity allows you to build a connection with other peers. That's been super helpful in my time here at Northwest."

Tickets for both productions are $7 and available online at https://www.nwmissouri.edu/finearts/theatre/ or at the box office, beginning one hour before showtime.

The Theatre Northwest season concludes with "The Squirrels," April 9-12.

For more information about Theatre Northwest, call 660.562.1321 or email [email protected].