The theatre department at Northwest Missouri State University presented two productions at the Ron Houston Studio Theatre last weekend: Treehouse and Hearts Like Fists.
Both shows held auditions at the start of the semester and rehearsed throughout the term. Remington Carter, director of Treehouse, praised the dedication of the cast. “I'm so proud of them. They've put in so much work to make this show happen, sacrificing their time and always willing to put in the extra effort,” Carter said.
Treehouse follows Johnny, a 53-year-old man forced to relive the traumas of his youth. As he experiences life again at 17, his friends and family struggle to reconcile the person they once knew. The play mixes humor with serious themes, including loss, love, self-identity, alcoholism, abuse and suicide. “There's a good mix of comedy and drama,” Carter said. “Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, but it's not all dark either.”
Hearts Like Fists tells a comedic story of a young woman torn between romance and becoming a crimefighter to stop the villain Dr. X. The show explores different forms of love, from platonic to romantic, and the moral dilemmas characters face. Lizzie Clark, a first-year student playing the leader of the Crimefighters, said, “The show is about love, all kinds of love… It is a journey of finding what love means to you.”
Director Korbin Horton described the production as lighthearted and aimed at entertaining audiences, particularly college students. “I wanted to pick something fun and entertaining so the audience could actually have fun and not be bored,” Horton said.
Both productions were performed over the weekend, highlighting the talent and dedication of Northwest Missouri State’s theatre students.