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Casts announced for annual one-act productions
Tuesday, December 01, 2009

CANTON, Mo. – The Culver-Stockton College annual student-directed one act plays will be performed on Saturday, December 12, 14, and 15 in the Mabee Little Theatre. The plays are directed by the students enrolled in “Directing,” a theatre capstone course taught by Haidee Heaton, associate professor of theatre.

Mafia on Prozac, directed by Travis Dahlhauser, junior speech and theatre education major from Rockford, Ill., is a dark comedy that takes place on a dock above a river. On this dock are two middle-aged mafia hitmen and a man in a bag they were hired to kill. The mafia men discuss their struggles with aging, how the "business" is changing, and whether or not they should complete the current task at hand. The man in the bag has quite a bit to say about it himself. The one-act stars Beau Becraft, junior communications major from Memphis, Mo., as Tee; Aaron Robertson, junior arts management major from Taylorville, Ill., as Jay; and Jordan Hughes, sophomore music education major from Grant City, Mo., as Matt.

In Whitney Colston’s one-act The Fiancé, fifteen-year-old Diane has been invited out to meet her step-sister's fiancé but at the last minute decides not to go, feigning sickness. When her sister and cousin discover this, a conversation about Diane's refusal to meet "the fiancé" launches discussion about the ideals of marriage and love and trust. This introspective and heartfelt play features Erin Carmody, sophomore speech and theatre education major from St. Louis, Mo., as Diane; Meghan Townley, freshman arts management major from Quincy, Ill., as Jessica; and Hollyann Lillie, freshman musical theatre major from Roscoe, Ill., as Jackie. Colston is a junior musical theatre major from Neosho, Mo.,

Zach Martin, junior theatre major from Decatur, Ill., will direct WASP, by Steve Martin, a play about a small, nuclear family living in the '50s. Each member of the family is trying to live his or her life within the guidelines and expectations of personal religious beliefs and chosen lifestyle. The audience will get to see members of the family deals with feelings about lifestyle, family, and themselves. The cast includes Ian Heath, sophomore pre-law/theatre major from St. Louis, Mo., as Dad; Erin McAvoy, junior English education major from Bluffton, Ind., as Mom; Jeff DeGraw, freshman theatre major from Canton, Mo., as Son; Kirsten Sindelar, freshman musical theatre major from Sherrard, Ill., as Sis; Kyle Darnell, senior art major from Warrenton, Mo., as the Voice; and Aden Eilts, freshman arts management major from Prairie Village, Kan., as Roger/Premiere.

Bert’s Golf Pants directed by senior arts management major, Heather Tranbarger, from Hamilton, Mo., stars Joey Burbach, sophomore music major from Grant City, Mo; Amanda Lebak, sophomore arts management major from Monroe City, Mo.; Ali Polat, sophomore undecided major from Canton, Mo.; and Brittany Hendrix, freshman arts management major from Davenport, Iowa. The story is a family comedy/drama centered around the preparations for a wedding that reveals the latest family drama.

The Midlife Crisis of Dionysus will be directed by senior arts management major, Sean Myers, from Hannibal, Mo. It centers on the Greek god of wine and revelry as he turns 50. The moments are both funny and touching as he learns to deal with getting older and gets to the root of problems he’s had his entire life. Ben Abts, senior biology major from Robertsville, Mo. will star as Dionysus; Kat Patrick, sophomore arts management major from Grant City, Mo., will portray Ariadne; Nymph will be played by Jennifer Smith, junior religion major from McLeansboro, Ill.; Ana Rucker, senior music major from Macon, Mo., will play Gladys; and Guy will be played by Patrick Espanol, freshman undecided major from Chicago, Ill.

Nobody Sleeps, directed by senior arts management major Danielle Hauer from Troy, Mo., is a comedic one-act about a quirky family and its unique interaction with a house burglar. The Busby family criticizes and ridicules the work being done by the amateur burglar rather than turn to the police. The cast includes Kate Wooters, senior theatre major from Moweaqua, Ill., as Mrs. Busby; Kayla Vanderbilt, freshman history education major from Lemont, Ill., as Daisy; Kayla Pickel, sophomore criminal justice and psychology major from Taylorville, Ill., as Ada; Shauna Peters, junior music major from Kirksville, Mo., as Glory; and Andrew Rutherford, senior art major from Decatur, Ill., as Spike.

In The Actor’s Nightmare, directed by senior arts management major, Teri Terford, from Hamilton, Ill., a lead actor for a theatre production gets into a car accident and George Spelvin, who hasn’t been rehearsing and doesn’t know any lines, is thrown into his place. The cast includes: Nick Johnson, freshman theatre major from Fieldon, Ill., as George; Dakota McKee, sophomore theatre major from Pittsfield, Ill., as Sarah; Susannah Mohaupt, junior nursing major from Rockford, Ill., as Meg; Kathy Holstein, freshman theatre major from Branson, Mo., as Ellen; and Tim Maples, freshman theatre major from Chicago, Ill., as Henry/Executioner.

Fog on the Mountain will be directed by Amanda Eisele, junior arts management major from Mexico, Mo. Set in the remote mountains of New England, the story involves a sinister old witch-woman, her unhappy ward, and the well-meaning friends who hope to set her free from the woman’s spell. The cast includes: Jerica Exum, junior arts management major from Chicago, Ill.; Kiana Reed, freshman theatre major from Chicago, Ill.; Anna Nytes, freshman art major from Quincy, Ill.; Drew Thompson, junior biological chemistry/pre-med major from San Antonio, Texas; Josh Kollitz, freshman music education major from Grant City, Mo.; and Kayla Pickel, sophomore criminal justice and psychology major from Taylorville, Ill.

The student-directed one-acts will be performed on December 12 at 3 and 7:30 p.m., and December 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mabee Little Theatre in the Robert W. Brown Performing Arts Center. Admission is free, and performances are open to the public. For more information contact the C-SC Fine Arts Division at finearts@culver.edu or 573-288-6413.