Susan Deiger
UNK Theatre, 308.865.8406
The University of Nebraska at Kearney theatre and Alpha Psi Omega theatre honor society will present Samuel Hunter’s “A Bright New Boise” Wednesday- Sunday, Oct. 3-7.
According to student director Kyle Kuypers of Kearney, “A Bright New Boise” follows Will, played by Ryan Hruza of Ord, a disgraced evangelical from Northern Idaho who takes a job at a Hobby Lobby in Boise to reconnect with his estranged son Alex, played by Nate Rocke of Lincoln. The break room is the main setting where the rest of the employees gather including, the sweet, retiring Anna, played by Taylor Hubbard of Hastings; the slacker artist Leroy, played by Colter Lemmon of Crawford; and manager Pauline, played by Charisa Ramsey of Lincoln, who deals with crises both real and imagined.
As Will’s fellow employees begin to uncover dark secrets from his past and become interested in his reasons for leaving his church, he must choose between a healthy relationship with his son, or hold onto the beliefs that have given his life meaning.
The play will be performed at 7 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, in the Studio Theatre, which located on the lower level of the UNK Fine Arts Building.
Tickets for the show are $8 for adults; $6 for non-UNK students, faculty and staff; $5 for groups of 10 or more; and free for UNK students with a valid ID. The production contains strong language and is not recommended for audiences under 16 years of age.
The technical crew for “A Bright New Boise” includes Ryan Bevard of Cozad, assistant stage manager; Jamie Bentley of Fremont, lighting designer; Kyle Patrick Garrelt of Kearney, scenic designer; Joe Knipsel of Kearney, stage manager; and Crystal Schroeder of Omaha, costume designer.
UNK faculty involved in the production include Rick Scholwin, sound designer, and Darin Himmerich, technical director.