This weekend the Lawrence theatre arts department kicks off its 75th year at Lawrence with a production of Jeff Daniels’ Boom Town. Theatre students have been undergoing intense production over the past few weeks under the direction of Professor Tim Troy in order to put on a stunning show for the start of the school year.Boom Town is a story of a small-town women caught up in small-town politics who dreams of running off to Chicago and starting anew. The themes of love and betrayal, embodied by Daniels’ strong characters, make Boom Town a drama that is deeply moving amidst driving action.
Three theatre arts students in particular have been indispensable in bringing Boom Town to the stage, as this production will serve as their senior project this year. Simonne Cullen, Zach Johnson, and Dan Whitely chose the script and cast the play themselves.
“I wanted to work closely with a small group of strong and committed students on such a well-written and rewarding play,” says Troy, “and they’ve shown very mature and creative engagement in the material.” Dave Owens, Adam Schwoerer, Brianne Muller, Adam Strong and Megan Flod are among the other students who have been working behind the scenes to make this production great.
So be sure to see Boom Town, playing in the Cloak Theatre on Friday, Sept 24, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 23, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.