First-year theatre students to perform annual showcase Oct. 9-12

First-year theatre students at Northwest Missouri State University will perform in the 35th annual First-Year Student Showcase, featuring the heartbreaking story of a woman who is denied her dreams of traveling to space.

"They Promised Her the Moon" by Laurel Ollstein follows the true story of Jerrie Cobb, the first woman to test for spaceflight. Despite her exemplary performance, she was turned down for the chance to go to space due to her gender.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9-11 and 2 p.m. Oct. 12, in the Studio Theater at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased by visiting https://www.nwmissouri.edu/finearts/theatre/ or at the box office one hour before each show.

The production is directed by Billie McCoy, a senior speech and theatre education major from Raytown, Missouri.

"It's important for Bearcats and community members to come support the program and, most importantly, to make our freshmen feel welcome," McCoy said. "Secondly, I think it's valuable for the community to learn about how Jerrie Cobb worked so hard but had her dreams taken away because of something she couldn't control. It's a powerful story to talk about, especially in this day and age."

This first-year showcase introduces Theatre Northwest's new students, giving them the chance to step into the spotlight for the first time. Lead actress Phoenix Erwin, a freshman theater and music major from Elkhorn, Nebraska, studied her character by reading Cobb's autobiography, "Woman Into Space: The Jerrie Cobb Story."

"I'm really proud of myself for taking on the role of Jerrie Cobb because she's onstage for almost the entire show," Erwin said. "It's been a challenge with all the lines to memorize, but it's also pushed me into new areas of acting I haven't explored before. It has been an exciting and rewarding experience."

Theatre Northwest's season continues with "When We Were Young and Unafraid," Nov. 13-16; "Treehouse," Feb. 20-21; "Hearts Like Fists," Feb. 21-22 and "The Squirrels," April 9-12.