Theatre Northwest to present dark comedy April 9-12

A satirical woodland feud about hoarding, hunger and leadership will bring an unconventional cast of furry characters to the stage this spring in Northwest Missouri State University's next theatre production.

"The Squirrels," written by Tony Award nominee Robert Askins, follows Sciurus, the patriarch of a family of gray squirrels who has collected enough nuts to last 10 winters. When a group of starving fox squirrels begs him to share his food store, animosity erupts into a ferocious war.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9; Friday, April 10; and Saturday, April 11; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 12, in the Studio Theater at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. Due to mature themes and language, the play is best suited for college-aged audiences and older.

Tickets are $13 and may be purchased online by clicking here or at the box office one hour before each show.

The show is directed by Dr. Joe Kreizinger, a professor of theatre in the School of Fine and Performing Arts. He said the School selected the play because it includes performance elements that students don't typically encounter.

"It offers theatre students an exciting and creative challenge," Kreizinger said. "The characters are highly physical, which pushes actors to work in new ways while still telling a compelling story. It also gives our design and production teams the challenge of creating an imaginative theatrical world. It provides all our theatre students a unique opportunity that will help prepare them for professional careers in theatre."

The play takes place inside a tree and utilizes exaggerated animal behavior to encourage audiences to reflect on human nature.

"Using squirrel behavior to represent human behavior, this play explores how groups function when under duress and how individuals respond when resources and leadership are at stake," Kreizinger said. "By exploring these themes through satire, audiences are given some distance to reflect on human behaviors that can appear anytime and anywhere. It's the kind of comedy we hope will entertain while also sparking conversation afterward."

For more information about Theatre Northwest, call 660.562.1321 or email [email protected].