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One-act duet to be staged at Northeast

One-act duet to be staged at Northeast

NORFOLK - The Northeast Players acting troupe at Northeast Community College are putting the finishing touches on a pair of one-act plays they will be performing next week. “The Assassin’s Duet” will be staged in the Cox Activities Center on the Northeast campus Thursday, May 4, Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. A matinee will be performed on Sunday, May 7, at 2 p.m.

 “The Assassin’s Duet” is a showcase of two one-act plays, “The Trips” by Dustin Robert Blakeman, and “The Dumb Waiter” by Nobel-Prize winning playwright Harold Pinter.

A dark dramedy set in 1999, “The Trips” involves three men have been given instructions to end a stranger’s life. As they sitting impatiently in a room waiting for him to arrive, tempers flare and bodies begin to pile up.

“The Dumb Waiter,” a dark comedy from Pinter’s early career, begins with two British assassins in a basement awaiting their orders. The situation is complicated by a dumb waiter, which delivers increasingly strange orders as the play unfolds.

The production is directed by Adam Peterson, Northeast’s director of theatre, who also serves as production manager. Peterson is assisted by Tyler Kaul, Springfield, SD.

“Rehearsals have been going very well, and I’ve been excited to see the students connect with some very challenging material,” said Peterson. “These two shows have been paired together because they are very different in their approach, time period and location. However, both still have many undeniable similarities. I think the audience will enjoy both stories because they involve assassins in some high-stakes scenarios.”

Cast for “The Trips” includes Bethany Phelps, Norfolk, as Graham; Paige Moeller, Wisner, as Roland; and Allan Brenner, Cuiaba, Brazil, as Lowell.

“The Dumb Waiter” will showcase Marie Kubo, Norfolk, as Ben; and Jake Allemang, Neligh, as Gus.

Design and tech for the show is provided by students in Peterson’s Play Production and Applied Theatre courses. They include Layne Roth, Norfolk, stage manager; Mike Ashker, Battle Creek, assistant stage manager; Paige Moeller, Wisner, light designer; Bethany Phelps, Norfolk, sound designer; Aaron De La Rosa, Norfolk, costume designer and wardrobe; Sadie Johanson, Pierce, scenic designer and prop master; Tyler Kaul, Springfield, SD, master carpenter; Kat Stuthman, Norfolk, light engineer; Tanner Alcorn, Fremont, sound engineer; and Hannah Wick, Pleasanton, trainer. April Taylor and Marie Kubo serve as front of house and line readers for “The Trips” and “The Dumb Waiter,” respectively.

“The Assassin’s Duet” has also been entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, where it is eligible for awards in response by a representative for the organization.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students and free for Northeast Community College students. For reservations, contact Peterson at (402) 844-7763. The production contains adult language and situations.

 

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