News Home

DSU theatre department to present One-Acts

The Dakota State University theatre department will be presenting two one act plays this April 20-23 at 7:30pm. The two, one-act plays are performed together for an evening of theatre at the Dakota Prairie Playhouse. Laundry and Bourbon is an all female cast and Lone Star is an all male cast. James McLure wrote both plays.

The women in Laundry and Bourbon are Heather Robertson, a junior English Information Systems major from Madison as Elizabeth; Amy Schroeder, a freshman Elementary Education major from Spencer as Hattie and Melissa Wulf, a sophomore Multimedia/Web Development major from Newell as Amy Lee.

The men in Lone Star are Matt Wilson, a junior Information Systems major from Beresford as Roy; John Woodraska, a senior Information Systems major from Kimball as Ray, and Rob Dale, a freshman Computer for Information Systems major from Miller as Cletis.

            Laundry and Bourbon is about a woman (Elizabeth) who is trying to come to terms with a husband (Roy) who has a mind of his own. He’s just returned from Vietnam and is having a hard time finding himself. Nothing is working for him, in turn affecting his wife and her life.  He’s been gone for a couple of days with no word. She’s pregnant and wondering where he is. A friend (Hattie) comes over to visit her, then Amy Lee (who is Cletis’ wife an acquaintance of Roy’s) shows up with some gossip about Roy.

“I needed someone physically attractive with a great depth of emotion to play Elizabeth and I was lucky enough to have Heather Robertson audition-she’s new to the DSU stage,” said Susan Conover, DSU theatre director. “The characters of Hattie and Amy Lee are stereotypically, small town, small minded, social climbers-and Melissa Wulf and Amy Schroeder have a great comic chemistry as they compete for just about everything-best mom, best husband, best bridge player, etc.”

Lone Star shows us what Roy is doing.  He’s drunk behind Angel’s bar reliving the war, reliving past glories, and wondering what he is going to do with the rest of his life.  He loves his wife, his convertible and Texas. He hates Oklahoma and Cletis.  Nothing is working out for him, but he is gradually “getting it together.”

            “Matt and John play brothers. They get along so well and have so much fun together in real life that they seem almost like brothers,” Conover said. “They both play comedy very well. Matt looks like a leading man.”

            “Dale is a freshman who plays the nerd, Cletis,” added Conover. “He is more serious than Matt and John, so he’s a nice contrast to their silliness.”

Eleven men and 13 women auditioned for the six roles. Laundry and Bourbon will be performed first with Lone Star following. Conover says the show will be done “thrust” or ¾ round on the Dakota Prairie Playhouse stage with the audience sitting on stage.

Admission is free for DSU students with an ID;  $7 for general admission; $4 for faculty, staff, seniors and junior/senior high school; and $3.00 for children under 12.

The characters in Lone Star are rowdy and rambunctious good, ol’ Texas boys whose language gets mighty salty, and is not recommend for children.