BROWNWOOD – February 28, 2013 – The Howard Payne University Department of Theatre will present its first spring production, “Stealing Home,” in several performances Thursday, Feb. 28, through Monday, March 4. The final performance of the show will open the Christian University Theatre Festival, held March 4-6, in which HPU will host acting companies from Hardin-Simmons University, Lubbock Christian University and Wayland Baptist University.
The Christian University Theatre Festival was created approximately 20 years ago by the theatre directors from HPU, Hardin-Simmons and Wayland Baptist as a means to come together to share their art and love of theatre in a Christian setting.
“Our students forge friendships which begin at CUTF and last for many years,” said Dr. Nancy Jo Humfeld, head of the HPU theatre department. “As professors and students, it is fun to see the same folks in different roles through the years of attending CUTF.”
“Stealing Home” is a comedy about two thieves, Cecil and Pug, who get more than anticipated when they accidentally break into a funeral home. Cast members include Gabi Guest, a sophomore from Midlothian; Tucker Hull, a junior from Brownwood; Hannah Jansen, a sophomore from Erie, Colo.; Brittany Martin, a sophomore from Goldthwaite; Ben Mohundro, a freshman from Frisco; Jared Russell, a junior from Hillsboro; Phoenix Solis, a senior from Brownwood; Alex Taliaferro, a sophomore from Haslet; Dorie Walton, a sophomore from Lolita; Jarrod White, a junior from Ben Wheeler; and Kelsan Wolverton, a sophomore from Lampasas.
Performances of “Stealing Home” will be February 28, March 1, March 2 and March 4 at 7:30 p.m. and March 3 at 2:30 p.m. Wayland Baptist University will present its production of David Mamet’s “The Water Engine” on Tuesday, March 5, at 1:00 p.m. Lubbock Christian University’s production of “Shadowlands,” the story of C.S. Lewis and his marriage to Joy Davidman Gresham, will be Tuesday evening at 8:00 p.m. The final performance will be Hardin-Simmons’ production of “Red,” a story about artist Mark Rothko, Wednesday, March 6, at 1:00 p.m.
All performances will be at the HPU Theatre. Tickets for CUTF shows are $5.00 per show, with the exception of HPU’s performance of “Stealing Home” which will be free to HPU faculty, staff and students.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the box office at (325) 649-8516.
“We encourage everyone to join us for these wonderful plays that encompass a broad range of theatre genres,” Humfeld said. “What a treat to be able to see four plays in little more than 48 hours! The quality of the shows is always stellar and it is nice to know that they will all be true to our university’s Christian mission.”
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Photo cutline: HPU students Jarrod White (left) and Tucker Hull rehearse a scene from “Stealing Home.” Photo by Katie Mullaney, HPU junior.