The Wayne State College Theatre Program presents “Hearts Like Fists” by Adam Szymkowicz Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 21-24 in the Black Box Theatre, located in the Lied Performing Arts Annex of the Peterson Fine Arts Building. Curtain times are 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $5 per person, with free admission for Wayne State students, faculty, and staff. Tickets are available at the door with no reserved seats, but seating is limited. The show runs about 90 minutes, and “Hearts Like Fists” is produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Services, Inc.
“Hearts Like Fists” dispenses a humorous dose of empathy on the subjects of love, heartache, and the sting of rejection. In comic book fashion, the superhero drama involves a scorned villain, nurses turned crimefighters, a lovelorn heart surgeon, and a serial heartbreaker.
When rejected Dr. X decides to destroy love by injecting sleeping lovers with poison, the elite Crimefighters, nurses by day, come to the rescue. BAM! SMASH! KAPOW! Serial heartbreaker Lisa joins the fight, searching for her true purpose in life. Meanwhile, Dr. Peter, a heart surgeon, vows to create an artificial heart immune from heartache’s trauma. Will the Crimefighters succeed before Dr. X destroys love forever? Will Dr. Peter and Lisa find love? “Hearts Like Fists” is fun, farcical, and far too familiar.
Cast members include:
Missouri Valley, Iowa – Mariah Pleskac;
Ainsworth – Victor Carranza Juarez;
Ashton – Ethan Frangenberg;
Broken Bow – Christopher Osmond;
Columbus – Riley Gausman, Ayanna Barragan Morales;
David City – Tate Hain;
Geneva – Reilly Vrbka;
La Vista – Ava Jane Albracht;
Minden – Sadie Holmes;
Murray – Ella Lewis;
Omaha – Victoria Harrington;
O’Neill – Reggie Roessler;
Stuart – Mary Belle Hamilton;
Wayne – Ethan Knight, Rowan Knight; and
Wakefield – Stephanie Palma.
Mollie Young, adjunct professor of theatre at Wayne State, is the director with Ashly Gunderson, Ida Grove, Iowa, serving as stage manager, and Maria Sellers, Omaha, as assistant stage manager. Young also serves as intimacy coordinator.
Brian Begley, associate professor of theatre at Wayne State, is the technical director, scenic designer, lighting designer, and fight choreographer, with choreography assistance by fight captain Anna Mayes, Beemer.
Maddie Fairman, Papillion, is the concept artist. Costume designer is Anna Bjorklund, Wayne, with Astria Smith, Omaha; Anna Wells, Ceresco; Claire Jensen, Winside; Katie Stodieck, Schuyler; and Mariah Pleskac serving as costume assistants.
The props master is Kyle Hubbell Le Mars, Iowa. The building, lighting, electrics, set, and props crew includes Hailey Anderson Bennett, Sioux City, Iowa; Sophia Cadotte, Raymond; Angel Carias, David City; Rover Flynn, Blair; Victoria Harrington and Maria Sellers, Omaha; Hannah Kleinschmit, Wausa; Ethan Plog, Alliance; Madison Reisner, Zarke Yates, Ethan Knight, and Rowan Knight, Wayne; Sebastian Rodriguez, York; Mary Hamilton, Stuart; Kaitlyn Nelson, Castana, Iowa; Kaite Stodieck, Reilly Vrbka, Maddie Fairman, Kyle Hubbell, Stephanie Palma, and Ayanna Barragan Morales.
For more information, contact Mollie Young at moyoung1@wsc.edu.
