Students in the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith’s theatre department will perform a rendition of Tennessee William’s play “Night of the Iguana” Oct. 19-21 and 23-24 as part of the university’s Season of Entertainment 37.

 

The performances, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. each night, will be held in Breedlove Auditorium, located at 5120 Grand Ave. Admission is $6 or with a season ticket.

 

The stirring drama is set in a coastal hotel in Costa Verde, where a washed-up pastor and an artist search within each other for answers to life back-dropped by the fighting of World War II. The show is rated for ages 13 and older for mature themes.

 

Theatre @ UAFS Director Bob Stevenson said the play is one “that all serious actors want to work on.”

 

“You’ve got a two-hour piece that is really about building a character and then bouncing that work off of other actors to create a magical and poignant journey for the audience,” Stevenson said. “We’ve got a lot of younger actors in the cast this time - more than half are in there first semester in the program - and I think this is great way to cut their teeth on college theatre. I can’t wait for people to see the world that we are able to create, and get drawn into the mystery and passion of these people.”

 

Stevenson added the department will also perform the play at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival this year.

 

“It’s the first time we’ve toured a show since 2015, having hosted the last two festivals here at UAFS,” he said. “So we’re excited about the chance to get back to our roots of traveling a show to festival and representing the quality of UAFS to other institutions.”

 

Students performing in the play are:

 

Alma: Tony Corbell, Madison Smith and Molly Tennison.

 

Charleston: Kaitlin McKellip.

 

Elkins: Cheyanna Stricket.

 

Fort Smith: Matt Bowers, Dallas Bryant, Tessa Cooksey, Alexis Inthavong, Eden Martin, Devin Phongsavanh, Naomi Ponthieux, Bethany Prpich and Jackalynn Self.

 

Greenwood: Lee Hartsock.

 

Lavaca: Kaitlyn Lichti, Savannah Orison, Jacob Price and Colton Turner.

 

Magazine: Colten Siddons.

 

Mansfield: Taylor Martin.

 

North Little Rock: Alex Sanders.

 

Ozark: Aiyana Andrew, Cece Cooper and Ashley Eatmon.

 

Pocola, Okla.: Paige Lokey.

 

Prairie Grove: Sam Benton.

 

Rogers: Kari Carbajal.

 

Sallisaw, Okla.: Andrew Duch.

 

Van Buren: Kevin Baily and Tori Buie.

 

The show is part of Season of Entertainment 37, a year-long lineup of entertainment sponsored by the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith featuring a variety of plays, musicals and symphonic performances.

 

Tickets are available by contacting the UAFS Box Office at 479-788-7300 or visiting http://uafs.universitytickets.com.

 

About the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith is the premiere regional institution of Western Arkansas, connecting education with careers and serving as a driver of economic development and quality of place in the greater Fort Smith region. Small class sizes, dedicated faculty and staff, affordable tuition rates, and a diverse on-campus culture allow UAFS students to fully explore their areas of interest in ways that prepare them for post-graduate success academically, professionally, and personally. To find out what makes UAFS just right for you, go to www.uafs.edu.