The University of Central Missouri Theatre Department hosted a night of one-act plays on Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Nickerson Black Box. The evening consisted of four performances, each about 10 minutes long and these shows ran until Feb. 12.

  The night began with a performance of the short play “Living in Fear” by Christopher Lindsay. The audience was instantly met by four amusing and unique characters: Phill the bottle-shaking jock, played by junior BFA theatre performance major Riley Given, Boris the Russian assassin, played by junior BFA theatre performance major Ryan Foster, Jill the sticky-handed thief, played by sophomore musical theatre major Miranda Muenz, and Dave the twitchy cult member, played by junior BFA performance major Jace Nielson. Each actor gave their own personal touches and characterization to their roles in forms of accents and ticks. With a shocking ending and a comedic tone, this show was a delight to watch. 

  As the lights dimmed and the serene sounds of bird song rang throughout the black box, the scene shifted to the woodland landscape of “The Missing Link” by Emily Hagemann. The audience was introduced to a cryptid-obsessed father and his realist son, respectively played by sophomore BFA theatre major Finn Juliano and freshman BFA performance major Quinn Allen. The two began by bickering back and forth over the existence of Bigfoot, when suddenly the argument took on a more serious tone, as for the first time in years, the two family members shared a genuine conversation. Both actors in this heartwarming piece gave incredibly realistic performances. As the pair embraced, celebrating a newfound appreciation for each other, the lights once again faded to black, leaving the audience in silence. 

  Then, a faint whistling was heard and the third one-act of the evening, “The Audition” by Ray Arsenault, began. Once again, Neilson took center stage, now a level-headed bar keep named Rob. This performance introduced the audience to the talented sophomore secondary English education major Mackenzie Lewis. Lewis played the role of Raleigh, a young actress traveling across the country for the audition of her life. As she began rehearsing for this audition with Rob, the audience experienced  a startling twist as Raleigh revealed Rob as her true father and meeting him was her ‘audition.’ As this news was revealed, Neilson’s demeanor completely changed, as did the lights, only adding to the dramatics of this piece. 

  Finally, after one last scene change, the lights opened for “Unsinkable” by Michael McKeever, where the audience is introduced to the ignorant couple, Claire and Harland, played by freshman speech and theater education major Emily Turner and Given, making his second appearance for the evening. The couple’s maid, Maggie, played by freshman BFA performance major Sapphire Engle, emerged from the cabin, informing them that the unsinkable ship, The Titanic, is sinking. The couple scoffed at this and dismissed the maid, requesting a bottle of champagne. After some time, the maid returned, this time with an officer, played by junior design technology major Luke Habjan. The four bickered back and forth before the officer gave up, leaving the couple to their fate. Turner and Given’s portrayal of the snobby English couple was practically perfect. The two’s chemistry on stage formed a couple the audience would love to hate. 

  A Night Of Nights made for an incredibly entertaining evening. With shows ranging from ridiculous to comedic to heartwarming, the audience was always kept on the edge of their seat, readily awaiting what was next.