Reynolds College Blog

“Back Story” opens theatre and dance 2026-27 season

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Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance opens its 2026-2027 production season with “Back Story” Sept. 24-28.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24-26 and Sept. 28 and 2 p.m. matinees Sept. 26-27. All performances will be held in the Balcony Theatre in Craig Hall.

Directed by Dr. Kurt Heinlein, the play explores the lives of two siblings and the “unshakable devotion and hardships” they share. Heinlein is a professor of theatre and coordinator of the BFA Acting for Stage and Screen program.

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Story stems from collaborative writing project

Heinlein described “Back Story” as an exploration of the lives of a brother and sister, Ethan and Ainsley Belcher. Those lives, he noted, are “riddled with sibling rivalry, sacrifice, misadventures, and dreams deferred.”

According to Heinlein, the play originated from a short story of the same name by Joan Ackerman. To build from that original story, Ackerman invited nearly 20 playwrights to collaborate on the play’s script by contributing monologues and scenes.

“Each one offers a unique author’s perspective while dramatizing different moments from within the original short story,” Heinlein explained.

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Michelle Harvey’s theatrical design recognized by United States Institute for Theatre Technology

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The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) has featured Michelle Harvey’s scenic design from “Così fan tutte” in its national trade publication, Theatre Design and Technology.

Harvey is an associate professor in the BFA in Design, Technology and Stage Management program, housed within the Department of Theatre and Dance. She has been with Missouri State since 2019.

Professionals from across the country submitted their work for consideration to USITT’s “Design Expo” March 18-21 in Long Beach, California. Held every two years, this juried exhibition showcases scenery, costume and lighting design in the performing arts, Harvey explained.

Start with a script and a concept

Directed by actress and opera soprano Renée Fleming, “Così fan tutte” was performed at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado in July 2025. Harvey’s role as designer was to help Fleming transform her vision to the stage.

“A design always starts with the script and a concept,” Harvey said. For “Così fan tutte,” Fleming placed the opera in Yarmouth, Massachusetts, a small New England town, during the 1980s. Most of the story takes place within a boxing gym.

Working from the concept, Harvey researched the time period and locations, creating scenes that told the story visually while staying within budget parameters. She also needed to keep in mind the Wheeler Opera House’s limited space.

The venue is a “historic space with little to no backstage space,” Harvey explained. “The set had to be able to transform from the gym to several other locations, including the beach/boardwalk on the coast.”

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