Sets are being finished and lines are being memorized as the Seward County Community College Showcase theater prepares for their fall performance, Novio Boy from Nov. 16-18. SCCC theater instructor, Michele Van Hessen brought Novio Boy, a play written by Gary Soto, to the diverse community of Liberal because she thought it fit the students and might relate to it.

“I wanted to find a community that included our Spanish community because of all the traumas  that they are personally going through, so I wanted to find a play that I thought was universal, that spoke to us all.,” Van Hessen said.

The bilingual comedy tells the story of a young boy, Alex, who goes on his first lunch date with a girl. A first date and a crush is something that anyone can relate to, and that was the intention all along.

“The question of the play is: ‘If you want someone to like you, what do you do?’ This is something that is totally universal,” Van Hessen said.

In the play, the main character, Alex tells his friend that he is going on a lunch date, but his friend quickly states that he is ‘just going to a restaurant at the same time as the girl.’

She later giggled, “Or was it a date?”

During Alex’s date, many of his family members including his uncle, mother and even members of the community get involved.

“Novio boy is a humorous, universal theme of love.” Van Hessen said.

As for the set building for the play, the director decided to use Japanese screens to really give the audience the feel of where the characters are. Art scenic designer, Rosa Strydom painted the screens for each different scene in the hour long play.

The Cast for the play includes: Fernando Nunez as Alex, Gissella Garcia as Mariana, Jennifer Malin as the Mother, Joanna Vazquez as Isabella, Joe Denoyer as Nicolás, Kambrian R. Acevedo as Alicia, Osvaldo Morales as Rudy, Zuli Lujan as the child/estela and Marcia Swann as a waitress.

“I am especially excited because I am able to use Mexican-American students who have never been on stage before and have become excited about being in the production,” Van Hessen said.

Novio Boy will be in the SCCC Showcase theater on Nov. 16-17 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Nov. 18 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $6 per person, $5 for seniors, free for children under ten and SCCC students. Tickets are available in the Humanities office.