Two Hardin High School alumni are bringing their theatrical talents to the playwright’s chair for The Valley Players of Liberty, which will stage their original comedies this August.
Jaden West and Nolen Thompson, both familiar faces in the local theater scene, have transitioned from actors to playwrights, bringing fresh comedic talent to the community stage.
West, currently a senior majoring in theater arts at the University of Texas at Austin, penned “The Galleon Family Grieving Competition,” marking his second collaboration with The Valley Players. His debut play for the group, “The Hairy Situation of Dr. Follicle,” co-written by and starring fellow actor Nolan Myers, delighted audiences last year. Co-directing the play with West is Lexi Dallas.
“The Galleon Family Grieving Competition” is set in modern-day Maine, revolving around the death of Atlan Galleon, the patriarch of an estranged family who potentially leaves a vast fortune. His final wishes set forth a grieving competition, judged by his longtime butler Mr. Daniel, played by Nolan Myers.
The family members — including Atlan’s widow Gloom Galleon, his children Frank, Theresa, Levi, and stepdaughter Bellatrix — compete to prove who grieves the hardest to win the estate. Thompson portrays Atlan’s ghost, overseeing the comically intense grieving competition.
“This play has moments of being super goofy, but it has something more, too,” West said. “It started as a silly farce and became something personal because the characters all have genuine moments.”
Thompson, making his playwrighting debut, authored “Grease for Greece,” centering around two friends, Magrico and Fakus, who decide to swap lives. Magrico, the son of a Grecian warlord, dreams of being a chef, while Fakus wants to enter the military. When their scheme begins to unravel, they must navigate serving the king’s feast and halting a potential war, culminating in a dramatic conclusion.
Jokobe Hebert portrays Magrico, while Fakus is humorously played by three actors: Jaden West, Cody Lightfoot, and Evelyn Thompson. Nolan Myers is co-directing the play with Thompson.
Valley Players’ fans may recall Thompson from previous memorable performances including Hero in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” Troy Bolton in “High School Musical,” Rudolfo in “Matilda,” Jonathan Brewster in “Arsenic and Old Lace,” and Bob in “The Hairy Situation of Dr. Follicle.”
The double-feature shows will be held on Friday through Sunday, Aug. 8-10, at the Humphreys-Burson Theater, 1710 Sam Houston St., Liberty. Show times are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 8-9, and 2 p.m. on Aug. 10. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance by clicking here.