Eric Steele’s ‘The Midwest Trilogy’ at the Kalita Humphreys Theater

Filmmaker and playwright Eric Steele presents'The Midwest Trilogy'.

Dallas-based filmmaker and playwright Eric Steele, Second Thought Theatre, and Aviation Cinemas have combined their might to produce a unique combination of stage and screen, The Midwest Trilogy, with preview performances at 8pm, March 15-17, and regular performances Thursdays-Sundays, March 22-April 8, at the Kalita Humphreys Theatre.

The evening centers around two short films by Steele (Topeka and Cork’s Cattlebaron) and a one-man, one-act play (Bob Birdnow’s Remarkable Tale of Human Survival and the Transcendence of Self) written by Steele and performed by Barry Nash.

Cork’s Cattlebaron centers around two businessmen as they have dinner at a restaurant in Omaha, the more senior of whom receives unexpected news.

In Topeka, A young businessman from New York visits a local diner in Topeka while on a business trip through the Midwest. When he returns from the restroom and finds his belongings missing, he lashes out at the locals and sparks a culture clash over coffee.

Bob Birdnow tells the story of a former pilot who endured a terrible tragedy in a one-man play that explores the connections between survival mechanisms and our presumed purpose in life.

Steele began work on the trilogy four years ago, when he began documenting ideas and conversations while on corporate sales trips. Second Thought Theatre, in conjunction with Aviation Cinemas, plans to use this event as an opportunity to prepare Bob Birdnow to make the transition from the stage to the screen and complete Steele’s short film trilogy.

The Midwest Trilogy runs March 15, 2012 – April 9, 2012, at the Kalita Humphreys Theatre (directions). For tickets, visit Second Thought Theatre.

Previews: Thursday March 15 at 7:30pm, Friday March 16 at 8pm, Saturday March 17 at 8pm.
All preview performances are pay-what-you-can at the door or $15 online for a reservation.

Performances: Thursday March 22 at 7:30pm, Friday March 23 at 8pm, Saturday March 24 at 8pm, Sunday March 25 at 7:30pm, Monday March 26 at 7:30pm, Thursday March 29 at 7:30pm, Friday March 30 at 8pm, Saturday March 31 at 8pm, Sunday April 1 at 7:30pm, Thursday April 5 at 7:30pm, Friday April 6 at 8pm, Saturday April 7 at 8pm, Sunday April 8 at 7:30pm.

Industry night (pay-what-you-can): Monday March 26, 2012 at 7:30pm.