Waiting for Black Box Theatre’s (BBT) production of “Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music” to begin on opening night, I reflected on the past 22 years, since BBT opened in September 2001 with a brilliant production of “Seascape.” In BBT’s second season, I was lucky enough to be cast by director Bradd Howard in Christopher Durang’s “Beyond Therapy.” I was also in the casts of “Epic Proportions,” “Prelude to a Kiss,” “Big Love,” “The Complete History of Las Cruces (Abridged),” “The Hothouse,” “On Golden Pond” and “The Explorers Club.”
That’s a lot of great memories, and some of the best moments of my life.
I know the members of director Ceil Herman’s “Nice People” cast and crew and its audience will create their own very special moments and very personal memories as the show continues through Sept. 10 at BBT, 430 N. Main St.
There are many new and young faces in this delightful cast that features four members of the Bever family. Laura, Charlie and Jamin Bever are all performing at BBT for the first time; Laura, is, in fact, making her theatre debut in “Nice People.” Penny is only a 10th grader, but she is already a main-stage veteran, having recently performed in the casts of “Gypsy” at Las Cruces Community Theatre (LCCT) and “The Revolutionists” at BBT. Charlie was also in the cast of “Gypsy” and worked backstage for “The Revolutionists.” Jamin, who was terrific as “Tulsa” in “Gypsy” and worked backstage for “The Revolutionists” and BBT’s “Radium Girls,” does the off-stage voices for “Nice People.”
This show is also actor Hunter Campbell’s first production at BBT, although he has been featured in A Children’s Theatre of the Mesilla Valley productions for the past 10 years (debuting at age 7). You would never know Hunter is a high school senior – he plays an east Texas twangin’ 30-year-old to perfection in “Nice People.”
Genno Tafoya is the veteran of this cast, having appeared in multiple productions for Toad Hall, and for BBT, including “Animal Tales,” which marked BBT’s return to post-pandemic live theatre, and is still one of my favorite shows of all time.
Genno, who totally embodies his biker character, anchors the play’s first act, in front of the “Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music” bar, along with Hunter and Charlie (what a marvelously irritating Jay Bob character Charlie has created!) and BBT co-owner Peter Herman’s Chevy pickup, also making its BBT debut. We move to the patio space above the bar for much of the second act, with real-life mother and daughter Laura and Penny creating entertaining dialogue about love and life between make-believe aunt and niece before they are joined by Charlie, Hunter and Genno for the show’s high-flying finale.
Remaining performances of “Nice People” are 8 pm. Friday-Saturday, Sept. 1-2 and 8-9; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3 and 10; and 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7.
Tickets are $10-$15. For reservations, call 575-523-1223. Tickets are also available at the door. Visit no-strings.org.
