ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Northern State University Theatre Department will present the musical "The Brain from Planet X" in the Johnson Fine Arts Center Black Box Theatre.
Performances will run at 7:30 p.m. nightly Oct. 17-19, 25 and 26; at 3 p.m. Oct. 27; and include a special 11 p.m. showing for mature audiences on Oct. 26.
“The Brain from Planet X” is a toe-tapping (and brain-tapping!) musical send-up of the famous B-movies from the 1950s. Aliens arrive from the distant Planet X to take over California’s San Fernando Valley and then the world. Standing between them and total domination is a nuclear family facing their own growing pains.
This show is the inaugural production directed by new NSU Assistant Professor of Acting and Directing Dr. Kane Anderson. For him, “‘The Brain from Planet X’ is about change—the giddy excitement, the unknown terror, and, frankly, the silliness of how we confront change in the people around us.” The humor of the production celebrates the bright, hopeful instincts of love and family, “Both the one we are born with and the one we choose.” Like the B-movies that inspired this fast-paced and colorful musical, “‘The Brain from Planet X’ invokes a campy sensibility with high theatricality and innocent sexuality, and a surprisingly classic musical-theatre structure. I think audiences will be surprised at how much fun an alien invasion can be.”
Dr. Anderson joined the faculty in fall 2019 and brings a commitment to building on the department’s past successes by keeping the student experience at the core of the Northern State University Theatre program. Anderson added, “The student cast and crew of ‘Planet X’ trusted me with leading them into new territory with a perhaps unknown musical,” said Anderson. “In return, I want to help the students—and our larger community—enjoy the passion and humor that the theatre brings to life.”
The production is directed by Assistant Professor Kane Anderson, with musical direction and conducting by NSU Instructor of Music and Voice/Musical Theatre Michael Skyles. In addition to design and production work by the Northern State Department of Theatre faculty and staff, the show welcomes back Tony Stoeri, guest lighting designer from Minneapolis, as a visiting artist. The artistic staff further includes NSU Production Manager Trevor Carrier as scenic designer, and NSU Lecturer of Theatre Design Jordan Jaked Carrier as costume designer.
Ticket Information
Tickets for the production can be purchased online here or at the JFAC Box Office. Tickets are $18, with a Northern faculty/staff discount of $9 and a $2 discount per ticket for groups of 12 or more. NSU students are admitted free with ID.
Box office hours are noon-4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. The box office opens two hours prior to performances. The JFAC box office phone number is 605-626-2900.
Please note that due to the staging of the production, we cannot accommodate late-seating until the act break.
About Northern State University
Northern State University is a regional university that offers outstanding academics and exceptional extracurricular activities at an affordable price on a safe, welcoming campus. Northern State recently announced its Educational Impact Campaign, with a goal of raising $55 million for a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, new athletic and recreation fields, and an on-campus regional sports complex. Once the campaign is complete, NSU will be the recipient of more than $100 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.