UCM Honors College Theatre Student Directs New Musical ‘In Pieces’

Enjoy an evening of entertainment as University of Central Missouri (UCM) Honors College student Jake Collins presents “In Pieces,” a new musical by Joey Contreras, with support from the Division of Theatre and Dance and the Honors College. 

The show will be performed Feb. 5-7 in the Nickerson Black Box Theatre on the first floor of Nickerson Hall. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 7:30 p.m. 

Collins, a senior Theatre Performance major, is producing “In Pieces” as his capstone honors project. The show is directed, designed and performed entirely by UCM students.

“‘In Pieces’ is a beautiful exploration of love and life through the point of view of various life stages,” Collins said. “The show takes a thoughtful approach to almost every form of love. No matter if you’re with the love of your life or painfully single, there is an opportunity for everyone to see themselves represented on stage.”

The cast includes Audrey Shepard as Austyn, Ava Broermann as River, Damian Schaffnit as Hunter, Jadan Zelch as Grey, Kody Paris as Charlie, Lizzy Molina as Jael, Mason Enright as Alex, McKenna Sanford as Sam, and Alea Ware as Understudy/Ensemble Cover.

The production staff includes Stage Manager and Board Operator Molly Jones. In addition to directing, Collins also serves as the show’s costume, scenic, props and lighting designer. Actors will also function as a run crew for the show. Ashley Miller-Scully, professor and chair of the Division of Theatre and Dance, is the faculty advisor and intimacy choreographer.

“In Pieces” is produced by special arrangement with Joey Contreras. 

Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can for all shows. There is limited seating in the Black Box Theatre, so arriving early is highly encouraged. Parking is available in the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center parking lot. 

UCM Theatre and Dance has two more productions remaining in the 2025-26 Make ‘em Laugh season: “Bus Stop” on Feb. 26-March 1 and “9 to 5” on April 17-19 and 23-25. Tickets can be purchased at the UCM Theatre and Dance Office, by calling 660-543-4020 or at ucmboxoffice.universitytickets.com. The office in Martin 113 is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For questions about the production or tickets, call 660-543-4020 or email boxoffice@ucmo.edu.

For more information, contact Miller-Scully at almiller@ucmo.edu or find UCM Theatre and Dance on Facebook and Instagram.