Augustana Theatre to showcase alumna’s work

“How can you live in a world when you’re different?” asked junior Henry Thronson, who plays Otto in Augustana University theater’s upcoming play “Straw Boy.” 

Written by Augustana alumna Mikennah Oleson ‘26, “Straw Boy” explores themes of love, faith, grief and acceptance in a retelling of “Pinocchio.” 

The play is set in the 1940s Appalachian town of Tuscany, West Virginia, and follows Otto, a World War I veteran and coal miner who creates a doll out of straw, bark and sticks after experiencing PTSD from the war. The story then follows Otto’s straw boy, played by junior Satchel Workman, as he enters a world he does not understand and encounters people who struggle to accept him. 

Jayna Gearhart Fitzsimmons, a professor of theater at Augustana and a mentor to Oleson, said she’s enjoying the unique experience of having a newly-written play hit the stage. 

“There are still changes made to the script,”  Fitzsimmons said. “It’s still very much living document as we make discoveries in rehearsal.”

Last year, Oleson’s previous play,  “Aftermath,” won an award at the Premier Playhouse and was later recognized at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival last year. She has also previously developed shorter productions for Augustana’s Claire Donaldson New Play Festival. 

Oleson developed “Straw Boy” for her English honors thesis after realizing she couldn’t think of a contemporary adaption of  “Pinocchio.” What began as a concept in January 2025 eventually became a 115-page play. 

“I went to Dr. Hicks about my senior honors thesis for the English department, planning to do some research and probably write some kind of essay, and he offered that I write a play instead,” Oleson said. “I just couldn’t stop thinking and writing.” 

Oleson’s adaptation asks what it means to be different, what it means to be good, and what it means to love, lose and keep moving. Oleson said the story is rooted in the question, “What does it mean to be real?” 

For Thronson, the story is about more than just the creation of Straw Boy — it’s also an exploration of belonging and family. 

“A lot of the story is about acceptance and belonging and lost love,” Thronson said. 

Thronson described his character as a gruff and broken man who keeps to himself. He has developed routines that allow him to be self-sufficient, but he is also trying to become a better person and protect the people around him.

“I can definitely feel for him emotionally, having been through what he’s been through and still come out trying to be a better person,” Thronson said. 

Since “Straw Boy” is a new play, the student actors have had to determine how to play their role without past productions to look back on.

“There’s no basis,” Thronson said. “These characters are new, so it’s up to us to play them in a way that we think does them justice.” 

The process also required the actors to learn a 1940s Appalachian accent. For sophomore Isabelle Hagen, who plays Otto’s former lover Helen, one of the challenges is reflecting the character’s emotions while maintaining an accent. 

“It’s been fun to find that balance between the dialect and having a lot of emotions that these characters carry and display on the stage, because I feel like it’s easy to make the accent very comedic,” Hagen said. 

Thronson said the play acts as a love letter to Appalachia by representing its culture through the storytelling and its magic. The production also extends beyond the actors on stage — over 50 students involved in “Straw Boy” have worked on carpentry, costumes, lighting and props. Fitzsimmons said teamwork is part of what makes producing a new play different. 

Oleson’s script has continued to develop through readings and rehearsals, allowing the cast to discover what works on stage. 

While “Straw Boy” explores fear, isolation, love and loss, Oleson hopes the audience leaves with something positive. 

“I hope the audience hopes. I hope they leave hopeful,” said Oleson. 

The show will run during Viking Days from Thursday October 22 through Sunday October 25.

The Thursday show will be interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing.