On Thursday, the stage of Southwestern Michigan College’s Dale A. Lyons Building theater came alive to give audiences a look back into America’s western frontier, where the pitchfork and revolver reigned supreme.

The local college opened its latest student production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” that night. The show, with a cast comprised of high school students from around southwest Michigan, runs through the weekend, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The student cast, along with the stage crew and orchestra, have worked quite diligently to prepare for this weekend’s four-show run, working 12-hour days rehearsing their lines as well as the show’s multiple song and dance numbers. For the first time, students were invited to reside on campus during the production of the show, spending their nights residing inside the school’s dormitories.

The stage of Southwestern Michigan College has become a molding ground for many with professional theater aspirations. The school’s theater program, led by Paul Mow, puts on several musicals and plays every year, giving college and high school theater students the chance to perform in front of a large audience of fellow students, parents and theatergoers.

In an age where people can watch full-length motion pictures on devices they can fit in their pocket, the idea of spending an evening traveling to a theater to watch a live show may seem antiquated to some. However, plays and musicals offer an experience to visitors that even an IMAX movie in 3D can’t match.

While every performance will feature the same script and routines, the actor’s performances will always be unique to that particular show. They can play off the energy they feel from the audiences sitting in front of them, in a way that a recorded piece of media cannot.

More importantly though, by patronizing shows at institutions like SMC, you are supporting the continued fine arts education for every student involved with the production. Nothing is more encouraging for a theater student than to see a packed house every night they take the stage.

We encourage people who haven’t seen “Oklahoma!” or any other student production at the college to carve out some time this weekend to see the show. You’ll be supporting the future of the stage by doing so; and you’ll end up enjoying a fun show in the process.

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.