The show will run Wednesday through Saturday.

Written by Todd Wallinger, “Kill The Critic” is a comedy set in 1955. It is about an up and coming Broadway actor named Trevor Stanton whose attempt to kidnap Bertram Finch, a harsh critic called the Barracuda of Broadway, takes a deadly and hilarious turn.

“From the very beginning of the show, he kidnaps the critic and is just planning on hiding him until the show is over,” said the play’s director, Lindey Krug. “Then accidents happen, and it appears that he has poisoned the critic. Basically the whole show is him trying to hide the body and keep his girlfriend, his co-stars, and all these people that keep coming into his dressing room out long enough so that he could figure out what to do.”

When asked what drew her to the show, Krug said “I direct a lot of shows over the course of the year, so I’m always reading stuff. What draws me to any show is something that I can picture in my brain, as if I can see it happening on stage. That way I know it’s something that I can direct.

“Also, I know that our community enjoys a good comedy, so when it’s a laugh out loud sort of situation, I know that’s going to be good for our patrons and our supporters,” she added. “I also have to look at who normally auditions for our shows for Hawkeye Theatre. You know, it’s summer time and it’s busy. You don’t always know who’s going to come in, so I try to pick something that doesn’t have a massively large cast. I also look at age ranges, you know, something that can appeal to anyone from the age of 20 to 60 because it’s a community show.”

The cast consists of Sawyer Springer, Josh Tuel, Arthur Lund, Alyx Coble-Frakes, Jenna Hendrix, Lonnie Tolle, Heidi Ingram, Katie Ferry, and Rachel Loots.

Casting is one of the many roles a director has to fill to make the play come to life on the stage. Krug detailed how she went about this by saying, “It’s the audition process, and looking at who comes in and trying to fit the best people in the best places. That just doesn’t mean talent alone, it also means like chemistry, or it could mean like what’s age appropriate. Some of those things fall into place, so that’s one of the obstacles in putting that puzzle together.”

Krug went on to discuss the visual aspect of setting up a production, saying, “When it comes to the visualization of it, you’re looking at designing a set. Some plays provide a very specific set design, others leave it very vague. This show had a sketch, but nothing very specific. So you’re looking at what the stage looks like. How does it fit the stage that Hawkeye has, because you know there’s only so many entrances and exits and where those are placed. You also look at the time period. This particular play takes place in the 1950s, so one of the questions is what do we have on hand that could create that time feel? What are some color schemes or what are some things that are indicative of that time period from a design standpoint, and trying to fit those things together.”

Krug has had a long association with community theater.

“I actually directed my very first show ever with Hawkeye,” she said. “I was in college and I was back for a summer. The title was ‘House of Wonders.’ I want to say it was 1996, so it was quite a few years ago. That was like my very first toe dipping into directing. After I graduated college, and life happened, we ended up coming back to Fort Dodge about 15 years ago, and so my return to Fort Dodge meant that I also wanted to return to performing and being involved in the fine arts scene in my community. I directed a number of shows with Hawkeye in those 15 years, and I’ve also been in a few, so I’ve got a history.

“It’s also where I met my husband, actually,” she said. “I performed at a show in 1994 which my husband was in, and that’s how we met.”

Krug continued by emphasizing the important part the arts scene plays in Fort Dodge, saying, “I think that Fort Dodge has a very strong fine arts community. We need to continue to support that and nurture that. It’s unique, not every community our size has what we have, and I’m really proud to be a part of that”

“Kill The Critic” runs from Wednesday through July 11 with shows at 7 p.m. There will also be a 2p.m. matinee on July 11. Tickets can be picked up at the box office.

If You Go

What: Hawkeye Community Theatre production of “Kill The Critic”

When: 7 p.m. July 8-11 and 2 p.m. July 11

Where: 521 N. 12th St.

Admission: $10