EMPORIA — Emporia State University Theatre opens its season with musical “Big River, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

Propelled by an award winning score from Roger Miller, Mark Twain’s timeless classic sweeps us down the mighty Mississippi as Huck Finn helps his friend Jim, a slave, escape to freedom at the mouth of the Ohio River.

Their adventures bring to life favorite characters from the novel including the Widow Douglas; the uproarious King and Duke; Huck’s pal, Tom Sawyer, and their rowdy gang; Huck’s drunken father, the sinister Pap Finn; the lovely Mary Jane Wilkes and her trusting family.

Students from this area in the production are:

Dustin Bittel, a junior theater major from Ellis, is playing Mark Twain/Doctor.

Rachel Muirhead, a sophomore theater education major from Hays, is playing Widow Douglas/Sally Phelps.

Under the direction of Jim and Lindy Bartruff, Big River will run in The Karl C. Bruder Theatre in King Hall, Oct. 13 through 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 16 at 2 p.m.

Tickets can be reserved at the university box office in the Memorial Union or by calling 620-341-6378. Proceeds from this production support scholarships for ESU students in the performing arts.