For those of you who have not yet experienced the brilliant NIU production of “Between Daylight and Boonville,” the Department of Theatre Arts will perform the final shows today, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Stevens Building Players Theatre.

“Between Daylight and Boonville,” is a touching and humorous portrayal of three coal miners’ wives whose everyday lives are shockingly disrupted by a nearby mining explosion.

Written by Matt Williams and directed by Douglas Hartzell, both natives of the play’s southern Indiana setting, “Between Daylight and Boonville” offers both a refreshing and tragic look into the private lives of these women as they struggle to cope with the ups and downs of their temporary trailer court lifestyle.

The play begins with focus on Carla May, a spunky young woman who often finds herself dissatified with the life she leads and that which she can offer her daughter, Stacy. Carla May remains a pivotal character throughout the play as she slowly reveals not only her own dreams and ambitions, but also those of Marlene and Lorette, her trailer court neighbors.

Laura Scariano’s performance of Carla is fiery and intense. Periodically hollering her grievences and exploding in rage, Scariano turns in a convincing and powerful portrayal of the “younger and less-wise” coal miner’s wife in “Between Daylight and Boonville.”

Complimenting Scariano are Shari Lindsay Lewis as Marlene and Monique Y. Waters as Lorette, who give superb, in-depth performances as the two dedicated “trailer-wives.” Their well-dramatized characters add both seriousness and humor to the play in addition to a sense of community and friendship.

“Between Daylight and Boonville” is an enjoyable play which allows even the most superficial characters to evolve and develop multi-dimensional levels of emotion.

Paul C. Prunty and Kim Van Zandt provide excellent performances in their small parts as Cyril, the young man off work for the day, and Wanda, the town’s flirtatious social caller.

Rebecca Shur, Brian Dady and Eric Smith are the three children actors in “Between Daylight and Boonville” and they give wonderful performances that are neither contrived or overbearing.

Other contributors to the play include Robert Wagner, scenery designer, Aimee B. Mowery, costume designer, Sandra Fox, lighting designer, Betsy Coprider-Bernstein and Martin Hughes, sound designers and Scott A. Grew, production stage manager.