Technical Director, Ellen Moran (left), and writer Tom Akers (right) pose for a photo on the set of the show. Moran and Akers are cousins, which helped connect the dots and score a world premier at the Wieting Theater. PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

Following the Thursday night world premiere performance of A Hi-Way Inn Holiday at the Wieting Theatre, audience members had the opportunity to hear directly from playwright Tom Akers during a question-and-answer session.

Akers is an Iowa playwright, director, and retired school superintendent who has spent decades involved in community theater. He has written more than a dozen plays that have been produced across multiple states, with A Hi-Way Inn Holiday adding to the lengthy list as he pursues another publication.

Akers, who grew up in a small Iowa town and frequently visited the Tama-Toledo area with family, said the play was inspired by his experiences growing up in the state and the people he encountered along the way.

“There are so many seeds in this just from growing up,” Akers said. “One of the fondest things I think about Iowa is that it is such a diverse place. People don’t think of it as being a diverse state, but just the welcoming and the acceptance that goes on in this state, I think it’s really unique. I wanted to do something that would celebrate that.”

Those experiences shaped many of the characters in the production, he explained. While none are based entirely on one individual, several were inspired by people he has known throughout his life, from friendly older couples to gruff farmers who reminded him of conversations at the local co-op.

Akers sits in front of the set after the conclusion of his world premier performance of A Hi-Way Inn Holiday. Making himself at home in his own creation, Akers was quick to grab a chair and respond to audience questions discussing the show. PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

Before taking questions, Akers praised the cast’s performance, particularly the challenge of keeping nearly every actor engaged on stage throughout the first act.

“As a director myself, one of the hardest things is getting that many people on stage for an entire first act,” he said. “They were all doing something all the time. These actors did an amazing job.”

Audience members also asked about the play’s surprising ending, which jumps ahead to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Akers said he intentionally chose that setting because it challenged both the audience and the actors to revisit a time when people longed for connection.

“I like to keep audiences off balance,” he said. “During the pandemic, people looked for connections. I wanted to see how these relationships we’d watched develop throughout the night would react to suddenly having to wear masks and face all of those changes.”

Another question centered on the show’s distinctly Iowa references, including nods to the 1970 Wadena Rock Festival–sometimes called “Iowa’s Woodstock.” Akers said he has no plans to remove those local references if the play is eventually produced elsewhere.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

“I love the idea of people learning something,” he said. “That was such a cool Iowa thing. I wouldn’t change it.”

The Wieting Theatre production marks the script’s world premiere, an important milestone for any new play. Akers explained that many publishers and theaters want to see a script successfully staged before considering it for publication.

Seeing the play performed live also gives him an opportunity to make revisions before submitting the final version.

“There are some things that I saw where I thought, oh yeah, I could change that and make it better,” he said. “That’s the blessing of seeing it live.”

He also noted that the original cast and Wieting Theatre will be permanently credited in the published script because they helped bring the work to life for the first time.

Akers encouraged audience members to share photos and reactions from the production on social media, explaining that attendance, reviews, and production photos all become part of the package he submits to publishers.

“I’m really hoping this is play number 15 for me to be published,” he said.

Throughout the question and answer session, Akers also shared stories about writing at five in the morning, laughing to himself while imagining scenes, drawing inspiration from family members, and incorporating music he enjoys, including Minnesota rock band Four on the Floor.

As the evening concluded, Akers thanked the cast, crew, and audience for helping bring the premiere to life. “This has been a blessing to me,” he said. “Thank you all for being here for the world premiere.”