Marshall native Nikki Swoboda performed in her first play when she was a student at Holy Redeemer School.
She doesn't exactly remember the name of the play, but since that first time on stage, she has directed and choreographed more than 60 shows and has acted in countless others.
And the students from her alma mater at Holy Redeemer will get to see one of her original musicals next week.
"Wouldn't it be awesome to give back to my grade school?" Swoboda said.
Swoboda is bringing a kid's musical "Rikkie Recycle and the Eko-Kidz" she created for Minnesota State University, Mankato theater department's "Kiddie Tour" to Holy Redeemer School Thursday.
As a bonus for her, Swoboda's brother, Chris, who is stationed with the 151st Battalion in Kuwait, will be at home on leave and will be able to see her latest show.
"I'm bringing it to him, it's going to be a homecoming," Swoboda said.
For the last two years, Swoboda, a directing graduate student, has done the Minnesota State University, Mankato theater department's annual "Kiddie Tour."
She wrote, directed and choreographed the shows.
"Last year I did a show called 'Abiyoyo,'" Swoboda said. "It's about a monster who doesn't like music. Pretty much, it's about how important art and music is in a community."
MSU, Mankato theater department's "Kiddie Tour" shows are traveled two days a week to schools around the state. Swoboda said "Rikkie" will go to 38 schools and will be seen by about 10,000 students. She has a full-time graduate assisantship in public relations and teaching, so she does the booking of the tour.
"It's grown because of the popularity of 'Abiyoyo' to eight more schools," Swoboda said.
Swoboda said "Rikkie" also has a good message.
"It focused on teaching kids how to be eco-friendly and be a friend to each other," Swoboda said.
Rikkie is a little girl that is a superhero whose power is where she snaps her fingers and recyclables go in the right place, Swoboda said. Rikkie, along with her friends, Polly Pollution-Solution and Eric Earthenstein try to save the Earth for future generations.
"After a misled miscreant named 'The Carbon Footprint' and his band of cockroaches do their best to undo all the green good they do, the Eko-Kidz have to decide how to stop him," Swoboda said.
Both of the musicals Swoboda created for the annual kiddie tour are 45 minutes long, she said.
While "Rikkie" is on the road, Swoboda is working on her master's thesis project, an original play titled "Virgin Territory."
She said it's based on historical research surrounding the Greek myth of Iphigenia and its contemporary implications.
"It will be the 65th show I've directed or choreographed," Swoboda said.
Besides finishing up her master's degree by May and teaching classes, Swoboda also recently has been published as a children's author and illustrator. Her book "Ever Met the Hooferjackal?" came out in November.