ISU Theater turns back the clock for the next two weekends, as they present “Nixon’s Nixon,” written by Russell Lees, and “The Promised Land,” written and performed by Jane Cox.

“Nixon’s Nixon” is a re-mount of a production of the Des Moines Drama Workshop, while “The Promised Land” is a new play.

“Nixon’s Nixon,” which runs this weekend, is a fictional play about the meeting between Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger on the night before Nixon resigned from office.

Patrick Gouran, professor of theater, plays Kissinger in the production. Gouran said that he has enjoyed the chance to work again with Karl Koch, who plays Nixon, director Todd Buchacker, and stage manager Wendy Quick.

Gouran said that he has enjoyed this play due to the strength of the script.

“It’s a good look at people in areas of power and what they do,” Gouran said. “One thing I like is that there is some comedy in there.

“It’s not just about two political entities, but also the humanity of those people,” Gouran said. “It’s not black and white, but a lot of gray.”

Gouran said the cast has only been rehearsing for this re-mounting for a couple of weeks. He also said that some changes have been made in order to present the piece in Fisher Theater.

“[Fisher] is a larger space, and it’s a proscenium as opposed to a three quarters,” Gouran said. “We’ve slightly modified the sets and made changes in the furniture.”

Gouran said that several people have asked him if the show will have appeal to people of all ages.

“This show is not exclusive to people 52 and older,” Gouran said. “It’s not just a history lesson.”

“The Promised Land,” which runs next weekend, is not the first time that Cox has brought a one-woman show to the Fisher Theater stage. Among her other credits are “The Yellow Rose of Suffrage” and “Clara Schumann: Liebe Und Lieben.”

Cox said she has performed a shorter version of “The Promised Land” on two occasions, but this will be the first time she has performed the entire play.

Cox said “The Promised Land” is based in part on the experience of her family.

“One side of my family had moved to Iowa in 1875, and the land they got is still in the family,” Cox said. “I wanted to write about what it was like in the early days of the prairie.

“It’s about a woman and her husband who live in Missouri and decide they want to homestead in northwest Nebraska,” Cox said. “In those days you could have 160 acres for $18, and all you had to do was make improvements within six months and live there at least five years,” she said.

Cox said that living on the land for that long wasn’t easy.

“A lot of times people didn’t know how hard living in the middle of nowhere for four or five years could be,” Cox said.

Cox said she hopes people gain an appreciation for the work of the pioneers by watching “The Promised Land.”

“I believe we take so many things for granted,” Cox said. “Our lives are pretty easy. I’d like people to think about what others went through to provide us with what we have.

“What we live with now is what the early pioneers wanted their kids or grandkids to live with,” Cox said. “In a sense, I think we’re living out some of their dreams.”

“Nixon’s Nixon,” by Russell Lees runs May 27, 28, and 29 at 8 p.m. “The Promised Land” runs June 3, 4, and 5 at the same time. Tickets are $12, $11 for senior citizens and $5 for students, and all shows are at Fisher Theater.