Noah's family,  Photo by Allen Eagles

By Cheryl Thornburg

It’s always exciting for me to see a show for the first time, particularly one that I know little about.  Such was the case with “Children of Eden,” Fleetwood Community Theatre’s summer offering. I knew it was based on the stories of Genesis and Noah -- stories that have all the passion, deceit and thrills of modern day movies -- but everyone knows the stories, the characters. How do you make it into contemporary entertainment?

Stephen Schwartz, whose better-known work is "Wicked," has managed to do just that, combining traditional Bible stories with themes of complex relationships, family dynamics and love, that transcend time.

FCT’s  “Children of Eden," featured an extremely talented cast to recreate the familiar characters with a very personal approach.  At the center of it all is God, referred to as Father in the play, as he deals with Adam and Eve in the first act and Noah and his family in the second act. Daniel Petrovich plays the at-first doting, then vengeful father to perfection.

Dealing with his love and wrath are Zach Petrovich as Adam and Emily Wisser as Eve. The trio was exceptional in the beautiful ballad “World Without You” and were fun to watch in “Naming” as Father lets Adam and Eve name all the animals, an energetic bunch of critters brought life with some creative costumes. Special kudos to the tigers, who crept across the stage with catlike stealth.

Enter the notorious snake (played in this version of the story by a quartet of slinky links, Gretchen Patti, Michelle Krueger, Melissa Kierzkowski, and Mary McCormick) who convinces Eve to taste the fruit of the forbidden Tree of Knowledge in “In Pursuit of Excellence.”

Adam and Eve are cast out of Eden and struggle to survive in the wasteland where they have two sons, Cain and Abel, whose age-old story is retold in an up-close-and-personal style  Dane Santa, plays Cain, the more adventurous of the brothers, and Jeremy Hesketh plays Abel, the more devout brother. The two stand out in “Lost in the Wilderness” and Dane Santa also kicks off the second act, along with Gretchen Patti, as soloists for the energetic and infectious “Generations” as the Storytellers recount the passing generations down to Noah.

Bob Aregood brings a sincerity to his “Noah” and his smooth tenor gives a poignancy to “Gathering Storm” and “Hardest Part of Love,” both duets with Petrovich’s Father.

Once again conflict arises as Noah’s son Japeth, played by Matthew Phillips, wants to marry Yonah, who is of the cursed line of Cain. And again a son defies the father and he sneaks Yonah onto the Ark.

Yonah is played by Amanda Lyn Hornberger who gives arguably one of the best performances of the show with her solo, “Stranger to the Rain.”  She and Phillips also turn in an exquisite duet, “In Whatever Time We Have.”

The second act features tender ballads, but also some hand-clapping, foot-stomping numbers like “Aint It Good” with Jessica Pennington heading up the ensemble and electrifying the audience.

The large cast also included Aaron Poper, Jeffrey Kline, David Hornberger, Matthew Hayes, Erin Aregood, Donna Torres, David Erb, Austin Highly, Will Patti, Brian Miller, Dawn Hornberger, Jessie Hornberger, Laura Jones, Caroline McCormick, Lilly Moyer, Nadine Poper, Emily Jones, Casey Krueger, Michael Rufo, and Kylie Shroeder.

Director Debbi Silas and music director Christopher Hoster, have put together a superb summer production.  Unfortunately for local audiences, the show had only a 3-day run, July 19-21, but FCT has more to come.

Mark your calendars for Sept. 28 and 29 for FCT’s annual Spaghetti and Song, with its 2012 theme, “Love is In The Air,” at St. Paul’s UCC in Fleetwood. I dubbed last year’s event the “best entertainment bargain of the year.”  It’s well-worth the trip to Fleetwood.

Fleetwood Community Theatre presents “Children of Eden," a musical by Stephen Schwartz who wrote the music for "Wicked" this weekend only .The show is appropriate for all ages. remaining shows are shows are Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. plus a matinee at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Fleetwood High School. For tickets, call 610-944-3610 (it is the home phone number of the president of the organization, so don't be surprised by the answering machine). Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. Discounted rates are  available for groups of 20 or more if made in advance. There is assigned seating for reserved tickets and general admission at the door.

  “Children of Eden," tells the story of creation, family, choices, faith and love through the music of Stephen Schwartz.  Act One is based on the story of Adam & Eve. Act Two is the story of Japheth, Noah's youngest son.
    The cast include  Daniel Petrovitch, Zach Petrovich, Emily Wisser, Gretchen Patti, Michelle Krueger, Melissa Kierzkowski, Mary McCormick, Dane Santa, Jeremy Hesketh, Aaron Poper, Jeffrey Klein, Bob Aregood, Jess Pennington, Matthew Phillips, Amanda Hornberger, David Hornberger, Matthew Hayes, Erin Aregood, and Donna Torres
Storytellers are  Dave Erb, Austin Highly, Will Patti, Brian Miller, Whitney Davis, Dawn Hornberger, Jessie Hornberber, Julie Jones, Laura Jones, Caroline McCormick, Lilly Moyer, Nadine Poper, Emily Jones, Hunter Willow Jones, Casey Krueger, Michael Rufo Kylie Shroeder, and Cassidy Vees.
The show is directed By Debbi Silas with music direction by Christopher Hoster, choreography by Megan Jean Tice and set design by Tara Sands.

By Cheryl Thornburg

Shoestring productions has a history of producing thought-provoking theater and took that to a new level Friday with its staged reading of Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black’s new play, “8,” that recounts the trial challenging the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8 that stripped gays and lesbians of the right to marry.  Using the actual transcripts and interviews with those involved, Black has done what I have sought to do in my journalism career, put a face on the issue.  In the actual words of those who were there, he brings it all down to the personal level and we get to know the couples who challenged the law.

The cast was large and talented and delivered some amazing performances in the limited setting of a staged reading.  Many of them were memorable, especially that of Susan Sneeringer who portrayed Maggie Gallagher, the chief opponent of marriage equality.  Her performance was riveting as she delivered line after line of vitriolic speeches in the courtroom that I’m sure are diametrically opposed to her own beliefs. That’s the sign of great acting.

The plaintiffs, a gay couple and a lesbian couple, are played by Michael Steven Contreras and Dallas Mugno, and Maria Damore and Kathy Newville, whose portrayals bring out the everyday lives and frustrations for the couples. Damore and Newville play women who had been married and have children, but fell in love later in life and are raising their sons together. Those interactions range from normal family stuff (not missing soccer practice) to more poignant scenes. The boys are played by Brandon Reimer and Daniel Graf.  

The attorneys from both sides get to do a lot of the talking and the actors seem quite comfortable in those roles.  John Gancar and Fred Opalinski, play the attorneys for the Plaintiffs and Daniel Smith plays the Proponents’ attorney.

Keeping them in line is Chuck Gallagher as Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who has a wry sense of humor that Gallagher seems to relish.   He’s fun to watch as he puts people in their place.  

The witnesses also have some memorable things to say, and Richard Bradbury, as David Blankenhorn, the proponents’ star witness, gives some of the most shocking testimony of all as he admits that  “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”

Another moving performance came from Corey Buller as Ryan Kendall who talks about what it was like when he went to sessions to be reprogrammed to become straight.

The remaining cast includes Jamie Howard, Kathy Hoffman, Michael Harbach, Fr. Dwayne Messenger, Dr. John Manubay, Herbert Karasin, and Corey Donchez.

Kirk Lawrence plays a journalist covering the trial, but most importantly, directed the show, which seemed to have a major impact on the cast as well as the audience. He chose a cast that put heart and soul into the performance.  It’s too bad it only had a one-night showing.  It deserves to be seen by many more people.

Black, a founding board member of AFER, had this to say about the play: “People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter. The goal of ‘8’ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right.  The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light.  AFER and Broadway Impact are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

“8” was presented by Shoestring Productions in association with the Miller Center at Reading Area Community College, with license from the American Foundation for Equal Rights and Broadway Impact. Proceeds from the production will be donated to AFER to aid in the ongoing legal battle. 

MORE ON “8”

Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8” for free to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding.  Most productions will be followed by a talkback where cast and audience members can discuss the issues presented in the trial.

The story for “8” is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides.

 

On February 7, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a landmark decision upholding the historic August 2010 ruling of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  The Ninth Circuit concluded:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.  The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”

For information on how your local theater can produce “8,” visit: www.8theplay.com

ABOUT THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

The American Foundation for Equal Rights is the sole sponsor of Perry v. Brown, the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8. After bringing together Theodore B. Olson and David Boies to lead its legal team, AFER successfully advanced the Perry case through Federal District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Foundation is committed to achieving full federal marriage equality for all Americans.
www.AFER.org

ABOUT BROADWAY IMPACT
Broadway Impact is a grassroots organization of the theatre community and its fans mobilized in support of marriage equality. In direct response to the passage of California’s Proposition 8 in November 2008, Tony Award-nominees Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon) and Gavin Creel (HAIR) and Production Coordinator Jenny Kanelos founded Broadway Impact to engage the theatre community in the fight for marriage equality. Recent initiatives include: contributing to phone bank efforts to win marriage equality in New York State; creating an awareness program that led to a 3,000 piece letter writing campaign; facilitating the attendance of 1,400 supporters to the National Equality March in Washington, D.C.; and producing a rally for over 5,000 attendees in Midtown Manhattan. Broadway Impact is now committed to bringing “8,” a play about Proposition 8 written by Academy Award-winner Dustin Lance Black, to university and community theatres across the country in order to inspire dialogue, understanding and action concerning marriage equality. Broadway Impact was the recipient of the 2009 Human Rights Campaign Community Award and proudly operates under the entity of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
www.BROADWAYIMPACT.com  

READING – Shoestring Productions in association with the Miller Center at RACC, with license from the American Foundation for Equal Rights and Broadway Impact, will present a one-night-only reading of  “8,” a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8, written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black. Proceeds from the production will be donated to AFER to aid in the ongoing legal battle.

“8” is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry.

Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film "Milk" and the film "J. Edgar," based “8” on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.  

“8” will be performed at the Miller Center for the Arts at RACC on Friday, July 13 at 8 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.racc.edu/MillerCenter (on the “Events” page) or by phone at 610-607-6270. They may also be purchased in person at the Miller Center box office, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The box office opens one hour prior to performance. The Miller Center is located at 4 North Second St., Reading, 19601

Shoestring’s production of “8” will feature many local theatrical notables, including John Gancar, Richard Bradbury, Chuck Gallagher, Kathy Newville, Maria Damore, Daniel Smith, and Kirk Lawrence (who also directs). The cast will also include community leader, Fred Opalinski, Pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran in Reading. The cast will take part in the post-show talkback, which will be led by Ted Martin, Executive Director of Equality PA.

“8” had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City.  The production brought in over $1 million to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality. 

“8” had its West Coast premiere reading at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Los Angeles.  The West Coast premiere reading of “8” featured an all-star cast led by Golden Globe Award-winner and Academy and Emmy Award-nominee Brad Pitt as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker; and Academy and Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee George Clooney and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Martin Sheen as Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson.  The benefit reading was directed by AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner, and raised more than $2 million for the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black.  “The goal of ‘8’ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right.  The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light.  AFER and Broadway Impact are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8” for free to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue and understanding.  Most productions will be followed by a talkback where cast and audience members can discuss the issues presented in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial.  

“My partner and I were united by a Unitarian Universalist minister, in front of family and friends, on January 11, 2000 in New York City,” said director, Kirk Lawrence. “While we have considered ourselves married for these last 12 years, our government has not, and therefore we are denied those basic protections and rights that straight married couples take for granted. I hope that presenting this important piece will open some minds regarding Marriage Equality. I see definite signs of the tide turning in equality’s favor; we would just like to help nudge it along a little faster.”

The story for “8” is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides.  Scenes include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments of trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”

On February 7, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a landmark decision upholding the historic August 2010 ruling of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  The Ninth Circuit concluded:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.  The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”

To purchase tickets, call 610-607-6270, or visit http://www.racc.edu/MillerCenter (“Event” page) For information on how your local theater can produce “8,” visit: www.8theplay.com

Follow “8”on Twitter: @8theplay or on Facebook.

“8” SHOESTRING PRODUCTIONS CAST LIST

Clerk                                                                                       Jamie Howard
Broadcast Journalist                                                         Kirk Lawrence
Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker                                      Chuck Gallagher
Theodore B. Olson (Plaintiffs’ attorney)                      John Gancar
David Boies (Plaintiffs’ attorney)                                   Fred Opalinski
Charles J. Cooper (Proponents’ attorney)                    Daniel Smith
Jeff Zarrillo (Plaintiff)                                                       Michael Steven Contreras
Paul Katami (Plaintiff)                                                      Dallas Mugno
Sandy Stier (Plaintiff)                                                        Maria Damore
Kris Perry (Plaintiff)                                                          Kathy Newville
Elliott (Kris & Sandy’s son)                                             Brandon Reimer
Spencer (Kris & Sandy’s son)                                          Daniel Graf
Dr. Nancy Cott (Plaintiffs’ witness)                              Kathy Hoffman
Maggie Gallagher (Marriage equality opponent)      Susan Sneeringer
Dr. Ilan Meyer (Plaintiffs’ witness)                              Michael Harbach
Ryan Kendall (Plaintiffs’ witness)                                Corey Buller
Dr. Gregory Herek (Plaintiffs’ witness)                       Fr. Dwayne Messenger
Dr. Gary Segura (Plaintiffs’ witness)                            Herbert Karasin
Dr. William Tam (Prop. 8 proponent)                         Dr. John Manubay
David Blankenhorn (Proponents’ witness)                Richard Bradbury
Evan Wolfson (Marriage equality advocate)               Corey Donchez

ABOUT THE AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

The American Foundation for Equal Rights is the sole sponsor of Perry v. Brown, the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8. After bringing together Theodore B. Olson and David Boies to lead its legal team, AFER successfully advanced the Perry case through Federal District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Foundation is committed to achieving full federal marriage equality for all Americans.
www.AFER.org

ABOUT BROADWAY IMPACT
Broadway Impact is a grassroots organization of the theatre community and its fans mobilized in support of marriage equality. In direct response to the passage of California’s Proposition 8 in November 2008, Tony Award-nominees Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon) and Gavin Creel (HAIR) and Production Coordinator Jenny Kanelos founded Broadway Impact to engage the theatre community in the fight for marriage equality. Recent initiatives include: contributing to phone bank efforts to win marriage equality in New York State; creating an awareness program that led to a 3,000 piece letter writing campaign; facilitating the attendance of 1,400 supporters to the National Equality March in Washington, D.C.; and producing a rally for over 5,000 attendees in Midtown Manhattan. Broadway Impact is now committed to bringing “8,” a play about Proposition 8 written by Academy Award-winner Dustin Lance Black, to university and community theatres across the country in order to inspire dialogue, understanding and action concerning marriage equality. Broadway Impact was the recipient of the 2009 Human Rights Campaign Community Award and proudly operates under the entity of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
www.BROADWAYIMPACT.com