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| Maggie Gilkes (center) keeping the peace as mother Clara, in between daughters Ruth (Katie Bigwood, left) and Beverly (Kristi Schwartz, right) |
As Sheryl Crow sang, “Making
miracles is hard work. Most people give up before they happen.” Miracle
on South Division Street is about a hard-working family that makes the most
of its own miracle. The Nowak family
legend began when Grandpa witnessed a holy vision right in his barbershop,
which inspired a commemorative shrine on his property that gave the family its
identity. In the Farmington Players production of Miracle, Maggie Gilkes plays the kind-hearted family matriarch
Clara Nowak, who runs a neighborhood soup kitchen and offers “healing soup”
prepared on “holy ground.” But
when the family gathers to discuss daughter Ruth’s plans to write a play about
that family miracle, a deathbed confession shakes their faith to its core.
Playing a mother is familiar
territory to Maggie: In addition
to playing Mother Superior, a nun and widow in Doubt at SRO in 2009, Maggie says that her real life experience as
a mom should make Clara “a natural part for me. I have two daughters and five
grandchildren. This means being true and honest to the part you are playing.” Adding to the realism, Maggie’s own daughter
Katie Bigwood plays Clara’s daughter Ruth in the play!
This happy accident came
together rather fortuitously. As
Maggie, says, “As for a mother/daughter playing together, I had never thought
in a million years that this would happen. Katie came to read with me at an
early audition because I was in a show when the open auditions were being held.
It was very comfortable at auditions having Katie on stage with me. On the way
home we were talking in the car about how good it felt, how natural it felt, and
how it had given Katie the ‘bug’ to be on stage.” Director Sue Rogers also saw how natural mom and daughter
were together on stage, and was glad to cast them together.
Maggie has high regard for
Sue’s directorial abilities, saying, “Having Sue as a director is proving to be
a wonderful experience. She knows what she wants and is very articulate in her
actions. Very knowledgeable, with a clear vision of the show.” Maggie believes that “this show
will warm everyone's heart, they will see people they know as far back as their
own childhood.” In addition to
Katie as daughter Ruth, Maggie’s stage “family” includes Kristi Schwartz as
daughter Beverly and Michael Soave as son Jimmy. Like any family, they quarrel and kibitz and interrupt one
another constantly, but the underlying love is always apparent. As Maggie says, “This play is a true
life drama/comedy. It is the everyday life of a close-knit family. I can relate to this in that I am one
of six kids, and yes, we still all get together and we all get along very well.
Even to the point of traveling together.”
Maggie’s husband of 41 years
(Dave) and family are long time residents in the Farmington area. She recently retired after working the
past 12 years as a dealer at Greektown Casino, and she now fills her time with
grandkids, building the sets at Two Muses Theatre and set dressing at the Barn.
The Farmington Players'
production of Miracle on South
Division Street opens February 13 and runs through February 28. The show is proudly sponsored by Varsity Automotive Group. Tickets can be purchased online at www.farmingtonplayers.org or by
calling the box office at 248-553-2955
