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| Kristi Schwartz (far right) is skeptical as sister Beverly when the Nowaks' world turns upside down |
Miracle on South Division Street is about family, faith, and what happens when the
foundation your world is built upon gets shaken. Like all families, the Nowaks have their own group dynamic. Kristi
Schwartz of Canton plays the older sister, Beverly, who she describes as “a
very traditional and judgmental person.
She views the world in black and white. A blue-collar worker by day (bottling salad dressing), Bev
dreams of having a family of her own. She longs for a husband, kids, and a home
with a picket fence. She is
religious; however, has a foul mouth and can be very harsh to others. Her family is her life and she will do
anything for them.”
Like any good actor, Kristi
draws on her real life experiences to add realism to her character. She grew up
in a large Catholic family where “you had to shout to be heard. This definitely prepared me to be part
of the Nowak family! We had six
children in our family (3 boys, 3 girls). I was definitely the bossy one in the
family who told others what to do. My brothers were constantly teasing me and
body slamming me (while watching WWF on Saturday mornings); so when [stage
brother] Jimmy teases or hits me, it is like I am back home!”
Without giving anything
away, Beverly has to deal with a loss during the show that really shakes her to
her core. Kristi says, “I
sometimes use the loss of my father -- who passed away from cancer in 2002 -- to
help summon my devastation later in the show. Although they are two different situations, Bev is going
through a loss in this play. She
is bouncing between denial, anger, and sadness (depression).” Like Kristi, the “Nowak family has
previously lost their patriarch, too.
My siblings and I protect my mother much like the children protect Clara
in this play.”
While Kristi draws on her
own experiences, it’s also fun playing her opposite in Beverly. As an elementary teacher, Kristi
is used to “talking sweetly to 3rd graders all day.” By contrast, “I really enjoy playing Bev because I get to
take my sweet, bubbly, teacher side and put it away in my pocket for a
bit. I can be harsh, swear a
little, and interrupt everyone.
This is all very different from my everyday life.” Kristi says that she “fell in love with
this character and knew Bev would provide artistic challenges for me.” Director
Sue Rogers has really helped Kristi “find” Beverly. Kristi says, “I have never had a director really encourage
me to explore my character so deeply in a show.”
When she’s not teaching or
doing theater, Kristi also enjoys dancing, drawing, and reading. But like Beverly, her pride and joy is her
family. In Kristi’s case, husband
Keith, and children Colin (16), Allie (13) and Drew (5) will always take center
stage!
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
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