 |
| Director Sue Rogers (seated) reviewing the Miracle script with Maggie Gilkes and Katie Bigwood during rehearsal |
If you haven’t seen Miracle on South Division Street yet,
what are you waiting for? A sign
from God? In all seriousness, the
Farmington Players’ production of Miracle
has been – in its own humble way – a miraculous coming together of faith,
family and community, highlighting the most positive aspects of community
theater. The play features mother
Clara Nowak’s soup “prepared on holy ground,” so director Sue Rogers got the
idea of doing an opening night fundraiser to benefit Manna Community Meals, a
Detroit soup kitchen. Pastries
were provided by On the Rise Bakery and coffee donated by – who else? – Miracle
Coffee. And best of all, show
sponsor Varsity Automotive Group matched the entire pot from the 50/50 raffle,
generously benefitting Manna and On the Rise. Sue said, “Given our extremely cold winter, it was fabulous
to see how generous others were with caring for the less fortunate in our own
community. Given our sometimes cynical times, I’m reminded of Clara’s
rhetorical line, ‘So the miracle’s over, huh?!’”
While Miracle is not overtly religious, Sue found it “very meaningful for
me to do a show that has a spiritual dimension. I think this is something
people in general are searching for and theatergoers in particular have found
it a refreshing positive experience in the midst of this cold and sometimes
depressing winter. I really like the way the author uses humor to talk about
the serious divisions in our society. You can’t turn on the news without
feeling the sense of sadness that as a society we are too often in conflict,
judging others who are different, and unable to find common ground. Miracle speaks to people who have that
yearning to ‘get along,’ as Jimmy’s character says.” Sue used a short excerpt from the Beatles song Let It Be to convey that in times of
trouble, people tend to lean on their faith and their family, especially their
mother. As she explained, “Some
people have wondered why we sampled Let
It Be in the end, referencing Mother Mary when the play actually extends
its message of faith well beyond the Christian community. I used it because
Paul McCartney actually wrote the song about his own mother and the show
certainly has a strong feminist element that honors motherhood in a unique way.
I think of the statue as a universal mother (my mother, your mother, Clara’s
mother, the Blessed Mother, Eve, Mother Earth, etc.).”
Another special aspect of
directing Miracle has been the input
and encouragement that Sue has received from author Tom Dudzick. Sue said that he “has a beautiful way
of reminding us that we are all so much more similar than different and that’s
an important message to hold onto these days. Plus he’s been great about making
himself available for consultation.”
In fact, Mr. Dudzick sent the cast a congratulatory letter on opening
night, in which he wrote, “I’m so excited for you guys. I feel like I’m part of
your production, there’s been so much contact between Sue and myself. I hear
business is booming for our little show. And I LOVE the story of Katie and
Margaret Gilkes playing themselves [as mother and daughter] on stage!! Break a leg everyone! Remember -- hold
for laughs. I guarantee you’re going to get some.”
Indeed, Miracle has plenty of laughs, as well as heartfelt moments. It is a show that audiences have really
connected with, and that is a tribute to the cast’s strong bond with one
another. As Sue says, “The cast
has been a joy to work with. We’ve said repeatedly that with a cast this small,
we have truly become like family. The camaraderie, jokes, kibitzing, and
playfulness have all felt like a fun family vibe. Some of us have never worked
together before, so it was amazing to see how everyone connected so readily.”
The Farmington Players'
production of Miracle on South
Division Street has three performances remaining: Thursday February 26, Friday February 27, and Saturday
February 28, all at 8:00. 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment