Gordon in the News: last updated 04/12/2010
For Immediate Release
March 28, 2010
Media Contact
Jo Kadlecek
Office of College Communications
978.867.4752
[email protected]
WENHAM, MA —It’s hard to imagine life these days without Facebook, Twitter and instant messages. So when Jeffrey S. Miller, professor of theatre arts at Gordon, decided to direct the Broadway musical Godspell on the life of Christ, he knew he had to explore the ways technology can both intrude on or enhance modern lives of faith.
The result is a unique production of Godspell that opens April 9 and runs through April 17 at the Margaret Jensen Theatre in the Barrington Center for the Arts (Exit 17 from Route 128 North).
Traditionally Godspell is produced in 1970s’ hippie attire. But Miller wanted to take the genuine 1970 connection with audiences to a new sense of diversity set in our digital age. So cast members portray everything from a blue-collar worker, teen runaway and music fanatic to a street musician, a graduate student and a new teacher. And Jesus is no clown in this production.
“This is a story of a community becoming unified through a common experience,” says Miller. “It’s also our story, one we need to return to again and again, to revisit its significance in our modern lives to see the power it still has to change us. We need to find ways to tell it compellingly, so contemporary ears and eyes can hear and see it, even in the midst of our technological era.”
Jeremy Barnett, who previously designed Gordon’s set production of A Tale of Two Cities and Sueno, has designed the set that consists of scaffolding draped with fabric that creates a blank slate and becomes a variety of different "locations" throughout the performance. Pillows will be set along the edge of the stage floor to create more intimate reactions with the cast, and audience members can purchase tickets to these “seats” at a discounted rate of $3. It's BYOP—bring your own pillow.
Production manager and faculty member Dawn Sarrouf has coordinated all the design and building work. Nathan Skinner '07, part-time faculty member and organist for Hamilton Congregational Church, is the musical director. Hannah Baker ’11 of Wheaton, Illinois, is the stage manager.
Starring as Jesus is Ryan Coil ’13 of Nashville, Tennessee, and as Judas Iscariot and John the Baptist is Alec Lewis ’11 of Manchester, Vermont. The ensemble includes Christina Brandano '11 of Rowley, Massachusetts, Nate Conant ’11 of Gloucester, Massachusetts, Sheldon Costa '12 of Boston, Massachusetts, Sam Dennis ’10 of St. Paul, Minnesota, Rebekah Jordan ’10 of Groton, Massachusetts, Kelsey Langness ’13 of Moorhead, Minnesota, Heather Lobe '10 of Erial, New Jersey, Taylor Nelson ’12 of South Hamilton, Massachusetts, Sarah Romig ’12 of Washington, Pennsylvania, and Cassie West ’11 of Suffield, Connecticut.
Show times for Godspell are as follows:
Friday, April 9, 8 p.m.Saturday, April 10, 4:30 and 8 p.m.
Tuesday–Thursday, April 13–15, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 16, 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 17, 4:30 and 8 p.m.
Ticket prices include: Fridays and Saturdays: $7 students/seniors, $10 adults
Tuesday and Wednesday: Pay what you can
Thursday and Saturday matinees: $5 students/seniors, $8 adults
For ticket information go to www.gordon.edu/tickets. For additional information about the show call 978.867.4752.
