Biola’s first entirely student-run production, “The Diviners,” premieres April 30 at 8 p.m. at Theatre 21, culminating the long nights of practice and weeks of effort on the part of the dedicated cast and crew. Set in a fictional town in Indiana during the Great Depression, “The Diviners” illustrates the lives of a handicapped boy and an ex-preacher who abandoned his church. The cast of 11 has been rehearsing three times a week since mid-February, sacrificing their late nights and Saturday mornings.
A LABOR OF LOVE
The director of the show, Kelli Mireles, a senior theatre major as well as the mother of three children, hatched the idea a year ago and was approved to go forward with the production without any funding from the department. “The Diviners” will be her senior project before she graduates this December.
“We actually did auditions in the fall and started rehearsals in February, so the whole process has been about a year at this point with all the brainstorming and fundraising. It’s nice that it’s finally here,” Mireles said.
Mireles performed in “The Diviners” as a high school student and the story made an impression on her, prompting her to save the script and perform monologues over the years. Her senior project allowed her to revive the play with fellow Biola students.
One such student she approached for the production was freshman theatre major Alison Ross. As stage manager, Ross is involved with every aspect of the production whether it is publicity, backstage, the set or the crew. She operates the lighting and sound and coordinates the props and crew. Ross said she feels extremely fortunate to be part of Biola’s first completely student-run production.
“It’s really cool because we haven’t used any money from the department — we’ve been completely raising our own funds. We built our own set and we’re doing everything behind-the-scenes as students too. It’s definitely going to be a really cool show just for that reason,” said Ross.
EMBRACING THE CHARACTERS
Sophomore English major Andy Marderian plays the role of Basil Bennett, an old, no-nonsense farmer in the town. The supporting role demonstrates one of many reactions and attitudes that each character develops towards the ex-preacher. Marderian also feels the excitement of belonging to this team of pioneers.
“The fact that it’s all student-run just shows that we’re all on the same page, we all love theatre, and we’re all working hard to create something together under Kelli’s great direction,” Marderian said.
Marderian’s fellow cast member, sophomore English major Lauren Frey, eagerly anticipates her very first acting role. Frey will play the role of Norma Henshaw.
“She is the agonizing aunt of Darlene, and the true believer of the town who advocates for church and revival and preachin’ and baptizing. She’s a very excitable person and she’s strong-headed,” Frey said.
Frey sees a little slice of herself in Norma, but had to work hard to discover practical ways to remain in character and act in a natural way. “The Diviners” is a beautiful and thought-provoking story that seeks to convey lessons and initiate response, said Frey.
“There is an object to their searches, and at the end of the show all of those things kind of collide and conflict and it leads to really what is the tragedy of the story. It is a show that explores the desires of people, also the tainted desires of people,” Frey said.
The cast is eager to watch their characters develop in the bigger picture. Mireles looks forward to how the audience will process the story and wants the viewers to walk out of the show feeling something and pondering where they fit into our community.
“It really is a story that people can relate to, in the sense that so often we can get blinded by our own ambitions and our own agendas and not really see the heart of what’s going on and so we lose some of the really important things going on in the lives of people around us,” Mireles said.
The production will run for two weekends beginning April 30 and ending May 10.
