During the Great Depression, a widowed farmer is raising his children, including a son who some believe has a special gift, in a small town populated with the usual suspects – fellow farmers desperate for rain, a store owner hopeful for customers and young men and women yearning for meaning in their lives.
Into the mix walks a preacher who has lost his faith and his bond with the boy proves a turning point in the Midwest tableau of The Diviners, by Jim Leonard, Jr., directed by Jeff Johnson and sponsored by Outpost Media.
Johnson said that the struggle of finding true comfort in one’s own identity as well as the courage to confront personal fears and demons are themes he has worked with the cast to convey.
“People are tough to change once they set their mind to things; they are stubborn and rush to snap judgments,” he said. “Audiences will find themselves pulling many different messages out of this production depending on where they are personally in their own struggles; they will see things they relate to or things that frustrate them, but ultimately they will all be moved.”
Variety wrote about The Diviners: “The playwright’s warmth, humor and love for humanity permeate the drama and make it both touching and entertaining.”
Audiences have found that The Diviners evokes the same feeling as other Depression-era classics such as Of Mice and Men and To Kill A Mockingbird.
The Diviners will run September 18 through October 16, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. On closing week, there will be a special Thursday night performance at 8 p.m. October 15, with the final show at 8 p.m.ÂÂ Friday, October 16.
Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for students and seniors. Group rates are available. For tickets, purchase online at www.the-rep.orgor call 661-288-0000. This show is rated REP-PG, suitable for older children. The Repertory East Playhouse is located at 24266 Main Street in Newhall.
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