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Theater »
Jackson
Community College play a mix of spirituality and
comedy
By
Bill
Chapin | Jackson Citizen Patriot
October
22, 2009, 12:00AM
Dave
Weatherwax | Jackson Citizen Patriot
Jeremy Moore and Ellen Francey rehearse for the Jackson Community
College theater department’s production of “Messiah on the
Frigidaire.”
If you enjoy
theater that mixes the comedic and spiritual with thick Southern
accents, this is your sign. Jackson Community College's theater
department is presenting "Messiah on the Frigidaire," starting with
a preview performance at 8 p.m. today.
Written by South Carolina playwright John Culbertson, the play is
about the brouhaha that erupts in a small town when a
"hedge-trimming incident" results in an image of Jesus — well,
either him or Willie Nelson — appearing on a married couple's
refrigerator.
"We are not trash because we have a refrigerator on the porch,"
said actor Jeremy Moore, reiterating a point made by his character,
Dwayne Hightower.
Dwayne's wife, Lou Ann, is the main character. Played by Ellen
Francey, she is a strong-willed woman hopeful that the icon on the
appliance is indeed a miracle.
"Lou Ann's been praying for a sign from God," said Sandy DiCesare,
director of the play and coordinator of educational theater at the
college. "They live in a trailer park and life's just
stagnant."
It doesn't take long before the porch starts attracting visitors,
including the media, true believers and a sleazy politician and
preacher.
"It really is about faith," Francey said. Despite everything that
happens to Lou Ann "she still has such a strong faith and
belief."
The set includes an actual car, on loan from Jimmie's Wrecker
Service. It took 12 students in the college's stagecraft class to
lift it a few inches and maneuver it into the theater.
For the cast, half the fun of the show has been speaking in a
Southern drawl and learning to pronounce "police" as "PO-leece,"
but they also like that there's more to it than jokes about trailer
parks.
"It makes you think after you're done watching it, it really does,"
said Jimi Bommarito, who plays city Councilman Larry
Williamson.
Said Moore: "I honestly love the character relationships, how they
interact and conflict. As you go along, you learn the history they
have together."