Divine show at BTG
Perfect show for the times
by Christopher Key
In the theatre, timing is often everything. When director Patrick Dizney proposed The Diviners to the Bellingham Theatre Guild over a year ago, he probably didn’t know that the economy would be echoing the Great Depression by the time the play opened. Timing sometimes relies as much on luck as skill.
Jim Leonard’s script is a worthy companion to Depression-era dramas such as The Rainmaker and The Grapes of Wrath. Dizney and his talented cast and crew make it as contemporary as tomorrow’s headlines.
First of all, this is one of the most visually and aurally stunning productions you will ever see and hear. Set designer MaryAlice Hare has created a work of art that makes you wish she could have signed her name at the bottom. The colors and curves perfectly evoke the rolling farmland of Indiana. Nick McDonald’s lighting effects are devastating and Devan Wardrop-Saxton’s evocative sound design is deceptively simple. She plays the dulcimer in the offstage shadows to great effect.
All this technical wizardry would be distracting if the actors didn’t deliver top-notch performances. They do and the total effect is extraordinary.
Geno Reidinger, III, is nothing short of brilliant in his portrayal of the disturbed young boy whose love/hate relationship with water drives the plot. As the smooth-talking preacher trying to run away from his past, David Tristen Baggenstos delivers a sensitive and moving performance.
David Tristin Baggenstos as CC Showers, Geno Riedinger III as Buddy Layman, Brandice Thompson as Jennie Mae Layman in the Bellingham Theatre Guild production of The Diviners.
Newcomer Jim Agnello claims he knew nothing about acting before this show, which is difficult to believe given his solid performance as the disturbed boy’s father. Ken Gunning, on the other hand, is a gifted veteran who displays his amazing range with a nuanced portrayal of a neighboring farmer.
Brandice Thomas is another newcomer to the BTG stage and is charmingly gawky as the disturbed boy’s sister. Jen Dickenson, who graces nearly every stage Whatcom County has to offer, brings her wonderful physicality to the role of Gunning’s wife.
As a pair of evangelical wannabes, Vicky Moyle and Mary Beth Hawkins bring an authentic religious fervor to their roles. Another talented pair of BTG newcomers, Phillip J. Wheeler and Kristien Ruggiero-Upton play farmhands whose efforts at learning to dance provide a comic highlight.
Western Washington theatre student Leah Harff has been acting since age six and that experience shows in her portrayal of a farm girl who chafes under the social restrictions of the times.
Hard times drive people toward the comforts of religion, then as now. That is a major theme in The Diviners and water serves as the metaphor for God. The water giveth and the water taketh away. It is unfortunate that dramas like The Diviners don’t attract the audiences that comedies and musicals do. This superb production may change a lot of peoples’ attitudes and I can’t urge you strongly enough to make your reservations now. There is some strong language and parents should take that into consideration before bringing children.
The Diviners plays March 20 – April 5 at the Bellingham Theatre Guild Playhouse, 1600 H Street. Evening performances are at 8:00 and Sunday matinees at 2:00. Tickets are $11 for adults, $9 for seniors (over 62) and students, and $7 for children under 12. Reservations (strongly recommended) may be made by calling the BTG box office at (360) 733-1811. Box office hours are Tuesday – Saturday 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. Cash, checks, Visa and Mastercard accepted. www.bellinghamtheatreguild.com.
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