Huntington College Theatre presents Shadowlands
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 9, 2002
Huntington, Ind. "Huntington College Theatre will present Shadowlands, directed by Paula Trimpey, at the Merillat Centre for the Arts main stage April 18-20. All performances will begin at 8 p.m. Shadowlands is a warm and powerful love story of author C.S. Lewis and poet Joy Davidman. Lewis, a world-renowned writer and professor, never experienced the deep emotions he wrote about until he met Davidman, a woman whose sharp-edged, no-nonsense attitudes took him by surprise. In their relationship, Lewis must confront the truth that a heart awakened to great love is also opened to great pain.
I first came in contact with the writings of C.S. Lewis when studying theatre for my Bachelors degree at Messiah College, said Trimpey. I read the Narnia series for a paper I was writing at the time. Then, last spring when I was reviewing plays for our season this year, 'Shadowlands' caught my interest. Remembering that Lewis was known not just for his Christian based children's fantasy, but other wonderful works such as Surprised by Joy, Mere Christianity and the Screwtape Letters, just to name a few. Without question, I decided that this play would definitely be worth doing on the Huntington College stage.
Noah Varness will be presenting the character of C.S. Lewis, continued Trimpey. I am impressed with the skill and sensitivity with which he presents Lewis. Lindsey Van Gelder, who portrays Joy Davidman, has a wonderful on-stage chemistry with Varness, and they will sweep you off into the world of the play and the wonderful, sad, sweet love story of C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman.
Trimpey joined the HC Theatre faculty roster in 2000. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Costume Design from Wayne State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Messiah College. She is currently working on a Masters in Religion through Concordia Theological Seminary. Trimpey taught theatre for eight years at Dixie College in Utah, and prior to that was the Costume Shop Manager at Pomona College in California. She enjoys spending her summers as a Cutter/Draper for the Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, Utah (which won a Tony Award as the best regional theatre in the country).
To reserve tickets, call 260/359-4261. Cost is $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.
Theatre performance and theatre design/technology are among nearly 60 academic concentrations available at Huntington College. US News and World Report ranks Huntington College among the best liberal arts colleges in the Midwest. Founded in 1897, the four-year, Christian college is located on a contemporary campus in Huntington, Ind.
The cast for Shadowlands includes:
C.S. LEWIS: Noah Varness, a sophomore Theatre-Performance major from Morris, Ill.
JOY DAVIDMAN: Lindsey Van Gelder, a junior English Education major from Berne, Ind.
WARNIE LEWIS: Troy Lazarus, a senior Theatre-Performance major from Angola, Ind.
DOUGLAS: John David Paff, a fourth-grader at Fort Wayne Christian School Southwest from Huntington, Ind.
REGISTRAR: Josh Scott, a sophomore Theatre-Design/Tech major from Eagle, Wis.
REV. HARRY HARRINGTON: Liam Smith, a junior Philosophy major from Ferguson, Mo.
ALAN GREGG: J. Scott Grinstead, a sophomore Theatre-Performance major from Dunbar, W.V.
CHRISTOPHER RILEY: David Pritchard Blaser, a sophomore Theatre-Performance major from Indianapolis, Ind.
DOCTOR: Michael Szapkiw, a junior Broadcast Communication major from Lagrange, Ind.
DR. OAKLEY: Pete Fairchild, a junior Theatre-Performance major from Huntington, Ind.
PRIEST/WAITER: Charles F. Miller III, a junior Theatre-Performance major from Gratz, Pa.
WOMAN/NURSE/WITNESS: Nuria Rosell, a sophomore Graphic Design major from Evansville, Wis.
Huntington College is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 50 academic concentrations. US News and World Report ranks Huntington among the best in the Midwest. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington College is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in Huntington, Indiana.
