STUDENT CENTER: Westminster College Finds The Divine

“The heart of THE DIVINERS is found in simple, honest moments. Simple honesty is tough to put on a stage, but we as a cast have been fighting as hard as we can for exactly that, and through it, have found something extraordinary. This production is something special.” Says actor Paul Burgess about the current production of THE DIVINERS running at Westminster College through October 27th.

If you look at the definition of divine when used as a verb, it means to discover. The theater program at Westminster is in its infancy, which affords the actors the unique opportunity to discover and grow much like the characters in this play. “This show is really about the divine, just like the title suggests. It’s about bringing out the best in each other.” Says director Jared Larkin. Burgess adds to this thought by explaining “our cast has attacked this rehearsal process with enormous enthusiasm, genuinely pushing one another to succeed.”

The play follows a young boy who has the ability to divine water. Even a change in temperature can alert him to potential rain. However, because of a tragedy early in his life, he is terrified of water, so much so that he hasn’t bathed in nearly a decade. Enter C.C. Showers, a stranger passing through town who takes an immediate liking to Buddy. The two form a friendship with C.C. becoming somewhat of a teacher and mentor to Buddy.

However, Larkin remarks “This show tells a story we are not as familiar with in a truly unique way. We ask the audience to engage with us in the creation of this production and we try to show that change can happen in someone’s life and it doesn’t make them a bad person. C.C. is someone who has left his faith, it doesn’t mean he is a bad person, it just means he is not a preacher anymore.” When C.C. and Buddy begin to grow and find the divine within themselves the people of the town are uncomfortable with the fact that these two do not fit into their expected roles anymore which inevitably leads to the day of Buddy’s Tragedy.

Larkin invites us as an audience to come along on the “journey that these two take morally and ethically. We will ask the question about our own responsibilities in regards to keeping people where they are instead of allowing them to divine themselves.”

THE DIVINERS plays at Westminster College through October 27, 2012. Tickets can be purchased for $10 on their website or by calling 801-832-2457. 

Photo Credits: Mike Manning Photography