Isaac Mckenzie-Sullivan, playing Father in 'Children of Eden' hugs two children playing young Adam and Eve, during a dress rehearsal Monday night at the Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia.
Actors starring in 'Children of Eden The Musical' gather on stage during a dress rehearsal Monday night at the Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia.
Steven Wells, plays Cain, during a dress rehearsal Monday night at the Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia.
Actors starring in 'Children of Eden The Musical' gather on stage during a dress rehearsal Monday night at the Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia.
Michael Green, right, and Lucy Page, left, play Adam and Eve during a dress rehearsal Monday night at the Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia.
Michael Green, left, and Lucy Page, right, pray as Adam and Eve to Isaac Mckenzie-Sullivan, center, playing Father, during a dress rehearsal Monday night at the Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia.
Isaac Mckenzie-Sullivan, playing Father in 'Children of Eden' raises his arms and yells, during a dress rehearsal Monday night at the Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia.
Steven Wells, left, and Chris Cabrera, right, play Cain and Abel, during a dress rehearsal Monday night at the Evergreen Playhouse in Centralia.
“Children of Eden” is a story about family.
And the Evergreen Playhouse’s version, opening Dec. 1, is about families in more ways than one.
The show’s cast of 32, which ranges in age from 5 to 70, has husbands acting with their wives and mothers and fathers acting with their children. Several family units, including one three generations strong, are working together in this production.
“I love having all the generations together,” said cast member Isaac Mckenzie Sullivan, who plays Father in the show. He also has his own experience with multigenerational theater through his work with Tenino Young at Heart Theater. “The young people learn from the older people and vice versa. It really does make it true community theater because you have the whole community there.”
Director Danielle Rivers said she suggested “Children of Eden” for the Evergreen stage because it is a show she has loved for a long time. Rivers was part of the cast for a production of “Children of Eden” at Centralia College in 1999 and said she finds the message to be universal.
“When I was in college and I was in this show I learned some things through it and I find now that I am a mother there are different lessons I’m learning through it,” Rivers said. “I think no matter where you are in life this show will speak to you.”
Written by Stephen Schwartz and John Caird, the story of “Children of Eden” is based on the first nine chapters of the book of Genesis in the Bible. The story begins with Father (Mckenzie Sullivan) creating the world and introducing it to Adam (portrayed by Michael Green) and Eve (portrayed by Lucy Page) and the subsequent generations of their family and their interactions with one another.
“It’s a show of hope,” Rivers said. “You’re not stuck making the same bad choices. Just because your parents are homeless doesn’t mean you have to be homeless. You can make a different choice.”
Michelle Gipson, Lacey (portraying a storyteller) will have her debut on the Evergreen stage through this production. She said she thinks audience members will likely be at least a little familiar with the story, which will allow them to immerse themselves more in the song and dance.
“It doesn’t matter what aspect of life you’re in, you can learn something from it,” Gipson said.
Like many of the cast members, Matt Flores, of Olympia, (portraying an ensemble member and one of Noah’s sons) said “Children of Eden” is a personal favorite show. He said while the story is from the Bible, he believes the underlying story of families and choices rings true to anyone regardless of their personal beliefs.
“It’s stories out of the Bible but it’s not churchy, it’s not preachy, it’s very relevant to today,” Flores said. “That’s what I love about it. It has a strong message and it’s not in your face.”
The music is another component cast members said makes “Children of Eden” such a strong show. Emma Crummett, 5, (portraying a fox and ensemble member) said the modern music and interpretive dance style of the show is her favorite part.
“I enjoy the singing and the dancing,” Crummett said. “It’s about feeling and beauty.”
“The music is the first thing that grabs you along with the universal theme of family,” added Mckenzie Sullivan, whose wife, Theresa, and son Nathan, 7, are also in the cast. “It’s about family coming together and it’s fun.”
Rivers intentionally chose a very simple set, props and costuming for “Children of Eden”. She said instead the storytelling will be focused on the cast with assistance from some creative lighting techniques.
“We’re not spoon feeding. We want you to experience the story on your own terms,” Rivers said. “The whole theater will be utilized. Everybody will be in the story.”
“Children of Eden” follows “Clue the Musical”, which opened this season. This ambitious six-show season includes three musicals, which is a large undertaking for any sized theater, Rivers noted. But what Rivers said she found remarkable about having two musicals in a row was that only one actor in “Children of Eden”, Green, appeared in “Clue The Musical”.
“We had enough talent in Lewis County and the surrounding area to cast two musicals back to back, each with different talent,” Rivers said. “That’s pretty amazing.”
{{tncms-inline content="<p class="p1"><strong>What:</strong> Evergreen Playhouse presents “Children of Eden”</p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>When:</strong> Dec. 1-17, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Special artists benefit pay-what-you-can performance 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 7</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>Cost:</strong> $15 adults, $12 students/seniors. Advanced ticket purchase recommended to reserve preferred seating</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="s1"><strong>More information:</strong> www.theevergreenplayhouse.com</span></p>" id="9a26f2c0-860a-484b-bf0a-a548fa3b6e39" style-type="info" title="If You Go" type="relcontent"}}
