evergreenplayers.org

Independence

by Lee Blessing [PG-13]

Directed by Kathleen Davis.

This is the Players' entry to the 2006 Colorado Community Theater Coalition competition at Clear Creek High School, Idaho Springs.

The setting is the small town of Independence, Iowa, the lifelong home of Evelyn Briggs. Her eldest daughter, Kess, is a university professor in Minneapolis, but she has come home at the request of her sister, Jo who is concerned for Evelyn's mental health. Kess, a professed lesbian, wants to cut her family ties once and for all; Jo, an incurable romantic and longtime virgin, has now become pregnant; while Sherry, salty-tongued and amoral, wants only to finish high school so she can leave home for good. In the end, there is no accommodation possible but, instead, only a kind of arbitrary independence for each of the protagonists, as they come to realize that each must find her own heaven -or hell- in her own way.

"Mr. Blessing writes admirably well timed and weighted dialogue, and the play takes the cleverly invented charactes through to a chilling end." - Plays and Players (England). "Blessing has a hair-trigger sensitivity to what families are saying and doing now, this minute..." - Dallas Times Herald. "...a delicate balance of comic and tragic elements." - Louisville News American.

Cast

Kathleen Davis Director

Kathleen Davis has directed, acted, and swept the stage for the Evergreen Players since 1966. In 2000, she was awarded the Distinguished Merit Award by the Colorado Community Theater Coalition. This probably indicated age and dogged determination. Kathleen is a retired musician and teacher, and in recent years a writer. She is awed by Lee Blessing's script and the generosity of these actors in creating this family.

Haley Johnson Jo

Haley is delighted to return to the Evergreen Players' stage after starring in last fall's well-received thriller Wait Until Dark (Best Actress - "Colorado Backstage Spotlight Award"). She earned a BA in Theatre from the University of Colorado at Denver and was seen in such productions as Of Mice and Men, Look Back in Anger, Julius Caesar, and Lysistrata. Most recent roles include Julie Jackson in Pack of Lies, Dot in Mrs. California, Amelia in The House of Bernarda Alba, and Grace in What I Did Last Summer.

Lisa Kraai Sherry

Lisa most recently appeared on stage as Kate Keller in Evergreen Players' production of The Miracle Worker. Other Evergreen credits include Steel Magnolias (Annelle). Lisa is no stranger to the Colorado Theatre Festival either, having performed in CCTC/AACT shows The Trip To Bountiful for which she won Best Actress at Festival 2003, Judevine, The Dining Room, Eleemosynary, and Lovers:Winners for which she won Best Actress at nationals and performed at internationals in Heidelberg, Germany. Lisa studied theater at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. She is a legal secretary, wife and mom.

Linda Williams Kess

Linda is honored to be working with such a talented cast, director, and crew. Since discovering the wonderful Evergreen Players two years ago, she has appeared with them in The Miracle Worker, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, and Marvin's Room. Other past roles include Maggie in Lend Me a Tenor, Olive in The Odd Couple (female version), and Cookie in Rumors. Linda would like to thank her terrific family and her incredible new Colorado friends for their love and support. "The theatre, when all is said and done, is not life in miniature, but life enormously magnified, life hideously exaggerated." (H.L. Mencken, 1919)

Donna Worley Evelyn

Donna is blessed and thankful to be a part of such a beautiful production, and to work with all of the good people in this effort.

Production Crew

Images from Independence

Photography by Ellen Nelson and other volunteers.

Family Scene

Haley Johnson, Linda Williams, Donna Worley and Lisa Kraai